Keeping Up with the Joneses

A glimpse into the busy and very blessed life of the Jones Family!







Wednesday, October 15, 2014

4 years old

I originally wrote this post this past summer, which was timely because that's when Emily turned 4. But here it is October and I am just now editing this to post it....

I cannot believe my baby girl is four! Or as she pronounces it, "thor." We celebrated the big birthday just as Emily wanted to- with a Frozen gymnastics party. It was a great party and we loved every minute of celebrating her special day.

Emily is into all things Frozen these days. She still loves to sing the songs from the movie and she also loves to sing our VBS songs from this year. It is the sweetest thing to hear her in the back seat singing so sweetly to those songs.

She is still a stinker a nighttime. She is able to go to sleep in her bed each night but then ends up in our bed every.single.night. It's exhausting! We have started some essential oils to see if they help her sleep cycles even out.

We have since moved to the new house and still struggle with her sleep habits like we did at the old house. She has tried sleeping with the boys in their room on a mattress and that lasted for only a few nights. Her major complaint is that she is the only one who has to sleep alone. Makes me sad.












She loves to talk in this very high, babyish voice. It's cute but also can get old really fast. We have to remind her to talk like a big girl sometimes. I know I will miss that.

She performs all the time- songs, dances, gymnastic routines...She is often in costume or leotards and loves to clomp around in my high heels. While she is all things girl, she can also be all things grungy and tom-boy too. I love that she is a master at both. She can be in shorts and a t-shirt, her ultimate pick, and wear her boots with her hair unbrushed and she is perfectly happy. It can be murder to get her in a nice church dress and put a bow in her hair. And yet, at other times, she is ready to be dolled up and loves to look "boo-ti-full."

We have laughed lately at her antics. She really is a funny little girl and loves to make us laugh with her funny stories, her silly faces and just being goofy. I get such a kick out of watching this girl grow up!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Time flies when you're having FUN!

It's been far too long since I have written. The thought to write and catch up creeps up on me and then vanishes before I have a chance to actually DO anything. I cannot fathom the thought of forgetting these moments, and I know that so many will fall through the cracks of my memory, so I will try to recap and retell what I remember.


Hunter: Hunter just started 3rd grade almost 2 months ago. The transition that I dreaded and anticipated as being a hard one has been anything but. He has flourished as I knew deep down that he would. He is doing so well in school and is getting back his first real number grades. That makes it kinda fun! He is playing on the Fire Soccer team again and practicing for that twice a week. In addition, he started minor baseball and plays that just on Sunday afternoons. He loves to play Minecraft and watch these Stampy videos that teach you the ins and outs of the game. He also loves to play Clash of Clans. Chris and I don't fully understand these games but they seem to really engage the design sense that Hunter is so gifted at.

Blake: Blake started kindergarten! I cannot believe my baby boy is in full time school now! He is loving every minute of kinder and doing so great. He comes home full of energy and has to run and play from the minute he steps foot in the door. I think by all accounts that he is really doing great in the classroom. We are practicing his letters and numbers still and he loves to read the beginning readers, the Bob books. He is playing flag football this fall and loves to play with the team that is comprised of mostly 1st grade boys. He had his heart set on playing that and decided to put soccer aside for the season. He is also just beginning in machine pitch minors this fall and has loved his game he played in so far. In a month, we will celebrate his 6th birthday and are planning a joint party with Luke. Blake and Emily still play so well together and pick up where they left off each afternoon. They are always in cahoots and making some mess somewhere....but they adore each other and are the best playmates.

Emily: Emily is in the 4's class with Ms. Pat and Ms. Beverly. She is having a great year and loving the group of kids in her class. She is taking her first dance class that has tap, ballet and jazz and really seems to like it. She is also taking her weekly gymnastics class. I moved her up to the 5-7 year old group and she is doing incredibly well. She has a talent for gymnastics and they have even asked her to join the pre-team. We are going to sit that one out for a while since she is still so young.

A BIG development in the Jones family....we MOVED! After 11 1/2 years, we sold our precious first home and moved. I knew all along for the many years that we looked and kept our eyes open that we would know when it was right. And thank you Lord, we did know. It was immediately an answer to prayer as it checked off all of our boxes of what we were looking for. It wasn't exactly what I envisioned, but has turned out to be better. Isn't that so sweet of the Lord to be so gracious? It was bitter sweet to turn over our old key and lock that front door for the final time, but God so perfectly arranged for a sweet family to make that home theirs and there hasn't been the least bit of doubt that it is all as it should be.

I even got a little part time gig this year. I am helping at the preschool in the motor skills class and having fun playing with the kids 3 mornings a week. It certainly means so many other things have to shift around to make it work, but so far, it's been doable and fun.