Yes, last month was busy and this month was even more so.  I will try to keep this as short and sweet as I possibly can, but I have also realized this is a great way to journal about things Jeremiah has done.  So now this has become more for me than anyone else.  Sorry, if you want off the list, just e-mail – no hard feelings!

I coordinated another wedding in June.  I hadn’t done one for over a year, so it was fun to do that again.  I think I might have another one I am helping with in August, we will see.  The wedding was absolutely beautiful.  So while I was at the wedding Jeremiah & Andy went to Western Days at the Leo Carrillo Ranch (anyone know him from the old black and white movies?)  Anyway they had a blast.  Jeremiah made (decorated) a cowboy hat and got a picture taken in jail.  He was quite excited to do a jail break with Andy.  They had a fun time.  Then they went to the Chinese buffet that evening.  This is Jeremiah’s new favorite restaurant, because “you don’t have to wait and you get to pick your own food.”

We made a quick trip to the Zoo one morning on our way to get all our paper work for Jamaica.  Jeremiah loved the new polar bear exhibit and the helicopter you could pretend to drive.  Of course we had to ride on the Sky Ride.  We also went to the “Children’s Zoo” part of the Zoo and that was fun.  Jeremiah loved seeing the otters swim around.  The one would make a lap and push off the glass right in front of him.

Aunt Katie came down for the day and brought Carlo.  It was great to meet him.  Jeremiah wasn’t too sure about having to share Katie, but he warmed up to Carlo and had fun with them.  He entertained the WHOLE time.  We played with the stomp rocket and he rode his scooter a little bit.  He is getting better, still not good enough to do the jumps that he so desperately wants to do though!  He has now determined he needs an ipod.  Andy told him he could get a Zune, so now everything is “when I get old enough to get a Zune”.

In the middle of shopping for Jamaica and wrapping up everything we needed to before we left, we managed to make two trips to New Venture.  We watched the musical one night, which Jeremiah loved.  He thought the kids were funny, but he had a hard time following the plot.  I asked if he wanted to be in a performance sometime and he told me NO.  We also went for the Fun Run and Sports Day.  I couldn’t convince Jeremiah to do the obstacle course, but he did “run” 50 meters down the track.  He was quite excited.  Ms. Margaret of course spoiled him and gave him a Participation ribbon.  I think his favorite thing of the day was the orange slices he could eat.

We then drove home quickly for a nap before we went camping that evening.  Well, it was a good idea in theory.  Jeremiah was so excited he couldn’t sleep.  Andy finally told him he could get up early and he fell asleep about a half hour before it was time to leave.  We went to a camp ground and lake about 20 minutes (without the traffic we were stuck in) from our house.  There were 6 other families that also went with us, with 7 kids under 4 years old.  It was quite the experience.  Andy fished and Jeremiah “fished”.  We decided it was safer if the kids did not have hooks on their poles.  We had a late supper and made smores and the kids ran around and got filthy.  Definitely what you are supposed to do, right?  It took Jeremiah forever to fall asleep in the tent, he was just too excited.  We fished again the next day but as Jeremiah says, “caught ZERO fish”.  By the time of our picnic lunch Jeremiah was wiped out.  He slept well that afternoon.  It was a lot of fun and a lot of work for 1 night of camping, but I don’t know if we could have lasted through 2 nights.

We spent Memorial Day weekend relaxing and we went to Iwasaki’s.  Good thing we relaxed then, because there was no relaxing after that.

On Tuesday before we left for Jamaica we went to Legoland.  Thanks to the Martas for getting us in!  Jeremiah had so much fun with Isaac and Reece.  They ran around the little town and used every squirter they could to get the Legos wet (and them some too). Jeremiah drove one of the cars for the first time.  He made it 3/4 of a lap, maybe.  He definitely needs to work on his steering.  Then I realized he was trying to race like Daddy does in his video game (which you purposely try to run into each other).  So we had to explain the difference.  Of course we had to watch the Fire Fighter Show.  Jeremiah was mesmerized.  It is amazing he was able to eat his lunch at the same time!  We ended our day by going on the Beetle Bounce – Twice.  Basically it takes you up in the air and then drops you and you bounce for a couple of time before it takes you back up. All Jeremiah could do was laugh.  He loved it!

So then the adventure began!  We left the house at 4:45 am on Thursday morning for the biggest adventure of Jeremiah’s life.  Jamaica was quite the trip.  Our 5 hour flight turned into 10 plus hours as we landed in Tampa to refuel, because there were storms in Miami, before finally getting into Miami.  Our flight to Jamaica was already canceled by the time my parents got to Miami – 4 hours before us.  So we spent the night in a nice hotel in Miami – if stuck go to the Hyatt Summerfield!  I will spare you all the details of trying to figure out how to get on a flight Friday and not one on Saturday.  We did get to Jamaica on Friday, but on a different flight than my parents.  Our luggage decided to wait on their flight.  Let me tell you Jamaica swimsuits are not like ones in the US.  Not fun at all when you don’t like shopping for swimsuits in the first place.  Mom & Dad got to the hotel at 11 pm Friday night.  Our luggage got there sometime in the middle of the night, they waited to call until 7:00 am at least.

Saturday morning we played in the water all morning.  They had 2 water slides and a lazy river, but as you can see from the picture Jeremiah’s favorite part was the fountain he could make squirt.  Jeremiah finally took his first nap that afternoon while Mom, Dad & I went to Nich’s wedding (He got married at an adult only resort, so Andy stayed with Jeremiah).  Nich didn’t know that Dad was coming so that was quite the surprise!  The wedding was beautiful.  Really small and nice.  The minister was quite the joker.  During pictures we called Andy & Jeremiah and they went out on the balcony to see us.  The resorts were side by side, so they walked to the fence and were able to look down the beach and see Nich & Mel.  The meal that evening was good, minus the hidden nuts in the brushetta.  The downfall was there was not air conditioning in the restaurant.  Who builds a restaurant in Jamaica without air?  But Nich & Mel looked great and it was a really nice day.

Sunday Mom & Dad left in the morning.  We went back to the pool and managed to get sunburned, just a little bit.  We ate at the Jamaican restaurant.  Jeremiah is not used to “fine dining” and was very upset they did not have a kids paper for him!  But he did pretty well.  I think the kid ate more fruit on this trip than he has his whole life.  (It was very good, especially the cinnamon pineapple – mmm I miss that!)  Monday we played miniature golf and took a paddle boat out on the ocean.  We found a starfish and shells.  And of course we went back to the water park.  Jeremiah finally got really comfortable in the water and was putting his head underwater on purpose.  Then I convinced him to go down the water slide one more time.  Well that one time lead to about 10 other times.  He loved it!  That evening we got to see Uncle Nich & Aunt Mel through the fence.  The security guard stood there with us, but at least she didn’t rush us.  I had their marriage license so I had to get that to them.  We left at 5:00 the next morning for the flight back.  We had not trouble with airplanes or weather this time, but it was still a long trip!  And LA at rush hours was not the smartest move on my part. But we got back about 7:30 Tuesday night.  Like I said it was quite the trip!!

In the middle of the trip Jeremiah turned 3 1/2!!  It is so hard to believe.  He has gotten so tall and talks like a little boy not a toddler.  He reasons and rationalizes already.  I find him telling his friends different things and I am hearing my own words.  He misses NOTHING!!  Often I wish he would miss something.  He is not afraid to ask if he doesn’t know something or understand something.  He also got his first pair of scissors this month.  He was so excited I let him cut the other day at my bible study.  But of course that meant we had to go buy some.  He also caught his first moth.  He did however call it a cricket as he ran in to get his bug stuff, but he was very excited.

Since we got back we have been catching up and trying to do “normal” things.  Being gone is hard work!  Great Grandma Caughell came on Saturday for a few days.  Jeremiah is very excited and has a list of things to do with her.  I hope we remember some of them and actually do them.  He often has more ideas than we have time for.  I hope we don’t wear her out too much.  Jeremiah is quite the entertainer, so I am sure there won’t be a dull moment.

So that was most of May and part of June.  How are your summers so far?  I think ours is going to get calmer, but I am sure we will continue to find things to do.

🙂
Nichole