Thanksgiving and Fun in December!

We have really slacked this past month on posting. So.... For Thanksgiving it was our turn to go to CJ's Mom's house. Cory, July and kids and Dallas, Candice and kids were there. It was a lot of fun hanging out with everybody and after a delicious dinner we played a couple games. For dessert I made an apple pie. My first attempt and I have to say it turned out pretty good! Jackson loves to watch kids, so he had a lot of fun watching his cousins run around and playing. It was Jackson's first Thanksgiving and I think his favorite thing he ate was mashed potatoes. We can't give him a ton of real food just yet because he spits it all up afterwards.

We left Connie's house around 7:30. We weren't planning on going to my Mom's house, but everyone was still there so we headed out there to play for a little bit. We hung out with everyone and ate more pie! We got a great game of Fudge going. That is a family favorite which we play just about every time the family gets together.

My Cute Daddy with his favorite Grandson!

Everyone at my Mom's just hanging out!

On the 5th, we went to Zoo Lights with Cory and his family and Connie. Jackson had a bad cough so we decided to leave him with Holly while CJ and I went. Not very nice of us I guess, but we sure had fun! It was a freezing night, but we were all bundled up and there were heaters throughout the zoo. We started off by seeing Santa and his reindeer. He could only bring Comet and Vixen with him. We wrote letters to Santa, put them in the mail and then Cayman and Cooper were able to sit on his lap. He was the cutest Santa and took his time with the kids.

I was really amazed at all the lights at the zoo. They do a great job and CJ and I really had fun walking around! We turned into little kids running around looking at the lights. You don't go there to see the animals. We were only able to see a couple, but the lights were worth it. The carousel was open so July, Cayman, Cooper and I went on it.

After the zoo we went to The Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square and got dinner and yummy hot chocolate. It was a very fun night with CJ's family, maybe next year Jackson will be able to go!

It was my birthday that next Sunday so some of my family and Connie were able to come over for dinner. I was making chalupas for everyone. It is meat and beans that you put on top of chips or tortillas. They are so good and I have been wanting them for a very long time. We have church at nine and the first couple of hours it has to boil on the stove. I thought that checking it after Sacrament would be okay. CJ went home to check on it and when he came back to church he stunk so bad because it had burned. I sent him home with Jackson because he seriously smelled and I felt bad for those sitting around us. When I got home from church, it was ruined. It tasted burnt, our house smelled. I started to get a little panicky because I had no idea what I was going to fix for everybody to eat. Holly came to the rescue and we were still able to use everything we had for the chalupas, but we had Mexican Haystacks instead.

My nephew Beckett just loves to have me hold him when I am around. I will try to put him down for a minute and then he sits there with his arms up asking me to hold him. I don't mind it at all. He is such a cutie! And I love that he loves me!

Connie made a delicious chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting for my birthday cake. She made cute Mickey Mouse heads on it because she knows I love Disney!

Even though I ruined dinner and cried over it, it turned out to be a great day with family. Who could ask for anything more!

We Hope you are Tangled in the Christmas Spirit Too

MERRY CHRISTMAS

P.S. This was going to be our Christmas card but we didn't quite get around to printing them off. So Merry Christmas!

CJ's 30th Birthday

I threw C.J. a surprise birthday party because he turned the BIG 30! I can't believe that he is that old. We had it at my sister Holly's house because I knew it would be easier then having it at my house. Trying to get him out of the house and have someone come over and set up and get everything ready would have just been too much work and I knew I could get him to Holly's easily. It was a hit!! He had no idea. For those of you who know C.J., know that he can be pretty nosey. He goes through my phone, looks up my emails so I knew this was going to be very difficult and that I couldn't have much contact with anyone. Holly was awesome in helping out and kept everything at her house. I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without her. I went over to Holly's house on Friday and we made lots of food for dinner and got everything decorated. It looked awesome! It was very tricky trying to do this stuff and shop for all the things I needed. I had to ignore a few phone calls from C.J. and blame it on me sleeping.

I had called C.J. at work to tell him that we were going to dinner with Holly, Matt and Kelly that night. He was so busy at work that day so he was a little irritated when I called. I thought "Perfect" he really has no idea. He got home from work later then usual that night and we weren't supposed to be at Holly's until 6:30. Jackson usually goes to bed around 7, so C.J. asked if he should just stay home, bathe Jackson since it was bath night and put him to bed on time instead of keeping him up late. I thought to myself "He knows!" I tried to play it cool and not get flustered. I told him he could do whatever he wanted, then asked "You are really going to ditch me for dinner?" So he got ready and we headed over. He drove so slow that I thought for sure he knew, but he didn't!

Here is everyone waiting for us to show up. Lots of family and good friends came to help us celebrate.

C.J. is kind of bad with reactions. He will admit he is, but he looked pretty surprised.

Poor Jackson got scared when everyone yelled surprise and were blowing their horns. Our neighbors little boy who is just two months younger then Jackson got scared too. We had two very sad babies.

I had lots of things for C.J. to wear! It was fun having him put it all on. He is such a good sport!

Sweet Bailey and Scotty

Jackson with his favorite person, next to C.J. and I of course. Although, sometimes Jackson doesn't seem to really care if we are there or not when Matt has him.

We had delicious food for dinner. We had chili, potato and chicken noodle soups. Rolls, bread sticks and salad. A big thanks to those who helped with the food!

C.J. doesn't really like cake so Holly made him an apple pie. Everyone else got cake and ice cream.

All the cute kids just hanging out wanting some cake and ice cream.

After dinner I had a few questions so everyone could get to know C.J. a little better. I asked a question and people had to guess the answer.

Jackson got a taste of cake from Aunt Kimmy. I think he liked it!

We pulled it off! It turned out to be a great night and C.J. had a lot of fun. We have the best families and friends and that just topped it off being able to spend time with all of them.

9 Months Old

Jackson turned 9 Months Old on Monday. He is getting so big! We went to the doctor on Wednesday and here are his stats:

Height: 26.74 In.

(this isn't right though, at his last appt. he was 27 1/2 inches)

Weight: 18 lbs. 11.6 oz.

Head: 44.5 cm

He didn't gain a whole lot of weight from his 6 month appt, so the doctor asked me to take it in a month and call him. Jackson has been spitting up a ton. It seems like everything he ate, he was spitting up. The last couple of weeks he has done so much better. I am hoping that he will gain some more weight now. The pictures in this post is CJ's and my attempt to do a photo shoot. It is more difficult then I thought. He doesn't sit still!

Jackson is in size 3 diapers and wearing 6-12 month, and 18 month clothes. It really depends on where the clothes come from. They definitely do not fit the same even if they say the same size.

Jackson isn't crawling yet. When he is on his stomach though, he will turn himself around and push himself backwards. He is getting better about being on his tummy. He still prefers to sit and scoot on his bum. He is definitely in no hurry to crawl. He hasn't pulled himself up on anything to stand, but he gets up on his knees.

Jackson finally got his first tooth! It is the bottom left. I was so excited when I felt it. I had to hold Jackson down so I could see it. He kept getting his tongue in the way. I hope that the others come in soon.

Jackson loves to eat anything. He has learned to spit out his binki when he wants something. I would get a spoonful of food and hold it out to him and he would just smile with his binki and I would have to pull it out.

He can hold is own bottle now too. It is so cute. He has figured out that if he lets go then it falls and he gets mad. It is funny to watch him. He loves being in control of it. He will pull it out and turn it in his hands and then shove it in his mouth like he hasn't eaten in days.

He is very entertaining. I watch him all day long. He jabbers and squeals a lot. He loves to bounce up and down on his knees. He always smiles and he laughs at anything. He is the happiest baby. Jackson's favorite person his my brother-in-law Matt. He reaches for Matt anytime he sees him and gets so excited. He doesn't even want me when Matt is around.

Jackson goes to bed between 7 and 7:30 and sleeps until 8:00. He takes two naps a day around 10:00 and 1:00.

Happy Halloween!

We started the Halloween Festivities this year with our ward Trunk or Treat on Friday night. CJ had to do his work party so I took Jackson over and met up with Cory and July. There were games, donuts and apple cider. It was a lot of fun to see all the cute neighborhood kids dressed up. Jackson was a dragon and the cutest little dragon at that! CJ was going to be a knight and I was going to be a damsel in distress, but we slacked on finding costumes this year.

I must have worn Jackson out from all the excitement because on the short walk home he fell asleep. Grandma Connie came over after to see Jackson all dressed up. I was really surprised that he didn't even try to take his costume off, especially the head part.

On Halloween, we went to my Mom's house. I usually help her make donuts which are to die for! But this year we decided to do taquitos. We haven't had those for years so it was a delicious treat! My sister Holly and her family, Kelly, Uncle Gary, Aunt Susan and my cousin Becky and her family all came over for dinner. It was a party!

My Cute Mama frying up the taquitos

Ah, the finished product. The sauce is my Grandpa Chalk's recipe and it is sooo good. I could eat these everyday! They are a lot of work though, no wonder we only have them every five years!

The kids were ready to head out so we put Jackson in his outfit so we could go. We went around with Holly's kids and Becky's kids, but we only took Jackson to the houses that we wanted to visit. It is fun saying hi to my old neighbors. I grew up in the best neighborhood!

Lauren (Daisy Duck), Jackson, CJ, Brooke (unicorn) and Jacob (baseball player)

Becky's cute kids. Sheriff Wyatt and Colton the Pumpkin

Here we are trick or treating at Lori Hanson's house. She even gave Jackson an M&M so he could learn what Halloween is all about. He sucked on it for a minute and then spit it out. At least he got a little taste.

Visiting Uncle Gary's house

My cute little dragon

Jackson loved chewing on the wrappers. He just thought it was so much fun!

I guess I should have opened it for him so he at least could have tasted something good instead of just the wrapper. Oh well! He still loved it.