The Graham Family: Graham Family Update

I really haven't really written a good whole family update recently, and there's so much I want to remember and look back on for this time in our life. So, for journaling purposes, here is what ALL of us are up to these days:

John:

This guy is busy busy, but as wonderful and as big a help as ever. Work is going well over at Vestas- they just moved to a bigger, remodeled building this week over in the Pearl District and the new building sounds awesome! They now have a gym, showers, a quiet library/study center and his little tax department ended up on the top floor in a great location with glass windows! It's been a nice change of view for him. Twice a week John gets into work extra early so he can be home early enough (especially since he has been taking the max again lately) to be there in time for Tball with Jackson. He is the coach of their cute little Tball team of 11 kids ages 4-7. They are the Gold team, and Jackson just loves having his dad be the coach. Luckily lots of the parents have been there at practices to help out and the games have been a blast! It's been really fun to see John in this role... something he's looked forward to since before we even knew we were having a boy. He is so patient with all the kids and of course his love of sports and coaching really shines through.

Besides Tball, John is also still actively involved in his running group and slimming down more and more as they are starting to focus on getting ready for the Hood to Coast Relay race coming up this summer! This year he gets to be a part of the ward team and is really looking forward to running with them! One more thing, John recently got called to be in the Young Men's and also a part of the scouting program (I think they said it was called the Varsity Coach Leader or something like that... I'm not that familiar with scouting yet!). He is very excited about this and has already spent tons of time researching and coming up with a bunch of camping/high adventure trips to do with the boys. The youth love him too already and are excited to have him!

Steph:

I am also very busy these days! I am a stay at home mommy that also works lots of hours at home, which is time consuming and very tiring at times, especially while being pregnant! There is no rest for the weary here. My days consist of running the apartments (which can be A LOT of work at times, but I did manage to get a raise recently for working so hard! yay!), taking the boys to swim lessons and sports practices, looking up new ideas for preschool, teaching preschool and sometimes taking them on field trips, and until recently also was always very involved in the young women's program! All this on top of trying to grow a healthy baby girl while trying not to throw up and overdo it/ putting myself into premature labor. It's been tiring, but also very satisfying to be so involved in so many good things! It was extremely difficult to be released from young women's, especially just two months before most of my laurels graduated, but I know its John's time to be in YM's and my turn to be the supportive spouse at home while he's off at mutual and camp trips and preparing lessons. The Sunday I was released was extremely emotional for me and the girls.... we've spent so much time together and I truly have come to love all of them! It's really difficult to just have to let go then and there.... no 2 week notice or anything, but I do plan on still participating in some of their graduation activities! I am also excited because they put me in the primary in Jackson's class! I love primary and singing the songs and getting to see what my boys are up to and learning about each Sunday. I am really excited to be in there!!

Mr. Action Jackson:

This kid is getting so smart and so big!! He is still as sweet as ever, always complimenting others and is such a great friend. He LOVES to help out at home with everything. We recently made some super cute chore charts where the boys flip over the picture after they do the chore and get to add some beans into a jar for every chore completed. Once we fill the jar as a family we will do something fun like get some ice cream or bowling, etc. Jackson has taken this in full stride. He wakes up excited to get his chores done... no joke! He's always asking what more he can do.

Jackson is still as ever into sports and it's been so much fun to watch him and support him. He is in the big kid swim class (some of the other kids are 3-5 years older than he is!) and continues to be a little fish in the water. He is mastering all the different strokes and loves working on his diving in the deep end. Tball has been really exciting for him as well.... it's the first time he's been on a team for any sport and he has really loved making new friends and wearing his uniform. He wears his team hat just about everyday, loves his games, and usually hits a big hit out to the outfield with the coach (aka John/Daddy) pitching- so no Tee needed for him!

Jackson also loves to draw. He is really good at it too! He definitely gets that from his Dad. He spends most of his free time drawing star wars characters and ships. He has also been working really hard in preschool, writes his first and last name like a pro, love counting past one hundred and doing addition problems, and recently memorized our address as well as our phone number! He is one kid that really gets the whole "you can achieve anything you set your mind too". With both whistling and snapping his fingers he really wanted to learn how, so I told him how and said it takes a lot of practice too. So, in true Jackson form, he practiced and practiced over and over until now he can snap and whistle no problem! And he is so proud of himself! I love seeing him accomplish things on his own!!

Mr. Bear:

Baron is also getting super smart and so big. I wish sometimes he would slow down!! He has learned how to spell his name verbally, can recognize all the letters in his name and just recently mastered writing B, A and O and is pretty close to getting the R and N down too for his name!! I'm so proud of him! He loves participating in preschool with us and loves trying to be just like the big kids. He has been getting more into drawing lately too and I love to see his huge headed stick figures. :) One more thing, he also now knows my phone number by heart... Jackson decided after he mastered it to teach it to Baron, and sure enough, Baron got it down and will tell it to me all the time! I was shocked he actually got it down so fast!

This kid is also very coordinated like his brother, and also has a lot of natural strength.... He is amazing when it comes to jungle gyms and hanging on the monkey bars.... he can hang on forever! And you teach him how to do a sport once and he goes out and does it like a pro. It's a lot of fun to watch. He just gets it. The other day we were at the park and let the boys hit off the Tee, and Baron was a natural! It was great! He also really enjoys soccer... John built them a little goal out of PVC pipes and he loves scoring goals. John came home from his morning running club the other day to the boys having a full on soccer match in our hallway at 6:45am. Baron is also getting really into swimming. He had his first official swim lessons this last month and just loved them. His favorite is doing "steamboats" from the wall out to someone going a good 10-15 feet out. He also loves floating on his back and jumping way out into the water off the wall by himself.

Bear is still a little sweetheart and also has the cutest humor. Him and John have the best staring contests all the time in which they both furrow their brows further and further and Bear can keep that straight face forever! He is always making us laugh. He loves to be tickled and chased and is always making funny faces. He is daddy's buddy through and through. He always has to be sitting by him, on his lap or on his shoulders and even sometimes accidentally calls me Daddy when Dad's at work. It's pretty cute.

Baby Mo:

This little girl so far is looking like she will have no problem keeping up with her brothers. She is a non-stop mover.... meaning I get just about no sleep. John and I will lay in bed and just watch my belly do the wave over and over. She is crazy active, just like Jackson was while in me. We are thinking she just might have his big feet as well. It will be so much fun to see in about 5-7 weeks!! I am SO ready to be done being pregnant, and even more excited to finally just get to have her here safely in my arms. I have recently begun nesting like crazy and taking on all kinds of cleaning, reorganizing projects. I love it. I definitely have my own mother's love for a clean and organized home! The boys are also greatly looking forward to the baby finally being here and love to feel her kick. It makes them laugh so hard and immediately start planning out the star wars games they can play with her. It makes me so happy. We all just CANNOT WAIT for July!!

That's about it for now! Enjoy some recent pictures I found on the camera!

Is there anything cuter than a little boy in a baseball hat??

One day for preschool field trip we took the boys to this really pretty duck pond area behind the Hillsboro library. They had made milk carton boats and wanted to go sail them, and also feed the ducks of course. It was a beautiful and very fun day!