The Jackson Five

Photo Book

2011-08-24T20:05:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Really...another blog entry

2011-01-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

Really, this is my 2nd blog entry within a week! I know that you are thrilled to be reading it! I weighed in at Weight Watchers tonight and lost 3.2 pounds. I am very pleased with 3.2 pounds and have worked hard this week. Hopefully this next week will go well.
I'm also pleased to announce that our family has gone another week without dining out!
Tyler is sick-- coughing his head off and just dragging around. Normally the rule is "no fever, you are headed to school", but his class is benchmarking this week. If you could hear him, you'd understand how difficult it might be for his classmates to focus with him in the room. I'm doing them all a favor and allowing him to stay at home tomorrow.
So, if you are reading this, please leave a comment. I blog for myself, but it is sure nice to know that there is at least one soul out there that takes the time to read it!

Completely Out of Touch!

2011-01-22T21:55:00.001-08:00

So, it has really been a year since I have last added anything to my blog. Hard to believe! I want to be better about keeping up with it this year. I have decided that I just put too much thought into it- I want to always have something witty to say or something that will have you ROTFL, but I don't. If you want to have that, then check out my sis-in-law's blog at www.planetlinson.blogspot.com I'll just put that pressure on her! She won't let you down; she's always got something great to say.
So, for my own blog, I've decided I need a place to talk about life. 2011 is our year. Chris and I are making some changes to make our lives better. We are trying to make lifestyle changes that will have a positive impact** on our family in the long run.
I've also decided that I am going to use this space to post great recipes that I've tried and think that you should have. I'm learning some ways to make cooking for my family easier and might pass along some things I've learned. As of this post, we have not eaten out in 25 days. If you know my family, you know that is a huge accomplishment for us. It is part of the **above. I will admit that Kin and I did eat out when we went to San Antonio, but other than that- not a single restaurant.
I'm also going to want to talk about losing weight. Are you up for that? I need someone to know how freakin' hard I'm working on getting this weight off. I need someone to tell me how fan-friggin-tastic it is that I've been getting up at 4:40AM and running 3 days a week (thank you April!). And yes, I need you to tell me what a terrific job I'm doing even when I admit to carrying the bag of Oreos to bed with me!
I also want a place to brag about my kids. This is great for you too because now you don't have to worry about seeming rude when you want to walk away instead of listening to me ramble about KKT. I'll never know if you just close my page. Well on second thought, it just might track that in the Stats feature, so you better just read it to avoid an awkward conversation the next time I see you! :)
I will post pictures soon and I will be better at blogging this year. Stay tuned for more episodes.

+++++++++++++Got Braces?

2010-01-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day at our house. Kayden got braces. Now I know that this is a very routine procedure and it happens to many children, but this is my baby girl! She was pretty excited about it (except for some little **** kid at school who convinced her that standard operating procedure for the correct installation of braces was to drill holes in all of your teeth!)> I was a the one that was nervous. I was amazed at how easily they went on and how quickly. Really, I think that I wanted more for my money, but was glad for her that it was practically painless (at least for today). Here are a few before and after shots. Really she is only 8 years old! I promise! I was there when she was born!

2009-12-28T20:20:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Chris' Family

2009-11-17T17:48:00.001-08:00

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------------------SHE DID IT!

2009-08-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Brandi

2009-07-13T11:58:00.001-07:00

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.....................No words necessary...

2009-07-08T19:38:00.001-07:00

MY LITTLE BROWN HEADED DAUGHTER

2009-07-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Check out her sassy new hair cut!

I am happy to announce that my daughter chose a bike ride with Mommy and Daddy over spending the night at Nana's. For those of you who know my child, you know that this is a big deal. I am looking forward to spending 18 hours with her by herself. The first thing we did was go for a bike ride- we rode almost 3 miles and she kept up with zero complaining. Tomorrow she wants to go for breakfast (she gets up by 6am or 6:30am) and we will see what the rest of the day brings!

Here's to you Davis!

2009-07-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Davis, we tried to call yesterday, but I know that you were busy celebrating. I mean 7 is a big one after all.
Pretend that we are with you instead of staring at you in a picture...
Here it goes...
uummm, hhmmm, okay, we were clearing our throats. Now we are ready.
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Davis. Happy Birthday to you.

Well really we sang Happy birthday to you. Cha, cha, cha. Happy Birthday to you. Cha, cha, cha. Happy Birthday dear Davis. Happy Birthday to you.

Aunt Brandi stopped everyone before we sang about you living in a zoo. Love you!

I love my husband!

2009-06-21T15:39:00.001-07:00

I love my husband for many reasons but here are 3:

**Being silly with Kayden
**In case you are wondering, those are mustaches.

**Enjoying Ty at the Rangers vs. Yankees game.

**Watching Kinsey tumble

WOW! I feel blessed that our children have Chris for a dad. He is a wonderful father and I am often amazed watching him interact with our children. He works hard and long hours, but still tries to find time and energy for them when he gets home.

Me: What is your favorite thing about Daddy?
Kin: "He does silly things with us." As proven by the above mustache photo

Ty: "He throws the baseball with me and even the football."

Kay: "I like it when he brushes my hair every night."
We love you Daddy.
I love you Chris.

Creamy Chicken and Pasta Bake

2009-06-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

I prepared this recipe last week for my family and they LOVED it! Thought I would share it with all of you- it came from kraftfoods.com

What You Need!

1-1/2 cups multigrain rotini pasta, uncooked

1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It!

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 min.

MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add cream cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella.

DRAIN pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch sq. baking dish; cover.

BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 min. or until melted. Let stand 5 min.

Family Pictures

2009-06-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

Shout out to Kelly Hosch for taking our family photos. She is teasing me by posting just 2 on FB for me to look at and wonder about the rest. I cannot wait to see them all- she only took 740 shots on Sunday. No wonder she enjoyed a glass of wine in the kiddie pool on Sunday afternoon!

Super Saturday!

2009-05-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I have had a rough few weeks at school and that things at home have been crazy busy! Well, let me tell you about today...today was a day that I was reminded of how blessed I really am.
Kinsey is an early riser. Last night I asked her to please let me sleep until it was 8 something...well, she woke up and played quietly and did not come in my room until 8:01am. Thank you, Kin! She and her brother got up and played outside while it was still cool out. Kayden joined us. Nema came over and joined us outside.
Because we had a busy afternoon, I made KKT promise that if we went to the pool they would come home and rest in their bed with a book.
Nana joined us for a pool party at our neighborhood pool. All 3 kids played and got along.
They stayed true to their word when we got home- they even took a real nap! We got up and headed to Ty's baseball game. I got to watch Ty and his team (who are in 2nd place) beat the undefeated 1st place team. The game went into 2 innings of overtime! They won 12-11!!
We headed straight from the game to Kin's gym recital. She can back handspring like no body's business!
Kayden did not have anything going on today, but I cannot leave her out! She was a good sport following her brother and sister around today with minimal complaint!
Thank you God for reminding me of the blessings that I am surrounded by!

Flippin' Kinsey

2009-05-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here is Kinsey at her last gym class for the spring season. She gets a week off and then starts the summer session. Sorry for the 'sideways' video- I was trying to watch and video at the same time. **I just had to add this thought from Kin- she was watching me upload video and update the blog. She said, "I think that it is cool that you can just put movies of me on the computer so everyone can see what I can do." Well, dear, I think that it is cool as well! The coolest part of it is that they make it easy enough that even I can do it!

Lesson Learned

2009-05-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

I certainly enjoy reading all of the blogs that end something like this ...and they lived happily ever after... THE END. Most of the time my blog has a happy story or a picture of one or all of my beautiful, smart, clever children, but not today.
This is the short but not so sweet story that occurred about 2am in the Jackson house.
I also need to tell you that for those of you holding out on a dog (Staci and Beth) that you are smart. We have a new puppy, Roxy. Roxy awoke around 1:45 this morning with that I'm hungry and I need a diaper change cry-- or at least open the door and let me outside. I had just settled her back in when I look up to see my sweet little brunette standing over me. Mommy, I don't feel good. I immediately thought back to her dinner of grilled onions and peppers on a tortilla filled with pico, salsa and guacamole and assumed I knew why she did not feel so well. I say, "Honey, lay right here," as I patted the bed next to me. That sure seemed easier than making a pallet in the floor at 2:15am. I'll spare you the details. After it was over and the sheets were changed, I made a mental note to self ... next time make a pallet.

Happy Birthday, KK&T!

2009-03-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

Tyler
Kinsey and Kayden

NOW! Look how far we have come! I always get emotional on the kids birthday because it is a reminder that time is quickly passing by. I want to remember each moment and I feel out of control that I cannot stop them from growing up. I want to protect them from as much as possible for as long as possible.They are great kids and I treasure the fact that they belong to us.

More Baseball!

2009-03-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you Dudleys' for the Baylor tix! The kids, okay- the boys, enjoyed it. The weather was perfect for a day at the park!

My All Star

2009-03-20T08:09:00.001-07:00

By the title you might think I was talking about my incredibly talented son who loves baseball more than most things in his life, but last night my all star was my dear husband. Now I have heard that he was quite the ball player in his high school days and he continues to play church league softball like there are agents in the stands waiting to sign the next Josh Hamilton. Last night I was going to snap a quick picture to post to the blog for fun. I started playing around with the camera and hit the video button as he was up to bat and what do you know...A HOMERUN! So here it is for your viewing pleasure. This video is exclusive to the Jackson channel because ESPN has not had time to review the footage and schedule an interview.

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-03-15T08:44:00.001-07:00

Sliding (over and over and over and...)
and over and over

and over again!
Bryce had a blast! Trynt had fun, but he was done with fun at this point.

Storytime near the fireplace.

We took the kids to Great Wolf Lodge. The best part of my trip was watching the kids have so much fun. There are a lot of neat things to do. If you have not been, it is a neat place to go. (My advice is to watch for special pricing and deals online.)

Fast and Furious February

2009-02-24T11:28:00.001-08:00

Well, February is almost gone. Things are busy at the Jackson home and soon to get busier. Soccer begins tonight and baseball in another week or two.
February Overview:
Kin was baptized earlier this month, so that was a real celebration for us.
KinElise was chosen as Star Student for the month of January. Kay had been chosen before Christmas. If you know our Kinsey, you know that Star Student is a MAJOR accomplishment. S.L. I know that you will read this and appreciate she has her Aunt Staci's gift of words and sense of humor ; )
I've had Chris busy painting the kitchen a nice green color- I will post pictures when he finishes.
All of us have been sick at one point this month. I am ready to be well and have our normal routine back. We've missed school, church, and various practices. My mom and mother-in-law have been helpful with either taking care of the sick one or helping shuttle while I was sick.

We are looking forward to the spring and the consistent warm weather. We pass the pool in the neighborhood several times a week and the kids have started asking when we can go swimming. Soon! Summer will be here soon! For now, we are looking forward to spring because we want to plant several things in the yard. After we moved in last year there was no time to do it before summer hit.
This weekend we are heading to Great Wolf Lodge. We are all looking forward to it.

Boring Post

2009-01-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I have not posted lately. I have a sister-in-law that is amazing with words and has something clever to say about almost everything. Her blog is entertaining and insightful. I read it often and think that she should pursue a job as a columnist among other things.
Here you will only find boring stories and updates about our wonderful, but boring life. My kids say funny things, but by the time I get to the computer I have forgotten what they said or what they were talking about when they said it.
Kinsey did accept Christ last week and we were thrilled for her.
I feel like I am getting old quickly because I keep saying is it January 15th already? January 25th already? It's not the 28th...is it? I have lost an entire month!

Is it really 2009?

2009-01-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We are winding down Christmas vacation and gearing up for school to start back up tomorrow. Our vacation began on a sad note, but we have been able to end it with some much needed rest and relaxation. The kids have had lots of time to play with their things and I have had time to UN-decorate our house and put things back in place. I am always so excited to put up our Christmas decorations in November, but am equally glad to have our house back to normal. I look around and it looks dull and empty after the glitter and dazzle of the holiday decorations.
We all had a very Merry Christmas. As usual, the kids got more than they know what to do with, but this year they got several things we can all enjoy. A Wii, board games, books...
I have had to remind Chris (on several occasions) that the Wii belongs to the children. I think that he is having as much fun with it as they are. All 3 kids got several games that can be played without wanting to poke your eyes out!Bye-bye Hi Ho Cherry O! Fairwell CandyLand! Good riddance Ants in the Pants! While I think these are all great games for you to play with your children, I am excited that my time with them is over. We have gotten to play games like Uno and Yahtzee!

My Grandmother

2008-12-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

Some of you know that my grandmother passed away last week. She was very sick and was suffereing from dementia, so I thought that after I said my good bye, it would not be difficult to know that she died. I was wrong. I know that she is in Heaven and she is having a joyful reunion with my grandfather. I understand all of that and am comforted by it, but I miss her. This was the first Christmas in my 32 years that I did not see her for the holidays. When I told the kids that she had died I explained that she would be in Heaven with Jesus for his birthday. That is all they needed to know to be okay with it.
This entry is more for me to jot down some memories, than it is for you, but read on and embrace my memories with me.
So, I did not begin this blog entry to be sad and mournful, but to share a picture or two that would serve as a reminder of the lady that I loved and cherished. Some of the pictures I am looking through have been taken with my mom's camera, so I cannot put them up for you to see, but just know that I have fond memories and will cherish them always.
When I was younger, I remember staying with my grandparents often. When I would ask to stay with them, my mother would usually say something about not having a change of clothes for the next day. That was okay. My grandmother would put me in an old shirt and wash my clothes while I slept. Funny that my mom is the same way with my kids.
I was the only granddaughter for 13 years and was sure spoiled by her. I spent a lot of time with her after my grandfather died.
I remember her being a nervous wreck waiting for the triplets to arrive, but after they came along those babies had a power over her like none other. She could be having the worst of days when I would call. As soon as I mentioned bringing the babies over, she'd suddenly feel like a million dollars.
Even as she got older and less mobile, I could always convince her to go anywhere with the kids and I. These last few months, the kids and I continued to visit her in the nursing home. Halloween night, I got in trouble by her because I did not make it their early enough for her friends to see the kids in their costumes in the dining area. I heard about that for the next couple of visits. Their last visit to the nursing home was the Thursday before she got sick and it was for the resident's Christmas party. My mom took the kids out of school early to attend the party (now I'm sad that I didn't take off work to go). She was thrilled that they were there.
Merry Christmas, Gran! I hope that you enjoyed your first Christmas in Heaven because we certainly missed you here.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-11-16T19:41:00.001-08:00

Yeah! We have our Christmas tree up!! The kids and I are so excited. For those of you that know me well, know that I love Christmas. I love everything about it- the meaning, the shopping, the cooking, the decorating, the hustle and bustle...everything! This year the kids and I convinced Chris to put up our tree on Sunday, November 16. I explained to him that after all I have my fall things out all of September, October, and November. Why in the world couldn't we start decorating for Christmas? He graciously smiled (like he does a lot when the kids and/or I try to sell him on an idea!!) and said with a sigh, "I guess." The kids and I were quite surprised because I had prepared them to accept No for an answer.
The past several years we have hosted my family for Thanksgiving and I have felt like I owed it to them to keep the fall things up until we had at least cleaned up the Thanksgiving dishes, but this year my sis-in-law is hosting T-giving at her house.
So starting tonight we will have visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads...
Let the festivities begin.

Right of Passage

2008-11-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today was an awesome day for my husband and son. Chris is a hunter. He starts looking forward to deer season late August, early September. He cleans his gun, sights it in, starts feeding the deer (I refer to it as luring poor unsuspecting creatures, but it does put dinner on the table!). Each year since Ty has understood that Chris was going, he has asked to go. Chris has taken him just to watch the deer, but Mommy has always said you are just not big enough yet. You have to be seven. Four years ago seven seemed like a big kid. Each year he has asked me how many more years until he is seven. Well, now he is seven and I had no choice but to let him go (Chris and Tyler held me to this). Tyler took what we are referring to as a 'personal day' from school and went to the deer stand with Chris. For those of you who are unfamiliar with deer season, this was opening weekend. We are calling it a personal day instead of playing hookie because I told him that I knew where he was and he would not be in trouble for missing school HOWEVER if he played hookie, then I would not know where he was and to anticipate trouble when I found out (not IF, but WHEN). I went on to use this as a teachable moment that because Mommy is a teacher and because technology allows it, I will ALWAYS know what is happening at school.
Okay, back to my story. Sorry I tend to digress.
The boys ended up shooting a deer. Ty was pumped. Chris was pumped. They were even using the same gun that Chris used to shoot his first deer when he was around Tyler's age. It was an awesome day of bonding for the two most important men in my life. I hope that this was the first of many trips to come.
I did send my camera, but someone (someone who is 33, male, and mentioned in this story)forgot to take it with him. Hopefully there will be another trip and I can take pictures of the 2 of them together.

Jackson Update

2008-11-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy in the Jackson household. We have been winding down our fall sports. Tyler sadly finished baseball this weekend. He is an incredible little player and is very versatile. Of course, for those of you who know Chris, it makes his heart happy that he loves to play catcher!
Kaydee played her last soccer game 2 weeks ago- she is shaping up to be an aggressive goalie.
Kin will continue gymnastics (they collect our money year round)!
Halloween was very successful. As always we stopped by to let the grandparents (and great grandparents) see how cute we were! Then we headed to the Fall Festival out at Morgan's Point and collected more candy than any 3 kids should be allowed to have!

Cousins

2008-10-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

While this is not the latest thing to happen in our family, I thought that I'd practice posting pictures. On our way home from Wichita Falls a few weeks ago we stopped in Burleson to have dinner with cousins. Here is a group shot.

October Already?

2008-09-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, hello! I laugh as I look at the one and only post that I have ever posted. This summer I was quite excited to setup a blogger account and get started. Here it is Ocotber and I have not done anything with it. This is where I should promise to do better, but really I cannot make that promise.

We are off to a busy school year. The triplets have started second grade and are really enjoying themselves. They are definitely coming into their own personalities-- well, they've always had their own unique personalities, but now you can really see the people they are becoming.

KinElise is the first born and she is an amazing kid. She has a quirky sense of humor and always has a defense lined up. I am trying to be a good mother because I might need her to defend me in a court of law one day. She loves to read, make things, and watch John and Kate + 8 with her mother. She also has a God given ability in gymnastics.

Kaydee is technically our middle child (and Kin reminds her often that they may be triplets, but she is the older sister)! She is a nurturing, loving child who wants to please. She loves to read, play soccer, and sleep! Kaydee is my cuddler and God has given her the spiritual gift of encouragement.

Tyler is the baby and the only boy! He is a bright child with an incredible heart for people. Tyler is incredibly athletic and enjoys all things BOY! Ty spends a lot of time with his mom, sisters, and grandmothers; we tell him we are training him to be an awesome husband one day. God has gifted Tyler athletically and he has an amazing attitude about it!

I'm New At This!

2008-06-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well, most of our friends are way ahead of me on this blogging business! I have enjoyed keeping up with them and looking at pictures on their family blogs, sooo I decided that my first summer project would be to create a Jackson Blog!
Stay posted...I will get pictures on it soon!