The Lake

If you asked Josh what was the thing missed most while being gone for two years (besides family) it was definitely the lake!  We have been trying to make up for it as much as possible this summer and I would say we've been doing a fairly good job!  It's such a great get away for us and a perfect place to forget about the "real" world and just enjoy some peace and quiet.  It helps because you hardly get cell phone reception there :)

We spent the week of the 4th there and really had a great time. There's no better place to be than at the lake when it's 90 degrees outside!! Josh got do some seriously overdue wakeboarding, he and Jackson fished, Josh and I each read a book (that never happens).  Josh's parents were there most of the time as well and we all relaxed and floated around and played in the water for 8 days in a row.  If you ask Jackson that was still not enough.  He cried when we left and he has been asking to go back to the lake ever since.

Here are some pictures of the lake so far this summer:

wakeboarding

The cabin

Riding in the paddle boat with Grandma and Grandpa

Floating in the water

The boat

Playing with Grandma

Jackson loves this turtle

On the tube with Grandma and Grandpa

Love this face, going on the boat for fireworks

This is exactly how he feels about the lake :)

view from the house

checking out the water

Jackson and his cousin Charlie on the boat

Nice fish!

Josh and Jackson on the paddle boat

admiring the water

Jackson and his friend Alex fishing

We're having a...

Well it's been a while since we have found out but it has been even longer since I have last posted.  We found out about 8 weeks ago that we are having ANOTHER boy!! We are super excited and are so happy that Jackson will have a little brother so close in age!  We're busy working on names, don't ask because we wont tell ya ;)

It's a BOY!

I'm having a...

It may not look like it in the picture but, I think Jackson is getting excited to have a baby around.  He is being so sweet and wants to feel the baby kick and even gave the baby a kiss tonight.  He got to come along to the doctor and hear the heart beat, I think that was intriguing to him. 

We're keeping the nursery the same, since it wasn't even used for Jackson and Jackson has graduated to a big boy bed, which he loves by the way!  We have it decked out in Iowa State stuff and he just loves his new bed and snuggling before bed.  Such a sweet boy!!

With only 11 weeks left, we are getting super excited to meet this little one!  Everything has been going really well, if it's possible this baby feels more active than Jackson was, I have been feeling great and getting good reports at the doctor!!

What have we been up to?

At first when moving back I thought it might be a little boring. No more weekend trips to a new country, most of our friends work and we weren't used to even having a kid in America.  Well let me tell you it has been anything but boring. 

We have easily found friends that stay home which keep us busy most days of the week!  It has been great and makes my heart hurt a little less because Jackson now has great friends back here in the states not just in the Netherlands. 

All that worry about not traveling was for nothing let me tell you!! While it isn't traveling to new countries we have been in 3 different states in the last 2 1/2 months while we have been home and have traveled nearly 2,500 miles.  I'm ready for NO MORE travel for a little while. 

It has been so great catching up with friends at weddings in Missouri, meeting our new niece in northern Iowa and meeting our new nephew in Minnesota and celebrating his baptism.  We have seriously been living life in the fast lane!

Jackson and his cousin Ryah

Baby Wyatt's baptism

Josh has started up his classes for his MBA again, he only has 3 left.  So that keeps him incredibly busy and we're trying to stay out of his hair while he has class and homework to get done!! Jackson and I have been loving the weather and have been outside every day (until the snow today in May :( )

I'm just a little over 19 weeks along now and can feel this little baby kicking all the time!  It is such a great feeling!  In just two weeks we will find out if we're having a boy or a girl.  I can't wait for that!!  Then we can take on the next project of moving rooms or decorating a new nursery if it's a girl!! We will be sure to keep you all updated!!

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Jackson turns 2

It's so unbelievable to me that Jackson is already two years old.  It just feels like yesterday he was born and we were figuring out how we were going to pack up and move to the Netherlands. Now that 22 month journey is over were back to Jackson's first home!

Jackson is in love with his house and can't get enough of all of his Nana's and Papa's.  He loves having his neighbor friends over, it's been so nice to have them straight across the street, we don't have to even get in the car!! So most of our days are filled with play dates and it's been great to catch back up with our friends!

Jackson is still talking up a storm and will pretty much say any word you ask him to.  So fair warning if you're around us, watch what you say :) We haven't learned the hard way yet!  One funny thing he says when he sees a person in a store, he repeats pointing and saying, guy, guy, guy doing over and over!  It's pretty embarrassing sometimes but he is just so curious!!

Jackson still loves tractors, probably more than ever!  He loves chasing Grace around and playing outside.  Now that it is getting warm out we have been outside as much as possible, riding in his wagon, walking with his balance bike, riding his new hot wheels trike.

Jackson is still growing like a weed, we had his 2 year check up and he is 35.5 inches tall!  He is over half as tall as me!  Crazy!! He weighed 26.4 lbs which is the 12th percentile so we're moving up from the 5th, so I'm trying not to worry too much if he doesn't eat perfectly every day!

We had a big party to make up for being away from everyone for his first birthday and I think Jackson had the best day!  He was so happy the entire day. He loved everything from to the balloons to the cake, of course the presents and having all his favorite people in one place at one time.

Almost our entire family was able to make it and a lot of our friends too!  There were a lot of people and I thought it would be overwhelming for him, but he was super happy with everything. He just got a little tired of opening his presents, he wanted to PLAY with all those toys he was getting! A big thanks to everyone that helped us celebrate our little mans big day!!

Ik Ben Zwanger!! Don't understand?!?! See translation below!

Josh and I are super excited to tell everyone that we're are expecting another baby this September!   My due date is September 23 which means I will be 14 weeks on Monday.

Zwanger... Pregnant

I have been feeling great! Only 2 days of feeling a little sick. As long as I don't wait too long to eat I am just fine!  Of course a little sleepy, I have been taking a nap every day when Jackson does.

Jackson sort of understands there is a baby in mommy's tummy and he was able to go to our first ultrasound with us. He got really quiet when we heard the heart beat and was trying to figure out what was going on.  We think Jackson will be really excited to be a big brother. He loves all things baby and I’m sure he will be very “helpful” when that time comes! 

Can you dig it? I'm going to be a big Brother!

9 week ultrasound

Yes, we knew we were expecting before we left the Netherlands but it was just too soon to tell everyone.  We would have loved to everyone in person but it just wasn't the right time for us. 

I think with Jackson we had our big ultrasound early, but they told us at our appointment this week it won't be until we hit 20 weeks. :( I'm sure you all know how patient I am!

It seems that everyone was on to us and was expecting us to announce we were pregnant right away when we got home. So sorry if we "fibbed" to you and told you no!  We just wanted to make sure it was all ok before we told!  The second time around I am showing alot earlier so there really isn't an easy way to hide it any more! 

12 weeks

There seems there is a baby boom wherever we are :) we know so many people in the Netherlands that are expecting, I'm the 4th in our neighborhood, my brother just had a baby on March 21, and Josh's brother and wife are expecting in April.  Our family is growing and we're so excited!

Things I didn't realized I missed about home

1. Free water at restaurants that keeps on coming if you run out!
2. Waiters checking on you at your table without having to flag them down.
3.  Being able to see the stop light when you stop the designated line.
4.  Having the option to shop or do anything I want on Sundays. Not that I'm doing anything.
5. Calling up a neighbor when you're out of something while you're making dinner for the night.
6. Our big comfy couch
7.  All the options for EVERYTHING at the grocery store. This is both good and bad
8. Being able to read what it is I'm buying
9. My GIANT refrigerator
10. How fast and big the washer and dryer are.


Not everything is better in the U.S. though:
1. The bread
2.  Being able to understand everyone and their annoying conversations that they should have in private, not on the phones in airports.
3. The fruit in the winter time

I'm sure the list will continue to grow but these are just a few funny things I have noticed this week alone!