So much to be thankful for

Once again I am late on my Thanksgiving post, as usual.  But we had such a nice Thanksgiving I had to share about it, no matter how late it is. 

Wednesday night I got a night out with my girlfriends to see a local band play.  It was so much fun and a very much needed night out. 

On Thanksgiving day we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade before we went to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's house for lunch.  It was nice to be somewhere different for a change and Jay and Jess have a beautiful home in Jackson.  We had the traditional Thanksgiving lunch, with the traditional desserts.  I ate wayyy too much but it was all so delicious it was hard not to stop stuffing my face.  We were able to FaceTime with Chris and Kelsey who were not able to make it from St. Louis and we spoke with Whitney from Seattle on the phone.  All in all, it ended up being a good day and we were exhausted!

Friday night E and I took the girls to see "Rise of the Guardians".  It was Haidyn's first official movie theatre experience and she did surprisingly well.  She didn't sit the whole time but she wasn't running up and down the aisles and talking loudly.  Always a plus with a 2-year-old.  It was a super cute movie and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.  So glad we decided to go! 

We have so much to be thankful this year that it was easy to just enjoy ourselves and take it all in.  We have been so blessed with good health, wonderful friends and family and God continues to show us many more blessings every day.  We hope all of you were reminded of how much you have to be thankful for and know that we are thankful for all of you as well!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING (late) and MERRY CHRISTMAS SOON!

Trick-or-Treat, Smell my Feet

Okay, so I'm a little late on the Halloween post, but better late than never, right? 

It ended up being a beautiful night to go trick-or-treating.  Highs were in the 60's so the girls didn't even have to really wear coats or pants under their costumes.  This year Mallory went as Medusa, Isabella was a gypsy and Haidyn went as a dragon.  Haidyn's costume was a hand-me-down from when Mallory was 2, but the older girls' I bought new online.  They were all so cute!  Seeing Haidyn in Mallory's old costume made me a little weepy thinking of how grown up Mallory is now, but it was great I was able to get more use out of it. 

My boss' had given me some candy at work to give the girls because they weren't going to be home so they had candy in their buckets before we even made our first stop.  Our first stop, as usual, was to Jackie, my co-worker's house.  She always has fun things for the girls to freak over.  She had a witch's hand in the candy bowl that Haidyn wasn't too fond of, but Isabella thought it was great.  After her house we went to my grandma's.  She had bags all set up for the girls but somehow we ended up with Haidyn's bucket almost full by the time we left there. 

The girls with their great-grandma

After the stop at my grandma's we headed back to Round Lake to finish off the night there.  There seemed to be few houses with their lights on and not very many kids out, but the girls still came home with FULL bags.  The older girls had met up with some friends so they left with them and I took Haidyn around to a few houses. 

The munchkins with their grandparents

They are just too cute to be scary



Hope all of your kiddos had a good Halloween as well!! 

"Mommy, watch me"

Those three little words, "Mommy, watch me!".  They make my heart melt.  And I heard them quite often last night as Haidyn and I played at the park in Brewster for ECFE.  Her adorable little heart was content just going back and forth, up and down the slide.  I love how such little joy for her brings me TREMENDOUS joy.  Could my life get any better? Nope.   

Here Comes the Bride!

Well, another Jones wedding is in the books.  This past weekend we celebrated the wedding of my sister, Trisha, to her fiance, Brian Smith.  It was a beautiful wedding and very long awaited considering Trisha and Brian have been together about 13 years.  The engagement was very surprising to all of us, but very well anticipated.  We couldn't be happier for the both of them!

Her colors were coral and gray, hence the color of my typing!  Trisha was absolutely stunning and Brian didn't look too shabby either! 

I was very honored to have been a bridesmaid and our dresses were beautiful.  Mallory was a candlelighter and Isabella was, again, a flower girl.  They couldn't have been cuter!  They both did an amazing job and had so much fun!  We all did! 

My camera broke a couple of weeks ago so I wasn't able to get many pictures except for what I could take on my cell phone.  But here's what I do have:

This is what Trisha's bouquet looked like.  Isn't it gorgeous?  But it was VERY heavy!

These are the flowers that us bridesmaids carried

The beautiful bride

Isabella as a flower girl with Lainey, Brian's niece, who was also a flower girl

The adorable flower girls and the handsome ring bearer, my nephew, Lucas

Trisha and my dad during the father/daughter dance

Brian and his mom, JoAnn

Brian and my mom

It was such a beautiful day and beautiful wedding that I wish I had more pictures, but at least I have a few nice ones from my phone. 

I am so sad it's over and that there will be no more weddings.  I have such fun being a part of them.  I believe Trisha's wedding was the 6th one I've been a bridesmaid in.  So fun! 

Here's to a lifetime of happiness and love for Trisha and Brian Smith!!

Camp

Friday Mallory and I returned from a week at camp.  We had such an amazing time!  I LOVE that place.  I didn't realize how much I had missed it until I started going back again.  I am so pleased that my daughters are now able to experience the joy of attending church camp and what it means for their faith.  I love being able to just shut out all the chaos of the world and just worship our Lord!!  It is sooo hard to come back after being there!

We did so many fun things this year.  We got to go tubing down the river in Huntersville and we had a talent show the last night.  Mallory signed up to sing a song that she wrote herself.  I tried to upload the video but was having trouble with it.  I will try again later so you can listen to the song...it is so sweet!

Mallory made some new friends and so did I!  Hopefully we will be able to see some of them again next year.  I am so looking forward to being on faculty again!! 

Celebration of Life

My baby turned 2 on Saturday :(  How is that even possible??  It seems like only yesterday she was this little:

And now she's this big:

We celebrated the day by just enjoying some time at the lake with Gammy and Papa, Auntie Jocie and Uncle Chris, Auntie Trishy and Soon-to-be Uncle Brian, Mommy and Daddy and Sissys.  It was a BEAUTIFUL day!!  She was pretty tired so we got a nap in her before presents and cake.  She's really into Elmo so instead of spending an outrageous price on a cake that we would end up throwing out, I made Elmo cupcakes.  They turned out ok.  I wasn't too happy about them, but everybody else seemed to think they were good so I guess that's all that matters.  

All in all, I think she must have had a pretty good day because on the way home from the cabin, she was singing, "I happy, I happy, I happy".  Second birthday=SUCCESS!!!

We are just so blessed beyond measure to have this beautiful, FUNNY, sweet, loving, spunky, little girl in our lives!!!  Her birth was so scary and all the trauma after her arrival and after being told how lucky we are to have her AND me still here today we definately THANK GOD EVERY DAY for sparing both of us!!  We just can't imagine our lives without her...she has made our family complete!!  I just wish she'd slow down on growing up, just a little bit!! 

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY, HAIDYN GRACE!!!  WE LOVE YOU BEYOND MEASURE!! 

Wow!  What a weekend we had! It was so nice to get away but even nicer to come home!  We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends that we were able to spend time with. 

It took us awhile to get to Dana and Dave's with all of the stops we had to make with 3 little girls.  And of course, we had to stop so Eric could eat at Red Lobster in Mankato.  We made it to D and D's about 3:30 in the afternoon, just in time for the kids to play in the pool!  It was HOT!!  After Dana got home from work we decided to take the kids to the Mall of America to Nickolodean Universe.  I had never been there before and neither had Isabella.  Mallory has gone a couple of times with Girl Scouts so she was familiar with the place but I don't think she ever went on any of the rides.  We had a blast!!  Haidyn wasn't so sure about the rides so she only went on a couple.  We talked Mallory into going on the upside down roller coaster and she went 3 times!!  This is how much fun she thought it was: 

Check out her face.  I know it's blurry and kind of hard to see but if you look close enough you can see.  It is hilarious!!  Isabella wasn't as brave.  She decided she wanted to go on the ride that goes straight up the pole and shoots down.  We told her she'd probably be scared...and she was.  SCREAMED AND CRIED for Daddy to get her off!!  After that she pretty much stuck to the kiddie rides!

Saturday morning we went to my friend, Krystal's.  Her and her husband had built a new house and I hadn't seen it yet and she only lives about 15 minutes from D and D's so it was a perfect opportunity for us to catch up.  Her son, Griffin, is just a few months older than Haidyn and she is expecting a baby girl in August.  I am so excited and happy for her.  Her home is beautiful!!  I wish we could have stayed longer but it was going to be a hot day and we were meeting back at D and D's to take the kids to the water park.  It was fun and a nice way to cool off.  Haidyn was leary at first about the water but after a few times she really warmed up to it and then it was hard to keep her out!  She'd run and splash and LOVED going down the little slide.  Such a big girl!!  Mallory and Isabella enjoyed the slides as well.  The kids were WIPED by the time we got back that Bella fell asleep early and so did Haidyn.  I was sleepy too!

Sunday we were up bright and early to drive to Coon Rapids for the 5K Run/Walk to Remember for the Baby Angels Foundation.  Some close friends of ours lost their 3-month-old baby boy, Declan, to SIDS in February and this was an event that Baby Angels Foundation was putting on to help fund SIDS research.  It was a great way for us to show our support to Nate and Holle and to be outside and get some exercise for a good cause.  My sister, Emily, was running it as well.  It was close to 90 degrees on Sunday so we came prepared with lots of water.  We were only going to do the 2K but we ended up walking the entire 5K.  It was HOT once again, but luckily part of the trail was shaded and there was a nice breeze so it didn't feel too bad.  Isabella was having a rough time though and kept asking, "how much longer?" and "I'm so hot!".  She was a trooper though and so was Mallory.  And I'm the only one that ended up with a blister!  Guess I need to find some better walking/running shoes.  All in all though it was a very humbling experience. 

The back of the free t-shirts "Forever in our Hearts"

FINISHED!!

Just starting out!



Schooool's out for Summer!!

Today is the last day of school for Mallory and Isabella.  Never again will Mallory be a 4th Grader and never again will Isabella be a 2nd Grader.  Kind of makes me sad that they are growing up so fast!  Before I know it, they'll be graduating.  I hope they have a fabulous day filled with all of the memories I used to have of my last day of school!  It's always so exciting and fun to not have to do much and to think you have all summer to HAVE FUN!!  We have a lot going on this summer so my girls will definately not be short on the fun!!