A Girl Named Bubba

You've all heard of the audacity of a boy named Sue...well I think I can top it. Jackson calls Creighton "Bubba" and there is NO changing it much to my dismay. ALthough it is growing on me. He asks for Bubba all the time. "Err bub-ba?" "Oo Bub-ba"
It is maybe cute...for now, but man I hope that doesn't stick for too long.

Jackson is 2!

We had a spectacular 2nd birthday party for Jackson yesterday! Here are some photos and captions of the days' events. It was a blast and fun was had by all! We had lots of family and friends in town for the festivities.

Here is his Bob the Builder cupcake tower. I heard they were yummy but I didn't ever get one. But not to worry, Jackson had I think 3! Three is seeming to be the theme of this party even though he was only turning 2!

Here is his Bob the Builder Cake from Maggie Moos. It was chocolate ice cream and oreo mix-in with chocolate cake and it was YUMMY. I definitely had a piece of this. Daddy was SUPER excited about the cake. It was good, but really not worth the money and kind of a hassle because it was so hot (to keep it from melting) and also there was like maybe a quarter inch of cake instead of half and half like we expected...but it was cute! And it was a hit...Jackson blew out his candles and couldn't wait for my mom to cut it! So...

he took it upon himself to dig in!

And this is what he looked like...it was EVERYWHERE....but he was pretty dang cute with all that icing all over his face. I think he liked his cake!

Here is 3 generations of John Bergs! It is amazing how much they all look alike in their younger photo comparisons.

My mom rented this little Jupiter Jump and the kids LOVED it! They jumped their little hearts out A LOT! It was worth it I think too, because they got a ton of energy out, but even more so, it kept them busy busy and OUT of the house for extended periods of time. (with 30 some odd people in one house at the same time, that was good!)

Here is Jackson with his Pinata. It was harder than the kids could handle really, but eventually it broke and the candy came out and the kids really loved that! Candy galore since there were only like 6 kids there and two of them were 2 years old. We couldn't find a bat so we were using my mom's vaccuum tube at first until my dad cut off a broom stick (which helped the process along).

Here is Jackson's 1st Car he got. My mom and Dad got him this one. He really liked it and so did the other kids. Here in the back of this picture was his 2nd vehicle (his first tricycle) that Papa John and Grandma Debbie got him. It has the really great handle on the back so I can push him because he isn't QUITE big enough to peddle yet. And we are learning to steer still. We road it today and he hasn't quite mastered the concept yet....he doesn't know he has control. But we are working on it...

He is (much to my dismay) in love with the Wiggles and my mom got him a set of THREE more dvds! AHHHH...oh well...it makes him so happy. And he does the funniest thing to tell you he wants to watch the Wiggles...he wiggles and says "uhh" and it is so funny and he does it a lot! I try and try and try to get him to SAY "wiggles" and he just won't...he just wiggles his hips and says "uhh" every time.

Here is the 3rd Car, yes 3! Obviously this one was a big hit. He crashed it into just about everything he could at my mom's yesterday and then again today at our house he hit everything in site...like I said, we have to work on the steering thing. But I LOVE this truck. It is so cute and he looks so cute driving it and he LOVES it. He gets the biggest smile when he sees it.

Needless to say, our kid is so spoiled. He got lots and lots of neat toys and clothes and so much stuff it is insane. He got playdoh, videos, puzzles, cars, books, toolsets, bug catchers, bubbles, mr. potato head, firetrucks, stickers, legos, buckets and shovels, towels, suitcase for grammy's, and lots of other things I am sure I am forgetting. He still doesnt' quite get the whole present opening thing. He gets very bored with it and wants to stop and play and couldn't care less about it all....

We were all pooped by the end of the party and didn't leave till LATE! I am going to post about the people and post more pics of people and Creighton and family and friends from the party later on. I have a busy week with volleyball camp so I don't know when that will happen. But I will get to it, because there are lots of fun pics of Creighton and Amari and other family and friends too!

Daddy and Jackson

Here is a picture of Daddy and Jackson

Lots of Pictures!

I haven't posted pictures in awhile, so I thought I'd post a few as I am getting ready for bed. Its been a long and hard past week and a half and I thought pictures would be much better than my insanity complaints :)





Here are the kids in our jungle (aka backyard) in a really awesome sun shade. Crazily they stayed in it and played with bubbles together for quite some time. Even though I covered them in sunscreen....oh well. (*and Jeff did end up mowing finally....so iti sn't so jungle-ish now.)

Here is us playing...they were tackling me! It was fun and they were happy. These moments get me through the days...

Here is Jackson at the Kiddie Park in Bartlesville. This is the greatest little park ever. It is only a quarter to ride all of the rides (each). It is awesome. We went there tonight on a random whim after a fun and crazy dinner at Mazzio's (tuesday is buffet night). On that note...I ate pizza and ranch dressing tonight...and I fed Creighton after we got home. I am curious as to how she is going to be. Currently? ...asleep and not screaming :)

We like to go to the Duck Pond (aka Jo Allen Lowe Park) and feed the ducks and walk...although mostly we just feed the ducks. Here is a few pics from that outing. Jackson is almost too heavy for me to throw over my head anymore. Creighton is fearless of the ducks, and Jackson on the other hand, well, lets just say he was holding some bread and the duck snuck up on him and snatched it away and he is a little fearFUL of the ducks (and geese).

I can't remember if I already posted about Jax and I eating our oranges together on the kitchen floor or not, and maybe I already posted a picture about it too, but I don't know...here is another if so, if not....here is a first. I love it. He goes and gets an orange and calls for me and plops right down in "his spot" and pats "mommy's spot" next to him. If you come to visit, more often than not, it'll be rather sticky around that little patch of the kitchen! I am okay with it though because it is an awesome memory with him!

Here is Creighton playing in the tunnel...Jackson loved it when he was little too....

By the way, she is all over the place crawling and FAST as lightning too! She is saying "dada" as of tonight...so fun! She is a talker. She LOVES to talk. SHe loves being around Jackson and playing. They LOVE to laugh and giggle and wrestle around. She is one TOUGH girl. I love her so much!

Random facts about me

Maria tagged me in a post of hers and although I am not doing it correctly per se I am going to do the main jist and give you 8 random things about me.

1. I was suppose to be 5'11" and I truly think I was not because of gymnastics (stunted my growth to only 5'4.5''). However, I LOVE gymnastics...to do it, to watch it, anything and I am SO thrilled that one day my kids will do it! I am a gymnastics freak. ( I hope that my kids like it)

2. I hate to read, but I am in a book club this summer....

3. I check blogs almost obsessively.

4. My favorite girls name is Alexyn "Lexy" and if I had another girl (which is NOT in my plans) I would do everything I could to convince Jeff that is the name for her. He hates it!

5. I sleep with a stuffed pillow every night that I dubbed "Squish" and he (yes I call it a he) goes with me everywhere, and my pillow too.

6. I HATE eating out of baskets! (ie. applebees)

7. My favorite number is 21 and it is somewhat an obsessive thing too. I have to be 21 or else :)

8. I used to jump (long jump) for Jesse Owens when I was little and I was pretty good at it. I fouled on the greatest jump of my life at Nationals (13 feet 7 inches--I was only 9 years old) to win the WHOLE thing...I settled for 3rd and didn't get to move on to the next meet. I was very very sad.

Those are all really random!

Time well spent

http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/

Everyone should definitely check out that blog....

Onto other things:
Today was better for sure than the rest of my week, however, God isn't allowing me to get the "miracle drug" for better days just because I realized I hadn't spent time with Him and now I am. I am okay with that. I am rewarded in that my soul is happier (joyful) and my heart isn't heavy and burdened with my own yuck. It has been so long that there is much to rid myself of right now.
This morning didn't start off how I had planned (my goal of getting up before the kids and spending time with God)....but I did do so today which is good. My friend Kara and I are going to be redoing the Patriarchs study by Beth Moore with videos and all...I am thrilled to have something to do, but I know that God wants me to just spend time with Him unstructured by a lesson...and I will do that too.
Jackson went down tonight without getting out of bed once...that is amazing! And it was certainly a really great night for that to happen as I was about to come unglued with the two of my children screaming and whining nad crying and pulling on me at the same time (without Daddy home of course to help). Thank heavens he went down so great. And Creighton was a little bear cub for me but eventually went to sleep on the boob. :) I love it that she likes to nurse to sleep on nights like tonight. (Sometimes I hate it, but it came in handy tonight).
I am tired. But this is the earliest I have been to bed all week! Good night.

Scattered Honesty

I "read" the Bible online this morning before I went off to VBS and it was good, however, I still didn't have an amazing day, which is fine, it isn't like a bad day ward off just for reading...but it was funny, because the Lord is tired of me right now...well not me really but certainly my attitude and I was definitely disciplined and firmly and sternly put in my place...but I must say I haven't fully committed to being where He is leading me and where He wants me, yet...but I will. I know it. I am slowly moving there....It is just hard to hear that my ways, and the ME has to go....oh I am so selfish and lazy and so many other things, and I need desperately to let go of that....to be different, to be like Christ.
I was reading in Colossians and it was so very very fitting...too fitting really for me. I was really slapped with the Word and of course, you know that wasn't what I was expecting or what I wanted to happpen. I was just like testing God almost (hindsight) to see if He'd make my day better because I lazily spent "time" with Him...He wants all of me and I certainly didn't give him that. I am trying to convince myself to spend time with him tomorrow morning before VBS (before the kids get up). I hope I do. I honestly do'nt know if I will or not. But lets say I know I need to and I know it is my goal.
Well, there is me, my realness out there, my dirty laundry...but I needed it to be out there, even if noone reads it or cares, I know it is out there and I hope that atleast one of you will hold me accountable verbally or through thoughts and prayers...

My day today has ended on a good note...ladies night out tonight and some serious music therapy have done me well....

Foul

Today started off well. Now, however, I am in the foulest mood! Some friends of ours are moving to Texas and so there was a going away party for them and we were invited to go. Well, I didn't have much option other than to bring the kids...and lets just say, that was a BAD, very BAD idea. Jackson has turned into the devil child. I don't know what happened. He is too much for me to handle. UGH!!! Its like I am living a nightmare when he is at his worst. (I must say, that sometimes he is so sweet and a perfect angel). But, lately he is just is out of control and I don't know how to get him IN control....that sounds great. I am the mom...and I sound like I have no control over him...maybe because I don't really. And the worst part is, he caught on. I must find control. He is the terrible two. In 2 weeks from today he will be two! The terrible twos I thought began about 18 months, but really that was just a little precursor, a little mini course on what it was really going to be like.
I must say that he is now talking more. I will try to list some words he is saying now:
Mommy, Daddy, help, more, Bob, Pop, Nahnah (Donna), outside, orange juice, juice, Taylor, home, bye, bye-bye, hey, Mom, Dad, No, bubbles, shoes, yeah, ohhh, wow, duck, I, go, where, and I am sure there are more I just can't think of right now. Anyway, so we are moving up in the world of talking.
That being said, I am grateful he was a late bloomer in that area because more often than not, I'd rather just not know what he has to say---oh as soon as I was thinking that to type it, I realized I am still in a foul mood and that sounded awful, so excuse me. I think a nap would do me some good.
bye.

swim scare

Yesterday was a really long and crazy day, but overall a good day I guess, minus about an hour of it! My saga drama that happened yesterday is this:

We went swimming at the Casselberry's pool and it was a little cold and Jackson decided he didn't want to swim...he was pretty fearful of the pool too because he slipped off the step and went under (no big deal, because he had his floaties on) and he did NOT like that. So he was playing in the yard and on the patio being a sweet little guy...and I was talking to Katie laying out by the pool and watching him. I turned my head for less than 20 seconds and I hear a big splash behind me from the hot tub area. Of course my heart drops out of my body and I get up and SPRINT to him. I can see the terror the absolute shock and terror in his little eyes as he is trying to do anything and looking for me to save him. He was definitely under the water by the time I finally got to him and I was horrified. He was horrified. I was crying, he was crying. He was coughing up water. I was crying some more and praying some more thanking the good Lord for watching over him and letting me get to him as fast as I did. It was awful. I now HATE pools and know the incredible FEAR of losing a child right in front of my eyes. It was awful. I felt like a horrible mother for even turning my head and/or letting him take his floaties off within a pool area. I am still unsure as to how it even happened because I am certain that he was not wanting in teh water, he wouldn't even come NEAR the pool at all, not within even 10 feet of it. So I am wondering if he slipped or what happened ....the hot tub had a floating cover on it and so I think he just didn't know it was a pool. It was so dirty too...full of leaves and bugs and dirt and he swallowed it....ugh! But that was absolutely the LEAST of my worries at the time. I am just thankful he is okay....and I am recovered....my emotions must have been seriously scared because I had the worst dream (nightmare) ever that he had died and what life was like during that. I woke up with a dreadful physical pain in my soul. I hurt. And Jackson slept with me last night too, and so when I woke up I just held him and kissed him and was so thankful for him all over again.

Anyway, besides all that, I have had a good week. Last year at this time I was a basketcase with Jeff gone and this time I have passed with flying colors. It was Jeff that struggled more than me this time. He is missing Jackson (well, and me and Creighton, too) but specifically jackson really bad! Jackson got really upset last night when he heard his daddy's voice on the phone...I think becasue he misses him so much. ...goodness knows he asks about him like every 5 seconds throughout the day. Anyway, and so that upset Jeff a lot that he was so sad about him.

Jeff comes home tomorrow and I am EXCITED about that. I am excited to see him and hug him and kiss him. :)

Well, the kids are all well. Creighton is doing much better now and that is good. jackson is getting closer everyday to being 2. bob the builder party is going to be fun!!!

Jeff gone, Life

Jeff left for Waco, Texas Friday morning really early for the mission trip (Mission Waco). Granted its only Saturday night, but I am doing okay this time. Last year when he left I was a basketcase. I had to go on anti-depressants....but I was pregnant with Creighton at the time and they made me very very sick so I really only took them once and never again, but I was certainly not "okay" last time and although I am very sad he is gone and I miss him, I am okay. Like I said too though, he hasn't even been gone for 48 hours yet though :). I found out today though that they are coming home a day early because they had plans to attend the Collide Festival in Sherman, Texas on their way home and now the festival is cancelled due to weather. I am sad for them that they can't go, but I am very happy to have him home a day early!
Jackson went to be with Terrie for the weekend and Creighton and I have hung out with my parents all weekend...it's been great. Jackson comes back Monday morning early to Bville with Debbie (Jeff's stepmom). And school starts this week (M/W) for Jackson too. So, M/W won't be too bad and of course Debbie will be here to help me also, so it should be fine. Then Thursday my mom took off and we will play with her and then Jeff comes home Thursday night! :)

Creighton turns 7 months old in 10 minutes...well technically I guess more like several hours but in 10 minutes it is June 3. Jackson turns 2 in like 21 days and that scares me. I can't believe he is two years old. I ordered his cake today. We are having a Bob the Builder party for him! I am excited about that! My babies arent so baby anymore. Jackson is getting so big and so helpful (most of the time) and Creighton is unbelievably older than she is in reality. She is doing so much and Jackson is talking more and more each day. He is really catching on to things too. He is so smart. He is very very into details and I can tell he will follow in my footsteps being a perfectionist...which I am sorry for him for that because although it might get him far and ahead it is a pain in the butt!

I turned 27 this past month too...and Jeff turns 28 next month....life is really moving fast. Sometimes the days last for an eternity, but the years go so very fast. So fast...

I miss my baby and my hubby tonight. I am so thankful for my mom and dad and their incredible hospitality and love. I am thankful for my family. I love my family. I love my life and I hate it that I don't always FEEL that....but right now, life is good. I am blessed, so very blessed.