A weekend of Family!

This week we were so lucky to be with so much family! Friday we had a sleepover at Mom and Dad's. We had a pizza party and movie night.
Saturday we headed down to Sarasota to the beach and we got to have lunch with my Granddad John.

Granddad always comes equipped with cars for Jack. Yesterday he got two. A monster truck from Granddad and he even got one from Grandma Judy even though she couldn't be there. Pepi made some awesome tracks and dunes for both of the cars in the sand. Jack was in heaven.

Jason and I commented several times how we love to go to the beach with mom and dad. It is so laid back and fun . I love sitting on the beach and just watching Jack with his Nana and Pepi.

Me and my mama. Looking at this picture from yesterday reminded me of the last time we took a picture like this from June 2008. On my first visit back to Florida after both transplants. I am amazed at how much I have changed and how far I have come. I have been feeling so great these days and have even progressed so much just in the last six months since we moved here. It is motivating to see a visual image of my progress.

Jason busted out the skim board! Jack was his spotter, until the sand called his name and he went back to playing in it.

We even got to visit for a couple of hours with Uncle TJ! He was here for busniess and to visit his family. Jack was SO excited to see him. We were too. He took him to his room to show him all his toys. He asked for Uncle TJ first things this morning and was sad he was not here. Luckily he will be back next month for Christmas with Cami and Grace.

I loved seeing and catching up with family and it got me so excited for the upcoming holidays when all my family will be together. Gotta love this time of the year.

A Message in the Sand

This is for the Birthday Girls Today.

AND

Silly Jack.

I am thinking to changing my blog title to "All things Jack." I know that he has a lot of fans that check in get their Jack fix. He is such a funny little guy and keeps us so entertained here at home I am only to happy to share his daily funnies. So here is what Mr. Jackson did yesterday that had us laughing.

Yesterday We went to Sea World. It was a cooler day, we needed to get out of the house and Kate was meeting a friend, so we tagged along.

We had a good time with the animals. We watched our favorite shows. This seal was so funny he kept popping up posing for Jack.

When Jack got home he pretended he was a dolphin, shamu, a seal, a penguin, polar bear and a shark. Pretending all the while till it was time to go to bed. Later that night when Jason and I checked on him

this
is
what
we
found

See I wasn't lying about the boots. They are a must. We have to take them off him every night.

What's "in" these days

Jack's unique style these days.
Rain boots are always a must.

Pants...they are optional.

Thanks for the Aggie Shirt Grandma and Papa, as you can see he loves it.

A Day at the Park

Jason had a test this morning and then he got the afternoon off. We grabbed some lunch and headed to a nice park that we pass on our way to church.

Jack wanted to brush his hair today. He brushed out all the curl. He looked different. Now I understand why my dad gets sad when we straighten our hair. It was sad to not see the curls. But I understand sometimes you just need a change.

I love to watch these two play.

Jack had a moment of unkindness with one of the little girls that was there. I guess I have that mommy voice down all I said was "Jack" and he then climbed up on this and put himself in a time out.

Jack was a rebel and rode his bike over the bridge. Pumping himself up...then...off he goes!

On the bridge...

Then came the down hill. Dad's presence was requested.

This is what you saw from the play ground. There are homes all around the lake with docks.

This was on the dock out on the lake. There was a carving in the banister. It said Jason loves and then somebody else's name so I modified it for me.

Jason loves Whitney.

There is nothing like getting out in fresh air and it was so great to spend some much needed time with Jason. We don't get to see him that much so it was a nice break for all of us.

Getting Back to that Place.

This morning Jack did something that he hasn't done with me since he was a little baby. He stayed and cuddled and played with me in bed. He did more playing with his cars then cuddling but we were there just hanging out together. I was telling him the story about when he was just a couple weeks old. We had a routine. We would have our early morning feeding around 6:30 and he would finish right as Jason's alarm clock went off and he got up to go to school. Jack and I would slip into our warm bed...thanks to Jason and we would both sleep till the next feeding. It was the best sleep I ever got and I felt so happy.

I wasn't able to do that long because after a month my legs started to go numb and I was limited and scared to walk around with a little baby in my arms when I was so unsteady. Mornings had always been so hard for me after that. So today when Jack lingered by my bed side I felt that happiness again. I was feeling good and there was nowhere I needed to rush off to...no pain that kept me from enjoying just being with him. Next month will be my two year mark since the transplant and today was one of those days where I was filled with so much gratitude that I am getting back to that place. A place where I can just be with Jack, have our little routines and not feeling sick.
This last week I have been tackling the potty training stuff again. We took a break for a couple of months and I think that is what BOTH Jack and I needed. He is getting it...for the most part. It can be super frustrating but today as I sat there with him I realized hey we are doing this together. I am new to training and it is all new to him. Once I looked at it that way things got better. I have found myself becoming more patient and have enjoyed all the time that I have got to spend with him. I have been his shadow these last couple of days to make sure that if he shows the "signs" we make it to the bathroom. In order to get him to want to sit on the potty we play games, sing songs and I even dance in celebration. Although these last few days have been tiring I have loved spending so much time with Jack. He has been my sole focus and it has made me so much happier. This post is mainly for me to just remember that

I am a stay at home mom.

This is my Job.

It can be hard and exhausting.

But it can also be the sweetest and most rewarding thing I will ever do.

To make it even better this job comes with treats.

and my co-workers are pretty dang cute and keep me laughing....

My co-workers have also been so understanding and patient with me since I came back from my medical leave. I will...no I AM making it back to that place each day.

Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009 was quite fine. I not only celebrated my SECOND consecutive Halloween out of the hospital but I have done and said things that I have never done or said on a Halloween before.
Halloween in Florida is so different that Halloween in Utah. Jack and I got to go to a trunk or treat with mom and dad on Friday. They were dressed as Mary Poppins and Bert. They were so great they stayed in character all night .

I was Peter Pan and Jack was Captain Hook of course. Jason was going to be Smee but was unable to come with us because of school. I was going to be Tinkerbell but could not find an adult Tinkerbell costume that fit. So I put this together last minute for Jack. What I will do for a cute boy. I got so HOT in long sock and long sleeve shirt. That is not something I have ever been..dying of heat on Halloween.

It was a great party at the church with a fun dinner decorated so cute. They had a carnival for kids and a haunted stage as well. My mom and I sent Jack and my dad through and I think it was a little too much for a 3 year old. We felt so bad sending him through. But he was so excited standing in line with the big kids. This is the first year I had been to a trunk or treat and it was great. Bert took Captain Hook to get candy and Mary Poppins passed candy out of her carpet bag and I helped. The camera of course was malfuntioncing so I didn't get any pictures of mom digging in her carpet bag. At the end of the night as I was strapping Jack into the car seat I noticed Jack's curls all wet and matted down on his head. I took of his Jacket and he was so sweaty. I just laughed at the contrast between Jack's post trick or treating to my childhood ones.Jack and I spent the night at Mom and Dad's. Once Jack was down mom, dad and I watched a scary movie where Mom scared dad and I and the dogs half to death with her scream. Halloween day was spent going out to lunch, shopping and swimming.We made it home just in time for dinner. We had our traditional Halloween dinner of chili and cider (traditions will be traditions wherever we live in the country) I made sugar cookies and had just finished decorating them when Jack got out of the tub. We finished our Halloween night with a cookie.

So yes it was quite the different Halloween for the Balls family...it was a very Florida Halloween.