Jackson

... wants to be a dentist when he grows up.
... will turn 8 in just over a month... I just can't believe it!

... is loving all things second grade (except the homework!).

... takes an after-school Studio Art class and is in Computer Club. He is also a Cub Scout, is an orange belt in karate, and scored his first two goals ever in his last soccer game. Quite the busy little boy!... just won a creative writing award at the quarterly Headmaster's Assembly at school. Apparently, even though I haven't read it yet, he wrote a very cute story about Patty the Pumpkin. Very big deal, as last year, he received a "Needs Improvement" on his creative writing skills!... is very tall and very skinny. If his pants fit length-wise, they will be huge in the waist and fall down. If they fit in the waist, they don't cover his ankles.

... is a very proficient reader, but he has no desire to sit down and read a long book (which pains his mother incredibly since she loves reading so much!!!).... is extremely sweet and thoughtful. We hear that from his teachers weekly. He is extremely giving and loving... he is known for his awesome hugs.

... is not the neatest person on the planet... consistently receives "Needs Improvement" on the "I keep my desk tidy" section of his report card!... is playing the license plate game. He is keeping track of all of the state license plates he sees, hoping to reach all 50 states within the year.... wants to visit Hawaii (to get what he thinks will be his 50th state!).

Lost

Jackson looked just like this a mere two and a half weeks ago... a mouth full of teeth. The top two were loose, and his mouth seemed to have grown a bit, so that there were two decent sized gaps -- one on either side of the two front teeth. However, shortly before this picture was taken, he tried to open a water bottle with his teeth, pulling one of them almost all the way out... it was hanging by a thread! That evening, while camping on Capers, he bit into his sandwich, and out came the tooth! Thank goodness the tooth fairy knew where we were!!
That brought us to the above look, exactly one week later... we called it the Snaggletooth. Because his mouth had changed leaving those extra gaps, the single front tooth looked like it was just about in the middle of his mouth. On this day, he was biting on a pen and pulled the Snaggletooth so that it was hanging by a thread. Not an hour later, he came running up from down below, holding his tooth and yelling "The Snaggletooth! It's the Snaggletooth!". When I asked how he had gotten it out, he said that he and Harris were wrestling, and Harris pulled it out. Figures.
So, now my sweet boy looks like this when he smiles... soooo big, but sooo cute!

Kanuga

Our church has an annual parish weekend at Kanuga, an Episcopal camp and conference center near Hendersonville, NC. We have talked about going for years, but it has never worked out. This year, however, was our year. It was the peak of fall there, and the leaves were incredible. I know there a million pictures, but indulge me. I know that I could never capture the beauty of what I saw this weekend, but it was worth a try.
We went and stayed with the Eglestons... it couldn't have worked more perfectly. There were five little ones: Jackson (7), DuBose (6), Harris (5), Mills (4), and Ellie (1 1/2). The boys played together and entertained each other so well. It seemed to make everything easier and more enjoyable!
On Saturday morning, the adults had a program, while the kids had their own adventure. We heard an unforgettable speaker... very humble, humorous, comforting, and encouraging. Laughs and tears in the same session.
After lunch, we hiked to Eagle Rock. The boys were all troopers (as was sweet Ellie, who slept in a pack on DuBose's back!). They were all about sticks. The sticks were their fishing poles, and the leaves tied to the sticks were fish... such imaginations we saw.

There was a trail that lead down and under Eagle Rock, and DuBose and Jackson tackled it twice... they loved the rock climbing and exploring what was around each corner.
I'm noticing that there are lots of Jackson pictures... that is not usually the case, but he was so cooperative that I took advantage of every chance to get him on camera. Love the super-model pose above!
Saturday after dinner, there was an ice cream/wine & cheese party and sing-along that ended the evening. We truly wore those boys out, and they all slept soundly!The next morning, we had a worship service at the pavilion by the lake. What an amazing experience to worship with friends in such an incredible place.
Afterward, we took another hike, this time around the lake, working off some boy-energy before eating lunch and jumping back in the car to head back to the coast. It was another beautiful morning, perfect for a hike.

Great friends and hiking companions!

RJ the raccoon in his natural habitat.

Jason and I loved our time with our sweet goddaughter, Ellie... she was full of smiles and such a trooper to keep up with all of those big boys.
I had such a great time with my sweet family and great friends. Thanks, Eglestons, for sharing this with us! We are looking forward to making this a tradition and exploring more of Kanuga with you next year.