Christmas Parade(s)

They look so little standing there together! :)

(Addison, Jacob & Deacon)

Yup we went to both the Holland and the Zeeland Christmas parade's this year! They were both fun and we enjoyed some free entertainment with the boys. Sadly we are already sick of the cold/dark weather of winter and are looking for ways get out and do things with the boys at night. The boys loved all the lights and candy as well as spending time with their cousin and friends at the parades. I can't find the camera with the pics of the Zeeland parade but here are a few from tonight's parade.

Once this little guy got out of the stroller he wanted to be right by his Daddy!

Found the camera! Jacob and Gisele giving hugs!!

Stitches

Deacon took a little tumble yesterday and now has a few little stitches. Poor little guy was trying to climb on the chair of his new craft table he got as and early Christmas present and the chair landed just right on his middle finger splitting it open. I really didn't know one little finger could bleed so much. Thankful our doctors office got us in quickly and stitched him up. Hopefully he will keep his bandage on and the gaping hole closes up nicely. Praying this is the worst injury my little buddy ever has.

Turkey Time

The boys and I have been gearing up for Thanksgiving by doing lots of Turkey activities. Jacob loves themes, crafts, baking, sweets, etc. We made a few different turkey crafts but Jacob's favorite was definitely his turkey crown. His favorite part was the dangly feet. We also made turkey cookies and had a special Turkey treat from grandpa B. These cute little turkeys were from De Boer baker and were super yummy!! When I asked Jacob what he was thankful for today he was sweet enough to say "You Mommy and spider man underwear and mickey underwear." Yup you guessed it we are attempting potty training with very low expectations!! Hope to really work on it after the holidays. Anyone who has trained a boy and has advice I would love some. Not loving potty training!

Deacon 15 months

My sweet baby is turning into a toddler way to fast! In the last month Deacon all of a sudden seems BIG. He is doing more and more of what Jacob does. He wont have being left out of anything that Jacob is doing. He is running around the house like he has been doing it forever.

Deacon is starting to talk a little bit more when he doesn't have his paci. Mommy and daddy need to keep working on taking his pacifier away from him!! IT amazes us what he can say if we take the paci out! He has such an expressive face sometimes the little guy doesn't really even need words though. Lately he has been starting the tantrums and has been putting up a little bit of a fight against his brother. He has the saddest little pouty face when things don't go his way. It melts mommy's heart!

We had his 15month appointment and we were a little surprised at just how little he was. We really do think he is BIG. His stats: weight: 22lbs. <20%>75%. I guess Frank the Tank isn't coming back, even his little legs are getting pretty thin.

Deacon also got a haircut this week and now he looks even older. No more baby with the shaggy hair. :(

Florida

The boys and I enjoyed a little time in Florida while Jason was busy in Iowa and up North at Bitely for the gun hunting opener. Jacob has grown up so much and did and awesome job traveling! No stroller for that guy he was walking and helping out like such a big boy!!!

Jacob loved helping me pack this time. Half our suitcase was stuffed animals but thankful with a washer and dryer you don't need many outfits!!

Jacob took his naps on the beach!! I loved this!! I got a chance to read a book something I don't have much time for at home.

The boys LOVED the beach!! We only had one day of clouds and cooler evenings but lots of fun!! It was so cute to see Deacon walking around on the beach!! Jacob also did a great job swimming! ! He was even in the deep water! Major improvement from summer.

Beach BOYS!

Ashley and Jacob baking Christmas cookies!! Jacob didn't want to miss out on his favorite activities while on vacation!!

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween weekend. Jason and I even dressed up this year. We a fun night out without kids the night before and then took the kids to a few houses in the cold on Halloween. We also had a few friends over for pizza after trick or treating. It was fun to see all of the little ones together in their costumes. Jacob picked his costume and I got NO say in the matter but I do have to say he ended up being a pretty cute spiderman in the end.

What's New?

This week we enjoyed the little bit of nice weather we had and spent some time outside as well as inside when the rain hit at the end of the week!! The boys are growing up WAY to fast!! Jacob now has a new big boy bed and it's really BIG! (need to get a pic of this yet!) Along with his big boy bed he is not napping much either. I'm struggling to adjust to this as I'm getting much less done and he if VERY moody without a nap. A couple activities that we did while he didn't nap included planting tulip bulbs, baking cut out cookies and a few crafts...

Gardening gloves and all he was a big helper putting the tulip bulbs in and covering them up!!

Rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies with Mommy!

Jacob and Daddy helped decorate the cookies after I frosted them later that night!

Doesn't he look like such a big boy!! I don't think Jacob ever filled those overalls out!!

Enjoying some fun on the swing set on a semi-warmer night!!

Deacon is busy walking all over the place and getting into things. He loves to climb as well!! He is really good at getting on top of the Lego table and getting on stools to get things off the counter! YIKES!! He is also talking more and more. His current favorite are "BUCK" and "Moo". He is also getting two of his molars which makes him wake up extra early for his mommy and daddy. I think we had 4 in the bed at 6:30 twice this week. (Not a normal occurrence at our house) Deacon is also a good little builder!! He loves to stack blocks. I think his record is 8 high!! Pretty good for 14 months!

Also new for the boys is a fun train set that Daddy picked out at IKEA a few months ago and put together last weekend!!

We took a fun nature walk this morning and the color was still pretty gorgeous even after all the rain and wind be had Friday and Saturday.

Deacon was a little trooper just hanging out it the stroller except for this one pic!

Jacob was such a big boy he walked and ran around the whole hour and a half we were there. He only sat in the stroller for a minute to have a quick snack!!

Deacon 14 months

Deacon isn't such a baby anymore. He is starting to walk and enjoying playing with his brother more and more everyday. He is becoming a good little eater enjoying many more foods than his big brother. His favorites are pears, peaches, yogurt, mac n cheese and grill cheese. He is trying to say more words everyday but most of it still sounds like baby babble to most people. Hopefully when he is ready to talk we can hear him over Jacob's constant chatter. Deacon has 7 teeth and has 2 little bumps that I'm sure will push through before we know it. He also adores books, he picks one up and then backs himself onto your lap. This is definitely one of my favorite things that occurs at our house daily! He is still my cuddly bear at night I love singing him "Jesus Loves Me" and snuggle him before laying him down to sleep. Deacon is also transitioning into 1 nap a day. Deacon you are such a blessing in our lives. We are thankful everyday for the gift you are in our lives.

Outdoor Discovery Center

The boys had their first experience at the ODC and they loved it!! Couldn't have been a better place for little boys who love animals and the outdoors! We enjoyed seeing the frogs, snakes, bunnies, turtles, and an owl as well as doing a few crafts, puzzles and playing a club house. The boys and I are really enjoying all the fun activities of fall that we can do together this year now that they are both getting a little older!!

Pumpkin Fest

The boys and I made a trip downtown Zeeland to see he Pumpkin fest displays on Friday afternoon. Jacob loved them!! He could hardly talk fast enough to let me know what each one was. His favorite was THE CAT AND THE HAT!! He even needed to be held up for a picture. Deacon wished he could get out and touch everything but until he is a little steadier on his feet we will keep him in the stroller!!

Saturday Jacob and I participated in the Pumpkin Fest run. Jacob did the 100 yard dash with his cousin and I ran the 5k. This was a big accomplishment for both of us. It was Jacob's first race and my first race since 2005. I was content with my finish and would like to do some more road races now that I no longer can use the excuse of being pregnant or having a little baby!!

Lastly we didn't make it to the parade due to the rainy weather and a birthday party to attend. We are thankful for how far we have come since last year after the pumpkin parade Deacon was in the hospital.

Green Lipstick

I no longer have to wonder what Jacob is doing while I clean up dinner and Jason reads the paper. He's finding green lipstick in daddy's nightstand. Maybe it was a highlighter but he was very proud to tell us he found green lipstick and put it on himself!!!

FALL

Now that we are officially feeling the Fall weather here is a quick review of what we have been up to! Last week we made a trip to cranes on Monday evening to get some apples and enjoy a yummy dinner at the Orchard. The kids had a great time. Jacob loved the freedom of running and picking the apples and Deacon thought it was fun to hold and gum the apples.

Tuesday we celebrated Great Grandpa and Grandma DeWitt's 70th wedding anniversary and then Grandpa and Grandma were honored at the Winning At Home Dinner on Thursday!!

We also enjoyed the crisp air on Friday night and took a walk downtown Holland. Jacob loves to be downtown to see all the stores and where daddy works! We continue to do lots of crafts with Jacob during Deacon's nap time. A new favorite is painting bread. Jacob loves to paint and this even gets him to eat the bread!!!!

We didn't slow down when the weekend hit. The Huyser's invited us to a Farm in Kalamazoo and we had a blast. They had tons of kids activities: drain pipe slide, hay maze, swing, apple train, big jumping blob, hay climbing hill and the list goes on... We also did a little apple picking and enjoyed some amazing donuts!!! The kids were exhausted for the ride home so we got a little peace and quiet before heading home for some yummy vitales pizza!

Sunday we went to Chicago with Jason's parents, Aunt Ashley and Ryan to the Tigers game!! Jacob had a fun day of being spoiled with so much attention. We left early and made a trip to the original pancake house before the game. YUMMY!!! Jacob also enjoyed a LOTS of treats at the game!! Thanks for a fun time Grandpa and Grandma D!

Deacon also had a fun day at Grandpa and Grandma Bouwens while we were away. Mommy missed him but I'm pretty sure the game wasn't a good place for a non-walker. Hopefully next year little buddy!!

Silver Lake - Labor Day

Taking a ride in the big red truck up test hill.

Two and a 1/2

YIKES!!! Jacob is 2 1/2 today!! My little guy is growing up way to fast. With this cold weather wearing jeans and sweatshirts he even looks big!! Jacob is still our little chatter box, talking non-stop to anyone and everyone. Lately his favorite things to talk about are hunting and bear stories. Jacob would sit and listen to bear stories all day if we could think of enough to tell him. Then he go on to tell other people parts of them. This makes for some entertaining stories.

Jacob is also starting to eat a little bit more!!! He now likes more than mac n' cheese. I would have never thought I would be so excited to see my little boy eat a hot dog or a chicken nugget. Also when we eat Jacob loves to help Deacon learn his sign language. It is so cute when he tells Deacon to ask for more or say thank you. Hopefully he will always be so helpful teaching his brother!!

We still do lots of crafts at our house. Jacob's favorite right now is paint. We just got some new paint at the store this week that we are looking forward to making some new creations with. Glue is also high on Jacob's list of fun things to use when crafting. With fall coming I'm looking for fun craft ideas for the little guy so if you have any send them our way.

Other favorite things of Jacob's right now are pretending with stuffed animals, building towers and kicking them over, making forts, trying to drive any vehicle he can get his hands on (watch your keys), jumping and climbing on everything and playing with Deacon. We are also attempting potty training right now. Can't say how its going to go but I would bet we wont be going to far without diapers anytime soon.

Jacob you are an amazing little man. I love you more than I could ever tell you. It just melts mommy and daddy's hearts when you keep asking for just one more kiss or hug. Even when it makes dad late for work or you go down for a nap or bed a few minutes later. You say the funniest things and we always say how quiet it is when you are away for a few hours with Grandpa and Grandma, Aunt Ashley, or your buddies Jan & Kenzie. Love you little guy. We are thankful for the fun we have had the past 2 1/2 years and excited for all the things yet to come!!

AC/DC Concert

Deacon's 1st Birthday

My baby is ONE! A year has past since our precious baby Deacon was born. It really went way to fast and I truely do miss having my cuddly little baby in my arms. However, it is so amazing all the new things he is doing everyday. Although he doesn't cuddle as much as he did when he was little he still loves to be by his mommy.

New things Deacon is loving... reading books, playing with blocks, standing, walking behing andything, climbing anything, playing with his new birthday toys, trying to repeat what we say and copying his brother.

We celebrated his birthday on Friday with a party at my Grandma Bouwens cottage. It was so much fun to get family and close friends together to help us celebrate. Deacon was a little fussy for his party beacuse he's getting new teeth but he loved his cupcake and playing in the sand after the party.

Yesterday we went for Deacon's 1 year check-up. The doctor was thrilled that we hadn't been in to see him in over two months. This was record for our little Deacon. We are thankful from a medical standpoint the first year is over and he is hopefully outgrowing some of his little issues. His reflux is improving!!! His allergies are undercontrol. (No dog in the house) He got shots without an allergic reaction!!!

His stats:

Weight: 20lbs. 4oz. (17%)

Height: 29.5in. (45%)

Head: 47.5cm. (>60%)

Deacon is starting to really thin out. He loves to eat but he must have the same metabolism as his big brother!!!

Jason and I are so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with Deacon! We are looking forward to this next year with our little guy. It will be so fun to watch as he learns to walk and talk and do all sorts of new things.

A day at the Zoo!

A week or two back we went to the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek. We had a good time with the kids and saw all kinds of animals. Here is a video with some of the animals that we saw.

People keep telling me they saw my scuba video on facebook, so here it is.

BIG CHANGES

The month of July has brought on some big changes for our little guy. On the 4Th of July Jacob got a little sparkler burn on his lip causing us to think it was time to get rid of the pacifier. Jacob did awesome with having to give it up. He understood that his lip wouldn't heal if he had his pipe in so didn't fight us. For a kid who was addicted to that thing at bedtime and naps we were shocked!

Then today I found Jacob on the top of his crib. One leg in one leg out about to fall. With wood floors I just knew this would be a bad thing. I told him that he couldn't get out this way and he told me he would do it again later. At dinner Jason and I decided our little boy was getting big and for his safety it was time for a big boy/toddler bed. His crib easily converted to a nice little toddler bed. Jason even made the bummer fit on nicely still. Bedtime came we told Jacob he had to stay in his bed and so far he has. (It doesn't look like he's moved a muscle.) We are praying he wont be up at 2 a.m. or wandering the house tonight. Any tips if he does?????

Also, these new events have caused many tears for mom. I never knew it would be this hard to see your babies grow up.

Big Star Wake Surfing

Brian and I are new to this but we gave it a good effort. We managed to get the hang of it half way decent by the end of the weekend with some good un-assissted surfs.

Surfing on Big Star Lake from Jason DeWitt on Vimeo.

4th of July Weekend

We enjoyed a relaxing 4th of July weekend in Spring Lake. My mom and dad came up Friday night to see Jacob swim and then we spent Saturday with some friends by the pool. Sunday we walked the pier and hung out with Ashley before heading to Great Lila's cottage for a birthday party!

Jacob and Norah riding Grandpa Keith's Lion

Liam and Deacon ready for the group picture

Group Picture (Jacob, Liam, Deacon, Norah, Carter)

Wagon ride down the driveway

Taking time to smell the flowers! :)

Wants to be just like his daddy!!

Grand Haven Pier

Jacob eager to help Claire with her cake!