Harris Family 3

"Touchdown Raiders!"

2010-08-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-08-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-08-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-03T23:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-01-20T21:04:00.000-08:00

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. =)

Bedtime

2010-01-08T20:55:00.001-08:00

Jaxon really likes books. Scratch that....LOVES books. He'll go look at books on his own often throughout the day. I'll catch him pointing to the pictures and saying some of the words he remembers. Part of his routine is reading two or three books at night before bed with binky and blankie. The other night Daddy did the reading and I was able to catch this shot. I love these guys!

Squishy!

2010-01-07T22:54:00.001-08:00

Picture of the day today is from a photoshoot I had recently:

Ok, so how could you not squish those precious little cheekies??? This is one of my dearest friend's little girl Chloe! She's not just full of personality and spunk, but she is IN LOVE with ME! =) Yep that's right...she love her Auntie Kristin! And how could I not love her back????

Tip-toes

2010-01-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

I love these baby camo pants. I also love how Jaxon stands on his tippy-toes to see in the window. =) Makes me smile.

Crabby, Teething Toddlers Look Something Like This...

2010-01-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

What on earth happened to my sweet, smiling, happy-go-lucky child, you say? Where did he go?

I'm not sure, but if you find him, I'll give you a $1000 reward!

Between getting over a cold, cutting four teeth at once, and trying to figure out why on earth he can't have his way 100% of the time, Jaxon is anything but thrilled with the world over the last few days.

I've been shocked at the tantrums my usually content boy has been having. I have to admit I've questioned more than once my parenting strategies...even questioned what I was doing wrong. Read and re-read the parenting manuals on raising toddlers.

Verdict is: he just simply takes after his father. Kidding of course, (Love you, Honey). No, he is just human and is having a rough week.

If I'm perfectly honest, this picture is probably how I feel at times, I just have more coping skills on self-control than a 15-month-old.

If any of you experienced Mommy's out there have tips or stories on toddler tantrums though, please feel free to share!

I'm not Perfect. (And Day 1 of Project 361)

2010-01-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

(Project 365: posting a picture a day for the entire year, except that I'm starting late so it's technically Project 361. Sigh. Many are doing it and you should too! Comment on this post with your link so I can follow your photo journey as well!)

Well it's a new year! In some ways, this year has been wonderful, and in other ways, it has been difficult.

Looking back at the year, there have been many answered prayers, and some yet to be answered. Some things have gone as planned and others have gone anything but what I'd planned.

Nevertheless, the Lord has been good and shown his faithfulness in spite of it all. This life is a journey and if I've learned anything this last year...it's that I do not have control. As much as I fight to attain it, I have very little power over the circumstances of my life. I cannot control the economy. I cannot control my independent-minded 1-year-old, who has a plan of his own. I cannot control my husband, nor my friends, nor my job to a certain extent. I can't control whether or not a client will like my product, or I'll get 8 hours of sleep that night. Of course there are things I DO have control in, but in most areas...I have very little control in a lot of things.

This may surprise you, but I'm not perfect. (Sarcasm inserted here.) My whole life I've fought to find control in being "perfect". Even the last year, I struggled with the thought, that if I just did everything perfectly, things would go well and I would be in control. If I was the perfect wife, if I kept the house perfectly clean, if I had perfect photo shoots, if I was the perfect mom, if I was the perfect size...(you get the picture), that things would go my way and I'd live happily ever after. My mind would love it if life was math and A + B always =C. Sometimes A + B = C, but most of the time life throws you a curve-ball and that kind of irritates me.

So last year I wasn't perfect, I wasn't in control, and this year will be the same. And you know what? I'm beginning to be okay with that. This year has left me completely humble and in a position where my faith is no longer in myself but in something greater. I'm no longer the god of MY universe...and it's a good thing too, cause I really mess things up on my rampage for perfection. There is something comforting in acceptance. I'm a lot less anxious and more pleasant to be around when I discovered it's out of my control. Now I don't have to carry these crazy burdens on my back and try to find the right "equation" to make it better. It's instead, drawn me closer to my Maker. I find when I'm at the end of myself, God meets me there and carries me the rest of the way.

I don't always know what he is doing...in fact, a lot of times I fight him on it, (cause apparently I know so much more than Him.) But there is something comforting in the fact that the God of the Universe is in control of my life and is weaving it perfectly into His plan. And not just weaving my beautiful moments when all is "perfect", but weaving all the crap and horrible moments you'd just rather erase. (In fact, so far in my life those "unequal equations" make for some of the most beautiful outcomes in the end!) Just knowing that he cares about my struggles and all He wants to do is meet me there and love me through it all, blows me away. I stop fighting and thinking and instead let it go and give it to Him. Seriously...I have no control over it anyway, so why am I wasting so much time on it?

So this year...being perfect and in control is completely overrated and is so last year. =)

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T22:54:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a Happy New Year! Can't wait to see what God has in store for us in 2010!

Trip to the Mailbox With Daddy

2009-12-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

I was really excited today when my Daddy came home from work. He picked me up, swung me around and tickled my tummy. Daddy always gets the mail after work, and this time I really wanted to go with him...., "Please, Daddy, take me!"

And he did! He picked me up and walked me up the hill...

and down the sidewalk...

He pointed out the cars that drove by, and I showed him the birdies in the trees...my favorite!

When we got to the mailbox, Daddy showed me how to put the key in and open the door.

Was there any mail today? Yes there was!

I held the letters for a little while...I was so excited!

Then we walked back to our house, my Daddy and I.

I loved getting the mail with Daddy.

Loved

2009-12-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. Surrounded by family and love. Lots of love.

Here are a few shots of our very "loved" boy, and some of his favorite people.

With Auntie Amy...

Speaking of Auntie Amy, rather than calling her "Mimi", (which is what we've been working on), He refers to her the same way he would a dog. Now we all know my sister is anything but a dog...and Jaxon isn't confused...he just associates Auntie to Sugar the doggie (which is Amy's dog).

Without a doubt, Jaxon loves his Auntie.

Jaxon also is loved by his Mamma...

And Jaxon is certainly loved by his Daddy.

We are so blessed that our little guy is loved by so many! =)

"Ho, Ho, Ho!"

2009-12-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all! And in the words of Jaxon, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" =)

14 Months

2009-12-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

Between raising a busy 1-year-old, keeping up with the holiday hub-bub, and running a photography business, I have had hardly a moment to breathe let alone blog.

I just realized the other day, I've been so busy taking other people's pictures, that I have neglected to keep up with my own family's!

I miss blogging, and will catch up on it more after the new year...

Here is a quick update on our little social-lite though.

The J-Man is now 14 months and busy, busy, busy. He is leaving more of his "chillin' days" behind and is full of of curiousity and spunk.

He has become the little life of the party wherever he goes. From waving to everyone who walks by to proudly declaring, "Ho, ho, ho!" to whoever will listen, & blowing kisses to people when he leaves, this little guy seems to crave the spotlight.

Still a fabulous eater, he has added many new foods to his reproitoire, including carrots and hummus, kidney beans, fish, blueberries, and his favorite...mac n' cheese! He is down to only a night-time bottle but is a champ at using his cup. He has recently been enjoying trying out his fork and spoon with much success (for about 4 bites that is, until he realizes using his fingers is much easier).

Jaxon now has 12 teeth...just cut all four molars this month!

Jaxon has become very independent as of late, (something that mommy welcomes), but sweetly enough, he checks back in for hugs for Mamma. Some of his favorite activities are chasing his cats, playing with his toys (especially his ball popper), opening and shutting doors, arranging and rearranging pots and pans, & reading books.

More likes: Doggies, birdies, light switches, stairs (he could go up and down them all day if he could), music & dancing.

Dislikes? To my dismay, Jaxon HATES wearing hats or gloves. He also hates having his hair washed, saying "bye, bye" to Daddy when he leaves for work, sitting in his carseat, and napping.

Jaxon is still not walking on his own, but he is certainly gaining confidence. He took 7 steps the other day and can stand confidently for quite some time. He seems to think his crazy army crawl is way faster.

Where he isn't as motivated in the walking department, he certainly makes up for it in the talking department. He has about 20 words already, 14 of which he uses regularly...10 he uses spontaneously. Favorite phrases as of late, "Wuz at?" (translated "what's that". He says this whenver he points at something or hears a noise.), "cereal", and the other is "Ho, ho, ho!" (he got this from a book from the library he is obsessed with.)

And that is Jaxon in a nut-shell! Well, a really large nut-shell that is!

Happy Late Thanksgiving...

2009-11-28T22:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Late Thanksgiving! (I meant to create a very wonderful Thanksgiving post ON Thanksgiving about all that I am thankful for, but things got a little derailed. Read on.)

We were supposed to go to Pendleton for Thanksgiving, but Mr. Cold/Flu had other plans. Yes that's right, Jaxon woke up the night before our trip with croup. Neither Rob or I thought driving 9 hours in 2 days with a sick baby would work too great. Also, despite our best efforts to teach Jaxon to "share", this is not how we wanted to teach it.

Believe me, he has already shared with the rest of us in the house. =)

So, we were home-bound (except for a brief trip to see Nanna & Grandpa) on Thanksgiving, and been trying to rest at home since.

My head has been in a fog since being sick...I just this evening realized I can prepare for the holidays and turn on my Christmas music, get a tree, etc. Normally I would've been on top of that...I LOVE this time of year!

Speaking of LOVE...don't you just LOVE this little J-Man sportin' his Mamma's hat???

It sure looks like someone else is in the Christmas spirit as well! Happy late Thanksgiving, and may you have a wonderful Christmas Season as well!

Jaxon, Abby, & Our Trip to Oregon!

2009-11-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

Absent minded me! You'd think I would've come home with tons of pictures from our recent trip to Oregon! Oh wait, I DID come home with tons of pics...just mostly pictures of clients rather than our time with friends. That has been the story around here as of late...lots of pictures of clients, not too many pictures of my little monkey. I vow to change that very soon!

I am extremely thankful how much fun our time was with friends!

In between giving my camera a workout, we fit in chillin' with dear friends, calavanting in the park in the rain, trips to the mall, many Starbucks chats, eating at the ever scrumptious Cheescake factory, and much more! Not only that, but I do believe this trip was the easiest with Jaxon yet!

Here are a few of the photos I did manage to get....

I just love the interaction between Jax and his little buddy Abby now. They play together so well! They are for sure little buddies.

And one more shot of Jax's other love. (Well besides the binky that we've been working on detaching from. *Sigh*) It's Bekah! Oh how he loved her. In fact, I caught him holding hands with her several times from his stroller as she walked beside him. A-Dorable!

Such a great time and we look forward to visiting again soon!

J & O: Making the Band

2009-11-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

They're stylin'...

...they're sassy...

...and they're taking this whole band thing to a new level.

Watch out world...J & O are making the band!!

It Will Have to Wait...

2009-11-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

I'm learning all about balance.

I had every intention of sitting down and writing two posts with fun pictures this evening, but it's 10:42pm and I just got done: cleaning the house, packing for our trip to Oregon, washing all the dishes by hand (since the dishwasher is broken), helping Rob with a project of his, folding all the laundry, and editing pictures for clients. The "old" Kristin would stay up another hour and write the blogs anyway, but the "new" Kristin is going to go to bed early for once and "be ok" with leaving something undone on her "to-do" list. =)

(Ok, ok...I cheated a tiny bit by posting this little snipet...but it's all about the baby steps right?)

So as I was saying, the fun posts with pictures will have to wait until I get back from my trip.

Speaking of trip, would you all mind praying that the weather cooperates this weekend? I have several photoshoots in Oregon that can't really be rescheduled. I'm only a tad bit stressing about this!

Goodnight!

The Adventures of J & O - Halloween Style

2009-11-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

J : "Ummm...you may not have noticed, but there is something seriously wrong with your hand, O"

O: "Look who's talking, J! You have a giant unicorn horn-like thing popping out your head!"

J: "Yeah I know...what's the deal with putting us in these funky looking outfits anyway? Our parents are cookoo. I mean you can't even grab your toys with those funny green hands, and I can't go underneath the table without bashing my head-stock into it and seriously damaging my fret board!"

O: "No kidding! I mean we are the cutest things here...you'd think we'd get something out of being so adorable."

J: "Yeah, where's all this candy I keep hearing about? I think we're being jipped!"

O: "That's it...come on Cuz, we're out of this joint!"

Little Guitar Hero

2009-11-01T08:25:00.001-08:00

Our little guitar hero:

(Click the image to see in larger format)

Fall Leaves

2009-10-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect yesterday! To take advantage of it, Jax and I went hunting for fall leaves to play in. We drove around quite a bit, but I had my mind set on a certain type of "scene", and we weren't finding it. So, I called my mom since I knew there were pretty leaves up her way and she said, "The library has beautiful trees I noticed the other day!"

The library? Ok, well I never would have thought of that but I took her word for it! Beautiful red leaves covered the ground there, and Jax was slowly losing patience while waiting for me to find the "perfect spot" so the library it was!

He was certainly intrigued. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

Besides the wet booty from sitting in the leaves, I'd say he was pretty thrilled...but not thrilled enough to crawl around and get the rest of himself wet.

Then he saw one of his most favorite people ever amidst the leaf-laden land...

It was his beloved leaf-laden land discovering Nanna! He was so thrilled he threw leaves in the air upon her arrival. =)

We sat in the leaves, stood in the leaves, threw the leaves, tasted the leaves, and played peek-a-boo in the leaves until...

...Jax decided his wet booty was getting to him and he had had enough fun in the leaf laden land.

Through the Eye of My Lense

2009-10-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

It was 10 am. I was at the park awaiting my next clients for a photoshoot. It was quiet, crisp, and foggy. I had a lot on my mind all that week, and it was strange to sit in the quiet for a moment...something I don't take enough time to do. I looked around, and with no one in sight I picked up my camera and photographed nature. A shock I know. I love photographing people more than anything, but as I captured nature that day, I was reminded of how calming it can be. Just to stop and focus on the little things does something for me. I was reminded of where I was 6 years ago and where my passion all began.

I first fell in love with photography many years ago. Actually, I was 21 to be exact. I was going through a very hard time in my life and taking pictures was therapuetic so to speak. I wasn't necessarily very good at it. In fact, it was an old Kodak point and shoot I saved my money for. I didn't care if I was very good, I just wanted to capture beauty. Capturing nature was something that reminded me that there was a God, a magnificent God. One that was creative and detailed. I would think to myself, "A God who could create such beauty and take the time to put each detail and finishing touches on even the littlest of things must care about me at least a little. A God that could create such beauty and resurrect what would seem dull and lifeless could possibly even create beauty from the pit up ashes I am in."

Snap, snap. I would take pictures in the Fall, when everything was being transformed into a magnificent vibrance of color. Much like it is right now.

Snap, snap. I would take pictures of the winter, where it would seem cold and dark. Lifeless. I related most to that time of year back then.

Snap, snap. I would take pictures of the spring, where the earth was beckoning to come back to life. Blossoming with hope.

Snap, snap. I would take pictures in the summer...water, sun, freedom.

Therepuetic it was. I took pictures of my family and friends as well, but for some reason nature spoke a bit differently to me at that time. Seeing how the seasons came and went...I felt as though my life paralleled these seasons just the same. More or less, focusing on nature and the small things...things we don't always notice at first glance, somehow refocused my head admist all the rubel and chaos. God taught me a lot through the eye of my lense.

Over the years, my love for photography has blossomed. The progression went from photographing nature, to capturing my neice and nephews growing up, to photographing my husband's passion....music. I loved documenting every family event, every little detail I didn't want to forget. Something to hold onto that wouldn't be taken away. Even though I was a novice, I didn't care. It was healing. Snap snap.

Fast forward 3 years. I was then married. I purchased my first DSLR camera. It rocked my world. My thirst to learn more grew. That's when I had my first though, "Wouldn't it be cool to do this for a living?" Snap. Snap.

Fast forward another year and a half, and I was holding the most precious gift in my arms. My son. The most beautiful thing God could've created in my mind...especially since I was told 5 years earlier it was next to impossibe to have a child. A miracle. My camera was pretty much an attachment at this point. Think...extra limb. It followed me everywhere. I didn't want to forget my son that little, I didn't want to miss a moment. I wanted cherish every moment and hold onto it forever. My ferver to grow in my passion grew by leaps and bounds at that point. Snap. Snap.

Today, I am not only documenting my life and my family's life to remember forever, but I get the honor to photograph these moments for many other families. Capturing memories that will last a lifetime. Pictures speak a thousand words, and what a wonderful gift to give to others!

Today, photography is just as therepuetic as it was the day I picked up my little Kodak point and shoot. It doesn't matter if I'm happy or sad; God teaches me so much through the eye of my lense. It's as if the world stops and I am reminded of God's love for us through His creation.

Big Boy

2009-10-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

It was almost as if a light bulb came on the day Jaxon turned a year old. It seemed as if he knew full well that he was a "big boy" now, and he needed to act as such. Each day he is less and less a baby and more and more a toddler. As much as I am missing the little baby ways, this stage is full of fun as well.

Nevermind the fact that our once perfect sleeper is now protesting sleep. Nevermind the fact that he is more and more set in his ways, and determined as ever to get what he wants...even if it means he needs to burst into tears and throw a fit. Nevermind the fact that first year molars, illness, and bumps and bruises have turned our once mellow, easy-going monkey into a cranky, clingy little guy. Never mind those things...cause we choose to look at the positive around here!

This age has many more exciting things up it's sleeve. Jaxon is developing quite the sense of humor. His comprehension of what we say to him has sky-rocketed. Verbally, he is spitting out new words almost daily. He is pretty darn close to walking on his own, can open doors, turn on and off anything he can get his hands on, and his newest feat...

Using a spoon by himself!

Ok, well not completely by himself, but he is getting the idea of dipping the spoon and putting it into his mouth.

He eventually came to the conclusion that using his hand was much easier...

Yes, being a toddler seems to agree with our "big boy"!

Scrub a Dub-Dub

2009-10-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

New phrase of the week:

Mamma (from the other room): "Jaxon, it's time for your bath!"

Jaxon: "Oh yeah!" and heads right to the bathroom.

He loves his bathtime!

Someone's in the Kitchen with Mamma

2009-10-14T13:07:00.001-07:00

Someone's in the kitchen with Mamma,

Someone's in the kitchen I know.

Someone's in the kitchen with Mamma,

Strummin' on the old banjo.

Jaxon is becoming very curious...er I mean helpful these days. From dishes to laundry, he is getting into...er I mean helping with everything. =)

Gotta love him!

Jaxon's 1st Year Video

2009-10-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to view the slideshow I made for Jaxon's 1st Year.

It Was a Fall Kind of Day

2009-10-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

It was a Fall kind of day.
We got out our hats and coats....

...and went exploring in the great outdoors.

The air was crisp...

the leaves were falling......and we were full of curiosity and excitement.

So much to see...

So many places to conquer...

...and we take this exploring thing VERY seriously.

We found leaves that crunched. We found creepies that crawled. We found flowers that blew into the wind.

With Daddy in tow...

we explored the afternoon away.

We enjoyed every minute...

...until we were tuckered out.

It was a Fall kind of day.

1!

2009-10-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

The shirt pretty much speaks for itself...look who's one today!

"Let me in, Dad"

2009-10-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

We've mastered pulling up, we've mastered cruising along furniture, we've mastered climbing the stairs, we've mastered walking with our walker, we've mastered standing up by ourselves for a bit at a time...but not sure if I'm quite ready for this...

Really? He's trying to open doors now? Jax often stands outside the door waiting for his Daddy to get done with his shower so he could play with him. (Actually the most likely reason is that he simply loves unraveling the toilet paper rolls...but don't tell Rob that.) Anyway, as I was saying...today Jaxon decided he had enough of the waiting and if Daddy wasn't going to come out, he'd just go in. Thankfully he hasn't QUITE figured out how to open it...but geez...this kid is on a roll over the last two weeks! You'd think he was nearing a birthday or something!

Owen's 1st Birthday!

2009-09-28T13:43:00.001-07:00

(Click to view larger:) Enjoy some of these pics from Owen's 1st Birthday!! I was able to sneak a few in in between chasing Jaxon around. =)

Wait...that's not Owen...it's Jaxon (his moment will come next Saturday.) Hold on...

There he is! The cute little birthday boy himself!

Can you believe my fabulous sister-in-law made these adorable cupcakes??? I kid you not!!

What a fun party it was!!!

Happy 1 Year Birthday Owen!!!

2009-09-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

One year ago yesterday, as I sat at my little cubical at Northshore, I got a text message that read, "Adelle is being admitted to the hospital." Needless to say I was brimming with excitement and sporting a smile across my face.

One year ago yesterday I sat in my brother and sister-in-law's room, (very pregnant myself mind you), chattering away on whether we thought it would be a boy or girl, and guessing how much the baby would weigh. I went to bed that night with my phone right next to me, anticipating this little one's arrival.

One year ago TODAY, I woke up to no phone call. I went to work with my phone in my pocket and paced back and forth. I wanted to be there at the hospital so badly, but I couldn't take the time off. I anxiously checked my phone 500 times and probably didn't get one stitch of work done.

One year ago TODAY, at 9:31 am I got the call that Owen William Grant was born. And one year ago TODAY...I cried with excitement! I had a new baby nephew! A friend to my son who was kicking away in my tummy!

One year ago TODAY, I held that precious little red-head in my arms and cuddled him so tight. I'm pretty sure he felt his cousin kick him too! Such a precious little baby and looked just like a mini-version of my brother. I loved him.

And I love him still...I mean how could you not love this little guy???

One year later, Owen is just as sweet as the first day I held him. With strawberry blonde hair and a smile that would melt anyone's heart, Owen is full of life! Lover of doggies, best buddy to my little Jaxon, busy little guy on the go...we are so blessed to have this little guy in our lives.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OWEN! WE LOVE YOU!

Monkey Jammie-Wearing Friends

2009-09-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

Jaxon has known his little "girlie" friend, Mila, for quite some time now. But only recently have the two become true friends. In fact, now they are totally aware the other exists and actually care! This week Jaxon and Mila starting playing together, even dialogued together! No joke! Mila would say (babble) something and Jaxon would mimic it. It would go back and forth!

Just look and these monkey jammy-wearing friends...

(Click to view larger)

Mila found Jaxon's antics hilarious...

And when Mila blew raspberries, so did Jaxon!

Little Mila sat so content in her little monkey jammies, watching Jaxon crawl about like a ninja.

(Click to view larger)Not sure if a little girl could get much cuter...don't you think?

All was fun and games until bedtime hit and they both suddenly and simultaneously decided they had had enough of the picture taking extravaganza.

What a fun stage. We just know they will be great friends!

2009-09-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Our little social butterfly has added new tricks to his repertoire over the last week. It kind of catches us by surprise sometimes the extent of what he understands these days. Mostly because we still seem to think of him as a little baby. The little, helpless baby whose days revolved around eating, sleeping, and pooping is blossoming into toddler-hood, raring to explore, finding humor in things, and wanting to communicate so badly. And a will...boy does this little guy have a will!

Here's what we've learned over the last week:

We've consistently and appropriately got signing down for "more" and "all done". He has also vocalized "more" a few times.

He's pulling up all the way now consistently. It kind of makes me laugh though, cause he's so tall he really only has to kneel to get things on surfaces. Cruising is in the works.

We've learned to throw a ball. He's mastered rolling for quite some time...but throwing is a new one! Makes things more exciting...and well, dangerous.

(By the way, can you tell that I like photographing from this angle?)

Anyway, adding to his animal sounds he is now panting like a dog when we ask what a doggy says. Apparently barking is way too yesterday compared to panting.

Other new words this week (actually some the last few weeks) are "up", "uh oh", "owe!"

We've learned that coughing after Mommy and Daddy does gets attention and is funny. So is clearing your throat when other people do. (That one isn't so funny after awhile.)

We are learning that when Mommy says, "Let's go wake up Daddy", that we crawl to his room, push open the door, and crawl up to daddy.

We have learned that when Mommy or Daddy calls from the other room, we reply, "Huh?" (Seriously the funniest thing ever!)

We've also learned that Mommy is a little too camera happy, and has run out of 2 hard drives due to so many pictures. *sigh*

Apples, Cookies & a Nikon Spokesmodel???

2009-09-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

If you read THIS POST...

You would know that...

Jax loves apples.

And while that fact still remains...

...there is something that he seems to love more these days than apples...

It kind of looks like a cookie...

...but Jaxon has yet to taste one of those.

These days, Jaxon has taken a liking to my Nikon camera lense cap.

Think they need a spokesmodel?

I think he could pull it off!

Jax in the Box

2009-09-11T10:44:00.001-07:00

Look what we have here...

...it's a Jax in the Box!

Who would've thought that a box could be so much entertainment? Yesterday Jaxon spent an hour (by choice) playing in this thing.

And apparently someone else likes boxes just as much...

Why didn't we think of this sooner?

Commiserate

2009-09-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Commiserate...

Definition: to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity.

In this case, Daddy and Jax commiserate over another Raider loss last week.

*Sigh*

Jaxon at 11 Months

2009-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on. Only one more month til the big 1! Not that we are really counting down...we are soaking in every minute! They seem to fly by faster and faster each day!

This month Jaxon is busier than ever. Perfecting his army crawl, he is into everything he can possibly get his hands on. His specialty is opening and closing doors and drawers. He also has a liking for Daddy's computer and guitar.

He is getting more fun to take places and is becoming quite the little social butterfly! His favorite places to go are the park, petting zoo, swimming pool, and Nanna's house.

Jaxon is starting to experiment more and more with language...imitating our vocal fluctuations...If I talk really high and excited, so will he. If I say, "No, no," in a low voice, so will he.

His favorite songs right now are "ABC's", & "Itsy Bitsy Spider". His favorite book that he reads over and over is "Hop on Pop!" He squeals with excitement whenever I ask if he wants to read it.

New favorite foods are Mac & Cheese, and Chicken Noodle Soup! Oh and Daddy has been sneaking him marshmallows too. =)

We can tell he is understanding more and more of what we say these days. If we say "Bye, Bye" he begins to wave. If I ask him if he wants food, he will crawl to his high chair. If I say "Night, Night time" he whines. If we say, "Go get it", he will fetch (well most of the time.) And if we say "Hug" he will put his head on our shoulder. If we say "Come to Mamma or Daddy", (again most of the time) he will come get us.

What a fun stage this is!

Completely Normal

2009-09-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our family is totally and completely normal.

Every NORMAL family goes traipsing around the yard wearing hats and having water fights on Labor Day.

And flags! Perfectly normal families run around their yard with flags on Labor Day.

Seriously, if you're family doesn't set up their camera on a tripod just to take pictures of themselves wearing hats and flying flags...you should really question your sanity.

Yep...our family is the perfect example of normal & acceptable behavior.

(Pictures in this post taken by Amy Scherrer)

Baby Beethoven, Mozart, & His Many Talented Cousins!

2009-09-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Just look at these chubby little Baby Beethoven hands!

What you PROBABLY know is that my husband is a musician. What you may NOT know is that music runs in the family even more than that!

Not only has "Nanna Carol" (my mom) been playing the piano since she was 9, but she has taught all three of her children who in turn are teaching their children.

And boy do they enjoy it!

Seriously, my nephews and neice already blow me with away with their talent. Mozart, (I mean Alden) shown in the above picture with Jaxon, plays be ear and also can play very lengthy pieces by memorization that I was unable to play until I was 16! Did I mention he's 10?

Here's hoping our little man follows suite...

Which by the looks of things, it doesn't seem too off base! I mean look at this determined face...

Already Jaxon gravitates toward anything that has a melody or a beat....

....and loves to sing VERY loudly!

In fact, he is singing (which translates into a loud "ooooooooh" sound) just as loudly as he is playing here...

We believe the loud vocal skills comes from the other side of the family however. =)

(Photos in this post taken by the ever talented Amy and Madelynn Scherrer)

"Uh Oh"

2009-09-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

Jaxon's newest word! Enjoy!

Toddler Playgroup

2009-09-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

My wonderfully fantastic sister-in-law started a little group for a bunch of Mommies with toddlers who want to provide a structured and focused time of interactive play and socializing for our babies, as well as a fun outlet for moms! Each Thursday a different mom in the group will plan an activity for us all to meet at...for example, we may choose to go to the zoo, a park, the Children's museum...etc! This week just a few of us met up and discussed how the group will look and had a little mini-playdate.

Unfortunately, I pulled out my camera near the end and only got a few of the kiddos, but as you can tell...they sure had fun!

Here are a few shots of the kids on the swings (a favorite activity!)

I know you have no idea who this little tyke is...=)

Remember this little guy? It's Jaxon's cousin Owen!

This little cutie pie is Sasha! Sasha is just a couple weeks younger than the boys.

Couldn't you just eat her up???

All three of them swinging away and loving every minute! I think it's funny how Jax is just chillaxin in the swing...but then again...he is his father's child.

I just can't get enough of her sweet little dimples! Precious!

...this little man was all grins the whole time and even braved the slides and the wobbly bridge!

Auntie loving on little Jack Jack!

Looks like they will all get along just fine and should be a fun group!

Uncle Andy IS Superman!

2009-09-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Meet my Daddy's best buddy Andy. He came to visit me last weekend and we had a blast.

(Oh and just so you know ladies, even though he is a Steeler's fan, he is Oregon's most eligible bachelor.)

He really is just like Superman! See....? He taught me the moves!

Also, did I mention how incredibly funny my Uncle Andy is too? Just look how hard he makes me laugh...

I really love my Uncle Andy!

Oh and by the way, did I mention he is available?

Get Your Flirt on at the M's Game

2009-08-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Little J-Man had a new first yesterday! He got to go to his first Mariner's game!!! Our good friend Sarah just happened to have an extra ticket (mainly because our hubbie's had a show), so Jax and I jumped aboard and rooted for the home-team! Keep in mind that Jax's bedtime is 7 pm, which is when the game started. That sure didn't stop him from enjoying every minute! He was in awe over the whole scene. He had two little buddies there too, (Chloe who is 3 months and Dominic who is a couple week younger than him) who also did wonderfully!

These days Jax has gotten the whole flirting thing down to an art. There were two ladies sitting next to us and two ladies behind us, and he smiled and flirted away the whole time. Initiating peek-a-boo, sticking out his tongue, blowing rasberries and babbling to them were just a few of his tricks to get them roped in. By the end of the game he had seen the laps of many women! 3 hours past bedtime, and he was still going strong! Yes, Jaxon got his flirt on at the M's game and enjoyed every minute.

The M's won and despite a 2 hour drive home due to some maniac in North Seattle with a automatic rifle, we had a wonderful evening!

Praise Him

2009-08-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Psalm 86:12 "I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."

Apples

2009-08-26T22:04:00.001-07:00

The day finally came! We had been expecting that it would come soon, but thought it would be a few weeks out yet. And yet, ready they were! We picked our first crop of apples today from our back yard! Auntie Adelle and Cousin Owen were over visiting this afternoon when Adelle noticed the apples looked pretty ripe! We cut up one and sure enough...ripe they were! YUMMY!

As you can see, Jaxon was just as excited! He loved playing with the apples and he also took a stab at eating them....(although he mostly just sucked the juice out).

What will we do with all these delicious apples you might ask? Well make apple pie of course!

Next up...blackberry picking!

Hand-picked

2009-08-25T13:21:00.001-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my little guy?

Yes he gets into everything these days, especially the things he's not supposed to...

And yes, he has his crabby moments, especially when he doesn't get enough sleep...

And of course, he tends to ask for "Dada" much more than "Mama" these days...

But it doesn't matter, cause I can't help but love the little guy more and more each day. Especially when he crawls right up to me with his big grin, pulls himself up close to me, and wraps his chubby little arms around my neck tight JUST to give me hugs!

I don't think God could've given us a more perfect package deal than He did with this little boy. He was hand-created and hand-picked just for Rob and I and we are so thankful.

Visitors

2009-08-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

Last week my friend Karlie and her little girl Abby came for a visit. We had fun playing in the back yard, going to the swimming pool, visiting family, and making lots of Starbucks runs! One of the best moments was when Karlie played "Tickle Monster" with Jaxon. What a fun moment! What a fun time we had and look forward to having them again soon!

Future Drummer

2009-08-23T22:13:00.001-07:00

Tonight the band guys were over at our house getting ready to practice, and Jaxon took it upon himself to entertain them all! He wanted to communicate with everyone including smiling, babbling, and sticking out his tongue at the guys (his new trick)! I'm surprised for being such a mellow little guy, that he would be so social and the "life of the party" so to speak.

Jaxon got his first drum lesson from his dad and the guys. He LOVED it! (And I also heard Nanna Carol gave him his first piano lesson yesterday. He should be well versed in many insturments!) This video is a little fuzzy since it was taken with my cell phone and it was right by the speaker but you get the idea.

Oh and on another note, I might as well update we officially have a crawler! FINALLY!

Warning!

2009-08-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Warning! Warning! Do not get in the wake of this little man's destruction. He is rutheless and could be after you too!

Not sure if you can tell, but in the background of this picture you will find the garbage can (from our kitchen) strewn all over the floor in our living room. =)

We've already broken Daddy's speaker stand, crashed Mamma's candles to the ground, ripped up one of Mamma's books, nearly pulled the table cloth (with dishes on it) off the table, and had a near collision when he almost pulled a lamp down by yanking the chord.

Seriously, someone should really be watching this kid! Where is his mother?

"Dada"

2009-08-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Thought this video was cute. A lot of times I will make a video of Jax on my cell phone to send do Rob at work. He always gets so excited, but the funny one about this is that it actually sounds like he is trying to say "love you". Not sure if he is or not...but it's cute nonetheless!

10 Months Old!

2009-08-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

10 months old, and we can hardly believe it! This little blue-eyed, blondie has quite the personality these days. Full of prefrences and spunk, he keeps us on our toes.

At 10-months, Jaxon has hit the 20 lb. mark (between the 50th & 75th percentile) and is still in the 99th percentile for height.
He's sporting 6 little teeth (4 bottom, 2 top) and 2 more making their way as we speak! He hasn't been too fussy despite the teething.
Jaxon is still really easy-going and laid back, however he is definitely showing us his opinionated side. He will surely let us know when he doesn't like something or when he wants our attention.
He is still a talker. Extremely vocal...and not only that...he is LOUD! We are trying to teach him "quiet voice" but it's hard to contain his excitement. =)
Jaxon LOVES animals and knows how to "roar" like a lion and "meow" like a kitty.
Some of his favorite foods recently are yogurt, bread, pasta, black beans, strawberries, & turkey!
We have encountered some separation anxiety...mostly when we leave the room, however he still consistently goes to other people and in fact, reaches out towards the one's he loves.
Jaxon recently has learned to stand holding onto things and can make his way across furniture while holding on.
While he gets on all fours on his own and can get a little ways, he still prefers scootin' and rolling. He definitely doesn't have a problem getting to where he wants to go. We think he is trying to skip crawling, but we aren't encouraging it.
Still a great sleeper! He goes down between 7 and 7:30 pm and wakes up anywhere between 6:30 and 7:00 am. He has two naps that are about 1-2 hours each (on a good day!)
Favorite things to do are visit friends, listen to music with Daddy, dance with Mommy, play peek-a-boo, go swimming at the pool, play with cell phones or remote controls, eat food, take baths, go for walks, play at the park, visit Nanna & Grampa, play catch with the ball, and take apart anything he can get his hands on!
And finally, Jaxon is now fully POTTY TRAINED! Just kidding! Hey, I thought it was funny. =)

Absent

2009-08-05T15:19:00.001-07:00

Wow! I've been absent in the blogging-world for a long time now. I'm not dead, just super busy. One of the down-sides of doing photography as a business, is that at times I don't have much time to do my own photos or blog. Business really picked up the last several weeks, but after today, I should get a chance to blog more.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining! I love what I do! Ever since I felt like God was urging me to quit my cleaning jobs and lean on him to provide photo-shoots, things have been busy! He has yet to back-down from his promise! We have really been leaning on God to provide for us, especially because the majority of Rob's income is commission. Month after month God has been faithful. I won't lie, things had been extremely tight for several months (actually since I left my job to be a mommy). Stress has tried to rear it's ugly head and fear had been knocking on the door, but we do the best we can and give the rest to God and trust that He will lead us and provide how He deems necessary for our family. Thankfully, Rob has been successful at his job and is in the top 20 salesman in the region! Better yet, he actually LOVES his job! Praise God! The Lord has really taught us to be content in any situation (especially financially). We've learned to make the best of a little, and learned to be wise with more!

On a different note, Jaxon is now 10-months-old, and I am still in shock that he will be a year in 2 short months! A 10-month update with photos will arrive soon!

Don't Worry...

2009-07-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

"No worries, Dad, I love you even if I have more hair than you."

(Quote brought to you by Mr. Rob Harris himself.)

I LOVE This Kid...

2009-07-25T08:47:00.001-07:00

I mean, look at this face! How could you not?

The First Ever Harris Family 3 Photoshoot!

2009-07-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

Since I am normally the one "behind" the camera, I noticed we've not had one family photo since Jaxon's birth! Because of this, I enlisted my photog-friend Julie (thanks Julie!)to take our pics before Jaxon is a year old!!! She did and awesome job!

Chatter Box

2009-07-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Lately we have had quite a little chatter box on our hands. Our little Monkey has been trying ever so hard to communicate with us. He has no problem getting as loud as he possibly can to make his point either! We aren't completely sure how much he knows what he is saying yet...but we are leaning toward thinking he DOES know quite a bit of what he is saying.

Monkey see-monkey do is also a favorite of his. This is the age where we really start watching what we say and do cause he will pretty much copy anything. Case in point, the other day at the beach, Uncle Matt was coughing. Jaxon watched, and decided he too needed to cough as well. At first we thought it was a coincidence, but every time Uncle did it, Jaxon would do it too with a huge grin on his face,

Jaxon's favorite words as of late:

"Mama" - he normally says this when he is upset and when he wants "up". He calls this out every morning when he wakes up.

"Dada" - he normally says this when he is really happy or excited or when Daddy is nearby...it's higher pitched and accompanied with a smile. We find it interesting that he tends to say "Mama" when he is upset and "Dada" when he's excited, don't you? (Enter sarcasm here.)

"Nana" - Nana is a newer one for him. "Nana" is what we call my mom or J's Grandmother. Jaxon had been around my mom for several days last week. I was a bit taken back when Jaxon decided to call out for "Nana" all day instead of "Mama". For a whole day my name was replaced with hers. I would seriously like to know what she bribed him with.

"Oat" - He says this a ton lately. We think the only reason he says it so much is because he thinks the letter "t" sounds cool since the "t" is emphasized so much when he says it.

"No, No, No" - This is another one he uses much to his advantage...normally he says this when he is protesting something or dislikes something. We are pretty sure he knows what this one means. Yesterday, when he was seeing his Dr. and she was trying to get him to do something he wasn't fond of, he looked her in the eye and with much protest shouted, "NO, NO, NO!" She was was quite impressed saying she never heard a 9-month old tell her "no" so appropriately before!

"Oh no!" - This was new as of yesterday and was a copy-cat thing. He dropped my cell phone on the floor and I said, "Oh no!" He looked down at the floor and repeated, "Oh NOOOOOOO!"

"OWWW!" - Another copy-cat. For example, this morning:

Mommy: "Good morning, Jaxon!"

Jaxon: (whining)

Mommy: "Do you want your bottle?"

Jaxon: (head butts me)

Mommy: "OWWW!"

Jaxon: "OWWW!"

I'm not totally sure how he's gotten to be such a chatter box. If any of you know Rob or I, you know neither of us likes to talk much. So, it's certainly not hereditary! Lol! (Again, enter sarcasm.)

Holly Beach

2009-07-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

Every summer our family goes out to Holly Beach on the Hood Canal. Holly may not seem like much to the onlooker, but to our family it is a little piece of Heaven. My mom has been to this cabin since she was nine-years-old and each of us kids in the Grant household has been each year since birth (give or take a few years in there). This place holds so many memories for us. Going back there every year makes it seem as if time stands still.

In recent years, our family has grown quite a bit. What began with 5 people staying the night out there has become 13! The little two bed cabin has been extended out into the yard! It's seems a bit more like camping now, but we don't care. We cherish this time every year.

Here are some special moments from Holly '09 which also happens to be Jaxon and Owen's first year.

They're just brimming with excitement on the ferry. Can't you tell?

Time at Holly is spent fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, and the like! The boys found lots of treasures...

The cousins had a great time together!

The fab 5...

Whose kid is that throwing the fit in this picture? Seriously, where is his mother?

Like father like son...can't go anywhere without his cell...

Some more pics and adventures from Holly to come...

Cruisin' in the Emerald City

2009-07-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening, Rob and I got to go on our first cruise! Well, it's a small cruise that took us from downtown Seattle to Blake Island for four hours...but still! We had a really good time and it was BEAUTIFUL weather! Here are some pictures from our night out.

For the many of you who have been begging me to post a picture of my husband with his new hair style, (or lack there of)...this picture is for you.

It's taken me almost a month, but I think I've finally finished the greiving process of this drastic change and actually ACCEPTED it! In fact, now I kind of like it!

This was the pier downtown that we took off from.

...on the ship about to take off!

... the beautiful Puget Sound, and a ferry in the distance.

Can you believe we've been together nearly 3 years now?

So, once we reached Blake Island, they served us a magnificent salmon dinner and did some culteral indian dance. First off though was the appetizer...clams!

And along with them...live baby crabs! That's about the point where we both decided to skip the appetizer.

Inside this building was the dinner...pretty cool!

That in the distance there is our ginormous cruise ship! You can sense the sarcasm right?

After the dinner and show, we got to hike around the island which we both wished we could've spent more time exploring. In the end, it was a wonderful date!

The Excellent Adventures of "J" & "O"

2009-07-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Adventures of "J" & "O" the first edition...

also known as Jaxon (right) and Owen (left). Or from this post they are known as

"Mr. Busy" and "Mr. Chill".

In case you don't know these two characters, Jaxon and Owen are cousins a week apart exactly. In this episode, "J" & "O" are learning all about sharing.

O: "Hey, J, does this thing get reception out here?"

J: "Ummm...that would be MY cell phone. It was a gift from my dad and I only have so many minutes left."

J: "Seriously, O, hand it over...I don't have phone insurance. "

O: "Come on, Cuz, just one call! I'll make it quick. Besides, your dad works for Verizon, he's got your back."

O: "Ok, ok, I'll give it back. Hey, that binky of yours looks way cooler than mine...
can I try it out?"

J: "No way! That would be completely unsanitary!"

O: "Cool! It has a sweet attachment device that clips onto your jacket! I didn't know they made these!"

J: "Yep they do...and notice the device is installed on MY jacket!"

O: "Wait, let me see that again...I know that taste from somewhere. Dude, did you have sweet potatoes and applesauce for lunch?"

J: "Wow! You're good! But really now, give it back!"

Stay tuned for more Excellent Adventures of "J" & "O" in future posts!

Braving the Trails Part II

2009-07-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Jaxon and I headed out today with our good friend Charissa (who is soon to married!) to once again brave the trails. Last time we walked this trail, Jaxon had a blast chucking cheerios out of his stroller...(click here to see this post). This time, however was a different adventure.

Charissa and I were enjoying our time chatting and Jaxon seemed to be enjoying himself sucking on his binky, enjoying the sights, and flirting with Charissa.

Somewhere along the way we noticed there was something missing...

After back tracking we found this...

Apparently cheerio chucking is a thing of the past and we have now upgraded to chucking shoes out of the stroller! What's next?

Lookin' for Daddy

2009-07-07T22:51:00.001-07:00

Thought this picture was sweet. Jaxon loves to peer out the window. We wave bye-bye to Daddy out the window in the mornings as he goes to work, and can often be found at the window when Daddy gets home. I ask, "Jaxon, where's Dada?" and he gives the biggest grins. =) Yes, Jaxon loves his Daddy!

Deep and Wide

2009-07-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

I wonder where these little hands and feet will take him?

A few weeks ago, Rob and I dedicated little J-Man to Jesus. It's a heavy responsibility to think about raising this little life to follow God. Ultimately, we will do the best we can with God's help, and from there Jaxon will make his choices. We can only hope and pray these little hands and feet will follow his Creator and lead him to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, & self-controlled.

I have no idea what Jaxon will want to be when he grows up, what struggles he may face, or what paths he may take. However, no matter where these little hands and feet may go, there is one thing I always want him to know without any hesitation; and that is how wide and how deeply he is loved by God. Lately we've been praying this verse for Jaxon:

Ephesians 3:17-19: "...and I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. "

Out of all the questions he may have about life, I pray that he will KNOW without any hesitation who he belongs to and how much His Heavenly Father loves him.

I'm so thankful we have aren't alone in raising Jaxon and the responsibility isn't ours to bear alone. Of course we will make mistakes, but I feel comforted knowing God is walking right there beside us. He is working in us, through us, and despite us! How awesome is that?=)

Just For Fun

2009-07-05T20:45:00.001-07:00

I just love him!

All in the Family

2009-07-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Remember this post?

Well, he's at it again!

Yes, Jaxon can still be found singing away even to this day! In fact, it's one of his favorite activities. He's got quite the range too! From earth shattering, high-pitched tenor notes, to the low-tone monkey-grunt bass notes!

Not sure where on earth he gets it from...

...I mean it's not like his dad is a singer in a band or anything.

Nope, no resemblance at all!

And it's not like his whole mother's side of the family has been playing music for years.

Really, I just don't know where he gets it!

9

2009-07-03T22:55:00.001-07:00

He was in my tummy for 9 months and now he has been outside of my tummy for 9 months. The anticipation of meeting this little life for those first 9 months was beyond worth it. Now, 9 months after we held this gift in our arms for the first time, it's almost as if life never existed before it. I cannot believe that in 3 months our little baby will be a year old! It blows me away how much growth they go through the first year! Remarkable! The once helpess, tiny, dependant little infant is now a full blown demanding, excitable, FUN curious boy on the go!

Here is Jaxon last year at this time...

And now look at this big boy...

He is babbling, getting more and more mobile, can throw a ball back and forth, play peek-a-boo, throw temper tantrums, clap his hands, sign "more", wave, open drawers and pull his clothes out, turn anything "on" he can get his hands on, AND wrap himself around his parents little fingers!

9 months in, 9 months out...what a wonderful ride it's been!

All Great Trips Must Come to an End

2009-06-30T21:46:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful trip we've had! It was the perfect amount of fun and relaxation that was needed. Jaxon did wonderfully the whole time! We had fun at pools and parks, and visiting many very-missed friends. We are finally missing home and Daddy a great deal, so tomorrow evening we are headed home. It's so much fun to be on a vacation, but the best part is coming home.
I can't wait to see Jaxon so excited to be in his Daddy's arms again, and to show off his new clapping skills!

Here are a few pictures of Jaxon at the park yesterday. More photos of the trip to come.

GQ

2009-06-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Jaxon and I are on our trip to Oregon, and Jaxon had his first dip in the pool yesterday! He was totally enthralled with the whole thing! We got a little float raft for him and he had a blast kicking and splashing up a storm!

While sportin' his new swim shorts, he thought it was the perfect time to work on his modeling face...

Work it, Baby!

Pretty GQ don't you think? I think he's got this modeling thing down a little too well!

Will post more pics of our trip as I get time!

Photography Blog

2009-06-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have finally decided to start a photography blog! While my website is in process, I figure this is the best way to go. It is still in process, so make sure to visit again in the next week or so! I will soon be making links to different albums and have more information on prices and such. So, go check it out and let me know what you think!

http://kristin-harris-photography.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your support!

Mr. Busy and Mr. Chill

2009-06-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Meet Mr. Busy. He's on the move and raring to go...

Meet Mr. Chill. He's happy sitting and eating grass...

This picture demonstrates their personalities respectively. Mr Busy is crawling to see what is up with all the grass eating, while Mr. Chill is...well...chillin!

Although Mr. Busy and Mr. Chill have their own agendas, they are buddies just the same.

And two pretty darn cute little buddies at that!

Daddy's Day

2009-06-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Father's Day. I could go on and on about what a wonderful Father my husband is to our son, how he has exceeded my wildest dreams on how I would want someone to father my child, what a wonderful relationship they have, and how much Jaxon adores him. While all of these things are true, I think the following pictures speak all those things and much much more than I could ever describe.

Happy Father's Day, Rob! I am so proud of not only the man you have grown to be over the last several years, but also the man I see you becoming. You are a WONDERFUL Daddy to our little J-Man!

Survey Says...

2009-06-20T08:53:00.001-07:00

This little survey is what I created to get a better idea of what people enjoy most. I created it for my photography Facebook page, but thought it would be fun to get your opinions too! Let me know what you think!

Online Surveys & Market Research

"What, Mom?"

2009-06-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

"What, Mom?"

"It's just a MINOR adjustment..."

Darth Vader Visits Children's Hospital!

2009-06-17T22:35:00.001-07:00

Our little Jaxon unfortunately caught his Mommy's sickness and decided he would turn it into something more fun. The last couple of days his little raspy self sounds more like a seal when he coughs and Darth Vader when he breathes. Last night he worried me some because it seemed he was having such a hard time breathing. He has been very irritated at the fact that he cannot suck on his binky when his nose is all stuffed up at night as well. During the day he is still a little peach although his appetite isn't the same and he is a bit more of a Mamma's boy than normal, (not that I mind that!) But last night, he was NOT himself.

This morning I woke up to Darth Vader breathing very loud in the monitor and I figured I should take him into the pediatrician...just to make sure he didn't have the swine flu and all. (Yes, I'm kidding.) Actually I was just concerned it would turn into bronchitis or something like that. I also figured that since we had his appointment today at Children's, we should find out what he had before the other children there caught on and decided to be Darth Vader too. =)

Thankfully, it is just croup and nothing more. Well, not really thankful he has croup either, but thankful it wasn't worse.

Anyway, the appointment at Children's went very well. I could write all the details out, but I am very tired tonight (as I am sure you are too after reading all this) so I will make it short. After poking, prodding, oooing and awwwwing over our little guy, asking a bazillion questions and deliberating...the neurologists decided Darth Vader, aka Jaxon, seems perfectly normal and didn't see why they should look any further. The elevated CK levels I described in my previous post happens because in the first several months of birth, the are high anyway. Usually they taper off to a "normal" level shortly after 3 months. It is not too abnormal for it to climb down slowly which could be the case with Jaxon. To be safe, they took another blood test to see where it lies now. If it is normal, we will drop this issue. If it is elevated any more than it was, we will go from there. We will hear the results of the test hopefully tomorrow. We are praying all is "normal".

Can I just say that for being sick...my son did AMAZING through it all. He hammed it up for the nurses and dr's and was very chatty for having very little sleep over the last 48 hours. He cooperated with all the tests and even when his blood was taken, he cried maybe 20 seconds. This kid is a trooper!

Thanks for all your prayers! We are continuing to pray the results of the CK test are better and will update you on that when the results are in!

Jaxon Update (Tis a Long One Folks)

2009-06-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I put up a post about Jaxon having some issues with an abnormal blood test and needing to be evaluated by Children's. I meant to follow it up and apologize I kind of left it hanging. Here is a little more details on what's going on since we know a little more now.

At Jaxon's 6-month well-child appointment, I brought to his pediatrician's attention that at that time, Jaxon was not doing some developmental things gross motor wise that I thought he should be. (Keep in mind I've worked with children with disabilities for several years and I studied child development in college for two years, so am hyper aware of these types of things. Almost to a detriment. The pediatrician did mention that most parents wouldn't have even brought these things up or be concerned.) At that time, she wasn't very concerned, but referred him to a physical therapist to double check, and asked me to bring him back in 6 weeks to check his progress. The physical therapist scored him on his development and he was ahead cognitively and fine motor...and right on 6 months (which he was at the time) for gross motor. However, she did want me to check back after 6 weeks as well because she was afraid he could be one of those kids who fell through the cracks. Some of the issues we were seeing we thought was due to his reflux and the fact that tummy time has been a challenge because of it.

Skip 6 weeks forward, and Jaxon had improved a lot. The things I was concerned about he caught right up, except for the fact that he refused to push up with his arms still. When I took him back to the pediatrician, she was happy with his improvement but did notice what she thought could be a bit of low tone in his upper arms. To cross every "t" and dot every "i", she wanted to run a few tests. One of these tests caught me off guard a bit...a test to check his CK (Creatine Kinase) levels which determines whether or not a child has muscular dystrophy. In case you don't know, muscular dystrophy is kind of a hefty diagnosis. One that would change our entire lives. I thought it was a bit extreme but went along with it.

The next day I found out that his CK levels were slightly elevated. Normal would be 195 or less and his was 295. It sounds like a big elevation, but it actually is very slight. Good news: if it was muscular dystrophy it would have been over 15,000! So it's not that...praise God. Bad news: we don't know why it is elevated. Because of this, she referred him to Children's hospital to be further evaluated.

Enter freaked out mother. Mostly because no one could tell me what an elevated CK level could mean. Given, I was thankful it wasn't muscular dystrophy, but who knows what it COULD be. It is hard to not know. As a mother you don't want your child to have to suffer at all.

Encouragement soon followed. Jaxon's physical therapist was super pleased with Jaxon's development and sees him still on track with his gross motor development. She calmed my fears that she has worked with many children with muscular diseases and did not see those warning signs with Jaxon. In fact, she didn't think he had low tone at all. She tends to think this is a mild sensory issue (the palms of J's hands and feet seem to be more sensitive and he is resistant to certain things because of this.) This is something that is very fixable. Jaxon CAN do many of the things he needs to be doing, but is more resistant to doing them. We are going in on Thursday to address more of this.

The reason I post this now, is that Rob and I are going to be taking Jaxon into Children's Hospital (outpatient) tomorrow to meet with a neurologist to make sure we cover all bases included the elevated CK levels. I did get some more information from the nurse there. She said that whatever it was, it seems to be mild. She also said that the elevated CK level could simply mean he had an infection that day (which he did have a cold.)

I feel a bit better about the whole situation now than I did. Jaxon seems to be progressing nicely, and we've had positive feed-back. I am a bit nervous about the appointment tomorrow so would still ask for prayers. Pray for peace and the dr's wisdom!

Either way, God is in control and we place our trust in him. We dedicated Jaxon to the Lord last week and that includes our acknowledgement that Jaxon is His and He knows what is best for Jaxon.

Thanks for all your prayers and support and I will update after we know more tomorrow!

Sick

2009-06-15T20:25:00.001-07:00

Been pretty sick the last few days and don't have much energy to write anything. Thought I'd post this cute pic from the other day though. Love him! =)

A Splendid Idea

2009-06-13T14:14:00.001-07:00

I thought...

...it was a splendid idea!

He on the other hand...

...did not.

And to My Surprise...

2009-06-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and grabbed a very starved J out of his crib and placed him on our Papasan chair while I made him a bottle.

Normally, I hear impatient squeals from the other room as if he were going to starve to death. This time, however, he was completely quiet. I peered around the corner...

...and to my surprise I found this...

Raider plopped himself directly on Jaxon's belly and together they were as content as can be. How cute is that?

Braving the Trails While Cheerio Chuckin'

2009-06-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Julie and I packed up the kids and headed out to the Centennial Trail for some fresh air and exercise. It was a beautiful day and we are thinking of doing this more often! Julie brought her kiddos Elijah and Mila (and Jasmine the dog of course).

Baby Mila enjoyed being in her "big girl" stroller for the first time!

Jaxon enjoyed his stroller ride too. Especially when I put Cheerio's in his tray.

Funny thing is, he has more fun taking fists full of the Cheerio's and chucking them out the side of the stroller than he does eating them!

I think the ratio was 2 Cheerio's eaten to 10 Cheerio's chucked.

And very pleased he was with this ratio...

...along with the birds I suppose.

More pics to come of our future stroller hikes through the Cheerio-laden trail!

Silly Songs With Daddy...(the part of the day where they sing a silly song!)

2009-06-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a little window into our world in the mornings. Mommy gets up between 6:30 and 7:30 with Jaxon, fixes him breakfast and gets him dressed. The days Daddy goes to work, Mommy make sure his little alarm clock, (aka Jaxon) is placed directly on Daddy's belly at 8 am sharp. It's kind of enduring, but Rob insists this is how he will wake up, or he will not wake up at all. =) Sweet huh?

Cuddle time ensues for about 30 seconds. Jaxon then babbles on and on about his morning, loudly belts out his infamous monkey grunts (if you've ever met him, you know what I'm referring to), rips out half of Rob's goatee, and squirms all over the bed, laughing at Daddy as he goes. Enter cats. By this time all 5 of us are in bed and Jaxon is tackling Raider, pulling out clumps of his hair, and crying at the fact that Hawk won't come anywhere near him.

At this point, Daddy heads into the shower, and Jaxon jumps in his Jumperoo while Mommy gets ready for her day.

After Daddy has showered and had breakfast, he roughs Jaxon up a bit and sings, "Gonna Shake Shake Shake My Sillies Out". And that is what he literally does, cause after 5 minutes of this...

...and this...

...we get this...

...a very tired-out cuddly boy.

And off to dream land he goes while Daddy heads to work and Mommy has her quiet time. =) What a morning!

Bathtime, Bathtime So Much Fun!

2009-06-04T19:35:00.001-07:00

Bathtime around here is the best part of the day at the Harris household. We have a VERY vocally excited little boy the moment he is plopped in the tub. (Actually the moment the water is turned on if we're being honest.)

He loves splashing in the tub.
He loves playing with his toys in the tub.
He loves sucking on his wash cloth in the tub.
And a new favorite...he loves POOPING in the tub.

Apparantly Jaxon hadn't gotten the memo yet, that toilets are for pooping in, not bathtubs.

Despite all the excitement that ensued, Jaxon was still completely thrilled with his bathtime. And this time the excitement continued right out of the tub and into his little bathrobe:

Maybe it was the newfound freedom that made this time extra special? Or the sheer excitement of trying something new and taboo in the bathtub? Whatever it was, he was crawling out of his skin with his excitement. Yes, boys will be boys!

Auntie "Mimi" & the Case of the Stolen Ear Ring

2009-06-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

It was beautiful weather and already warm at 9am this morning. It was the perfect opportunity for Starbucks and a walk around Greenlake with Auntie Mimi (Amy). My sister is 9 years older than I, and when I was a little tyke I called her "Mimi". Thus the term has continued and we have decided to refer to her as Auntie Mimi to hold the tradition. =)

I am so blessed to have such an amazing sister. Besides Jesus and my husband, she is my closest friend. It is always nice to have our walks around Greenlake where we can share life together.

I love how my sister seems to love my son as if he were her own. I am extremely close to my neice and nephews, and she is the same way with Jaxon and his cousin Owen. She simply adores him...

See...?

And of course our Little Charmer adores his Auntie... (Especially since she snuck him his first taste of a Starbucks scone today.)

See...?

In case you can't tell, the photo below is him going in for the kiss...

...but it appears it may have been a trick, as he stole her ear ring

right out of her ear without her noticing!

See...?

Did I mention that my sister is as obsessed with her camera as I am?

I know, I know, it doesn't seem possible does it?

It must run in the family though, cause someone else seems to be just as obsessed with the camera as we are....

See...?

Yes, he is our little charming, open-mouth kissing, ear ring stealing, camera reaching, Starbucks scone eating guy! And we sure love our "Mimi"!

Little Assistant at the Beach

2009-06-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

I had a photoshoot with baby Leise again yesterday, and I brought with me my little assistant. Can you guess who that may be?

Yep you guessed it! (Or maybe you didn't but that's besides the point.) Normally I don't bring him along on photoshoots, but this time I knew it would be fine since he adores Leise, and he adores the beach! Those two things along with the beautiful weather made out to be a wonderful morning!

Her little black and white ruffled skirt was the cutest!

Meanwhile, Jaxon was just being a boy, throwing sand in the air and playing with sticks! He entertained himself nicely! He is a very good little assistant! =)

"Seriously, Dad"

2009-05-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

"Seriously, Dad, take this hat off. It's embarassing!"

A Friend For Jax

2009-05-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Jaxon's little friend Chloe Elizabeth Erickson was born yesterday! Chloe's mom and dad are good friends of ours, and we have been awaiting her arrival for quite some time now. I was one of Sarah's doula's during the delivery. I thought my labor was bad (31 hours) until I saw what she went through. Poor girl had 51 hours of labor ending in a C-section at around 2 am yesterday morning! Jaxon and I were at the hospital on and off for 3 days waiting for Jaxon's little friend. (Of course I didn't have him there the whole time). He did such a good job waiting and waiting and waiting...Jaxon wasted time hamming it up for the nurses and playing with Chris's goatee. =)

Baby Chloe weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and is 19 inches long!

She is simply adorable and perfect in every way!

Rob, Jaxon and I went back the next day to visit. Sarah is coming along nicely and Chloe is doing stellar! Here is Jaxon finally getting to meet his little friend for the first time:

Doesn't he look excited? Ok, well he will be when she gets big enough to play with! I will share more pics soon!

God is in Control

2009-05-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

This look just about sums up our week:

I think this week has probably been one of the most heart wrenching weeks I've had in my seven months of being a Mamma.

I will share more as I am able, but for now we would really covet your prayers. Short story is that I have had some health concerns regarding Jaxon and addressed them to his pediatrician. She ran a blood test and it came back abnormal....well, "slightly" abnormal. This may mean absolutely nothing and could be a blip in the test, but just to be safe he is being referred to Children's Hospital in Seattle to get further evaluated. (He's not staying there, just will be going soon to run more tests.) The good news is that the test ruled out our worst-case scenario which could've been life-altering for Jaxon and us for that matter. Bad news is we aren't sure WHY it is abnormal and it needs to be adressed.

Can I just say how amazingly difficult it is to be in the "waiting" period of all this? Not knowing what is going on and all these different scenarios running through my head...and I just have to sit back and wait? Given, this could end up being absolutely nothing, or it could be "something" and I just don't know. I hate not knowing.

What I DO know, however, is that God is in control and loves Jaxon immensly more than my husband and I can ever love him. He is aware of what is going on and is involved every step of the way. Even though I catch myself trying to "take back" the control (which is silly, cause I really have very little control over the situation), ultimately I can rest easy giving the control to God (who has the control in the first place.)

I will post more as I have updates and may expand a little more on the details later. Right now it's all very fresh and am still trying to process it all. In the meantime, please pray for our little guy if you could, and say a prayer for his concerned Mom and Dad. =) We appreciate you!

I Wanna Soak Up the Sun

2009-05-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

In three days I cleaned seven houses (not including my own), and I was dying! Not because of all the work, although it was sure exhausting, but because it was so beautiful outside and I was stuck inside! So when Saturday rolled around and it was gorgeous outside again, I made sure Jaxon and I spent the day soaking up the sun. (With sunscreen applied, of course!)

After daddy took off to work, we grabbed my friend Julie and her three kiddos and headed over to Wenberg State Park. Taking pictures with my photog friend and soaking up the sun on the beach was the perfect way to spend the day.

Jaxon really did like the beach. In fact, I put his chubby little feet in the water and let him kick around. But Jaxon's favorite part of the beach trip was not the beach itself. (Actually, he slept the majority of the time we were even by the water.) His favorite part was playing in this amazing field of daisies!

He was completely spell-bound. =) I can hardly wait until the day these dimpled, little hands come to bring me hand-picked flowers!

Baby Mila also enjoyed the field of daisies:

So, soaking up the sun we did and we couldn't have been more thrilled!

Well, Almost...

2009-05-14T22:40:00.001-07:00

I've ALMOST decided to jump on the "organic" bandwagon. ALMOST. It all started the other day when I was watching "The Biggest Loser". It wasn't as much the tv show that got me thinking, than it was the fact that these people are dead set on taking care of themselves and being healthy and having a good life. I had an epiphany that I am not getting any younger, and actually I'm beginning to get to the stage where cancer is a bit more prevalant among other health concerns. The chances start to increase from here on out. Yes I am only 27, but I am whopping 27! Was I living in denial? I'm not in my early 20's anymore. The thought of this kind of freaked me out a little. If there is any a good time to take good care of my body, it is now. Not only because of my age, but the fact that I have a very young, impressionable son who he needs a good example of how to eat and take care of his body, (cause heaven only knows he's not getting it from his father!) He needs a healthy mother who can keep up with him and be there for him! Techincally he needs a healthy father too, but Rob's "ALMOST" is leaning toward the "DEFINITELY NOT" stage. Don't worry, we are working on this. =) I am a very convincing person. Lucky for him, I do the meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking! Muhaha!

So, the plan is to cut out these things:

Bleached flour
Hydrogenated oils
Saturated fats
Processed foods
High fructose corn syrup
Fake sugar

And add MORE of these things:

Fruits
Vegetables
Healthy fats
Lean protein
Vitamins
Water (I'm terrible with this)
EXERCISE! (Although I've been doing pretty well with this one)

Lately, I have been getting a lot more fruits and veggies and filling half my plate with them at every meal and only a quarter of my plate bread and protein. Suprisingly I am fuller longer. Snacks include fruits and veggies as well. I feel healthier already!

After writing this post, I am even more convinced to jump on the "organic" bandwagon...well, almost. =)

The Color Orange

2009-05-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

J and I are stuck at home sick (thanks to daddy who is a little too demonstrative in his sharing skills.) We've been in the house for 2 days now and both of us are a little stir crazy. I decided to take him outside for just a few minutes. Loud and clear I heard my mom's voice telling me to put a hat on, cause the cold weather can make you sicker. So, I put this little hat on him to keep his head warm (and to please my mother). To my surprise...he looks very good in orange! And of course you know what ensued, yep you guessed it, me taking pictures of my little "model".

I am a tiny bit jealous, cause I most certainly can NOT wear orange. *sigh*

I'm also a little jealous he can look so cute EVEN when he's sick! *sigh*

Yes, I believe orange suits him just fine.

And you know what else suits him? Shania Twain believe it or not! I put her cd in and holy cow he got excited! He even started to "groove". Daddy says he was laughing at it because it is was so pathetic it was funny. But Jaxon and I know the truth. That's ok, whatever he needs to think to make himself feel better. =)

Ooooooooh!

2009-05-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is the face Jaxon prefers to make these days whilst singing, "Oooooooooooooh".

We think he is practicing to be a singer like his Daddy.

7 Months Old and Certainly NOT Wrapped Around Our Little Finger! =)

2009-05-09T13:26:00.001-07:00

Jaxon David is 7 months old now, and he is not at all wrapped around our little finger! Promise!

I mean look at this face...

...we aren't head over heels at all with this...

fun-loving, blonde-fauxhawk wearing, solid-food eating, belly laughing,

Baby Einstein playing, Animal sound loving, flirty acting, bathtime adoring, kitty obsessing,

loud talking, vacuum hating, fast grabbing, angel sleeping,

easy-going, sensitive reacting, ADORABLE LITTLE BOY!

We definitely don't argue over who gets to carry him into events or places. We don't ever peek in on him to watch him sleep in the middle of the night. We never ever stall if we have to say "bye bye" or put him down. We don't ever bust out laughing at all the funny noises and expressions he makes. We certainly don't ever jump to"rescue" him the minute he gives us the quivering lower lip. And we most certainly don't talk non-stop about what a gem we have and how deeply, and madly we are in love with this little boy.

So as you can see, he certainly is not wrapped around our little finger...

Not at all! =)

Oceans From the Rain

2009-05-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

This song has meant so much to me over the years. Several years back when I was going through a desperate time, God spoke to me through these lyrics. Today as I was driving in my car, this song came on, (I hadn't heard it in a very long time) and it literally brought me to tears. I want to share the lyrics because they are so powerful. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gone through hard times and needed God's grace and presence in the midst of the darkness. Take time to read ALL the lyrics...and if you get the chance track down the song and listen to it. =)

Oceans From the Rain

by: Seventh Day Slumber

And I’m amazed by You.

Cause You’re never far away

And all that I’ve been through,

Your love has never changed

Chorus:You make oceans from the rain

Breathing life into this place

And I will drown inside your love

Until I see your perfect face

And nothing I’ve acquired

means anything at all

Cause you’re everything I needed

You’re so much more than I deserve

Chorus:You make oceans from the rain
Breathing life into this place
And I will drown inside your love
Until I see your perfect face

And I thank you Lord

The blood of Jesus can wash your pain away

Follow-up and Thanks!

2009-05-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Our time in Oregon went wonderfully! Thanks for all your prayers! I will post some pics of the wedding later, but here is a sneak peak: