Hoteling it!

Hans, Nolan & I spent last week in Chicago.  Hans was training for his new job and Nolan & I came along to house hunt!

Nolan was helpful from the very start pushing our cart of bags to our hotel room (Disclaimer: He actually did push this all by himself quite a ways..we made him stop when we saw people coming down the hall towards us in fear of child labor laws)

To my horror we didn't have a pool in the hotel.  Which meant Nolan and I got to spend 10 hours together during the day in our cramped hotel room.  Luckily we found things to do..like spend countless hours by the air conditioner unit because he loved the air blowing on his face.

We also wandered to Panera where Nolan had a lot of fun playing with their cups.  I had a lot of fun chugging their coffee.

 Nolan also enjoyed some rest & relaxation time on the nice comfy hotel beds.

Finally Hans got back and we got to go out to dinner to an amazing place (whose name I can't remember). Here's Nolan playing his favorite peekaboo game with me accross the table.

 
The chocolate Motherlode cake..we were too full to try it but next time I will OWN this!

Quick trip to Target..I'm still searching for that perfect Halloween costume for Nolan.  I was thinking "Dopey"... but I could tell he wasn't feeling it.

Here's some pics from the last morning in the hotel.  Nolan got a goodnight sleep with all his baby sleep jabbering. However, his parents did not.

Oh and in case you were wondering..we haven't found a house yet!

Funny poses!

Here's some cute pics of Nolan and his cousin a couple weeks ago. The theme for these pictures was to pose funny:

                          Since Nolan was struggling Natalie decided to help him out a little bit! :)

Nolan & Bennett!

  Nolan got to play with Bennett in Wisconsin last week. Bennett is younger than Nolan but he was determined to see and do everything Nolan was doing.

Nolan says.. "Umm whose this baby smiling at me like he's going to pounce me?"

A moment of awkward eye contact..

Buds!

 

Da bears just lost to the Packers!

This is what I came home to the other day...And yes I was scared.

 Nolan thought it was pretty hilarious.

I think he was aiming for Chris Farley in da Bears SNL skit..and unfortunately came pretty close.

Nolan's first brewery!

We met my parents at the Potosi Brewery a couple weekends ago for dinner.  And while we didn't actually attend the brewery it still counts as Nolan's first brewery experience.

 I love the scenery around Potosi, Wisconsin but that day it was pretty cloudy out.

Nolan had so much fun at the gift shop with grandpa.  I was checking out possible Halloween costumes for him. The Grouch from Sesame Street?... Maybe if he didn't smile so much.

Definitely a no go on the giraffee!

Maybe a cow..Although is that suppose to be the cow's udder???

We saw this in the gift shop and I found it to be pretty funny.  Hans was slightly offended.

Grandma & grandpa Jefferson before getting attacked by a swarm of bees!

And a rainbow on the way back to Iowa! Perfect little road trip!

Visit from the in-laws!

Miriam & Alan came to visit Labor Day weekend.  Nolan had lots of fun with his grandma and grandpa Gustaf! It was also Miriam's 39th birthday the day she arrived (yes that would mean she had Hans' when she was like 11..remember she is from Arkansas).

Note: If you go out for a birthday dinner go to Granite City! They give you a huge free cookie!  Not sure if Miriam even got any since Hans and I chowed down.

 

Heres a video of Nolan screaming at the restaurant: http://youtu.be/o5TET_Eq1P0

Had to get a picture with the beautiful sunset after dinner!

Nolan having fun at Toys R Us where grandma and grandpa bought him some new toys!

He giggled all weekend at Grandpa Gustaf.

 Clapping for the Packers!

Thanks for visiting!! AND FOR TAKING OUR DOG HOME WITH YOU!!!

Grandma J.

This weekend we celebrated the life of an amazing woman, Grandma Jackson, who passed away last week. My grandma would have been 90 years old in October.

She wasn't the normal "older lady" though. I never heard her complain about anything (unless you doted on her too much...or if my dad told her she couldn't have a drink while we were out to eat).

She struggled throughout her life with her loss of eyesight, emphysema, and loss of two husbands. She was never defined by any of the above though because she was such a positive person. Some of my favorite memories were  playing cards & games with her while she used her magnifying glass to see the numbers (somehow with her poor sight she was still able to catch me cheating).  I remember she would sit 12 inches away from the TV and watch Christmas movies with us and bake us my favorite chocolate cornflake date cookies.  One of her traditions was for each grandchild to swim out to the dock at our family cottage spring bank and she would give us $10 once we could do it. I remember her being so proud when we would accomplish this.  (If you know my horrible swimming skills you wouldn't be surprised it took me until  I was 10 years old to accomplish this feat).

 I remember a fun night where my cousins band played at our family cottage.  My grandma insisted on staying until the concert was over and then she happily piled into a car with some of her somewhat intoxicated grandchildren. I remember her laughing at Hans as he was sitting in her wheelchair in the van because we didn't have enough seats in the car.  Hans forgot to put the brakes on in the wheel chair and pummeled forward into the seat ahead of him when my dad started the car.  My grandma thought this was pretty hilarious.

I am most thankful my baby Nolan, her great-grandchild, was able to meet her- even though he will be too little to remember.  She loved him and I remember her laughing a couple months ago when Nolan ripped her oxygen tube off her face and then drooled all over it. While I never got to meet my grandpa Jefferson I can just imagine how wonderful he was if my grandma fell in love with him.  She was both beautiful on the inside and outside.  She also gave me the gift of the most wonderful dad and for that I am forever grateful. 

                                               The Jefferson women! (minus Aunt Terry & Amy)  This was the night of the wheelchair incident. :)

The night of my parents 30th Wedding anniversary!

Grandma, Nolan & I  (Try and ignore Nolan giving the camera the bird)

Grandma, dad, Nolan & I at Christmas.

 Grandkids & Grandma

Hans, Grandma, & I

The whole family!

Love you  forever grandma!

Using his teeth!

Nolan is a hungry monster.  The other day I wouldn't give him anymore snacks so he figured out how to open the container himself.  Here's the video: http://youtu.be/qoAQX92EIMI