Summer's Comin'

Great Grandma and Grandma working on one of Jackson's favorite thing-Playdough!

Crusin' with Alli...the look on his face kinda scares me...lol

Aiden and Jackson

Grandma Peg

At the Monona Memorial Day Parade

Reuniting with Cooper after a week...

What a great dad :)

Working at Castaway

It's tough work :)

And today we felt it!  It had to be close to 85 degrees in Madison!  Thank goodness the sun was shining and the wind was blowing.  We are so ready for it.  We  have begun to spend more time in the basement considering it's about ten degrees cooler.  :)

It's hard to believe I haven't really written for a month.  Should go without saying its been a little busy.  The month started with Michael traveling for two weeks.  We had both Grandma Joan and Grandma Peg-along with Great Grandma here during that time.  Jackson also spent a week on the farm and gave me a little bit of time to myself.  It was heavenly.

Uncle Dillon came up a week ago to help us put rock in for our landscaping and bring a rather large bookshelf up from Mom and Dad's new house to put in our basement.  It's great and it's kinda funny how excited we got about landscaping...ahh this is our life.  :)

This past week we headed up to Castaway for a work week.  Michael was supposed to speak but a mixup gave him a little more freedom and allowed us the ability to still go.  We started off our trip visiting Andrea Frey's parents in Lake Elmo to split up the trip.  It was a totally random invitation since she happened to be there that night but it was the perfect way to split up an 8 hour trip and fun to see where she grew up.  The next day we took off for Castaway and spent Tuesday to Friday there.  Weather was PERFECT!  Jackson ran around a lot, tried to potty train (unsuccessful) and played in the sandbox most of the time.  He told every person he met about his John Deere tractor and enjoyed the freedom that camp provided.

Then we headed to Bloomington, MN to spend the night with the Stirrats.  It had been three years since we had seen them, the visit was long overdue!  But so much fun.  Jonah has grown to an almost six year old boy, Marley is a sweet four year old and Piper and Jackson are the same age.  They kept us busy but got along SO well.  It was a great time with great friends-we only wish they were closer.

On Saturday we headed to the Quad Cities and spent the night with Joan so we could pick up Cooper.  I think he was ready to see us but sad to go.  I imagine he got the royal treatment while he was there!

We spent Memorial Day checking out the Monona Parade, taking a kayak out on Lake Wingra, having a cookout with the Heinrichs family and then a nightcap after a random seeing of the Allen's on the highway!  It was a great day!

Lately Jackson has just turned into a little boy (again and again).  He communicates fully...it's so sweet.  Here are a few things he has been up to and saying:

• Michael had taken a toy away from him and he got upset.  Crying through tears Michael asked him, "Are you sad?" "No," says Jackson.  "Are you frustrated?" "No," says Jackson.  "Are you mad?" "I'm NOT MAD, I'm JACKSON.  Too funny...

• Tells the whole world about his John Deere tractor.  We were at the parade today and every person who was in the parade heard from Jackson, "Look at my John Deere tractor."

• Is sleeping way way better.  A friend, Nikki, suggested that it might be a lack of sleep...needless to say since he has been napping better the nightmares have gone away.  Praise God!

• Will look at the sun and say "There's the sun.  Did God make the sun?"  "Did God make the trees?"  It's quite endearing.

• Spent at least an hour and a half playing with a hose at the Heinrich's house.  Needless to say we have new entertainment.  :)

• LOVES to play with playdough.  And we like that it keeps him occupied for a period of time.

• Continues to keep us on our toes...and we love it.  We are realizing the blessing of not having this little girl until the fall-it has given us some amazing quality time with Jackson-and he has changed our world because of it.  We prepare him daily for his baby sister and he asked me the other day, "Can she come out now mom?"  Soon enough she'll be here...soon enough.  :)