Tribute to the Jeep

The "Jap", as we called it, will be missed.  With Corey's new job/commute to Bentonville, the Green Jeep had to go.  We sold 'er via Craig.  This is a milestone in our relationship because the green Jeep has been with us since the beginning.  It was literally a vehicle to many adventures.
               Corey's parents gifted him the Jeep the night we graduated from good 'ole Cabot High.

Here we are graduating:  (we look a little rough)

I feel like a small part of me died inside selling this thing.  It's like the feeling when you're in elementary school and your best friend moves away... or when your childhood pet dies.  (only different because you're an adult and you made the conscious decision to sell the Jeep.)  So many great memories riding around in this car.

We went for one more victory lap with the top off the night before we sold it... riding into the sunset and then turning around and coming back.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  Beautiful sunset.  Really it was kind of torture because it made us wish we weren't selling it.  We talked about how it wouldn't have been so hard if we had taken the victory lap in the middle of the summer in the blazing heat at noon.  ha!  But, for old times sake it really was perfect.

I was kinda sad.  Well, not just kinda.  I was legitimately sad.  The Jeep is symbolic of our adventurous, pre-children and responsibilities, fun dating days.  It's like the last thing we've been holding onto.  HA!  I feel like this is one of the more adult things we've had to do.  Corey reminded me that we're the ones who made the Jeep fun... and we're still the same people.  (He always knows what to say.)

I thought we'd cruise through memory lane and see what all photos of the Jeep I could dig up.

New mud tires.

We always pack WAY too much stuff.  This is us leaving camp.

Floating the Buffalo

The Jeep in all it's Glory.  

There was always mud on the mirrors.  This is a mild case.  I think the subject matter of this photo is actually the fernando (grasshopper) perched on the mirror.

This was the adventure that almost ended all other adventures, but that's another story...

yes, this is a canoe rigged to sail.  The bottom left photo sums up Corey's child-like enthusiasm.  He loves assembling things.  (it's an engineer thing)

We were always thankful for the Jeep during the winter months.  It's most memorable winter-months contribution was helping to faithfully deliver the paper during the ice storm '09.  (or at least I think that's what year it was?)

     I could probably scrounge up a few more photos, but this project is already long over do.  Jeep, we salute you.

     We replaced the Jeep with a 2009 Toyota Corolla.  We're actually pretty pleased with it.  We are off to new adventures with great, glorious gas mileage and trunk space to stash all our junk.  :)  (one of these days I'll post a pic of the Corolla.)

     

Jack | 8 months

This month's chalk board photos had their challenges... :)

New this month:
1. CRAWLING!  He's on the move!  He started this the day he turned 7 months old.  There is now great accountability to vacuum, mop, and keep the house picked up.  Yay me.  I'm dumbfounded that he can have 12 toys spread out across the floor and I'll look over and he's concentrating and picking at the one speck of fuzz on the carpet that I missed.  Please don't eat it.  (ugh).  We've also had to rearrange and reorganize to accommodate our mobile child.  It's been interesting in our small apartment.  Potter's House thrift has seen a lot of action.  Everything that I can't store in a drawer, on a shelf, in a basket, or suspend from the ceiling has got to go!

2. Sitting in a high chair at restaurants and at home.  What a big boy!  I am so relieved to finally be hands free when we eat out.  I can enjoy a meal!

3.  Shout out to my sister-in-law Hayley Hayes.  She pretty much rocks at getting stellar deals.  We don't know how she does it.  We've been on the look out for a bike trailer for several months.  Hayley finds us one at Target on clearance norm: $120.... price tag: $35!!!!  That = pretty much free.  We couldn't find a used one on Craig for that cheap.  Dang gurl.  Jack got to feel the wind in his hair.

4.  pulling up to a standing position.  We often find him standing in his crib. We already lowered it a notch.  He's been pulling up on everything.  It's created a small problem the first few weeks during nap time because he didn't know how to get back down.  15- minutes into nap time I would be summoned to help him lay back down.  Fortunately he's learned the seat-drop now and can plop here and there.

Try not to focus on the fact that his name banner still says "baby Granderson," or that the clouds/airplanes need to be restrung for optimal visual balance.  We're workin on that...

5. He's got a tooth! .... and another tooth!  Double whammy

We discovered the moby wrap back carry.  Everybody's happy!

6. He got a carpet burn on his big toe from crawling.  Gaw, and this filter makes it look like we need to amputate his foot.  Sorry about that...

7. Riding big in the shopping cart at Walmart. He can say hello to everyone better this way.

Doesn't he look so big here?!

8.  He takes bigger naps.  1.5-2 hours in the morning and afternoon.  I've been trying to power through some editing.  He can take or leave a 20 minute catnap in the evening.

9.  He loves his Daddy's guitar.  It used to sit on a stand in our office.  Every time he crawled past the office he would make a bee-line for it.  The guitar has since been relocated to our bedroom... along with most of our house plants.  Our apartment is starting to look pretty minimalist from knee-high down and our bedroom in a little overcrowded.

10.  He's added some new noises to his orchestra of sounds.  He can now do the one where you stick your tongue out between your lips and blow... resulting in a motor boat type sound.  He loves this one.  He can also "cluck" with his tongue. You know... where you stick your tongue on the roof of your mouth and then drop it to make a click/cluck noise? . He is also definitely his Father's son.  A few days ago Jack put his mouth to my arm and blew a fart noise.  (I have a witness!  Amy saw the whole thing.)  I am outnumbered in this household.

11.  He now has enough hair to mess up.

12. Jack has had the most consistent routine yet.  It might have something to do with the fact that for once in his life we had a month's worth of relaxing weekends at home as a family!  It's been nice.  We should do this more often!  For my personal records here's a version of the routine:

8:00am wake up and nurse
Play
9:30-11:30 Nap
12:00 nurse + solid food
Play
1:30-3:00ish Nap
4:00- nurse + solid food (usually his biggest meal)
6:00... mayyyybe he takes a nap, if so it lasts all of 20 minutes
8:00 nurse, bath, off to bed

13.  Bath time is so fun.

14.  2nd round of shots followed by a few feverish days.  :(

15.  Boring Stats:  He's still a small fry weighing in at 17.5 lbs. and 26.5 inches long.  Still sporting the size 3 diapers and barely fitting into 6-9 / 9 clothes.  Not related, but he also likes to play while sitting on his knees.

That concludes this month's post.  Thanks for checking in!  No photo finish... we haven't had a chance to take "official" 8 month photos just yet.  That will be another post.  :)

Jack & the regular sized peaches

So.... I never got around to posting Jack's "official" 7 month photos.  They were a hoot too, so better late than never!  We took a trip to Vanzant's Fruit Farms to do a little peach picking.

Aunt Hayley worked out on the farm during pickin' time.  I'm glad we captured this memory.  Our friend Jessica came along to hang out, pick peaches, and help with Jack.

 I'm so glad we did this.

Jack LOVES peaches.

We stopped by Nonna's on the way home.  Jack was so sticky I didn't want him to fall asleep in the car and then me have to wake him up to give him a bath once we got home.  Nonna's bathroom has some awesome natural light.

This last pic is one of my all time favs.