I LOVE THANKSGIVING! When I think about thanksgiving I think about my Grandma Earl's home. She always made the best turkey and homemade stuffing. My grandpa would be sitting near the kitchen watching the kids get pomegranates out for the fruit salad and my sister and I were in charge of the cream pies. We have a huge family and we always made 8 cream pies and my aunt Audrey made 10 fruit pies. All the women would wear the family turkey aprons and everyone was always so happy.

Grandma making stuffing

Pomegranates

so many pies!!!! YUM

This year we are having a small thanksgiving at my house. We are going to have my parents, Devin's parents, and also Carlene and Nate. My mom is coming down early and we are going to create the feast! I'm so excited. This isn't the first year I am doing the Thanksgiving dinner, last year was and I didn't do so well. In fact I messed up on all the food. The turkey was so dry, my stuffing tasted like potpourri, and my rolls were like little rocks. I'm hoping I can learn from my mistakes and have a better one this year.

Ethan and Kamille at Thanksgiving 2014

Well Kamille is almost 14 months old. She loves to talk on the phone, run from me, and mess up my clean home. She likes it when both her grandparents come over and play with her (I think she gets sick of playing with just me) and I love the break! ha ha She is eating everything and so far likes all food that we give her. She likes soft blankets and toys and just started being all sweet to her baby doll. She gives it her blanket, kisses the little head and if I say anything she shhh's me and I can't stop laughing. She likes it when people chase after her. Her little legs move as fast as she can. She weighs in at 20 lbs and she is just over two feet tall. She's in the 20-25% but that's been her number since she was born. I was looking back at pictures from a year ago and it made me so sad to see how fast she is growing and changing.

November 2014

November 2015

We are almost coming up on a year in Stanley, North Dakota. It's the longest we have ever been in one place with one job. It's been so nice. Devin and I are also coming up on our 2 year anniversary in December! I am so glad I get to spend forever with him. He's an amazing husband and father. 

In October 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
"A wife loses a husband is called a widow. A husband who loses a wife is called a widower. A child who loses his parents is called an orphan. There is no word for a parent who loses a child. That's how awful the loss is." ~Jay Neugeboren, An Orphan's Tale

This whole month I have seen awareness posts on Facebook about miscarriages and infant loss. This month has been really hard for me. Devin and I should be announcing Baby Jackson #2... but we aren't. Back in July we took a trip to Northern Idaho. It was our last get together before Jason left on his mission. As we were getting into my grandma's house, something was off. I hurried to our room and to the bathroom and saw the blood. It didn't hit me right away what was going on. I didn't know I was pregnant (If I did I think it would have been 100 times harder). I called in Devin and my mom and tried to brush it off as if it was nothing. I was probably a few weeks along and since we were traveling and camping I didn't bring any pregnancy tests.

In the last few days I have seen pregnancy announcements galore. They are so cute...pumpkins inside of pumpkins and little skeletons on maternity shirts. I am so happy for all my friends and family, but I really do wish I was right there along side them announcing too.

I don't really know how to describe how I feel....The best words I can find is incomplete, broken, and sad. My friend from college's wife wrote this song and posted about her experience. The song is beautiful and exactly what I needed. (Start from 1:56 for music).

Saying good bye to Elder Jason Lloyd! :) Colorado is lucky to have him for the next two years!!!

Before we moved in... I need pictures of what it looks like, now that I have it decorated

Stanley, North Dakota LDS church. I took this picture for the flyer for the Open House!

Someday I don't want to do anything. I just want to curl up in bed and stay there all day. I just don't actually see that happening anytime soon.
Every morning I wake up with Devin and pray that Kamille sleeps a little longer. I go downstairs and make breakfast, pack Devin's lunch, fill his water bottle and then kiss him goodbye for the day. Then I might have 5 minutes to myself before Kamille is awake and ready to go.


Kamille Alice Jackson is almost 8 months old! She can stand on her own and likes us to help her walk. She can sit up really well and can crawl backwards. She is still trying to get the hang of going forward, but in the end she looks like she is going to bear-crawl and falls over. She has found her voice and it gives me a headache sometimes. It's a high pitched scream and it  doesn't end until you have a sippy cup filled with delicious stuff.  She loves all baby food and likes to try everything Devin and I are eating. She likes to chew on EVERYTHING and is drooling like crazy. She has two bottom teeth and more coming very soon.
 We went to the doctor yesterday and she weighs 16.2 lbs (25%) and is 26.25 inches tall (50%). She isn't spitting up hardly ever (which is so nice!!!) and is usually a very happy baby. She can say ma and baba (bottle) and occasionally says da.

RECENT TRIPS:

Devin, Kamille, and I took a quick trip to Idaho for Mother's Day. We got Donetta a cute puppy named Roxy. She is half blue tick hound and half lab. She is so cute and I'm hoping she loves it in Idaho. She has 2 acres to run around on and a happy home to be at. Devin really wanted to keep her, but we don't have the space. While we were down in Idaho we got to see Devin's grandparents and aunts and uncles. It was really nice to get away from North Dakota for a little bit.

Last weekend, Kamille and I went to Kamiah for Jason's Graduation. It was way fun to see my old teachers and have them meet Kamille. Some didn't even know I was married and had a baby! This weekend was also the first time all of my siblings have been together for over two years. It was nice to have everyone together.

Devin is still working hard for his family and I am doing what I can to be a homemaker. All day I try to edit photos, finish graphic projects, clean the house, organize cupboards, wash laundry, entertain and take care of Kamille and have dinner on the table by the time Devin get's home. Someday I might actually have a relaxing day off...but honestly I would miss being a wife and mother way too much.

God be with you,
Kaylynn Jackson