Sunday, December 28, 2008

Cute, Dancing Christmas Jonesies.


Merry Christmas, Jonesies!







Our Christmas was wonderful this year!




We started a new tradition- Jones Family Shopping Day! On the 23rd, we got everyone ready and went out for a fun day of shopping for each other! We took the kids to a really huge dollar store and let them each have a turn picking out gifts for their siblings. This proved to be a really fun thing to do- they were so proud of their selections- and they even wrapped them themselves! Then, we went to lunch and finished the day doing a little last minute shopping for other gifts. The kids were pretty great, all things considered. And the snow kept coming.

Our Christmas was WHITE- an unusual occurance for Washington, but very lovely and fitting for the holiday. We were blessed to spend Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa Obray and Eric. Grandpa made the YUMMIEST Prime rib dinner and we followed the meal with a Christmas story with Grandma and some carols. The kids were tired and anxious to get in bed for Santa (weird- I wish EVERY night was Christmas eve...) so we went home and donned our Christmas jammies, laid out Oreos for the big guy (Santa's favorite cookie, you know...), and went to bed praying Santa would come after a day full of threats that he wouldn't if behavior didn't improve... (I'm not sure what it is about Christmastime- they could be angels the rest of the year, and during the most logical time to be really good, they are demons... hm.)

Christmas morning we awoke to the pitter patter of little feet, running around our room. We all went downstairs and very systematically opened our presents. (We were organized this year- mess was very minimal!) Highlights included a pink guitar for Annie, Two-wheel scooters for Charlie and Soph, a CD boombox for Henry and another ride-on toy for Mags. Each kid received what they wanted and everyone was happy...

Then came Christmas Number Two. Grandma and Grandpa Obray edition.

They arrived around lunch time with insane quantities of gifts for the kids. We have so many new games, puzzles, toys and books that I think we could successfully run our own Boys and Girls Club. It was wonderful. The kids are in heaven. Thanks G & G- we are so so excited about our new things!

It really was a wonderful holiday. Everyone was happy. Jim was home with us most of the week, which was a lot of fun. I'm always a little sad when the holidays are over, but I'm already thinking of my list of home improvements to start in January, so the sadness is minimal! :)

12-21-08 Happy FIRST Birthday, Maggie!







So, those of you who are Mommies, remember when your oldest child was a baby, and the first year of his/her life seemed so exciting? You anticipate the changes in their development- you can't wait until they can eat food, or crawl or walk and every little moment is amazing?
Now, fast-forward to your youngest child and think about the same things.
All I have to say is:
SLOW DOWN, BABY! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE STAY LITTLE AND LET ME SNUGGLE YOU AND NIBBLE YOUR CHEEKS AND SQUISH YOUR LEGS AND ROCK YOU TO SLEEP AND DRESS YOU LIKE A DOLL! LET ME CHERISH EVERY LITTLE MOMENT OF YOUR BABYHOOD! DON'T WALK YET! DON'T TALK! PLEASE JUST BE MY BABY!
I know it sounds silly. I know it's a little crazy. I have adored everything about this year- about this sweetheart that Heavenly Father surprised me with a year ago. She is so loving and so angelic and I know our family was not complete until she joined it. I love you, Baby Mags. Happy birthday.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Soph/Fia Pictorial


SOPH.









FIA.






Soph/Fia.

We have a strange phenomenon in our house. I wouldn't try to simplify it by calling it "multiple personality disorder", or "schizophrenia"-rather, maybe, some sort of paranormal event that happens on occasion when the planets are aligned a certain way, (or perhaps when our middle daughter hasn't had enough SLEEP...) or the moon is in a certain stage...

I call this phenom the appearance of FIA.

Sophia- or SOPH as she is generally known, is a very sweet, fun-loving little lady. Yes, she has more sass in her than most four year olds (it can't be easy being the only female triplet AND the middle daughter...)- she holds her own pretty well with the brothers.

But sometimes, we find that our sweet little Soph has been replaced by the maniacal and completely irrational FIA. Fia is not a popular person around the Jones house. She has been known to create some substantial messes- usually involving water, fingernail polish or lip gloss, pen or crayon, make-up on occasion... and Fia ALWAYS heralds her appearance with a monster-sized fit.

We have learned to be patient with Fia. At times, she needs to cool off in her room for a bit and take a breather. Sometimes, when we ask Fia where Soph went, we find that Soph wasn't far and she's more than happy to find her way back. In fact, in a conversation I had with SOPH the other day, I found out that Fia often appears "when I don't get enough attention". (How's that for perceptive!)

It isn't easy to be pulled five directions and try to meet everyone's emotional needs- but we do the best we can and I don't think that the occasional visit from Fia will leave any lasting damage on anyone (well, unless you count the HOUSE...).

We are so blessed to have our little Sophie- even when Fia rears her mischievous head. I can't imagine our family without her.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Amazing.

Check this out- this is our niece Jessica (at BYU). She is so talented! She's trying to enter a contest- watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9zn2hewCiw.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Smooth Jazz.


There's nothing like a little SMOOTH JAZZ to soothe the soul before bedtime. Keep your eye on Henry (yellow headband, Buzz jammies). I almost peed my pants laughing. Cutest kids ever.

Press "pause" on the Playlist while you play this one- you need the background music from the video for the full effect... enjoy.


Into the Woods.

Happiest Baby. Ever.


GORGEOUS view.
The giant tree beside Jim? Yeah, Ours. We had to shave it down a bit... :)










Cute little troopers.





Does anyone else know that play? I loved it- had the soundtrack once upon a time. Great show. Good songs. "Into the woods, and out of the woods- and home before dark!" Anyhow...

So, like true Northwesterners, we look forward to the excitement of visiting the tree farm each year to select the lucky little Douglas that gets to come die a quick death at the Jones house. (Okay, no offense to my artificial tree-owning compadres, but I just can't do fake. Sorry. Hate me if you must. And yes, we do kill the tree within days. Still not an argument for going fake.)


This year, however, Jim decided we needed a little more adventure in our lives. We purchased a $10 permit at the ranger station in Enumclaw and set out into the forest to find our next victim, ahem, Christmas tree. (Um, BARGAIN, by the way!)


Oh the fun that awaited us! (No sarcasm in that tone! Seriously fun!)


We bundled everyone up and started hiking (yes, it was relatively arduous with 4 small kids and one in a backpack), navigating around stumps, fallen logs and lots of densely packed trees. The kids LOVED it- nary a complaint among them (even though they fell like every two seconds climbing the hill)! I loved it! The view was amazing. Breathtaking even.


We found our tree- our first Noble Fir- within about 1.5 hours. It was great.

Next year, we will definitely plan it out better- we'll take a lunch, build a fire, spend the day, convince as many of our B-L friends as possible to caravan with us and make it a party! Woo Hoo! Seriously, it make the little rec major in me feel so glad to be in the outdoors- and what is more breathtaking than Washington mountains? (Don't answer. Let me bask in the memory.)


So, you artificial tree aficionados, give it up, swallow your pride and join my merry brigade next year. Seriously, SO fun.






Thursday, December 4, 2008

Epiphany.

So, I'm driving in the car today, enjoying my 2.5 hours of child-less (read: no one over 11 months) time, when I find myself thinking about my blog. I planned out a post about Twilight (which I may, or may not revisit at another time...), even thought through the wording, the clever quips, the tag line, when suddenly I realized, for the first time EVER...

I Am A Dork.

Truly. I am a bonafide dork. I'm not saying that folks who think out speeches in their minds and mentally compose letters in the shower are dorks (phew Candi- I think you're okay...). What I mean is, the way I use language- the wordy, lengthy way I explain things... I have always been blessed with a mind that easily recalls and uses vocabulary. At times, I am a bit overzealous in my use of words. Often, I find the most ridiculously ambiguous ways of explaining things. There are times my dorkiness has worked to my advantage (mostly involving academia), but for the most part, it's a scarlet "D" that I must bear.*

Thankfully, I was also blessed with a pretty solid self-concept as a youngster, a trait which often protects those of us who call ourselves dorks from really realizing or fully acknowledging it.

Other signs I am realizing are indicative of dorkdom:

matching socks, shirt and scrunchies. (A favorite past time of mine in bygone days- scrunchie days)

sleeping with a blankie. (Yes, I do still have it. Yes, I do still sleep with it. It's soft- don't judge me.)
reading embarrassing amounts YA lit.(Guilty. I do have a good reason for this, but I won't explain now.)

being overly melodramatic. (see * above)

having a psychotic tendency to become enamored of and obsessed with things of questionable dorkiness (ie: Harry Potter, Twilight, Strawberry Shortcake, etc.)

having the word "dork" written upon your forehead. (Okay, that one isn't true, but you get the point)

I think I am willing to not only accept my dorkiness, but embrace it. I think we dorks of the world make more "fun" mommies and daddies. I think we express ourselves well and have a finger on the pulse of what makes us happy. Not really such a bad thing, don't you think?

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Turkey Day.

Happiest of Thanksgivings to all of you in blog-land! (And Happy Bday tomorrow, CL...) I hope the holiday finds all of you well, surrounded by people you love, full of delicious edibles, and SO tired that you decide NOT to get up at 4am to go shopping, because my homies (fellow shopping ninjas) and I will be out there, taking no prisoners in our efforts to acquire cheap stuff. Please sleep in if you're tired. Leave the shopping to the pros.- or, do it at your own risk, as the case may be. I'm just sayin'...

In the interest of ending this post on a good, non-threatening note, I want to give you a quick list of things I am thankful for...

Right now, I'm thankful for health, for kids that are healthy enough to be WHINING non-stop, waiting for their turn at the yearly Playstation fest (yes, we only take it out one day a year). I am glad they are healthy enough that I can hear them whine, that I have them near me, even if they are noisy.

I am thankful for Jim- for all that he does for our family. I am glad he has found a creative outlet in his blog and I'm seeing, again, glimmers of the pre-law school man that I married. I love you, Shum. Thanks for your constant, amazing support and patience.

I am thankful for my adorable, sneaky, messy, silly, children- for each of their unique personalities, for their snotty noses, for the precious things they make for me, for their efforts to help out and countless other things. Even when they're crazy and loud I am so glad that they are here. I am grateful that they have the ability to do all that they do- even if it's naughty sometimes.

I am thankful for my amazing parents- for their support in all ways. I truly don't know what I would do without them nearby. I know that moving was a sacrifice for them, but I'm so (selfishly) glad that they did. I truly cannot count the number of times they have bailed me out with child care, cleaning abhorrent messes, sneaking in to clean my house when we're gone, building me FURNITURE!, painting, building shelving and fences, basically clothing my children, and the list goes ON... I am so grateful for all they do in our behalf. They are truly amazing.

I am blessed to have really outstanding friends. I won't list you all, you know who you are. From the ones I grew up with, to the college roomies, to the Valpo buddies, to our newer friends in Washington and B-L, I have laughed and cried and shared countless moments with all of you. Thanks for listening to me whine, for watching my kids, for tolerating the messes they make in your houses (sorry about the fingernail polish, Brooke...), for buying my bows, for just listening in general. You are all hot mamas and deserve to win the lottery. Yes, you too.

Okay, I'm also grateful for the hot chocolate I scrubbed out of my newly cleaned carpet (thanks Dad!) this morning. Having hot chocolate to clean means that we have food to eat, and a house to live in, which are both wonderful things.

And, of course, I am grateful for the Gospel in my life, for my Savior and a Heavenly Father who is constantly mindful of my needs and considerate of my pleas for help.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Don't forget to sleep in. More bargains for me. :)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Cute Charlie.

So, I was driving back from taking Annie to school this morning with the other 4 in the car, when we passed a doctor's office. The conversation went thusly:

Charlie: "Mom, did you know Jesus is a doctor?"

Me: "Hmmm? What did you say buddy?"

Charlie: (louder- noisy car) "Jesus is a special kind of doctor mom."

Me: "Really? Where did you learn that?"

Charlie: "From my head. He is, Mom. He's a special doctor. "

Sophie: "Mom! Charlie's telling big whoppers again! "

(screaming ensues)

Charlie: "He is Mom. He makes people better when they're sick or they get dead. See, he's a doctor"

Me: (smiling) "I suppose you're right buddy."

(Conversation about the priesthood follows, Charlie still insisting on doctor status, etc.)

I love that kid.

Big Thanks from Tallulah.

Thanks so much to EVERYONE who came to the Tallulah Twinkletoes Open House last night! It was a success- and I'm so excited about it! If anyone was unable to attend, but is interested in ordering anything, please let me know! Orders will be done within a week so you'll have cute stuff for Christmas pictures! Yay! Thanks again for those who came by!

Happy (belated) Bday Annie!


I can't believe I'm the mother of a seven year old. I have been so blessed to have my vivacious, sweet and loving little Annie in my life. She is funny, super-creative and sensitive and I can't imagine our family without her! Her bday was on the 16th and we celebrated by going to Rainforest Cafe for dinner, then "High School Musical- The Ice Tour" at Key arena. It was a BLAST.


Seven Things I Adore about Annie: (please indulge me a moment of bragging...)


1. Her SMILE. Annie is such a happy girl! She always has something exciting to tell me! She is beautiful!


2. Her "IDEAS". She is pretty much the most creative child I know- always coming up with inventions or really well-thought out suggestions about how to do things. (I really loved the underpants sling-shot, by the way, A...)


3. Her PASSION for learning. Annie LOVES to read- always has. In fact, some of her favorite pasttimes are reading, listening to audio books, and learning about history or science. She knows her scriptures and gives lots of lessons at family home evening. She has a broad knowledge base of so many things- I'm so pleased that she has developed this love.


4. Her ART. Annie has a stunning ability to notice and recall details. She draws beautiful pictures and always amazes me with her "fashion" creations and other things.


5. Her SENSE OF HUMOR. Oh, she didn't stand a chance with two crazy people as her parents. She's a hoot. I love how she makes me laugh.


6. Her COMPASSION. I love watching Annie "play" soccer. She spends the whole time helping kids up when they fall down- no matter what team they are on. It's so sweet. She has the same love for her siblings (though they do make her nuts more often than not) and she always wants to make breakfast for Jim and I and do whatever she can to help.


7. Her desire to do what's RIGHT. Annie is a good girl. She is very concerned about justice- about fairness and kindness. (Maybe she'll be a lawyer someday...)


I love you, Annie. My life is so much better for having you in it. I thank Heavenly Father every day that He thought me worthy to be your mommy. You are an amazing big sister and daughter and I'm so grateful we have your personality in our home! Happy Birthday!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

For anyone local who follows my blog...

Don't forget... those of you who are Twilight readers and fans...Twilight Movie party- meet at Sarah V.'s house FRIDAY at 8:30- bring an appetizer or dessert to share. We'll get sugared up and go see the movie (YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!) at 10:30. If you HAVEN'T purchased your ticket yet- get on it, lady! :) Try www.fandango.com . Remember, 10:30pm show!!!!

Tallulah Twinkletoes!

Hey Everyone- sorry I've been out of it for a while- I have, however been busy. I have a new business venture that I want to share with you. A website is in the works, but until it's finished, here is my blog: www.tallulahtwinkletoes.blogspot.com . Go check it out!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Maris Farms











Yes, it's Pumpkin Patch take two. This time, it was Sophie, Henry and Charlie's preschool field trip to local Maris Farms. What FUN it was for the kids! We rode a hayride, went in a corn "maze", picked out pumpkins, rode a cow coaster, played mini golf, saw cute animals, played in the corn room and had delicious cookies, courtesy of Miss Christy! What a fun day for the littler Jonesies.
(P.S. No, we did not do all the activities of the three most recent posts on the same day. We are getting very good use out of our Halloween shirts this year! :) And yes, the completely ADORABLE bows seen in the girls' hair? Totally made by me! More about that later...)

Leavenworth




Oktoberfest was in full swing in our favorite Bavarian town in the Cascades. I had dreams of being in the mountains, hearing the oompah music, eating a brat covered in sauerkraut and brown mustard, watching the kids frolic merrily on the hills, having Jim lead us in a rousing acoustic rendition of "Edelweiss", while skipping about to the quaint stores and street vendors, laughing gaily, full of joy and delicious German pastries.




My Sound of Music fantasy (minus the whole Nazi thing, of course), was only slightly tarnished by the reality of the situation. We listened to the audio book (favorite Jones pastime, of late) of "The Wizard of Oz"en route for the duration of the 2.5 hour drive. The kids did well in the car, whining was minimal, fighting infrequent, all things considered. We arrived and met up with Grandma and Grandpa Obray and Eric and went about finding lunch. Sadly, the bratwurst line was insane, so we settled for McDonalds, which the kids were not unhappy about. We divided to conquer the stores, traded the stroller for the backpack (much better) and the kids had a blast buying ornaments in the Christmas store, looking at nutcrackers and cuckoo clocks, picking out a small toy at the toy shop with Grandma, and relaxing with ice cream near the end of the day. By five o'clock, the crazy college kids, some clad in their lederhosen and St. Pauli Girl look-alike finest, had overrun the streets with their steins, and we knew it was time to go.




Ahhh... Leavenworth. 'Till next year...

Scholz Farms




























I LOVE FALL!!!! I don't know if it's the gorgeous colors on display, the crispness in the air, the excuse to eat copious amounts of comfort food, or the opportunity to get out and do fun, festive things with the kids- whatever the reason, I look forward to it every year! I took the kids, along with our friends the Barkers and Leonards, to Scholz farms, our pumpkin patch of choice in the Orting Valley.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Jim's blog

By the way, Jim has a blog as well: www.cantwealljustblogalong.blogspot.com

It's pretty funny too.

Inspector Deloris

I read an article in Family Fun magazine recently, written by a frustrated mom with a messy house. She had a brainstorm, and decided to employ a fictional character she invented named "Deloris" to come in and "inspect" the kids' rooms and email her findings to her. It was a total hit, the kids were more conscious of their messes, and Deloris got to be the bad guy, listing all the things that needed to be done- being as nitpicky as she wanted to be.

I loved this idea, since we battle with the same problems.

Jim decided to take everything a step further and actually create a blog for Deloris (www.inspectordeloris.blogspot.com) and an email address. It's hilarious.

My kids are waiting for the results of Deloris' first visit today. We will email them to ourselves from her account and read them after dinner. Our "Leavenworth dollars" will be dependent on how we react to Deloris' findings. My kids are totally excited- and a little weirded out ("how is she going to get in our house if nobody's home?") etc. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Inspector Deloris will make a splash at our house. If anyone out there wants to try it out, show your kids the blog to lend your facade some legitimacy, and let the fun begin. :)

Friday, September 26, 2008

Reminders.

I have a sign in my kitchen that says "I child proof my house, but they still get in." I thought it was pretty funny. Truly, considering the substantial amount of childproofing necessary in a house with five kids under six, it is pretty funny. I was thinking about this today, about the sense of humor that is seemingly prerequisite to living my life- and how, often, I find myself desensitized to the negativity that comes with the daily exhaustion of doing the routine. People ask me all the time, "What's it like to have triplets?" "How is it to have another little one after that?" etc. My answer to all of these queries is consistently, "crazy." I think that is the most commonly used word in my vocabulary.

Somehow, in all of this, I find I forget, occasionally, how precious my little family is- how unique and important each "crazy" little spirit is and how much I have to teach them and how much I hope they are learning from me.

I reflected on this today as I sat in a funeral for one of Annie's little friends, Mara Adams. Little Mara returned to live with her Heavenly Father Monday after an eleven month battle with a brain tumor that was supposed to have claimed her life after six months. She was the dearest little six year old girl. Her mother, Heather, wrote the "Life Sketch" (eulogy) in a letter format to Mara, relating all the sweet memories she has of her short life. It was heart wrenching. It was so touching and so impressive the number of people, both members and non-members of our faith that were touched by Mara's life and in whose lives her impact was felt. (The chapel and adjoining cultural hall were full- it was standing room only.) Read more about her at www. maraadams.com

I am so blessed to be the steward of these dear little spirits of our Heavenly Father. I know I need to hug them a little tighter, talk to them a little more, be a little more patient. Watching what the Adams' are experiencing right now is a confirmation of that. Truly, we never know what the Lord's plan is for our little ones- we need to love them every day like it's the last day we have them in mortality. I know this is something I need to try a little harder to do- move past the impatience and bite my tongue- make a greater effort to teach with love. Today was just a really good reminder of that.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

First Day of Preschool! 9/8/08











Henry, Soph and Charlie started preschool at Lake Tapps Christian Preschool on Monday. They were SO excited to go to big school and have some big kid time of their own! (Mom and Mags are excited for our newfound three-day a week bonding time as well!)

First Day of First Grade! 9/2/08

Annie started first grade at
Lake Tapps Elementary.

(The picture I took of her before school is blurry and bad, so this is the best I've got, unfortunately.)

She LOVES school- couldn't WAIT to get back...


Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Review of our Favorite Summer Moments

Maggie learned to sit, unassisted, and got two teeth!
The kids were in a daycamp production of Eric Carle's The Hungry Caterpillar. Annie was a butterfly, Henry an apple, Sophie a cocoon, Charlie a pear.




Annie was in her first play- "Little Red Riding Hood" with the Missoula Children's Theater. She was an adorable "mischievous raccoon". (Pictured, back left)



We went to the Barker's for a Fourth of July fun food fest! Maggie enjoyed her first fourth and another "date" with James Leonard




Annie got dressed up... festively, of course.





Sassy Fourth of July triplets (2/3 with wet pants...)






The kids made their own fun in the backyard...







COUSINS! We were SO lucky to have a visit from Ashley and her kids, Elle and Jeff in June. It was like a 24-7 party! We went to Northwest Trek with Grandma and Grandpa (pictured here) and spent lots of time playing in the backyard. It was a highlight for sure...



We also went to Great Wolf Lodge (without the camera, sadly) and had a blast on the indoor waterslides, sleeping in the cool Kid Cabin, and wearing ourselves out! (Totally fun, for those considering it...)

We saw lots of movies... Wall-E, Kit Kittredge, Kung-Fu Panda, Horton Hears a Who, and The Dark Knight (mom and dad).
We read lots of books.
We spent hours and hours at parks.
We did lots of silly things, and talked a lot about preschool (gearing up!) and first grade, what they would be like, who would be there, what we would take, etc.
It's been a fun summer, and school is just around the corner. We are excited for the new challenges and exciting changes that will come with the new school year, but it's always a little wistful too...

backtrack... Father and Son Campout- May '08

Charlie and Henry- decked out to represent in their BYU blue...

backtrack... Memorial Day Hike


We decided to take the kids on a "hike" on Memorial Day this year, and Flaming Geyser Park seemed like a viable, close option. We took a picnic lunch and a very abbreviated version of a hike. The kids LOVED it- Definitely something we will do more often when they're a bit older...

backtrack... Easter 2008

I know, it's a little late to be including Easter pictures, but this one was so cute of my brood, that I thought, what the heck.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Cool new stuff.

So, you may have noticed, I added a few widgets to my blog... I feel SO high-tech now. I'm bonafide. I love the book montage, though it isn't really an accurate representation of the books I've read in the last 6 months- a few I read before, most I read during that time (you have lots of time to read when you nurse a baby... if you're wondering how a mom of five can read that much.) Several non-fiction ones are also unlisted. Also, many of those are YA books, which I have taken a particular interest in lately, and they are generally quick reads. A little embarassing and totally indulgent, but fun to read. Though I must say, historical fiction is really my thing. I'm happy to offer recommendations, to anyone interested- I'm working quickly to write my reviews for each book on goodreads. We'll see how many I get to...

The playlist is just fun. I have an eclectic mix for your listening enjoyment. My college girls will recognize many of these (C-L, Lal, Steph, etc.)- talk about nostalgia! (Nothin' like a Bob day, Carrie-Lynn!) Many of you will be sad to hear that I was unable to include SWASS by Sir Mix-A-Lot, as, sadly, it was not a listed option. Take heart, however, good patrons, I will not rest until I locate it. (Except that I need to go to bed soon, so I won't not rest until after that...)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Happy 4th Birthday, Soph, Henry and Charlie!






EXTRAVAGANZA



I've never been one to do anything... halfway.

So, as is tradition, I went a little nuts with the birthday party again this year. Not that I don't with other parties as well, but this one was super fun.

We did a backyard carnival in Mom and Dad's backyard, complete with games, prizes, cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn, 8 helpful teenagers, 24 crazy kids, 96 humid degrees and a day that ended in sunburn and complete exhaustion. It was a blast, and yes, I would do it again. The trio loved it. A few highlights...

Charlie


Four Things I love about my Charlie (in honor of his fourth birthday):


1. His glasses. He looks like the Jerry Macguire Kid, Ralphie from A Christmas Story and Froggy from The Little Rascals all rolled into one. Everyone loves his glasses- they have given him a new lease on life.


2. His whoppers. Charlie is often known to... expand a bit on the truth. "Mom, I was fighting the bad guys last night and they tried to take me and I died. I did."


3. The way he ADORES his sisters, brother and friends. He has the most tender heart of anyone I know. Truly.


4. His prayers. Charlie says the prayer for every meal we eat, no matter where we are. He always remembers and always volunteers.


Charlie is (with the exception of Maggie) the most laid-back child in the Jones house, and we love his easy-going way about life. His sweet disposition and loving nature help maintain equilibrium in our family life.