Father's Day Presents

Ever since Kc and Noah created the most wonderful Mother's Day gift for me,  I have been wracking my brain trying to think of something equally as creative.  I pinned a couple of things on Pinterest, like this, and this, and decided to just let the "creative juices" flow at the craft store.  

Bubs went with me and helped me pick out two {one for Daddy and one for PopRo} square canvases, some alphabet stickers, and a few bottles of paint.  I painted each canvas with the base color {orange for Daddy and Red for PopRo} and put the stickers on.

Then it was time for Bubs to get painting.  I pulled out all the colors of gray paint I had and even mixed up a few new ones to create about ten different shades of gray.

Noah was very careful in the beginning and I quickly realized that this project was going to take more than one day. 

After the first few layers of gray paint.

Noah asked me, "I touch it?" as he was already sticking his finger in the wet paint.

After the top had dried, I went ahead and painted the sided the darkest gray color I had.  The second day, we used a fairly dry brush, small amounts of paint, and I let Bubs add layers of color.

"Is the paint brush wet?", he asked me.  Why yes, it is!

Notice the swoopy lines of color on the canvas {yes, I just made up that word}, that was exactly what I wanted.  Layers, upon layers, upon layers of a single color.

Painting is SO MUCH FUN!

Bubs helped me carefully peel the stickers off the canvas.

True masterpieces!

Bubs couldn't wait to deliver his presents!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to the most amazing Daddy-O on the planet.  You are kind, thoughtful, playful, silly, loud, tender, considerate, rough, generous, and just plain awesome!

We couldn't have asked for a better Daddy!

My Boys

I just love these boys!

Family Photos

It's been a L.O.N.G. time since the Jackson Family had any professional pictures taken.  If you remember, way, way long ago, Cori Derksen of Derksen Photography came to Nana and PopRo's house and took these pictures of the entire Smith Clan.  

Almost a year ago, I found a Groupon for a photo session with Chance James.  I quickly purchased it, without a second thought, but one thing after another came up and we didn't get a chance to use it until a few weeks ago.

I was THRILLED with how the pictures came out.  We, once again, went to Nana and PopRo's backyard and Chance was so good at finding interesting spots and capturing us in all our silliness.  Please excuse the picture overload but I just couldn't resist.

 

 

Heartbreaking

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, but, if you follow us on Facebook, you already know a bit of the reason why.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Kc and I were thrilled to find out that we were pregnant...again.  We could not believe that God had blessed us with our third child. 

At our six week ultrasound we were able to see our precious little baby and watch their tiny little heart flutter away.  It was beating at a very strong one hundred fourteen beats per minutes.  What a miracle! 

Because of some very early chromosomal testing, we knew that our Little One was very healthy...and that our Little One did not have Fraser Syndrome...and that our Little One was a girl.  We were beyond ecstatic!

On Monday, we were scheduled four our nine week ultrasound.  We were instantly amazed at how much she had grown in just a few short weeks.  We were quickly devastated, however, when the doctor could not find her heartbeat.  She searched and searched and searched, and yet nothing.  The heart that should have been beating at one hundred fifty beats per minute was mysteriously silent.

The drive home from the doctor's office was agonizing.  All the memories and feelings of our final ultrasound with Ryan came flooding back.  Knowing the exact moment when your heart literally breaks inside your chest is perhaps one of the most painful things we have had to go through...again.

Today, Kc and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary.

Can you believe it?!?
Five years?!?
Wow, five years?!?
Only five years!?!

We seem to have gone through so much in the past five years.

Shortly after we lost Ryan, a friend told me that everything you go through as a couple will either bring you closer together or drive you further apart.  No marriage is ever stagnant, she told me, it is always moving...it is our jobs to decide in which direction it is moving.

Well...I cannot imaging walking this road without my Amazing Husband.  He is my rock, confidant, partner, joy, lover, and best friend.  The joys and sorrows of these past five years have truly drawn us closer to each other, as well as to our God.  And while our hearts are broken, they are broken together.

I love you Babe!
Happy Anniversary!

My Boys

While in Monterey, we headed to the Fisherman's Wharf for dinner...clam chowder in a bread bowl...Yumm-O.  I couldn't help taking a picture of my favorite boys.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

I know it's been a while since I've blogged.  Sorry!  Life has been quite busy these past two weeks and now...I'm back at work.  

Last weekend we were blessed to head over to Monterey Bay for a final hoorah before school starts.  Some very generous friends allowed us to stay at their vacation home and it was absolutely perfect.  Perfect size.  Perfect location.  Perfect weather.  Simply perfect.

Noah particularly loved the cute little balcony at the house.  You can see the bay, hear the seals barking, and smell the sea air.  Perfect.

Can you find Noah?

 

Nana and PopRo came along for the ride and treated Kc and I to a date night while we were there.  Perfect.

 

On Friday morning, we headed over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium bright and early.  Prior to coming, Noah and I visited the website on a daily basis and watched the live web cams.  It was great to give Bubs a taste for what we would be experiencing.  

Once entering the aquarium, enormous whales greet you from above.

Mr. Man LOVED the whales.  He spent the first thirty minutes just running around under them signing "whale" "big" "up".  He was one happy Little Man.  It was quite the feat, however, to pry my Little Man away from the whales and actually observe some other ocean creatures.  He quickly became one un-happy Little Man.  Bubs created such a stink crying and signing "whale" that PopRo quickly bought him very own whale that he carried with him everywhere.  Problem solved.  Perfect.

 

It was so fun to watch all the fish swimming around.

 The jellyfish were spectacular.

 

And the puffins were so cute.  

Noah's favorite that first morning was definitely the tidal pools.  He got such a kick out of waiting for the gush of water to crash down.  There is an area that you can actually stand under the crashing water...Bubs LOVED that.

Then we went outside to see where the water ended up.  Bubs ran around, jumping up and down, every time we saw the wave...and we stayed there for quite a long time...and saw many waves...every.single.time.

 

Mr. Man found a little area he could stand under and peek into the tidal pool.  He is signing "water".

There were so many buttons to touch,

toys to play with,

and things to observe.

I'm so glad we got a season pass and will be heading back very soon.