Young Author's Day

This past Wednesday (I am almost completely caught up from being MIA for so long! YIPPPEE!) was Young Authors Day for the 3rd graders at Jake's school. Aaron wasn't able to go because of classes (he is almost done with this semester!), but I was able to go because that is one of the days I always have off. The whole 3rd grade has been working for a couple of months on books about their life. As parents we had homework (which Jake thought was awesome) to send in baby pictures and right down details of them as babies. They did the rest by writing in all and putting the book together. Jake is more of a math and science guy so writing a whole book was I am sure like pulling teeth for his teacher! But he did a great job and we are so proud of how hard he works even at the things that don't always come easy. We will cherish this book forever!

The chapter about himself as a baby. He picked one of my favorite newborn pictures of him. It is actually the one we sent out in his baby announcements.

The back cover shows him doing his two future professions: the right side is him as a spy and the left side his him as a dog tag maker. This came from the chapter were he described his future: "I will get married (which he said he would do in college-true Mormon style!) to a blonde hair girl with sky blue eyes and her name will be Abby. We'll have 13 kids named (ready for this?) Sara, Jacob Jr., George, Bob, Bill Bob (really?), Winter, Saratoga (okay...), Charlotte, Anikan (too much Star Wars..), Emily, Faith, Annie, and Jack (the last 2 are from Magic Tree House books.) That's my Jake! :)

Jake's class making funny faces with their books.

Me and Jake enjoying the refreshments.

In the classroom...

Jake and his book.

Jake with his buddies Jayden and Corey.

More Spring Break...(almost caught up)

Over Spring Break Jake had a couple of friends over. One spent the night and one for the day. I am really not ready for Jake to spend the night at other peoples house (and may not ever be...excluding family of course!) but I don't mind if they come to our house...I know that is a double standard, but sorry! The friend (from church) that spent the night was Griffin. He is a little younger then Jake and has been dying to get together with him for a while. They play together really well but were both tired (it was the last weekend of Spring break) and went to bed pretty early. It wasn't as awesome as Jake thought it would be (they didn't really get to play a lot because by the time Griffin was able to get there that evening they were already wiped out. They pretty much hung out and played the Wii. Jake was hoping to play with action figures since he can play the Wii all the time by himself, but there aren't always friends to play with...okay I am rambling) but they had fun. Corey is Jake's best friend from school (and I totally forgot to take any pictures of either of these events..). They spent the day playing the Wii, being boys (laughing, saying weird things, making weird noises, and running around crazily playing who knows what!), and playing at one of our favorite playgrounds. One friend Jake was supposed to get together with over Spring Break, but wasn't able to (I got called in early to work), came and spent the night the weekend after Spring break. That is another one of his buddies from church named Kevin. They had a blast doing all the things boys do. And this time I remembered to take pictures! Jake and Kevin rode scooters to a park near our house and had a picnic. They had a blast. Kevin even asked me to make sure when Jake's grandparents get back from their mission and we move to make sure we gave his parents our address so that they can still get together to play. Don't worry Kevin we will be here for a while!

Spartanburg

During Spring break we went to Spartanburg for the day to spend time with all the cousins together! All of Aaron's siblings live on the east coast but it is hard to get everyone together at once. This is the first picture of all the Harmon cousins in a a couple of years. Jake loves these girls and so do I! (The little dots on the picture are raindrops.) Don't worry Nana, I haven't forgotten to send it too you!

From left to right: Megan (12), Jake (8 1/2), Kayla (almost 17), Addie Kate (almost 5) Sara 18, Della (9 3/4) and Riannon (12).

A message in a bottle

Nee (you all know who I am talking about by now right?) has seen some cool packages sent to the missionaries of Seattle and decided to send one of those ideas to Jake. He was thrilled over Spring break to receive a message in a bottle! Inside was a letter, some funny cow jokes, and milk dud candies. The milk duds went along with one of the jokes. Q: What do you call a cow who doesn't give milk? A: A milk dud! Jake didn't get it at first, (he had never heard the term "dud" before) but when he did he thought it was a good one. And he now really enjoys a milk dud!

Thinking outside the box..

Over Spring break I had to work a couple of days (Aaron was home with Jake but he was having to do tons of homework) and Jake was ready to play when I got home. One day in particular I was tired but couldn't let Jake down (I don't know how mom's work full time! I feel guilty being gone.), so I thought outside the box. We cut up a box and made Jake some Robot gear. He loves it and still has it with his other toys. Jake said I was awesome and the best mom ever. And the best part was that I could spend time with him, having fun but I also got to SIT (standing on concrete floors all day makes your feet TIRED!) and relax. That my friends is thinking outside the box. And yes that is laundry that I needed to fold on the couch...

Believe it or not this was not an annoyed, really another picture face...This was a tough robot face.

This is his annoyed face...

Cinnamon rolls

I am not a huge baker (I make rolls but that is usually the extent of it!), but every now and then we go for it. Jake decided we should make cinnamon rolls so we did and they rose beyond belief, so they were a little funny looking but delicious!

Notice how Jake's pointer finger is bending up? He is double jointed...I will have to take some creepy pictures of Aaron and Jake's fingers...

WARNING-Tons of pictures of Easter morning

At some people's houses the Easter bunny hides eggs or the whole Easter basket. At our house he hides jelly beans and other small candies. I think the Easter bunny of the South must have learned that the Graves (my maiden name) family was so used to hunting for eggs inside (in New Hampshire there was still snow some years or at the very least inches of yucky mud), that he thought it was okay to carry on the tradition. Jake swears he heard the Easter bunny leave our house at around 5:30 am. I wonder if this is the last year he will think that or if he really still does believe in the Easter bunny...I know I humored my parents a couple of extra years before admitting I knew it was them.


A one pound chocolate bunny. Yep it is already gone...

The Easter bunny must have had extra candy because he even put some in this conviently empty container on our shelf.

Hunting for eggs...






That tricky Easter bunny-hiding them behind a bunny!

Nice picture of Jake chewing candy.

The Easter bunny must have heard Jake is saving for a dog because he got $7 in his eggs!

Easter breakfast and Jake trying to give me his peeps. No one in our house really likes them but is it really an Easter with out them?

Jake in a sugar coma while quietly playing and listening to conference. How lucky was it that Easter was General Conference weekend. What a great way to celebrate the real reason there is an Easter. And as usual it was amazing and uplifting (and best of all I had the whole weekend off and I didn't even ask for it off. I just said a little prayer and hoped for the best!), and just what I needed! We are so blessed...