Jaxson's 3rd Birthday

Our Jaxson is now 3. He had his 3rd birthday on Sunday, Feb. 27. This birthday was so much fun because he was so excited about his birthday and turning 3. The night before I started a tradition that I had growing up with in my parent's home. While he was getting ready for bed I put all his wrapped gifts from Brett and I out in the living room. I keep my fingers crossed it would be okay to have them out the night before and it was. He was so happy to see them and told Brett and I over and over "thanks for my presents" and was totally fine with waiting till the morning to open them, he's an awesome kid. He woke up around 8 and was ready to open his gifts and start celebrating being 3.

Brett and I just got to sit back and watch the magic this birthday. He got a magnetic car puzzle, new playdough, Just Dance for Kids, Cars-toothbrush, tooth paste and bubble bath, birthday clothes, a flashlight that lights up and makes animal sounds, a toy motorcycle and one of his favorite gifts this year cars from the movie Cars. He had Lightening and The King but we gave him Chick and then 6 other car characters. It was very tuff to get him to stop playing and get ready for church. Luckily we had a few hours before we needed to go.

Jaxson's big gift this year was his first BIKE! He told us at the end of September or October that he wanted a bike for his birthday. I was so impressed he never asked for one right then or later on but that it was what he wanted for his birthday. We figured his birthday at the end of February would be better then Christmas in December and that was when he wanted it so a bike for his birthday is what we got him. We hid it by our front door for an extra surprise in the morning. He adores his new bike and rode it down to Grandpa and Grandma's like a pro. Crazy to me as his mom since I've biked him around for the last 3 years and now he's biking himself around. All day we ate Jaxson's favorite foods. For breakfast we had upside down apple pancakes with candles of coarse, for lunch spaghetti with breadsticks and honeydew and for dinner homemade fries, green beans, strawberries and grapes! All day he ate with his 3 cars or more beside him and on our family birthday plate-another tradition from my past! I love being able to share and do things that I loved and found memorable as a kid with my own son now.It took Jaxson and I some time to figure out what we were going to do for his 3rd birthday cake this year. He was just starting to like Cars when we decided on a Cars birthday cake and I started researching. He then become obsessed with Cars and I knew the cake would be perfect. It turned out fantastic and was so delicious and moist! Jaxson had a hard time with me telling him he could not race the 3 cars down the road on the cake and even told Heavenly Father about it during one of his prayers. I had to put all the cars on it just right before party because he had to have them all beside him most of the day. Happy Birthday to Jaxson! Jaxson did awesome blowing out all his candles this year. All of Jaxson's family came to sing and wish him Happy Birthday on his birthday!

Uncle Dave and family gave Jaxson this bucket that was full of balls and has it's own built in tee. It was a huge hit with Jaxson. Thankfully it was such a great warm day for Feb. we were able to go outside with it and do what he loves--play baseball!

We ended the party playing Jaxson's new Wii game Just Dance for Kids. Such cute songs on it for kids. Jaxson found a favorite already, If You're Happy and You Know It.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jaxson!

This year was such a fun, memorable and perfect birthday! It's a good thing they only come around once a year.=) I knew when they held Jaxson up to my face and our eyes locked that I was given a VERY special spirit from heaven. I'm so grateful I get to share in Jaxson's earthy experiences. I love him so much and feel honored that I get to call him my son and raise and take care of him.

Jaxson's 3rd Birthday Party

For Jaxson's 3rd birthday we had a bouncing birthday party at the Rec. Center. We rented a bounce house with a slide, an obstacle coarse with a big slide and 2 party rooms. It was so much fun. The adults could go down too but only Brett and I went down a few times. Jaxson was so excited this year for his party and to have all his friends come. We had a total of 39 people come celebrate and play with Jaxson. The bounce house was a big hit with the little kids

Jaxson and Brianna having a fun time together
The big slide

Braden, Dylan and Halle were so awesome at helping everyone get up to the big slide and going through the obstacle coarse. It rocks to have older cousins! The kids enjoyed the bouncing and sliding for almost 2 hours.

They liked racing through the obstacle coarse or racing down the slide and some became very creative with how they slid down the big slide

Party treats!

I made cupcake cake bites, we had Jaxson's favorite fruits, popchips and drinks.

It was all very yummy!

Jaxson's cupcake pop cakes they turned out so adorable and tasted delicious!

Happy Birthday to Jaxson! The Party Room!

After all the bouncing, jumping and sliding everyone was ready for a drink and some yummy treats!Opening presents Jaxson tore into them all by himself this year

Jaxson got LOTS of great things! When we got home Jaxson had Brett help him get a present out one at at a time, he'd play with it for 15 minutes or so and then move on to another. He loved everything he got! Brett was so sweet to get those pesky gifts out and then play with him or teach him how to use his new gift for hours. We are going to have lots of great new toys to play with at our house. It was such a fun birthday party!

Valentines

Our Valentines was LOVELY this year! Sunday night Jaxson and I got his Valentines ready for his cousins. I thought they turned out extra cute. Jaxson picked the orange Crush pop for the boys and the pink (strawberry) for his girl cousins. He loved telling me what cousin would get what color of pop and was a "big help" cutting the ribbon for his Valentines this year. We made Valentine sugar cookies and had heart shaped pancakes for dinner.Jaxson was very excited about his valentine from Brett and I. For the last 3 years we have given him a Valentines shirt, game and treat. Jaxson LOVES playing games and is very into the movie Cars so the underwear was a big hit and he has turned into a big Root Beer fanatic.It was then time to get our Valentine treat plates ready. We gave away homemade Oreo Chocolate balls and some of our heart sugar cookies. We made Valentine delivers to all of Jaxson's aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents to wish them Happy Valentines. Jaxson LOVED taking Valentines to all his favorite people but was a little bummed that we weren't staying and playing at each of their homes. After our delivering our Valentines it was time to go swimming. Jaxson had been asking me since we went swimming in Jan. if I would take him again and I thought it would make a great Valentine date for the two of us during the day. Our friends that we do playdates with came too it was lots of fun swimming with Daisy, Becca, Dalli and Erin. Jaxson was very into "swimming" he would put his head under the water a lot I think he's ready for swimming lessons this Spring and also LOVED the dino slide. After swimming Grandma came by with her and grandpa's valentine for all of us. She always puts our valentine at the door and then rings the bell and hides. Jaxson LOVED finding her outside. They spoiled us with lots of treats that are our family's favorites, a sticky ball and mitts, a Cars color wonder book and a gift certificate for Brett and I to Don Pedros with babysitting for a date night--Yippee!. My mom and I got a kick out of Jaxson because the Valentines basket she brought over had tons of yummy candy that we all love but Jaxson was so excited about the 3 red apples she gave us. That's my fruit LOVING child!After Grandma left Jaxson and I got our Valentines dinner ready. I think our evening was my favorite part about Valentines it was just a special night and it was with my boys. We did homemade heart shaped pizza, breadsticks, cabbage and strawberries. I dipped a few strawberries in chocolate and vanilla they were yummy. We decorated our table all Valentines and then I put a bunch of tea light candles all around our kitchen. We ate dinner and then I had bought one of those Valentine conversational cards and we asked each others questions. Jaxson loved when dinner was over and he got to blow out all the candles around the kitchen.

We then had FHE and of coarse the songs and lesson had to be on love. Brett and I hide hearts around our living room and then Jaxson got to find them. The hearts had writting on them that told good or bad choices (like you share your toys or mom tells you to clean up and you said no) and Jaxson had to figure out if it was a good or bad choice. If it was a good choice he put it by a picture of a home because good choices fill our home with LOVE. There was also hearts that had us tell each other what we LOVE about one another. After our lesson we played Jaxson's new game and then ended the night with a Valentines treat-Valentine sugar cookies and Valentines fruit pizza.

I also have to add that this year for Valentines Brett was very sweet. He made me a CD of music that I'm in LOVE with right now like Train's Merry Me song and had it sitting on our desk as a Valentines surprise for me. When he got home from work he gave me my Valentines card and some new sheets the color that I told him a week or so ago that I want to incorporate in our bedroom. Such a thoughtful guy!

PKU Valentines Party

This Saturday we went to SLC for a PKU Valentines Party. We left early so that we could go to lots of places before the party at 2pm. My parents went with Jaxson and I and were such a great help. Our first stop was the oulets to do some shopping. We then headed into SLC. After a stop at Whole Foods we went and visited my cousin's wife, Amy who is pregnant with twins and is on bed rest at a hospital in SLC. Wow my heart goes out to her and what she is going through with her babies who are due in April. She was life flighted out to SLC right after Christmas. Our next stop was lunch and then to the party!

The party was in the lounge at the Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus. I told Jaxosn at 7:15am that we were going to a basketball game and all day he talked about it and asked and asked if it was time for the game. It was great to see and talk with other families with children with PKU. We laughed a lot about our lives with PKU that only a family with a PKUer could truly understand, shared info and had a great time. Sweet Grandma took Jaxson on an adventure to find a basketball. I didn't pack Jaxson's ball for the trip and all day long we heard about how he didn't have his ball. When we got to the game my mom thought she would be able to find one there but had to do a big hike with Jaxson around the campus to the bookstore to find one. After the party we went and watched the women's Utah vrs. BYU basketball game. Jaxson lasted longer then I thought he would without being able to shoot hoops and having to just watch. He keep asking me and telling me that it was his turn to go shoot hoops. We left the game and stopped in Park City for some yummy Cold Stone! One of my favorite places. It's not a fantastic trip unless you get to go to Cold Stone. Then we came home it was a packed full day.

Jaxson practicing his shot.

The ball was a big hit with some of the kids that came to the party.

Telling the clown that he wanted a green puppy.

Our January

Our January was good. We always get to start the new year off on a great note--our anniversary. This year was #8 for us. Brett started a tradition I just love when we had our first anniversary with giving me the number of roses that we have been married for it's so sweet. My 8 red roses were so beautiful this year and made our house smell heavenly. Brett surprised me with a wii and the Just Dance 2 game. Jaxson and I are very addicted to that game. We play nightly and Jaxson is amazing with the "robot dance"--his all time favorite. We've had some great Just Dance family nights at our home. I gave Brett tickets to Bon Jovi in March. Brett's never gone to a concert and I figured Bon Jovi is one we can both go to and enjoy. Bon Jovi was on Oprah in January and it got me all excited for our concert it's going to be awesome he's got lots of great hits. I also every anniversary dig out our wedding album and DVD. Jaxson all month long has asked from time to time to watch the movie of when mom and dad got married. He makes me smile.

We've spent January doing just lots of fun things like: ice skating, sledding, swimming, playdates, family dinners with our parents, a temple date night and even a dinner/game night with our friends and their kids at our home. We've tried to make the best of this very cold trap inside month.=)

Brett has spent TONS of time working on our new home with doing all the shelves, doors, framing of the doors and baseboard. Jaxson and I didn't get to see him much this month. He would go to work at 6am come home eat dinner with us for 20 minutes or so and then head down to the house and work till 9:30 or even 11:30pm some nights. He's done an amazing job and I appreciate all the work he's done for our family. It's been a big sacrifice for all of us but I know we will LOVE it and it will be well worth it when it's all done. We are in high hopes of being moved in the first of March. Yippee!

Jaxson and I ended the month with being sick, no fun. We both have sinus infections. I feel back to normal now that I have some meds and Jaxson's getting there. I also reached my goal of running 5k's daily and the crazy thing is I'm starting to like running. I never thought that would happen. In January I also was a book worm thanks to my sister-in-law Danielle and read the whole Hunger Games serious. Such a crazy topic but I was so into them and was staying up way too late to read them they were good! I think Brett was thrilled when I finished reading them.=) I read through them in 3 weeks I just had to know who Katniss ended up with in the end and how it all ended.

I was horrible at taking pictures this month but here are a few shots I did take--

One Saturday while Brett was working at the house Jaxson went down to "help". He even took his own tools to help. He lasted a total of 30 minutes but it was super cute to sent Brett and Jaxson both down to "work" on the house together.