First Savings Account

Michelle opened her first savings account yesterday! We actually went before Christmas to do it, but I didn't have her social security number memorized yet . . . I'm such a bad mom sometimes! :) Anyway, I memorized it and we went yesterday. Thanks to grandparents for Christmas gifts to fill her first savings account!

Back Home Again

We made it home safely from Christmas in Utah. Michelle enjoyed our trip to the north of Utah, where she got to play with her cousins that she rarely sees. They adored her and she loved the attention. She loved the toys from Grandpa and Grandma Thompson too (except the penguin which, for some odd reason, scares her to tears).

Now, back at home, her favorite games involve throwing toys. She likes to pull all the pieces out of her puzzle and throw them across the room. She likes to take all the animals out of her Little People barn and throw them. She also LOVES when Mom or Dad builds a tower of blocks so she can knock it down!

She is also becoming quite the serious musician with all her musical instruments, like her new guitar.

A big accomplishment Sunday . . . she finally pulled herself up to a standing position. And we were thrilled, even if the chosen spot was one of the few "no-no" spots in the house.

Merry Christmas Michelle (and everyone else)!

Even though last year was TECHNICALLY Michelle's 1st Christmas, she was too small to appreciate any of it. This year she has really had a ball! Though she is still only a year old, she loved Christmas and was cute about loving it.

First she got to enjoy some early presents from Grandma Jackson (pre-Christmas day).

Christmas Eve we were at Grandpa and Grandma Moore's.

Sitting on Grandma's lap with cousin Morgan . . . stealing HIS toys!

Daddy and Uncle Trevor are just watching.

Then she got to the BIG DAY!

Thank you SANTA CLAUSE!

Thank you Grandma Jackson!

Thank you Grandpa Jackson!

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Moore!

Thank you to everyone! Michelle also got awesome wood blocks from Uncle Gary, soft blocks from Uncle Trevor and Uncle Travis and Legos from Mom and Dad. She got a musical train from Aunt Madison, a See and Say from Grandma Jackson, and a Shapes and Melodies piano from Grandpa and Grandma Moore. She loved all her toys so much she couldn't decide which one to play with. She was all over the place between them and it was adorable!

Brooke and Jim got some great stuff too! We both got some very nice clothes. Michelle got Jim a new wallet and a tie. Brooke got Jim a GPS for the car and a Star Wars Movie. Jim got Brooke 2 beautiful new coats and a Wii arcade game. Brooke would like to thank her mother and father-in-law for some very nice, sparklies (a.k.a. jewelery). And Gary generously bought Jim and Brooke a hiking pack for Michelle!

The Moore's tried for a homeade holiday so we also received a nice handmade throw blanket from Madison, a family calender from Trevor with photographs he took, and a picture slide show from Travis (which we haven't seen yet but I am sure will be impressive as Travis is impressive!) It was a lot of fun to make and paint wood carvings to give out as gifts this year.

Needless to say, we have been spoiled and we have spoiled and it was a WONDERFUL Christmas. And it is not over, as tomorrow we head for Grandma and Grandpa Thompson's in Tremonton.

Thank you to everyone, if I left you off it is not out of lack of gratitude, merely out of a need to end this post so I can eat Christmas breakfast that my mom and Madison have worked hard to prepare and to play Wii with my dad and husband and little brothers!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And the Ultrasound says . . .

It's a girl! Michelle will have a baby sister sometime around May 2. Her name . . . well we have debated on the spelling but her name will be Lena (pronounced lee nuh) Mae Jackson.

Give Thanks for Happy Birthdays

Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Birthday to Brooke! Happy Birthday to Michelle!!!!! It has been a busy time for us. Of course, it always will be with all the big events in our lives that come at the end of the year. We went to St. George for Thanksgiving and my parents had a full house. It was a lot of fun. While there we celebrated Michelle's 1st birthday, then we had a little party for her with just the 3 of us on her actual birthday (December 3rd, for those of you who were confused). It was fun to watch Michelle with the other kids. I loved the "food chain" of toy taking. Summer's son, Morgan, would start with a toy, then Michelle would take it, then Maya would take it from Michelle and finally Ryan would take it from Maya. I had to chuckle at them. Don't worry Morgan, very soon you will not be the youngest. Little Andrew is coming any day now . . . and in May we are having Baby Jackson #2.

Michelle got VERY spoiled for her birthday! She has more toys now than we have room to put them, but that's okay, I can always figure something out!

Maya, Morgan and Michelle play outside. (Morgan is in the pink jacket--one of Michelle's because Summer hadn't brought one with her).

Ryan joined the group too. Guess he's not too old for all the babies yet!

Michelle's Pixie Hollow Birthday Cake.

She loved the baloons, but not as much as the cake, and the FROSTING was the BEST OF ALL!

A natural born drummer . . . I think she got Grandma Jackson's love of music!

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma Moore . . . this garden toy is SO COOL!

On her actual birthday Michelle got her Little People Farm in the mail from Grandma Jackson and she did NOT want to stop playing with it (before we even put the batteries in, I can't wait to see how much she loves it when it makes farm noises!)

Michelle's favorite for her birthday dinner . . . Spaghetti a la face, and the floor and everywhere else . . . and plenty in the mouth too! Yummy!

At this birthday celebration the cake and the frosting were beat out by the ICE CREAM! YAY ICE CREAM!

Snow White and the Wicked Witch

Halloween was a frightfully fun holiday this year. Michelle was the most adorable Snow White EVER! I was a wicked witch, Jim was . . . a graduate student . . . I guess. Our friends came over from Reserve and went trunk-or-treating with us and stayed over. We had a BLAST!

First we went to Show Low Lake.

Michelle didn't get much trunk-or-treating in . . . she got a little sleepy. But the trunks she went to, they all admitted she was the cutest thing they'd ever seen. Sleeping Beauty or Snow White? Ashlyn and Kadyn were also quite cute in their costumes.
But that Michelle . . .

Harvest Festival

It has been more than a month since I posted. I am sorry . . . Michelle's x-rays came back completely normal, by the way. She is still only starting to try and crawl . . . she will do it when she is ready I guess.

We went to the Harvest Festival in Snowflake. The last 2 years we have been with my family (WE missed you guys!) Michelle had a good time though, as did Jim and I. She was so adorable in her Halloween clothes.

Anyway, the reason it has been so long, many of you already know, but I have been VERY VERY sick. I am now 3 months pregnant, due May 2. It was a surprise, but we are starting to get excited. Though the thought of 2 babies in cloth diapers is never going to be very appealing, I think. We are trying to figure out sleeping arrangements for Baby Jackson #2. Good times.

I hope you all have a happy Halloween!