Bushman Family Feature #4: Regan Christian

It's dear Regan's birthday today. Hence #4 of our family feature. Regan, Regan, where to start? I met Regan when Troy and I were dating, but soon after Reg went on his mission. Poor Regan was gone for two short years and in that time, 4 of his siblings were married and when he returned home, 3 nieces/nephew were on their way. Talk about change! Regan is such a good kid. (I can call him a kid because he's two years younger than me, ha!) Let's talk about why we love good ole' Reg...

1. Chill
Something I l.o.v.e. about Regan is how chill he is. I think he's probably one of the most laid back people I know. I'm sure he gets stressed at times, but I've never seen him like that. It seems like the bad just rolls off his back. Because he doesn't seem to get upset, he just takes you as you are. He isn't negative. He isn't critical. He's just along for the ride and seems happy to enjoy things as they are. To me, this is not only an excellent quality, but a talent.

2. Photogenic
I think this might be a Bushman trait because lots of Troy's siblings are exceedingly photogenic. For Christmas last year I made a slideshow for Troy's parents. During the photo gathering process I noticed Regan's classic expressions in nearly every photo. So funny. Once they were in slideshow form it was even better because you could scan the screen and watch for Reg in every picture. Let me show you...

Regan is the one in yellow. What a stud! Isn't that the cutest expression ever. To me, it exudes coolness. He totally knew he had it even then ;)

Reg is the little guy in the gray suit jacket, bottom right corner. How priceless is that? I wish there was a little bubble above his head that told us what he was thinking because that face is completely awesome. "Are you sure we should be taking a picture right now mom? 'Cause it looks like Lexie is freaking out." Ha! Oh Regan. So funny. Speaking of, let's move on to #3...

3. Hi-larious
Speaking of being chill, Regan is a pretty good Baywatch babe. :) He knows what I mean by that, since none of the rest of you do. I'll fill you in. I know my story just won't do it justice. But I don't think I'll ever forget how funny this was. I'm laughing remembering it now. Last summer the Bushmans went boating with Troy, me & my Dad on my fam's boat. Regan had shown off his stellar wakeboarding skills throughout the day. In fact, we had all taken turns enjoying some water activities. We stopped the boat to take a quick cool-off swim in the lake. Almost everyone was already in the water, and then Regan jumped in. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him do some fancy trick as he jumped off the boat. Troy told me later he saw it too. After said trick, Regan swam over to the rest of the group and said said, "Hey, did anyone notice that I did a back flip off the boat when I jumped in the water?"

He said it like he was trying to be nonchalant. Like he was really saying, "So, I don't know if any of you people noticed but I just did a sick flip off the boat and you should recognize and give credit to my coolness." For a split second I thought he was serious and then I was laughing so hard I was crying. I retold the stories several times and cried again. Hahahahaha! Ashley started calling Regan 'baywatch babe' after that day and for Troy and I it has stuck. Like I said, my story can't do the event justice. Just trust me, Regan has this way of catching you completely off guard and then he makes you laugh until you literally hurt. It's awesome. He makes our family activities so much more colorful. I really can't imagine them without him present.

Here's a picture of Reg on the day of the Baywatch story. Dear Regan is single. Any young ladies interested in dating him can kindly submit a resume (with picture) to me: brookebbushman@gmail.com ;)

Happy Birthday Regan. We love you lots and lots. Thanks for keeping us laughing and making life interesting.

Bushman Family Feature #3: Miss Alexis Bushman

Today is Miss Lexie's birthday. (Isn't it funny how many birthdays there are in February in the Bushman family? Don't worry there are 4 more in the next week. I've got my work cut out for me. Ha!) Alexis, whom I like to call 'Lex' is such a beautiful girl. Observe:

So pretty right? Lex, on your birthday, here are a few of the reasons we love you...

1. Great with the Kiddos 

Miss Alexis is soooo good with the little grand kids. I feel like she completely goes out of her way to play with the little guys when they are around. Because of this, they all adore her. Below is a picture of Lex watching Elmo you-tube videos with Madi, Grace and Jackson. She was even dancing and singing along with the songs. Now that is true Aunt love! :) Lexie wants to be a teacher, wouldn't she be awesome? Lex will definitely make an awesome mom someday. 

2.  Hardworking

Lex is one of the hardest workers I know. She works full time and goes to school at the same time. Working 4 tens and then having 2-3 days of school. Crazy busy, right? She also is very responsible with the money she makes. She lived at home for several months so she could pay cash for her car.  She's a saver, but she's also very generous with her money. Which leads me to point #3...

3. Generous

Alexis is generous, like exceedingly generous. She should probably win sister of the year award. Some examples for you: Last year for Mckay's birthday/Christmas she bought him an Xbox. She found one she could afford on KSL.com and bought it for him because she knew he'd love it. Best surprise ever right? Lexie is also very generous with Christmas gifts. We draw names among the Bushman clan, but she always buys at least a little something for everyone and sometimes it's a big something. Last year, she gave us a $25 Visa gift card and she didn't have either of us. So sweet! Troy told me Lexie has always been like this. In school she would work extra hard to sell the most in her sports fundraisers because she knew if she won, she'd be able to pick out a gift for every member of her family. So she set a goal and then met it and did just that. Lex has a huge heart and she is more than willing to give so much of what she has to others. She's wonderful. 

There you go, a little insightful snapshot into the life of Alexis Bushman. We love you Lex and wish you the best and happiest of birthdays. Thanks for all that you have done for us.

Valentine's 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

We have had a lovely Valentine's Day weekend. Saturday evening we had our Vday date. We tried out a new restaraunt near our house called 'Ninfa's Kitchen.' The cuisine is Mexican and oh.my.gosh. It is completely incredible. We had giftcard from restaraunt.com which allowed us to try some of their yummiest entrees. Troy had this steak that was literally to die for. My stomach is grumbling thinking about it. Can't wait until we go back!

After dinner we went to Cracker Jax to hit some range balls. They have a double decker course which was fun. Can I just say something? I am BAD at golf. Like really bad. I kept swinging and missing. Troy kept telling me to watch the ball. I was pretty sure that I was. I think my problem might be that I swing like I'm playing baseball. Ha! Not the best idea. Gratefully, I got a little better as we went on. We had fun.

Pre-Vday we had a fabulous Sunday. Sundays are nearly always fabulous. No school and lots of time to relax. Lovely. We went on a walk and took some super funny videos of Jackson trying to use his new baseball mitt. Nancy Skidmore in our ward gave us some left over T-ball gear she had at her house. Jackson LOVES it. It's so fun. I tried to post a video but it was taking forever and a day to upload so you'll just get a picture:

Valentine's morning we went to playgroup and frosted sugar cookies at the park. Jackson thought this was a great idea. He kept trying to drink the sprinkles.... which actually isn't the greatest idea. Gross. But we had fun. You can see in the pictures below how focused he was on that cookie. His brow was furrowed the entire time he was eating. No time to look at the camera or anything, he was busy! :)

For dinner we had breakfast food. Troy was the chef. It was heavenly! He makes some mean pancakes and eggs I tell you. It was a great Valentine's Day. Unfortunately Jackson woke up sick that night and we ended up watching some Finding Nemo at 3 a.m. Well, he watched, I packed up the Valentine's decorations. I figured I might as well be productive even though it was the middle of the night.

*****

On another note... Valentine's Day marked a year since my Great Grandma passed away. I sure miss her a lot. She was such a sweet lady. I have a couple pictures from my wedding of me and her together that I loved but they were taken at awkward angles. My sister-in-law Suz (aka the photoshop wizard) helped me edit them so I could give one to my mom as a little V-day gift. They turned out so great, I totally started crying when I saw them. Suz was able to erase limbs and everything so you can see Grandma's perfect hair better. (Thanks again Suz, they are beautiful and I love them.) I'm going to frame one for our house, if I can ever decide which one to pick. Love you Grandma!

Bushman Family Feature #2: Stephanie Lee

Bushman Family Features continue to  #2 today, as it is my sister-in-law Stephanie's birthday. Happy Birthday Steph! There are so many reasons to love Miss Stephanie. Steph is one of those people that truly is beautiful inside and out. I know it's a corny saying, but it's a perfect description of her. Here are a few reasons why we love Steph... (because, let's be honest, what's not to love?)

March 2010, AZ Spring Training

1. Genuine

One of the things I love the most about Stephanie is how real she is. What you see is what you get. She is completely gorgeous and wonderful, but she is so kind and there isn't pretense with her. She is so sweet and so sincere. She is so much fun to talk to and hang out with because you feel comfortable around her. Steph has this way about her that draws you to her. I think it's because she is such a genuine, good person.

2. Gurley Girl
Steph's maiden name is Gurley. Now this might sound a little odd, but Steph is really good at being a girl. (Maybe it has something to do with the name ;) jk) You know those girls who are always very put together and look fabulous in everything they wear? That's Stephanie to a tee. Even when she is bowling, she looks like she could pose for a magazine cover at any time. She is just so beautiful and so feminine (in the very best sense of the word.) It goes without saying that Stephanie is really fun to shop with... and to go out to lunch with... and do all of that other girly stuff with. ;) It's really fun to have her around!

August 2007

3. Bushman Buddies
I met Stephanie the same night I met all the entire Bushman family for the first time. Pretty much from then on, Steph and I became partners in the Bushman family buddy system. Perhaps it was fate, but I'm sure glad it happened. What do I mean by 'buddy system' you ask? Well let me explain through historical fact: Troy and I were married August 17, 2007. Steph and Landon were married exactly one week later on the 24th. When Steph announced she was pregnant (with Madi), we had just found out I was pregnant (with Jackson). Our due dates were just a couple weeks apart but it turned out Jackson and Madi were born within 48 hours of each other. Through all of that, Steph and I were doing the same things at the same time. It was so nice to have a buddy through all of those changes. And Steph was the perfect buddy. We were constantly talking about our similarities in life experience or bouncing ideas off each other. And now, even though Steph is currently pregnant and I am not, we still have so much in common. Thank heavens for the Bushman Buddy system ;)

February 2009. Round together :)

 July 2009 (just before moving to Arizona)

Happy Birthday Steph! We are sure glad you were born and that you're part of our family. Hope you have a wonderful day. You are the cutest. Can't wait to see you again soon.

Best.Day.EVER.

Yesterday Troy called me around lunchtime to tell me he was wanting to come home early that night. He didn't have class in the afternoon, so could he come home at 2:30... p.m....? WHAT?! Turns out he arrived home at 1:30. It felt just like a holiday it was amazing. We watched a couple movies, visited the park, ate dinner, cut Troy's and Jackson's hair, and just hung out. It might have been a once in a lifetime thing, but it was the best day ever.

Valentines Day Decor

I think Valentines is such a fun holiday. Yummy treats, love notes, cheesy romantic movies, what's better than that? Another thing I love? Valentines decorations. They're just so cute! The thing with decorations is that they can be expensive. Luckily for me there have been some great ideas floating around blog land as of late that are both cute and affordable (even for me) :)

Stacy and I have been in cahoots on several projects over the last few weeks. First we made conversations blocks. (Get it, like the conversation hearts, only blocks :) We got that idea from a blog called Brown Paper Packages, that I love. Only I think we made them quite a bit cuter by combining two projects from that blog. Here's a link if you're interested in making some. http://brownpaper--packages.blogspot.com/2011/01/conversation-blocks.html

You buy a big old post at Home Depot and cut it into blocks. (Or you enlist Matthew Serafine for slave labor and make him cut it for you :) One post= lots of blocks. Stacy and I already made Christmas Countdown blocks from the same post. They turned out pretty cute I think.

Next we decided to make a Pride and Prejudice plate. Those who know me well know I adore Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice is probably my fave, so this project was sooo perfect. It was inspired from a pottery barn plate. Here's a link for a little tutorial: http://greylustergirl.blogspot.com/2011/01/pottery-barn-inspired-mr-darcy.html

 
Once again, I think we improved upon the project. I found these plates at Walmart for $3.98 a piece. I like them because they're sort of antique and vintage-y. It would have been fabulous to find some real ones at goodwill for a $1, but it didn't happen. I feel okay with $4 because I love the finished project. Have I mentioned it is quite nice having a crafting buddy who owns a Silhouette? It's amazing! Stacy is so nice to provide vinyl for all our crafting needs. She's also really good at eye-ing things. She laid the words out SO cute for this plate.

Thirdly, Stacy and I made some ruffle balls. I was ecstatic when I found this project. The tutorial can be found here: http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2011/01/make-valentines-day-ruffle-balls-plus.html Why are these so great? I'll tell you, because you can make them from stuff you already have at your house. I made these and didn't spend one cent. Step one: crush up some old grocery bags. Step two: wrap in tape. Step three: go through your fabric scraps and ruffle them up. (Or you can cut up an old shirt. My red balls are made from my old student government shirt from high school. :) Go braves!) and step five: Hot glue your ruffles to your balls. Brilliant. I broke down and bought myself an apothecary jar. I've wanted one for FOREVER. And it was only $15 at Home Goods. (Love that store.) I love how it turned out. And I've already made some everyday ruffle balls to replace the vday ones once the holiday is over. Hooray for decorating for FREE!!

Fourthly, felt rosette wreath. Stacy and I actually made these last year. We started them together and then finished them apart. Stacy was smart and went out to buy extra felt to make hers fuller. After seeing her finished product, I went out and did the same. Last September or so (since it took me forever to get around to it) I finally added the extra felt and now I love how it looks. I'm going to have to find more "love" days throughout the year so I can bring it out of storage. Have I mentioned I love wreaths. I love them. They just make me happy. I wish I had more doors so I could make and hang more wreaths. So fun.

And lastly. I found this idea on my cousin's blog. http://www.alittletipsy.com/2010/01/show-little-love-youve-got-mail.html I bought this lovely little metal mail box at Target in the dollar section. Seriously, I love Target and their dollar section and I are totally best friends. I added some vinyl left over from the conversation blocks and voila: a love note box. Troy and I have been leaving each other love notes over the last few weeks. We put the flag up when a little something is waiting for the other person. It has been SO fun. We're going to forgo Vday gifts this year and instead leave each other little prizes in the love box in coming days leading up to Valentines. I've totally kept our love notes so we can add them to the love book I made TJ for Valentines last year. Hooray for love notes. I just love them (as if that wasn't redundant enough for you, loving love notes ;)

Here is the complete Vday decor package. I hope I have mantel someday to decorate, that would be super fun. For now, the piano totally works though.

I'm excited for Valentines. Troy has another test tomorrow and then he gets a break until finals begin. Just in time for a nice Valentines date this weekend. Yay!

 Aren't my men cute? Jackson is so funny about his tie. He asks to wear it all the time. This is the third day in a row he's asked for it to be added to his ensemble. He wears it with his pjs, his t-shirts, as long as it's present, he's happy. Ha!

Something to Laugh About

This morning our car wouldn't start. Again. The mantra, "when it rains, it pours" seems applicable here. Just two days ago, we spent $330 replacing all the belts underneath Norma's hood (that's what we call our little corolla.) Two weeks ago, we bought her a new battery. Now it seems something else is wrong again. Because I feel like crying, I decided to write about some funny things Jackson has been doing lately to give me and you something to laugh about.

Jackson is teeming with personality these days. As I've been working on the blog book, it's been fun to notice how his intense, curious and determined personality has been there all along. Let me give you a few stories lately that have made me laugh.

{Sacrament Meeting}

The talks in sacrament meeting on Sunday were excellent. It was one of those days when I was actually able to focus and get lots of the meeting. Those days seem to be getting more and more rare, so I was enjoying myself. Apparently Troy was enjoying himself as well because at some point in the meeting we looked down and Jackson had no pants, shoes, or socks on. What? Jackson has been into taking off his pants as of late, but had never done it church before.

Troy and I were trying so hard not to laugh as we knew this would produce a series of un-dressing events. I put Jackson in my lap and whispered into his ear that in Church, we have to wear pants. All the while Troy is turning red faced with pursed lips and watering eyes as he tries to regain composure. We got him all dressed again and then handed him a few toys and got to listening to the talk again. A few minutes later it happened again. Bare legs and ready to run through out the chapel. When I dropped him off at nursery I told Sister Wilhelm that he had taken off his pants twice and apologized in advance if he did it again. Reports were he stayed dressed for the remainder of the block, so that's progress.

The funniest thing about all of this-- okay two things-- 1. Troy's expression. It made it all the harder for me to keep from laughing. and 2. Jackson's attitude. He seemed so annoyed that we wanted to re-dress him. It was almost like he was thinking, "Mom, Dad, this was my chance, would you let me be?" So funny.

{Hot Chocolate}

This morning I made some delicious hot chocolate. It's quite cold here in Phoenix this week. Currently it's 33 degrees with a windchill down into the 20s. The high is supposed to be 53, but for the last two days it has felt frigid. So strange as it was 75 last week. Our little Arizona bodies aren't used to such drastic temperature changes.

So after being out in the cold trying to get the car started, and then after being depressed about the car not starting, and with the looming gloom of impending expenses in the air, I did what needed to be done. I made myself a gigantic cup of chocolately hot chocolate. (From Stacy's yummy Christmas mix, lots of chocolate chip goodness!) Jackson of course wanted to share. He thinks anything I'm eating must be gourmet and is immediately by my side to beg. I should also preface this story with the fact that Jackson has recently decided chocolate flavored milk is the best drink ever created. We watched the Wahlstrom boys earlier this week and Jackson repeatedly tried to sneak Colt's bottle which was filled with chocolate milk. I'd find him in the corner chugging it as fast as he could.

So, this morning, I gave Jackson a taste of my deliciousness just as Troy was heading out the door. (Troy stayed home with me for an extra hour this morning while we tried to figure out the car. Bless him.) Troy was saying goodbye. Jackson was so enjoying his hot chocolate taste that he continued drinking and instead of looking up raised one arm and waved it in the direction of the door without saying anything. Ha! Troy and I were laughing so hard. (Just what we needed.) Apparently the hot chocolate was so good, not a moment of time or attention could be sacrificed elsewhere.

Oh Jackson. Thanks for making us laugh. Life wouldn't be the same without you.

January, January, Where did you Go?

February 1st. Is that possible? This month really flew by. I'm feeling a blog update is in order. I've been talking myself into it for a few days now. I've gotten into another blogged-out phase as of late. This is because I've probably spent 20 hours the last two weeks on my 2008-2010 blog book. (Hooray, I finally started!! Thanks to Becca for giving me both motivation/courage/proof that it can be done :) I'm only on page 89 of 452... hmmm. Not looking up. Ha! It's definitely a slow process, but I think it's going to be worth it in the end. I just have to figure out a way to cut 52 more pages so that Blurb will print it. (This would be proof that I take/edit/post WAY too many pictures. Goal for 2011: go for quality rather than quantity.... speaking of, I bought a camera today! It's should arrive Wednesday and I'm quite excited. Nikon Coolpix P100 from good old Costco. Love that place. If I don't like it I get to return it for a FULL refund. Which is what I did with the first camera my parents bought us for Christmas. It didn't live up to its hype unfortunately. So now, we'll see if this one does. But one nice thing: Christmas presents have officially been extended into February! ;) Thanks Mom and Dad.)

Wow, ramble much? Let's get to the January happenings at the Bushman household.

{New Year-- New Organization}

I came home from Christmas feeling like we were becoming suffocated in clutter. It wasn't really that bad, but I had hit my breaking point and something had to be done. I cleaned out nearly every box in our house. We took 5 garbage sacks to Goodwill this month. I sold a few more things we had lying around the house on Craigslist. I also took two trips to the consignment store. We're still not finished, but we're getting there and I'm loving how fresh and clean things are feeling these days.

Speaking of Craigslist/Consigment stores. If I admit something to you, can we still be friends? I have been selling things like crazy as of late. It started out as a goal to pay for our Christmas airline tickets. Then it turned into a mission to de-clutter our home. And now it has evolved in way to bring in a small amount of random and unpredictable income. I find things sitting by the dumpster at our complex and I sell them on Craigslist. Embarrassing hobby I know! But it's helped out. I can't go without acknowledging my family who donated several items to my saleswoman cause. They didn't want/need them and so let me sell them and keep the money. Bless them! It has taken lots of work, but I paid for our Christmas flights ($425) and for our new vacuum ($300 since we decided to suck it up and buy something that would last more than 3 years), and now I've earned money to go towards that new camera I was telling you about (combined with the money from the Costco). I really can't wait until I can play around with that camera! Yay ;)

{New Beginnings: Value Bowl 2011}

We had such a fun New Beginnings this year. The theme was Superbowl and we called it "Value Bowl 2011." I was in charge of making the "tickets" (or invitations) as well as the "game" programs. Holy moly was it a lot of work. It completely stressed me out a few weeks ago (Troy can attest :) but you know what? They turned out just fine and they only cost about $1.30 a piece. Thank heavens! I think the girls enjoyed the night. We had fabulous decorations, food and entertainment. Here are some pictures...

The "ticket" (invitation) for the big game. Good thing my sister-in-law Suz taught me some photoshop tricks right? Thanks Suz!

 The tailgate party where we served hotdogs, chips and drinks.

 Mikayla Briggs, Courtney Shumway, Paige Whiting, Romney & Tatum Allen.

 Tatum Mitton, Christina Larson, Shanna, Dominica, & Edward Maznio.

 The "football field." If you look closely you can see where the "turf" had to be patched because Jackson tore it ;)

 Refreshment table.

 Game program.

 Halftime Cheers.

 Nancy explaining the "Game Plan." (Or how we need to work towards the temple.)

 Bishop Francis giving the "Referee Roundup" talk.

 Terrel Shumway and Bishop Francis. Terrel was our game announcer and did an excellent job creating the mood for the game. He had all the inflections and game jargon just right. It was amazing.

 Me with some of my cute YW.

 Funniest "Coaching Staff" picture ever. Martha would kill me if she knew I posted this. Ha!

I love working with these ladies.

Martha LaRosa, Robyn Stoneman, Nancy Skidmore, Me, Betty Guiterrez, Paula Newberry, Robyn Whiting. (Missing: Cheyenne Paulson our new beehive advisor)

{Crib Tent}

Coming back from Christmas vacation was no bueno on the sleeping front. Jackson had decided that sleeping was only acceptable in our bed. Have I mentioned I don't like to be touched while sleeping? I am not a cuddler. Never have been. Thus, Jackson's need to sleep with me-- actually on top of me-- wasn't working out. Jackson wasn't sleeping, I wasn't sleeping, and Troy wasn't either. So what to do? Jackson's new knowledge of climbing out of his crib made it impossible to let him cry himself to sleep. He would climb out at 2 a.m. and claw/cry at his door until one of us came to get him.

After talking to LOTS of people about this my friend Heather and a mother of one of my YW/ friend in the ward Shanna Maznio I decided a crib tent was both worth the money and needed for my sanity. So Amazon shipped it to our door (express, mind you!) and Troy installed it:

We're still not back to normal (unfortunately) but we're doing better. Jackson has some days he doesn't like the tent, but for the most part he doesn't hate it. When he gets his sleep our home is much happier. Has anyone encountered the "I didn't sleep long enough" Jackson? It's not pretty, take my word for it.

 Here he is trying it out. I think for the most part he likes the boundary set for him. Because, he really is tired, but he has to be forced to hold still so he can fall asleep. 

 He thinks it's really funny to smash his face into the netting and make his dad laugh. ;)

{MS2 Schedule}

MS2= Medical Student year 2. After talking to several wives of other MS2 students, I was very happy to learn that I'm not the only one who questions whether all this craziness is worth it. Lately Troy has had 2 big tests a week which has caused a busy schedule to somehow get busier. Unfathomable. Here's how the schedule has been going: (disclaimer, I know there's ALWAYS someone who studies more and has a crazier schedule. And truthfully, what I've learned the last year and a half is that it can always get worse. I'm just recording this because I want to remember the logistics. I'm hoping to someday look back and laugh about it. So there you go...)

He's gone by 8 a.m. every morning (sometimes earlier) and then comes home from 5 to about 7:30pm for dinner/bedtime routine. Then back to studying for at least another 2 maybe 3 hours before bed around 10:30 so we can all start over again. Saturdays have been worse, with studying until midnight or 12:30 and then Monday mornings begin at 3 to 4 a.m. If there happens to be a mid-week test, the same schedule applies. Late the night before and 4 a.m. the morning of. Craziness. I really don't know how he does it. Basically the end of MS2 can't come quickly enough. Only 5 more months people and we'll be back in business!

With all that being said, Troy has been trying really hard lately to be around more. We've adapted our schedules a bit to include more of a date night each week and another night each week for a family activity. We're on week 2 of the new plan and it's working well so far.

{Target Clearance Love}

75% off. Need I say more? I swear, if Target didn't have such great clearance deals my wardrobe would never get updated. I had some Christmas money from my grandparents, (Thanks, gmas and gpas!) so I could buy a few things for myself. Always fun! I got my first pair of knee high boots. (Big step for me!) for $12.48, genuine leather mind you ;) I bought a pair of sandals for $5, Jackson a pair of shoes for $5, Troy a pair of brown casual shoes for $12.48. Jackson also had some new additions to his wardrobe that were steals. Including a cute red plaid shirt for $2. Can't beat that! P.S. If you love Target and you have one near you, You should check out this lovely website: Totally Target. http://www.totallytarget.com/

It gives you the breakdown on all sorts of Target deal loveliness. I've started checking it regularly since I been getting free food, near free makeup and the like.So fun!

{Basketball Intramurals}

 Troy has been on a school intramural basketball team for the last several weeks. He hasn't made it to many of the games since the school schedule has been horrific. Last night we went to his last game and Jackson LOVED it. I loved it too because I got to visit with all the wives. Very fun ;)

{Jackson the Joker}

Jackson has been so funny lately. He's figured out a few things that make us laugh and he's capitalized on them. We have been laughing a lot these last few weeks with Jackson usually running the show. Here are some examples: 

 Putting his head through the basketball hoop and pulling this face. JT knew it was time for bed and was doing what he does best: stalling. We would say it was time to go to bed and he would put his head to one side look down and then pull this sheepish face. We laughed once so he did it over and over. Finally we got into bed, but he did get an extra half hour of playtime. Like I said, he's a good staller.

 He looks so exhausted! This was taken on a Sunday night. Sundays are hard because Mondays are usually long days for Troy. What day isn't long when you start in the 3's? I don't think any day should start before the 6's. That's my opinion.

 One day I came out of the other room to find Jackson BEAMING behind these curtains. He thought he had found the best hiding spot ever and had been waiting there patiently for who knows how long. He jumped out and said, "Boooooo!" (because his 'boos' are really long and loud :)

What a funny boy we have. He sure had me laughing.

Later he did the same thing to his unzipped crib tent. But, he was in a hurry to see his picture on the camera and so was only in half the frame. ;)

 Thanks for making life so happy Jackson. I sure love you.

And I sure love this guy too!

Speaking of love. Valentines is in just two weeks! Stacy and I have been crafting up lots of Vday projects. Can't wait to share them :) Happy month of love!