Did you notice...

That today felt like fall?! I LOVE IT!! Fall is my all time favorite time of the year! It's the perfect blend between the last kisses of the summer sun and the beginning of the cool breezes of winter's chill. Greg's post about dinner last night (http://jill-n-jack.blogspot.com/) just made me think about how much I love this time of year and how crazy it is that we are in the month of our wedding! I remember this time last year thinking about how long it would take for this month to get here, yet it flew by and here we are, 17 days away from the wedding! I can't wait! But anyhoo...I do not have much to say, today was fun. I spent the whole day with Karis and we went to Library Time and then shopping for some birthday clothes! She'll be two next week...which is insane! I started keeping her right around her turning 3 months old. It has been such an awesome experience to watch her grow and learn and master new tasks (speaking of which, she is well on her way of being fully potty trained...no more wet diapers!) and I am so blessed to have been able to be a part of her life and have her in mine (and her awesome parents)! I don't know what I am going to do when I no longer get to keep her and have to go on to my future career...teaching! But I try not to think about it and just enjoy being with her now and I cannot wait to meet Barton Baby #2!!! Well, that is all for now, Greg is asking me if I am writing a post or a book...which translates into me needing to get off so I can play with him and the Joneses!...men =)

Why I love Mondays...

I love love love Karis! And now I get to keep her new friend Laney as well! How much better can it get? I love it because I get to see what's in store for me next semester (her sibling is due in January). Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE kids...especially babies! So it's so much fun for me to get to play with one of my favorite kids and now a new baby! Greg comes and babysits with me sometimes, but hasn't been since Laney has been added (although he is this Monday) but I LOVE us babysitting together! It's great practice and a great reminder of why we want to wait to have kids =) I took pics this week because Karis is SO cute with Laney and is such a big helper! Here are some of them sitting together...

Karis...Cheesin!


I kept telling her not to get in Laney's face...this was the result =)


Having a chat with Laney


CHEEEEEEEESE!


Pretty baby!

Home sweet home...

Well, we are back home from our weekend in Gastonia. We went up on Saturday and met up with my parents. I went for a trial run for my wedding hair and took lots of pictures that I've been told that I am not allowed to post (Greg does not want to see ANY part of how I will look before I walk down the aisle). After the hair, me and my mom headed back to Gastonia from Charlotte on a mad search for gas...crazy enough, being in another state with your gas light on in a town with absolutely no gas and being told none will be there until Monday...puts a little panic in you. Luckily, we found one and I was able to fill up...whew! After the guys got back from golfing we all went to dinner and then to go see the movie "Fireproof"...great message...TERRIBLE acting! On Sunday we finished up premarital counseling with our pastor...I'm really glad we did that, it's something that I think all couples should do before they get married. Then on Monday we got our marriage certificate!! YAAAY! How official! This REALLY made it sink in for me how close things are...which of course puts me in high-stress mode! 18 more days!!!...pictures to come...

Tired...and elated to have found gas!


Being goofy!





YAAAAY! It's official!


=)

Sleeping beauty...

Lately, Jackson has some new obsession with pillows. He sneaks his way up to one of our pillows every single night and it is now part of our routine to have to move him from our pillows to the bottom of the bed at the very least three times before we can actually go to sleep. But the whole time this is going on, we are laughing our heads off because he is SO funny/dramatic about it. He will stay at the bottom of the bed until the light goes off and then he'll crawl up a few inches and stop...then a few inches more, then stop...then will be right on your chest and they his head down. Then, the big sneak attack...he starts with his diversion of checking out the clock on the nightstand, then (very dramatically) sigh and throw himself down on the pillow (even if on top of Greg's head) and will not budge, nor look at us when we say his name. THEN he makes his body completely limp so that we have to lift his dead weight and move him to the foot of the bed...again. The other night he laid in bed on his back with his head on the pillow and stayed like that until I woke up at 3am to go to the bathroom. We took some pictures of him in his new favorite position to show you how ridiculous is!

Please notice the paw...wow.


Is this not crazy...who is REALLY the master here?


He wouldn't budge!

Through sickness and in health...

What...a...day!!! After a night of worry and no sleep followed by a day filled with more worry/concern and care...I am exhausted. Greg is so sick with a bad stomach flu...boo! I was up all night with him and his violent chills (which scared the crap out of me) and have spent the day doing my best to take care of him, although the remaining fever, body aches, and migraine prove my attempts to be fruitless. I really hate it when he is sick! It drives me crazy to not be able to take care of it right way and make everything better...and he is REALLY sick! But he is asleep now and I am about to hit the sack as well (in the guest bedroom!). But I wanted to make a post because today is our 3 year anniversary! And this anniversary has proved that it won't always be happy and fun! Sometimes there will be sad or bad times...but I've realized that it's the harder times (or in this case, more sick times) when we need each other the very most! We have had such an amazing three years together! And this year was extra special because so many new and life-changing events have happened! We've gotten engaged (a little over a year ago), spent the year wedding planning, bought our very first house, gotten a dog together...These are monumental events for us! We have been so incredibly blessed and I have no idea why, but I do thank God everyday for putting Greg into my life and for looking out for the two of us the way He has. In 25 days I will be his wife and I cannot wait! I cannot explain how much I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with him! But anyway, enough mushy gushy stuff! Please please please keep Greg in your thoughts and prayers that he gets better soon!! We are going to NC this weekend for marriage counseling and our marriage license and I desperately hope he is feeling better by then! I hope everyone stays healthy this week =) Goodnight!

The Proposal =)


The first day we got Jackson


The first day we bought our house

For those of you who haven't had the chance...

Meet our four-legged, furry child JACKSON!!!...And I said we didn't have kids, PSSHHH!!! He IS just like a baby. But with more hair. And does not cry. And does not need diapers. And sleeps through the night. So basically, he is the epitome of the perfect child =) He completes our happy family at the moment and is such a fun-loving, happy face to come home to (next to Greg's of course). If you have not met him yet you are truly missing out. Everyone loves him..what's not to love? Look at that sweet face! OK, this was just my intro for Jackson. There will be more...oh there will be =)

So far today...

The morning began with Greg waking up with a fever and sore throat (passed on by yours truly) and me waking up waiting for the doctor's office to open. After a weekend of vitamin C and lots of sleep, I'm feeling much better, but being a nanny I have to make sure I keep my own germs at bay...even though kids are basically one giant germ in a cute tiny package =) It kills me to see what they will touch and eat and play with...I'll spare you the details (FYI: chances are I will have several random thoughts and comments on nannying, it consumes my life and I love it). But anyway, Greg went on to work, of course, to spread the love! And I went on to the doctor. Luckily it's just a viral infection and he should be over it soon...and he is at home now resting (against his stubborn will). I am now with Karis. She's down for a nap...well, sort of. I went in about 10 minutes ago to check on her to find her completely naked and talking to her diaper. Awesome. After time-out, a hug and a quick convo with her bunnies, she's finally asleep. Most likely this will be repeated tonight when I am putting her to bed. I am about to leave for my education class in a few but will of course run by the house to check on Greg and Jackson and watch him take some medicine (otherwise he will not take it). After class, I will run home, make dinner, eat and go back to the Barton's to keep Karis and baby Laney. Whew...what a day =)