I have let myself get behind in posting to the blog...so today I've posted pictures of fun times and memories made over the past few months...
Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Day

(For some reason this post got mixed in with the Christmas posts & I have not figured out how to move it down...so keep on reading after this one!)

We spent Thanksgiving Day at Uncle Pete and Aunt Ginger's home in Olathe with the Orton side of the family. I didn't take many snapshots on this day - but I did get some pics of the boys running around the backyard. Uncle Dave joined us & had fun pitching the ball to Garrett before dinner.

Garrett is pretty good at keeping his eye on the ball!

Garrett Loves his Uncle Dave!

Christmas 2012

We hope all of our followers had a Very Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday Season!

Steve and I both commented that this year really feels like Christmas - mostly, I think, because we were able to wake up in our own home and enjoy Christmas morning with the boys. In years past, we have traveled across the country to visit family - but this year we didn't travel more than 30 miles beyond our front door...and we were still able to see nearly our entire immediate family! Another indication that our move to Kansas was a move in the right direction!

We were fortunate to enjoy three different Christmases this year:
On December 25, we spent the morning at home, and then loaded up and spent the afternoon at Grandma Jackson's house.

Reece's Santa Wish Fulfilled: a vacuum that not only makes very realistic "vacuum" sounds - but also sings and talks!

Garrett's Santa Wish Fulfilled: a fire truck & police car - also complete with very realistic sounds.
(I don't know what Santa was thinking with all the noisy toys!)

Garrett enjoyed helping Daddy & Mama open our gifts. Check out the tired little boy on the right!

Garrett & his new bull. They look pretty tough, don't they?

The Saturday after Christmas, 23 of the immediate Jackson's gathered at Grandma Jackson's home. Only 1 member was missing - our nephew, Brendan, who is in Costa Rica doing service for the Peace Corps.

While waiting for dinner, Garrett and cousin, Courtney, worked on a puzzle together.

Reece & Aunt Donna

More presents!

Jake, of Jake and the Neverland Pirates, made quite a few appearances this Christmas - including on this talking spy scope.

Ahoy, Daddy!

Uncle Billy attempted to help a very independent Reece with one of our favorite desserts: Grandma Jackson's Cherry Pie!

My mom and brother, Dave, also joined us for our third VandeBerg Christmas! Unfortunately I was sick with the flu for much of the time my brother was here, so I didn't get many pictures of this Christmas...but I did catch a few highlights!

Both boys love their new chairs from Nana. (Mama & Daddy have both been guilty of lounging in them too!)

Yee Haw! Cowboy Reece on Garrett's bull, wearing the bull rider's vest Nana made.

Garrett's chair is also the perfect spot to play with his new "Kindle" (aka Innotab Tablet that he says is just like Mama's Kindle)

We feel blessed that throughout the holiday season we were able to enjoy: three Christmases with family, many joyful memories, two happy boys, some illness, some snowflakes, and lots of good food. We look forward to some more changes to come in 2013 - and many, many more happy memories to be made!

Uncle Darren's Farm

On the day we celebrated Christmas with the Jackson's, we took a time out to Uncle Darren's farm to check out the goats & other animals.

Steve, the boys, and cousin Cambry checking out the goats eating hay.

PEEK!

Garrett attempted to feed the goats.

Snowy Day

On the first day of measurable snow, the boys, Nana, and I all bundled up and headed outdoors to play!

Garrett couldn't wait to make a snow angel. We had just enough snow to make a decent angel. He also enjoyed catching snowflakes on his tongue at the same time!

Reece was excited to run around in the falling snow!

Garrett enjoyed viewing the snowflakes from inside the cabin.

Mama & Reece - he stayed still just long enough for this picture...

...and then he was off running again

Grandma Nana and Garrett made snowmen on our snow-covered grill. Don't they both look proud.

Winter Break Fun

I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to spend a great deal of time home with my family during the holidays. The boys and I spent lots of quality time together doing projects, playing, and laughing together. I Am Blessed!

We did various art projects during the time that I was home with the boys. Garrett enjoyed playing with a new stamp set from his teacher at daycare - and Reece had fun "painting" with his paint brushes!

Garrett has become quite the puzzle-master! A new favorite past-time.

(As you can see...we spent a lot of time in our pj's too!)

CHEESE!!

 

Both boys received an abundance of new toys for Christmas. However, the boxes the gifts came in were the most-played-with! Typical kids!

Daddy & his boys...

Daddy & Garrett looking at a rodeo website. Yee Haw!

Daddy & Reece "riding" the stick bull at Grandma Jackson's house.

Veteran's Day Parade 2012

Aunt Jan & Grandma Jackson invited the boys and me to join them today at the Veteran's Day Parade in El Dorado. Since Steve had to work today it was the perfect opportunity for us to get out of the house. An added bonus was that Cousins D.J. & Makenzie joined us too! It was an extremely windy day. The fall leaves were blowing all around us, and I was nervous that Reece would blow over in the wind! But overall we had a fun outing.

Waiting patiently for the parade to start...with goldfish crackers in hand!

The boys with cousins D.J. & Makenzie. We had the perfect spot to view the parade!

Check out Rosalia's new Pink Camo Tanker

Yay! The El Dorado Fire Trucks! Looks like Reece is about to blow away!



Garrett loved waving his new flag...showing his pride in the Red, White, & Blue!