September Birthdays
Grandma Cheryl and Aunt Sarah
September 7th, 2008
The Jackson extended family typically gets together each month for a family potluck dinner to celebrate that specific months family birthdays, this month being September it was Matts moms b-day and his brother Jake's wife Sarahs b-day. Since the great Northwest weather was still cooperating with the beautiful sunshine, Matts dad broke out his shave ice machine for the occasion. It was a hit as always with the younger and older kids alike. The only problem was that not enough ice was frozen so it didn't go too far...grandpa will know better for next time though!
Cousin Noelle enjoying her shave ice.
We had a BBQ and it looks like BreAnna found a bit of the HEALTHY stuff to add to her plate. (It's always nice to see that!)
Despite the fact that g-ma has decided that it's no longer okay for the kids to play in the pond (uh-oh, not quite sure if she really doesn't want them in it or if it's just one of those wishful thinking things, kind of hard to break a favorite past time and old habit for the kids I think)...they found their way over to it in search of bugs, bugs, and yet more swimming buggie creatures. This time they actually found a lizard, I think it was a salamander...it was the hit of the party in the kids eyes I'm sure! 
We brought the cakes to the potluck, here's Matt and his sister Stephanie in an attempt to light the candles...they were all lit at one time; however, unfortunately the wind wouldn't allow them to stay lit. After a few hopeless attempts, Cheryl and Sarah just had to pretend they were blowing out their candles, too funny!
Cheryl lucked out with the majority of her sisters in attendance for her birthday this year. They were actually in town on a lower note- they came up & were visiting for Cheryls fathers funeral which was on the 9th, he passed away on the Sunday before Labor Day. Cheryl was in Chelan when she found out that he was in the hospital and not expected to live much longer so she rushed home and had the opportunity with her sisters to say their goodbyes as Matts brother Dave and a friend gave him a blessing of comfort. Cheryl pretty much single handedly planned and carried out her fathers funeral, although sadly not many of us were too familiar with her father or his family & friends, it was a very nice funeral.
Here's Sarah and more good news about her and their family! They are expecting!!! Jake and Sarah have two girls thus far, they aren't sure if it's a boy or a girl yet...so we're all excited to find out.
Here's Josh, neither of those plates were his cake...he just felt the need to polish off everyone elses after he was finished with his own.
Before we went to the party, we stopped off at Flaming Geyser state park on the Green River to pick up buckets full of river rocks that will be used for my primary sharing time in a few weeks for prayer rocks, thanks to Wendy she gave me the cutest poem to go along with them...I'd heard of the prayer rocks and knew how to use them but the poem is too cute!Here it is:
I am your little prayer rock and this is what I'll do...
Just put me on your pillow until the day is through
Then turn down the covers and climb into your bed
And Whack, your little prayer rock will hit you on your head
So that you remember as the day is through
To kneel and say your prayers just as you intended to
When you are all finished just drop me on the floor
I'll stay there all night long to give you help once more...
At waking in the morning clunk, I'll stub your toe
So you will remember your morning prayers before you go
Now put me atop your pillow when your bed is made
And your clever little prayer rock will continue in your aid
Because your Heavenly Father cares and loves you so
He wants you to remember to talk to him you know.
Spencer, who is always "so bored," I get so tired to hearing him say that! Well, lets just say he wasn't bored as I put him to work scrubbing all of the rocks we had gathered, he did a great job and I actually think he had fun cleaning them. He's a great helper when he wants to be!
BreAnna as she FINALLY truly understood telling time on clocks! I was thrilled, last year I tried and tried to go over and over it with her, but she was still totally confused with the short hands and long hands and which was which and which you used as the minute and hour and how the hour goes to 12, yet the minutes got to 60, and how you can simplify by breaking the minutes into 15, 30, 45, ect...yah' it was too much at the time! I'm pretty sure we both had our patience tested...I knew she just didn't get it no matter how creative or simplified I tried to make it. Until the other day as we sat down to do her homework this year, remembering how it just wouldn't click last year, some times it just takes a little longer for some in order for it all to click or for the brain to compute it all in...but when it does, it does! We were both so HAPPY, she totally got it... I just had to take a picture, no more digital clocks for this girl!
Ellie and Josh as they paint the fence, it does look like it needs a new coat of stain...but this time they just used water! Well, school is under way. The first week was a bit stressful with all of the new schedules with school, preschool, and various extra activities of the kids after school and I'm sure that for me being that specific week of the month didn't help me out but Ellie must have been intuitive as I said her prayers with her before I tucked her in bed at the end of the week. She's such a caring child, she said what she was thankful for and then blessed Spencer to feel better (he had been complaining of a sore throat, then she says and help mom not to be so frustrated.) I thought it was cute, she must have caught on that I was a bit stressed out. Bed time always seems to be a challenge, there's so many things that need to take place before they are actually in bed, between family & scripture time and baths and PJS and teeth being brushed, I think there needs to be more hours in a day. Actually it would probably not make a bit of differnce who am I kidding! Anyways, this week (being the second week of school was much more smooth sailing and stress free, it was a good week.) Matt even got to do some Salmon fishing with Jarom and his scouts on the Puyallup River, they had a really good time. Jarom thought it was cool that he got his own fishing license, Matt caught one & they brought it home and cooked it up & low and behold my kids actually ate fish and liked it, who would have guessed?! 
ONE of MANY art pieces that Josh feels the need to display on our walls, this one was done this morning with a black 
Spencer on his 1st day of pre-school.
BUBBLES
MORE BUBBLES
PROJECTS
PLAYING GAMES
Spencer is free! For quite awhile it's been obvious that he could ride without his training wheels, (just from how totally fast and 
Not having any training wheels makes me as a mom so much more nervous about him riding his bike though! He rides it great, but he just thinks he needs to go so fast...it's like I feel like his safety net is taken away. It's a 
The only thing he struggled with was the getting on the bike part. He was so used to climbing up on the seat while having the bike stay up on it's own, now without the training wheels it's a bit trickier to get started!
Matt arrived home from work with a surprise for Ellie. Aunt Sarah & Uncle Jake had sent her birthday present home with him (they probably gave it to grandma and she gave it to Matt at work.) Let me tell you, I've never heard such high pitched little happy 
Is is blood? No, it would be red nail 
Luck for me, it was a more pleasant cooler actually drizzly-rainy day today. Perfect for a Monday, which is typically my cleaning day. So we cleaned the house and after that, the rain gave me an excuse to sit down to the computer to change up our blog background & pics. Thank you Aunt Stacie, our silly kids!