recommendation

this is the first tv comedy in a while that has really made me laugh. steven and i watched the pilot episode on our plane flight to san francisco and it totally sucked us in. the following link will take you to the website where you can watch some episodes and see if you agree.

http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family

happy birthday jackson

(this is how i found him this morning doing his puzzle wearing his optimus prime costume. i thought it was funny because could he really see the puzzle pieces this way?)

well jackson is officially 4. i can't believe it! it is funny because most of the time i have to remind myself that he is not lily's age because they are the same size but then when i think back it seems like just yesterday that this loving little boy came to us. here are ten things everyone should know about jackson:

1. he loves to cuddle.
2. he has a very hard head and he doesn't always know where he is swinging it. everyone who has spent time with him has been knocked by his noggin.
3. he has the best voice. i always said i wanted a child with a scratchy voice and i definitely got one.
4. he is awesome at puzzles. he can do a puzzle with 100 pieces that says it is for 5 years and up.
5. he loves his brother and sister. he would choose to play with them over anyone.
6. his favorite food is a hot dog. i asked him yesterday what he wanted for dinner on his birthday and all he wanted was a hot dog. "i kept saying but you can have anything you want!" hot dogs it is!
7. he hates taking pictures. i try very hard to get pictures of him but most of the time he gets away.
8. he used to be allergic to dairy but now he is not. he will try almost anything and for this i am very grateful since i am constantly struggling to get lily to eat the most basic foods.
9. he is a momma's boy threw and threw. he would almost always choose me over anyone.
10. this kid has more energy than lily and asher put together but he has always been the best napper. until lily started school last month he was still taking a 2-3 hour nap. unfortunately he has now decided that he doesn't need one but i still try.

i love you buddy!

fall (or autumn as i like to call it)

why don't we call it autumn anymore? so we went to the park yesterday and took some pictures of the kids playing. i think this is my favorite time of year in washington. the weather is beautiful, not too hot, not too cold and it is absolutely amazing how many different colors the leaves turn. it is like one day it is summer and the trees are green and the grass is starting to get brown from too much sun and not enough rain and then suddenly it is fall and the grass is green again and the trees are spectacular. it reminds me that now is a good time to start fresh and try harder. it makes me want to be a better wife, more patient mother and a more helpful friend. i know that typically the new year is the time for this reflection but seeing all the changes in nature is a much better reminder for me.

(i love being reminded that they really do love each other)

(the kids had so much fun just running around this tree chasing each other i thought it was cute)

(we went there with the intention of taking pictures in the rain but of course when you want rain, it goes away)

(steven was able to get so close to this bird it didn't even care)

just so you know, jackson was not into taking pictures and tried to get away as fast as he could so that is why there are more of lily and ash.