tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222103142024-03-07T13:07:18.542-06:00Evan and Rebecca JonesEvan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-32238695457141382692014-02-15T10:06:00.003-06:002014-02-15T10:08:09.726-06:00My Girl<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today marks the 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Valentine’s Day that I have
spent with my girl and the first spent apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This day was meant to be spent together physically but seeing how that’s
not possible here’s my attempt to help us feel closer in other ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Straight up girl friend, time for a little
embarrassment - but really I can only stay modest so long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world needs to know how much I
scored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My top ten favorite things about
my girl (top meaning there’s way more than 10, trust me): <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She loves
football!</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QI2x9rv6RLaXNf7QRbbMBRboTwDPsVkK5S3EyDwbCvl_hyphenhyphenjsoXViKSGmWcvhaWoXfINQZvZdZNRBlawhXkMcDg4MWZsSTWpuC-XuMOeMckChcZDoW1RhJ32lw6bRftz5m3WH/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QI2x9rv6RLaXNf7QRbbMBRboTwDPsVkK5S3EyDwbCvl_hyphenhyphenjsoXViKSGmWcvhaWoXfINQZvZdZNRBlawhXkMcDg4MWZsSTWpuC-XuMOeMckChcZDoW1RhJ32lw6bRftz5m3WH/s1600/10.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Not kidding in the
least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than me actually – which
makes me the envy of every other man in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be the Texas in her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The standing joke during football season is
“hey babe, you don’t want to miss this game it’s North Dakota University vs.
New Hampshire State!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can plop down
on the coach and watch the alma mater game and she’s yelling at the refs and 30
seconds ahead of the announcers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
makes game time us time and I love it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She’s a girly
girl.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdWoZM57OVz_byqv1oJyLRLWd1GUSYLrlqCgT7Jllf8RWY1XWukBggHsSgFoRpgXD85c-bQeiN5xVUpWMYJXi0wbk_fbO29C6vk93zDo9JVeEdxtTE6DU0AcI2isawltTnr5r/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdWoZM57OVz_byqv1oJyLRLWd1GUSYLrlqCgT7Jllf8RWY1XWukBggHsSgFoRpgXD85c-bQeiN5xVUpWMYJXi0wbk_fbO29C6vk93zDo9JVeEdxtTE6DU0AcI2isawltTnr5r/s1600/9.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>More appropriately put: she’s
perfectly feminine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As bachelors my
friends and I used to joke about how to avoid the high maintenance women –
well, personally I don’t prefer a woman whose too low maintenance either (not a
huge fan of the hairy armpit look).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rebecca is truly the dialed in perfect maintenance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah she likes the mani/pedis<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and gets her hair done and likes to shop but
I reap the benefit because not only does she keep expenditures reasonable but
she looks really cute too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heaven knows
she doesn’t get enough time of proper pampering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delaney is learning from a pro.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She’s a simple
equation:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl55-kfiRwXCFJR3e9YUhZBnovyjgKtvhzQz4Q7fi-LnDsoXJHljUusdHLdjCddv0QbLZqZWx3rAwZZtQ3_z-s46bacGqgYvJDw7v_aFnb50z_NPHPyvVGbugnNT1YsOPsMEeQ/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl55-kfiRwXCFJR3e9YUhZBnovyjgKtvhzQz4Q7fi-LnDsoXJHljUusdHLdjCddv0QbLZqZWx3rAwZZtQ3_z-s46bacGqgYvJDw7v_aFnb50z_NPHPyvVGbugnNT1YsOPsMEeQ/s1600/10.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Warm Rebecca + Fed Rebecca
+ Downtime = Happy Rebecca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No joke; if
she’s grumpy one of these things is out of balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have to spend anytime guessing why
she’s irritated or trying to mind read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’ll just tell me, I’ll snag some take out, we’ll snuggle up on the
couch and catch up after a busy week and without fail she’s becomes Happy
Rebecca (aka Usual Rebecca).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No grudges
or complications with my girl, just good times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I probably should point out that they may not all be equally
weighted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fed Rebecca might eek out
ahead considering this girl and BBQ (likely that whole Texas thing again).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no containing that pure joy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She’s
beautiful.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8Fw3ekyprwcuIH2jjaTC0p3vPeN-53JMdEvtV0QSZBl68A6VXpzNZpK8i1_baCoq1quQpv3Ba0SUjXcwIcPeG1xzoi_xtQJIrQsdYaCD6Gk7sNvtpkPX-gUZ_hbLa9jPmWiP/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8Fw3ekyprwcuIH2jjaTC0p3vPeN-53JMdEvtV0QSZBl68A6VXpzNZpK8i1_baCoq1quQpv3Ba0SUjXcwIcPeG1xzoi_xtQJIrQsdYaCD6Gk7sNvtpkPX-gUZ_hbLa9jPmWiP/s1600/7.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">beautiful</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Understandably, this was the toughest picture
to choose – literally thousands of options!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Four kids?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And her feet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seriously those have got to be the cutest things on the planet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trophy wife?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Best believe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman is straight
up flawless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often can’t look away - I
think whoever created the “staring is rude thing” obviously didn’t have a wife
of my caliber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, superficial-ness
aside, I can’t not smile when she smiles, she has the ability to brighten my
day in miliseconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, her
smile made its way onto each of our children’s faces which is probably why I
find them so beautiful too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She’s fun <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> funny!</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDfWKdDQWfL8_6BQmrODa5Hwh0wF_Q9hh3VP8tyZjTrPrJImpxppYvtij55BQPQDqmt7DZGhmLi8ouuUVf5HSFz9z7GV6Az34FBJ3NKAS4Z5kZSHKzSBqVOKR7KmbfX7D2hWD/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDfWKdDQWfL8_6BQmrODa5Hwh0wF_Q9hh3VP8tyZjTrPrJImpxppYvtij55BQPQDqmt7DZGhmLi8ouuUVf5HSFz9z7GV6Az34FBJ3NKAS4Z5kZSHKzSBqVOKR7KmbfX7D2hWD/s1600/6.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Taking my girl out is a hobby of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only do I get to look forward to our
dates but they even seem to end better than they start every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her company is one to be cherished not only
because she’s cute, pleasant, real, witty, sympathetic, but funny too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I sound incredulous it’s because (I’m not
trying to be a chauvinist here) very few women comedians actually make me laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the fact that Rebecca often has me unable
to vocalize anything but wheezes for minutes at a time is saying
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I’m not talking about a
funny face here and there – she’s great at the kid humor too – I’m talking
trying to stay “professional” while on the phone with my wife in the office and
the result is the loudest attempt at quiet laughter you ever heard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She’s a team
player.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLe6zFvhigcdvaddQr-loiZH8jFhAJCa15RB0Yd2Js53WvrdWjn7QaeB-XmBn_JYHl0h5KupFTYHjw9uiJdQgooqW5n4JJ0TvhgZE-RmH9Aw-zBprMwRoap2CIw28I3bpUULM/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLe6zFvhigcdvaddQr-loiZH8jFhAJCa15RB0Yd2Js53WvrdWjn7QaeB-XmBn_JYHl0h5KupFTYHjw9uiJdQgooqW5n4JJ0TvhgZE-RmH9Aw-zBprMwRoap2CIw28I3bpUULM/s1600/5.JPG" height="143" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Yeah, she’s a good sport and
all when it comes to white water rafting or enduring the occasional pure
testosterone man flick but that’s not even the tip of the iceberg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember the Texas thing? That’s where home
is for her and even though we started dating there since we married I have moved
her three times each time farther away than the last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would you like to have a baby, keep the
house show ready and manage moving logistics, and take care of four
rambunctious kids while battling her own illness while your spouse is working
out of state?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All to leave a place and
friends you love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please sign me up –
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is beyond supportive and works
so hard for the family’s well being it never stops to amaze me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Qhu4nSrNVOvMfWiLzCKVN1vDb2tG_IO5EnqoHUYlNsTM6yp-6wYXQ9ouY7PtrtdGzQZ42grfSYDVYji-NBd9-EtgpSlnSHZVanFYlcfs_ie7FHn2KWjIKglZfiN26yMDcw2E/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Qhu4nSrNVOvMfWiLzCKVN1vDb2tG_IO5EnqoHUYlNsTM6yp-6wYXQ9ouY7PtrtdGzQZ42grfSYDVYji-NBd9-EtgpSlnSHZVanFYlcfs_ie7FHn2KWjIKglZfiN26yMDcw2E/s1600/4.JPG" height="200" width="178" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She loves me
unconditionally.</u> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>She is interested
in my day even when it wasn’t interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gosh, she is caring, tender, affectionate, often asks what I would like
for dinner, all around fully committed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
is continuously trying her best to take care of me in ways that make me feel
sincerely loved even when I don’t deserve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Only she truly understands what it takes to put up with me but I always
feel loved by her and it’s the best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She loves her
kids.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp2XFiYCfmmyOPbG7ZVCncqlqVUHF-KfCBcfzdBufF5z-eS-BwJdMaL4BGw2Ea941ut7dZolN3UenwjfYRfgeZVo3GFWGasrqJQc8TDzyWjumJflbsRlIuMkEN4Rpj33AnwVc/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp2XFiYCfmmyOPbG7ZVCncqlqVUHF-KfCBcfzdBufF5z-eS-BwJdMaL4BGw2Ea941ut7dZolN3UenwjfYRfgeZVo3GFWGasrqJQc8TDzyWjumJflbsRlIuMkEN4Rpj33AnwVc/s1600/3.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Sometimes its Candy Land on
repeat, sometimes it’s her testimony during family night, other times is just
making them laugh or jumping in on the dog pile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’ll take them on dates, have a private
conversation, make them a special treat, you name it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes down to it, she is there for them in any situation and very insightful on how they are doing really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Admittedly it’s not all fun and games, when the kids are melting down, disrespecting, rampaging, she can be the disciplinarian too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is the complete mom and it makes her happy to see them happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see this face all the time and it is the cutest thing to me.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRe_12Kh-EHMEGP7Ib09sfmqMn51mx2aaGw5XkDCKxfqcK_qoLtX78pQD7oM7L_5aavkK-9ztgvYZubaCe3uTnKLb81ZJpJGjN8q1zjGAwun6V2eVqvfweHeD_1OEBlEp6axE/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRe_12Kh-EHMEGP7Ib09sfmqMn51mx2aaGw5XkDCKxfqcK_qoLtX78pQD7oM7L_5aavkK-9ztgvYZubaCe3uTnKLb81ZJpJGjN8q1zjGAwun6V2eVqvfweHeD_1OEBlEp6axE/s1600/1.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She’s good.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in, the righteous good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is such a strong example of doing the
right thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s not only the commandment
keeper but the nonstop server.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’ll drag
all four kids to church by herself if I’m out of town and she’ll be the first
to bring a meal to friend in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’ll
wake up repeatedly at night with a newborn plus a sick toddler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, sometimes its zombie mode, but she just
keeps plugging away like a champ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thoughts
of what she could do to improve?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
drawing a blank here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, it’s
like grasping at straws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is our family’s
foundation of absolute goodness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdxZywvhGDjfC9hAAQiGKFNZBReaoerSSGpPpxTUBLDcKFamx0bONt6eHHu7IzsUEAit4vwcYINfrm8YN6e7UlgI9pl9AQfiu34CObJQlAYOpSsZXCAS0To1RzyvzkTB9Cyrp/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdxZywvhGDjfC9hAAQiGKFNZBReaoerSSGpPpxTUBLDcKFamx0bONt6eHHu7IzsUEAit4vwcYINfrm8YN6e7UlgI9pl9AQfiu34CObJQlAYOpSsZXCAS0To1RzyvzkTB9Cyrp/s1600/2.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>She makes me
better.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It may sounds cliché but it’s
for real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First there’s the obvious: she
teaches me how to recognize when food actually is delicious (here’s that Texas
thing again), how to enjoy a nice hotel whose premises are as clean as ours
back home, how to not look like a bum who dressed in the dark at work, how to
manage my time, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there’s the
truly important stuff: she inspires me, elevates me, holds me accountable, and
reminds me of the important things when my life is off kilter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life without her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s not go there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s my girl and my angel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-38781737227160654632013-12-17T12:01:00.001-06:002013-12-31T09:12:53.647-06:00Our new arrival is here!Let it be written now that I am madly, deeply, irrevocably in love. And honestly with a face like this one how can I not be??<br />
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Our
sweet baby boy (and heaven help me, let's go ahead and emphasize the
word sweet) joined our family on December 6th at 12:54 pm. He weighed
in at 8 lbs, 2 oz and honestly I can't remember how long he was. But
really, no one remembers the length right?? <br />
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Because
of Delaney's size and how quickly her labor went, my doctor was totally
on board with inducing me a week early. And by the looks of that
belly, we all know I was ready for induction as well. How is it
possible I can look so huge yet this baby was a full TWO pounds lighter
than Delaney?? This is me all nice and comfy, pre contractions and
subsequent epidural. I was feeling ready to go and more than excited to
meet my new baby. Enter my nurse who had graduated and been working
for a mere four weeks and let's not sugar coat things. She and I ... we
struggled. I will never underestimate the value of a good nurse ever
again. Ever. Let's just say that the icing on the cake was when my
blood pressure crashed after my epidural and as I'm telling her I'm
going to pass out and/or toss my cookies, she tells me that this has
never happened to her before and she's not quite sure what to do. Well
sweetie, press the call button, because my medical training begins and
ends with Grey's Anatomy and I'm not sure I can be of much help.
Luckily for me she did page another nurse and once we got my blood
pressure under control and my epidural turned off, I informed the nurse
that I was pretty sure it was go time. Fast forward to me working very
hard to not push for<i> forty five minutes</i> waiting for her to page
my doctor. There were a few moments where I figured either she or Evan
was going to catch this baby, but luckily for all involved (mostly Evan)
my awesome doc showed up and we had ourselves a beautiful baby boy!<br />
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After
one push too! Here he is and I must say from the second I saw him I
was wondering how I ever lived in this world without him. <br />
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No,
really. How did I? He has been so mellow and sweet and just a bucket
of love. The best part? He loves his mama. And trust me when I say,
the feeling is more than mutual. <br />
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Oh and a name! Bless my heart, coming up with <i>and</i> agreeing on a
third boy's name...especially when top on Evan's list was Newt (as in
Gingrich? what the??)...was akin to torture. By the end of our stay
when all hospital personnel had given up on us getting it together and
naming our little guy, we pulled it together and settled on Tucker
Carleton Jones. There is something about this sweet boy and his two
killer dimples that made the name Tucker seem just right.<br />
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My mom was able to be in the delivery room for Tucker's birth (a big thank you to Katie for watching Delaney!) but after he was here my mom went and picked up the troops to come meet our newest family member. As luck would have it, Delaney came down with a cough/cold and we had to quarantine her from coughing all over our newborn. Stinky timing since girlfriend thinks this baby is <i>her</i> baby to love on and hug, aka, squeeze to death. <br />
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And me? I'm in what I refer to as the "newborn fog."
I'm trying to remember how to function on no more than 3-4 hours of
sleep strung together here and there and oh yeah! How about the three
other little people who need/want my attention or at the very least, to
be fed. Let's throw in there that it's Christmas (and I'm guessing that
my peeps want a present or two) and that Colton turns eight and gets
baptized on the 28th. Luckily for me, my mom has been here keeping me
sane. When she leaves on Friday, all bets are off. Four kids might
just send me over the edge.<br />
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But
then I see this little guy and it is all worth it. No sleep, sore as
all get out, and feeling like I can't possibly be a good mom to all of
these little people and I wouldn't trade one single bit of it. Not one
bit. We are so blessed and grateful to have Tucker here safe and sound. I'm so glad he (and the other four people running around here) are mine.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-33506254654318745812013-09-01T20:34:00.001-05:002013-09-01T20:54:01.940-05:00The family adventure from you know where<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here are the kids on the way to Devils Lake, Wisconsin for a quick camping trip the weekend after school started. This is the only pic we got of the weekend. Why? Because things only went downhill from here. Remember when I said that camping wasn't so bad? That there might be a chance that I even maybe... liked...it? Well, I <i>lied</i>. Fresh off our not so bad experience over the 4th, when Evan mentioned that he'd been dying to take the family up to this awesome lake in Wisconsin, I wasn't too hard to convince. Heck, it might even be fun! Some good, wholesome family memories right? So I spent that Friday the kids were in school packing us up and getting things all ready for our "weekend of fun." Evan got off work and we set off on our three hour journey. Why so far to go camping for a night? Because according to Evan, the lake was <i>amazing </i>and this was one camping experience we didn't want to miss<i>.</i><br />
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The drive took forever but we finally made it to our campground around 8 pm. No biggie! Evan just needed to make a quick fire, I'd get the tinfoil dinners on, and we'd get camp all set up. Problem was the newspaper needed to start the fire had been forgotten and what was supposed to be a quick fire turned into an hour long process. I finally throw the dinners on and when we go to set up the tent, no lantern. Also forgotten. We did not have an ounce of light to see by. Awesome. Using our handy dandy phones for light, Evan set up camp while I tried to wrangle the 3 hyper kids into making some smores. Because, you know, when your kids are already psycho from their first week of school and a three hour drive, pump 'em full of sugar! That's the ticket! Oh and what's that kids? Mosquitoes biting your legs off? Oops, Mom forgot to pack the bug spray so since we're not eating dinner, let's make sure the mosquitoes get theirs! The boys scouts just might have been onto something with that whole "be prepared" thing. <br />
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About a hundred smores later, the tent was finally ready to go. At this point, it's 10 o'clock and I'm wrestling the kids to the bathrooms to clean the melted marshmallows off their faces and threatening them within an inch of their lives that <i>it's time to get ready for bed!</i> Oh yeah, awesome family memories going down right now. I get the kids back to camp and Evan helps me hog tie the kids into their beds. And when one child refuses to settle down? No prob. We throw him in the van and tell him to sleep there. Parenting at its best, folks. Evan and I finally settle down around 10:30 to eat our tinfoil dinners. Because, you know, that's what time this pregnant woman likes to eat dinner. And since we were so busy dealing with kiddos and making those wonderful smore memories, I never once checked on the dinners. Which have now cooked themselves into a pile of charcoal. Yum. So after our delicious dinner, time for some husband/wife bonding 'round the campfire. But for some reason, we can't seem to keep the fire going. After a few minutes staring at each other in total darkness, I announce date night over and time for bed! Give me a good night's rest and surely things will look better in the morning. We settle down onto the air mattress (after retrieving a certain child from the van) and what's that I hear? A whistling sound? Probably nothing! That is until Evan and I start our slow descent to the ground. A hole in the air mattress? Perfect! Just what this pregnant woman wants. To sleep peacefully on the rocky ground. I just love camping.<br />
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Factor in the kid (not ours, surprisingly) screaming for 20 minutes at 4 in the morning, the rocks digging into my pregnant belly, the kids waking up at 4:30 am (YAY!) and me staring at the massive amount of daddy long legs crawling all over our tent screen (EW!!) and I'm ready to pack it in. But wait! We need to see this awesome lake and make some more treasured family memories. So Evan takes the kiddos out in a boat to the middle of the lake. Colt's trying to dive in, Cade's screaming every time the boat so much as rocks an inch, and Delaney's crying to be held. By now even Evan, camper extraordinaire, was ready to close up shop. We loaded up the kids (after busting out the first aid kit for Cade who scraped off half the skin on his body running to the car) and convince ourselves that someday...in the very far future...we might laugh about this train wreck of a camping trip.<br />
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Evan's worried that he might not be able to convince me to go camping again. I figure that's what I'm giving him three sons for. Camp with them. As for Delaney girl and I, you'll find us at the Marriott.<br />
<br />Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-15436826797789826062013-08-27T19:05:00.000-05:002013-09-01T20:54:34.930-05:00Back to School Time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again! In keeping things real, I was pretty darn ready for the first day of school. For most of the summer I had been dreading it, as I was enjoying having the kiddos all home with me (or mostly enjoying it). Come the last couple of weeks before school started, however, my boys really took it upon themselves to step up their game and the fighting between them reached epic proportions. By the time school started, I think I was ready to call it a day and separate these boys a bit. One day they will be the best of friends, or so I'm told. Right? RIGHT??<br />
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What I wasn't as ready for was sending my little man Cade off to all day kindergarten. When Colton went off to school, he was beyond ready and really itching to go. Cade, on the other hand, is my homebody and pretty content to be my buddy. Combine saying goodbye to him for the whole day and my pregnancy hormones and I might have had a watery eye or two. <br />
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The first day of kindergarten they have an orientation where they ask the parents to attend and gasp! Evan was able to slip away from work and come hang out with Cade for a bit. Work can be crazy for that guy so it was a treat to have him there. <br />
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The after school cookies and Cade eating his with style. </div>
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And what's Delaney been up to while her brothers are at school all day? Playing pant-less of course. </div>
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Doing a little light reading with her brother's chapter books. </div>
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And eating in style. I will say that it's been pretty quiet with just Delaney and I. A lot less wrestling and broken lampshades. That's just not how we girls hang out at home. But with another baby (a BROTHER no less!) coming in December, I'm going to soak up the peace and quiet. We're excited for another boy to join our family. Let the classic naming battle begin! Because let's be honest, by baby boy #3 I think Evan and I are all out of names we can compromise over.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-18344314665059257072013-07-22T21:05:00.000-05:002013-07-22T21:06:49.252-05:00And then there were four...Baby Jones #4 will make his/her arrival in early December of this year! Though I'm starting to think that if I have a post without a picture, it's sort of a tip-off to a big announcement. I'm 19 weeks along and have my ultrasound this Friday. This has been a doozy of a pregnancy for me and I'm just now starting to feed the kids something other than ramen or frozen pizzas. Colton even mentioned sometime last month how he missed eating a dinner together that Mom made. Well, lucky for him, I actually made dinner this week so I think things are looking up. I still can't eat sweets without paying for it but hopefully this baby knows that Mama needs her donuts and that will be changing soon.<br />
<br />
We're excited to have a new little one join our family! Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-53558606138709130642013-07-11T20:42:00.000-05:002013-07-22T20:44:08.570-05:00Ditch the Kids '13My mom flew in after the 4th and was nice enough to watch the kids for a couple of nights. Originally I was going to join Evan on a business trip to North Carolina but when the trip was rescheduled it was onto Plan B. Fortunately for us, we live in a city that offers plenty to do and lots of yummy places to eat. After camping for a couple of nights though, I was ready for some AC and a comfy mattress. We were able to find a great deal for a hotel right on Lake Michigan and Navy Pier. <br />
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Here's the killer view from our room. If you look close, you can see the famous Navy Pier ferris wheel. Divergent, anyone? <br />
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We kept things pretty low-key but it was so nice to for the two of us to catch up uninterrupted and have such an unscheduled couple of days. We ate at lots of good restaurants, walked the city, and hit up a museum Evan had a couple of free passes to. We were even able to squeeze in something for the both of us: Evan went for a jog around the city while I took a nice, long nap. Everyone wins.<br />
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We spent our last night in the heart of downtown eating outside at an Italian cafe. The weather was perfect and so was the company. Happy nine years to us!Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-55435704769058589052013-07-11T19:59:00.000-05:002013-07-22T20:14:59.140-05:00Fourth of July, Evan styleI'm not a huge fan of camping. Never have been. Why camp when I can be comfy in my own bed with a bathroom a few feet away? Thing is I married a man who loves to camp. Adores it. Is fulfilled by the mere mention of it. And I have sons. Thus far, I've miraculously avoided doing much more than an overnighter and packing up first thing in the morning. Fast forward to the 4th this year when some good friends of ours invited us to camp by Lake Michigan and go to the beach. The beach <i>and </i>camping?? I think I saw stars in Evan's eyes just thinking about it. So camping we went and the boys were in heaven. All three of them.<br />
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The boys loved hanging out with their buddy, Mark and started catching fireflies, ants, and all things bugs the second we hit the campground.<br />
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The first night of camping the kids went to bed late and woke up at the crack of dawn. And I do mean the actual crack of dawn. Hence why Cade is sleeping in the car <i>before</i> we even got to the beach.<br />
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I worried that Delaney would have issues not getting to play in the water with the boys but she was completely happy to play in the sand. Give that girl a shovel and she's good to go.<br />
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Evan doesn't agree but Lake Michigan was coooold. I might have put a foot in and called it good. Is it just me or does Colton look a tad hypothermic? Evan's thermometer might be a little off after growing up in the frigid waters of Cali.<br />
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Cade wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the early morning.</div>
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Not that Evan was complaining.</div>
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The prune effect after a full day spent in the water. <br />
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Rather than watch fireworks, Evan was gung ho on buying some of our
own. I've never seen the man so giddy. He went into the fireworks shop
with our friend and asked to see the big stuff in the back. What??
Are we putting on a show for our family or for the state of Indiana? At one
point he came out to the car and my oh so frugal husband asked me how
much exactly I was ok with him spending. Once I squashed his dreams of
spending our retirement on fireworks, he bought a few and we had our own
little show after the beach. </div>
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I wasn't too keen on the idea of the boys helping Evan light the fireworks but after he promised me the boys would still have all of their appendages, I gave him the green light. And Colt and Cade loved every minute of it.<br />
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This little girl, on the other hand, not so much.</div>
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Kind of beats the point to do sparklers when the sun is still up but I, for one, was not willing to keep my tired past the point of exhaustion kiddos up past dark. Turns out they didn't mind one bit. And my verdict on camping? I hesitate to put this in writing, but I had a great time. I think the combination of very clean bathrooms with running water and hot, clean showers didn't hurt one bit. Not to mention that we've never camped where I didn't feeling like my nose was going to get frostbite while I slept. Evidently, if I'm warm, fed and not using a bush as a bathroom, I'm one happy camper. Throw in some great friends to hang out with and celebrating the 4th Evan style wasn't such a bad way to go, after all. Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-18039476679919808872013-06-29T23:50:00.000-05:002013-07-21T00:01:11.348-05:00Kicking off SummerSchool is out, the kiddos are all home and summer is upon us. Growing up in Houston, I know summer and I know it well. Seeing as how about 9 months of the year is summer there, I feel right at home in the heat and humidity. So here's how June shaped up for us.<br />
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Cade's end of preschool swim party. I did a home preschool with some other moms from church in addition to his preschool at the local Presbyterian church. It was such a good group of moms and kids that it ended up being a great experience for both Cade and I. Finish it off with some swimming and popsicles and everyone's happy.<br />
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Taco Bell runs for dinner. I am actually not a huge fan of the place but the boys adore it and when Evan's out of town and mama doesn't feel like cooking, Taco Bell it is. <br />
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Swim lessons for a couple of weeks. And what's more, Colt decided to lose a tooth while there. And when I say lose, I mean lose since he had no idea where it went. Apparently, the tooth fairy will accept a heartfelt note in lieu of the actual tooth. The boys both made huge improvements and my biggest challenge was keeping a jealous Delaney out of the water. Poor girl still can't get in the water because of her kidney issues, but we have her surgery scheduled in September and next summer will be her time to shine. <br />
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Relaxing with a snack, sans pants. Though I should clarify that Delaney is the only one who tends to do this on a regular basis.<br />
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Celebrating my 32nd birthday with my man. We got a sitter at the last minute, went out for dinner and some hanging out in my fave place, downtown Naperville. Throw in some homemade gifts from the boys and I was one happy girl. Colton even offered to change Delaney's diaper since he thought I should not have to do that on my birthday. Cade on the other hand told me that I should just go ahead and change the diaper because no way was he doing it. Oh that boy, gotta love his honesty.<br />
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Spending lots of time like this. Though I'm starting to wonder how much longer this little pool will keep their interest. Right now they still love the thing so I'm running with it. Not pictured is the <i>other</i> side of summer. You know, the breaking up of fights between the boys, the constant "I'm bored," the never ending messy house from having everybody home, and then the complaints when I ask for someone else other than me to clean it up. But with the knowledge that both of these boys will be gone all day come fall, I'm soaking it up having all my kiddos home under one roof. Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-13057797126150585332013-05-24T22:37:00.000-05:002013-07-21T00:17:49.026-05:00Disney Dream Vacay Part IIAfter our cruise was over and we were back on dry land, it just didn't make sense to leave Orlando without giving Disney some more of our money. We decided to hit up Disneyworld but first things first. A trip to Hogwarts! Or Universal Studios, but really I only had eyes for all things Harry Potter. For those of you who know how near and dear Harry is to me, know how exciting this was. I love all seven books and have read them more than once or twice...actually I've lost count. There was a serious pang in my chest when I finished the seventh book for the first time. I was pretty much ready to pack up, get myself a wand, and fly my broomstick to hang out with Harry and the gang. There are a few other family members who share this love of mine so to Hogwarts we went!<br />
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The whole gang entering Hogsmeade and I was feeling the rush. Delaney is asleep I think, obviously not as impressed.<br />
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In front of the Hogwarts Express. See how thrilled I was? Excited enough to get all chummy with a random stranger.<br />
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There it is! Hogwarts Castle...take a moment.<br />
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I will say all things in Harry Potter land were really well done. From the castle (the pictures talk to you!), to butterbeer, to Hogsmeade's shops, to the bathroom where Moaning Myrtle talks to you (really she does!)<br />
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Again, Delaney not feeling the excitement. I think it's safe to say a certain Disney cruise wore the poor girl out.<br />
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Okay and truth be told, all the waiting in lines wore my feet out. But not my spirit!<br />
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Heather's hubby, Todd, ended up not being able to go on the cruise because of some interviews that couldn't be rescheduled. Lucky for us, he flew into Orlando to go theme parking with us.<br />
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Seeing as how they haven't read the books yet, the kids were kind of ambivalent about the whole Hogwarts thing. Fast forward to a few hours later, when we were touring the Marvel comics, aka all things superhero, section of Universal. They were beside themselves, especially when they got the chance to meet/take pictures with/talk to/high five Spiderman. For those of you who have daughters, it's akin to meeting a princess. My boys could not believe their luck and I think had we done nothing else but meet Spiderman, they could have called it a day and gone home.<br />
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Day two and we headed over to Disneyworld. By this point, I think all of us were running on fumes but we bucked up and squeezed in a day at the happiest place on earth.<br />
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On the Haunted Mansion ride. Ash and I have some good memories on this ride as kids. Funny how 20 years later, things didn't seem quite as scary as I remember.<br />
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Cade, excited to see us on the ride. Promise that's not him shrieking in terror.<br />
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Maximizing the stroller's potential.</div>
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With Gavin's legs nice and rested, he was nice enough to give Cade a lift. Truth be told, I was so tired at this point, I might or might not have taken my own ride in the stroller.<br />
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Headed home but not before a pic in front of the famous castle. I think Evan's eyes are closed but this is the best we got and who can blame him for getting some rest when he can. <br />
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I think this pic of Gavin when he got home to Texas about summed up how we all felt after making the two day drive home. We laughed, ate and played ourselves to exhaustion. Well worth it if you ask me for such an epic family vacation.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-80448976838995337662013-05-24T21:48:00.000-05:002013-07-21T00:11:43.911-05:00Disney Dream Vacay Part IA few years back some of the ladies in the family started toying around with the idea of a family reunion aboard a Disney cruise. Most of the family loves themselves a cruise, not to mention I'd heard rave reviews about how family friendly the Disney ones were. And expensive, but that's another story. So after a lot of hours researching, pricing out (THANK YOU ASHLEY! Girlfriend had one amazing spreadsheet) and working out everyone's schedule we settled on the far away date of May, 2013. Then finally the day was upon us and we all left our various states and trekked it down to Florida to meet up. Let the fun begin!<br />
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Our first dinner on the cruise. A cruise/vacation made possible in HUGE part thanks to these folks. Thanks Mom and Dad!<br />
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The kids enjoying their dessert of Mickey Mouse ice cream bars. The first of many sugar highs to come.<br />
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Waiting for the nightly show to begin. I will say that I loved how family friendly everything was. So awesome!<br />
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Our first port of the Bahamas. And I hate to say it, but I didn't love the Bahamas. It just felt like some shops set up all selling the same thing and if you wanted to do something better and/or water related you had to dish out some dough. Which a few of the group ended up doing, Evan included. I ended up hanging out on the ship with Delaney, Cade and a couple of ladies from my fam while Evan took a boat out into the middle of the ocean to do some snorkeling. Not so appealing to me but absolutely right up his alley. After some hemming and hawing on my part, he ended up taking Colton as well. Who <i>loved</i> it. Who's first comment to me when he got back was, "MOM! I saw an EEL!" Okay there tiger, glad it was you and not me. Colton also proceeded to ask me if for his birthday, he could go snorkeling. Well buddy, your birthday is in December and we live in Chicago so I'm going to have to go with no.<br />
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My mom soaking up some time on the balcony to their room. If you look close, you can see little miss Delaney Anne checking out the view with her.<br />
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Okay, so I wasn't such a fan of the Bahamas, but hello Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. I absolutely loved the day spent there. Only Disney docks there, so you avoid the crowds of other cruise ships and can you say gorgeous? Makes a person like me almost want to get in the water.<br />
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We spent our time playing in the sand, hanging out in the water, snorkeling (I even did it!), biking around the island, going down the water slide, eating the yummy barbecue, and trying not to get burned. It was the absolute best kind of day.<br />
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One of the nights on the ship was pirate night and apparently, my family really digs the whole pirate thing. Thanks to Nana, the boys were all dressed up and ready to go.<br />
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And they weren't the only ones. Remember when I said my fam was into the pirate thing? Yeah, that would be a parrot on Val's shoulder. I'm telling y'all, they meant business.<br />
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Logan was lucky enough to celebrate his birthday on the ship and what's even better, have his birthday dinner on pirate night. The best part about this all? Ashley's face in the pic. Looks like she's falling in love with her hubby all over again.<br />
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Here we are at the last dinner on the ship and the ending to a great four days cruising. If you're going to be cruising with kiddos, I highly recommend taking the Disney route. Other fun things not pictured are the kids (and adults) loving the huge see through tube slide around the ship. There's even a part that takes you over the ship so when you look down, all you see is ocean. Who wouldn't love that?? We played games, ate enough ice cream cones to last us a lifetime, watched the fireworks out on the top deck, danced ourselves silly with the kids, watched Iron Man 3 sans kids in the theater, and overall made some awesome family memories. Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-14079641401065118602013-05-06T19:37:00.000-05:002013-07-18T21:33:15.512-05:00Cinco!Cade turned five and true to form, nixed the typical superhero birthday and requested all things snake (sound like his dad at all?) His actual birthday fell on a Saturday and we had some of his friends over to help us celebrate snake style. Evan was in his element planning for a reptile birthday while I tried to tackle the cake (ugh). <br />
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So my snake cake looked like...well...a worm. But I get mom points for trying right? RIGHT?? In keeping things real, I did search high and low for a store that made snake cakes (that didn't cost a million dollars) and no luck. Lucky for me, Cade didn't seem to care and hopefully when he looks back at his worm (ahem...snake) he feels all warm and fuzzy knowing his mama tried. <br />
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Evan started out the party with an educational video he had prepared on snakes. Before we saw the African black mamba eat anything and scar the children for life, I announced educational time over and onto games! <br />
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Birthday boy was nice enough to share some pinata time with his little sister. <br />
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All in all a successful snake party! <br />
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That night Evan was the lucky recipient of date night with Cade. Red Robin was the dinner place of choice (apparently the only place we eat for birthdays around here) and the boys had a good time. Here's Cade having a bit of a birthday brain freeze while eating his sundae. Oh he cracks me up and I love him to pieces. Happy birthday to our cute, feisty, funny little man!Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-9422713433505412302013-04-30T18:40:00.000-05:002013-07-21T00:03:14.365-05:00Spring has SprungOr at least it's trying to. I am hoping and wishing and praying spring will start springing. I adore spring. I am always thrilled when the trees finally start to bud and the temps start to climb above 30 degrees and the sun starts to peek through the clouds. Come to think of it, I love every season except winter. Unfortunately, winter will just not leave us alone! The cold just keeps sticking around making me one grumpy girl.<br />
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So I did what any self respecting woman would do and drowned my sorrows in some homemade cinnamon rolls. Yum! PS - I highly recommend Pioneer Woman's recipe. It's seriously fail proof! <br />
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Watching General Conference. Apparently Cade is so spiritual and moved by the talks, he couldn't be bothered to look at the camera. <br />
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Meeting Dad for some good ol' fashion fast food while the boys were at school.<br />
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Breaking out the grill and grilling up some delish drumsticks. Which Cade obviously enjoyed. <br />
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Nothing really to do with spring but oh how I love this girl and her girly self!<br />
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Homemade strawberry freezer jam. So easy and so yum.<br />
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We did have a few days where the sun showed itself and the boys hustled outside to soak it up and break in the picnic table. Here's hoping next year spring is a little nicer to those of us in Chicagoland.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-26146265362994731522013-04-09T18:07:00.000-05:002013-07-18T21:27:06.131-05:00Spring Breakin' in Cali<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Over Spring Break, all of Evan's fam was getting together in sunny CA and we were lucky enough to hop on a flight and go join them. Well, the kids and I flew out and Evan joined us a for a few days over Easter weekend.</div>
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I love Delaney's squinty eyes here on our first day of playing in the sunshine. Yes, baby girl, that's called sunshine. Something that is a rarity during a Chicago winter for sure. <br />
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Once Evan got into town, we were able to go for a few runs with some of his siblings. During one such run, a snake crossed the trail. I don't know about you but snakes make me a wee bit squeamish, if you will. However, for my husband, the <i>obvious</i> reaction is to jump into the brush and catch the snake. You know, what most people would do under similar circumstances. It didn't help that Evan's bro, Bryant, was there egging him on. Those boys together are one dangerous combination. After Evan repeatedly assured me that the snake was absolutely not poisonous (you know...cuz he's Bear Grylls all of a sudden) he decided to finish our jog holding the snake (what??!!) and carry it home for the boys to see.<br />
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Heaven help me, it's a good thing these boys have their dad. If it were left up to me, they'd be screaming every time they saw an ant. <br />
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We headed to our favorite family farm (remember these hay bales from previous visits?) <br />
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We were hoping to do some strawberry picking at the farm, but apparently all of California had already been there to pick the strawberries. Oh look, the boys did find one! <br />
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Which Delaney proceeded to eat.<br />
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Also, on the agenda was some whale watching, which Cade (with the binoculars) took very seriously. <br />
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I will say it was our coolest whale watching experience to date. The driver of the boat was awesome at getting us close to the whales. So amazing! As long as I'm in the middle of the boat watching and nowhere near the water of course. One of the whales even swam underneath our boat and breached right in front of us, even taking the driver by surprise. I actually felt the water on my face from the whale's blowhole. Which is so neat and kind of gross too, now that I think about it.<br />
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Delaney and her cousin, Jadyn, loving Denise's twin's bumbos. <br />
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Celebrating Easter with the traditional Easter egg hunt.<br />
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Success! For Mom too! I am always more than willing to take one for the team and help my kids eat their candy.<br />
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The best pic we got of the kiddos after church (aka Cade putting Delaney in a choke hold). We had a yummy Easter dinner and got to celebrate Jen's birthday too. Thanks to the Joneses for such a great time. Evan has six siblings so it's a treat when so many of us are able to get together. The kids are always beside themselves with playing with the cousins and I'm always beside myself wearing flip flops and eating In-N-Out. The one big downside to this trip was the flight home. Originally when we booked the flight, we booked the cheap midnight flight back to Chicago since Evan was <i>supposed</i> to be flying home with me to give me some much needed back up. Fast forward to him having to leave Cali early for a business trip and me having to fly home solo. At midnight. With three cranky, tired kids. Who did not sleep one wink. ONE WINK! Oh the torture. Not to mention that once we landed (late) our bags took over an hour to make an appearance. Thanks to my friend Katie, who came to pick us up and dealt with getting home at 3:30 am (normally I would have taken a cab but was a little too nervous doing that by myself so late at night in the hood). We made it though and I'm pretty sure Evan still owes me for that one.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-30042109445472298342013-03-05T16:56:00.000-06:002013-07-18T21:14:44.844-05:00My quick weekend of fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in January, I got word that my sis, Heather, was flying into Texas for a couple of days to celebrate my dad's birthday. She'd also decided to try and keep this visit a secret from my mom. Which is pretty much akin to scaling Everest. The woman <i>always knows</i>. Of course, me having the disease I do where there can be no family gathering without me wanting jump in on the fun, placed a call to my father. He was nice enough to offer to help make it happen with the condition I brought Delaney (who still flies for free). Consider it a deal Dad and happy birthday to you! And me! And my mom who was getting a ridiculously fun surprise! And oh the drama that we three girls went through trying to keep this a secret from my mom. One such hiccup was when my mom scheduled herself to substitute teach while we were all planned to be there. Cue Ashley, saving the day, researching the number to my mom's supervisor and placing the awkward phone call explaining my mom had family flying into town and she would actually not be reporting for work. After some tense weeks trying not to spill the beans and quite a few lies, we kiddos (and Delaney) walked into the house and gave my mom a little shock. So fun! We gave hugs all around and headed where else? To dinner! At a fav Tex-Mex restaurant of course.<br />
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Yum! Since Chicago <i>seriously</i> struggles with any and all Mexican food this was some much appreciated goodness. <br />
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Adam and Val made the drive from San Antone to help celebrate my dad's birthday. So great to see them. Heather (who started this whole fun weekend) was there too I promise! I just couldn't find a pic of her. Sorry H!<br />
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Delaney was feeling a bit under the weather and spent much of her weekend snuggling with her Papa. Which, according to him, was the best present he could have asked for. <br />
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Some cousin time in Nana and Papa's bed. <br />
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We had a great though very quick weekend. Right before Delaney and I flew out we headed to Rudy's, my fav barbecue spot. Heaven help me, they know how to do brisket and bbq sauce right! And I got my beloved chocolate pudding which as the above pic shows, made me pretty darn happy. <br />
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Right after this, I headed back to the airport where every airline <i>but </i>Southwest had canceled all flights into Chicago because of an impending blizzard. Here's where I was crossing my fingers my flight would be canceled so I could stay and bask in the Texas sun and avoid all that wintry nastiness. Evan, on the other hand, was cheering when I was the very last flight to land in Chicago before they closed the airport. Sigh. Thanks, like always, goes to Evan for being oh so supportive of my need for my fam and my Texas fix. And thanks to my dad for making it happen! Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-23091204364380729642013-02-18T22:14:00.001-06:002013-02-18T22:14:36.586-06:00Soaking up the SnowChicago has been strangely without snow this winter. All of January passed without much more than a dusting and a broken record for days without snow to boot. My Texan self was not exactly shedding tears. And if I was they were only ones of joy. I seriously didn't miss it for a second. <br />
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Some of us, on the other hand, were pretty darn excited when the stuff finally started to come down. For real this time. <br />
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While the boys were at school, my girl got all decked out in her snow gear and came outside to help me shovel the snow. For a few days after shoveling, my back was just not the same. Is it just me or am I getting old?<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, after a night dealing with a bout of food poisoning, Evan took the kids off my hands and took them sledding. I got a few hours of uninterrupted rest and the kids had a blast. That's what I call a win-win. <br />
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The verdict's in: he loved it. I'm more sure now than ever, this kid is his daddy's boy through and through. After a few runs and a lot of falls, it sounds like he's got the snow plow thing down. I wondered if he'd be happy that he chose a day of skiing over a full blown birthday shin dig, but this boy was thrilled with a day on the slopes with his dad learning to ski. Again, something in his DNA that is sooo not from me. And who knew? Illinois does have...ahem...a hill to ski down!Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-68612679400784806972013-02-16T13:36:00.003-06:002013-02-18T22:15:44.188-06:00All stocked up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For those who know about my woes of Girl Scout Cookies past, you know that I've had a hard time finding a girl scout to hook me up with my Samoas. Well last year I found my girl scout and as long as we live here, I'll have no problem getting all stocked up for the winter. It's how I like to make it through these dreary Chicago months. Hunkered down underneath a mountain of blankets, watching Downton Abbey (since I <i>finally</i> hopped on that train), and a box of girl scout cookies by my side. So this year I placed my order with my go-to girl and all was right with the world. Evan, who was unaware I had a supplier, also placed an order at work so that he could surprise me with some of their goodness. And that is the story of how I ended up with nine boxes. You would think I'd be more willing to share since I've been so abundantly blessed. You would be wrong. Especially since Chicago winters do seem to drag on. If I can't see actual sunshine, I'll settle for sunshine in a box thank you very much.<br />
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Colton decided back in December, in lieu of celebrating his birthday with a friend party, he would go skiing with his dad instead. They're on the slopes as we speak (does Illinois really have slopes? Or snow right now for that matter??) For Colton's sake I sincerely hope he takes after his father when it comes to skiing. Or anything requiring coordination for that matter.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-81288559886906557182013-01-31T21:12:00.000-06:002013-02-18T21:21:48.050-06:00January so far...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Celebrating this guy's 33rd birthday. At Red Robin because apparently that's our birthday restaurant of choice. Just might have something to do with the free birthday burger. <br />
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Heading out for a night on the town. Evan surprised me with Brian Regan tickets for Christmas. My favorite downtown Thai restaurant, my favorite comedian (seriously I needed tissues to wipe my tears from laughing so hard), and my favorite man. What's not to love? <br />
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Letting the boys run wild at Colt's 1st grade family night to celebrate the 100th day of school.<br />
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Hunkering down. Which is the only logical way to survive January if you ask me. Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-91759418775271545782012-12-30T16:33:00.000-06:002013-02-18T16:39:34.455-06:00Date Night!As Colton gets older, he's starting to get pretty opinionated on how he wants to spend his birthday. Much to Evan's chagrin he's learning how to milk it, if you will. I have no idea where he is learning this behavior from. No idea. Lucky for me, to celebrate his 7th birthday, he was pretty emphatic that he wanted to go on a date with yours truly. I was more than thrilled to accommodate his request since I know the days are numbered that he's going to want to be seen with me in public, especially on a Friday night. Pretty sure for his sweet 16 he's not going to be begging for a date with dear old mom. I was also loving the fact that he chose me to go on a date with since my eldest worships the ground his father walks on. Even when I was the sole source of nutrition for this kid, he still preferred the arms of his father. So yay for our date! Colton started out his birthday with a date to Taco Bell and Toys R Us with his Nana before she headed off to the airport. When I got home from dropping her off, we headed to the bowling alley.<br />
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We had a good time, especially Colton, since he proceeded to beat me and this boy does love to win. </div>
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Then it was off to Red Robin, which included some singing and a hot fudge sundae which Colt was gracious enough to share.<br />
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Finally, we were headed home to the rest of the fam, some carrot cake, and presents.<br />
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I love Cade's face here. These boys can fight like nobody's business so I'm all for catching a little adoration here and there. Happy birthday to my seven year old boy! Colt is sweet, sensitive, a hard worker, a great date and a good example to his brother and sister. We love him something fierce.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-6044698712156030092012-12-27T15:33:00.000-06:002013-02-16T15:45:49.520-06:00The most wonderful time of the year...This holiday season was the first time since Evan and I got married that we decided to stay home (not including the year Colton was born, since he was due on Christmas day and slightly hampered our traveling plans). We kicked off the Christmas season with a visit to Santa, to verify that Santa was up to speed on Christmas wish lists. <br />
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This picture cracks me up. Is this the Christmas card, thug edition? Seriously the boys' faces are too much. <br />
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And cue the classic Santa picture. Oh Delaney, she was so miserable and devastated that we left her on this strange man's lap. She's not a huge fan of men in general and one with a huge beard and red hat? No thank you. <br />
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For Christmas Sunday, Evan's mom was nice enough to sew the kids matching outfits. Delaney's dress was seriously too cute and as someone who struggles sewing on a button, I'm beyond grateful to Oma for using her skills to dress the kids up. Not the best picture of Delaney but again, Colt and his GQ pose could not go unposted. <br />
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Since all of my siblings were at their in-laws or staying home this year, my parents decided to not spend Christmas alone and come to Chicago instead. Lucky us! I had a list of traditions I wanted to start for our family and my mom was nice enough to head up sugar cookies with the kids. I used Our Best Bites recipe (I'm obsessed with their cookbooks lately) and they did not disappoint. I have a lot of great memories of making sugar cookies when I was a kid so it was fun to pass that on to my family. <br />
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I also decided we should try gingerbread houses. I was busy baking in the kitchen so I asked Evan to take charge with the construction. After some failed attempts (something about watered down icing and collapsing houses) Evan announced that this tradition was off the list. For the record, after a new batch of icing that did not include a drop of water, the houses turned out just fine. We'll see if I can convince Evan to add it back to the list for next year. <br />
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How Delaney spent her house making time. I'm not sure if the boys had any M&M's left to decorate with. <br />
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I can't remember the last time that Evan had time off and we didn't travel somewhere. It made for some fun days hanging out around Naperville. One of them was spent as Cade would say, "Climb rocking." <br />
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Christmas Eve dinner. My parents were nice enough to buy a prime rib and I felt a tad bit of pressure not to mess up such an expensive cut of meat! Another Best Bites recipe and a fancy meat thermometer and luckily for me, a success.<br />
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Here the kiddos are in their Christmas Eve pajamas, milk and cookies for Santa set out, Christmas story read, nativity scene acted out, and on their way to bed. And my Christmas present? Having all three kids looking at the camera at the same time smiling! My own little Christmas miracle.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-7251518783744500902012-11-02T14:37:00.000-05:002013-02-16T14:38:52.684-06:00The Fall Round UpOh how I love fall in Naperville! I know I complain with the best of them, pretty much nonstop, from January till April but there is nothing like fall in the Midwest. Growing up in Texas there really isn't a fall or seasons for that matter and when we lived in Colorado you never really knew if it was going to be nice and sunny or a howling blizzard. But fall in Illinois has been everything I ever thought the season should be. Especially when it's sunny and all the trees are changing to gorgeous colors and there's a crisp in the air and all you want to do is bake apple crisps and drink cider. So onto the documentation of how we spent my favorite season!<br />
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We have loved going to the pumpkin patch we discovered three years ago, our first fall here. As we tried to get it on the schedule we realized that our Saturdays were crazy in the month of October and we were going to have to re-adjust. Evan took off early from work one Friday and we picked Colton up early from school. He had no idea we were coming and it was fun to surprise the kiddos with a trip to our favorite farm. <br />
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Hard to believe that when we visited this time last year, Delaney was a tiny little thing I was carrying around in my baby bjorn. I don't know what it is about visiting this farm but every time I do, I decide I want to move out to the country, buy a farm, have Evan milk cows and drive around a tractor, and me make apple pies (that I've picked from my apple tree) in my farmhouse kitchen. Strange confession, but there you have it. If only I knew how to make an apple pie.<br />
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Cade was lucky enough to visit another pumpkin patch, this time with his preschool group. We had a great time seeing the baby animals, taking a hay ride, and buying some apple cider donuts (yum!) with his friends from preschool. It's been such a good year with a great group of kids and better yet, the moms rock too. <br />
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Onto Halloween night! Evan had school that night and I was seriously bummed at the thought of doing Halloween on my own. My mom, who was already in town for the BYU game, was nice enough to change her plane ticket so that she'd be in town for Halloween. It was absolutely priceless having her here to help with trick or treating. She even stayed out later with the boys so I could take Delaney home and get her into bed. <br />
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Delaney figured out pretty fast what all those strangers were giving out and went door to door as fast as her little legs could carry her. <br />
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We had a snake, a ladybug, and a grasshopper. Ironically enough, all things I'd prefer not to encounter in real life. Another great Halloween night, trick or treating with the leaves crunching underneath our feet, and me successfully sneaking all of the Twix out of the kids' pumpkins. Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-44708456609477261512012-10-23T21:48:00.000-05:002013-02-16T13:45:54.345-06:00Odds and EndsHere's a smattering of pictures to catch y'all up with what the Jones family has been up to... <br />
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Doing something with Delaney's hair. Seriously it's a mullet that would make the reddest of rednecks proud. But throw some pink bows in her hair and you have adorable pigtails. Now the challenge is just keeping her from pulling them out!<br />
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At the beginning of the summer, I convinced myself that somehow I could join the Summer of Seals competition about 40 people from my church were doing. I don't know if I was momentarily delusional or just a glutton for punishment, but here's the proof that I did it! The competition consisted of working out four times every week, a 500 meter swim in under 15 minutes, as many situps, pull ups, and push ups (not the girl ones I prefer) you could do, and a 1.5 mile run in under 15 minutes. When I started training, I could barely do the doggie paddle much less actually pull myself up on a bar. Seriously questioning my sanity but I'm proud to say I survived. Completing the thing was an accomplishment in and of itself, though I was the farthest thing in the world from an actual Navy Seal. <br />
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This guy however won the whole thing. He rocked it and would be waaaaay too shy to actually admit it so we'll leave that up to me. He was so embarrassed he could barely take this picture and actually looking at the camera was just out of the question. A huge thank you to Evan's sisters, CJ and Denise, who came into town for a visit and ended up watching our children for half of the day so we could compete.<br />
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One night our water heater decided to break and leak all over the floors, seeping underneath our laminate flooring, warping the floors with the full assurance of a mold outbreak if we didn't rip everything up. After a few weeks of a construction zone in half of my downstairs, dipping into our savings, and finally convincing Evan that the scope of this job warranted hiring a handy man, we have new tile floors. <br />
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This summer I discovered the book, Divergent, and fell headfirst in love. I found some of my friends who were fellow Divergent lovers and we headed to the local bookstore to get our copies signed. As luck would have it, the bookstore had a rule that we had to buy the book from them to actually meet the author. So we settled for a group photo and taking the handy dandy quiz we discovered at the back of my book. Score! <br />
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My parents flew into town in October so that we could head down to South Bend for the BYU vs Notre Dame game. We checked out the beautiful campus and watched BYU lose. But we had a great time with my parents and loved having them here.<br />
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Evan and I in the Notre Dame stadium. Rudy anyone?? <br />
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Ushering in fall with the leaf blower. And really, how could I leave this picture out? I laugh every single time I see it. </div>
Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-32703613872246045262012-09-04T20:57:00.000-05:002012-12-01T20:59:44.501-06:00Our day of no laborOver Labor Day weekend we did everything but labor. It was seriously the weekend from heaven, a perfect way to close out our summer. We were invited (thanks Katie!) to Lake Michigan for a day of playing in the sand, jet skiing, swimming in the lake, and soaking up the sun. When we first pulled up to the beach, there was not a cloud in the sky, sailboats dotting the sparkling blue water, seagulls circling the sky and a beautiful lighthouse. A lighthouse! Can we say picture perfect!?! It was amazing and in that moment I thought, I will live in Chicago for the rest of my life. And then I remembered January in all of its icy tundra horror and scratched that thought forever from my mind. But back to the best Labor Day ever. The kids had an absolute blast. They had lots of friends to play with and sand to bury themselves in. <br />
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My kiddos have always had the hardest time keeping pants up over their tiny bottoms. Call it the Bohannon bottom curse (which hails from my sweet grandma). Seriously Cade's swimsuit had 2 safety pins holding it tight around his waist and <i>still</i> no dice. Thanks to Stacy for capturing this moment that was too cute for words. After a full day of playing we had some tuckered out kids. <br />
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So wiped out that my boys couldn't even eat their sandwiches sitting up. They had to loll about in the sand to get the job done. And in typical boy fashion, with a few calories in their system, they had the energy to run around like crazy again. <br />
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As for Evan and I, we did the jet skiing thing. If you put my paranoid self with high speeds and a large body of water beneath my feet, I tend to get a wee bit nervous. Luckily for all those I rode the jet skis with, I warmed up and was reminded just how fun that kind of stuff is. Add in some good food and great friends to chat with and you have everything you need to bid summer farewell. Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-18288277888347957952012-08-30T20:03:00.000-05:002012-12-02T18:41:37.246-06:00School is Back<br />
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This boy was ready for first grade. A little nervous too, but mostly ready. Let's keep things real and say we both were. Colt absolutely loved having eight hours of his day during kindergarten planned out. He was on the go all the time and reveled in it. Fast forward to summertime when Mama doesn't plan out <i>every second</i> of your day and I think it's safe to say we were both frustrated. So come the first day of school, this boy was ready to take on the world. Or at least the first grade part of it.</div>
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In true mom fashion, when it came time to actually say goodbye to him, I wasn't ready. It must be in the mom part of my DNA. When all is said and done, it's hard to let go. Not kindergarten hard, but still. You know what I am ready for? The open mouthed crazy smile to go. Guess he loved seeing his crazy T-ball picture so much, it's sparked a new fad.<br />
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As soon as I was on my way out the door though this boy was focused and ready to get down to business.<br />
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The traditional after school cookies. Since I didn't have a two-week old this year, I baked the requested M&M cookies. And of course, Delaney was there to beg for her share.<br />
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A week later, it was Cade's turn for his first day. He's going to a Pre-K program at our local presbyterian church which he absolutely loves. He comes home singing, "He's got the whole world in his hands...." and "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." to name a few. I'm also doing a joy school with five other moms from church twice a week. I think it's safe to say we have preschool covered this year.<br />
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Here he is after his first day. For the life of me, I could not get him to stop squinting for this pic. Guess having lived in Chicago for most of his life, he's not all that used to the sun. Can't believe this boy is going to be in kindergarten next year! Good thing I have my Delaney girl to keep me company.Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-57045155088636147472012-08-16T19:38:00.000-05:002012-12-01T21:58:58.285-06:00Happy birthday to little miss!While Evan was on his trip, we celebrated our sweet girl's first birthday. We definitely missed having her daddy around to celebrate, but were lucky enough to have the rest of my fam there ready to party. <br />
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Delaney's first birthday gift was from my dad when he walked in the door from work at 5 pm, which I think is the first time I've ever seen that happen. Delaney was pretty thrilled about it.<br />
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After dinner we broke out the pink cupcakes and seriously, Delaney didn't really know what to do with herself much less the cupcake. With some serious prodding, she decided to take a test bite. <br />
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And realized that cupcakes were definitely one of the better things in life. We considered it a success. Some pizza, cupcakes, presents and Papa home by 5? Not a bad way to celebrate your first year.<br />
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We love our sweet Delaney something fierce. She is such a happy, content girl who pretty much never complains, unless she's hungry. I, of course, have no idea where she gets that from. Her favorite foods are peas, beans, and oranges. Weird, I know, but true. And of course anything even remotely in the cupcake family. She's adored by her brothers, spoiled by her dad, and my little sidekick. She's been such an easygoing girl I know I've been forever spoiled. We consider it a true blessing when she joined our family a year ago. Happy birthday to my girl!Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22210314.post-23347947079766320622012-08-13T14:55:00.000-05:002012-09-26T22:47:13.661-05:00Roadtripping, Part IIAfter our week of fun in San Antone, the kids and I stayed in Austin to hang out while Evan headed to Utah to do a little of this...<br />
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Every couple of years, Evan meets up with some of his longtime best buddies to have a "mancation" as he calls it. They do all sorts of manly things that, though I'm sure Evan would have a blast doing with his ultra daring, thrill seeking wife, are a little more enjoyable with his buddies. This year included: cliff jumping, jet skiing, rock climbing, water skiing, four wheeling, getting dirty, and since they're all from Cali, saying the word "dude" about a million times (trust me, I've seen the video footage). So while he was off getting his much needed, well deserved man time on, I stayed in TX with my girls and let the cousins run wild.<br />
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This included baths in Nana's tub. Look at all those cute, white bottoms!<br />
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Poor Delaney. Girlfriend can't take a real bath yet because of her kidney issues, but she had fun watching.<br />
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Some serious cousin bonding. We live so far away that I loved watching my boys get to know and become friends with their awesome cousin, Gavin.<br />
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Blue Bell Ice Cream factory tour. At the end of the tour is free ice cream so needless to say, an enjoyable time had by all.<br />
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Since we were in TX, most of the boys' days were spent here. Nothing says summer like popsicles in the pool and I loved soaking up every bit of it. After the kiddos were in bed, I spent some quality time hanging with the fam, eating my Tex/Mex, cheering on Team USA. We left for home the week before school started, with some wonderful summer memories made. I think I'll go ahead and toss the memories of the drive back. Thanks to all my family for a great vacation!Evan and Rebecca Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00974635677578105361noreply@blogger.com4