Top 10 reasons why my husband rocks...

I use this blog mostly to document what's going on with the boys since it started as a way for out of town family to read and see updates, but I'd like to start using it to do some writing just for fun. My husband hasn't gotten a lot of "blog love" and I'd like to change that. Here is my Top 10 list for Alan.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

10. His love for all egg-shaped chocolate. Alan can pass up candy any time of the year UNLESS it's a Cadbury creme egg or a Reeses egg. As soon as they enter the stores (usually January), I know that Alan cannot enter the grocery store with out returning with one of these suckers. Don't ask me why, but I find this particular weakness of his endearing.

From Feb/March

9. His passion for his job. Alan spent the first five years of our marriage on Young Life staff and it was amazing to see what he did. He cared so much about the high school kids, leaders, and committee that he worked with and went far above and beyond what was required of him. He is currently in his third year of teaching high school English and he once again is giving it his all. We've ran into his students and they are quick to inform me that "Mr.Janney was my favorite teacher EVER!" He leaves his classroom open at lunch to students who come and play Backgammon or Chess or just hang out to have a "safe place" to eat lunch. He tutors students when he doesn't have to and is helping out with the baseball team. He truly exemplifies Collosians 3:23 to me "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

8. His movie star good looks. Ever heard of a certain movie star named Jimmy Kimmel? Okay, so he's actually a comedian/late show host, but close enough. Alan STRONGLY resembles Jimmy. He also gets Jack Black and Shane West. By the way, I think Jack Black was sort of adorable in "The Holiday" but Alan's way cuter than him. All in all, he's a hottie.

From Feb/March

7. Wonderful sense of humor. Alan is very funny. You might not realize it if you're just meeting him because he's not the kind of person who tries to draw attention to himself, but if you get to know him, he's very funny. His humor doesn't always translate, though. Like when he attended a celebration dinner with me at the end of a bible study that was put on by a bunch of older Baptist women and said something along the lines of, "I really appreciate what you ladies did for Sarah. She doesn't cuss or get drunk nearly as much as she used to." Lovely.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

6. Love of Literature and Writing. Alan is a reader. He is usually reading 2 or 3 books at a time. He challenges me to read beyond by favorite genre (the very intellectually stimulating Chick Lit) and read non-fiction, classics, and spiritual books. He's also an amazing writer. It's effortless for him and I am confident that he will be a published author some day.

From Feb/March

5. His Family. When we got married, I gained a really great set of in-laws. They are wonderful people and we get to spend a lot of time with them and go on awesome vacations together! I also love the way he loves and respects his parents and his little sister. It's a wonderful trait.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

4. His love for my family. Alan truly loves my parents and my three sisters. He encourages them to visit often and for as long as possible and gets really excited when they do visit. His New Year's resolution last year was "What would Teresa do?" (my mom).

From sept/oct

3. Amazing Father. When we were in college, Alan told me he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted kids so I immediately crossed him off my 'potential husband' list. He ended up coming around but I still wasn't sure what he'd be like as a dad. When Jackson was born, Alan amazed me. He is a truly incredible dad. It came so naturally to him. He is loving, kind, firm, thoughtful, affectionate, and playful. He delights in his children and that delights me to no end.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

2. Awesome husband. When Alan asked my Dad if he could marry me, my Dad said "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Thanks, Dad. However, it was a legitimate question. I was only 21 when we got married and I had a LOT of growing up to do. The stories from our first couple years of marriage are epic. There may or may not have been an incident where I threw a phone book at his head. We are coming up on eight years of marriage and I love him so much more now then I did then. He is so loving and thoughtful to me. He is forgiving and encouraging. He is constantly reading books on marriage and trying to improve himself. I feel so blessed that I am married to such a good man.

From Feb/March

1. His Faith. Alan loves Jesus. I love that he lives his faith out quietly but with integrity. He doesn't need to wear Christian shirts (for which I am grateful since I think they are atrocious-sorry!) or write out his prayers for the world to see on Facebook. He lives his faith out in all the ways that are listed above and I find it to be genuine and real. I recently read this great quote by Donald Miller, "I’ve also found that the more I trust in Christ’s redemption to be sufficient, the less overtly religious I am." I think that is very true of Alan.

From Feb/March

I really could make a much longer list of reasons that I think Alan rocks, but I'll stick to 10. =) If you are reading this and are a married blogger I'd love to hear your top 10 list. If you are a single blogger I'd love to hear your top 10 list you look for in a boyfriend/husband...or top 10 list of things to avoid. ;-)

9 months...

Oh, Chase. You have been pretty much a perfect baby. You are snuggly, sweet, easy-going, a good sleeper (in general), a good...er...maybe passionate is a better word, eater. You smile and laugh frequently. You have been such a wonderful addition to our family for the last 9 months.

From Feb/March

You love to flirt with people by pretending to be shy and hiding you head and then craning your neck around to give them a big smile. You are a huge hit with the senior citizen crowd on Senior discount Tuesdays at Kroger. It makes for long shopping trips since they usually insist on holding a conversation solely with you...and you don't talk.

You are silly and you are a little clumsy. Well, you are actually a LOT clumsy. You face plant at least once a day while crawling and now that you are pulling up unto things, you constantly have some type of bump or bruise on you. You always recover quickly and then usually do the same thing that you just got hurt doing. From Feb/March You ADORE your brother. You follow him around. You try to eat his food (and succeed sometimes- you took a big bite out of Jackson's blueberry muffin the other day much to his horror). You play with his toys (he's less than thrilled that you chew on all of his cars, but I think it's endearing). You two hold hands in the car on road trips and laugh together as Jackson plays peek-a-boo with you.

From Feb/March

From Feb/March

You are becoming quite the mover. If you see something you want, you get there FAST! For a long time you were content sitting in one spot playing with toys but now you are constantly finding new things to look at and explore. You love pulling all the DVDs out of the entertainment center and chewing on them.

From Feb/March

And you have a laugh that could melt any heart (sorry, it's sideways):

My favorite three little boys...

Hi blogging world. Well, spring is almost here which means I'm going to come out of my (self-diagnosed) seasonal depression and start blogging again. =) This winter has been EPIC! So cold, so snowy, and SOOOOOOOOOO long. But it's been good, too. Lots of fun moments with my hilarious three year old and my snuggly 9 month old and my wonderful, wonderful husband.
My most recent trip home the weekend before last ended with a visit on the way home to see my sister, Anne and my precious nephew, Luke! He's coming up on 15 months old and cute beyond words. The boys are so funny together. Chase just watches everything. Luke sort of cares about the other two but is more into trying out his new running skills. Jackson just wants to tell both boys what to do.

Here are the three boys on a ladybug. This picture is for their Gigi. She is such a normal lady...until she sees a ladybug. She may or may not believe that Grandma (who is in heaven) communicates to her through ladybugs. ;-)

From Feb/March

They totally adore one another. Sometimes a little too much. Like when Jackson's little friend he met on the playground came and gently put an arm around Chase. Jackson came charging at him with his hands on his hips and with a FIERCE expression said, "HEY! That's MINE!" Yes, he referred to his younger brother as "mine." Lovely.

From Feb/March

Chase is trying to hold Luke back. These two are about 5 months apart and will end out being in the same grade at school which is hard to believe. Sometimes Chase likes to remind Luke of that when Luke is acting too grown up for his taste.

From Feb/March

Pictures really can't do justice to Luke's amazing personality. He is so funny and adorable!

From Feb/March

Oh, just two cousins talking about life.

From Feb/March

I promise to make more of an effort to be a regular blogger again. So no more lectures, people. My Dad even offered at one point to update my blog on my behalf. That would have been interesting. ;-)

Blizzard of 2009!

We left a day early for my parent's house over Christmas break and JUST beat the snow storm! Alan kept saying he could see it in our rear view mirror the whole drive up. It was EPIC. I grew up in Texas where snow flakes were very few and far between. So the 30 inches of snow we got was definitely the most I had ever seen! It was beautiful and we had so much fun sledding and making snow angels and playing in the snow. Pictures are all courtesy of my mom! =)

From December

From December

From December

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From December

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From December

Things I don't want to Forget.

From November

Sometimes it's easy to daydream about when my boys get older. Sleeping 8 hours uninterrupted if I choose. No diapers. Independent nose wipers. Things like that.
But there are other times when I want to freeze time. When I'm snuggling with Jackson and reading him books before he goes to sleep and he gives me that sweet smile that melts my heart. When I'm rocking Chase in the middle of the night and he smiles up at me looking through his sleepy eyes.

From November

I want to remember Jackson’s slightly chubby arms wrapped around my neck when he gives me hugs. How every night he asks me to rest with him and giggles like crazy when I snuggle next to him for a few minutes talking about our day and making up stories for each other. The way he tilts his head to the side and asks quite seriously “How you doing, Mom?” The way he pats my shoulder when he can tell I’m grumpy or sad and says “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll take care of you.” How often he says "I love you."

From November

The way he asks to be wrapped up in his towel 'like a baby' after his baths even though he insists he’s a ‘big boy’ the rest of the time. The way he tickles Chase and they laugh together. I know that before too long he won't ask me in the middle of the mall "can I have a hug, mom?" like he did today. I know that he won't stop me in the canned foods aisle at the grocery store and pat my hand and say "I love you sooooo much."

From November

I want to remember Chase’s sweet gummy smiles that will be turning into toothy smiles so soon. The way he watches me while he eats with his big, beautiful eyes and his long lashes. How he’ll pull back and just smile at me adoringly. The way his eyes follow Jackson and how quick he is to smile as soon as Jackson smiles. How he cranes his neck all around the room when he hears Jackson’s voice.

From November

His INCREDIBLE laugh. The way he sometimes snuggles into my shoulder or my chest when he’s really sleepy and sighs. The peace he emits when he’s falling asleep and his eyes close ever so slowly with longer and longer blinks. The way he slaps his arm up and down smacking my arm when I’m trying to sleep and he wants me to wake up. It’s his ‘pay attention to me!’ slap.

From November

So I want to remember, cherish, and hold on to these moments as they pass because I know there will be good and bad with each stage of life. And there is so much good right now. I don't want to be one of those people who dwells on the past and talks about how much I miss the baby stage. I want to enjoy my boys every day. Even when Jackson makes his favorite 'mean face'.

From November

Even when there are diapers to change. Even when there are fights. Even when they are teenagers. Oh please,do not let them act like I did as a teenager. =)
Thank you, God for every day you give me with these precious boys.

Fall is Here!

From November

It's FALL in Virginia! This season is stunning. The mountains become rainbows of colors as the trees shift to crimsons, gold, orange, etc. I always find fall a little bittersweet. It means Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. It means the possibility of snow days with my husband. But it also means winter and everything that entails. Brr. I just shivered thinking of it even though today was 75 and sunny. We've been taking lots of long walks now that the mosquitoes have met their fate (YES- score one point for fall!)

From November

Jackson loves running through the leaves and jumping into big piles of them and throwing them at people.

From November

Alan has started doing "night walks" with Jackson. Since it gets dark now at 5:30 (BOO. -1 point from Fall) the after dinner walks involve flashlights. They go out on their adventures and Jackson thinks this is the coolest idea ever. We live in a relatively safe neighborhood. Good schools, the majority of the houses are kept up well, typical middle class neighborhood. I have noticed that on both of my running/walking routes there is at least one building with some not so pleasant "BLOOD" graffiti. Yep, as in the gang. I always carry pepper spray no matter where I am (except for the airport- they took mine away last time I brought it there). My neighbor down the street had her car stolen from her parking space which is pretty much in her back yard a couple nights ago. She had left her keys in her diaper bag and someone thought they hit the jackpot. Fortunately her husband was able to recover it soon after. So needless to say, I always tell Alan to be careful on his night walks. I also ask him to bring my pepper spray since bringing my .22 pistol isn't the best idea with a toddler in tow.
Tonight he came home and I asked him if he saw any gangs.
He said no, but he did see a guy with a giant gun get out of his truck and walk towards them.
I laughed.
He said no, seriously.
I said what the heck?
He said the dude was all in camo (it's the first day of hunting here) and he turned the corner and went into his house before he got really close to Alan and Jackson.
Lovely.

Jackson's Latest Tricks...

These are some of Jackson's new party tricks on display. ;-)
Here he is being 'interviewed' and singing (a short version of) the song "Hit the Road Jack" which he thinks was written for him. Much like I though Carly Simon wrote "You're so Vain" for me when I was growing up because my mom told me it was. What? I loved mirrors. And yes, that is his incredible falsetto he is using while singing "What you say?" at the end.


This is Jackson reciting the books of the Old Testament that he's been learning at preschool. Last week I picked him up from preschool and saw on his daily report that he knew the books of the bible through Ezra. I couldn't imagine he actually did since I didn't even know he had been learning them but I asked him and sure enough, he recited them perfectly. He asked me to help him with what came next when he got to Ezra and I had no idea. My husband thought that was hilarious. I guess those of us educated in public schools somehow missed the memorizing the OT unit. I know my New Testament! =)


And we conclude with Jackson singing the song, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." I didn't know he knew this song either until one day he was sitting next to me playing cars and singing this song. I love the way he sings the word 'follow'. Melts my heart.

Visting Alan at Work...

We had never seen Alan's school before so we decided to go by and visit him on a teacher's work day when we met him for lunch. The high school he works at is beautiful. It's huge and it's spread out into several campuses but the original building is very picturesque! Jackson was in awe of the whole experience. I think it's fun for him to be able to picture in his head where Alan goes to work everyday.
I decided to put Chase in his bear suit. Alan has mentioned that some of his fellow teachers are more dog people than they are kid people. I figured this way I could trick the animal lovers into liking Chase and the baby lovers would just think he looked extra cuddly. It totally worked, I think. =)

From sept/oct

Jackson checked out some of the reading material. He thinks Ray Bradbury is overrated (much like his mother does).

From sept/oct

Chase was in a great mood the whole time. He was smiling and cooing and saying Dadadadada- his latest trick. I think he was excited to see Alan in the middle of the day!

From sept/oct

Here are my three boys together.

From sept/oct

I think Jackson wants to be a teacher. He made me sit at a desk and he handed me a piece of paper and a pencil and told me not to write on my desk. Then he decided to draw on the white board and told me to draw the same thing and spent the next 5 minutes telling me how I didn't do it right. Sigh. School is hard. =)

Who's a Month Behind?

I'm a month behind. Luckily, Oktoberfest seems like it should take place in October. I'm not sure why, something about the name perhaps? It actually took place in Montclair mid-September but we'll pretend this was October so I won't feel so far behind. Kay, thanks? Most families regard holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving as the big holidays. In the Blecksmith family, we love holidays. ALL holidays. We love to celebrate! This includes the celebration of all things German known as Oktoberfest. After all, what says holiday more than a petting zoo, pony rides, a bouncey house, beer, and bratwurst!? So the WHOLE family came from all over the state- Richmond, Blacksburg, Roanoke, and Harrisonburg and came 'home' to Montclair. Home to our mom and dad:

From sept/oct

Sigh. I love them so. =)
Before we left, Dad took Luke and Jackson around the block by pulling them in his bike trailer. Jackson thought it was pretty awesome. Luke had some concerns.

From sept/oct

From sept/oct

Please note the cousins holding hands! Love it.

Here we are getting ready to walk to the beach at the lake where the festivities are occurring. We look perky and all-american.

From sept/oct

Here we are walking to the lake. We look bad A and gang-like.

From sept/oct

And here is Jackson's face upon arriving. Oh, to have the enthusiasm of a three year old every day.

From sept/oct

And here is Jackson being a cowboy on his noble steed, Lucky the Pony.

From sept/oct

And here is Chase looking a little less enthusiastic about the festivities.

From sept/oct

Here is my adorable nephew Luke with his Gpa.

From sept/oct

And the WHOLE family:

From sept/oct

Another successful Oktoberfest for the Blecksmith/Janney/Pierson family.

Baby Chase Laughing

Does it get much better than a smiling, laughing, chubby baby in a diaper!?! I sure don't think so.