Glimpse of summer...

Every once in awhile we get teased with some nice weather before summer starts.  The first week of May has been one of those weeks.  Josie was wearing a sundress everyday.  Jamon got a tanned neck, even though he wears high SPF sunscreen everyday.  And Jolie chose pink shorts each morning.  We spend as much time soaking up Vitamin D as possible.  When the kids asked to go the park we gladly walked through our pasture, since our goats are gone now, it makes for a nice little short cut.  We spent a good hour running around, swinging, climbing and jumping...jumping into the sand!  Who knew how much fun jumping off a wall could be?

Josie and Jolie LOVE to swing.  I love that Josie can pump her own little legs and she and Jolie both ask for underdoggies.  Jamon likes to swing for a little bit but he prefers to climb on the ropes and play basketball.  Then the kids found the sand pit.  We normally say no to the sand at parks....but today was an exception and I am so glad I said sure.  Well, I think Jeremiah actually said yes after he walked through making sure there was nothing dangerous in the sand.  Anyway, the kids repeatedly climbed up the wall, jumped into the sand, crawled their way out and did it all over again.  It was so much fun watching them enjoy the outdoors.  I love that each one of my kids love playing outside.  Sometimes I think I am too busy to be outside with them.  Moments like this remind me I should be busy playing with them! I am thankful we walked as a family and spent the time to just play.  It makes me so excited for Summer....which hopefully is not far away. 

Spring Soccer

These pictures totally capture the girls during the game!  I love the one with Josie's hands on her hips. 

Jamon loved soccer so much in the fall that he could hardly wait to play with his buddies again in the Spring.  We have been so fortunate this soccer season with wonderful weather.  I think every game has been dry and sunny!  Jamon really enjoys this team.  And he speaks and thinks very highly of Coach Troy and Coach Randy.  They are the Ridgeview Kangaroos and there are some new friends on the team and some returners.  Of course, his good buddy Easton Roberson is on the team, and this year they decided they would be "twins" at each practice.  It's hilarious.  They learned if they dressed the same at practice they would be on the same team during scrimmage.  Pretty smart.  Jamon wasn't the only one looking forward to soccer starting again.  Josie loves soccer because she gets to see her friends too! One practice Emily Roper made the girls daisy chains and ever since then Josie has been busy picking daisies and attempting to make her own necklaces.

One weekend Paige and Jace were spending the weekend with Grandpa and Grandma and they got to come to the game.  It was so fun!  Josie, Jolie, Paige and Zoe played all morning.  Jolie learned how to do cartwheels during soccer season too.  It's hilarious.  She actually gets the main idea. That girl needs to be in gymnastics!  And Jace went from one grandma to the next.  Jamon played a double header.  The sun was out.  It was a great morning.  One thing I noticed in Jamon is that his foot work has improved so much this season.  He is learning to angle the ball more and use his left foot.  He and his teammates are even trying to pass the ball to one another.  What an improvement from the fall.  The herd or pack of players is slowly breaking up and it is actually becoming more of a game.  It is so much fun to watch them enjoy playing a sport or an activity.  The best part for Jamon is that he keeps score, plays defense and gets the treats at the end!

Bring your child to work day

Thursday was National Bring Your Child to Work Day, and I was so excited that Jeremiah was okay bringing Jamon for an hour or so in the morning. I have fond memories of going with my mom when I was little. Jamon said he got to talk to a lot of people and Mr. Michel gave him candy! Jamon is so easy going and doesn't take much for him to be entertained. I think he enjoys doing things by himself.

After a couple of hours the girls and I came and picked up Jamon. The girls had so much fun at daddy's desk. I am not sure how next year will go because I know Josie will want to go.

Jolie turns 2

It seems like with each subsequent child time goes faster and faster.  I know that from the newborn stage to the first birthday is the most physical change.  However, from one year to two years is a different kind of change.  It is so fun to see them with more hair, their personality develop, and see how they fit into the family.  Enter Jolie as a 2 year old.  Although she is very much her own personality, it is unbelievable how much she and Josie resemble each other.  Sometimes I like to try and trick Jeremiah by showing him a picture of one of the girls and he has to guess which one it is.  Half the time he is correct.

Because Jolie's birthday is so close to the first day of Spring and near Easter, we did a combined Easter/Spring birthday party.  Fun, bright colors mixed with Easter decorations.  We had mostly family with a few friends over.  Jolie thought the best part of the party was Grandma Angie's lap.  One of the best gifts Jolie gave to me was that six weeks before she turned 2 she decided to potty train herself.  Literally.  I have heard a few stories in magazines and online of kids who decide the want to potty train themselves at an early age.  Both Jamon and Josie were easy potty trainers so I actually don't mind the training.  However, this was a dream.  She literally woke up, took off her diaper and put it in the garbage and climbed onto the potty.  Within days she was dry at nap time!  And within the week she was dry at night.  I shouldn't be that surprised because Jolie is very independent.  She doesn't realize that she is younger than Jamon and Josie and just wants to keep up with everything they are doing.  Ever since the fall, if not sooner, she has been dressing herself, brushing her own teeth, drinking from a regular cup, feeding herself cereal with milk, and buckling her own straps in the carseat!  I keep reminding myself that this great independence and determination is a good thing, because often it results in tears and frustration, from both of us.

One thing I notice about Jolie is that she has very good balance, coordination, and strength, and little fear. This is a dangerous combination.  She started doing somersaults in the winter with no one showing her how.  She climbs on everything.  She is the kind of kid that parents put into gymnastics at an early age because of their energy!  She is also the kind of kid that melts your heart.  We often wake up to the sound of her singing "Jesus loves me."  And when she is not jumping or climbing on or off of something, she is singing "Hosanna" or "Hope for Every Man."  I absolutely love that she loves to sing.  Also, I love that she is the healthiest eater of our family.  Although she did inherit a sweet tooth from her daddy, other than that, she loves and will always choose sliced avocados, tomatoes, salad, hard boiled eggs, black beans, oatmeal, brown rice, fruit, peas, carrots and broccoli!  Jamon is our pickiest eater.  Josie is a pretty good eater and Jolie wins the best, healthy eater award.

My intention for this blog was to try and journal about our family.  To try and write down, capture and remember all the moments that I think I will remember when our kids are grown but I know I won't.  Sometimes, like right now, I get motivated to blog a lot.  And then other times it's months before I update anything.  It's times like this when I get to sit down and reflect on Jolie being 2 that I realize I have to find a way to be more consistent because time is passing by and they are growing up before my eyes.  That being said, Jolie you are a joy to have in our family.  My prayer for you this year is that you would learn to find joy in obedience.  It is so hard to be 2.  I know you get told "no" or "stop" a lot.  I just pray that you will find there is actually more freedom and true joy when we obey.  A lesson that I know comes from the Lord.

Opening Day

Jeremiah has fished on Opening Day for about 25 years now.  And, this year there were 4 generations of Heacocks.  Grandpa Jack, Jeff, Jeremiah and Jamon were all there for the Opening Day at South Twin Lake.  Jamon was very excited to go this year.  Last year when he was only 4 (almost 5) he couldn't go because there was still a lot of snow and Jeremiah was unsure whether or not he would last in a boat. But in a year things have changed.  Jamon has grown to be quite the little fisherman.  He has gone with Jeremiah and Jeff to Lava Lake and the Mckenzie River.  Jamon can tell you the exact number of fish they have caught each time.  He really enjoys reeling in the fish.  I asked him what the best part of fishing is, he replied "the snacks."  That's my kind of fishing!  

The sweetest part of the fishing trip is the one thing I don't have a picture of.  Jamon's Great Grandpa Jack took him out to breakfast on Saturday morning to the lodge, just the two of them.  The best part of it was that Great Grandpa Jack forgot his reading glasses and asked Jamon to read him the menu.  Jamon ended up reading the entire menu word for word. I would have loved to be an on looker to their breakfast conversation.  Jamon talked about it for days so it was a special day for him.  He said he ordered pancakes with strawberry topping and chocolate milk.  Grandpa Jack said he talked the entire time and the waitress got a big kick out of them.  

This year we were lucky to have Aunt Anna and the kids come up to Springfield while the men went fishing.  Anna and I decided that we should make this our annual girl's weekend.  We decided to spend the day at Johnson Brother's Nursery and then went out to lunch.  It was a great day too, however, I am looking forward to when Josie and Jolie are a little bit older to do a weekend full of sewing, crafting, tea, baking and antique shopping!  

This is some of what came from Jeremiah, Josh, Justin and Uncle Jon's boat. 

I love this picture.  Justin, Josh, Jeremiah and Jamon. 

Jeremiah had the biggest catch of the weekend.  He said it was on his last cast too! 

S'mores in April

We have had a very rainy winter.  Really kind of a wild weather winter in general.  There was talk of snow during February, and then we ended up getting almost 6" of snow in March!  And we were so blessed to have some record-breaking beautiful sunshine the past couple of days.  It was so nice that the kids asked if we could have a fire.  In our house having a fire means having s'mores.  Unable to resist the temptation, we had to have s'mores.  Jamon is a very patient s'more making.  He will wait until his marshmallow is golden brown.  Josie on the other hand is less patient and Jolie just wants to eat the chocolate.  It's days like these that I thoroughly enjoy our house.  The kids have spent all day running around.  Literally, all day playing.  And the best way to end a sunny day is with a s'more....or two.  

We really did spend all day outside.  We took an old blanket that my mom had made me in high school and grabbed a supply of crayons, markers and coloring books.  It was a great day.  We even had time for toe nail polish, swinging, practicing soccer.  More swinging, more coloring and more "summer" fun.  It's days like this that make me wish summer was here already!

Josie loves getting her toes painted.  And she will almost always choose pink. 

Jolie could spend all day outside.  She is like her sister, she loves to swing.

Jamon loves to practice and to work.  I love those qualities about him. 

I loved this day with them.  

Sisters

I asked Amy to come over and try and get some pictures of Jolie for her "official" 2 year old photos.  Jolie was uncooperative.  Josie wanted her pictures taken.  It pretty much didn't go as planned.  However, we were lucky to get a few good ones.  The only way to get Jolie to sit down was to give her a lollipop. It worked wonders.  These two girls are the best of friends one minute and then someone is crying the next.  I didn't grow up with a sister so I have no clue what to expect.  They already fight over clothes, shoes, who gets to held by daddy or grandma.  Although I have noticed a friendship forming in the past few months.  As both of them have gotten a little older, Josie has become more "motherly" and Jolie is more playful.  Josie and Jolie really are alike in a lot of ways.  They both LOVE sunglasses, hats, shoes, and pockets.  Both of them are performers  also.  They like to play dress up, run around aside, take care of daddy, pretend cook and both of them are very good helpers around the house.  They both like to sweep, dust, set the table and fold laundry.  Actually, Josie is a very good folder, especially with towels. I hope this continues!  It's fun to look at them in these pictures because this is what they are to us all the time, running around aside, wild hair and wearing pink and blue!