A lot of firsts....

With the summer winding down we have started back to all our running around. The last week of August we started back to school. This year Mark and Caitlin are both homeschooling so I decided to try a unit study with them. After looking at several different ones we chose Adventures in Our Father's World. Let me just say I love it. The kids beg me to do school work. One of our first lessons was for the kids to learn what their names mean and we got to make a cake for our fun craft.

Sept. 9th my babies started back to "school". I decided this year that I would buy them backpacks that they could carry themselves. They love them. When it is time to go somewhere Elizabeth asks where her backpack is. My babies are growing up too fast.

On Sept. 10th we started back to Community Bible Study where we are studying Genesis. This year all 4 kids get to go with me.

And last but not least, on the 15th the girls started dance. This is Caitlin's 3rd year and Elizabeth's first year. As soon as Elizabeth put on her leotard she was dancing around the house. She was so excited to be able to go to dance just like Caitlin does that she didn't nap that day.

Yesterday was one of the most important days in the Jones household. George and I celebrated our 14th Anniversary.

Our story begins the summer of 1993 when I started working at Office Depot during my senior year of high school. We became friends the first year I worked there and didn't start dating until August 19, 1994. George took me to the movies to "Lion King". After that we were always together.

On Dec. 25, 1994, George went to church with me for our Christmas Day service. At the end of the service the pastor always had the invitation for anyone who wanted to join the church or accept Christ. That day George went up to join the church and to ask me in front of everyone if I would marry him. Of course I said yes.

So we decided that we wanted to get married on the anniversary of when we started dating. On August 19, 1995 I walked down the isle with my Dad to where my best friend stood waiting on me. Now 14 years and 4 kids later we have made it through a few storms and we are still going strong.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MASSIVE Update

We have been so busy the last month and a half that we haven't updated the blog. So I am going to try to do a HUGE update starting with May.
Lets see, May 14th was Caitlin's school Spring program. The kids were all so cute dressed in their western outfits. After the Spring program was Caitlin's K5 Graduation. She was so cute in her cap and gown.


Then two days later, May 16th, was Caitlin's dance recital. All of the kids did an excellent job! Caitlin's class was dressed as Mary Poppins for the song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and then they did "Shake a Tale Feather" (which was her favorite song this year). After the recital George's sister, Sarah, came and spent the week with us. That next weekend we went to Grandpa and Mimi's house for Memorial Day.


After the recital I had 2 weeks to plan Caitlin's birthday party which she had decided on a "Camp Rock" theme. Caitlin had talked my friend Janet into hosting the party at her house. (Thanks Janet!!) I had a hard time finding a cake decoration so I ended up using part of a banner. It turned out really cute. Caitlin had a blast at her party playing air hockey, riding scooters, doing karoke, and watching the "Camp Rock" movie.


On May 31st was awards night for Awana's. Mark and Caitlin each recited a Bible verse that they had learned during the year and then they received an award for completing their book.



Now onto June. June 8th - 11th we had Vacation Bible School at our church. I worked in the "Market Place"/craft room. We had fun making different crafts everyday. The kids had a really good time singing, playing, making crafts and learning about life back in Rome with the underground church. Caitlin is still talking about the underground church.

That Thursday, June 11th we headed to Foley after VBS to go to Daniel's, George's brother, graduation and to spend time with family there.

Birthday Girl

Today my first little girl turned 6. Lets see 6 years ago my labor started on Wed. night (5/28) just as we were leaving church. I didn't think much of it at first because my lower back was hurting but it would happen every 5 minutes. We went home and I labored at home until around 10:30PM when we finally decided to call the doctor. It wasn't my regular doctor who called me back so he didn't believe that I was in labor but he said since this was my second pregnancy to go ahead and head to the hospital. So we packed up Mark, who was 2 1/2 years old, and headed to the hospital. We arrived around 11:30PM and George decided that he was going to drop me off at labor and delivery this time. Good thing he did because when they checked me I was dilated to 6 already. They told him after they had me settled he could move the van to the parking deck but Caitlin had other plans. After the doctor broke my water I started pushing at midnight and Caitlin was here 15 minutes later. So at 12:15 AM on May 29th we welcomed our first daughter weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces. Big brother Mark stayed awake the whole time so he could be one of the first people to hold his little sister and to welcome her into this world.

Welcome Princess Buttercup!

Please welcome the newest member of The Jones Clan. Princess Buttercup.

Cindy and I have been wanting another chihuahua for several years now to replace our beloved Shadow. He was missing after we returned from vacation, and the side gate to the back yard was standing wide open. Cindy's sister recently adopted a chihuahua, which renewed our desire.

After several weeks of browsing the local adds, Cindy came across this beautiful little girl on craigslist. We arranged to go visit her in Calera, fully prepared to also see her brother, but he had already been scooped up. We fell instantly in love. She is fairly well house trained, and loves the children.

It's funny watching her try to play with Boots, the cat. She wants so bad to wrestle with him, but is too darn scared to get that close. Boots keeps looking at us with a "May I eat it?" expression on his face, but he has been very supportive of encouraging her to play.

A Day at the Zoo

Last week, we decided to spend the day at the Birmingham Zoo. They really have been working on improving the exhibits and providing a more interactive experience. We started off the day by playing in the water garden in the Children's Zoo. Mark and Caitlin jumped right in, but Elizabeth took her time. She eventually made it to the water's edge to splash in the puddles and play with bubbles. John never got up the courage, which is odd for him.


From there, we made our way to the Lorikeet cage. You can buy little cups of nectar to feed the birds. One in particular must have enjoyed the taste of my sunscreen lotion, as he proceeded to lick me from the tip of my hand, all the way up the arm, onto my neck, closing out the taste fest on my ears. John was particularly enthralled with them, and another bird nibbled and licked his fingers.

After a visit to Kangaroo Country, and a trek through the mines, we took a ride on the train. We finished out the afternoon watching the monkeys and apes. By this time, exhaustion we setting in on us 'Old Folks', so we decided to drag the family back to the van and call it a day.

Tea Party

April 15, tax day in America, provided a great learning opportunity for Mark, and a chance for Cindy and me to express our concerns over the direction our great country is moving. After dropping the younger children off at preschool, we proceeded to the Mall in Trussville to participate in the Tea Party protest. In the fashion of the original Boston Tea Party, where the colonists were protesting taxation by the monarchy with out any representation, we too, gathered to protest unfair taxation.

Although we do have locally elected representatives, they seem to have lost sight of their responsibilities of seeking to enact the will of the people. Government's primary purpose is to provide for the "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness" of the people. The government does not have the right to unfairly tax those it thinks make too much money, and spread the wealth to others. It should not be in the business of providing free health care nor stripping God out of our lives. Forgive me for ranting... I'll stop before I get too excited. I should be attending to the historic sunburn I obtained by standing in the sun all day.

I think it is important for Mark to understand this, and take part in a peaceful protest where he can see other people with the same beliefs we have. He was able to hear speeches from Senator Hank Erwin, and local talk show hosts Matt Murphy, and Lee Davis. Several other prominent conservatives spoke, and we even got to see former President George Washington, and his wife Martha speak.

We had a great time, and saw several friends and family. Ken McKibben, Cindy's cousin, was one of the organizers. Mark was able to see copies of the Declaration of Independence, and the Consititution of the United States. I've attached a few pictures from the event. Hope you enjoy!