Big changes for us :)

Sooo... it's been a hot minute since I've had time to blog, but I have got to get back in the habit so we have some of this information recorded here. 

The biggest change in the Jackson household:

We are now the Jackson 5!

Miss Aubrey Gail Jackson arrived on December 9, 2015, at 5:47 AM. She weighed 6 lbs, 14.5. oz, and was 19 inches long. She came a little over 4 weeks early, but Mama knew it was time... and Mama was ready! :)

Now, for the record, we weren't planning on adding to our family... we weren't "finished" but we were going to wait and let Ava get a little older before we decided for sure. Well, God knew we needed this little love here and now, and we honestly, despite all the craziness that comes with having three girls under 6, couldn't imagine life any other way.

When I tell you that her big sisters love her, I mean they LOVE her! We never worried about Addie adjusting. She is such a rule-follower and a "little Mommy" that we knew she would take the new role of "Biggest Sister" perfectly... and she has. Now, Ava, on the other hand, was our concern. She is very much a Mama's girl. Well, God totally answered our prayers and she has been amazing with Aubrey! She loves her, loves helping me with her, loves holding her... you name it. Hallelujah! :)

I mean, really.

See? LOVE.

Aubrey is SUCH a great baby... she just goes with the flow. She rides with me to get the big girls to and from school, activities, etc... At home, she hangs out in her swing or on her play mat, she tolerates the noise of the big girls, and she eats and sleeps like a champ!

Baby girl,

We are just smitten with you! YOU, my love, are everything I never knew I always wanted!

We love you so much!

Mama, Daddy, Addie and Ava :)

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!

Trip to the Sip

We had so much fun spending an entire week in MS for the Fourth of July! I love everything about being home... the heat and humidity, the smell of salty air, the feeling of being in the house I grew up in, watching my kids play in the pool that I played in years ago... all of it. :)

 

My mom has a lot of pictures on her camera that I need to get, but here are some from my phone for now:

I love comparing pictures of the girls! Our friend, Liz, made this precious outfit for Addie. She is on the top in the summer of 2010 at my parents' house... Ava is on the bottom this summer at my parents' house. :)

 

A few shots from our time there... it rained all of the days except one, so we had to get creative. :) We went to an indoor water park, played tons of games inside, went bowling, made beignets... tons of fun!

 

We were able to go out on my dad's new boat one day! Addie loved it! :)

 

A few pics of Addie with her favorite cousins... top left is when we went to visit Daddy Bob, middle left is watching our own fireworks show, bottom left is making beignets, and right is my fave: Addie and Lexi listening to Papa tell a story! :)

 

My sweet travelers. They did an awesome job on the 7 hour trips! So proud of them! :)

 

...and finally, the many happy faces of Ava Rae! Love it.

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day and Father's Day

We had a lot to celebrate this year with our two little miracles. PTL for these girls for the mothers and fathers that Eric and I are blessed to have in our life. :)

When I think back to our life before these two, I remember dreaming about what they would look like... how their voices would sound... what things they would like to play... how much sleep I would lose... :) Now that they are here, I literally look at them every day and think, "Wow. They are SO much better and more amazing than I imagined!" I mean, really, I know all parents think this, but Addie is pretty much the coolest person on the planet. She is hilarious, people... and I just know sweet Ava is going to continue to brighten my days as she grows. :)

All of these pictures were before she really smiled, so she doesn't look too impressed with our photo sessions. Ah, well... get used to it, sister. :) ha

I definitely would not be the person/mom I am today without this amazing woman. God really broke the mold when He made my Mama. If you knew my Mimi, you would see a lot of her in my Mama. I'm not going to even try to describe her because there aren't enough adjectives in the world to adequately describe her... plus, I'll start crying. Hormones rock. We'll just sum it up by saying that I love her VERY much. :) ...and obviously her grandgirls do, too! I am so thankful that she was with us on Mother's Day this year. We actually met my brother for dinner the night before so I'll have to get pictures from our dinner. We also met Eric's mom for dinner on Mother's Day... have to get those pics, too. Obviously, remembering my camera was not on the top of my list with that little newborn in the mix. :) ha

We didn't get to spend Father's Day with my dad, but as you can tell, he is well-loved by my girls. Again, God just really blessed me with this man. Sometimes I can't believe how much he does for me, for us... I love him VERY much, too!

The night before Father's Day, we went to Eric's dad's for a cookout/swim. As you can tell, Addie was excited! Sweet little fish. :)

I didn't get many pictures because of a sweet little teething infant... but this picture shows you how much fun was had. She didn't make it to the house before crashing. :)

I received my Wife of the Year award after taking my hubby to his favorite place for wings, Hooter's. On Father's Day. Yes, you read that right. I asked him where he wanted to go, and he said, "I want some wings from Hooter's, but we don't have to go there." We all know that means, "Let's go there." So we did. I actually really like the food there, too, and Addie always eats well. Win-win. :)

Sweet baby enjoyed her first Hooter's experience. :)

Side note: my mom actually sent Eric the gift cards for Hooter's, so she wins MIL of the year. :)

Addie and I made this double doozie cookie cake in lieu of naptime that afternoon. Well worth it! :)

I had to take pics of these three jokers by myself... this one is my absolute favorite! :)

Oh, wait. I love this one of Ava, too! ha :)

Eric is such a great Daddy to my girls. He works so hard for us and we are very thankful! Thank you, Jesus, for choosing me to be his wife! I am beyond blessed!