Jack's first haircut

Jacob and I took Jack to get his first haircut this weekend.  He did a great job and smiled nearly the whole time we were there.  In case you were wondering if he really needed a haircut before his first birthday, check out this picture of him at U.C.'s homecoming with his Aunt Christy:

We took Jack to Avanti Hair Salon, which is where Jacob has been getting is hair cut recently.  Of course our camera died half way through the haircut, but we did get a few shots.  

Here's Jack anticipating what was about to happen:

Hmm....

Smiling at Brooke

Here's a picture of the final product:  

What is it with the tongue, Jack?

Perfect Day for a walk

Jack and Jeremiah

Jack and I had the chance to go on a walk on Tuesday with Erin and Jeremiah Lyons.  It was a beautiful day and Erin kept just the perfect pace for me.  The boys even seemed to have a good time watching each other from their strollers.
Watch out, Erin.  I think you have a new walking buddy.  Thanks for the great conversation and for pushing me to walk so quickly!  

Jack's got mail

Most days when I check our mailbox I find nothing more than catalogs, political flyers, bills, and junk.  Knowing that, you would think that I would not get so excited each time I see the mailman walk onto our porch. But for some reason, the occasional thank you note, encouraging card, or magazine that I find fuels my desire to run to the mailbox everyday.  

There's just something about mail that makes me happy.  In fact, when I was scheduled to be induced with Jack on 11/11 (Veteran's Day), I was bummed at the thought that he would never receive a card in the mail on his birthday.  I was so thankful that he was born early the next morning.  

As I'm writing this I am realizing that I should probably send more encouraging cards and thoughtful notes.... but that's off topic.  This blog is about the mail we receive at our house.  And we got some great mail last week.  Actually, Jack got the fun mail.  He received a card from his buddy, Jackson.  Jack had so much fun helping me open the card.  He played with it for about ten minutes and still smiles when he sees it hanging on the fridge.  I grabbed the camera to record the event.  And yes, it was an event.  He didn't want to put the card down.  He must have known how special it is to get something in the mail.  

Here's a few pictures of Jack opening his mail:

Check out that tongue - he's so excited!

Inspecting the card

It's important to taste the card, too.

Jackson came over to our house a few weeks ago and I snapped this picture of the boys after their naps.  When they woke up both boys were happy to sit on the couch with their sippy cups and stare out the door.  Naps are tough sometimes!

Monday Night Girlfriends

This past weekend I took a 36-hour getaway with six wonderful girlfriends.  I've know some of these girls my whole life, and the friendships go deep.  The purpose of the trip was to simply spend quality time with each other and to catch up on our friendships.  Evansville, Indiana is not the most exciting city, but it was perfect for us.  We spent all of our time talking, sharing, laughing, and eating (a lot).  I love that I  walked away refreshed and energized, and so ready to share that excitement with my family.

Thank you for the wonderful weekend, girls!

Betsy, Beth, Corrie, me, Calley, Kris and Susan

Jacob gave me the wonderful gift of caring for Jack all weekend.  He not only kept Jack entertained and safe, but he welcomed me home with a clean house, a fantastic dinner, homemade apple pie, and a smile!  What a wonderful husband I have!  Thank you for loving me in this way, Jacob.

Bottle caps from Guys Weekend 2011

Jack makes a mess

I had to take a picture of Jack's path of destruction yesterday.  I put him on the floor with one basket of toys next to him.  In about fifteen minutes, this is what he was able to accomplish.  He might not be able to crawl, but it looks like he has no problem getting into what he wants.

Peek-a-boo!

Jack's great at keeping himself busy while we are cooking dinner.  Here he is playing peek-a-boo from behind the cabinet:

If you look closely you can see his tooth!

Happy Kid

Jacob and his guitar

Jacob and I first formally met at a young adults Bible Study back in 2001.  He was in charge of leading worship and I was the new girl in the group.   I knew most of the people in the group, but was just getting re-involved with our church after moving home from Miami.

I noticed Jacob right away and was immediately interested in learning more about the guy with the guitar.  I kept my feelings quiet, but mentioned Jacob to one key person.  She quickly (unbeknownst to me) called Jacob and made him aware of my little crush.

Shortly after their conversation Jacob asked me out and it wasn't long before we were dating seriously.

One of the things that I remember clearly about the beginning of our relationship was that I loved to sit and watch him play his guitar.  We would sit on his parent's couch and I would listen to him practice for worship.  I remember thinking that I could sit and watch him forever.....

Well, shortly after we got married we moved to Pittsburgh and the guitar got left behind.  I missed our days of hanging out on that couch and wondered if he would play again.  Law school and life took over and music was something more listened to than played.  The guitar would come out on special occasions and rare times when others encouraged him to play, but it wasn't a huge part of Jacob's life any more.

Fast forward to present day and New City Presbyterian Church.  Since we've been attending, Jacob has gotten involved in worship again.  He mostly plays bass, but will be playing his guitar again in two weeks!  He got his guitar out last night and played a bit for Jack and me.  It was fun to think again about those days ten years ago -- before marriage, law school, a home, lots of life, and Jack.  It's fun to look back, but even more fun to live this life together as a family!

Jack wanted to play too

Jack watching his daddy play

Let's dance!