Today is an exciting day for our friends Dan and Margo! This is the day that their adoption is finalized in court before a judge!!  Seth and Bryce will officially be their boys forever!  Can you imagine getting a call one day that you not only have one baby but 2! Just like that!! Dan and Margo have stepped up and have been great parents to these boys! I think I would have needed a month to get over the shock of twins but they seemed to jump right in!! Congrats, Dan and Margo! We know this is a huge day for your family!

Here is a picture of the boys from recently (I snagged it from your blog, Dan and Margo) Aren’t they so handsome?!!  They are the happiest little pair.

A couple of days ago Seth and I realized that it was exactly a year ago that we sat in a cold waiting room in MD Anderson and we were parents of a cancer patient. Our little boy had cancer. After 8 hours of consult we were told to go home and make a decision,  get the tumor out- risking a non-functioning leg in the end and continued need for radiation which would result in sterility, or attempt chemo and radiation and risk the mass matastesizing to his bone thus requiring an amputation. You all know the story. You all prayed for our baby and for us. As the year has progressed God reminds us of his faithfulness when we see Jackson’s scar and when we are reminded by those of you that prayed. It is surreal. We continue to process emotions.  It felt as though God took Jackson away for a little while (through our fears and the actual surgery time where we passed him over into the hands of the surgeons) and then graciously handed him back for us to care for him and enjoy him again. We love him so much.  Before I start sobbing…

On a much lighter note, I have been busy at work trying to find us a place to live for our 9 month time in DC. We have had a few great leads that have led to disappointment but we are now in the process of signing a lease on a place we are really excited about.  It happens to be only 10-15 mins from Ryan and Stephanie and a 3 min walk to the metro. We also have learned that thanks to Obama, Seth will qualify for a subsidy that will cover his metro costs. The townhouse has plenty of room, a small back yard and has a park just a hop and skip away. It has front steps  that are just begging for a big pumpkin and pot of mums in October!! Pray that all of the paperwork will go through quickly and that it will all be official soon!

And for the weekly “something funny” from Jackson: yesterday we ordered Chinese food and ordered beef and broccoli. This  morning Jackson was playing and somehow found the menu. He came to me and said “broccoli!” How on earth did he remember that that menu was from our dinner and he had had broccoli for dinner?!

Jackson is 21 months old today. He continues to surprise us with what he understands and says. Here are some of Jackson’s latest and greatest…

One of his latest acts has been pretending to be a baby wanting to be held like a baby and “talking” like a baby saying “goo goo gaa gaa”. He thinks this is so funny. He says he is being like Ben (our South African friend’s baby).

He discovered Mr. Potato Head in my work cabinet and is obsessing about getting the pieces in.  I am hearing a lot of “Oh no, it’s stuck”.

Jackson is doing lots of pretend play. His favorite is to make muffins or pizza. He often warns us when things are hot and uses a hot pad to get out the hot pretend food.  Last week we had guests for dinner and Jackson warned them that the dinner was hot just in case they couldn’t tell.

Jackson found a harmonica a few weeks ago that Seth bought when he was a baby. Jackson has gotten quite good at it.

He is officially out of his sleep sack, sniff, sniff. He loved that thing and now uses it to cuddle with in his bed. No worries about him being 5 and in a children’s size sleep sack.

Jackson is very interested in potty training but I have to admit I am not yet. I need a little while longer to gear myself up for the work of potty-training. We have out M&M bowl ready and training pants washed and folded in the drawer. I just don’t have the stamina or patience this week to dive in!!   He gets to go when he asks but no all out training in the Kolb house!

Jackson went to a birthday party this week for a 2 year old. There were 40 kids and a great puppet and music show. Jackson was the kid that laughed longer and louder.  I didn’t know if I should be embarassed for him or proud.  I don’t want him to be that obnoxious kid laughing so loud that everyone in the auditorium wonders if he has a problem! He loved it! Much to his disappointment when he realizes there will be no play at the 2 year birthday party. Maybe Seth can do some standup comedy for him.

At my mom’s house Jackson found some birthday hats (I may have mentioned this in the blog about our trip) and insisted that we all wear them and sing. He got the  “Happy Birthday” song in his head and frequently sings “birthday to youoooooooooooooo, YEA!!!!”

Playing the harmonica in his  SpiderMan shirt

You see today I got kind of bored with the everyday stuff like a boring chair on the floor. Why not spice it up a bit.

“maybe if I don’t look at her she won’t scold me for putting my chair on the couch. Certainly she will see how amazingly fun it is and let it go on”

“I can’t resist smiling at her this time because I am so proud that my chair is not only on the couch with me in it, but backwards on the couch with me in it! Impressive, huh?”

My mommy snuck a picture the first time and after a couple I started begging for my picture to be taken. In the end I got in trouble for putting my chair on the couch. I don’t know why my mom isn’t any fun! Even now while she is typing this for me I am putting my chair up again because I see these fun pictures! I love being a boy!!!