Cousins, Trikes, and Singing

Here we go! Some moments captured while Jacob and I vacationed in Illinois and a few since we've gotten back. We were able to spend a week and a half in Illinois and had a great time! Thank you everybody for your help with Jacob and to the girls for your patience in playing with him and for your best efforts in keeping him out of trouble! He's hard to keep up with but the girls know just how to handle him! It's amazing how Jacob seems to just pick up where he left off once we get to Illinois. The few months that have passed between our trips don't even occur to him. He behaves as though he's only been gone for a few days!

A little news since we've gotten home: Scott has been in the field steady getting everything seeded. The weather hasn't been too bad for it lately, just a few rain showers here and there which were minor obstacles considering the wet weather early this spring! The wheat is coming up and he'll finish beans today! YAY!! I was busy last week making wedding programs for friends of ours who were married on Saturday! Beautiful, fun wedding! And have also been able to spend some time working in the yard (my hostas and daylilies are coming up strong, Grandma!) Jacob has been busy as well. He's used the toilet three times in the past few days! It's a start, right!! He's also been able to be outside quite a bit while I've worked in the yard! We've had some perfect days lately for playing outside!

Now, we are anxious for the Illinoisan's vacationing season to begin. Our summer fills with friend and family visits and we can't wait! We're ready, everybody, come on up!

Thanks for checking in! God bless! Scott, Kim, and Jacob

Ella is the designated sweeper in the barn and also does very well at showing the heifers that she's the boss. She likes to point her finger and tell the heifers to be quiet or get moving!

One of Emma's 4-H heifers, Tina! Emma was so brave leading Tina!

I was so proud of her!

I really want to get a clothesline put up in our yard and I took these pictures to show Scott that a clothesline doubles as entertainment for Jacob!

Jacob couldn't get enough of the girls' tricycles.

He just couldn't quite figure out how to work the pedals!

While in Illinois we were able to celebrate Anna's seventh birthday with her.
I asked Anna what she wanted for her birthday and she quickly responded, "An umbrella!"

Colby and Aunt Kelly came up to visit!
Jacob loved, loved, loved Colby to pieces. She was smothered by his hugs, literally!
She's grown so much and is such a happy, smiley baby!
We can't wait to see her again soon!!

Speaking of happy, smiley babies!
This little chicky hardly stops smiling.
Aunt Kori and Amelia spent the majority of a week with us in Illinois!
Amelia is on the go and smiling the whole time!

All of the cousin clan except Colby.

Kendall came in from the deck one evening last week and said, "Umm, Kim, apparently somebody had a little too much fun in your yard last night!" I honestly thought we had gotten toilet papered or something! Not the case, I guess.

We had been getting after the dogs all day for barking at something but had no idea what it was.

I guess they found a woodchuck and weren't going to let it get away.

As for the beer bottle, hmm, guess woodchucks prefer beer!

So you don't think that I was ignoring all of you or just avoiding a post on the blog for the last week, here's a picture of the programs I was working on as soon as we got back from Illinois!

Jacob went to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Anderson on Saturday and there was a brand new trike that is just his size! He still hasn't figured out how to work the pedals very well, but has discovered that he can roll down the driveway pretty fast with these new wheels!
And yes, it was like 70-some degrees out yesterday but Jacob insisted on having a coat on. His cheeks were so red!

The following videos are from our trip down to Illinois. Jacob is such a great traveler and many ask me how he keeps entertained for 12 hours or more. We do have a DVD player, but the truth is we didn't even use it for the trip down. He usually colors, plays with his trains and tractors, sticks his stickers on everything, and loves to look out the window in search of tractors, cows, pigs, and barns.

Jacob has most recently started entertaining himself by singing. Lately he's taken up singing around the house while he's playing or even eating. We can't always make out what tune he's attempting but he knows and I guess that's all that matters.

On our trip to Illinois we spent a good hour or two singing a few select favorites of Jacob's. The number one choice being, "Lady's Choice" from the "Hairspray" soundtrack. Coming in second would have to either be "The Veggie Tales Theme Song" or "Voulez Vous" from the "Mamma Mia" soundtrack (he likes the "Aha, Aha" in that song).

The first video is definitely not Jacob's best performance. He was getting tired, started rubbing his eyes, and his finger discovered somewhere else to go on his face! Classy, I know!

The second video is extremely long (I forgot the camera on), and loud. But Jacob shows off some of his dance moves as well as his singing!