Summer

I wish I could say we have been away doing something fantastical but really we have just been right here, soaking up the good life. Things haven't slowed down since moving out of our home four weeks ago. Summer is in full swing with trips to the zoo, parks, splash pads, swimming pools and weddings and grad parties. Our new home is moving along quickly and many of our days are filled with trips to go check on the progress. Most recently we had our cabinets and counters installed, our trim and walls have been painted, next up will be floors and we will be in before we know it (in about 4 more weeks). We still have some summer trips planned but for now we are sticking close to home. 

Jameson is coming up on 20 months and boy does he love to swim. He will promptly put himself in any water within  sight. His new favorite words are "boats" and "birds" and loves to point out airplanes, tractors, trucks and cars. He went to his first baseball game and seems to grow an inch every night. I'm trying not to mourn the apparent disappearance of my "baby" and enjoy the fun moments of having an active toddler. He definitely wears us out, but I count every moment as precious, most especially when he finds it in his heart to bestow upon me an unasked for kiss or a brief moment to hold his hand. 

Taking a break...

From packing and cooling off in the sprinkler. Jake jr. was also very interested in "figuring out" the sprinkler and testing its capabilities. 

A little squirt in the face

Running from the water

Hmmm... What does this knob do...

Conner Prairie

We were invited by some friends to go play at Conner Prairie today. Jameson is absolutely fearless! He was the youngest kid chasing goats and sheep, petting them and he even hugged a baby calf! They had lots of baby goats and sheep that were just adorable, we wanted to trade the dogs for them! We also played at the two indoor areas with a market, garden, trains and more. Jameson also enjoyed watching the hot air balloon go up. Thanks for the invite Linda and Blair! It was worth it just to play in the barn!

A year in a glimpse...

Sometimes a year can seem very long and at other times it can seem as if you only blinked and it has passed. I was taking pics of Jameson in the yard this week and I was in awe of how much he has changed in one year. 

On the top picture Jameson was right at 6 months and just barely sitting up. I remember Jake and I propping him up just so for these pics but I was always close by for the inevitable lean and then tumble. In the picture below Jameson is now sitting himself down on the ledge, and climbing it and stepping off it all on his own. Incredible isn't it!? Also at this time last year he wasn't too fond of the grass and this year we can't keep him out of the yard!

Zoo

Again, I have gotten behind on our blog, but a few weeks ago we took our first family trip to the zoo. It's one of those things I had been very much looking forward to as a mom. And it was even more wonderful than I could have even hoped, and I'm sure as Jameson gets older and we can understand him better it will become and even greater experience. I am learning that pretty much everything that was cool before is even cooler when you are a mom :)

Checking out the sharks

His arms aren't quite long enough to pet them yet

Checking out the giraffes. He thought they were pretty cool

You weren't expecting a bunch of animal pictures were you?? :)

Family Dinners

Our independent little mister has laid down the law. He is fed up with being in his highchair across the bar where mama and dada sit for dinner. After a week of fits about going in to the highchair and another week of eating dinner on my lap, we had all had it, and I was hungry! Time for a change.

Then I remembered all those seemingly long and agonizing family dinners at the table. Hmmm... doesn't seem like such a bad idea now, and I couldn't recall the last time we actually ate in our dining room. Was it just my family or did everyone else have rules like "ask to be excused" , and "first one up has to do the dishes", or "don't brush your hair with that fork" (I had a thing for The Little Mermaid)?

So we set up shop in the dining room and it has been wonderful. Jameson is happy to be part of the crowd and I actually get to eat. Yes, it takes a painful three extra steps to get to the dining room and the rug is harder to keep clean than the tile, but really I love our new little tradition. I can't wait to reprimand Jameson for combing his hair with a fork! Or more likely to put away his cell phone!

Snapperz

Over a month ago we went to a family shindig at Snapperz. Jameson loved the carousel and even figured out how to highjack it so he could ride without paying! He also like the bouncy area and began a little exploring in the tunnels.