Oh What Fun!!!

We had a great time in Seaside last week! It's never fun to go back to "real life" after such a relaxing and picturesque vacation.

You feel like you are in another world when you are in Seaside. The streets are brick paved, there is a town center with a large grassy knoll, fun beachside restaurants and outdoor shopping and houses that are all different colors each with their own unique white picket fences. Seaside was the location for the movie, The Truman Show, and you do feel like you are in a perfect little world. We stayed in Watercolor which is cozied right up next to Seaside and wraps around the back of Seaside. The house we were in backed up to Seaside, so we could jump on our bikes and ride down a little path and be right in Seaside. Watercolor also is a beautiful place with gorgeous homes, a beautiful lake, wooded areas, walking and bike paths and incredible landscaping. Everyone in the area rents bikes and that becomes your main mode of transportation through the day. We would load up on bikes to head to town for ice cream, go to the beach or pool or just ride around. Hunter loved it! Thanks Mom and Dad for such a great trip! We had the best time!

Hunter heading towards the airport. He loved having his own bag to carry on. Funny story... a couple of days before we left, Hunter would tell me he packed his bag. I dumped it out one night after he had gone to sleep to see what he packed. In it was: a t-shirt, a bathing suit, a pair of underwear, his wallet and a cap gun. Yep! Ready to go!

This is the house we rented. It was so neat with great porches- both screened and open air. The 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms were on the bottom floor off a large screened porch. Upstairs was one large room that had a big family room, powder room, kitchen, dining room and 2 porches.

This is looking at the back of the house. We parked our bikes back here and there was a paved "alley" with bike paths that cut right through to Seaside.

The kitchen.

Here is the dining room.

The family room looking towards the kitchen and dining areas.

The master bedroom downstairs. I have no idea what all the spotty things are on the picture.

Kristin and I posing before our first night in Seaside. She suggested that posing with your arms on your hip makes your arm look skinnier- as you can see, it's worth a try!

Uncle Blake straight out of the car from a long drive from College Station and so excited to see Baby Blake. Looks like the feeling is mutual!

Chris and Blake are SO happy to be there!!

Daddy and Hunter enjoying the ocean. It was so sweet to watch how much Hunter counted on Daddy to make him feel safe out there.

Blake loved the buggy that we attached to the back of my bike. I'm telling you- it was a total workout to drag that behind me, but he loved it! So fun!

The Boys...Uncle Blake, Chris, Hunter, and my Dad (No baby Blake in that pic)

Hunter and I waiting on the swing at Fish out of Water

Blake sitting on the beach- his very first time ever!

The boys posing on the beach. Hunter really couldn't be troubled with my requests for pictures. He had much to do out there!

Hunter loving on a huge fish in the restaurant.

Me and Blakey under the umbrella- see, I really was on the trip too!

My dad and Blake having fun.

Big Bwake- as Hunter calls him- playing with Hunter in the pool.

Hunter and Chris out looking for creatures.

Blake and Chris playing one of the many games of washers on the beach.

Blake and I once again- he wasn't quite sure what was so great about the beach.


Thanks to my mom and dad for such a great trip!

Can't believe how much he has grown!

Today was Hunter's last day of school. I couldn't resist taking some pictures of him before he headed out the door. He looks so grown up compared to the pictures I took of him the first day of school.

Here he is in September. Notice what he is doing with his hand.

Here he is in May- nearly 3 1/2 years old. See the hand- it's the same thing! Oh, and he's taller too!


Sitting on the steps the first day of school....

... and now on the last day. What a goof ball!

Here he is heading to school...

... and heading back home ready for SUMMER!!!

Thank you Miss Missy and Miss Tobey for a great year! Hunter had a ball! Thank you for teaching him the "ways" of school- hallway hands, how to sit at circle time, walking in a line, taking turns, being patient... the list could go on and on. This morning, as I stood in his classroom getting the party underway, I overheard them say, "Close your eyes, give your head a nod, now it's time to talk to God." Isn't that sweet? Hunter really enjoyed school- really never looked back. He has grown in so many ways- he sings now! I think the teachers can vouch that he sings LOUDLY in chapel, and even though he may not keep the beat, he loves to clap and stomp his feet to the music. He has come home with the cutest art projects and placemats. The kids call him "Hunter Jones" since there is another "Hunter" in the class. He insists on having his things labeled, "Hunter Scott Jones," and it tickles me to get an art piece of his with the name Hunter Scott Jones in the corner. Ha! Today, he was thrilled beyond belief to be the "wine weader"- (line leader) and was almost physical about getting in HIS place. He was turned backwards in his chair at lunch talking to Abby and said, "Tell me that funny joke again. I weally wike it. It's so funny!" Ahhh- it breaks my heart and makes me so happy at the same time to see him with his friends, in his own little life that really is separate from me. It's a good thing. Anyway, here he is with his teachers, Tobey and Missy. Thanks for the great year!!

Show us Where you Live Friday!!

A little preview....

Welcome to our home!
This is such a fun thing to be able to "tour" other peoples' houses. I love to visit other peoples' houses. Anyway, welcome to the Jones House! Come on in!

This is the front door opening into our entry hall or foyer (whatever you want to call it!). This actually used to be the front porch long ago when the house was first built. Our house was built back in the 1950's, so it has a lot of history. Anyway, the entry hall used to be the front porch and was later closed in. Therefore, it has these red outdoor tiles that are throughout other homes in our neighborhood. So this is what you see when you come through the door.

Like I said in my kitchen post, I love the country french look. Therefore, my home tends to gravitate towards that comfortable, warm style. This is the living room. I love all things toile, drapes with fringe, barley twist wood, overstuffed pillows, skirted tables, tassles, drapes that puddle on the floor, blue and white, platters on the wall, English Staffordshire pieces, antique biscuit barrels, neat old wood boxes, etc....

Looking through the archway from the dining room. I am not a big fan of the TV in the corner, but when this was our only living area, we had to have one in here. As you will see, there's not really a big wall space to put a TV in a piece of furniture, and when we bought this, flatscreens over the fireplace weren't the in thing yet.

This is the original mantle and gas heater. It's not a real fireplace behind that rod iron screen. It's an old gas heater that is heavenly warm when it gets really cold. Once, we had no heat and turned that puppy on. It made the room nice and toasty. We have debated making it a real fireplace because I love the real deal.

This is the room looking from the dining room again. The room to the far right is a little sunroom that sits adjacent to the entry hall. It was part of the original porch too. My picture of that room turned out really dark. Not sure why.

Looking back towards the corner towards the opening from the entry hall is an original feature of the house. It's a little cut-out and shelves. I love the little bench below it.

I keep my little limoge boxes on these shelves.

We truly LIVE in this room. This is looking from the kitchen into our family room. This is one of the rooms that we added on to the house.

This is looking from the dining room into the family room. This room serves as family room, TV room, playroom, you name it! The ceilings are pitched with a beam running across the top.

This is looking from the dining room straight towards our bedroom. The doors to the right lead out to the patio and backyard.

We did built-ins on either side of the fireplace. I love having a place to display things. We had NO shelves in this house before we added on.

The fireplace with the flatscreen over it. That's totally Chris' touch! We did a stucco mantle with a brick hearth. I really love it and it's my original design that I came up with when we were adding on.

The most comfortable, veg out couch in the world and a coffee table I initially was terrified that I hated when we brought it in the house and now I love.

This is the wall opposite the kitchen. It was a big, blank, taupe wall and was very overwhelming to decorate or even know what to do. Thanks to my mom, this is what we came up with and I love it. The chair on the right is my perch.

Looking back into the kitchen. There's Hunter's little table that he eats at and the 2 barstools at the counter. It's been a great place for lunch and breakfast. :)