The Sasser Family

Ocean Shores

2011-09-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Ocean Shores. We rented a cabin just off the beach. It was great to have some down time. Ocean Shores is a special place for our family since it was my dad's favorite place to visit. He loved the Ocean.

We spent time on the beach, went go-karting, played miniture golf, had the best fish and chips around, played at the arcade, and went on bumper boats.

The weather was beautiful. It was the perfect weekend except for wanting to stay longer.

Craig and I think our next investment might be a beach cabin. It's just so peaceful and relaxing there. It's definitely wishful thinking...haha

Vacation in Idaho

2011-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

Jackson and I were able to spend a week with Craig's mom in July and had a great time. The weather was nice for the most part and Jackson had so much fun spending time with Grammy Sasser... We also got to spend a few days with Kristi and Sean there as well and had alot of fun with them. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

T-Ball

2011-08-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

Jackson is having so much fun playing T-Ball. This is his first year playing and it's so fun to watch him learn new things every week. It's been a great experience for him learning to play t-ball as well as how to play with other boys and be on a team. Sometimes we are lucky to make it through two innings before he completely melts down but he's having fun! It's so cute when he hits the ball and then accidentally runs to 3rd base instead of 1st.

Jackson Update

2011-03-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who is praying and fasting with us as we prepare for Jackson's surgery tomorrow.

Jackson's surgery is scheduled for 10am tomorrow and it will last a couple hours and then we should be home tomorrow evening.

We are very grateful for all the love and support that we are receiving.

Love,

Craig, Steph, and Jackson

Jackson..

2011-03-09T20:54:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone!

We had an appointment at Children's on Monday afternoon and received some challenging news. Jackson has been diagnosed with a strain of ocular albinism. Ocular albinism in an inherited condition in which the eyes lack melanin pigment. He currently has 20/80 vision in his good left eye and doesn't have measurable vision in his right eye.

Currently, there is no treatment for ocular albinism. Ocular albinism results in very poor vision and can lead to blindness. Because of the lack of pigment, his eyes can't process sharp light images. Due to this, it's very difficult to correct the vision with glasses. At this point of time, the doctor says he will probably never be able to drive.

Jackson has new glasses and are praying that they do help correct his vision so that he will be able to function more normally. One of the things that the doctor told us is that kids are resilient and learn to adapt and can lead good lives with ocular albinism.

Jackson will be having surgery on March 23rd. They will be aligning his eye so that it will seem to look normal. The doctor says it will be more of a cosmetic surgery but there is a slight chance that it could help his binocular vision.

We did get some good news today. We found out that he is in the best hands at Childrens. His doctor is very well known and is the Chief of the Opthlamology department and is very well respected in his field. We are confident that he will get the best care possible which is all we can hope for.

We are grateful for Heavenly Father's love and knowing that he has a plan for Jackson, and that He doesn't give us more than we can handle.

We ask for your continued thoughts and prayers for Jackson as we prepare for his upcoming surgery and as Jackson invokes on this journey.

On a happier note, Jackson is growing like a weed, has learned all his ABCs, can count to 13 and knows the difference between his right and left.....very smart kid

Love,

Craig, Stephanie, and Jackson

4th of July - a little late :(

2010-09-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July this year. Kristi and Sean and the girls came down and we had fun hanging out, having dinner, and lighting off fireworks. There was quite a show in our neighborhood. Too bad the weather wasn't nicer but we still had a blast!

Here are some of the highlights:

Jackson loves his swimming pool..

2010-08-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Jackson has really enjoyed playing in the water and in the back yard this summer..

A nice visit with Craig's Dad

2010-07-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Craig's dad and his wife were able to spend the night with us in April. We had a nice visit and Jackson really enjoyed his time with them..

It was pretty mellow - we hung out at the house and went to the park.

Thanks for visiting Grandpa Sasser. Come back soon!

I love this one. He loved going on walks with Grandpa.

Jackson's 2nd Birthday

2010-07-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I blogged. Things have been crazy busy for us since we moved into the house.

We were finally able celebrate Jackson's 2nd birthday on June 5th. Time has flown by and we can't believe our baby is already 2. He's becoming such a big boy!

It was the perfect day - wonderful time spent with family, and sunshine! We were able to have so much family share his special day with us! Thanks everyone for coming.

We are so grateful that Kyle and Russanne were able to make it over for his birthday even though they were leaving for Boston in 2 days. Thanks so much guys for coming! We love you guys and wish you the best in the next chapter of your life in Boston! We miss you guys!!

Happy Birthday Jackson!

We're moving!!

2010-04-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be buying a home up here in Washington and are so ready to move out of our ghetto apartment...

Move date in the 24th. We were blessed to find a brand new home, big enough for a few more kids ;) and affordable!

I'll post pictures once the house closes and we get moved in.

Sorry I haven't posted in such a long time. Life has been crazy since my last post. With the holidays, my unexpected back surgery, and busy with church and our jobs - life is crazy.

We are doing well and very excited to move into our new home!!

First Haircut

2009-10-19T14:46:00.001-07:00

Jackson finally had his first hair cut. It was sad to see him lose his red curls but his hair was getting pretty shaggy.

Thanks to future Aunt Russanne for cutting his hair.

Our Idaho Trip

2009-07-31T16:25:00.001-07:00

So it all started with Jackson and I driving in a car for 13 hours in one day. Jackson did fairly well. The first 2 1/2 hours were pretty rough. Right about Yakima, I thought maybe I should turn around but I'm so glad we kept going...After 7 stops, we made it to Craig Mom's House.

Jackson had so much fun spending time with his Grandma Sasser, his Great Grandma and Grandpa Thomas and all his cousins and aunts and uncles.

We had so much fun hanging out and playing in the sunshine! We had alot of fun at the Phillips' Reunion at Downata. All the kids really enjoyed the pool and the water slides! It was great to meet more of Craig's extended family especially Brandy and Brady and their families. It was also great to meet Dale's kids, Angie and Kayla too!

We also really enjoyed seeing Great Grandma Sasser and meeting more of the Sasser Family! Great Grandma Sasser turned 90 so we celebrated with her! We all had a blast on Sunday with them and it was great to see everyone.

Craig's Mom's house was pretty crazy! 20 people staying in one house is a bunch but we all survived and really enjoyed it!

We are sure going to miss Keri and the kids. It was very sad saying goodbye to them. They are moving to South Carolina for 4 years for school! We are sure going to miss them! We love you guys!

We can't wait till next time!

Date Night

2009-07-15T23:27:00.001-07:00

Craig's office had there summer party on the Argosy Cruise. We had a great time. The weather was perfect, Grandma watched Jackson overnight, and the whole experience on the Cruise was fantastic...fantastic views, food, and company!

4th of July

2009-07-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July spending time with my family!

Here are some picture highlights!

Our Spokane Trip

2009-06-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous time in Spokane a couple weeks ago.

Craig's brother Kyle graduated from Eastern Washington University. Congrats Kyle!

All of Craig's family was able to be there except his sister Keri. We had a great time enjoying the sunshine and celebrating Kyle's success. Jackson doesn't get to see his Grandma Sasser or his Grandpa Sasser and wife Karen very often so it was great to see them.

Grandma Sasser was able to spend a week with us in Seattle and we had a great visit with her. We are excited for our trip to Idaho this summer so we can spend more time with her.

We had fun at Riverfront Park in Spokane. I have very fond memories of riding on the carousel as a kid so we took Jackson. It was a blast.

The whole gang

Riding on the 100 year old carousel

Grandma Sasser

Grandpa Sasser

Uncle Mike

Jackson telling Uncle Brian stories

Kyle, Russanne, Jackson and Jaidyn

My Dad

2009-06-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

It's been over 5 years since my Dad passed and you'd think that it would start getting easier to deal with but it hasn't.

I hadn't been to the cemetary in a long time since we had been living down in Eugene. On our way out to my mom's on Saturday, Craig and I drove thru Carnation and stopped and put flowers on Dad's grave. It was super hard.

I miss my dad so much. I wish he was here to see how happy I am.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

We had a great Memorial Day weekend spending time with Dave and Teresa. We took the babies swimming and had a blast. We sure miss them but looking forward to spending some more time with them this summer!

I got Tagged

2009-05-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Rachelle tagged me in their blog to go to my sixth folder and grab the sixth picture and then tag six people to do the same. Here is my picture.

This picture is of when Jackson was born! I love this memory and feel so blessed to be a mom.

Now I tag Kristi, Stacey, Carina, Teresa, Carrie and Kristine...

April 09

2009-05-20T12:26:00.001-07:00

We moved into our new apartment in Renton in April and we love it. I've been really busy trying to get unpacked and settled.

Jackson got a new high chair because he was getting too strong for the mini high chairs that strap to a dining chair. He loves his new high chair that Grandma Jackson got for him. Mom and Dad love it too because it's nice and sturdy and matches our dining room table.

Jackson is growing up so fast and has such a great little personality. I love staying home with and being able to capture all the fun new things he is doing.

Here are some more cute pics.

We also went to the park that is near our house on Mother's Day. Jackson wasn't a huge fan of the swing for the first time so we'll work on that. He did enjoy walking lakeside and checking out the ducks.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-05-20T12:23:00.001-07:00

Mom's birthday was April 30th and we celebrated with Doug and Wendy. Wendy made a wonderful banana cake from scratch and we had dinner at Ixtapas.

Here are a couple pictures to share.

Happy First Birthday Jackson!!!

2009-05-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Jackson turned 1. I feel like it was only a few months ago that he was born and that we were on our way home from the hospital. Times goes way too fast!

We had a wonderful time with family for Jackson's 1st Birthday Party. Kyle and Mike (Craig's Brothers) and Kyle's girlfriend were able to come over for the weekend from Spokane. Kristi (Craig's Sister) and Sean and the girls came, my brother Doug and his wife Wendy, Grandma Jackson and Steven, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Longmate were able to share his birthday with us. He was a bit overwhelmed with all the people and festivities but I think he really enjoyed the day. After the party , the Sasser side went to the park and hung out since it was such a beautiful day.

Thanks to everyone that came. We sure love spending time with family.

Grandma Sasser - We missed not having you here with us but will celebrate with you in June! We love you!

Here are a few photos from his special day!

Jackson - 11 months old

2009-04-20T16:35:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Jackson is 11 months old already. He is such a joy. Everyday he learns something new. He has mastered crawling and chases me around the house all day long. He is very close to walking and loves walking along all the furniture. We love him so much!

Jackson and Grandma Jackson...

Jackson looks like my Dad in this one.. same facial expressions.

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

We are sure enjoying our time staying at my moms but....The commmute (1-1 1/2 hours one way) is getting old so we are moving down to Renton to be closer to Craig's job.

All is well..Here are some updated pictures...

Jackson loves his Uncle Kyle

and his Uncle Doug...

Jackson loves playing with his cousins Jaidyn and baby Olivia

Yeah!!! Jackson crawls....

2009-03-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

A Big Thank You!!!

2009-03-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

We are still getting settled in Seattle but we wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU to everyone down in Eugene that helped us with the move.

We are still completely overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude. There were over 20 people that came to help pack the truck and clean the house the night before we moved. We would have never made it thru the process with out everyone's help.

We are truly grateful for all of our dear friends in Eugene and for all their love and support.

We will truly miss all of you...

Craig, Steph, and Jackson

8 1/2 Months Old

2009-02-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

We are so amazed at how fast Jackson is growing up and learning new things. He surprises us daily.

Jackson's First Christmas

2009-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas despite how much snow there was in Seattle and Craig, Jackson and I were all sick with the horrible cold. We were up at my mom's in Seattle for week. Jackson got very spoiled by Grandma. Plans changed daily due to the weather but we were still able to spend time with our immediate family. Jackson had a blast opening presents and playing with the ribbon.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

We had a great time spending Thanksgiving with Craig's family in Springfield, Idaho near Blackfoot. It was a very long drive (we left at 5:30pm and arrived at 7:00am) but it was well worth it. It was wonderful to have all of our families together!

Jackson's New Toy

2008-11-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

The doctors said that we should get Jackson an exersaucer that has alot of activity items because it will help his eye development.

Luckily...he loves it!

Jackson's First Cereal

2008-11-11T06:40:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun trying to feed Jackson cereal for the first time....

2008-11-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

Jackson loves talking on the phone. Almost every night, he talks up a storm to Grandma Jackson. They usually talk for a couple minutes and Jackson ends the conversation by pressing the buttons or trying to eat the phone! :)

2008-11-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

Check out our safari guy...

Jackson's 1st Halloween

2008-11-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

Jackson dressed up and had his first halloween party at daycare.

During the day, he was a ball player

In the evening, he was our little pumpkin. We took him trick or treating to the neighbor and he got his first halloween treat - tootsie roll suckers that Mom and Dad enjoyed! :) We look forward to the day when Jackson can say "Trick or Treat."

Cousins

2008-10-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here is cute picture of Jackson and his big cousin Jaidyn. Jaidyn loves her new cousin Jackson. Jaidyn is 2 and thinks the world of him. This picture is of them sitting in the foyer of the church building up in Seattle over the weekend. Jaidyn thought it was cool to put her arm around him. Isn't Jackson getting so big? I can't believe that he is already 5 months old. Time flies....

Jackson - 4 months old

2008-09-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Things have been a whirlwind over the last month. Stephanie dreadfully went back to work on September 2nd. Jackson has a wonderful person watching him that we've been blessed with. Jackson is adjusting well with being at daycare.

As in the picture, he's always got something on his mind :)

Our Seattle Trip

2008-08-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

Jackson and I spent two great weeks up in Seattle. Craig didn't get to go with us... one of us has to work :) We spent time with friends and family. Mom, Steven, Jackson and I went camping at the ocean with my grandparents and aunts and uncles. We had a great time even though the weather was pretty rainy. Grandma wasn't super excited about having a 3 month old in a tent so Mom and I got to stay in a hotel which we were grateful for especially after it poured down rain. Craig came up on Friday and spent the weekend with us. He was very excited so see Jackson. Jackson and I were very excited to see him too. Two weeks is a long time to be away. Kristi, my sister in law had her 2ND baby girl, Olivia on Saturday so we got to spend some time with her family on Saturday and Sunday before we came home. Here are some pictures from our trip...

Jackson in his camping outfit

Kristi, Jaidyn, and Baby Olivia

Kristi and I have matching Hooter Hiders :)

Joining the Blog Family

2008-08-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to have a blog so we thought it was about time that we join everyone. We are just getting started but there will be more to come.