Memorial Weekend

Memorial weekend was just right. We did house projects, ate some delicious BBQ with Kim and Tim, had Cat and Dan stay with us, celebrated Claire's second birthday, and had a visit from my dear cousin Marla, her husband Kevin and their new little guy Ezra. A relaxing, wonderful weekend. Loved it - every minute.

Marla & Kevin.........Cat and baby Ez


Lizzy and Heath.......Claire giving Harrison a hug

Garage Project: Part 6 - The Privacy Fence

Our giant backyard project is done. Trees have been ripped out, new concrete has been poured, the garage is up, and finally the privacy fence. And cannot describe what a difference it has made to our home. Every day that I am in the back yard - I can't believe it. What a change and I am LOVING it.

Now we are on to some cosmetic changes - I moved all the stones from the old front walkway to a little area in the back that is shaded most of the day. I want to put a little bench here and some big pots of flowers - but one thing a time. We also put up some new house numbers that my dad made - they look great. Taking the old ones down will be for another day when we are patching holes and painting. I am so grateful that all the really big stuff is done - now we can just make it look pretty!

4 Years

I love this picture of us. Jordan surprised me with a trip to England and we had just arrived in London after traveling for what seemed like forever. I was pregnant with Harrison, and Jordan was doing EVERYTHING in his power to try to keep me awake for a few more hours. We walked from our hotel down to the River Thames, past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, and onto Westminster Abbey.

I love that he does things like that for me. I love that we have been married for four years, and I love that he takes such good care of me. Happy Anniversary babe.

23 Months

Harrisonisms at almost two....

He likes to put 'me' at the end of sentences when he is talking about himself:
'I wanna wrestle me.'
'I wanna take a bath me.'
'Play in sandbox me.'
'Want brek-sit (breakfast) me.'

He loves anything big boy. Big boy chair, big boy hat, big boy shovel and rake, big boy couch.

He has a toy in each hand EVERY time we leave the house. Most recently it is little rubber sharks, a hammer, and of course cars.

He likes to sing and knows most of the words to Twinkle Twinkle, ABC's, and Incy Wincy Spider - and it is hilarious.

He is obsessed with saying 'pweese' and 'fank you' for everything. Even when he picks up a toy himself, he says 'fank you.'

He loves his green and yellow T-Rex (a Bi-mart special), and points out all the body parts he can - followed by pointing to his lower back and saying "I have a tail too!" or "I have two eyes too!"

Perhaps best of all - when you say "where is Harrison?" he goes completely still and closes his eyes- he thinks he is invisible. This works particularly well when we are trying to change his diaper, give him a bath, slather him with lotion, etc. Just last night he disappeared before his bath and didn't return until he was dry, changed, lotioned, and clothed. I love it. I have put him down for naps and even to bed when he has been 'invisible', and still he plays along.

Occasionally he will have to walk while he is invisible, so he just squints as hard as he can - so as not to reappear. It is hilarious.

He is talking up a storm - and I love my little guy. Can't believe he is almost two.

Ice Cream in the Park...

...or as Harrison called it "Pine Cone Ice Cream!"
I am not sure why pine cone ice cream is what he got from ice cream cone, but whatever.

Ice cream with daddy + swinging in the park = perfect

New Hair

I have given Harrison four little haircuts in the past. Trimming the bangs, making the back at little less mullet-y, etc. In fact his last haircut involved him screaming in terror as the hair I snipped floated around him in the tub. So I had my doubts about a 'real' haircut.

He proved me wrong. While watching Monsters Inc., he sat in his 'big boy chair' eating Cheerios for twenty minutes while I snipped away. I couldn't believe how in control he was.

I do miss the curls terribly - but I guess he has all summer to grow those back. Right?

He looks like a little boy now - such a big difference.



After the big cut, we went outside to brush off - where he of course took the toy of the week. A green dinosaur that he is convinced loves to eat bark chips he finds in the yard. 'Dinosaur hungee Mommy. I feed it.'

And then to make sure I haven't forgotten that anything with four wheels does in fact belong in a tipped-over state, he takes care of business with the fire engine.

A Big Boy

All Harrison wants to be - is a big boy. He always wants to sit in the 'big boy chairs' (barstools),
he wears his 'big boy hat' so he can be like Daddy, and his 'big boy gwasses' so he can be like Mommy.

And as I was looking at the above photos - I realized that Harrison is
almost smiling. Something very very rare for him to do for the camera.
It usually plays out a little more like this..... when I shove a camera in
his face and ask him to smile............commence meltdown.