Memorial Week...& Family

My mom and dad came down for the week, they got here last Saturday night. So we attempted to see as much of Tucson as we could in the heat! (It was in the high 90's all week!) Sunday we had church and just hung out.

Monday we went to the old San Xavier Mission, it was pretty cool, like something out of a movie. It was beautiful. (Harrison slept in the stroller the whole time!)

Tuesday we went to the Desert Museum. It's kind of like an outdoor museum/zoo. They have all the native animals to AZ. It was REALLY hot, but the boys totally loved it!Wednesday was a swimming day, we needed the relaxation and cool down!

Thursday we went out to Old Tucson Studios. It's a little western town out in the middle of the desert were they have filmed tons of movies. (Tombstone, The Three Amigos, Young Guns, and a bunch of John Wayne movies too.) There was a lot to do, the gun fight was cool! (It scared both the kids, but I liked it!) It was SUPER hot and the boys mostly liked the rides, but it was well worth the trip.

Friday was another swimming day. More relaxation. And then we all went out to dinner. (Thanks again, mom and dad!)
And Saturday we said goodbye. It was so much fun having them here and getting to see so much of the area. (We don't get out much!) We had a lot of fun. (And I haven't been that tired in a LONG time! lol!) It was hard to see them go too. It kind of made it real, how far away we are and how much we are going to miss out on. It's only been a month since we got here, but it feels like a lot longer than that! So hopefully it won't be too long before we get to go back and visit.

Oh, and Saturday I also got my first calling in our new ward. Any guesses..... Yep, nursery. I don't know yet how I feel about it. We have 2 nurseries right now, and there is about 10 kids in each. I haven't been at my best lately. But I am trying to have a good attitude about it. Although this totally screws any chance I have of meeting anyone. I've only had like 3 weeks in the ward. Oh well. Wish me luck!

Blue Eyes & Big Mouth!

I don't really need to explain what he is doing! He was just SO proud, he actually asked me to get the camera!But in case there was any question as to where the boys get their eyes from, that middle picture should clear that up! They are pretty blue, and I'm glad the boys got them! Better that then say, the freakish size of his mouth! lol!

WATER FIGHT!!

Yesterday was a beautiful day! Plus, dad was home and we had been organizing the garage all morning... so it felt SO good!

I don't have a ton of pictures, it was a dangerous time to get the camera out! But this was some of the aftermath! Poor Harrison didn't even have a gun, but he was an easy target! He was drying out a little! (The wet marks on the driveway are from bodies! He's sitting right next to my butt mark! lol!)

A couple of the neighbor kids joined in. After we were all soaked, target practice started! (The pictures don't do them justice, I wish you could tell how WET they really are!) lol! (Jackson's shorts look like pants!)

The Part-ay!

There was just the 4 of us, but he didn't seem to notice (too much)! The decorations were there for him in the morning, and the party lasted all day! (With church somewhere in the middle.) (The Thomas balloon plays music, and it's loud enough to hear from a good mile away! I had NO idea it would be that loud, but he loves it, so whatever!)

There were presents!

The Grand Finale!
It's Spider Man, so it's AWESOME!

He didn't want a cake, he wanted cupcakes ...with sprinkles! He wanted to decorate them himself. (And he only ate the sprinkles!) His "favorite" dinner of choice: chicken nuggets and rice!The day was finished off with a water fight (with his new water guns), a bath and then some serious PlayDoh time! (Thanks Facer Family!)

Today he got to go shopping with his gift card from Grandma & Pops and his uncles. He made out like a bandit!

Happy Birthday Dude!

Jackson Edward Swain
Born May 17, 2005 at 1:45 pm
20 in. & 6 lbs 5 oz

4 Years Later
41.5 in. & 35 lbs 4 oz

I cannot believe how fast you are growing up! We are so proud of the handsome boy that you are becoming and we are so grateful to be your parents!

Jackson, you are our energizer bunny! You are a great big brother and best friend to Harrison. And you have enough imagination to keep the two of you busy forever! Always a character or an animal or just making some weird face! Always the entertainment! Happy kid, almost always. Soft hearted and ...a little moody (you get that from your dad).

You love all things with wheels, but your favorite things to play with are your Thomas Trains, Transformers and Star Wars toys! You are a runner, and can't wait to play soccer! You love to jump on the tramp and learn new tricks. And you really love to ride your bike! You are also quickly becoming a fish in the swimming pool!

You have a knack for hurting yourself (that you get from your mom!), but you take the damage like a champ! (A broken tooth, a chipped tooth, a concussion and a lot of bumps and bruises! 3 was rough for ya, Bud!)

Thank you for always making us laugh and smile! You are a very special boy and we hope you have a wonderful 4th birthday! We love you SO much!

"Bubbs"

My "Bubbs", what would we do without him! Don't you just want to love him to death! Oh, how I love them!

Fat, Bloody Lip x 2

My boys continue to make me laugh all of the time! And they have SO much fun together, which I love. But holy cow, are they rough and violent! Harrison is usually the worst! Always coming out of nowhere and laying Jackson out! It's hard not to laugh sometimes, but they get hurt a lot! Usually that is where most of there injuries come from! However, Jackson has managed to give himself 2 bloody lips in two days! Yes, he is naturally that graceful. And yes, he gets it from me! The first time he ate his knee and the second time it was the back of Harrison's head, both while on the trampoline! Despite Harrison's involvement in the second incident, he was only guilty of being in Jackson's way! Lol!

Bloody Lip #1

Bloody Lip #2