Jason and Kim Jackson

Tulip Festival 2011

2011-04-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today was such a beautiful day, we just had to go to the Tulip Festival once again! I think the girls liked playing in the mud puddles more than taking pictures of the tulips, but we managed to get a few good pics anyway =)

Kaitlyn's 2nd Birthday

2011-02-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Katybug! This year, Kaitlyn had a Barney-themed party with all the trimmings...including a pinata! The kids had a great time making crafts and eating cake. Madison enjoyed helping me "plan" the party and make the invitations.

Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

What a crazy year it has been! Especially December. Jason came home from deployment, we did our "tour of Texas" for Christmas (thank you Mimi, Papaw, Grandpa and Grandma for letting us stay with you!) and we are finally settled into our home in Washington. The girls had a great Christmas. Madison got several gifts related to Toy Story 3, Tinkerbell, horses and crafts. Kaitlyn received lots of baby dolls and dress up things. What a great and tiring month!

Sandy Lake Park

2010-09-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

The forecast called for showers today, but they were wrong and it ended up being a great overcast day to go to Sandy Lake Park! It wasn't crowded at all, which was great of course because we could just walk onto any ride we wanted! I had forgotten what a great place this was for young kids. The girls both loved the little roller coaster and boat rides. Madison's favorite ride was the tilt-a-whirl! For her, the faster the better =)

Allen USA Celebration

2010-06-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun today! Our adventure started by taking a bus to the Allen USA Celebration...Madison loooooooved the bus ride! Once there, we had tons of things to see and do. Madison got to play on several bounce houses, ride on a train many, many times, play games and make some crafts (her favorite was making a sand-filled dog =) As the day went on and the 100 degree heat became a bit much, we sat down to enjoy some snow cones, corn dogs, and lemonade (Kaitlyn's favorite part!) The girls had such a great time they passed out on the drive home! What a day.

2010 cruise to Mexico!

2010-04-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a great Carnival cruise in Baja Mexico! It was sooooooo nice to see the warm sun again! Madison loved the spray park on the ship as well as the kids club where they played games and sang silly songs with all her friends. Kaitlyn preferred to sleep most of the cruise, but hey that's what cruises are for, right? They enjoyed playing on the beach and finding the towel animals in our cabin every night too =)

March is here

2010-03-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

What a busy month we had! Kaitlyn had her 1st birthday party with cake, ice cream, pizza, lots of friends...what more could you ask for ;) We also had a playdate at a local firestation where the kids got to use a real water hose to put out "fire" on a pretend house. For Valentine's Day, we got the girls dressed up and went to a family Valentine dance on base. The girls were really cute dancing together!

Our winter vacation!

2010-01-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

We had such a blast on our winter vacation! Mimi and Papaw came up here to stay with us at a vacation home in the mountains where we enjoyed tubing, making snowmen, sledding...well you get the picture =)

Grandpa's visit

2009-11-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

Grandpa came to visit this week. It was soooo nice to have an extra set of hands to help out with the girls. They had a great time =)

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

Halloween was very different this year. For one thing, Jason was actually home to celebrate it with us! The other thing is that up here instead of kids going trick-or-treating door to door, they go downtown and visit all the shopkeepers, who of course hand out candy. It was fun, and cold! But at least it wasn't raining =) Our little Snow White and ladybug had a great time!

Salmon running the Skagit River

2009-10-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

We went to the North Cascades National Park this weekend and had the opportunity to see the salmon running in the Skagit River - it was so incredible! These fish (which are quite ugly, by the way!) were there by the thousands, and they were in water that was less than a foot deep. It was really an amazing sight to see. If you can make out all the "bumps" in the river in these photos - those are the salmon. Madison and Kaitlyn did great on our hike, as always =) We also saw the Ladder Falls and a dam. Another successful weekend!

Skagit Valley Farm Tour

2009-10-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

We loooooove farms! On Saturday we visited 2 of them. The first had free pony rides - Madison had a blast riding them like a big girl. She also made a "veggie racer" out of a cucumber and raced it down a hill. The second farm had u-pick apples, u-pick pumpkins, a corn maize and a haunted barn. This was our first time picking apples or pumpkins - very exciting! I think Madison's favorite part was running through the corn maize and hiding in the corn. It was surprisingly tricky...we had to cheat to get out!

Wallace Falls State Park

2009-09-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

We're having a hard time saying goodbye to summer, so we went to Wallace Falls State Park this weekend. It was in the 90's there - can you believe it? We hiked roughly 2 miles to the lower and middle falls which were incredible. Madison did a fantastic job hiking like a big girl all the way there! Kaitlyn seemed to enjoy the view from her baby bjorn of course =) We also went to Big Edy - it's a nice river with little gold flecks in the sand everywhere. I guess that's why they call the town 'Gold Bar'! Madison loved playing in the sand there, but wasn't a fan of the freezing cold water. Afterwards, it was back to the cabin for hamburgers and smores - yum!!!

Olympic National Park

2009-08-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

I've been told that you could spend every day seeing something different in the Olympic National Park, and it would take a lifetime to see it all...I believe it! This park is huuuuge! We started early Sat morning catching a ferry to the Olympic Peninsula - we were the last car on - talk about cutting it close! We drove through Port Angeles to crescent lake and Marymere Falls. Kaitlyn did the hike in the baby bjorn (of course!) and Madison walked the entire way! Then we visited Sul Duc Hot Springs. We were disappointed in the Hot Springs themselves. Unfortunately, instead of natural looking springs, the park decided to make traditional public (crowded) pools out of them. But the Sul Duc Falls were really impressive, even for this time of year. That night we stayed at "Kinder Farm" - a vacation rental on a farm. Madison had a great time feeding the goats and watching wild deer walk by the house. The next morning we drove to hurricane ridge. Spectacular views from all around. The deer were so tame that you could walk right up next to them! Kaitlyn started getting fussy, probably because it was pretty cold up there, so we decided to wrap it up a little early and head back to the ferry to go home. Another busy but wonderful Washington weekend =)

Island County Fair

2009-08-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the Island County Fair - so different from the Texas State Fair, but still fun! Instead of fried twinkies and snickers, this fair offered salads, fruit smoothies, watermelons and coffee in addition to the typical carnival food. Madison's favorite part was seeing all the horses, cows and alpacas (but no sheep to her dismay). Oh, and we couldn't leave without a ride on the carousel of course =)

M Bar C Ranch

2009-08-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

This week we went to the M Bar C Ranch. It was great! Our group (about 15 adults and 35 kids) had a chance to dress up like cowboys and cowgirls, then go play in the pretend western village with a bank, post office, jail etc. But the best part was riding the horses - it was Madison's first time to ride one and she looooved it! She tells daddy all the time that she would like to have a horsie, and daddy wants to get her one, well, someday! Kaitlyn was awake for the entire Ranch experience too, only she was strapped in the Baby Bjorn the whole time =)

July 2009

2009-08-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

July has been such a crazy month! We had 8, yes 8 different doctor visits (nothing too serious thank goodness). We also went on tons of fun outings. First we spent the 4th of July at Jim Creek (a military recreation area). It's so pretty there! We rented a rowboat and went fishing, although we didn't have much luck ;) We wanted to shoot some fireworks, but they were not allowed on the property unfortunately, so we got to hear the big "booms" reverberating in the mountains so loudly that our cabin shook! The next weekend we hiked to the waterfalls at boulder river. It's a nice little 1-mile hike that is easy enough even Madison could hike it! Again, so very pretty here. Then we went to the Loganberry festival in Greenbank. There was a live band, tons of carny food (kettle korn - yum!!!), horses, vendors and even a bouncy house and kid zone with games. Madison's favorite by far was the bouncy house. It's funny, she used to be scared to death of those a year ago and now she loves them - go figure! Lastly, we celebrated Madison's 3rd birthday with a beach-themed party at our house. We had a blowup pool, sandbox, beachball sprinkler, waterguns, just about anything you could think of that involved water! I made the cake myself - it looked like half sand and half water with palm trees and fish and a dolphin. I had a great time making all the food too - pb&j sandwiches shaped like fish, cookies that looked like oysters with pearls in their mouths, and sailboat hotdogs - yum! What a month!

Our Tour of Texas

2009-07-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our 2-week "tour of Texas". It was great to see so many friends and family. We spent the first few days with Mimi and Papaw in Dallas, enjoying their swimming pool (although you can tell from the picture that Kaitlyn wasn't a big fan of the cool water!) Then we drove to the coast to see Jason's dad. While we were there, Madison enjoyed riding the mini-4-wheeler and catching sand crabs. And Kaitlyn was able to meet Elmo and uncle Kenny for the very first time. Then we drove up to Jason's mom's house. We spent much of the day staying cool on the porch while Madison and cousin Captain played in the sprinkler and swam in the creek. From there, we spent a few days at Sam Rayburn Reservoir (a really nice, big beautiful lake in East Texas). It was there that Madison caught her first fish - a nice, ugly catfish that Madison didn't want to touch =) Then we drove into Houston and saw several of Jason's friends from college. Lastly, we made it back to Dallas and ended our trip with a backyard BBQ with my college friends. Whew! Glad to be back home ;)

The Refuge

2009-06-05T13:10:00.001-07:00

We spent the weekend at "the refuge" on the Olympic Peninsula. The weather was sunny and even a little bit hot, believe it or not! It was so much fun. We met up with several friends, pitched some tents and went to work. Jason helped clear some land for the refuge while I helped babysit the 8 children that were there. We cooked out, played games and hiked to an amazing waterfall. Jason even jumped into the freezing cold water! Madison didn't seem to mind the cold water either, but she only got in a few inches.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-26T17:12:00.001-07:00

We went to several parks this weekend, including Whatcom Falls (with a nice waterfall) and Silver Lake (with, you guessed it, a nice lake!) We rented a furnished cabin in the area which I thought was great, but I think Jason would have preferred something a little more primitive. There were tons of hiking trails in the area - it always amazes me how beautiful this area is. There is so much to do here when the weather is nice. Some of Madison's highlights were making smores at our campfire and looking for bugs. We can't wait to go back when more of the trails start opening up!

Enjoying the great outdoors

2009-05-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend hiking around one of the many state parks. The weather was absolutely perfect! Now that the nice weather is here, we plan on spending as much time as possible outdoors...now if Jason can just manage to not work so much...

Tulip Festival 2009

2009-04-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Boy what a busy few days we have had! First of all, Holland Happening was this weekend which is a festival held here in Oak Harbor that celebrates it's Dutch heritage. It starts with a huge parade on Saturday morning. Then there are street vendors set up selling everything from clogs to Kettle Corn. Oh, and did I mention the carnival comes to town too? Madison looooves the merry-go-round! She also liked the ferris wheel, the little planes and little cars too =)

We also went to the annual Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley (about half an hour from here). Thousands and thousands of tulips were in bloom, and it was a beautiful day. We were lucky to have Audrey and Anna come with us (I sure needed an extra set of hands to help me out with the girls while I attempted to take pictures in the tulips!)

This last picture is Madison flying a kite. She thinks it's absolutely fascinating =)

Olympic Wildlife Park

2009-04-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took the ferry over to Port Townsend and drove on over to the Olympic Wildlife Park - it's one of those drive-thru-and-feed-the-animals parks. We saw bison, bears, yaks, deer, moose, coyotes, tigers, lions, peacocks and prarie dogs! Madison was terrified when one of the yaks or bison would come up to the window for food. She refused to feed anything that wasn't a seagull! Then we drove to Fort Warden State Park and went to the beach there. The beaches in Washington aren't quite the same as the ones in Florida, but they are still nice to see.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T09:58:00.001-07:00

What an eventful week we just had! Mom, Dad and Chad came into town and we had a great time. We visited a few local farms, and Madison was able to see the cows, chickens and goats. The highlight of our visit to the dairy/creamery was the fresh chocolate milk - yum! We also saw a few different wineries in the area and enjoyed the free wine tastings. I can't wait for the summertime so we can go pick our own berries!

For Easter, we did the traditional Easter stuff. Madison received a basket full of goodies, of which her favorites were the chocolates and the bunny that "pooped out jelly beans!" Then we went to church and had lunch at a friend's house. It's always a challenge to dress the girls in cute spring clothes here when it is 50 degrees outside, cloudy and windy! Only a few more weeks of the cold, I hope! Then we dyed Easter eggs (but I think Jason and I enjoyed that more than Madison did!)

Is it warm yet?

2009-03-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

So it's spring up here in Washington, which means we're still waiting for it to get warm! We can't wait for all the local farms to open up and for all the farmers markets and festivals! In the meantime, we've been staying indoors quite a bit, but we make the most of it. Our neighbor was nice enough to take some professional photos of Kaitlyn and we just couldn't wait to share them =) Isn't she a cutie pie!!!

Mussel Festival

2009-03-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

We went to Coupeville for their annual Mussel Festival. It was a very cold and windy day, so we didn't stay too long, but we had fun while we were there. Madison made a necklace out of Mussel shells and we ate a big bowl of steamed mussels. There were mussel cooking demonstrations and mussel chowder tasting, and tours of the underwater Penn Cove mussel farm too! After we had our fill of mussels, we strolled in and out of the quaint little shops on Main street, then headed back home to get warm!

Hiking at Fort Casey

2009-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we decided to get out of the house and take advantage of the beautiful weather by going to Fort Casey. We went on a few easy hikes and saw several deer up close. They were amazingly tame! Madison started running right up to one, but luckily Jason was able to stop her before she got too close =) Kaitlyn slept the whole time, of course. She loves being put in the front carrier.

Welcome, Kaitlyn!

2009-02-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn was born on the 21st at 6:00am weighing 7 lb 10 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. Labor was much quicker this time around, thank goodness! Kaitlyn is a very laid back baby, sleeping around 20 hours a day and loves to eat! We are so excited to finally meet her =) Madison loves being a big sister and helping out with the baby.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-12-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

Jason is finally home and we are moved into our new place in Washington. It has been a whirlwind of a month for us. Our town received a couple of feet of snow over a few days, which apparently never ever happens here! We all had a blast in it making snowmen and giving Madison rides on her new sled. We also went on a "mini-vacation" to Leavenworth, WA which is a Bavarian-themed winter wonderland this time of year. The entire town was strewn with Christmas lights - it was so beautiful, especially due to the large amount of snowfall it received while we were there. We even got to go on a real sleigh ride! Then we came back home and spent a quiet Christmas just the three of us. Madison received tons of gifts, and it got to the point where she had "Christmas overload" and we thought it would be a good idea to finish opening gifts later in the day. The princess tea set and doctor kit were a big hit this year =) Now that the Christmas rush is over and our house is unpacked, we can finally take a deep breath, only for a minute, because our next little girl is due in just a few weeks! I have a feeling we won't be getting much rest after that =)

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun on Halloween! Madison dressed up as Cinderella and we went trick-or-treating around the block. She was a little bit shy at first, but after a few houses, she started saying "trick or treat" and "thank you". Once we got back to Mimi and Papaw's house, Madison helped give out candy to other trick or treaters. We also carved a pumpkin of Cinderella which was a big hit!

Owen's Farm and Texas State Fair

2008-10-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

We had a very exciting weekend! Saturday Madison and I were able to go to a local farm and see lots of animals and pumpkins. Madi's favorite part was feeding the goats =) On Sunday we went to the Texas State Fair and saw a cute dog trick show. After that we went to the petting zoo, then on to Midway where Madi had a great time riding trains, swings, and cars!

Chuck E Cheese and Oktoberfest

2008-09-24T19:04:00.001-07:00

Yes, we've been putting off the dreaded adventure to Chuck E Cheese as long as possible, but Madison kept begging that we go, so................we went. She was terrified at first and just wanted to be held for the first 20 minutes that we were there. Eventually, she warmed up to the place and had fun playing the games and eating pizza. I think her favorite part of Chuck E Cheese was getting a balloon - she loooooves balloons right now! Later that afternoon, Chad took us to Addison's Oktoberfest. I had no idea people brought young kids to a place of beer and partying, but there were actually lots of kids there! They had a kid stage with all kinds of performances, including a clown. They also had a carnival and a sprayground, so Madison had a great time!

The Dallas World Aquarium

2008-09-03T18:48:00.001-07:00

This weekend we toured the Dallas World Aquarium. We got there as it opened for the day, so it wasn't that crowded yet, which was great! We saw everything from penguins and monkeys to sharks and stingrays. Madison was fascinated by all the animals, but got a little scared when we got to the walk-thru aquarium tunnel. She especially panicked when she saw a shark coming right at her! We managed to get a few pictures inbetween the panicking =)

our cruise to Mexico

2008-08-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a 5-day cruise to Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico. Luckily there were no hurricanes to dodge, the seas were calm, and we had a great time! Madison spent a lot of time in the "camp carnival" where they played games, watched movies and made friends. The food on the ship was fabulous, of course, and it was nice to have a grown-up dinner for a change =) In Cozumel we were able to swim on the beach and enjoy unlimited drinks at the resort, followed by a few hours of shopping. In Progresso, Dad went to see the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza while Mom and I went shopping in Merida followed by a horse show at a Mexican ranch. We had a really good time, I just wish we had more time at the ports!

Madison's Birthday

2008-07-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

Happy 2nd birthday, Madison! We decided to celebrate the big day in Oklahoma with more of our family. There were tons of gifts and tons of Elmo birthday cake (she still loooooooooves Elmo!) Her favorite gift was a pretend camera that made "picture" sounds. For some reason, she likes to hold it backwards and "take pictures". We all had a great time!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great holiday weekend. Grandmother, Karen and Aunt Kathy drove in from Oklahoma to see us. We spent most of the time either in the pool, grilling, or making homemade ice cream - yum! Even Reesie got in the 4th of July spirit (against her will, as you can tell from the photo!)

Our trip to the lake

2008-06-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

"The beach!" "The beach!" is all Madison could talk about today. It wasn't exactly the same as a Florida beach, but hey, it's Dallas. The water was nice and warm and Madison loved playing in the little bit of sand that there was on the shore. She refused to get into her "floatie", so she spent all the time in the water in someone's arms =)

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

We miss you, Jason! This was the first Father's Day that Jason has had to miss, so we showed Madison his picture and she kissed it (how cute!) We spent the day with my parents, opening gifts and swimming. The climax of the day had to be when Reesie somehow escaped from the backyard and was spotted in the greenbelt. Luckily, after going out to look for her, she appeared in the backyard again!

The Dallas Zoo

2008-06-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at the zoo today! There was a carousel just inside the zoo, which Madison had to ride on of course. Then again. and again. and again! We saw the monkeys, kangaroos, giraffe, and elephant, but Madi's favorite was surprisingly the penguins =) We probably spent 30 minutes watching those funny little guys waddle around and dive into the water.

We made it to Mimi and Papaw's

2008-06-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

After a 4-hour commute to the airport and a 4-hour plane ride, we made it to Mimi and Papaw's! We're making ourselves right at home here...Madison even upgraded to a big-girl bed now =) Now if we can just master the potty-training...

Whale Watching

2008-05-18T14:55:00.001-07:00

It has been so sunny and warm lately, we decided it would be a perfect time to go whale-watching. We boarded a whale-watching tour boat on Saturday and maneuvered through the San Juan islands to see some sea lions and killer whales (orcas). Madison was the star of the boat, declaring "the whale!" each time a whale came to a surface, then "where whale go?" when they disppeared.

Alpacas and day trip to Seattle

2008-05-13T13:02:00.001-07:00

Alpacas are really popular here in the Northwest. They're kinda like llama's, but their fur is soooo much softer. We went to an Alpaca ranch a few days ago and got to feed them. They were not shy at all! Madison thought they were hilarious...up until a llama spit right into our faces!

A few days later, we drove into Seattle to see the big city. We walked through Pike Place Market which was really neat. It's like a farmer's market on steroids! You could buy anything from fresh fish to flowers. We also went to the top of the space needle, and even had time to stop at a carnival - Madi's favorite!

A-hiking-we-will-go

2008-05-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite activities in Washington so far is to go hiking. We have been to Deception Pass State Park and Fort Ebey. It's great - we just strap Madison into our toddler backpack and we're off! The parks are so gorgeous here...so lush and green...the tree trunks are even green due to the moss/algae growing on them (not sure what it is!) Today we saw chipmunks, raccoons, birds, and even rabbits!

Tulip Festival

2008-04-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the Tulip Festival and had a blast. It was amazing to see fields of tulips that looked like went on and on forever. And the colors were so beautiful! We also stopped at a local creamery where Madison was able to see some cows up close.

No more long drives for awhile!

2008-04-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to be settled into our cottage home for now. No more hotels or fast food for awhile! Yeah! Since we only have about 6 weeks here before Jason deploys, we plan on making the most of it by going on lots of hikes, maybe some whale watching, and enjoying the tulip festival in the next week or two. Here are a few pictures from our long roadtrip...and I'll upload a bunch more soon =)

We made it to Washington!

2008-04-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks of traveling, we finally made it safely to Washington! We got to see the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park on the drive up here and they were both amazing. Madison didn't really care for the Grand Canyon (since she had to stay in her stroller the entire time). Yosemite was gorgeous and we hope to go back one day for a rustic summer vacation. I will try to get pictures uploaded here asap once we get our computer up and going again. Washington is very pretty, and cooooold! They say that the weather here is supposed to get really nice soon - can't wait!

We're moving!

2008-03-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy week! We have packed up and moved out of our home in Jacksonville, FL and are on our way to Oak Harbor, Washington! It's going to take us a couple of weeks to make the long drive, but we're going to try to make a fun vacation out of it. Yesterday we stopped in East Texas to see Jason's family and today we made it to Dallas to see my parents. So far the road trip has been great - Madison sleeps a lot in the car and our trailer seems to be working well. Look for us on the road - if you see a big black suv pulling a huge trailer, look out, it might be us =)

Rainy Day

2008-03-09T10:59:00.001-07:00

We had lots of rain and storms this week, but that didn't keep Madison from going outdoors! Puddles are tons of fun =) Less than 2 weeks until our moving day - yeah!

Jason's promotion

2008-03-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

The highlight of this week was Jason's promotion to Lieutenant. The ceremony was short and sweet and comes with a nice little pay raise (yeah!) We spent Saturday afternoon at the beach and had a great time. We figured that we should go to the beach at least 1 more time since we'll be spending the next 3 years up in chilly Washington!

Pet Expo

2008-02-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

Madison and I went to a pet expo on Saturday. It was fun to see all the tricks that dogs can do! We saw dogs catching toys while jumping into a pool of water, catching frisbees high in the air, and all kinds of other tricks. Everything was going great until a man in a dog costume came by and accidentally scared Madison. Apparently she doesn't like people dressed in full costume!

We are officially going to NAS Whidbey!

2008-02-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, so much to write about this week. As I'm writing this, Jason is in Hawaii on a P-3 trip (poor guy!) He left on Valentine's Day, yes that's right, he left Madison and I to go to Hawaii on Valentine's Day. He definitely owes me! We also found out that we are officially going to move to NAS Whidbey in Washington State in about a month. We are very excited! I've been spending my days trying to find temporary lodging in Washington while Madison has been playing with her new little play-kitchen that was given to her this week =)

MOSH

2008-02-09T18:06:00.001-08:00

We decided to go to Jacksonville's Museum of Science and History. It happened to be pretty crowded on the day we went, so we didn't stay too long, but we did get to walk through several exhibits. Madison enjoyed watching turtles swim and blowing bubbles. She was a little scared seeing birds in cages, however!

Hands-on children's museum

2008-01-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

This week we are feeling much better! Madison and I went to a children's museum on Monday and had a good time. There was a ball pit, a pretend kitchen, bank, fire station and vet. Madison's favorite was the ball pit =) We also found out that we will probably be going to Washington state for our next duty station which we are very excited about! This will be our farthest move yet...over 3,000 miles. It is supposed to be so beautiful up there with tons of outdoor activities to keep us busy. Can't wait!

Having fun...even with a cold

2008-01-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

This week Madison and I were cooped up in the house due to her catching a cold. However, we made the most of it. Here are a few pics of playtime (she looooooves Elmo!)

Just playing around

2008-01-18T19:26:00.001-08:00

One of the things we love about living in Florida is that you can still enjoy being outdoors even in the middle of winter. Madison loves to bring her toys outside and run around (especially with her little pink purse).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-01-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

We are finally back home after a 2-week Christmas vacation in Texas. Though I'm not sure if "vacation" is the right word...we managed to see lots of family and friends via flying to Dallas, driving to Kirbyville, then Beaumont, then all the way back to Dallas then flying home. It was quite an adventure! Santa was very good to Madison, so good in fact that we had to leave some of the bigger toys in Dallas! Jason spent the last 5 days of our vacation redoing my parent's bathroom. In the end, he learned a lot about doing tiles and my parent's now have a great looking bath!

Having fun at the playground

2007-12-21T18:03:00.001-08:00

Going to the playground is one of Madison's favorite daily activities. On this day, our friend Lorraine came by and escorted her down the slide. What fun!

Santa is scary!

2007-12-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

We went to a Holiday fair in Orange Park the other day and ran into Santa! It wasn't too surprising to see that Madison was a little bit scared of him. But it made for a funny picture!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

The three of us spent Thanksgiving in the big D this year. Madison was able to spend some quality time with Mimi and Papaw while Jason and I drove to Wimberly for a wedding that weekend. It was great to see old college friends and spend some quality time with each other =)

Conner's Amaizeing Acres

2007-11-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

There is a really cute farm about an hour from our house called Conner's Amaizeing Acres. Last weekend we went and had a blast! They have a cornfield maze, hayrides, petting zoo, etc. Madison really enjoyed petting the pigs, horses and goats. But the best part was the cow train!

A weekend in Charleston, SC

2007-11-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we decided to make the 4-hour drive to Charleston and had a great time! We got to tour a working plantation, see some houses from the 1700's, and ride around downtown in a horse-drawn trolley. There is a ton of history in this town!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T17:44:00.001-07:00

We had a great time trick-or-treating tonight! Madison was a real trouper and walked and carried her candy bag for most of the time. She went as a "little stinker" skunk and seemed to enjoy watching people putting candy in her bag.

Fall is here!

2007-10-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

The weather FINALLY started to cool down here! It's so nice to get a break from the heat and humidity. Madison absolutely loves going outside and is always pointing at our back door because she wants to go out there and play with the dirt, leaves and acorns in our backyard. One of her favorite things to do is get dirty!

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-21T12:34:00.001-07:00

It wouldn't be October without a trip to the pumpkin patch! Madison loved to pick up the pumpkins and play with the other kids who were there. We tried to take a group picture of all the kiddos, but they weren't exactly very cooperative. I think we got some cute pics anyways ;)

Trip to St. Augustine

2007-10-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Mimi and Papaw came into town and we went to St. Augustine, FL. There was so much to see and do! We saw the "oldest schoolhouse" and a very old fort. Madison had a great time walking around and riding the train!

A Day at Jacksonville Beach

2007-08-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

We spent Friday afternoon at the beach and had such a great time! Madison loved playing with the sand and running into the waves. She thought it was hilarious each time a big wave came and we helped her "jump" over it!

Elmo visits Corpus Christi

2007-04-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

Elmo came into town last weekend to visit us and see how Madison's grown! She loves her grandpa! We had a great time. Jason and Elmo even went fishing in the canal, but no fish were biting that night. Oh well, maybe next time...

Abby's birthday!

2007-03-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend the 3 of us piled into the car and headed to Beaumont, TX to see our new little niece, Abby Gail Jackson. She is such a cutie! On the way, we stopped in Houston to see Brian and Rainey, then made our way to Kirbyville to see Jason's mom and grandma. By Sunday, Madison was not too happy about being in the carseat anymore which made for an interesting ride home (also aided by the enormous antique wardrobe we aquired while in Houston that was strapped to the top of our car!) Needless to say, it's good to be home =)

The Oscar Mayer weinermobile comes to Bishop, Texas!

2007-03-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

So I guess when you live in a small town, even the smallest things become a big deal - we were on our way to Corpus the other day and, lo and behold, the Oscar Meyer weinermobile had stopped to get gas in Bishop! Lucky us, we had a camera ready!

Our visit to east Texas

2007-02-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we decided to load up and hit the road to east Texas! We spent Friday in Houston where Jason was able to catch up with some college buddies of his. I think the highlight was going to the fire station to watch Sam in action! Then Saturday we drove up to Jacksonville to visit Kim's relatives. Martin and Jackie were thrilled to finally meet Madison! Sunday we drove in to Tyler and caught up with Josh, Kim, Mikayla and Kaelsie. It was a lot of fun just driving around the beautiful area, and Madison had a great time with Mikayala and Kaelsie.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

What a crazy couple of months it has been! We spent Christmas Day here in Kingsville, then made the 8 hour drive to Dallas to visit Mimi and Papaw. We celebrated Christmas there (a few days late) and Madi got spoiled of course, but what else is new! A few weeks later Jason went to Key West, FL and got to land on an aircraft carrier for the first time. He has lots of crazy stories about that! Now we're all back in Kingsville and Madison seems to be changing every day. She now eats a variety of solid foods and is scooting around all over the place. Happy Valentine's Day!

Grandma, Mama and Auntie come to Kingsville

2006-12-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

Grandma, Mama and Auntie came all the way down to Kingsville to meet Madison! She didn't know what to think of all the new faces at first, but by Friday morning she was sad to see them go, and so were we. For more photos, go to http://gallery.atpic.com/9521

Lady Redhawk Day

2006-11-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today was so much fun! All the wives from the VT-21 squadron got together for the annual "Lady Redhawk Day" which includes a chance to taxi a T-45 jet, ride in a simulator, and observing the control tower. We had a blast!!!

Madison's first trip to Mimi and Papaw's house!

2006-11-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Wow it's amazing how time flies! Madison and I were in Dallas for a week, but it went by so fast! She was finally able to meet her uncle Chad, great-grandmothers, great uncle Keith, great aunt Kathy, Karen, Angie, Julie and Katy! Whew! I think Madison was held the entire time (can you say s-p-o-i-l-e-d?) We had such a great time, I wish we could have stayed longer! see the "my photos" link for some new pictures!

Madison's first time in the pool!

2006-10-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

So it's October here in South Texas which means, yes, it is still hot enough to go swimming! Madison made her pool debut a few days ago, but we don't think that she liked it very much (the water must have been a little too chilly).

Labor Day weekend with Mimi and Papaw

2006-09-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we had! Mimi and Papaw came all the way from Dallas to see Madison. They just couldn't get enough of their sweet little grand-baby!

Madison is one month old today!

2006-08-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Happy 1 month birthday, Madison!!! We got on the scales today and she is weighing in at about 9.5 pounds and is 21 inches long. Our little girl is getting so big!

Madison is here!

2006-07-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Madison Nicole Jackson was born at 9:27 pm on July 21 after 14 hours of labor! Yikes! She was 7 lbs 5 oz and 19 inches long. Look at all that black hair! I think she looks like her daddy =)

Kingsville 4th of July parade

2006-07-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we attended the annual 4th of July parade in downtown Kingsville. I must say we were a little disappointed. The parade itself was only about 2 1/2 minutes long - blink and you might miss it! But Jason is a local celebrity since he got to walk in the parade and wave.

Kim's birthday!

2006-05-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

What a day! I turned the big 26 today =) It's such a wonderful feeling to be remembered on your birthday. My first surprise today was a beautiful arrangement of flowers that was delivered to our doorstep around noon. Then I went to the mailbox to find all kinds of birthday cards in the mail! And the most unexpected surprise today was the weather - apparently the heat index hit 124 degrees today, then a huge thunderstorm suddenly swept through, bringing quite a hail storm with it! That is unheard of around here! After the storm came and went, 6 of my closest friends rang our doorbell and surprised me with candel-lit cupcakes and their rendition of "happy birthday". I had such a wonderful day =)

p.s. You can see some pictures of our hail storm by clicking on the photos link.

Blue Angels Air Show

2006-04-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

The Blue Angels put on a terrific show today! Jason had to work at the air show from 12:30 to 2:30 (that's why he's in uniform). See pics from the airshow here.