Clean Kitchen

Yesterday I spent a great majority of the day cleaning and organizing the kitchen.  It looks much better.  So yesterday, I was grateful to have a more sane kitchen. :)

Four Months

Emily is almost 5 months old, so I figured it was time for an update on our petite little lass.  First of all, look at the picture above here.  Emily started on rice cereal a couple weeks ago.  The first time she ate it, this was her reaction.  She was tired, teething, and it was just a bad time to try something new.  We waited a few days, and it was a hit!  Since then, every time she gets in the seat, her eyes get wide and she looks around expectantly.  Then when the bib goes on, she starts hopping up and down (kind of) in her seat and laughing.  Yeah, she likes eating.  And Andrew thought it was pretty funny that she was eating with a spoon.

 She is growing so fast, although she's still our tiny girl!  She had a doctor's appointment today and her first shot. :(  She was a brave girl, though and only cried for a second.  Here are her stats:

Height - 25" (50th percentile)

Weight - 13 lbs 1 oz (24th percentile)

 She is such a sweet little pleasant baby.  She lights up whenever she sees her Mommy or Daddy, and avsolutely loves to watch her big brother.  Since she's been eating rice cereal, it seems like she has been sleeping better.  Last night she slept from 9:30 to 11 and then 11:30 until 6:45!  She is such a good little baby.

It's hard to believe Emily hasn't always been in our family.  She fits in so perfectly, and we just love her to bits!

Autumn

Autumn is my favorite season.  I think the clothes are at their cutest, the leaves are at their prettiest, the food is at its most comforting, and the weather is at its perfect crisp, cool, temperature.  Plus it's a time of wonderful holidays and anticipation of my favorite holiday - Christmas.  I absolutely love fall.  I am so grateful to live where we get different seasons, especially fall.

And I am grateful that we can go inside to escape the weather sometimes.  I love to get all bundled up and play at the park, or just sit outside with my little cutie Eskimos, but I'm grateful to live in a warm house where we are safe, where we can feel the Spirit, and where we know we are all loved.  

And I'm grateful that Emily looks like Toadette in that hat.

My Country

Today I am grateful for my country.  I love it with all my heart and am so grateful to be a citizen of the United States of America.  I'm grateful for all our veterans and their time and love of country. 

God Bless the USA!

Pacify Me

Today I am thankful for pacifiers.  I know some people are against them, but for me, they are stinking awesome.  Emily loves hers, taking it out to eat, talk, or just to stare at it.  Plus MAM has the cutest pacifiers.  It's hard not to buy them just because they're cute.  :)  I'm just glad that Little Miss Picky likes the cutest pacifiers the best.  :)

Truth

I am grateful for Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful for His sacrifice, His life, and His love for me.  I am thankful for His church and that I am a member of that church.  I am thankful for the Spirit that guides and directs my life.  I love the Holy Ghost for the peace and security it brings.

Most of all, today I am grateful for my Heavenly Father.  There have been so many times in my life when I have felt Him watching over me.  Today is one of those days.

www.mormon.org

When You Have a Two Year Old...

When you have a two year old....

1.  And you're teaching him to brush his teeth, don't just say, "Okay now, spit."  That is, unless you love getting toothpaste and toddler spit all over your face.
2.  Remember that sometimes bribery is awesome.  And it doesn't have to be much.  A 16 oz milk bottle in the grocery store?  A peaceful trip.  Again, bribery can be so awesome.
3.  Be careful, because they will catch onto everything.  Luckily for us, this hasn't come back to bite us or anything, but I've just become very aware of his spongey-ness.  When I gave him a haircut yesterday, he looked in the mirror and said, "Hm.  Nice haircut!"
4.  You will miss the baby that once was, absolutely love the sweet little crazy toddler he is, and both greatly anticipate and dread him growing up into a not-so-little person.

Chubby Cheeks

Today I am grateful for chubby baby cheeks.  Emily has the cutest little cheeks, especially since she's so petite.  And I also absolutely love her guaranteed-to-crack-me-up faces!!! 

Healthy and Safe

Today I am grateful that my family and I are healthy, safe, and happy.  I'm grateful for clean water, a warm home, that our country is not in a civil war (watched part of Hotel Rwanda the other day...not a good idea for someone like me.  So depressing, but amazing.), and we are all healthy.  Those are things that are easy to forget, but we should truly give thanks for them every day!

Being a Jacobs

Today I am grateful to be a Jacobs. 

In August 1999, my family moved to Salem, Missouri.  It was a big adjustment for me.  I missed my house, my friends, my ward, etc.  My very first Sunday I met three of my sister-in-laws.  One was my YW president and I thought she was amazing right off.  One was a cute little Beehive wearing bobby socks and shoes with elephants on them.  She was adorable (and continues on, only with different shoes).  And one was about my age, and I knew right away that I wanted to be her friend.  I thought she was just amazing.  I was so right.

Fastforward to about 7 years ago.  I had realized I was in love with Michael, but had decided not to say anything for lots of reasons, one being that I didn't want to lose my best friend.  I was sitting in his parents' living room, drinking OJ and talking to his mom.  I wanted so much to do that sort of thing again and again with her, and all of the Jacobs family.  Luckily for me, my best friend had been in love with me for quite a while, so it worked out that I have subsequently had lots of OJ and spoken with my mother-in-law lots and lots.  So.....yay!

Since then, I have come to know all of the Jacobs.  I was so excited to fall in love with Michael, not only because he was the single best guy I had ever met, but because then I had a chance to become part of the Jacobs family, officially!  My mother-in-law and father-in-law are incredible, and I just love speaking with them and spending time with them.  Mike's brothers and sisters are equally amazing, and I miss them when I don't seem them. 

What a warm, inviting, funny, quirky, great family.  I feel so lucky to have them as my in-laws.  I feel so lucky to have them as Drew and Em's grandparents and aunts and uncles.  Visiting Salem is tough, because I want to stay with and visit both families all the time and that just isn't feasible.  (Something about not being able to be two places at the same time. Sheesh, stupid laws of physics.)

I love them, and so today, I am so very grateful to be a Jacobs.

Siblings

  Today I am grateful for siblings. I'm grateful that Emily and Andrew have each other.  Andrew has even (gasp!) started to acknowledge her existence.  Emily thinks Andrew is absolutely the most interesting thing in the house.  Here they are looking in a little mirro on a toy together.  I love those two.
 I have 5 awesome ones myself, as well as 6 sibling-in-laws who are so dear to me as well.  I think brothers and sisters have a bond that is incomparable.  No one else can quite understand why you're crying about your dog Lady dying when she died 11+ years ago.  No one else can quite understand why you watch Pee-Wee's Christmas Special every year.  Or why you reference bug sandwiches, bye-baders, the "blacktop", or the hills being alive...and hungry.  They are your fiercest supporters, your closest friends, and the ones who just might understand you the most.

I don't come from a family that expresses their feelings often, but I'm trying to raise a family that does, so here we go.

Michael - big brother, in every sense of the word.  I love that guy.  He is a fantastic actor, loads of fun, and gives great hugs.  Michael has a smile that can light up a room, and a sense of humor and love of family to match it.  I love my big brother so much!  He's the kind of person where the more you know him, the more you love him.
Laura - caring, loving, compassionate, funny, and amazing.  I still remember her doing my hair and thinking she was about the most talented person on the planet.  Laura is an incredible person, and someone I wish I lived closer to so I could see her more.  Andrew and Emily don't know what they're missing, because Laura might just be the best aunt imaginable.
Amy - smart, talented, funny, personable, fun, and quick-witted.  Whatever she does, she does it well.  No, that's a lie.  Whatever she does, she does it perfectly.  But you won't find a more humble person than my big sister Amy.  Growing up, I idolized her, and she never let me down.  Even when I was a dorky young teen, she would invite me into her room just to hang out.  That meant a lot to me.  Truthfully I still idolize her, and she always seems to exceed my expectations.
Jeanette- caring, spiritually-minded, funny, devoted, and fun-loving.  We fought all growing up and ended up being best friends.  I don't know how often that happens, but I'm sure grateful it did.  Jeanette is voted (by me) most likely to be a friend to everyone.  To know her is to love her.  We've shared a lot of the same milestones at about the same time and it's been great to share with her.  Jeanette is amazing.
Aaron- devoted, devoted, devoted.  Aaron has always been devoted to his family.  He's fun to live with, and an awesome uncle.  He doesn't say much, but when he does, it's pretty much guaranteed to be hilarious.  Aaron is 100% brother, and I love him.

I am so thankful for brothers and sisters!

Wipey-wipey

Today I am grateful for Clorox wipes.  Andrew had a gross cold for about 2 weeks that he has finally gotten rid of.  When he was playing with his toys today, I realized I hadn't sanitized them since he was sick.  Sooo out came the Clorox wipes. 

Okay, so I'm not so much grateful for the wipes as I am that I get to be the one to sanitize my little boy's toys.  It was tedious (so many Mr. Potato Head pieces...) but I was grateful that I can be the one to serve my kid in such a simple way.  I don't know if that makes sense, but I'm grateful for it.

Three's a Charm

My goal for November is to blog about one thing I"m thankful for every day. Some of you smart-guys will probably notice that it's November 3rd. I may be a little late, but it's perfect to start out with my three favorite people.

Andrew.

2 1/2. Busy. Snuggly. Sweet. Funny. Active. My favorite little guy.

I love everything about this little guy. From the way he runs (or hops) everywhere he goes to the way he talks (Emily=Willy, Coconut=Coco-ut, Andrew=Andews) to the way he snuggles with us at night. I love my little buddy, and can truly say that he is one of the best people I know. (No, I'm not biased.) I am so very thankful for Andrew.

Emily.

4 1/2 months.  Happy.  Sweet.  Has a super glare.  Joyful.  Snuggly.

Emily is such a super sweet little gal.  We haven't known her long, but from the moment she entered our lives, she has become such an important part of the family, and of my life.  I am so very thankful for Emily.

Michael.

31.  Sweet.  Happy.  Hard-working.  Funny.  Always improving.  Amazing husband.  Best friend.  Best dad.  Handsome.  Kind.  Wonderful.  Smart.

Mike is without a doubt my favorite guy.  I love him, and can't imagine my life without him.  I love him so much.  I am so very thankful for Michael.

Halloween

Emily was a ballerina. She was soooo very cute. Her tutu was extremely easy to make, and I just love her in it!

Such a little happy baby.

Aaron was a male model. Here he is doin' his thing on the catwalk.

Andrew was a missionary. He wore Mike's tag and looked super cute. He had another costume, but refused to wear it. This was a great alternative!

Three things: Note Andrew eating candy. He was soooo very excited about it. Note Emily's cutie little chubby cheeks. I dare you not to want to kiss those cheeks. I double dog dare you.

Andrew point-blank WILL NOT look at the camera when I'm trying to take a picture. I finally got him to look at the camera and smile. And of course it turned out super fuzzy. Oh well. He's a cutie.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

Andrew riding a corn husk horse.  He was super excited!

We went to the pumpkin patch today at Peach Tree Farm with some friends of ours. You may remember us going last year. Andrew was so tiny!!! Anyway, we had tons of fun, the weather was absolutely beautiful, and it effectively wore out my very active little two year old. Yay. We took a hay ride, fed goats and chickens, sat on corn husk horses, played in a teepee, etc.  It was great to have it finally feeling like fall.

With his friend Mia

With his friend Porter checking out the roosters.  I love his little hands on the fencing.

He laughed like crazy when the goats licked his hands while he was feeding them.  He also somehow lost a shoe INSIDE their pen.  Luckily I noticed and was able to fish it out before they decided it would be a good snack.

I wanted to re-create the picture from last year, but this one is pretty darn cute, too.

I love the new Blogger format, but I can't figure out why they flipped this picture.  Anyone know?

Cowboy Andrew, riding on the plains

And his favorite part?  When all the kids decided to run around the teepee in circles squealing.  TOTALLY up his alley.

Confessions from the Exceedingly Blessed

I found this post in my draft folder.  It was written when I was pregnant...with ANDREW.  Wow.  Anyway.  Here it is in all it's belated glory, with some updates.
Confession: I am the worst visiting teacher. Ever. As in, I quite literally avoid the lady who gets my visiting teaching numbers each month because I feel racked with guilt by the very sight of her. No joke. I’m that bad.

Confession: I avoid making friends. Now, I think I’m a pretty friendly person, and I don’t bite people who try to talk to me, but I feel like I get such limited time with Michael and my family that I never go out of my way to spend time with people other than my family. *Update - that's not so much true anymore, although I am still a homebody.*

In church on Sunday, the speaker was talking about angels. One thing he said that really made me stop and think was that some people are afflicted with many trials in this life and “some are exceedingly blessed so that they may help others as angels.” Now I’m not saying that things have always been easy or that I’ve been given some sort of carte blanche on trials or anything. All I’m saying is that my life has been blessed beyond measure, and I really ought to be looking to see who I can help more often. Hence, my first two confessions.

I can’t think of any aspect of my life in which I haven’t been blessed. I have the best husband, the best family, a good job, the best friends, the gospel, and the sweetest little Jellybean (who has been boxing in my stomach all week, I swear.) I have every reason to slap myself when I become a Laman/Lemuelite and start my stupid murmuring.  Don't pretend like you wouldn't kind of like seeing me slap myself.  I'm considering selling tickets to earn money.  *Update - Sweet little Andrew, sweet little Emily.*

Last Confession: I often space out in sacrament meeting trying to figure out what famous person or animal the speaker looks like. (We had Thomas Edison speak on Sunday – no kidding- they could have been brothers.) I will do that until I realize I’m doing it. Then I stop. (usually)

And here's a quote from the real Thomas Edison that fits quite nicely...

"I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world."

Googly...

Karen, is this blog post seriously all about googly eyes?

Yes. Yes, it is. Because they are awesome. Especially when they have adhesive. We've been having a wee bit more fun than you would imagine with these little guys around the house. Andrew calls them "silly eyes."

The Willow Tree people finally have faces!

Halloween Fun

This is cracking me up. Happy Halloween!

Click here!

Our Weekend

"They hiding. I show you."
Andrew showed Brady his mad skillz. He's (kind of) catching onto the concept of sharing, and I am SO glad!! :)

Photographic evidence that I exist! Doesn't she look thrilled?

We got to play with Daddy this weekend! It was awesome, and we all loved it.

Lots of tickling, hugs, kisses, laughing, wrestling, and snuggling. Awesome stuff.

Oh. And modeling. Lots of baby modeling.

Some of us got to eat mini M&Ms and hang around in nothing but our skivvies. No worries, that was just Andrew.

We just chilled. And it was wonderful.

Andrew thought Emily was tickling him. It's nice that he's started to kind of enjoy having her around!

He thought Uncle Aaron's headphones were awesome!

Again. Chilling. Modeling. Being too cute for words.

But mostly, we watched General Conference. The prophet and apostles of our time came together to speak to us. It was inspirational. It was beautiful. It oftentimes seemed like it was just for me. I loved it. I truly believe these men are called of God. I believe that Jesus Christ is at the head of this church. I feel so grateful.
Andrew loved watching the "poppy" and tried to imitate him while he was speaking. And I had a thought of him "following the prophet." And my heart just yearned, hoping that he would always follow the prophet. That he will always follow the Savior and trust in the Spirit to guide his life. I hope this so much for children, and am so grateful that I can teach them.

www.lds.org - Feel free to head here to watch Conference!! You won't regret it.