Goodbye Sweet Maxine

Yesterday afternoon, we had to make the hard decision to put our sweet Maxine down. She became very sick very quickly. We're not sure what made her so sick but K suspects it was cancer based on some preliminary tests she had done several months ago. She was 10 years old and had a great life outside her very rough start. (She was a survivor of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005.)

When we first brought her into our home, I sort of thought of her as Syd's dog. Syd was aging and we wanted him to train our next dog. As a bonus, having a new girlfriend seemed to put the hop back in Syd's step. So they went together…like Paul Simon & Edie Brickell. When Syd died back in June of 2013, Maxine represented a part of him that remained. Now with Maxine gone, it feels like the end of an era.

Not to mention this is the first time in 15 years together that K & I have been without a dog. K looks empty-handed on our walks. There is a big void in our house…someone is missing. While I started out seeing her as Syd's dog, she quickly moved into the beloved family dog spot.

We will miss her crazy sounds, the way she let you, nay insist you pet her nonstop. If you dared to stop, she would nudge you, lick you, lean into you, whatever she needed to do to keep those hands of yours petting. She had the silkiest ears of any dog I've known. They always looked like pigtails to me. I will miss stroking those. We will miss her daintiness, how she'd lay elegantly with her front paws crossed, looking so regal. We will even miss how she'd wander into the baby's room when we'd leave the house and help herself to any number of stuffed animals, leaving a trail throughout the house. (Remarkably, she would rarely damage any of them.)

Our youngest child, R, loved her so much. "Dog," or "daw" as he says it, was one of his first words. He'd often wander over to her and gently lean into her, putting his head ever so carefully on her body. He loved giving her treats and holding her toys and giving her little pushes from behind. He'd crawl on her bed whenever he got the chance and just lay there.

We will miss you dearly, Maxine the Wonderdog. Thanks for being part of our family. Have fun with Sydney, romping in heaven. He was your best pal of all. Rest in peace.

Maxine The Wonderdog

(July 2005-February 10, 2016)

Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas!! Unbelievably we find ourselves at the end of yet another year, reflecting on all that has transpired in 2015. It has been a blessed year overall, joy mixed with some sorrow but filled with God's goodness & presence at every step.

We have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the personality of our third kiddo emerge this year! He is such a good baby…toddler now! He is walking & running everywhere, has six teeth & enjoys wandering around, playing, reading books, and getting into the pots & tupperware whenever possible. He loves feeding Maxine the Wonderdog treats & has learned how to get into the room with all the Legos, much to his brother's chagrin.

Big brother, L, is in first grade & doing well. We are in our second year of homeschooling & are really enjoying it. Sweet girl, H, is looking forward to starting kindergarten at home with us next year. It will all get tricky once baby R loses that morning nap! Alas, we will adapt.

L played soccer for the first time this fall as well as started piano lessons. H started dance (tap & ballet). & R is learning to climb onto all the furniture.

This summer found us road tripping out to Colorado for time with friends at Young Life's Trail West Family Camp for a week. It was a blast, though the loud cheers & chants were a little much for the littlest ones (and, frankly, my husband…ha!). We are so grateful we got to have that experience together.

K traveled to Nepal (only days before the tragic earthquake), India, Malaysia, Singapore, Namibia & South Africa this year. & I am enjoying my new role as Chairman of the Board at The Viewfinder Project, having officially handed over the directorship to my friend & fellow board member.

We have enjoyed the many shows & culture that Indianapolis has offered this year!

We continue to learn how to live life more simply & intentionally, incorporating work & nature into our daily lives. Hopefully next year will report a successful integration of chickens & bees into our dailyness! I am reading The Chronicles of Narnia with L, which has been a balm to my heart in many ways. I have needed the gentle, constant reminder that while God is good, He is not safe.

We trust you are all well, learning how to live life more fully & richly every day. Our door is open to you anytime here in Indianapolis!

Blessings to you all this Christmas season & in the new year,
The Jacksons

Christmas Letter 2014

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This year, we welcomed our third baby, a baby boy, into our family! He was born on October 7 and has been a total joy. We all are enamored with his sweet smiles, his huge brown eyes, and his mile-long eyelashes. We look forward to introducing him to many of you in the coming year!

Both L & H have been huge helps to us as we added a third sibling. They are in love with their little brother and want to do whatever they can to help and be with him! They both are waiting for him to do more, though, like play crawl-chase.

In addition to welcoming baby, L started kindergarten! As such, we began our homeschooling adventure. It has been a great fall semester as we learn what works and what does not, a process I know we will go through lots more in the years to come! It’s awesome being a witness to him as he learns to write and read, count and create! He is busy drawing pictures for his own stories and transcribing the words (that he tells me to write) into his books. He loves, loves, loves Lego and has quite the city built on our old train table. And the day before the baby was born, he got glasses! They are bright blue and look awesome on him.

H is back at our favorite preschool in the 3’s class. She is the only girl in her class of eight kids! At her parent-teacher conference, her teacher described her as a natural leader, fearless, a cuddler, and a good playmate, all of which isn’t surprising. Then she said, “H has the type of personality where all of a sudden, everyone is doing what H wants without H having to say a word!” So true!

K is busy dabbling in several different projects, The Ball Project, www.ballproject.com, being one of them! He’s also busy pursuing some fun investment opportunities with friends and family.

I took my first-ever maternity leave from The Viewfinder Project and hired a friend and colleague to run things. The Viewfinder Project, www.theviewfinderproject.com, celebrates 10 years in 2015 from when we had our first project in Raithby, South Africa! Hard to believe we’ve been at this for that long. I love being a mom of three (!!) and homeschooling and pursuing my non-profit work with TVP.

Life in Indianapolis continues to be great as we are surrounded by family and wonderful friends. We love living so close to Butler University (and great basketball!!) and to the canal trail and all the places it leads. We feel blessed and humbled by God’s goodness. We pray you all find blessing & adventure in the year to come!

Godspeed,
K, MB, L, H and baby R and of course Maxine the Wonderdog

 

Look at those eyelashes (7 weeks old)!!!

More photos!!

Baby R is Here!

Hi all!
It's hard to believe that we welcomed baby R into the world 2 weeks ago already!! So without further adieu, let us introduce you to...

RSBJ
October 7, 2014
8lbs 7oz, 20.5in

R is an amazing little boy! He loves sleep, nursing, sleep, clean diapers, sleep...and definitely cuddling! And did I mention he loves sleep?

The kids LOVE him. H is a huge helper, ready to get the diaper changing stuff all set up or get blankets or new jammies or anything he needs. L loves showing him toys, hoping & waiting for him to respond with a smile. We all love kissing his warm, silky head.

Here are some photos from the last two weeks. Thanks for being patient as I had to get them off of two devices and ready to post!

Baby #3 is coming soon

We are in the final month of waiting for the arrival of Baby #3! Just over two weeks to go, which is hard to believe. I've had an awesome ultrasound tech for my last two visits who gave me some beautiful 3D scans of the baby. Here is the latest, from my 36-week appointment. I am already in love with this munchkin! Stay tuned for more news of his/her arrival!

Proud of my brother!

Here is a great article on my brother! So proud of him & the work he is doing!

www.currentzionsville.com/2014/09/16/zionsville-prosthetic-builder-helps-war-vet-running/

Surprise!

It is with great joy that K and I get to share that we are expecting Baby #3 in early October! Some have asked if this is a surprise baby and it is not. We had been hoping for a third baby for a while now. We are thrilled and can't wait to share this little miracle with the world later this year! We appreciate your prayers and well wishes for a healthy baby and healthy pregnancy. Here is a glimpse of Baby from our 8-week appointment:

Love K+M+L+H

Merry Christmas!

As the years pass what feels more & more quickly, I feel the constant theme of “gratitude” pervading my life. This year has been full of lots of fun, wonderful events as well as some really heart-breaking ones. We seem to be at the curious age where friends are simultaneously getting married, having babies, divorcing, and passing on from this world to the next. Hence the joy mixed with sorrow.

So it’s with humility & gratitude that we end this year, thanking God for His provision & grace every day. We are all healthy & thriving & enjoying each other. We are surrounded by an amazing community of family & friends both near & far. So much to be grateful for.

Our kids are a hoot. L (4) and H (2) constantly keep us laughing and on our toes. I asked H what she wanted for Christmas, and she said, “Pink.” L still finds great joy in his cars but is branching out big time into building things with his blocks & Legos. They are sponges, asking questions, trying to learn, trying to understand. L continues to be incredibly thoughtful & sensitive. H continues to challenge the physical boundaries around her. This Christmas season, we have started taking them to performances here at Butler University, which we’ve all enjoyed.

One of our great sorrows this year was having to say goodbye to our sweet Syd the Wonderdog. He died on June 14, 2013 though it still feels like yesterday. He was such a presence in our home that his absence is still painful. He was 15 years old and couldn’t walk very well anymore. He was a good dog, as anyone who knew him would tell you. Maxine is still with us & doing well, though she seems to miss having her buddy. H & Maxine seem to be building a sweet relationship.

In happier news, we headed to Cincinnati on December 2 for H’s 2-year post-op appointment with her neurosurgeon. He was pleased with her progress and told us he didn’t need to see her again unless we had a concern! Hallelujah!

This Christmas, we are all enjoying celebrating advent using the Jesse Tree paired with readings from The Jesus Storybook Bible. There is something so special about this season of waiting & hoping & anticipating. As C.S. Lewis writes, “Aslan is on the move.” As we move into 2014, we are excited to see what God has in store, trusting in His good & perfect gifts as only He can give.

With love & joy & gratitude,

K & M

PS. The photos on our Christmas card (not the one below) were taken by our talented friend, Brian McGuckin. Check out his other work! www.brianmcguckin.com 

More photos from this fall/winter

Here are some other photos from the latter part of 2013. Enjoy!

 H washing her baby doll.

 Sweet smile from a sweet girl.

 L "driving" the tractor at the pumpkin patch.

Playing in the leaves!

 Enjoying a good read.

With Nana & Pop-Pop on the Polar Bear Express train ride.

Family Photo Shoot

We just had some family photos taken by our good friend Brian McGuckin of Brian McGuckin Photography. We think he did a great job! Here are a few.

H Turned TWO!!

It's hard to believe that yesterday we celebrated H's 2nd birthday. How did she get so big so fast?!? She is a bundle of energy & curiosity. We had fun celebrating, starting the day by opening some presents. Then later to the cupcake shop for cake & on to one of our favorite parks to play. She loves to play chase, often referring to herself as "you," as in "Dada, chase you!" We are utterly in love with her, trying to savor every moment of this sweet, sweet age. Here are a few pics from the day: