Grab some tea and we'll catch up.

I know. It's been months, but I refuse to apologize. I have the same excuse everyone else does; Life just gets too busy.

I will, however, try to catch you up.

My last post was Jackson's first birthday. He is now 15 months old and has 8 teeth. He has learned some basic signs for things and will immitate the sounds of words. He's a completely different child from 3 months ago and for me, this is bittersweet.

Oh, and he's walking as of a week ago. It's hilarious and terrifying as he totters his way around the living room, navigating every hurdle with determination. He's such a sweet boy and the more independent he becomes the more I appreciate the times he needs his mommy. I hope that he will forever need his mommy.

Jackson's new best friend is a German Sheppherd/St. Bernard/Golden Retriever named Mouse. (I don't know if dogs can actually come from three different breeds, but she's a mutt and these are the dogs she resembles.) She has what I like to call "Marley and Me moments". These moments usually come in threes and (so far) I don't get mad at her about them because I know she can't help that she's huge and hairy. She knocks over plants and tracks mud inside and jumps up on the sofa. She slobbers and drools with the best of them and she can't help but want to constantly be petted. Despite all of this, she is the sweetest dog I've ever met and she has a soft spirit that you can't help but notice. We love her.

About a week ago we packed Jackson, Mouse, Kiki (the cat) and all of our things into the car/trailer and moved. The house we moved into is the house I grew up in and a family homestead site that is over 100 years old. It's also the site for the upcoming farmers market that I'm starting in Davenport. "The Big Red Barn Farmers Market" will have its grand opening on June 4th and run through October, if I'm still alive at that point.

The market will be in the barn that my grandpa restored last summer (which he just won a state-wide award for the restoration during a conference in Walla Walla this past weekend- I'm so proud of him!). I have so many memories in that barn and I'm so appreciative of the fact that my grandpa spent the time and money to preserve that piece of history. Now Jackson can create his own childhood memories there! My hope is that the farmers market contributes to the history of agriculture in our area and honors the rural lifestyle while bringing new opportunities to the community.

Aside from a newly mobile toddler, a new dog, a new house and a new business, life is as usual. I'm settling into my job at Lincoln Hospital as the PR/Marketing Coordinator and Jackson and I are going to plant a big garden in our new backyard as soon as I find all those seeds I bought a few week ago...

Things are busy, but blissful.