"Touchdown Raiders!"

It's almost that time of year! The things of fall...candles, new, warm clothes, crisp air, leaves changing color...and of course...

... Football!

This year, my husband has a little fan to cheer alongside him! Jaxon is very excited about the Raider's season! In fact, if you spend much time with him, you will probably hear him shout in a low, gruff voice, "Touchdown Raiders!" He is totally into his football which he is getting pretty good at throwing, and he recently discovered Daddy's old football helmet, which he is so proud to wear!

Get ready, we may eventually have a pro on our hands! =)

Diaper Head!

Our "diaper days" are coming to a close! Jaxon is definitely showing signs of being ready to potty train. Starting next week, Mommy is going to be staying home with Jaxon and the training will immense! I know what you are thinking, "Kristin? Stay home for a week?" I myself am not sure how I will do it, but I am pretty determined. I guess it's one of those things we sacrifice for our kids, right?

Potty chair? Check. Sticker chart? Check. Undies? Check! We are all set and have even been practicing "pooping in the potty" which Jaxon has already done once! I have been debating whether or not to do "no undies" or "undies" method...so any suggestions would be appreciated! What worked and didn't work for you?

Regardless, we are saying good bye to the diapers. As you can see, Jaxon doesn't seem too shook up over the idea. =)

Over 5 months!

Wow! It's been over 5 months since I've posted! 5 months of insane busyness! I am a little tentative to take on blogging again, but I have been missing it lately. So, we are back! I am hoping to post at least once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Between running my own business and being a wife and stay-at-home mommy, my life is full...full of fun and adventures! I am simply learning how to juggle it all and take one day at time...letting myself learn lessons and not expecting perfection. It's a process I tell ya!

Rob is busy with work and recording his second album with his band OverKast.

Jaxon is 22 months old now and is a big talker -3-4 word sentences these days! He loves cars, trucks and choo choo trains! He also remains a serious animal lover.

More updating coming soon!

Driver's Ed with Jaxon

Lover of cars and wheels, this little man is ready to hop in the driver's seat! He may only be 17- months-old, but he has some great tips for new drivers!

First, always check your mirrors and make sure you have proof of insurance.

(In this case, under the sun visor)

Always look behind you before you back out of the driveway or change lanes...

Next, take hold of the wheel...(usually at "10 and 2", but if your short, it looks more like "4 and 8".)

And last, relax and have fun! Slap a smile on your face and drive!

Thanks for joining Jaxon's Driver's Ed course...and be safe out there! =)

Swinging is Overrated

Running (or should I say "squeaking") through the grass, climbing the playground equipment, and going down the big-boy slide all by himself, were all things that my spunky, busy little boy enjoyed to do at the park the other day.

But can you guess what was on the top of his list of things to do?

(Here is a hint...)

....you guessed it! Swinging!

That is until 3 doggies and a ball come strolling through...

then swinging is highly overrated.

Laundry Day

For some reason Jaxon is fascinated and completely obsessed with water. Between the washing machine, the dishwasher and the bathtub, we are hearing, "Where is da wa-wa?" constantly. It isn't any wonder then, why Jaxon loves Mondays. Mondays are laundry days in the Harris house, and he loves to push the hamper into the laundry room and take out the clothes. He then sits on the dryer and helps poor the soap in and just watches with a smile as the water pours in. But none of this occurs until AFTER he spends some time hanging out in the hamper. Here are a few photos of Jaxon's Monday morning in the hamper.

On My Mind...

I've had a lot on my mind lately. It's been a busy last couple of weeks, lots of lessons learned. Good times and some hard ones mixed in. Here are some things that are on my mind. I figure why not make good use of my blog, right?

I've been thinking about:

• How thankful I am to have such amazing friends in my life. Ones who truly love me and trust me. Friends that meet different needs and are a gem in their own right. Love them all.
• How to streamline things in my household. Getting organized and making sure everything gets done.
• The fact that my to-do list can never be completed...there is always 2 things to add to each one crossed off...and how much that bothers me.
• About the fact that I can't possibly please everyone and not everyone will approve of me or my family...and that's ok. God knows where my heart is and that's who I strive to please.
• The fact that there are times that I just need to keep my mouth shut. Most of the time actually.
• Trying to eat more protein and less carbs.
• How much I love iced green tea and fish.
• Working through "Power of a Praying Wife" the book.
• How I am more comfortable with who I am than I have ever been in my whole life. I can accept my strengths and weaknesses and work on things I can change, yet accept things I can't.
• How grown up my neice and nephews are and how wonderful they were with Jaxon this weekend when we stayed with them. (See below)
• How cute Jaxon is with his new "puppy" we got him for Valentine's Day. (See below)

L-O-V-E

L=Lively & Loveable



O= Outgoing & Obliging

V= Vivacious & Vibrant

E=Enduring & Engaging

These are just a few things I LOVE about our little J-Man.

Leavenworth Fun 2010

This year, it was just Jax and I braving it out early Saturday morning to Leavenworth to spend time with the fam. The original plan was to drive with my parents, but this year my mom was sick, and the pass wasn't supposed to be too bad.

I love my VOLVO, I really do. It's a tank, we own it, it's lasted forever, and where it lacks in outer appearance, it makes up for it in safety. However, the tank as it is does horrible in snow or ice. We got over the pass without a problem, but the driveway was another story! Think...6 people pushing us down a very lengthy driveway/road.

Besides that, the visit was spent playing games, lazer tag in the snow, sharing food, and playing with the kids. Wonderful visit!

Here are a few shots from this year!

Here are the kids working on their second puzzle....

Jaxon assisting Uncle Matt in his guitar seranade...

Enjoying the snowy coldness...

Fun in the snow with Alden...

Matt and Owen in the snow...

The boys playing on the cabin porch (they actually preferred the porch to the snow).

Owen in his little sled...

Auntie "Nay-Nay" as Jaxon calls her. =)

Mommy and Jaxon compliment of my sister!

Cousins...the fab 5!

More to come soon!

Photoshoot Playdate

1-box of goldfish & a little leather chair
2-radio-flyer bicycles & photog-crazed mamma's
3-adorable kiddos....
And a big spacious field makes for a very fun photography playdate. =)


Looking like such a big boy on this bike!

So proud of himself sitting in his big-boy chair...

Sharing the goods with Elijah.

Jaxon and Mila's first date. =)

And in other news, Jaxon is FINALLY fully up and running around (yes, it is a bit late to be walking, but my son tends to like to do things in his own time. Kind of like his mother and father I suppose). He'd been taking steps here and there for a couple months, but just didn't seem interested in taking the plunge. My friend Julie gave him "Squeaker" shoes that squeak when he walks now, and he is ever so proud of himself! Rob and I laugh so hard when he comes prancing throught the house with them on...however, I'm sure the squeaking will get old eventually.

Tomorrow, we leave for our family trip to Leavenworth! So excited to get away!

It's the Little Things

Today I focused on the little things...

sleeping in until 7:30 (trust me, this is a good thing).

chubby, dimpled hands giving me big hugs around the neck and patting me on the back.

getting home from a workout and hearing a little raspy voice say, "Oh, there's Mamma!"

iced green tea (even on a cold day).

Coldplay & John Mayer playing on Pandora in the background.

the sun briefly making an appearance.

getting 20 minutes in to read a book just for fun.

sky-high faux hawk bouncing around the house....pushing the cats out of the way to make sure he has the bubbles all to himself. =)

talking to dear friends on the phone who love me and encourage me.

3 people scheduling photoshoots.

enjoying books with Jaxon at the library and the thrill of watching his little face light up when he sees the fish tank.

a phone call from my husband checking to see how I'm doing.

rocking a cuddly boy in dinosaur pajamas to sleep...watching his little chest rise and fall rythmically...baby blues with long eyelashes setting off to dreamland. singing to him, praying for him.

It's the little things I choose to focus on today.

As You Can See...

As you can see...

I have NOT been keeping up with my picture a day goal. While I love taking pictures and blogging, I am just finding that there isn't enough time to dedicate to doing it every day. I kind of set myself up to fail on that one. I CAN however state with much certainty that I will most likely have posted 365 pictrues by the end of the year...just not one a day.

I have recently cut back my time on the computer to times only when Jaxon is asleep. It's been far less distracting to me and I've been a much more attentive mommy. =)


Also, as you can see...we have a future mini rockstar on our hands! He has been SO much fun the last week. Such a fun age and full of personality.

And again...as you can see...

We still are displaying our independence quite nicely at times. =)