Lately. Random. Life.

The Jackson household has been very busy lately. We have been very blessed with lots time with family and good friends. Here's a little of what we've been doing:

This sweet girl is preparing for her first dance recital. Needless to say, Mama is super excited! Here she is on her way in for pictures. I am so jealous of those eyelashes! :)

Addie has loved being in class with her sweet friend, Clara. :)

We have also done a lot of this. A stomach bug hit our household and it. was. rough.

Pitiful.

LOTS of this going on in our house these days! Ava is learning more each day, and, thankfully, Addie is getting better at sharing with her. :) I have no doubt that Ava will be able to hold her own, though... :)

The girls love their Daddy... and you can see that Ava is entering the "baby doll" phase. It's quite adorable. :)

My girls :) This was at my Mother's Day dinner. Such a great night with my family!

The girl that made me Mama :)

This sweet thing is moving everywhere these days! She is quite the cruiser... she will take a few steps every now and then from one person to another. She's very close to walking! If she's not cruising, she is scooting just like her sister did (crazy!). She says "da-da" and "ah-oh" all the time... and her favorite word is "Ad-eeeee!" She says it all the time! It's so sweet, and Addie loves it! When she's really sleepy, she'll say "mama" (awesome, right?). We're working on baby signs. She knows what "more" means because when we prompt her to say it, if she wants more, she nods yes... if she doesn't, she shakes her head no. Same with the "please" sign. Stinker. :)

 

This is Addie with the hand-stitched quilt that her Granny (Eric's grandmother) made for her. So, so special.

This is such a fun age with Addie! She LOVED preschool this year. She went two days a week to The Academy at WellSpring. It just opened in January... I love that she loves it... she is making friends, learning new things, and--my favorite part--learning about Jesus. :) She is learning how to read now, always asking us to read or asking to read one of "her" books (decodable readers). She can figure out sounds in words and use pictures to help her (this teacher mama is super proud!). She loves practicing spelling using the magnetic letters on the fridge/door. She can count to 100 and is learning to skip count. She asks questions all. day. long. We constantly remind ourselves that it is great that she is so inquisitive. :) She loves playing outside on her playset (with new sandbox!) and trampoline, riding her bike and scooter, bubbles, princesses, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, puzzles, the library, the park, ballet class, pretending just about anything (school, house, family, store, etc.), dress up, days spent with Katie, going to church (especially when Mommy teaches), bathtime with Ava, playing upstairs, "Annie," singing songs from the iPad, Daniel Tiger, Sid the Science Kid, Boz, sitting through Mommy's classes online, and much, much more! One of my favorite things about Addie is her heart. She is so sensitive... she loves to make sure everyone is "okay." For example, every time she has a snack, if there is an orange piece, she saves it for Eric. If there is a blue one, she saves it for me... skittles, jelly beans, fruit snacks, you name it. :) If she hugs one person in the room, she makes sure to hug everyone. She worries about Ava all the time and makes sure to hug and kiss her (even though Ava is not always on board :). I pray she always has a heart that is sensitive to the needs of others.

We had a fun Cinco de Mayo celebration at home this year. We had gone out with friends the weekend before, so we spend the 5th (a Monday night) at home. We had tacos and queso... Ava was quite the fan as you can see. Mama and Daddy enjoyed margaritas. We played outside and watched a few "dancing shows" put on by Addie. Precious memories.

This one. Oh, my little daredevil. Ava is quite fearless!

Ava is so full of personality these days! She does the cheesy grin you see above quite often. It makes me laugh every time! Her loves: anything Addie is doing, blocks, "reading," hugging baby dolls and stuffed animals, cruising anywhere she can, "cooking" in the play kitchen, the library train table, chicken nuggets, any fruit (esp. bananas, cantaloupe, and honeydew), cinnamon sugar toast, fries, Ritz crackers, puffs, ANYTHING outside, bubbles, sitting on the trampoline while Addie jumps, swinging, the sandbox, her play table, dancing to music, "singing" along when there is a long note in a song (hilarious!), "brushing" her teeth (only when she can do it!), water, milk, cheese puffs, carrots, green beans, pizza, cheese dip, ketchup, and any food Addie might leave behind. :)

Oh, and ice cream :)

She has four teeth on top and four teeth on bottom... with two more breaking through on the bottom. She answers to her name, scoots veeerry quickly to the bathroom when she hears the bath water running, can follow simple directions (bring me a book, clean up the puzzle, bring this to Addie, stir up the food, etc.), and can successfully climb onto the couch. :)

Always ready to say "cheese" for the camera :)

  

I love this collage... you can see how much they love each other! I always knew it would be so sweet to watch, but I didn't know how much it would tug at my heart each time I see it in real life... gees. I just love them.

My Addie :)

My Ava :)

More to come soon! :)

My Sweet Daddy Bob

This past year and a half with my sweet grandpa has been rough. "Daddy Bob" (my Mama's Daddy) had a heart attack around Thanksgiving of 2012. He's been in and out of the hospital and rehab facilities since then. While we were so glad to have all of these extra months with him, we knew he was tired. He finally was called to Heaven on April 6, 2014. To say we are crushed is an understatement.

My Daddy Bob was such an incredible man. To try to put in my words how amazing he was is just impossible. He loved Jesus and he loved his family and friends. We never had to wonder. We always knew he loved us no matter what. I had the honor of helping write his obituary, and it explains just how great he was:

Robert “Bobby” Harold Holmes, 85, of Biloxi, went home to be with his Savior on Sunday, April 6, 2014. He was a Godly man with an infectious laugh and an extraordinary personality that touched every person he met. “Coach Holmes,” as he was affectionately known, was a faithful member of Bay Vista Baptist Church in Biloxi where he was elected Deacon Emeritus in 2013. His love for the Lord and his unceasing gift of ministry was evident in every aspect of his life.

Mr. Holmes was born in Tallassee, Alabama, to DeWitt Benjamin and Mary Katherine Ransom Holmes. He graduated from Tallassee High School in 1947, known for his role in the Tigers legendary 55 game winning streak. He went on to play football at Perkinston Junior College, helping lead the Bulldogs to the 1948 National Junior College Championship and earning Little All-American honors. He completed his college career at Mississippi Southern College, now The University of Southern Mississippi, where he set numerous records as quarterback for the Southerners. His record two punt returns of 87 and 95 yards for touchdowns against Alabama in the same game still stands. While at Perk, he met the love of his life, Bobbie Nell Germany. They married on September 9, 1950. In 1951, he earned his BS degree in Physical Education. Following college, he served his country in the U.S. Army. He later went on to earn his MEd in Administration and his MS AAA certificate from USM. With the birth of his two children, Nollene and Hal, “Daddy” became his favorite name and his children became his pride and joy. He and his family made their home in Moss Point after working in various Mississippi school districts. He had an amazing 36 year career as teacher, coach, and administrator, touching countless lives along the way.

During his career, he received numerous honors and awards. He was elected to The University of Southern Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1966, the MAC Coaches Hall of Fame in 1985, and the MGCCC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Coach Holmes received both the Distinguished American Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, the MS Broadcasters Association All-State Award, the South Coach of the Year in 1966. He received the Moss Point High School Growler Dedication in 1978 and was named to the USM Century Team in 2000. If you knew Coach Holmes, you knew he could tell many a story about any aspect of his lengthy career. It could be anything from specific plays he ran as a player at Perk to the hilarious antics of Southern Miss athletes to any strategy, play, or score from games throughout his career. Friends often called on him to “dig deep in the steel trap” for answers to most any sports-related questions. These many stories will be treasured by his family and friends in the years to come.

The retirement years began in 1989 when he and Bobbie Nell moved to Biloxi where they began to focus their time enjoying their “grand” children. He was a wonderful “Daddy Bob,” as he and “Mimi” loved going from golf tournaments and baseball games to dance and piano recitals. He also enjoyed the occasional, super-competitive game of dominoes or Catch Phrase with his kids and grands, as well as asking them to “google up” things that he was wondering. His unwavering love and support made him a truly incredible Daddy Bob!

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 54 years, Bobbie Nell; his mother, Mary Katherine Ransom Holmes; his father, DeWitt Benjamin Holmes.

He is survived by his two loving children, daughter Ava Nollene Holmes Wieniewitz and her husband Henry John “Spud” of Biloxi, and son, his namesake, Robert Harold “Hal” Holmes, Jr., and his wife Cynthia Dawn “Cindy” of Vancleave; five “perfect” grandchildren, grandsons Henry John “Trae” Wieniewitz, III, and his wife Amber Lea of Knoxville, TN, another namesake, Robert Harold “Robby” Holmes, III, and his wife Maria Angela, of Astoria, NY, Andrew Joseph “Drew” Holmes of Hattiesburg, and Jonathan Stuart Holmes of Vancleave, and a granddaughter, his “sweetie,” Tara Johnell Wieniewitz Jackson and her husband, Eric William, of Spring Hill, TN.

“Daddy Bob” is also survived by five precious great-grandchildren, great-granddaughters Abbie Nell and Lexi Rae Wieniewitz of Knoxville, TN, and Adelyn “Addie” Noelle and Ava Rae Jackson of Spring Hill, TN, and great-grandson, Christian John Wieniewitz of Knoxville, TN.

He will also be missed by his dear sister, JoAnn Holmes Ledbetter and her husband, William, of Tallassee, AL. 

I like to imagine that he is doing a lot of this in Heaven... 

...and a lot of this. Knowing he is with my Mimi again is the most comforting feeling in the midst of such grief. 

Their relationship was one of a kind. Not many marriages are like theirs was... this picture shows the kind of joy they still had with each other after 50+ years of marriage. This was taken the summer before my Mimi went to be with Jesus. It's always been one of my favorite pictures. :) I can only pray that Eric and I have this kind of joy in our life together. We certainly have a fantastic example to follow.

I have so many beautiful memories with this man and I am SO thankful that he was able to meet my husband and my girls... and that Eric and Addie will always remember him. Although Ava won't remember him, we do have some great pictures of her with Daddy Bob... and I'll always treasure those and I look forward to telling her how wonderful her Daddy Bob was and how much he loved her.

This was taken this past Christmas. He was feeling great on this day and I am so glad we took time to take this picture. :)

Like I said earlier, I think he is playing lots of golf in Heaven. Eric loved to play golf with him and listen to all of his stories (sometimes the same ones over and over :). Daddy Bob loved "Big E."

My sweet Mama and Daddy certainly miss him. Their lives revolved around him for the past few years as they took care of him and made every effort to bring him to see my brother's family and my family. So glad they did this... not only for Daddy Bob but for us. It was very difficult at times, but my parents know it is what he truly wanted and definitely what my Mimi would have wanted.

Through all of this I have learned some important life lessons:

1. Jesus really does take care of you.

I cannot fathom going through losing a loved one without the comfort of knowing that my loved one is with the Savior. Jesus truly put His arms around our family through this whole process of planning a funeral and burying a man we loved so dearly. I think it was "easier" because we knew that body wasn't really Daddy Bob. It was just a "shell" he used during his time here on Earth.

2. I have the best friends on the planet.

Without even giving it a second thought, my "Yayas" brought traveling goodies for my girls the day my grandpa died. They knew we had a long drive and wanted to help however they could. They went out on a cold, rainy Sunday and got the girls happies and snacks... and even gave us gas and food gift cards. Once in MS, they even sent a plant to my family to express their condolences. 

My friends in MS were amazing, too. Some took time to stop by the visitation and Azlyn and her family even came and took Addie home with them during the funeral and burial. This was such a blessing to us... and Addie loved spending time with them!

3. Take pictures.

In the days before the visitation and funeral, I worked diligently on a tribute video for my Daddy Bob. I did the same when my Mimi died and it was very therapeutic for me. My mom and I looked at countless pictures from my Daddy Bob's life and I put them to music for the visitation and made a separate one to show during the funeral. This made me so grateful for all of those times my Mimi and Mama wanted us to take pictures all of the time... at dinners, at holiday gatherings, on vacations... you name it, we had pictures to show any phase of his life. Not only is this going to be amazing to have to show and explain to our children, but it was very helpful to relive so many great memories during the days following his death. So, my greatest advice is to take pictures... then take more pictures. Don't worry about how you look, how much you weigh, what outfit you're wearing, or how much make up you don't have on... it doesn't matter. One day your pictures will be simply priceless.

With all of this said, I miss my Daddy Bob like crazy. I catch myself wanting to call him all of the time... but I know he is having a great time with my Mimi and his family and friends in Heaven. So thankful for the 33 years I had with him.

Well, hello there!

I'm not even going to get into the fact that I haven't blogged in months.

I've decided to get back into it... mainly for Ava's sake. We have so much info about Addie to show her one day. I want to have at least something to show Ava, as well. :) I am going to just start form this point and eventually try to go back and add all that I have missed. 

So, Easter. It was fantastic! We had some pictures taken of the girls that turned out amazingly well. If you are local and need a photographer, Amanda L. Logan Photography is highly recommended by the Jacksons. :) Here are our favorites:

Sweet sisters :)

My fave :)

These are the best pics Addie has ever taken!

Addie was super excited about the live animals!

The lamb was so calm... I was honestly surprised at how well Ad did!

Ava took these chicks on a bit of a wild ride... :)

...but she looked adorable!

We also had to get a pic with the Bunny. Addie was an angel and Ava did better than expected! Sweet!

I have other pictures I need to get off of my camera that I can add later. It was an amazing holiday spent with family. We are so blessed!

Ava: Five Months Old! :)

 Five months of cuteness!

I love this little bundle of pure joy! This month has been so much fun watching her grow and learn. Here are her stats:

Weight: *

Length: *

Diaper size: 1

Clothes: 3-6 month; 6 month pajamas

Holy Cow. What a month! She has changed SO much! She is sitting in her bumbo every day, holding her sweet head up, and interacting with anyone who passes by! She is a people watcher and that makes it so much easier to take her places. She faces forward in her stroller now, and she is experiencing a whole new world (cue Aladdin soundtrack). 

Tummy time is still one of her least favorite times. It's better because her belly doesn't hurt as much anymore but I don't think she looks forward to it. :) She can hold her head up and move it from side to side... and she's oh-so-close to rolling over. I'm in no rush whatsoever. She's my baby and I am okay keeping her that way for a little while longer. It won't be long before she's moving everywhere. Eek! :)

This skill has changed her life! ha :) Ava loves to grab! If you put it in front of her, consider it hers. She always ends up with clumps of Mama's hair in her hands by the end of every day! She is so much more coordinated now when she holds her toys and pacifier.

Bath time = Fun time!

Ava loves this time with her Daddy and Sister. Eric gets home just in time for dinner most nights, so he gets to play with them during bath time. They have so much fun! Addie is such a helper and loves to read stories to Ava and share her bath toys. 

Miss Personality.

Seriously, she is the happiest baby now that we got her tummy issues figured out. She is still nursing and has started solids (more on that next month). I cut out dairy and it made a HUGE difference in her quality of life. She is way more comfortable after her meals and she sleeps much better these days. According to her pediatrician, she's not allergic to dairy, but she just is super sensitive to it. He said we'll gradually work it back into her diet as she grows. For now, I'm staying away from it... especially since she's teething. That's enough pain for a baby in itself. :(

Speaking of eating... Ava is quite the fan of solids! We started with rice cereal, and her tummy couldn't handle it. I switched her to oatmeal and she LOVED it! I mean, I could not get it to her mouth fast enough. We tried a couple of veggies and she really just preferred the oatmeal and she kept it in her mouth easier.

Two things about this pic:

1. Ava loves the exersaucer. Her sweet little feet finally reach the bottom and she has figured out almost all of the toys. 

2. She always, always, always makes sure Addie is close by. It is so sweet to see how much these girls love each other. I know they'll go through phases like all siblings do, but for now, I am soaking up every moment.

Ava,

You are our sunshine.

We love you more and more each day! We thank God for you!

Mama, Daddy, and Addie