a day in olympia

A few weeks ago we decided we would celebrate Shawn's birthday! (Remember how we spent that day working, packing, and loading the truck?) First thing on our agenda was breakfast. Jackson is such a little helper! He always wants to help with everything we do.

Touching raw bacon? Gross, right? His face says it all!

PS. Do you like our small kitchen??? So do we. :) It brings back great memories of our days at Wymount! At least our oven is a little bigger now. Barely.

We spent the rest of the day in Olympia. It was such a beautiful day! It was perfect. We went to the State Capital building. It was amazing to be there and go inside. It always makes me want to be involved with government or something when I'm in a building like the State Capitol. It's just cool to think of all that has been discussed and taken place in those buildings. Anyway, here it is up close. Not the greatest lighting.

Here it is from across the lake. Better. Much better.


Jackson had fun and he especially liked the stairs. Hope we weren't too disruptive! ;)




What? Jackson IS "Authorized Personnel".

The grounds were soooo beautiful. I say this all the time, but I just can't wait for spring and summer. I just know everything will be so much more beautiful. We'll have to go back to the State Capitol again because I have to see it with all the flowers in bloom. It will be amazing! Jackson liked saying "hello" to everyone we passed. He even played peek-a-boo with a few people.


We loved this monument. I wish the first picture would have turned out better.





Ok, so just north of the Capitol is this BEAUTIFUL area ...

Jackson liked it too! He was so excited! Shawn and I LOVE this picture of him! It just captures all of his crazy excitement! Can't you just hear his little laugh when you look at it?

There is a switch-back trail on the hill that we walked to go down to the water. It was so refreshing, beautiful, and new to us. We loved it!

When we got to the bottom, we took this short little walk-way that brought us closer to the water.

Jackson thought it was so fun! He was running around and around and around ...



... until he fell down from laughing so hard!

After our time at the Capitol, we were all ready for Jackson to take a nap. :)

Shawn and I went on an amazing drive while he slept. It was soooooo beautiful! We fell in love with that city! We decided that day that if we ever move to WA ... permanently ... Olympia is where you'd find us.



Pictures never do anything justice, right?! We found some great parks and some really beautiful areas that we will definitely be going back to when Jackson is awake AND when it's summer time. I would go on that drive again. Definitely. It renewed our crazy-desire to live in a house on a lake. My goodness, those people are LUCKY!

We ended the day going to Cabela's and out to dinner. It was the best day!!

A few nights later we had birthday cake and ice cream. Jackson helped me decorate the cake, of course.

Look at how proud he is of helping me. I love his face!

Make a wish, Shawn! Oh, ... and Jackson!

nursery

Jackson LOVES going to his nursery class at church! He absolutely LOVES it! He even talks about it during the week. (A lot!) He loves his teacher and his "new friends", as he calls them. He SO looks forward to going. During the last song in sacrament meeting he is practically dancing around because he's so excited. Once we get to the nursery door, he doesn't even look back at us once. It's like Mama and Dadda don't exist in his little world anymore. It's all about nursery! It's been like that ever since our first week here. We're actually glad! We're thrilled that he loves it so much. The teacher is AMAZING. I loved her from week one because she was so cute with our Jackson. Shawn and I always want to walk by his class just so we can get a little peek at our boy. He is always having so much fun in there! BUT at the end of church when we go pick him up, he is always excited to see us. We exist again! YAY!

Shawn and I love to see Jackson's pictures that he colors in nursery each week. They are the best and always make us laugh. Jack is so proud when he shows us his pictures. It's adorable. Here is the one he did in nursery yesterday.
FRONT...

BACK...

That's some serious coloring right there, my friends! I love it! I could stare at his pictures all day! We love Jack so much! We're so glad he is OURS!

twilight

i just finished watching twilight.



disclaimer: i do like the books and the movies but i'm not crazy-crazy about it all. seriously. my favorite thing about the whole twilight series is the movie soundtracks. i LOVE the music! oh, and i love bella's dad AND mike newton. that guy is hilarious in the movies. you can't not like him. haha!

anyway, ever since being in washington i keep thinking about the twilight movies. i have to admit that i'm a little embarrassed about it. but i just haven't been able to get it out of my mind ... all because of forks! and now i'm in washington! i don't know! so. i checked twilight out from the library and ... OH. MY. GOSH. it is sooooooooooo washington! after watching part of it one day i made shawn watch the beginning with me just because it is SO washington. it's amazing! i know, i know, they filmed it here. i know. but i was still amazed.

so. if you're ever wondering what washington looks like, just watch twilight.



i do like twilight enough that i want to go visit forks while i'm here. but it has to be with someone i can just laugh about everything with. no one too serious and into all of it, you know? julie, when you comin' girl??? edward is waiting. ;)