Much to my surprise, Jack has FINALLY figured out that having your picture taken isn't painful, and it can actually be fun. He will randomly ask me to get out the camara and take his picture. Maybe I can finally get some decent pictures of Jackson actually looking at the camara and smiling at the same time! 
Jackson really liked everything about Animal Kingdom. It's a zoo and Disney combined - what could be better? He also really enjoyed the merry-go-round, Small World, and Peter Pan. He really liked meeting Lightening McQueen and Mater, but was not fond of "real" characters, like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Handy Manny, or the Einsteins. He always liked the idea of meeting them, but would chicken out just as we always got to the front of the like. Jack wasn't a fan of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad either. It was far too fast for our little guy, who told us on numerous times to "get me out of here"! He learned to cover his eyes and hide when he got too scared. He was the perfect age to absorb all the magic of Disney!
He loved opening presents, and is now primed for Christmas opening. He won't leave anything wrapped - he has to know what is inside!
He was crazy about his pinata. We had to do it in the garage because it was just too cold outside. It worked. Alexa, McKoy, and Jack made quick work of the pinata.
The day after we got to Florida, we had another birthday party with Bryan's family. We caught some of them just before they left for their own holiday, and Jack loved spending time with all of his cousins. He doesn't get to see them often, but he's crazy about them and still talking about Brenden, Ethan, Sammy, Saylor, and Sawyer!
Our little Christmas miracle doesn't officially turn 3 until Christmas Eve, but we sure did have a good time celebrating! I can't believe my little guy is getting so old! Love him to the moon and back!
Grandma and Grandpa with all their grandkids.
Matt and Kim with their little ones: Luke, Dax, Kade, and Callie. There's only room for one princess in this family, and Callie fits the bill. 
Mark and Autum and their kids: Alexa and McKoy. I simply adore them.
Mommy and Jakon. I think he would live at Matt's house if possible. They have so many more toys, and it's so much louder and fun than our house. Guess we'll have to visit more often. :)
So, instead staying home in bed all day today, we had some FUN!!! We went to Creative Minds Learning Center for their Halloween Party. Jack got to try all sorts of things.........
He loved playing on the farm, of course. He especially liked playing with the horses, and planting in the garden.
Then he was off to the grocery store to fill his cart, and ring everything up on the register.
Next, he was off to a dinosaur excavation. This was right up there with the farm on his favorites.
He became a mechanic, and changed some tires, filled the car with gas, and checked under the hood.
He turned into a performer at just the right time to sing and dance on stage.
And, he finished up on the pirate ship. He kept repeating "Arghhhh!", and "Ahoy Maties!"
Isn't this the cutest little giraffe you've ever seen? In our community, we celebrated Halloween on Saturday instead of Sunday, so we took off for trick-or-treating this evening.
Jack has been practicing his door approach - "Trick-or-Treat"! He also used "Happy Halloween" a lot. I think this cute little face got him a ton of extra candy. By the end of the evening, he didn't even bother carrying his pumpkin - "it's too heavy!"
Jack was very proud of his tail. As I was snapping pictures, he was sure to ask for one of his rear end so we could document the cute little tail.
Jack's cousin, Alexa was his trick-or-treat buddy. As you can tell, after the first few houses, Jack was simply done walking. He has us all figured. He knows he only has to make it to the door to get candy, and he figures someone can just push him between houses. From his candy stash, I think it worked. 
Jack's idea of saying "cheese" is looking away from the camara....almost mocking his mother. I really believe he thinks it's funny.
Riding the very cool horses made out of recycled tires. This is definitely his kind of tire swing!
Such focus and determination at the rubber duckie races. He sent them back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth, you get the idea.
He loved the little cow train. I didn't like it so much. He was alone on the ride, and it actually went out of my sight for a while. I didn't realize how nervous I would be without being able to see him. It's not many times that I let that little guy out of my sight.
Jakon and Mom in the pumpkin patch. We found big ones and little ones, orange ones and green ones. 
Looks like he's doing the chicken dance. Just another mocking "cheese".
And again......I swear he will not look at me. Ugh. 
Going down the very fast and apparently fun half pipe. 
Jack finally scored his very own Tiger shirt. He's been going to Tiger games his entire life, and finally put his little foot down and asked for a "red" shirt of his own. He gets so very excited for games, and can be heard yelling "Go Tigers!" quite frequently. He's plenty of entertainment for everyone around.
Fall also means pretty leaves, and time on the mountain. We spent yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa riding the 4-wheeler, having a picnic lunch, going for long walks, listening to the birds, and getting plenty dirty. 
Jack got a hair cut this week, and I'm not sure that the girl understood me when I said leave a little length on the top. Oh well, good thing it grows quickly. Buzz cuts are good for little boys, and he loves it.
