We had such a fun birthday party for Jacoby today. We met our friends at the fire station for a tour which all of the kids seemed to really enjoy. The fireman gave a great tour and we learned a lot about the trucks, all of the different equipment, and how the fire department runs (most of us were jealous that their kitchen is nicer than ours!). The kids enjoyed sitting in the trucks and ambulance, and they even got to ring the bell on one of the trucks. The fireman did fire up the big engine and it was super noisy, so they weren't as crazy about that part but were quite fascinated with being able to touch and interact with these big, shiny trucks. The fire station was really cool and a great way to start off our party for Jacoby. He was quite proud that the fireman knew he was turning three, and he also wore his fireman jacket because he was sure that the fireman would really want to see it. (:
We came back to Jacoby's house and made pizzas for lunch. The kiddos enjoyed eating their projects along with "flame" jello. Next came the big sing-a-long and Jacoby blew out all three candles on his cake like a pro. We decided to make a non-traditional birthday treat for our non-cake eating birthday boy, so I made monkey bread (his favorite food ever) and topped it with a mini fire engine, two fireman, and three candles. It was a hit and enjoyed by all. We gave our friends fireman hats, firetruck cookies, and firetruck tattoos for the party favors.
Jacoby got a couple of really neat gifts from his friends. He also got a cool firetruck from Morgan (I actually rescued it from the thrift store and then promptly forgot that I had stashed it in the basement almost a year ago!), a great race track from Grandmanette & Grandpa Michael, and a fire station from Mommy & Daddy. His cousins Des and Jax sent a fun firetruck fort that the kids enjoyed at the party as well. It was a great celebration!
Its been a busy time around the Barber house this past week, but thankfully things are returning to a more normal pace. The board meeting at work went extremely well, and I feel really good about all the effort that went into it but even better about being finished with it. The Lt. Governor stopped by and gave a presentation, which was really interesting, and we had a lovely reception and dinner event. So, I'm back to a much more normal schedule at work and relieved to have less pressure in my life. I'm looking forward to spending more time with the boys, enjoying the rest of the fall, and getting ready for the holidays. We spent time outside this weekend raking up all of our leaves. Jacoby loved jumping in the piles. We also enjoyed a great visit with Grandpa Michael and Granmanette. It was so nice to see them. Both boys enjoyed their company and showed off all of their tricks. Morgan is as close to crawling as one can be without actually doing it. He's very proficient at rolling and reaching. Jacoby is busy, busy, busy. He enjoyed going to a friend's birthday party over the weekend. They held it in the gymnastic center at one of the rec centers here, and he loved jumping on the trampoline, going down the big slide, and leaping into the foam pit. We were really proud of him for joining in with the rest of the kids. We've also been introduced to "Fireman Jacoby" who "saves the day". So cute! I've been meaning to start posting a "Quote of the Week" from Jacoby, but so far the ones that have popped up this week can't be posted publicly. (: We'll have to share those with you in private because they are hilarious.
Justin is working on all of the end-of-the-quarter tasks. He'll be done with the quarter around Thanksgiving time. I'm flying to Portland next week to scout out the location of our spring meeting. It will be nice to spend a bit of time in the Northwest, which is one of my favorite places, and have a little "me" time.
Jacoby has taken a lot of interest in the upcoming holidays and all of the different activities that come with them. Here's his holiday schedule (which he reminds us of quite often):
Thanksgiving--when Grandpa & Grandma Barber come back and Uncle Jared visits
Zoo Lights--the most important event in the schedule (apparently going last year made a real impression on him)
Trip to Montana for Christmas and to see everyone (and then he goes through roll call of all our loved ones)
Justin - Daddy Justin is in the final stages of a doctoral program in religious and theological studies. He has also recently entered the IT world and works part-time as an applications developer. When he's not busy writing or studying, he enjoys skiing, reading, learning computer programming, and spending time with family.
Erin - Mommy Erin is the executive assistant to the president of a non-profit. It's a job she really enjoys, but her favorite job is being mommy to Jacoby and Morgan.She enjoysrunning, skiing, reading,spending time with her family and friends, and learning allergy-free cooking.
Jacoby - Big Brother Jacoby is a bright, fun, loving little boy. He's in second grade and enjoys reading, math, and art. Imaginative play, books, super heroes, and Star Wars are a few of his favorite things. Jacoby is kind and inquisitive, and he loves to play with his little brother and be outside.
Morgan - Little Brother Morgan is a jumping, climbing, running, busy little boy. He is finally in Kindergarten! Books, trucks, trains, camping, and his big brother are a few of his favorite things. Morgan is a very friendly, smart, loving little boy.
