Making Good on a Promise

So I found a new ipad app for posting to my blog...let's test it out. As promised here are some pictures. There aren't many and they aren't great, but once I get this whole new system tested out, I'll post some better ones.

First, here is a little brotherly love in action! These two love each other, but they might kill each other!

And here is trouble. Jameson is a button pusher, what better than the blender buttons to push? Don't worry, the blender top and blade are tucked safely away from this boy. He is a hazard!

And here we have Brody the mustache man! He helped me make mustache lollipops for Auntie Laura's baby shower. That's right, another Jones baby is entering the world any day now!

This was a while back, but I love this picture of them watering the new tree we planted. I don't know how much they were actually concerned with the tree, but they loved having control over the water.

Jameson during one of his marathon lunch sessions. This kid can eat! And he looks good doing it, wouldn't you agree?

Speaking of food, here is Brody enjoying a frosty treat! This guy can out away Popsicles like it's his job!

We found a nice little beach by the river only about a 5 minute drive from our house. The water was warm enough for all of us to swim, and while the river sand wasn't ideal for building castles, it was a nice quick trip on a hot day when we couldn't make the trek to the ocean.

Jameson had a much more enjoyable trip to the ocean this year. At 15 months he was able to play in the sand and people watch much better than when he was just a few months last year!

And I happened to capture a rare moment of Brody giving Sammie love instead of giving him hell! Brody is our resident cop. He likes to make sure that everyone is doing everything the way it should be done. With Brody, there is a right way and a wrong way to do just about everything. He is very happy to point out when someone, human or furry, is doing something they aren't supposed to. While Sammie is a fabulous dog, he doesn't always live up to Brody's expectations for doing the right thing! Somehow though, from the looks of this moment, Brody found it in his heart to forgive him for not being perfect!

that's all folks. It seems that this new format will work pretty well, if I can just get myself to upload more pictures and find some time to clickity clack away on this slick new machine!

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New Things...

This new year has brought a couple of new things to our house.

First, Jameson L-O-V-E-S teething biscuits with all of this little heart. Only problem is this little guy has a champion gag reflex. If even the littlest piece breaks off, he acts like someone stuck their finger down his throat. So, while it brings me much anxiety to have to supervise these noshing sessions, they bring him so much joy that I can't resist giving them to him. I'm once again becoming proficient at throat sweeping, and am counting the days until I stop nursing and can self-medicate with a nice big glass of vino to help me chill out!

And then Brody started doing something new and interesting in the new year as well. Thankfully he is only 4 and he doesn't read this blog because I'm about to post a very embarrassing picture of him. I was going to try to come up with a story as a lead in here, but there are just no words. I knew he was in the bathroom the other day, and when the minutes kept ticking by and I hadn't heard a flush, I went to check on him.  This is what I found.When I asked him what he was doing he told me he was "Just reading a catalog"! I love this kid!

What I'm Thankful for

In the spirit of the season, here are a few things that I am thankful for.

• My family is healthy and happy and silly and loving.
• Unlike last year at this time, I'm not growing a human inside my body and having to face the challenging task of getting him out in a few short months!
• After seven years I am still in love with my husband (I might not get to see him often, but he's still my favorite person to be with).
• We have a safe, warm, and beautiful shelter to go home to each night.
• Dance parties in the kitchen after dinner.
• My kids still need me and want to be around me.
• The changing seasons (despite the fact that Jameson has a cough that kept us up for 3 hours last night because it is flu season - F.U. flu season). Even though it gets damn cold, there is something peaceful and beautiful about falling snow.
• That we cut our own Christmas tree instead of buying it out of a parking lot!
• A million other things that I'm too tired to form into words right now (see bullet number 7 above regarding lack of sleep).

And because I know people don't really care about the things I have to say, they just want to see my cute kids...here they are.

Me & JJ on the search for our Christmas tree.

Brody pulling the tree sled.

We found it! - although with our big heads you can't really see it behind us.

Peek-a-boo

Don't we take this picture every year?

The fresh air and the excitement of the tree hunt tuckered little Jameson right out!

Here she is, in her glory (and her fancy lights that Brody picked out last year)

Brody did most of the decorating this year. He was so excited to see all the ornaments.

J-man was more fascinated with the lights than anything else. And knowing him, he was probably scheming a way to get the tree in his mouth when we aren't looking.

Time for the nightly wrestling with Daddy.

BOY (noun): a noise with dirt on it

I laughed the first time I saw that definition of "boy." And now, with a house full of boys, I realize just how true it is.

Last night, as our third (yes third) Thanksgiving dinner settled in our bellies and we watched football, I lost track of the number of times and ways that I asked Brody to lower his voice. "Brody, can you turn down your volume a bit?", "Brody, please use a quieter voice.", "Brody, your brother is sleeping, please don't shout.", and finally "SSHHHHHHH!!!!!" They all work for .5 seconds until he "forgets" and starts loud talking again. Yes, my shy little Brody has turned into a loud talker! I mean we were all sitting within six feet of each other. There was no need to shout. Ryan looked at me laughing and simply said, "This is boys. Get used to it." And so it has hit me. I will always have a house full of boys.

And no, I am in no way ever thinking about adding a third to the mix to try for a girl. I am just beginning to realize what it means to have boys. I will most likely not be teaching my boys how to crochet or quilt. They will most likely never choose to watch a romantic comedy with me on a Sunday afternoon over watching a football game. And they will probably choose to go running with their Dad over going to yoga with me. Who knows, maybe they'll surprise me, but Brody's fascination with Patriots football and Wes Welker leads me to believe that I shouldn't hold my breath.

So while I'm a little bit sad that my future will be short on precious, girly moments and I will never get to watch anything other than football on Sunday afternoons, there is no denying how precious my boys are in this very moment! I mean seriously, don't you just want to eat them?

Capacity to Love

I had a horrifying moment the other day. In the middle of work, clickety-clacking away on some spreadsheet on my computer, it happened. The world around me faded into a blurry haze and I felt the wholeness of the love that I have for my family, for my children. It was overwhelming. It was scary and heartbreaking and completely amazing. My ears rung, I got dizzy and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. I couldn't breath. I needed them near me. I needed them in my arms to smell their soft hair and protect them from the big, intimidating world outside. I needed to smother them with kisses and find some better way to convey to them how completely I love them than the simple words "I love you". I was paralyzed with love. And then...the moment passed. And my fingers began again to click away on the keys. And I was fine.

And so I now believe that, although we think we are aware of how much we love our children, our love is actually incomprehensible most days. If we were capable of fully feeling that love, every minute of every day, it would paralyze us. We would never allow them to leave us. It is that deep. It is that whole. It is that all consuming and pure. And while I'm grateful for that moment of clarity, I really hope it doesn't happen again. My heart just can't take it.

Beech Hill Farm

As Winnie-the-Poo would say, it was a very, very blustery day, but we had been cooped up in the house too long and needed to stretch our legs so we headed to Beech Hill Farm to see the animals, walk around, and get what is probably our last ice-cream of the year.

Ry and JJ all bundled up.

Brody and the chickens.

Goats!

The boys

Buckwheat, the donkey.

Brody and the late afternoon sun.

JJ, Daddy, and the big, furry cows.

Look at that! A picture with all of us! AMAZING!

I got greedy and attempted another family photo...typical me, I chopped off some heads!

There is something about these pictures that I love. The way the sun is reflecting, the barn and animals in the background, and all of the boys that I love...these are magical to me!

Someone hasn't been letting us sleep at night...any guess who is making Daddy yawn?

 

And then we had to hit the ice cream barn for some treats! Jameson was mighty disappointed that he didn't get any for himself!

Eating frozen yogurt (come on people, did you really think Ryan would eat ice cream?) over your child's head and not getting a single drip on them is pure talent!

Watch out Daddy, someone is going to steal your cone!

One last climb on the rocks and run around the farm before heading home for supper...yes, that's right. There are some days when ice cream before supper is acceptable!