Look at all those curls!!!
Garrett did an excellent job. He sat still on Daddy's lap as Dawn clipped away! (it helped that he had 2 cookies in his fists the entire time)
He liked to look in the mirror.
Final touches...
...and here's the finished product! (He's saying CHEESE in this pic) He's gone from a baby to a handsome young man. Awww...
(But he still has some curls for his mama!)
(I know, he should be wearing his Wranglers, and not Gap pants with his boots..but he still looks stinkin' cute!)
...but it turns out all the sweat & frustration was worth it! Garrett LOVES his new kitchen! He enjoys opening/closing the doors, and playing with the dishes. Plus - it's a corner-style, and fits right in our "real" kitchen! I don't think he really gets the concept of it being a kitchen like mommy's...but it keeps him busy, and that's all I need!
It's probably not considered good parenting to allow a 15-month-old to stand on the edge of a diaper box while you stand aside & take pictures...but, I'm sure it's not the first - nor last - poor judgment call this mommy will make!
Now he loves to look out the window. It's the first place he runs to when we get home each evening. Too cute. What's also cute is when he's on the lookout for Daddy's arrival at the end of the day. He's definitely a Daddy's Boy!
The temperature has been dropping here in Iowa. Some mornings it's been around 25 degrees when we head out. Garrett has been staying cozy in his new hat and jacket...
...but it's nice & warm inside. Garrett doesn't even think he needs pants! 
(Aunt Jodi & Uncle Jim: He LOVES his KU chair!!)
As some of you might be aware, Garrett has had fevers and ear infections off & on for the past few weeks. His doctor prescribed him 2 different liquid antibiotics that Garrett was determined NOT to take. So we had to get creative. We found that the best route to get his medicine in his tummy was chocolate pudding! It's not a treat I was planning to give him yet, but we were desperate. Garrett, as seen above, was very pleased! He LOVES his chocolate pudding, and he also loves to feed himself. 
Garrett LOVES being pulled around in his new wagon...
...and he loves to pull the wagon himself!
This wagon is not really meant for the rough terrain of our driveway...hopefully Garrett will be on Santa's "Nice" list & Santa has connections at the John Deere store, where they have a more rugged Green wagon!
Doesn't Garrett look like he's on a mission in this picture?
These past few weeks have been a bit chaotic for the Iowa Jacksons! Thankfully things are starting to slow down to a much more manageable pace.
Last weekend Garrett & I traveled to Kansas City for our annual crafting weekend we share with women from the Jackson/Orton families. He traveled MUCH better than I expected. NO Meltdowns! We stopped for lunch at the Iowa Welcome Center in Lamoni, IA. It’s not only a welcome center, but also has a great gift shop and a Maid Rite restaurant on site. I definitely recommend stopping by if you are near the IA/MO border on I-35! I let Garrett run around outside before heading out again. He enjoyed “petting” the metal cows on display.
It was such a beautiful weekend! We spent Saturday at the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin, Kansas. The weather was perfect, and the crafting was very good for this small Midwest town. I regret that I didn't take any pictures of the beautiful leaves on the trees. I did get to do more looking than I anticipated, as Grandma Jackson preferred to push Garrett in the stroller.
He wasn’t very interested in the crafting, but was a VERY good baby! No fussing whatsoever! I think his favorite part was the pulled pork slider he enjoyed for lunch...or was it the nap after lunch??
Saturday evening we enjoyed Aunt Ginger’s delicious soups, along with a tasty carrot cake served up to celebrate Aunt Pat’s upcoming 70th birthday! 
The fun evening became a bit scary, as Garrett woke up with a high fever. Grandma Jackson sprung into action and took care of her youngest grandson by rocking and soothing him to sleep. Aunt Ginger and Cousin Cheryl also helped out by making a late-evening run to pick up some ibuprofen. (After returning home to Iowa, Garrett saw his doctor and it turns out that his bout of fevers over the weekend was the result of an ear infection. After a few more days at home with Daddy and Mama, Garrett is happily back to daycare today to play with his friends.)
Grandma also enjoyed feeding Garrett...
Garrett enjoyed some play time with his cousin Colt. The two boys are still not too sure about each other…but I can see them getting into lots of mischief together in years to come! Below is Garrett, Grandma Jackson, Colt and his Grandma Peterson (our Aunt Ginger).
Garrett did VERY well on the ride home! I rewarded his good behavior with a pull-behind puppy we found at the Gordman's store in Des Moines. Below, he is trying to pull his puppy up onto the fireplace hearth.
After experiencing my first crafting weekend of the season I'm starting to feel some Christmas cheer coming on...I know it's early, but when I see the Christmas decorations for sale at the crafter's booths we walked by, and ornaments and decorations going up in the stores, I can't help but hum a little "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"!
