Good for the Soul

My dad is on day 3 of being off his feet for a few weeks recovering from a surgery on his leg. (Not the knees yet, just taking care of a sore leading up to the knee replacement.) To pass the time he has created a new sport. His friends brought him a nerf blowdart gun. Shooting at the TV and Christmas tree was fun for a minute, but he has moved on to moving targets. Not me, you don't bite the hand that feeds ya you know, he shoots Maximus and Titan. They scream and run and are always back for more within a second. Then Titan loves to pick up all the darts and give them back to Grandpa so he can do it all again. Goons.

Quotable to the Maxx

After sledding down the giant hill. "That was funny, let's go again!"

Moves all the pieces on the potato head sideways and says, "Look I'm a Picasso!"

Whenever I am talking about anyone we love like grandpa or dad he adds, "and Nancy!" (his 42 year old best friend)

Maxx: Mom, the monsters, the monsters! (acting like something is urgent and pulling me to come see)
Me: What monsters?
Maxx: Monsters Incorporated
And for a moment there I thought he may have developed a solid normal-kid fear... nope, just his zombie like love for all things animated and an amazing ability to pronounce Incorporated.


Me: Maximus do you want to watch monkeys?
Maxx: Tarzan.
My mistake :)

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

Now who wants to use the potty?

Motivation

I guess it all comes down to one question...
Why would someone use the boring potty when they can spray anything?

I may not survive this :)

Trick-or-Treating with Maximus

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At every house he would yell, "GO GO GO!" while everyone was piling out of the car.

He would say thank you, thank you, thank you until the person at the door said you’re welcome.

If they tried to give him more than one piece of candy he would put the other one back in the bowl.

When we sent him to the door with the kids he would come back excited, but with no candy.

Would unwrap his suckers then stick them in his bag.

Was more excited about the apple than all the chocolate.

Ate ½ of the apple then added it to the bag with all the unwrapped suckers.

I told him to tell our friend, “Jenny, give me some candy!” He really got into that one and kept repeating it.

One of the other kids said, “Oh, that is where Trinity lives”. So Maxx started yelling “To infinity and beyond” at the top of his lungs, joined by all the kids, for the rest of the time. (Trinity is now a swear word in our house).

He is one funny ginger.






Deb and Wolverine

Husbands Say The Darndest Things

Talking just now I started saying, "man, I smell, it is almost like I forgot to"...

before I could finish "put on deordant today."

Mike inserted "shower?"

Maybe he won't be so sassy when I start hanging up his dirty clothes instead of washing them. :)

Here is s cute picture of Titan to remind me why I put up with Mr. Squeeky Clean and Sleeping On The Couch.

For future reference dear if I wanted to hear it straight like that I would call my sister.

Autumn

I'm not quite sure why Autumn is so distinct. You seem to feel it coming independent of the weather changing. Perhaps it is because it was when I started dating Mike 7 years ago. The knowledge that holidays which bring great times and memories are on their way. Maybe the consistency of the changing seasons speaks something to us of an overall plan. There is just something indescribable about the different colors, perfect temperature, and change that seems to blow in the air... it is certainly one of my favorite moments although fleeting in nature.

This year the world looks a bit different. It is such a gift to be able to step back and thank God that my life is exactly what I want it to be. To be able to enjoy those few magical weeks although I well know that the leaves will fall, the air will turn cold and I will be left wanting for this exact feeling for a few seasons. It is a lesson I have missed before, but hope I will never again. Things are never perfect in this world, but they can be so sweet. That change is as certain as the changing of the seasons, so enjoy today for what it is. And most significantly that there is no reason for sadness because the snow will melt, the air will be warm, and the sun will shine again.

The older I get the cooler I was

I showed some of our friends the video of me punching a girl in water polo the other day. Things like that come back to bite you a little when you realized that not only are you an example to others, but to your little shadows that carry on your name. I read a bumper sticker last week that said it well, "mean people breed little mean people".

Now I don't want to give my young women's leaders the satisfaction of being able to say, "I told you she would mellow out", so know that I am not taking it back; she deserved what she got and we will continue to laugh at the video when the kids are asleep. However I'll give you this... perhaps how cool I was can better serve my boys and maybe someday girls (scary thought) with stories of good choices, how much I love learning truth, or fun that doesn't end in me being banned from a sport. Heaven knows it better be soon because Maximus is almost big enough to pull people's shirts over their heads and punch them.

Nothing Beats a Baby - New Niece!

Reagan Janin Jackman
Very Cute
Congrats Aaron & Sarah

Somethin's just not right with that kid

It seems to be Maxx's challenge to make sure Aaron thinks he is retarded. He has picked up crossing his eyes, putting his shoes on the wrong feet, and saying TREAT YUMMY YUMMY constantly like a goon. His goofball looks and Rufio hair don't help. Anyhow the kicker...

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In the craziness of my Mom's funeral week Maximus had made it to their house with no shoes and was borrowing the 2 sizes too big Elmo watersocks my mom had for the kids. As Aaron was looking out the front windows of the house with my aunts watching him play he said "Ya know there is something just not right about that kid". On queue Maxx picked up a big hand full of rocks and put them into mouth with Aaron banging on the the window... "HEY, DON'T EAT ROCKS!!!"

Mike says, "That's my boy"... I say, yes he is. :)

How I'm Doing

Words don't seem to come easily to me lately, but everyone seems to wonder how I'm doing. Thank you... we appreciate it... we have been spoiled... you rock!
Does that get me off the hook when it comes to thank you notes? Just kidding.

Good. I'm doing good.
Not "well" because that would make sense
Not fantastic because that would put back the piece of me that seems to be missing
At times okay or hanging in there - that is typically Tuesdays because that was the day my Mom watched my kids so I could go to the temple with Mike, the day we usually hung out, walked/talked, and the day she died.
So better than yesterday and hopefully not as well as tomorrow.

Most of the time I am excited for her, that she had a great end to a great life. I know she is excited about all the new experiences, responsibilities, possibilities, freedoms - that is just her. However sometimes I forget that it is the world that makes death seem like an end, like a tragedy, hopeless and alone. It seems poetic that the person most responsible for teaching me that the truth is that it is none of those things is the one I would need it most for.

I believe this change has enabled my mother to multitask, boss me around (I mean encourage :) ), and be there for even more that she was in life (if at all possible). That she now has the time she has always wanted to further the Lord's work while still supporting her family. I have felt her influence, her words, her strength when I need it. Even more lasting I have felt the comfort from a loving God that I know greatly because of her.

Exactly what she is up to is of great interest to me and has sparked a desire to learn even more which is always good. It is interesting that death is so common, but it impacts you so completely. I walk alone now and there is no one to save me from the dogs that will surely eat me. I cry every time I go to call her and tell her about something exciting, frustrating, or funny. I am heartbroken for my Dad - although he is so tough; and makes me a lot of cookies.

Basically it is like this post, or life... a roller coaster with more ups than downs.

Must be Jackmans

My parents got boxing gloves for the kids for Christmas. In their defense they also got a punching bag; needless to say that didn't last long. Maybe not one of their best ideas, but awfully entertaining.






















For the record this is my son beating the snot out of Aaron's... ironic isn't it.

Brothers huh

I have one brother. Aaron is the type that does everything better than everyone else, it makes you want to beat him up; but if you are going to try you better know how to run fast and lock the bathroom door. :)

Aaron and I have a love/hate relationship I love him and he just hates it. Just kidding - although honestly read this fast because he is probably making me take it down right now.
He drove me to West each day on his bike. He (and Em) wrote my name huge on the butt of all my underwear for camp so that "even if I was found face-down in a ditch they would know who I was". I am the official tester of all homemade tree elevators and wrestling moves. He even employed me to reload shotgun shells (was it a penny/shell?)... man where would I be without him? :)


No, Aaron is always a great example; he is fearless yet kind, fun, and has that Jackman perfect mix of poetry and meanness that keeps everything real.

He saved my butt with a piggy back ride when we had pushed my parents too far by fighting in the car and they made us walk home...
When he called home from his mission and I was sick of feeling different with "Claar, we're Jackmans we not supposed to fit in"...

At my wedding when he hugged me and told me how proud he was of me...

When I've needed sprinklers, help making it though taking care of Grandma, or this week when I needed my car brought back from the dead.

We all know that lollipops, sunshine, and flowers is not going to happen when Jackmans get together so here it is ... thanks man, I love you.

-Claar

Learning by Leaps and Bounds

New page layout is a tribute to Maxx.

His vocabulary is growing everyday, and we all love to hear him talk. His favorite word this week was "frog". Unfortunately, it comes out very different when he tries to say it (still starts with f but ends in K).

He couldn't figure out why everyone kept laughing, so when we ask him to say "frog" now, he says "riiibbbittt".

An Ode to Em

My sister has been riding me to blog, to discourage people from this practice I have decided to make her the topic of this post.

Actually... Her birthday is in January, I will not reveal her age, but she is 7 years my elder. I am 25 :) - couldn't resist. It was nice having someone older as I grew up to steal clothes from, buy me Doc Martins, and warn me when I was being stupid... still is.

Our family teases Emily constantly for reading the Obituaries faithfully, I am fully depending on her to let me know when I am dead. So, although she is very alive and hopefully always will be the following is her random tribute from me for now.

Project Manager Barbie... I mean Em
Be it teaching me to tie my shoes to directing the family on building the largest playhouse ever she is a great motivator and teammate.

Good sport: She will dejunk our homes and is always willing to dress the part, although she still refuses to match clothes with me... although sometimes it happens on accident - haha!

Great Mom

Fun Aunt

Uses restraint: We all know she can kill us, and probably often wants to, but the fact that she hasn't is all that matters.

She may not be perfect, but I'm glad she is my sister and friend.