John&Emily Jones

My Apartment/Studio

2011-08-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Finally! A blog post! Thanks Carrie for making me promise to post these. Sorry, I'm a week later than promised.

I moved into my own place at the beginning of the summer and feel unbelievably blessed to be here. From price to location to space this place is AWESOME. Heavenly Father made it happen. There is no other explanation. I have two great kids, a happy home, interesting classes, wonderful friends, and a growing business. I'm the luckiest girl I know.

The whole house isn't ours...just the main floor. Carolyn and Tim live upstairs. They are the best neighbors ever. They bring us dessert and do all the yard work. Sweet deal!

IKEA everything. Thank you Christian for helping me pick it all out. I feel like I'm going to sleep every night in a home decorating magazine.

More IKEA lighting and a scratch and dent table from Grand. Thanks to whoever damaged it enough to put it in my price range.

I'm lovin float wraps. Hopefully people will see this collage and love them as much as I do...enough to order lots. ;) They are so fun. Thank you Lara Douglas for taking all the pictures with me in them.

For those of you who are timid about large prints....this picture of John and Lizzie is 30x40 inches...bigger than they are in real life. GO BIG OR GO HOME....wait we are home. You get my point.

Yes, there is a door hanging on my wall. It's even backlit so at night it glows! Thank you Christian, Brian, and Ben for helping me clean up the door, and thank you Jordan for finally helping me finish the printing and hanging. I love how it turned out!

New Haven

2011-03-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

It's spring break so I had to make the most of it and get out of Roanoke. Nathan (my second oldest brother) agreed to drive 11 hours with me and the kids to visit our oldest brother David and his family in New Haven, Connecticut. So far we've had an amazing time with David, Lauren and their two beautiful little girls, Amelia and Frieda. Highlights have been dress ups, a trip to the beach, and David's unbelievable pizzas (Pizza 1: banana, onion, parmesan, and curry with vodka sauce; Pizza 2: lemon, fennel bulb, with almonds and parmesan; Pizza 3: pistachio, rosemary, and red onion with olive oil; Pizza 4: chicken, plumbs, cilantro, bean sprouts, and lime in satay sauce). I know they sound crazy but believe me it was the best pizza I've ever had. If David weren't going to be a famous architect he could easily have become the world's finest chef. We're sad to have to be leaving so soon. Thanks Dave and Lauren for a wonderful weekend.

Motherhood

2011-02-25T08:43:00.001-08:00

As I was driving home from class today I had a few thoughts on motherhood.

1: You know you’re a mom when you feel a great sense of accomplishment after shaving your legs.

2: You know you’re a Mom when you go to take off your pants and are surprised by the fact that the button isn’t a snap.

3: You know you’re a mom on the verge of losing your social skills when you accidently start dropping words like “potty” and “ouchie” in adult conversation.

4: You know you have a two-year-old when you have to put up with more drama in the 15 minutes before bedtime than in a whole season of the Bachelor.

5: You know you’re a mom when that fine line between love and masochism starts to become fuzzy and maybe even non-existent.

Haha, that last one came to me while I was nursing today. John is teething….so, well…I guess there’s not much more to say than that. The crazy part isn’t that we continue to nurse our kids even when they have razor sharp little fangs. The crazy part is that even after being bitten so hard I think I’m bleeding I simply move him to the other side. Motherhood…crazy stuff.

One funny story to end on.

Right after the sacramental prayer I’ve made it a habit of leaning over and asking Lizzie what we think about during the sacrament. Then I feel like an awesome mom when she happily says, “Jesus!” just loud enough to be heard by several pews. A few Sundays ago Lizzie was in a super grumpy mood, so when I leaned over to ask her what we think about during the sacrament she broke the silence with a loud, “No! I don’t like Jesus!”

Yep. Nothing like a two-year-old to keep this mom humble.

Mae Roberts

2011-02-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

John was with me today. It surprised me because I haven't felt him around in a long time. I didn't know why I felt him near today until tonight when I checked my email. My friend sent me Mae Robert's obituary. Her funeral was today, and I feel certain that John attended it with her. So, I guess he was in the neighborhood.

John met Mae in Provo when he saw her hitch hiking to the temple. He gave her a ride that morning and continued to give her rides almost every morning at 6am for a long time, eventhough he wouldn't otherwise have been out and about at that time of day. They became very close friends and Mae would call John any time she needed something. He helped in her garden, gave her rides, took her cat to the vet, picked up groceries for her, and spent many hours listening to her stories. I went with him sometimes. We'd sit on her couch and listen to her tell us about her life story, her friends in her ward, how much she currently owed on her house (which she always knew to the cent because she was obsessed with getting out of debt), and most frequently her conversations with President Hinckley. I don't know if any of them were true. Most of the stories seemed implausable, but it was nothing but endearing. I've never met anyone who loved the brethren so much. Whatever they asked of us (from planting a garden to getting out of debt), Mae was sure to do right away. She proudly hung a letter on her wall from President Hinckley's secretary as proof that she and the prophet were close.

After reading the obituary I'm sure President Hinckley did in fact know who Mae was. But I am even more sure that Heavenly Father knows and loves that amazing woman. I cried when I read her obituary, but it was a good cry. I cried because her life is one of the most inspirational stories I've ever heard. She was poor and uneducated and hunched and mentally insane after a long life of hard knocks, but I can only imagine the gorgeous radiant woman she is now as she reunites with the host of angels who now keep her company, one of whom I'm sure is John. I can't think of a more beautiful example of what the plan of salvation is all about.

I'll never forget Mae. Someday I hope to be half the woman she is...and I mean that with all my heart. I often let myself get distracted by tryng to be all the wrong things, but Mae stands as a reminder of what it means to be truly great. If baby John had been a girl I was planning on naming him Abby Mae Jones in honor of Mae Roberts.

We love you Mae.

The following is her obituary:

Mae Lorraine Bowman Roberts

Born January 28, 1932 - Merrill, Wisconsin

Died February 3, 2011 - Salt Lake City, UT

Mae Roberts was able to peacefully leave this earthly existence after many years of loving service and dedication. Many of us remember Mae, as that bent over dedicated lady walking down South State Street in Provo pulling a wagon with two garbage cans full of aluminum cans. Many of you stopped to give her a ride as she walked in the heat of summer or as she was walking to the Provo Temple hours before daylight in very cold weather. Some of us were fortunate enough to be able to help.

Mae was born in Wisconsin and placed in an orphanage at birth. She was told she had a stroke at birth and for years they did not think she was teachable. Mae said she saw her mother once when she was 9 years old. Her mother was dying in a Tuberculosis Ward at a hospital. She never met her father. She worked in a factory when young and always walked to work even when it was very cold and snowy.

Mae was baptized into the LDS church on May 23, 1973. She moved to Utah in 1976 and celebrated her baptismal date each year by spending the full day in the temple from open to close, and on her birthday would order a steak dinner at Los Hermanos.

Her life was simple - get up - read scriptures - go to the temple - go pick up cans and once every week would bake many loaves of whole wheat bread to last her a week and peanut butter cookies to give to others. She loved being with close friends and children on the holidays, baking and cooking for them.

Mae had a love for music and sang for many years in her church choir. She loved the leaders of her church and enjoyed writing to them and sending them birthday cards. She received several responses from them. Over the years Mae completed many thousands of temple ordinances. Can you imagine the reception she received when she crossed over from mortality, from all who are waiting to say thank you with an embrace, and welcome her home.

Mae made a promise to herself many years ago that if Heavenly Father would help her get out of debt, she would pledge to give $100/ yr to the Primary Children's Medical Center. The very day she made this promise she was able to get out of debt. Her donations have far surpassed what she promised to give. For 22 yrs she accomplished this by collecting thousands of pounds of cans and other metals to recycle and then selling them to metal salvage every year. The entire yearly proceeds were pledged to the Primary Children's' Hospital through the KSL Telethon. In recent years she has been recognized by KSL for her giving during theRadiothon Celebrity Dinner, though she did not like the lime light. One of the last promises she asked was that her pledge be made in her behalf again this year.... when they announce they will match the pledge with a "double" donation.

Thank you Mae for your example of dedication and love.

We will celebrate Mae's life at her funeral (directed by her wishes) 11 AM on Tuesday February 8, 2011 at the Bonneville 1st Ward Chapel 85 S. 900 E. Provo, UT Visitors welcome at 10 to visit. In lieu of flowers please make a generous donation to the Primary Children's Hospital (When it is double!)

Halloween

2010-11-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went out shopping several times this year before settling on costumes. The chili pepper costume in John's size that said "Hot Stuff" across the front pretty much sealed the deal. We decided to go Mexican themed. Unfortunately we had a hard time fitting Lizzie into our theme. Caroline and Brian came up with several good ideas including fiesta bowl, seven layered bean dip, jumping bean, and pinata. In the end she fell in love with a giraffe costume. We decided to tie a rope to her and carry a stick and call her a pinata anyway, but for some reason none of us wanted to be the one holding the stick and looking like a child abuser.

Halloween...really the day before Halloween finally arrived, and we packed in so much fun that I think we're still recovering. We spent the morning at a pumpkin patch/corn maize/petting zoo with our friends Jenny and Debbie and their families. Then we went to the stake center for games and trunk or treating. After that we headed to a murder mystery dinner put on by Amber Dutton. Great day!

Thank you make up artist Brian Spencer (left) for the masterful mustache and Jordan Reeves (right) for providing the candy and style. And of course nothing gets done around here without Caroline Booth (taking the picture). Love you guys!

Bike-A-Thon

2010-10-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

Lizzie recently started attending Salem's montessori school. It is amazing, and yesterday's bike-a-thon was further evidence of this fact. The kids (ages about 2 through 5th grade) got sponsors and rode their bikes around the school yard to raise money for the Nutty Putty Cyclers/Liz Logelin Foundation. I was the lucky photographer for the big event. Thank you Salem Montessori!

Miss Dada

2010-10-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

This morning while I was changing Lizzie's diaper she looked up at the picture on the wall of John holding her. She said, "Dada hold me!" Then she became very pensive and said, "Dada gone. Night. Moon. Stars...He miss me. He love me. Dada gone. Night. We go find him." She repeated these phrases all morning long. I wanted to know more about what she meant, but I also didn't want to ask any leading questions. I guess that's the psychologist in me. The hundreds and hundreds of clinical interviews I did for my job in Provo trained me well on the dangers of asking kids leading questions. I didn't want her to say what I wished she would say. I wanted to know exactly what she meant.
I asked her to tell me more about Dada and if she remembered him. She said she does remember him and then kept repeating that he was gone but that he loves her.
I asked her where he went and she said, "Dada gone. Week. Watching me. See me."
I asked her what she meant by week and she just kept saying, "Dada gone. Week. Night. Love me. Me love Dada!"
I never figured out what she meant when she was talking about night and week. As for the rest, she might just be repeating back what I've told her so many times before...that Dada loves her and is watching out for her. But either way, she's right. I hope she never forgets.

A Day in the Life of Emily Jones

2010-10-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

I wrote the following short (except it's kind of long) story in response to all those of you who have been asking what I do all day. I started it a few months ago, right after John was born. Life has changed quite a bit since then, but I think it's still a good window into life as a mother, especially a new mother. And best of all...it's true.

A Day in the Life of Emily Jones

12:00 am

I’m walking around the kids’ room in sweat pants and the shirt I wore yesterday (and maybe the day before too. I can’t remember). Baby John is slung over one shoulder, wide awake. He has been since around 10pm, right when I was getting ready to go to bed. I want us both to be sleeping, and he wants us both to be exploring the house. I decide it’s a contest of wills, and holding him up to my face I put on my best and most intimidating game day look. He stares past me, comfortably bored. Apparently he’s not aware that this is a contest. I grunt and sling him back over my shoulder, letting my thoughts wander.

Lines appear between my eyebrows as I remember a conversation from a few hours before.

“I haven’t talked to you in so long! How are you? What are you up to? Do you have a job?” my friend asks. “Are you in school?”

“Um...nope. I’m... ummmm...taking care of my kids.”

“Oh, good for you.” Long pause. “So, what do you do all day?”

“Uh....” Another long pause.

I get this question ALL the time and I still haven’t come up with a good answer. And that makes me mad. I want to defend myself. “Hey! I’m busy. Lay off!” I want to say. But then I realize that no one is being critical. It’s an honest question. An honest question that I don’t know how to answer.

12:20 am

I am suddenly hit with a stroke of brilliance. I’m going to write down what I do over a 24 hour span. The next time someone asks me what I do all day I’ll smile and ask for their e-mail address. This is the best idea ever! At least I think so, but maybe that’s just because it’s the middle of the night. So, when do I start? At what hour does the day begin? When I became a mom time changed, and waking up stopped meaning the start of a new day. For a mom life is one continuous blur, mostly lucid with some delirium mixed it. I guess 12:20 is as good a time to start as any.

12:23 am

I am distracted by something foul smelling and start to wander around the room looking for the culprit. There are about a dozen dirty diapers in the trash can by the changing table. I really have been meaning to take those out. As I walk by the closet I smell something else. I peek in and see a giant pile of laundry. I wonder how many diaper blow outs and spoiled milk spit ups and dropped lunches it took to create such a pile. It’s more smelly evidence, but there’s something else. Just through the doorway I see the laundry machine and realize that I never moved the last load from the washer to the dryer. That was two days ago! Oops. I open the lid to the washing machine. Yep. That’s the mystery smell. I put in more detergent and reach to turn the knob to heavy wash. It’s already there. I wonder if I’ve ever used any other setting. I only put clothes in the hamper when they are seriously dirty, and streaks of snot on my shoulders don’t count. I head back into the bedroom and cradle John in my arms. His eyes are starting to close, but so are mine. My game day face is back, and I am determined to outlast him.

12:49 am

SMACK! My face smashes against something very hard, jerking me back into consciousness. I’m not sure what just happened, but all I care about is making sure John is OK. I clutch the little bundle in my arms. He scrunches up his forehead a little then drifts peacefully back to sleep. Did that really happen? Did I just hit my face on a wall? I must have fallen asleep while walking. I’m not sure how John was spared, so I turn to my usual explanation...he has one heck of a guardian angel...also known as Dada. Still a little shaken I go upstairs to wake up my mom. I want to be more independent. I want to prove that I can do this myself. But I know I’m just being prideful, and I’m not willing to risk another run in with the wall. What if Dada John is busy next time and baby John takes the hit before my face? My sweet mom takes the unsuspecting little dreamer, like she does almost every night when I can’t keep my eyes open any longer, and sends me to bed.

4:15 am

I am awakened by the almost silent rustling of cotton pajamas rubbing on cotton crib sheets in the other room. I refuse to open my eyes. Maybe he’ll go back to sleep. He starts to whimper, and I know I’m out of luck. I’m actually feeling pretty good though. Three and a half hours...that ain’t bad! Back to the rocker glider.

4:28 am

Full, fat, and happy John goes back to sleep, and so do I! Maybe my luck hasn’t run out after all.

4:33 am

Lizzie’s arm flops across my face. What was I saying about my luck? You didn’t know that Lizzie was asleep in my bed this whole time did you? At 21 months she is still sleeping with me. I am the poster child for what the baby whisperer calls accidental parenting, and no...that’s not a compliment. Lizzie grabs my bangs and drags my head toward her face. With her eyes still closed she places her hands on my cheeks and presses my face to her face, tilting my head at various angles until she has me positioned just how she wants me. She leaves one hand on my cheek. The other slides around my neck. My not-yet-two-year-old daughter has me in a surprisingly tight and very uncomfortable headlock, and how do I respond?... My heart melts. I am in pain but try not to move until her breathing slows and she stops sucking on her binky. (Yes, 21 months and she still has a binky...accidental parenting...thank you very much Tracy Hogg.) When I think she’s asleep I try to slip my head out of the vice grip. Suddenly she is sucking furiously on the binky and flexing her little arm muscles, refusing to release me. I try again after a few minutes. This time is a success.

5:30 am

I am awakened by the sound of crying from the other room.

“Hungry again? I just fed you!” I groan as I flop out of bed and hurry to the crib. I hope the cries won’t wake Lizzie quite yet. I haven’t been in the rocker glider for more than 5 minutes when I hear Lizzie start to protest. She has discovered my absence and comes looking for me.

“Oh shoot!” I mutter under my breath.

“Oh shoot!” Lizzie mimics as she stumbles into the room, her smile hidden behind her binky and her baby doll dragging by her side. She’s still a little groggy, but there’s no chance of her going back to sleep now. We’re up for the day. Lizzie plops down in the little rocking chair next to me. I picked it up at a thrift store for $8 over a year ago and have been meaning to repaint it ever since. She lifts up her shirt and sticks her baby doll’s face near her belly button. “Baby eat now,” she tells me. We sit, nursing our babies together for a few seconds, but Lizzie quickly loses interest in her baby and thinks it’s time for me to stop paying so much attention to mine too. She tosses her baby on the floor and comes to investigate baby John’s progress. She puts a hand on his forehead and tries to push him away from me. “OK baby...all done,” she says cheerfully. When I tell her she needs to let the baby finish, that dreaded bottom lip pops out threatening the oncoming dramatization of this terrible injustice. Quick! I need a distraction! Before the sobs can begin I invite her to go pick out a book so I can read to her. Her lip recedes reluctantly as she considers the offer.

She tromps off and returns with a giant dog stuffed animal and my favorite board book, But Not The Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton. She tries to climb on my lap. I don’t want her to feel replaced, so I make room for the giant dog and the insistent little toddler alongside the nursing baby. I think to myself, “I need a bigger lap,” and then remember that my thighs are big enough and retract the thought. Lizzie holds the book. I can’t actually see the words, but I don’t need to. I have this one memorized. Honestly, I have most of our board books memorized.

5:44 am

John finishes eating. I ask Lizzie if she wants to go running with me. She says yes and goes to look for her shoes. I tell her she doesn’t need her shoes, hoping that if she isn’t wearing shoes she’ll actually stay in the stroller for once. I put John in his crib and tell Lizzie I need to change my clothes. (I’m still wearing that same shirt from yesterday.) She wants to play in the crib with John while I get dressed. I grab my clothes and tennis shoes out of the other room and watch her boss little John around while I change. She tries to teach him how to fold his arms so they can say their prayers. When John moves she says, “No, no, no baby,” and crosses his arms for him again.

6:12 am

I am not a runner. I hate to run, but I think runners are cool so I like to pretend. I have two other reasons for running this morning. First, my friend gave me the most amazing double jogger ever invented. It's a phil&teds sport, but I call it “The Rolls” (short for Rolls Royce). The fact that I own it inspires me to be a phil&teds sport kind of mom....the kind of mom that goes jogging. My second reason for this unusual start to my day is the upcoming Jones family reunion. We are all running a 5K because my in-laws think that kind of thing is fun. They are the cool running type. So, in summery I am running this morning because runners are cool, my stroller is cool, and my in-laws are cool. I am not so cool, so I am taking up running.

We are almost to the end of the block and I already have a cramp. Lizzie is complaining. She wants to push the stroller. She tries to climb out and gets tangled in the straps. She starts to throw a fit. Ugh...so much for looking cool. At least John is asleep. I think of the upcoming 5K and seriously consider faking an injury. Then I laugh at myself for actually entertaining such a pathetic thought...but I am still entertaining it despite its patheticness.
6:38 am

The stroller is safely back in the trunk and I stagger back inside with a kid in each arm. John is still asleep. It's surprising how long it takes to do things like put away a stroller when you don't have use of your arms.

Lizzie pipes up. “I hungry. Pizza Party!”

It's not a bad idea. Ditch the jogging for a pizza party breakfast. Unfortunately, we are fresh out of pizza. I suggest pancakes. She'd rather have pizza but she'll settle for pancakes. I set her on the counter and let her help me. I crack the eggs with one hand (which makes me feel like super mom) while she mixes the batter.
6:53 am

Breakfast is served. Lizzie refuses to fold her arms for prayer. Grandpa tells her it will make Heavenly Father sad if she doesn’t. Not effective. I reconsider my opinion on forcing good prayer behavior and decide to tell her she can fold her arms or go to time out. She folds her arms, bows her head, and starts whispering jibberish in very somber tones.
7:36 am

I know breakfast is over when most of the pancakes appear to be gone, but we are all quite aware that they have really just been moved to the floor. With John flopped over one arm...still sleeping, I help my mom clear off the table and do the dishes. Thankfully Lizzie is distracted by the high heels I left in the living room. She puts them on and clops loudly around the hardwood floors. My mom and I discuss our plans for the day. The kids and I are meeting my cousin Chad Miller, his wife Luanne, his daughter Brook (from his last marriage), and their daughter Emma at the Safari Park at 11. My mom plans to get ready for the singles ward crowd coming over tonight for the weekly dinner and scripture study. Since I already made the main dish and dessert last night she agrees to go to the park with us. We plan to leave at 9:15.

7:45 am

I realize that I haven't heard the clopping of high heels in a few minutes and panic. Living room? No. Den? No. Outside? No. Grandma's bathroom....ding ding ding! Feeling very beautiful in her new shoes, Lizzie had shut herself in the bathroom and set out to complete the look. When I open the door she jumps. She knows she's guilty but quickly plays it off. She bats her lashes and with a very pleased grin on her face says, “Eyes…Pretty!” Black mascara is smeared all over her eye lashes...and everything else on one side of her face. At least she isn't in pain. I try to clean off the mascara without getting it in her eyes and then suggest a bath. She's a good sport about the face wash, but a bath is asking way too much. I have to pull out the big guns. I suggest a bubble bath. Almost good enough, but not quite. I throw in an offer to turn her bubble bath green (with food coloring). Sold! I drag the baby swing into the bathroom and set down baby John...still sleeping...while I wash two days worth of stickiness and grime off of Lizzie. I wonder if the water would turn brown if it weren't disguised by green bubbles.

“Double, double toil and trouble. Fires burn and cauldrons bubble. Cool it with a baboon's tongue. Now the spell is firm and good.” I cackle like a witch. I don't think I got the words quite right, but Lizzie thinks I'm funny.

8:12 am

Lizzie is bathed and dressed and little man is...yep...still sleeping. Amazing! I decide it's my moment to shower. I turn on Veggie Tales for Lizzie. She's immediately transfixed. Then I put John in a swing just outside the shower door, get undressed, and turn on the water. Right as I hop in the shower John decides to wake up...of course. He's hungry and I'm soaking wet. I leave the shower door slid half way open and play peek-a-boo between rinses, trying to keep him entertained for a few more minutes. He smiles as I poke my head out the shower door and lean in close to his face, dripping water all over him.

8:29 am

I run to the bedroom, leaving wet footprints on the carpet, and throw on some clothes as fast as I can before John runs out of patience. Just great! All my nursing bras are dirty. I smell each one, pick out the least weird smelling one, and toss the rest back in the hamper. I'm only half dressed when John starts to cry, but half dressed is good enough. I run back to the bathroom, where he's starting to slide out of his swing, and whisk him off to the rocker glider to nurse. It feels good to sit down and be forced to stay there. I hear singing from the Den.

“Don't eat pigs. Don't eat bats. Don't eat beetles, flies, or gnats. Stay away from all of that. A message from the Lord.” I swore I wouldn't be one of those moms who just puts their child in front of the TV all day, but now I don't know how to survive without it. I am consoled by the fact that it's Veggie Tales and she's learning about wonderful, moral things....like not eating bugs.

I've been sitting here nursing for almost 10 minutes and am starting to feel anxious. I should be using this time better. I should have put a book within reaching distance. There is a growing list of things I'm supposed to be reading: a book about discovering the perfect career, a family book club book, a few motivational books sent to me by friends, and Stephanie Meyer's The Host which I want to read but don't want to admit that I want to read. The only book I ever actually open these days is the Book of Mormon. After John died I made a promise that I would read it every day. And I do. But lately it's been pretty pathetic...a few verses as I'm falling asleep. I start to feel guilty. I look around and see my scriptures a few feet away. I stretch one leg out as far as I can and grab the scripture case with my toes, but as I start to drag them toward me John loses his latch and milk starts to spray everywhere. I try to get him to latch back on but it looks like trying to drink out of a fire hose. We are both covered in milk before I can grab a burp cloth. He decides he's had his share of milk and isn't interested anymore. I pull my shirt back down over my sticky bra, not planning on changing clothes again. No wonder my nursing bras all smell weird.

9:00 am

I go upstairs, put the baby bath in the big tub, and fill it with water. John loves baths. He smiles as I pour a cup of warm water over his belly. “That's a sweet smile,” I coo. “You like that warm water, don't you?” Then I notice a tall stream of water shooting out of his little man parts and over the wall of the baby bath. Fortunately it goes toward the shower wall instead of toward me. “Oh, that's why you're smiling. Nice aim, and so convenient!” I praise. I remember how Lizzie always used to pee in the bath water as soon as she was wet and slippery with soap. It was such a hassle to change it out for clean water. “Yes...very convenient of you little man,” I repeat.

9:29 am

Two kids clean, dressed, and fed. I am amazing! I am also only half dressed and still dripping water from my hair. And I still have to pack the lunch and diaper bag and load up the car. And we were supposed to leave now. OK...maybe I'm not that amazing. I hand baby John off to my mom while I finish getting dressed and ready. What would I do without her?

9:45 am

I am ready...not cute, but ready. It takes me longer than 15 minutes to go from wet to cute. I guess today won't be a cute day. We are late and I still have to pack the lunch. PB and honey sandwiches, string cheese, melon, chips, and little debbie sweet rolls. I'm impressed with myself. This is way better than our last “picnic” at the safari park. We were meeting up with some friends and were running late as usual. I forgot to pack the picnic so I stopped at McDonalds on the way. Unfortunately I forgot that they don't serve happy meals until 11, so I got an order of hot cakes to take to the Safari Park for our picnic lunch. When we got there my friends offered to share the picnic food they had packed, but I assured them Lizzie loved hot cakes. It was a little embarrassing when she wouldn't touch them. Well, that wouldn't happen today...not with this gourmet lunch? I grab the lunch and stroller, throw a few extra diapers and a change of clothes for each kid into the diaper bag, and start loading it all in the car.

10:06 am

The kids are in and we are finally off for the Safari Park, scrapping a few errands for lack of time. Lizzie is asking for her binky. I forgot it but appease her with a sucker instead. John starts to cry at the first stoplight. He's like his daddy, only happy when he's on the move. Seeing that John is upset, Lizzie gets a very concerned look on her face and searches for a place to put down her sucker. She finally gives up and sets it down in her lap, smearing sticky cherry goop all over her shorts and the car seat. Then she reaches over and starts to rock the baby’s car seat while saying, “It's OK baby. It's OK baby. We go park? It's OK baby.” She doesn't notice, but I'm looking at her with a look that says, “No mother has ever loved their child as much as I love you right now.”

10:30 am

John is asleep. Lizzie, MooMoo (our name for Grandma), and I chat about all the animals we'll see at the Safari Park. Lizzie is “reading” the park guide we got last time we went to the Park, only two days ago, and pointing out her favorite animals. She can pretty much carry on the conversation by herself.

“Yak...buff (buffalo)...camel,” she says pointing at the picture of each animal. “Gaff (giraffe)...long...neck.” She stretches her neck as tall as she can. “Ostige (ostrich)...big...egg...water wings,” she says while holding an imaginary egg and then tucking her arms under her arm pits and flapping her “water wings.” (All wings became “water wings” the day MooMoo bought her Finding Nemo water wings to wear to the pool.)

As Lizzie entertains herself with the park guide I wonder aloud what Emma will be like these days. Before we left Charlottesville Emma and Lizzie used to play on a regular basis. Luanne and I would laugh at the difference in their personalities, exemplified by their swinging styles. They sat side by side in those basket swings they have at parks with the leg holes. Lizzie flung herself forward so she could see the ground, nearly falling out of her swing, her arms outstretched like she was flying. No fear. Emma on the other hand sat calmly reserved with her arms safely tucked into her little safe zone, glancing at Lizzie from time to time like she might be crazy after all.

10:45 am

Lizzie starts to complain from the back seat. She is no longer satisfied with the sucker and is again asking for her binky. As I try to distract her with a few of her favorite songs I remember how her daddy used to say that distraction was the key to parenting. We make it through The Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Book of Mormon Stories (twice because it's her favorite today), and Popcorn Popping before I decide it's time to turn it over to the experts. I turn on Ingrid Michaelson and Lizzie is pleased.

I can relate to the lyrics of the first song...“And so it goes. This soldier knows the battle of the heart isn't easily won, but it can be won.” I wonder if I'm winning yet.

The next song also strikes a cord... “Everybody, everybody wants to love. Everybody, everybody wants to be loved.” I try not to think about how lonely it's been lately and how much I want John to hold me while I fall asleep.

The third song on the CD starts to play... “They say that home is where the heart is. I guess I haven't found my home. And we keep driving around in circles, afraid to call this place our own.” Is Ingrid Michaelson watching me?

Maybe this is the story of everyone's life. I decide to stop feeling sorry for myself, but I also decide to stop listening. I glance in the rear view mirror and see that Lizzie's eyes are getting droopy. We're too close to the park to let her fall asleep so I shout emphatically, “Hey???? How about those buffs?” She jerks up and looks around for the buffalo. I promise her that we're almost there....3.2 miles left...I've been watching the mile markers for the last 15 miles, counting down to exit 180. No mile markers have ever received so much attention as the ones between our house and exit 180.

10:58 am

We pull into the Safari Park. I can't believe it. Have we ever been on time, let alone 2 minutes early? I hope that we are more punctual that Luanne for the first time in our lives, but she pulls into the lane next to us and gets into the park first. How does she always do that? I've been prepping Lizzie on names all morning, and she's been saying, “Emma, Emma, Emma” non-stop. But when I point to Emma and ask Lizzie who that is, she gets stage fright and gives me a blank stare. It doesn't matter. When you're not even two yet, knowing someone's name doesn't seem to be a prerequisite for being best buddies. Lizzie jumps out of her car seat and immediately starts to talk Emma's ear off. I am unloading John when I hear Luanne sternly scold Emma for not holding her hand while in a parking lot. Emma is still standing right next to the car, and I wonder why Luanne is so worked up. But Luanne isn’t looking at Emma. She's looking out in the middle of the parking lot where Lizzie is excitedly running around like a crazy lady. I smile and resist the urge to correct Lizzie just to save face in front of Luanne.

11:15 am

Lizzie and Emma are having a ball with the goats. Emma even follows Lizzie's lead and is willing to touch one. John is asleep in my arms. I decide to go back to the car to get the stroller for John. It will protect him from the sun. When I return I see my mom smiling as she watches Lizzie climb onto a small, green John Deer tractor parked near the pig pens (obviously for personnel use only). Luanne is telling Lizzie she's not old enough to drive (which she isn't at all convinced of).

We walk around the “safari village” and see the caged animals. The tiger seems especially interested in Lizzie. He stalks her from the other side of the fence and looks like he'd really like to eat her. She isn't intimidated. She points at him and says, “Tiger! Arrrr!” She likes the animals, but she's most interested in playing with the gravel and stopping at every hand sanitizer station in the park.

11:45 am

We head back to the cars and pull out our packed lunches. Everyone else heads to the pavilion to eat, but I stay back and feed John while sitting in the car. I consider checking my voice mail while he eats, but when I hear that my box is full again I get intimidated and decide to put it off until later.

12:30 pm

We finish eating lunch and all pack into the minivan to drive through the main part of the Safari Park, a road that winds through a huge expanse of open land. We leave the sliding doors open so the llamas, zebras, elk, deer, buffalo, ostriches, camels, watusi cattle, etc. can stick their heads in and eat out of our plastic buckets filled with animal feed. Some of the bigger animals can be intimidating, but we have a rule that no one is allowed to act scared in front of Lizzie. It’s worked wonders so far. Lizzie gets intimidated when a dog barks but has no problem when a camel snorts at her and nearly knocks her off her feet with its enormous head. Part way through the park a giant buffalo sticks its face in our car and startles Brooke, a very pretty and very teenage girl. She is terrified, so I quickly say, “Funny buffalo. Is he trying to give Brooke kisses?” Lizzie leans in and tries to kiss the buffalo.

1:45 pm

It’s been another amazing day at the SP. (That’s code for Safari Park.) Lizzie and John are lulled to sleep by the humming of the engine as we drive home.

3:00 pm

We get home and I expertly move the sleeping time bombs from the car to their beds. My mom and I only have 3 hours to clean the house and put on a meal for a crowd of somewhere around 15 young single adults.

3:12 pm

John wakes up and acts like he’s starving. I feed him and then continue to help my mom with my one free hand.

4:25 pm

Just as I’m starting to wonder if Lizzie is dead I hear a loud groan from the bedroom. “I NEEEEEEED CHOCOLATE MILK!” I smile. It’s good to know my daughter has her priorities straight.

I mix up some nesquick and head outside with a kid in each arm. We blow bubbles for a few minutes but my thoughts are elsewhere. I imagine one of the young single adults with their butt stuck to our dirty toilet seat (Ok…it’s not really that bad) and another looking disdainfully at the dirt on our entry stairs. I decide I should be cleaning. I shouldn’t stick Lizzie in front of the TV again, but I am quickly losing my resolve. I decide one more dose of veggie tales might be just what Lizzie needs in her life today. I put my plan into action, and she doesn’t seem to mind a bit.

5:42 pm

The house is somewhat clean. The dinner is almost done. I better turn off the TV before someone gets here and sees the child neglect/brain rotting in action. Lizzie isn’t happy about the screen gone black, but she cheers up when the doorbell rings and our first guest arrives. On Monday nights Lizzie exploits her captive audience and is eager to take center stage. Her energy level increases with the arrival of each new guest. Soon she is riffling through random purses for gum and cell phones, showing off her newest dance moves, and insisting on everyone’s undivided attention as she tries on someone’s enormous boots.

6:25 pm

The dinner officially begins. I slip downstairs to feed John. When I return a couple of our friends insist on holding my kids while I eat. Did I mention that I LOVE Monday nights? I spend the rest of the dinner chatting with people while my kids get passed around and spoiled with attention.

7:47 pm

Most of our guests have finished eating, and my dad begins the scripture study portion of the evening. Lizzie sits on the couch next to one of her favorite boys and opens a set of scriptures to the topical guide. The first reader opens to Exodus and begins. Lizzie quickly sees the threat and dives in for another grab at the crowd’s attention. She puts on her most sophisticated face, sits tall, and starts to babble as she runs her finger along the page in front of her. The reader tries to speak louder, but Lizzie will not be outdone. Pretty soon it’s a shouting match between the words of Moses and a toddler’s babble. To everyone’s delight, the toddler is winning.

8:04 pm

I give up on trying to keep Lizzie quiet enough for the scripture study and take the kids downstairs to read books. John is soon fast asleep. Lizzie and I read a whole shelf’s worth of books before I can hear that the scripture study is finally over.

8:40 pm

Lizzie steals a little more attention while my mom and I serve up dessert for everyone.

9:15 pm

The inevitable card game of wacky six has started around the dining room table, and Lizzie is getting very upset that no one wants to give her their cards to throw all over the room. I can see the meltdown coming. It’s definitely time for bed. I ask her if she’d like to have a slumber party with me. She takes the bait.

9:34 pm

We pull the covers over our heads and giggle with delight as our secret fortress starts to sink down around us. I tell Lizzie she’s my best friend. She says, “tank you!” We snuggle close and listen to the shrieks and stomping of the wacky sixers directly above us. We are too tired to be bothered by the ruckus. Before I know it we are both sound asleep.

9:50 pm

In my dream John is crying, but Daddy John says, “Don’t get up. I’ll take him so you can sleep.” I wonder how I got so lucky to marry this angel. Then my husband turns into my mom who is shaking me and saying, “Emily. Wake up! John is hungry.” I am a little disoriented, and mumble, “Ugh! If only angels could breastfeed!”

10:10 pm

When John finishes eating he is, of course, wide awake. I tell him stories about his dada and sing primary songs as we rock. I love this little man and am thrilled by the thought of watching him grow up. I realize that his dad loves him just as much as I do and will be silently watching from a place I only catch glimpses of when I’m asleep long enough to dream. I miss my husband. I want him to come back. I long for him to put his arm around me and snuggle my face into his chest. No one is around except my sweet baby, so I allow myself to cry.

11:00 pm

John finally falls asleep and I climb back into bed next to Lizzie. Then I realize I haven’t read my scriptures yet today. I’m too tired to go get them from the other room so I pull them up on my phone. I tell myself its better anyway because this way I can keep the lights off for Lizzie while I read…but secretly I just want to stay lying down. I make it through about half a verse before I drift off and loosen my grip on the phone. It falls, hitting me in the face. I make several more attempts at finish the verse without falling asleep, and finally give up. I quietly whisper, “I love you John Jones. I promise I’ll do better tomorrow.”

Where is she, Mama?

2010-10-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

My parents attend a single's ward where my dad is currently the bishop. Usually I go to a family ward, but last Sunday we attended the single's ward with my parents because Lizzie was too sick to go to nursery and because (now for the real reason) they were having a linger longer after church. During the third hour I was playing in the gym with the kids and helping a bit here and there with linger longer set up. Lizzie found a little blue football and decided to name it Baby Sophie. She wraped it in a dish cloth and was singing while rocking it to sleep. Suddenly she stopped, pointed to one end of the football, and with a very serious look on her face said, "Bum." Then she turned it over and gasped. She showed me the other tip of the football and exclaimed, "Two Bum!" She turned the football over in her hands several times looking very concerned then said to me, "Where is she, Mama?"

Nutty Putty Cyclers Cross Country Bike Trip for Charity

2010-10-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Sam & Sarah

2010-10-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

Sam & Sarah are two of our favorite people ever. They invited us up to Charlottesville this week for a fun afternoon at Bounce-N-Play and apple picking at Carter's Mountain in the evening. We're so lucky to have such wonderful friends.

Virginia Beach Aquarium

2010-10-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

John and I used to love to go to Aquariums. From San Diego and Duluth Minnesota, to Myrtle Beath, we loved them all. When we went to Virginia Beach on Monday to see the bikers off on their trip I was excited to find that Lizzie shares our enthusiasm. She loves fish. In fact she just got a beta fish for her birthday. She calls him "Tusi" in honor of the Watusi Cattle at the Safari Park. But I think after admiring the amazing tanks at the aquarium she might have tank envy.

Bike Launch

2010-10-07T04:02:00.000-07:00

They're off! The Nutty Putty Bikers dipped their bikes in Virginia Beach's Atlantic waters on Monday and are headed off to the Pacific shore of San Diego.

Little Suzy

2010-09-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Meet my little brother. I call him little Suzy (and he calls me Sam-I-Am). He is seriously the coolest kid I know. He is attending BYU's Marriott School of Business, but has decided to take the semester off to bike across the country raising money for the Liz Loglin Foundation (a non-profit that gives grants to widows and widowers). He, our cousin Jon, and his friend Eric will start in Virginia Beach on October 4th and hope to make it to San Diego in about 2 1/2 months. I love you little brother man!

Families Are Forever...Thank Goodness

2010-08-04T08:14:00.001-07:00

Famous

2010-07-31T06:22:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken for an article that will run in the Salt Lake Tribune sometime in August.

Ra Ra

2010-07-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

meet RaRa. Her name is actually Caroline, but since Lizzie couldn't say Caroline when she first met her, John came up with RaRa. RaRa is like a sister, except kind of better because we never fight and she never steals my clothes (although I often try to dress her up in my clothes...without any success so far). RaRa is always there for us when we need her. We use and abuse her and she just keeps coming back. RaRa...thanks for being a true friend. We love you!

hap (v.)

2010-07-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been hard days, and as much as I've wanted to be happy I've been having a hard time. My brother Nathan always complains that hap isn't a word. He reasons that the verb that corresponds with the adjective shiney is to shine; so logically speaking there should be a verb that corresponds with the adjective happy and that verb should be to hap. I agree. I want to hap...actively. I started thinking about what happiness means to me. Two things come to mind, and both remind me of quotes by Elder Uchtdorf...

First, I like to make stuff. It makes me so happy to make something beautiful.

Elder Uchtdorf said, "As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."

Second, I love to be in love and to be loved. Sometimes I'm selfish and just want to feel loved, but I guess love doesn't work that way. I think it only truly makes you happy when you give it because thats what turns us into the people God wants us to be.

Quote #2:
"Love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship."
— Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I'm grateful for the many people God has given me to love...including "the latest model."

John's Birth Story

2010-06-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 13th came and went without any labor pains, and I was bummed. I went to see Dr. Walsh on Tuesday for my next checkup, and he said he was a little worried about the baby's heart rate and the fact that I hadn't been feeling him move as much. He was sure there was nothing to worry about but since I was 2 days past my due date anyway he suggested I be induced. I went home, grabbed my hospital bag and headed off to have a baby. I walked in with Lizzie asleep in my arms and a smile on my face...not the way I had imagined it.

Lizzie napped for a while while I got ready.

While I was packing my hospital bag Lizzie brought me this picture of John. I set it beside me as they started the pitocin, and felt sure he was there.

When Lizzie woke up the pitocin hadn't started to kick in yet, so we read some stories together. Things were going a little too well.

When the pitocin did start to kick in, things got crazy pretty quick. I was sure I was going to die. I planned on a long labor (Lizzie took 18 hours), and I think the nurse expected it to take a lot longer too. I went from feeling OK to dying in a few minutes. When I was finally able to communicate to the nurse that I was ready for the epidural it was a little late. It took a long time for the doctor to come, and when he did get there he had to administer it very slowly because I have low blood pressure. Unfortunately it didn't kick in until I was ready to start pushing. After the 4th push the doctor said the baby's heart rate had dropped significantly and told me I had to get the baby out on the next push. I believed him and made the 5th push the last.

I've never experienced such extraordinary pain, but it's amazing how you forget it even happened as soon as that baby is in your arms. I just stared at my little angel, not even caring that a giant fishhook looking things was being used to stich up my episiotomy.

John Edward Jones II was born at 7:23 pm on Tuesday June 15th. He was 8lbs 2oz and 19in long. The nurse had to rough him up a bit because he didn't want to cry.

I don't know what I would have done without my sweet mom. She was by my side the whole time.

Lizzie is pretty excited about her new little brother. The whole experience went over really well thanks to a lot of help from my mom, dad, brother Nathan, and friend Caroline. Nathan ("Nate") showed Lizzie the wonders of a wheelchair, which I'm sure everyone on the maternity floor really appreciated. Caroline ("RaRa") was there to play with her every time we needed an extra hand, and my sweet dad ("Papa") took care of her every night while my mom stayed with me in the hospital. My mom ("Moomoo") took care of pretty much everything else. Thank heavens for family.

Baby John brought Lizzie a present, a duck purse filled with treats and a locket for a picture of the 2 of them. That was my mom's brilliant idea. Now lizzie doesn't want to go anywhere without her duck purse.

Thursday afternoon we ditched the hospital wardrobe and came home exhausted but happier than ever. I feel so blessed to have the two most wonderful kids in the world, and I'm excited to start life as a family of 4!

Growing Up

2010-05-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Lizzie is just about 20 months old, and as much as I am looking foreward to all the exciting things coming up in our lives...like a new baby, for example...I sometimes have a hard time with change. I wish I could slow down time a little bit. Lizzie is finally picking up all kinds of new words. For the longest time all I could get out of her was "shoes," "juice," and "cheese," but now there are too many words to list. (Of course, "shoes" is still a favorite.) She's even started to form phrases like, "shoes side" which translates to "I need to put on my shoes because I want to go outside." She ALWAYS wants to be outside. Another common expression is, "locked keys," which means "I want to play in the car, but it's locked so I need you to go get the keys." It's also adorable when, with a very concerned expression, she holds her hands out with her palms up and says, "Where'd go?" Sometimes she's referring to a person like grandma, who she calls "Moo Moo" (John actually assigned her that nickname), grandpa, who she calls "Papa, Uncle Nathan, who she calls "Nate", or our friend Caroline, who she calls "Ra Ra". Other times it's impossible to guess what she thinks has gone missing. As wonderful as she is, Lizzie has quite a temper and she's very opinionated. I'm pretty sure she thinks she's in charge. But she also has a good heart. When I tell her she needs to aks nicely she gives me a smile and says, "cheeeeze" (for please), and when I tell her to say sorry she gives me a big hug and a kiss. She's a sweetheart, and I wish she could stay little forever!

Safari Park

2010-05-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

For Nathan's 28th birthday he decided he wanted to take a trip to the Safari Park...for Lizzie, of course. ;) It was our 2nd time going, but I don't think I could ever get tired of that place. One part of the park is like a zoo with caged animals, only it has really lax security. There was a sleepy kangaroo laying across one of the walking paths that seemed to really enjoy having his tummy rubbed. Another highlight of this area was a hungry looking tiger who couldn't take his eyes off Lizzie. Fortunately, he was a little more securely caged. As much as Lizzie seemed to like the monkeys, giraffes, turtles, tigers, warthogs, etc., her favorite part was stopping at each hand sanitizer station throughout the park (same as our last visit.) The other part of the park is a large, open area that you can drive through with buckets of food. The animals practically climb into your car to get the food...very exciting. There were zebras, llamas, ostriches, deer, emus, pigs, elk, buffalo, etc, but our favorites were the giant camels. Their heads took up practically the whole back seat.

Park Pictures

2010-05-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Loverman!

2010-05-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

OK, go ahead and make fun of me. I thought it was funny to call John loverman, and I guess it still makes me smile. Today is our 4th anniversary, and I'll be honest... it's been hard. The highlight was going to the park for a picnic with my mom and Lizzie. (I'll post pictures of that when I get a chance.) I also got some unexpected, gorgeous flowers from sweet Steve and Lara Douglas. Steve was John's MTC companion, and true to form they went out of their way to make me feel loved today.

The low has been sitting awake at 1 am thinking about how much I miss him and how much I wish he were still here. I've been looking through pictures and remembering a few of the reasons I will always love him. He'd be mortified, but I wanted to share a few:

1) He had what my college roommates called the "nerdy glow." You know when you meet a guinely good person and there seems to be a light about them? They are attractive, not because they are fashionable or popular, but because they are full of goodness. That was John.

2) John was more concerned with what God thought of him than what other people thought of him. In fact, he'd much prefer it if noone gave him much thought at all. He liked to be off stage, quietly working miracles that noone knew were happening. I personally require at least a little appreciation, but John just needed to know that the Lord was pleased with him. That was enough.

3) He was the best dad I've ever seen. I knew he would be even before we had Lizzie because he was a total kid magnet. I think kids naturally gravitate to sugary foods and really good people, and John was an extreme case of goodness. I hope he gets to watch Lizzie grow up. I know he loves her more than she could ever imagine.

4) John used to give me a hard time because I always needed something to look forward to as my motivation, like a vacation for example. But with John there was always something to look forward to. He was constantly coming up with fun trips, silly nicknames, rediculous songs, or new hobbies. One time he randomly bought tennis rackets off craigslist. Neither of us played very well, but we spent every free evening for weeks trash talking much more expertly than we played and loving every minute of it. He really knew how to make life fun.

I could easily go on all night, but I'm getting too tired to think. I guess my point is...

I love you John Jones. Happy Anniversary!

It's A Wonderful Life

2010-04-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

A lot of sweet friends have asked me over and over to keep up with my blog so they can see pictures of Lizzie and stay posted on what we're up to in life. So, I'm recommitting myself to at least a couple of posts a month. I'll guess I better back up a bit and start where I left off.

February and March:

A few weeks after taking the mommy daughter pictures, Lizzie and I moved away from our beloved Charlottesville and came to Salem, Virginia to live with my parents. I was dreading leaving my friends, but the hardest part was leaving our apartment. It was like saying goodbye to John all over again. As we locked up the apartment I imagined all the times Lizzie and I had watched out our kitchen window for John to get home from class on his squeaky bike. Lizzie's arms and legs would flail when she heard the familiar sound of her daddy coming home, and she would squirm in anticipation until John came in and whisked her away. I will always miss those days. As we pulled out of the parking lot for the last time I felt my heart sink as I noticed that John's bike wasn't propped up on the poll outside our front door. Whenever Lizzie and I came home from running errands I would tell her to look for the bike so we would know if Daddy was home. I couldn't help but cry as I thought of the missing bike, a reminder that we would never come home to him in that place again.

But the move wasn't all tears. I was so touched by the many many people who came to help. More than 20 guys from the Elders Quorum showed up, and they had everything out of the apartment in less than half an hour. As if that wasn't enough the Sanchezes brought cupcakes and the Glasses brought homemade cinnamon rolls. I didn't even have to rent a moving truck! Scott Wakefield arranged for a truck and even drove it all the way down to Salem to unload it. Being LDS is pretty amazing. It's like being in a huge family filled with talented, giving people. You never have to face life alone.

Moving in with my parents has proven better than expected as well. I thought it would be hard to move back in after being on my own, but Lizzie and I love having Grandma and Grandpa around all the time. For Lizzie it means lots of extra attention, and for me it means showers as hot as I want them without a baby crawling around at my feet. We've been working hard to get the house ready for the new baby...cleaning out, organizing, remodeling, etc. We've also been playing hard. Lizzie loves the trampoline, sandbox, baby pool, etc. in the backyard.

With my mom's help, I've also had a little more time to research careers. I booted the Clinical Psych PhD idea after talking to some students in VT's PhD program. They said they spend 60+ hours a week on school (not including the 2 hours a day I would have to commute), and as much as I like school, I would hardly ever get to see Lizzie until she's 10 years old! Not worth it! So, my life plan is still in flux, but my most recent idea is a masters in social work. I think I'd like to work for LDS Family Services doing adoptions, teach at the college level, and do private practice therapy on the side.

Highlights from April:

A wonderful trip to Utah to visit John's family. It was all thanks to Mike (John's brother) and Sheri. They paid for my plane ticket and were even willing to host a baby shower for me while we were there. Lizzie LOVED hanging out with her cousins, especially little Lincoln...what a stud! I couldn't ask for better in-laws.

A weekend visiting Aaron and Gena's amazing family in Richmond, including a fun trip to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Lizzie couldn't get enough of Grandpa Jones or the monkeys at the zoo...maybe there's a connection there. =)

A day trip with the Hughes family to Virginia's safari park. It was SWEET! Zebras, ostriches, camels, llamas, deer, etc stick their heads inside your car so you can feed them. We even got to feed a giraffe. My favorite part was feeding the giant camels, but Lizzie was more interested in digging in the gravel and stopping at every hand sanitizer station in the park. Oh well. At least she still gets free entry.

Spring! We can't get enough of playing outside, and now that it's warm, I've even pulled out my camera (to Lizzie's dismay) for a few good pictures while the wisteria is still in bloom.

Mommy Daughter Pictures

2010-02-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

My sweet amazing friend Lara Douglas came to visit me last weekend. She's an amazing photographer, so while she was here I asked her to take a few pictures of me and Lizzie and little baby John who is really starting to poke out these days. I said I would post a few today but I'll post a bunch more later.
P.S. Thank you all for your sweet comments on my last post.

In Memory of My Best Friend

2009-11-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

I wish I had time to write everything I'm feeling, but that will have to wait until I get home. For now, I just want to thank everyone for their love and support. I feel so very blessed to have a wonderful family and a strong faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I miss my sweet John more than words can express, but I know that he is happily doing the work that he loves best (sharing the gospel) on the other side. I also know that our family is eternal. We have been sealed in the temple, and I find so much peace in knowing that it won't be long until we can be with him again.

I know that most of you are far away, but anyone is able to attend John's funeral is welcome to join us this Saturday at 11am. The service will be held at the Stansbury Park, UT stake center. The address is 417 Benson Rd. Stansbury Park, UT 84074. It's short notice, so please help us spread the word.

Thank you again for your love. We could use your prayers.

trick-or-treat

2009-10-31T07:16:00.000-07:00

This has been Lizzie's first real Halloween. We didn't do anything last year since she was only a few weeks old, but this year we've been partying all week long. There was the ward trunk-or-treat, trick-or-treating on the lawn, and a couple of big parties. These pictures are from trick-or-treating on the lawn. The Lawn is the central part of UVA grounds right in front of the rotunda. It's lined by apartments reserved for honors students, apartments made famous by the former resident Edgar Allan Poe. The students pass out tons of candy, and just about every kid in Charlottesville goes to the lawn for the big event. We rode the bus from our apartment to the lawn, which Lizzie loved, and made our way through the crouds to get the loot. Lizzie was content with her first two pieces of candy but John and I quickly recognized the potential... a cute baby who could accept generous amounts of candy and not care a bit if her parents ate it all. So we made her press on, cutting in line and sweetly inserting comments like, "Ooo Lizzie, get the swedish fish. You're going to love those!" We had a really good time, and hopefully our little chicken didn't think it was too bad either.

Give Me Sweet Virginia for the Fireworks of Fall

2009-10-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

First Birthday

2009-10-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Lizzie is ONE! I can't believe a year has gone by already. She’s not my little baby anymore. Part of me was dreading her birthday because being one sounded so grown up, but I was also excited. We invited a bunch of friends over for a BBQ including my dad (my mom was at David and Lauren’s house because Frieda was just born), Rachel Bailey, Heather and George Glass, The Garcias, The Vedomskys, Chad LuAnne and Emma Miller, Naomi and Polly Sloan and the Browns (Stephanie, Chip, and Cash). I made Lizzie a special cake that looked like a cow. It was just for her. Everyone else had a separate cake. I was so excited for Lizzie to dig in and make a mess of the cake, but she wasn’t interested. When we tried to stick her hands in it she just looked at us like we were crazy. And she wasn’t interested in eating it either. The one thing I actually want her to destroy is the only thing she’s not interested in. Figures. =) She loved opening presents though. All the other kids gathered around and helped her tear off the wrapping. She got a little toy piano, a play doctor’s set, a quiet book, hair clips, and a beautiful custom made tutu from her friends. But her favorite toy was a large box that her new car seat came in. As for the present from us, we wanted to give her a little baby doll because she was starting to show interest in babies and we wanted to help her get ready for her future siblings. I just wanted a simple doll. I searched every store, but most of them were hard plastic and made annoying noises. Some of them were even advertised as being able to cry like a real baby. Why anyone would pay to listen to more crying baby is beyond me. I finally found the perfect doll at Walmart. It was a soft bean bag, just the right size, and it only cost $5. The only thing was that the white babies were out of stock. Lizzie didn’t mind. She gave the little black baby a big hug and walked off with it, so I decided to get it. After spending lots of time with Mary, Kenya, and Jackie (three incredible black Young Women at church who are particularly good with Lizzie) Lizzie lights up every time she sees a black person. So, I guess it’s perfect that her fist baby doll is black. I also got her a toy stroller to go with it, but I think she spends more time in the stroller than the baby.

Pancake Breakfast

2009-10-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Lizzie isn't a super picky eater, but she does have a few favorite foods and buttermilk pancakes are pretty far up on the list. She's also a big fan of frozen peas, pizza, ice cream, mac and cheese, any kind of candy, lasagna, broccoli with cheese, plain cheese (especially cheddar). Of course, eating in the high chair puts a damper on things. Far better to make a mess on the rug!

Mischief

2009-09-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

A couple mornings ago Lizzie was playing in the bedroom while I got ready. I went into the other room for just a few minutes, and when I came back the bedroom was destroyed. She had pulled most of the socks out of my sock drawer and had climbed up into the second drawer of the dresser so she could reach my jewelry box. When I came back she smiled really big at me and proceeded to throw necklaces all over the room.

Lizzie's first game of dress ups. She slipped into John's basketball shorts all by herself but needed a bit of assistance keeping them up.

Little Bandits

2009-09-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

The other day my friend Stephanie and I had this great idea to take pictures of our kids at the train tracks. It was a long straight stretch and the idea that it might be dangerous didn't even cross my mind. Well, we hadn't been there very long when the first train came by. We had all the time in the world to move safely to the side, but as it passed the train conductor yelled angrily out the window. It sounded something like, "Don't you know you could get killed?" A little disconcerting, but I thought it was a serious over reaction. A few minutes later my camera battery died and we decided it was too hot to stick around anyway. Just as we crossed the street to head back to the car two police cars came around the corner. One pulled off the road and onto the tracks. It was pretty clear they were looking for us. I'm really not sure how they missed us because we were just a few feet away, but it's a good thing they did. Turns out if we had stayed just 10 seconds longer we could have been charged with a felony!

Thanks Rach!

2009-09-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

My dearest friend Rach Rach is the master of selflessness. She is constantly sending me the world's best packages. This month she sent me 3...yes, that's right...THREE amazing packages! One was filled with a new fall wardrobe. The next was full of very cute jewelry and adorable bows, clips, and headbands for Lizzie, and the third was an order of 25 seasoning packets to make John's favorite dinner (Sesame seed chicken). Wow, she's amazing. Thanks Rach. I love you!

From Angst to Delight: All in a days work

2009-09-08T06:21:00.000-07:00

Shocking First Do

2009-08-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Our first attempt at a hairdo...

Need we say more?

2009-07-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

Mad Scientists

2009-07-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

We realized yesterday that most of our friends and family have no idea what John's up to this summer. Fortunately, he's not doing summer sales. His summer is turning out to quite a bit less exciting and unbelievably less lucrative. He's slicing up pig brains! It's actually a pretty great research job studying which proteins are involved in diabetes, and since pigs become obese like humans, they make useful victims for my mad scientist husband.

Shenandoah - Beware of Bears

2009-07-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

We recently found a little haven not far from our house - The Shenandoah National Forest. Our first trip there was just for a short evening hike. Lizzie was tired and grumpy for most of it, but we had fun anyway. The falls were beautiful and we were amazed by how close we could get to the deer. Oh, and John was also very blessed to come away alive after chasing a skunk to get his picture.

The second trip was a bit more of an adventure. We decided it was high time for Lizzie to experience the joys of camping. After setting up camp we set out on a little sunset hike on the Appalachian trail, which ran right by our site. About a mile down the trail John turned around so i could snap a picture of him with Lizzie on his shoulders, but when he turned he looked right past me with a look of shock (see second to last picture). All he could get out was, "Uh ems, turn around." About 10 feet away was a black bear (see last picture). He was standing up on his hind legs, just staring at us. We all stood there staring at each other for a good 15 to 20 seconds until John slowly said in a low voice, "ems, just take the picture." So, as crazy as it sounds, I did. It's not the best picture. My camera was on manual settings, and I didn't take the time to adjust to the light. But at least I was dumb enough to take it. The flash must have annoyed him because as soon as I took the picture he walked away. John and I were a little shaken, but Lizzie didn't seem to think any of it was a big deal. =)

Our Tire Garden

2009-06-25T05:27:00.001-07:00

A few months ago we visited my aunt and uncle in Tennessee. They gave us the idea of using tires for pots. We tried it, and now our garden is really taking off. We've got raspberries, tons of heirloom tomatoes (Amana orange, green zebras, black cherry, and moscovich) lemon cucumbers, tomatillos, and quite a few herbs (all thanks to my big brother David). We also have zucchini, peppers, peas, and green beans (thanks to Rach). Helping me garden is Lizzie's favorite chore.

Chopped

2009-06-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

If you didn't notice in the last post, I cut my hair short for the first time since I've known John. He's not sure what he thinks yet but i love it. My amazing mother cut it for me. I think it makes me look more like a mom.

Rach

2009-06-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Rach.

Rach is the reason I get the warm fuzzies every time I see a mail truck. See, I associate mail trucks with packages because rach sends me packages on a very regular basis. Sometimes they are filled with fruitsnacks (my favorite food) and muffin mixes and sometimes they have a theme (like "everything green for St. Patrick's day). Two of her most recent packages have been filled with clothes and bags. I wanted to post pictures of me wearing all the cute clothes she sent, so I put Lizzy down for the night and set out to try my hand at modeling. Turns out, I'm not very good. Not only did I look rediculous, but I also got tired of waiting for the timer on my camera to go off. So, I resorted to another style that Rach and I developed while in Spain together. It's called the camera game. This is how it works. The person holding the camera yells out an adjective (like "terrified") as she is pushing down the button and the person in front of the lense tries to make the appropriate expression in time. The surprise element makes for some great pictures. Of course, trying to surprise myself was tricky, but I did my best. Unfortunately I only got pictures of about 1/4 of the clothes she sent before Lizzy woke up.

Here it is...the camera game:

Oh shoot! My zipper broke!

Do I have anything in my teeth?

If you do that again I might have to kill you

Aw. Gum on my shoe!

I love you Rach!

She can't walk but she can raid the fridge

2009-06-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

"humm...what do we have here?"

"Oooo. Ketchup!"

"Oh no, I've been ratted out. What now?"

"I know...be cute. It gets her every time!"

Happy Feet

2009-05-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

My new favorite creative outlet: Decoupaging shoes. Cost: $2.30

I love cheese!

2009-03-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

For my birthday my wonderful parents gave me tons of fun photography props backgrounds equiptment etc. A lot of it was handmade by my sweet mom! Poor lizzy has been forced to endure all kinds of cute, cheesy, humiliating poses against her will, but someday I think she'll thank me. And if not, at least her grandparents will.

Cousins

2009-03-13T10:56:00.001-07:00

Fake rose petals...good thing Amelia's dad was there to show her what they're really for. Thanks David and Lauren for coming to visit. We love you!

Congrats Angel and Francis!

2009-02-19T08:56:00.001-08:00

Angel and Francis asked me to take their wedding pictures. They got married on Sunday morning. It was a small but amazingly beautiful occasion. Congrats to the both of you!

Why I Love Shoplifting

2009-02-09T13:23:00.001-08:00

These pictures don't have anything to do with the following comments, but they are pretty cute. I just wanted to say that I was never really temped to shoplift before Lizzy was born. Now I find myself stealing things just about every time I go to the store. I leave the store, and just as everything is packed up and Lizzy is asleep in her car seat, I find one item that inevitable slid to the back of the stroller and snuck out the door without ever making it's way onto my receipt. To make matters worse, this usually happens at the worst times, like the Saturday before the Super bowl when the lines at Wal-Mart stretched to the back of the store. On top of it all, I've never stolen an expensive item. The most expensive thing I ever stole was a jar of salsa that was on sale for $2. So, what do I do? I sit there staring at the salsa, or wet wipes, or mini paper plates, or ribbon (yes, I've stolen all of those items and more), and I think to myself, "I would pay so much more than this stupid salsa is worth to not have to drag Lizzy back inside, wait in that gigantic line, and pay for this." And I sit there for a very long time, being very tempted to just put the salsa in the car and drive away. Of course, I've never done it. I always unpack Lizzy and go back inside and wait in line and explain to the confused clerk that I stole her salsa. And I think it's strange how I'm always so grumpy about it on the way back into the store, but on the way back out again I feel really good about life. So, what am I getting at? Well...maybe shoplifting's not such a bad thing after all. =)

Miles

2009-02-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

it's Lizzy's room converted into a studio, but it's doin' the trick. Kenon asked me to take pictures of her new little boy, which inspired me to finally set up my studio lights. I think they turned out pretty good...but how can you go wrong when you're photographing such a cutie?

My Daughter the Angel

2009-01-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well, this picture is from Lizzy's blessing day over a month ago, but I think it fits the story well:
John wants a bike for his birthday this year, so we’ve been looking on Craigslist.com for used bikes. We found one that sounded great in Lynchburg (1 ½ hours away) for $35. The owner said it was about 5 years old but was a smooth ride. So, I packed up Lizzy in the car and made the trip down to Lynchburg, a very Southern Baptist town because of Liberty University, the Christian college located there. When I got to Lynchburg I found that the bike was busted up pretty bad and not very ride-able. The owner said he didn’t know it was in such bad shape (you’d think he would have tried it out before promising a “smooth ride” but I guess not), and he felt really bad about it. While he tried to fix it his roommate started to ask questions and it came up that I had gone to BYU. He asked if I was Mormon. When I said that I was, he said, “I don’t know much about Mormons, but I watched a show last night about the FLDS.” I quickly said, “Oh, that’s not us.” He said, “But they used to be, right?” I fumbled around for a good answer, and the best thing I came up with was… “um…a long time ago.” I felt so dumb. I didn’t know what else to say. Then the guy selling the bike apologized that he couldn’t fix it and said he’d just give it to me for $5. I agreed and we all went our separate ways. I hadn’t gone far when Lizzy started to get really upset. I pulled into an empty parking lot next to a Mexican mart and tried to calm her down. It was cold outside and Lizzy didn’t want to be in the car any more, so I took her inside the Mexican mart to look around. There was a Korean girl working inside (funny for a Mexican mart, I know). She asked if she could help, and after explaining why we were there she began to chat with me about other things. I told her that my brother had been a missionary in Seoul Korea. She seemed to think that was pretty cool, but when it came up that he was a Mormon missionary she became quite a bit less interested. I felt bad about missing the opportunity to share the gospel with the roommate previously, so I decided to give the Korean girl a pass along card even though she didn’t seem all that interested. As I started to drive away, Lizzy started to cry again. The thought came, “she’s trying to tell you something. She wants you to go back and give that roommate a pass along card and she’s not going to stop fussing until you do.” It felt awkward, but Lizzy insisted. So, I called back the guy with the bike and told him that I had found something in my car about Mormons that his roommate might be interested in. He said I could leave it in the mailbox. So, I drove back and dropped off a pass along card with the articles of faith and the church’s website on back. It was so much easier that it seemed, and as soon as I had dropped it off Lizzy calmed right down. She even slept all the way home! She may seem too small to know very much, but the spirit knows everything and I think He tells her a heck of a lot more than He tells me…probably because she’s so much better at listening.

My first job in Charlottesville!

2008-11-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

A quick thank you to the Croft family for asking me to take their family pictures. As you can see, they are an adorable family. I had a great time.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

...a little late

Sugar and Spice and Pooh Bombs

2008-10-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, Lizzy’s first photo shoot was kind of a disaster. After 13 days of very little sleep John and I were both pretty grumpy, setting the whole experience off to a bad start. Then Kalin, the photographer, wanted Lizzy to be completely naked for the pictures. I was worried Lizzy might pee if we took her diaper off, but Kalin assured me that everything was washable if she did. Not long after the diaper was removed came the first of the surprises. Lizzy pooped…but it was no ordinary pooh. It was explosive, shooting out with such force that everything within 3 square feet was covered with green, soupy poop. We cleaned it all up and tried to continue. But, Lizzy was so fussy that every picture turned out looking like an advertisement requesting donations to help suffering children. Then came the second of the surprise pooh bombs, this time all over John. Still, it wasn’t enough to relieve poor little Lizzy. The more upset she became the more upset I became. Finally, Kalin suggested we take a break so I could feed Lizzy. It was a good idea, but I was such a basket case by then that as I sat down to nurse I didn’t think to put her diaper back on. Big mistake! Within 30 seconds Lizzy blasted me with pooh bomb number three! This time I was completely covered, but I was more concerned about the white…now green…upholstered couch we were sitting on. John laughed and I cried. What an evening! Despite the mess I’m grateful for the experience because looking back we can both laugh and we ended up with some great pictures of our little girl.

Thumb Sucker

2008-10-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Little Elizabeth is already a thumb sucker...or is her daddy the sucker? When Lizzy is upset John calms her right down by holding her facing outward with her arms and legs straddling his arm and his thumb stuck in her mouth. She stays content for quite a while that way and he still has an extra hand for homework. You'd think with all the stress of medical school he'd be ready to pass her off to someone else, but John loves holding his baby. He even loves it when she sucks so long and hard that he gets blisters. He's an amazing dad, and you can tell that Lizzy thinks so too.

Toast in the Shower

2008-10-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks everyone for all your kind comments. John, Lizzy, and I feel so loved! Things up to this point have gone smoothly, mostly thanks to my wonderful mom. She spent the last week and a half doing all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands, etc. around here while I spent about 20 hours out of every 24 trying to figure out how to feed our new, ravenous, little bundle of hunger. When my mom left yesterday morning I quickly realized that two hands just don't cut it. Welcome to the real world! While John was at church I desperately tried to get Miss Elizabeth Dawn to eat a big lunch and go down for a nap so I could get ready and catch the next ward's sacrament meeting. Instead she wanted to snack every 45 minutes with 10 minute naps in between. Sabotage! Well, thanks to a little miracle and a quick breakfast of toast in the shower, I made it! I imagine we'll be seeing a few more of those mornings in the near future, but I'm excited to be making it...one slice of toast at a time.

To my mom

2008-10-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

I’ve often heard that you don’t really understand how much your parents love you until you become a parent yourself. I believe it. Not only because I feel that deep love for Elizabeth, but because in becoming a mother I, once again, find myself in the helpless position of being completely dependent on my mom. When I don’t know what I’m doing (which seems to be always) she picks up the pieces. When I was younger she did everything for me, but I didn’t always notice. Mom, now I notice. Thank you for your completely selfless love, for the way you quietly go about taking care of everyone around you without need for praise or recognition. You are a truly amazing woman. I love you.

Lizzy!

2008-10-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Jones is here! Emily started having contractions on Wednesday night around 10:45pm. She woke me up at 2am and we came into the hospital at 4am. Emily did an incredible job and only had to push about a half hour before beautiful Lizzy popped on out. She is adorable. She has lots of crazy light brown, swirly hair. And she has what they call a "stork's bite" - a splotchy check mark shaped spot right on the middle of her forehead. It looks like a nike swoosh almost:) They say it should fade but will show up in the first couple of years when she cries or gets worked up. She weighed 7lbs13oz, 20 3/4 inches long, and was born at 4:05 pm. Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Only 5 Weeks To Go!!!!

2008-09-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's been months since I last took a picture of the belly, but John keeps assuring everyone that I really am getting "huge!" Well, here it is...proof that John wasn't just trying to make me feel good about myself. Since we don't have a full length mirror I honestly wasn't sure how big I was. I just knew I'd given up on seeing anything below my bellybutton weeks ago. So today, at 35 weeks, I finally put my camera on a tripod and started taking pictures. I don't know how much bigger I'll get, but if everything goes as planned little Elizabeth will be here in just 5 short weeks! She's already about 5 1/2 lbs. Really, how much bigger can she get in 5 weeks? No one answer that...I don't think I want to know. Anyway, John and I are SO excited! In fact, I (the girl who never thought anything was worth ironing in her life) spent yesterday morning picking out my favorite baby outfits, ironing them all, and placing them neatly on hangers in Lizzy's closet. You don't have to tell me...I know I have way too much time on my hands. I'm ready for her to be here, but I'm sure this little one is worth the wait!

Finally Settling In

2008-08-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a lot of help from my parents and Rachel Milar, John and I are pretty much moved into our new apartment, and we love it! We miss Utah A LOT and all our family out there, but Charlottesville is growing on us. John thinks he's really going to like med school (especially once he doesn't have to worry about selling security systems in the evenings). He's already up late studying every night he isn't selling, and he saw the results yesterday when he got 100% on his first quiz! I'm not much of a fan of the staying up late part and I can't say I like the formaldehyde smell John brings home from the cadaver lab, but I'm really proud of him for doing what he's always wanted to do. It seems silly, but I wonder if this is what a mom feels like when she sends her first child off to school for the first time...anxiously excited and praying that things will go well. John has the crazy schedule, but I've been keeping busy too. This week I made our apartment feel like home, met some new friends in the ward (which we LOVE), found a new doctor, and started to apply for jobs with photographers in the area. Work is slow around here, so most photographers go at it alone. But I've already had 2 interviews (although, I'm only really interested in one of them). The position I want is a full time Photoshop technician. Sounds fun, huh!?!? We'll see if it works out. Everyday I ask myself what in the world I’m getting into. Six weeks before my due date isn't exactly the ideal time to start a new career, but little Lizzy has promised to be an exceptionally good baby to help us make ends meet. Now we’ll just pray that we can find as understanding of an employer. Well, that’s about all that’s new with us. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support!

Baby Bash and Movin' On

2008-08-14T05:17:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, but lots of fun stuff is going on in the Jones household. Mary and Jen threw a rockin' baby shower for me...the best I've ever been to. We had great food and played some really fun games, and I loved having my mom there to join in on the fun. In one game (pictured below) everyone had to rip off the length of toilette paper that they guessed would wrap around my belly once. Apparently I look even bigger than I really am because Chandi's piece wrapped around me twice. Thanks Chandi. =)

Unfortunately our summer at the beach has come to an end. John started medical school at the University of Virginia on Monday. He wondered how well he'd fit in, especially after his first encounter with other students in his entering class. The others instantly bonded as they discussed the best bars in town and decided to go get drinks together after class. Of course John didn't have much to say on that topic. And when the other guys found out that he was married they were shocked and asked in amazement, "Is being married really as bad as they say it is?" So.... we're definitely not in Provo anymore! But we're excited to be out of our comfort zone and grow a little.

The Becks

2008-07-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

At 28 weeks I'm getting more and more excited every day about this little baby. I wanted to write a quick post thanking Jack, son of Dan and Mary Beck for being the cutest little boy ever and helping me get ready and excited about being a mom. They even let me take some family pictures of them last Sunday at the beach. What a cute family!

Congratulations to Spencer and Tyler!

2008-06-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Yes dad, you did see John's brother on the news! Spencer and Tyler helped make history last week when they were officially married under the new laws allowing gay marriage in the state of California. We have a new addition to the Jones family! Well, I guess Tyler was part of the family even before I was, as he and Spence have been a couple for over 6 years, but now it's official. So, Tyler, welcome to the family. We love you both and we think you're great!

25 Weeks and Still Growing!

2008-06-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of you have been asking to see pictures of the belly. Well, here you have it! What an amazing time in a woman's life when her friends and family actually ask her to wear tight clothing and pose at the most unflattering angle so they can all see just how fat she really is. But, being pregnant definitely has it's advantages. At 25 weeks the little girl inside me is about 1 1/2 lbs and just over a foot long. No one has to know that sour gummy worms and large quantities of pink lemonade can account for much of the rest of this impressive abdomen!

Trip to Salem

2008-06-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a fun one for me (Emily). I drove down to Salem help photograph Aaron & Beth Cooke's wedding and visit my family at the same time. It was fun. I liked some of my less traditional wedding shots (like the bathtub layouts below), and it was nice to leave the stress of getting the really good and more traditional photos to Teena. It was a beautiful reception and it brought back some great memories of our reception at the same location just over 2 years ago.

The best part of the trip was hanging out with my rad parents. My mom and I went baby clothes shopping and struck gold. We got enough 0 to 6 month clothes from craigslist.com to dress little baby jones in a new outfit almost every day for the first 6 months. It was so fun! We also got a sweet baby bathtub with all the bells and whistles. I must say, I have the greatest parents in the whole world. Thanks mom and dad!

It's a Girl!

2008-06-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well, this is old news, but still good news. For anyone who hasn't heard, we are having a girl!She seems to be doing really well.
We don't know what we'll name her yet, but we've been thinking of Elizabeth. If you have any other suggestions feel free to let us know. We're open to more ideas.

April 08 Adventures

2008-04-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Emily and I are way too far behind to do things justice but I'll do my best to give an update on our the past few weeks. Here are some of the highlights:

1st week of April, Emily's first baby doctor visit.

Emily got checked out for the first time and it looks like mom and baby are doing great. Due date is October 7th! For now we are calling him/her Hercules. You can call him/her Herc for short. Our last baby.com update said that old Herc is the size of an apple and the length of its legs have now surpassed the length of its arms. Emily's little belly is just starting to bulge... that's what i'm talkin about!

April 14-18, Hawaii.

We celebrated graduation a few weeks early by taking a much needed vacation. We drove to LA on Sunday afternoon and made a long trip much longer by leaving my drivers license in the scanner the night before and not realizing until Beaver... We flew out Monday morning and stayed in the Sheraton hotel across the street from Waikiki beach. We spent a lot of time snorkeling and on the beach, went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, watched a man reel in a 70 pound mantaray, hiked to Manoa falls through the dense rain forest, saw numerous sea turtles and Emily even touched one (but don't tell anyone or she could go to jail:)), lived off of PBJ sandwiches, and got burned to a crisp. It was wonderful.

April 19-20, San Francisco w/ Tyler & Spencer

We flew overnight on Friday night arriving early Saturday morning and immediately headed out to see Spencer and Tyler. Spencer wasn't kidding about that LA to SF drive being one of the ugliest and most boring - however I think the SF to Provo drive may have topped it... but despite the long drives we had a great time in SF. We spent time at Fisherman's wharf, went shopping at Union Square where we were converted to H&M by Spencer, learned the art of parallel parking and how to keep the bums from breaking into your car, and had some great pizza that night. The next day we drove over the bridge and took pictures, ate lunch at In & Out courtesy of Uncle O'Melveney, went to a museum and saw the photography exhibit of Annie Leibovitz, drove through the gigantic and beautiful SF park, were given a tour of many neighborhoods and areas of SF, and returned home and had an incredible home cooked Italian meal made by Spencer and Tyler. What a weekend!

April 24-25, Emily and John become BYU graduates!

After a few arduous years of undergrad Emily and I finally graduated. Emily was designated as Valedictorian of her Psychology class and sang at convocation. Both of us got to sit on the stand. Mom tried to get us in trouble by calling us while we were down there but luckily our phones or turned off:) We had great family and friend get togethers on Thursday night at La Vigna in American Fork and at the Brick Oven on Friday afternoon.

April 25-27, We leave Provo, Utah, and all we know behind for the East coast.

I put a hitch on the 4-cylinder Camry and we packed up a U-haul trailer with lots of help from the fam and headed out for Virginia Beach where I'll be selling for the summer. With more than a little bit of divine intervention the Camry did incredibly well. I was scared to death when we finally put the packed up trailer on hitch and the Camry dropped almost to the point the muffler was touching the ground. After some adjustments in the trailer and a father's blessing from Dad, the load didn't seem nearly as bad. We made it up Parley's canyon, through a mini-blizzard in Wyoming, through 10 different states, and all the way to Roanoke Virginia. We decided to make a pit stop tonight with Emily's family to get some rest (after 3 days without a shower and after spending 2 nights in sleeping bags inside the Camry our noses and our bodies needed a rest...). So tomorrow morning we'll head out the rest of the way to Virginia Beach to work for the Summer.