Cookies with Santa

 Sunday, November 11, Aunt Amanda had the hook up.  That's right--she talked Santa Claus into coming to hang out at her house!  All the kiddos got to meet him, spend time with him, and eat cookies with him!  Elise had looked forward to it for days, and couldn't wait to get in and say hi to him!

 Both girls enjoyed sitting on his lap, but Elise was a little too shy to tell him what she wanted.  MawMaw finally talked her into telling him, and she said she wants a big prince (for her barbies) and a little prince (for her miniature disney princesses).  Erin was silent about her Christmas wishes :)

 Jack is at the age where Santa Claus is a terrifying figure, and didn't want to pose for pictures.  This was the best one I got of the grandkids together.

 The great thing about knowing Santa the way Amanda does, is that the kids were able to all interact with him for a long period of time, and weren't herded through a line at break-neck speed like when they visit Santa at the mall.  They were looking at ornaments with him here.

I have a tendency to "forget the baby" when at crowded functions.  It's awful, but I hand her off to someone, then get distracted chasing Elise, and next thing you know, some poor soul has been holding her forever.  That poor soul Sunday was Santa.  Luckily, there weren't any other kids vying for his attention (I hope--but what do I know?  I was chasing Elise!) and she was just fine cuddling with him.

 

Big Thanks to Aunt Amanda for this awesome event--the kids loved it!

Halloween 2012

 Halloween is always a fun time at the Jackson house.  This year, I found this fun idea on pinterest and actually executed it!  I made enough for Elise to take to her friends at daycare, and to hand out to a few special friends who came trick-or-treating at our house.

 You can kind of see how short Elise's hair is in this picture.  It was a pretty drastic change!  She was excited to be a witch and loved her dress.

 Erin is 3 1/2 mos old and couldn't care less about dressing up, so Mammy got her this super cute onesie.  Check out the tail.

Elise went trick-or-treating with Link and Laynee in our neighborhood.  I also took Elise to the square after work and she got tons of candy there, too.  We let her keep a huge bag full, filled out candy basket at the house, and STILL had 2 gallon baggies that Sean and I each took with us to work.  The girl's teeth would rot out of her head if we let her eat all that! 

 

As usual, we had friends/family over for chili and to help hand out candy at our house.  It was another great Halloween!

October 2012

 In October, Erin hit the 3 month mark.  She always looks so cute in her nightgowns, and she's about to grow out of them, so Mommy slapped the 3 month picture on her nightgown.

 She's getting tall, and is so pleasant.  She coos and squeals and is pretty happy most of the time.  She got her first cold at the end of October, though, and that wasn't fun for anyone.  She didn't sleep at night well for a week, and she struggled through every bottle she drank because she couldn't breathe.  We're glad she's back to being our happy girl!

 Elise chopped her hair off at the end of October. While Mommy didn't get a good picture of her "after" (yet), I did get this picture of her before showing off her new jammies.  The girl loves footie pajamas and peace signs.  It amuses her mother.

 Elise continues to be a great big sis.  She "built a tent" for Erin on top of her play gym, taking care not to cover her face (can you tell we've driven that point home? :)).  She does this often, and Erin does seem to really enjoy watching Elise work.

 My girls are both pretty good church-goers.  Elise loves to go to Sunday school, and is good at church, too.  Erin is content to be passed up and down the pew and has been a little angel most Sundays. 

The last big event in October (aside from Halloween) was Courtney's baby shower.  Courtney is due with Baby Mia Brianne in December, and we had a great time throwing her a shower!

 

I forgot to post a pic, but another big milestone happened in October: Mommy and Daddy left Erin for our first whole night.  We went to KC to celebrate the coming wedding of Brandan and Courtney.  We were gone less than 24 hours, and Erin stayed with MawMaw.  She did NOT sleep well, and we felt awful about it.  Hopefully the next time she stays the night somewhere, she sleeps a little better :)

September 2012

 Backtracking a little, the Jackson family had a big September.  We started out the month with Link's 2nd birthday.  It was a big "wheels" party, complete with everyone bringing their bikes, cars, and four-wheelers to Aunt Lori's for some fun.  The kids had a blast (even though Link was upset here after a crash) and it was a great way to celebrate the Little Man's birthday!

 Next, we had a big trip to Silver Dollar City.  Nan, Mammy, Lacy, and Link went with us.  We were blessed to have a woman stop us at the front gate and offer Mammy and Nan her guest passes for $10.  I already had a season pass, and a guest pass for Lacy, so that made for a pretty cheap day!  We had a great time, and all the kids were well-behaved.

 Next, Little Miss Erin turned 2 mos old in September.  She was really starting to pop out of her 0-3mos outfit here, but Mommy made it work.

 Finally, Mommy had to go back to work.  She had a great 10 weeks home with Erin, and Erin was sweet enough to smile for this picture so Mommy would have something bright and happy to look at when she went back to work. 

 

For the Jacksons in September, blessings were many!