Love will hold us together

Wow.  I'm sitting in my house right now.  And the only other thing with me (besides the little girl in my belly) is Cooper.  Michael is traveling to Colorado this week and after a crazy weekend Jackson stayed back with my family to give me a break and will return on Thursday.  It feels SO incredible to sit down and just relax.  It feels so freeing to just come and go for myself for a few days.  Granted it's a busy week, but the down time is just for me and I can't remember the last time I had that.  What a blessing this is...

And it's giving me time to finally blog!! It has been a busy and fun last couple of weeks.  I can't believe I haven't even had time to sit downa and blog for almost a month but that gives insight into what the month of April has been like.  We kind of new it going into it so it's nice to be a heading towards a less crazy schedule.

We took a trip to Chicago to visit some friends in April.  Michael had a conference so Jackson and I stayed with the VanDrunens and were taken care of. :)  Diane gave me a foot/neck massage at a place called Happy Feet and let me say that it was not just my feet but my soul that was happy after that experience!  We also made a trip downtown to visit Bob and Patty where Jackson got to play with tractors and was super content.  We got home just in time for the Verona Banquet on Sunday so it was a whirlwind but well worth it.  A great weekend all around.  

Easter weekend we had some time to ourselves at home and then headed to the Quad Cities for a trip.  The Easter bunny found his way to the Quad Cities.  We tried to take Jackson to an egg hunt at the Verona library but he was more interested in the car table then he was the Easter eggs.  The trip to the QC's was a nice weekend and very relaxing to get away.  And then Joan came up to stay with us for the week after Easter because Michael was traveling.  She was a TREMENDOUS help.  I can't believe how nice it was just to have another adult around the house without Michael there...

And then this past weekend we headed to Des Moines for McKenzie's wedding shower and bacherlorette party.  What a great time!  I had so much fun just watching my sis in this element.  I can't believe she is so grown up!  And it makes me look forward to the wedding even more.  Jackson spent the day on the farm with Grandpa Dan, Uncle Dillon and Uncle Cass...he came back with two very large tractors that he had a hard time letting go of!  And then Jackson ended up staying with Aunt Barb, Kenzie and mom and dad until they come up later this week.  So I have a house to myself...it's unbelievable.

Here are some of the things he has been up to lately:

• OBSESSED and I mean OBSESSED with tractors.  He came back from the farm with these two big metal tractors.  I was told he had to sleep with EACH of them.  He then proceeded to go off on a tangent to me when I told him he couldn't take them to the restaurant...he says something along these lines, "Listen to me mom.  I play with the tractors.  Get away from me.  I take them in the corner and play with them.  Listen to me..." and on and on and on.  I was laughing so hard I nearly peed my pants, not to mention I had a really hard time following through on disciplining on that one.  It was the first time he has ever gone off like that...and while defying-it was rather cute.   Lol.
• Says "talk for me," which translate "talk to me."  It's really sweet-usually when we are in conversation and he wants our attention.  "Talk for me mom..."  :)
• Continues to wake up at night having had nightmares.  One is about an elephant outside his window, now a bear has been added to that bunch and the other is about a flying goat that 'eats him all over.'
• Get's into a yelling match when saying I love you.  I love YOOOUUU is emphasized...so cute.  
• Watches this John Deere documentary video about tractors over and over again.  Seriously?
• Went to a long service on Good Friday.  Very quiet reflective service and at the end of it, during the song, "Were you there when they crucified the Lord?"  Jackson proceeds to yell out, "I got poop, I got poop dad."  At least 25 times.  Great.  
• The other day it thundered outside (go figure it's been terrible weather this Spring in Wisconsin!!!).  Anyways-Jackson heard it...and asked what it was in a little bit of fear.  We told him it was God talking to him.  So he went to the window and tried to talk to God.  Then he said, "Can I show God my tractors?"  And we said of course...so he went to the window and showed God his tractors-lifted them up real high. 
• Was at the park with Grandma Joan last week while kids from school were playing.  He got to the top of the slide with a little girl and looked at her and said, "Your a good girl."  That has continued now.  Dogs are good boys, I was a good girl the other day...it's pretty endearing.
• We had an Edgewood nursing students check his development.  He did really well but the things that impressed me the most were the things we didn't expect him to know how to do, like feed a baby a bottle (good practice), jump over a big piece of paper, or draw a line or a circle.  Proud parent moments I guess.  :)
• Loves songs in the car...and asks at the start of EVERY song, "What's this song mommy?"
  

  

  Showing God his tractors... :)



Playing playdough with Dad-one of his new favorite hobbies.



One of my new faves...



Love this look!



Dying Easter eggs.  He loved it!



Sliding at the park in the QC's





Loving time spent with Grandpa Dan



Falling asleep in his high chair after not having a nap that day!



A picture of me carrying our little girl :)

Our lives are so rich because of Jackson. He brings joy every day. . .and I have to say that as much as I love having this time to myself-the house is a little too quiet.  I'll be ready for my boys to be back home soon!!!