Keeping Up With The Jones'

Lately

2012-01-14T12:57:00.001-07:00

Life has been good lately. We've been busy, but happy! We are glad we've been busy with other things than work. We've had lots of jazz games (thanks, dad), Paul got new skis (merry christmas and I hope it actually snows soon), lots of fun date nights, and lots of time with cute nieces (that looks like she could be my child)!

Welcome to the fam, Julie!

2011-12-28T23:20:00.003-07:00

I am so so so happy that Jeff proposed to Julie just a short 13 days after he returned from his mission. They have been dating since they were 15, and we're so happy that Julie is officially joining the family!! We love you, Julie!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:37:00.001-07:00

We had such a great Christmas! We spent Christmas eve with the Evans clan which included a nativity, Christmas jammies, Christmas book and breakfast for dinner. Christmas morning was spent with the jones'. We had a delicious breakfast and opened presents. We were spoiled!

Jeff is home!

2011-12-17T22:38:00.001-07:00

We are so happy that our baby brother is finally home from his mission! I don't know who missed him the most - me or his girlfriend, Julie. Pretty sure we'll never know. Jeff served in Brisbane, Australia. He had a wonderful mission, but we are so happy he's home!!! Love you, Jeffy!

The three amigos are finally reunited. It makes me so happy to have both of my baby brothers home.

Festival of Trees

2011-12-09T15:42:00.002-07:00

Paul and I went with my brother Mike and his girlfriend Carly to the Festival of Trees. We had such a fun time! We loved seeing all of the fun trees and seeing all of the other decorations. I love this time of year!

Have Yourself a MerryLlittle Christmas

2011-12-03T16:04:00.002-07:00

I LOVE Christmas. It's my most favorite holiday by far. Even More than my birthday and I love my birthday a lot. I love everything about Christmas. I love how everyone is happier, I love that we get to give (I might like receiving too a little), I love the time we get to spend with family and friends, I love that I get 2 weeks off of work (best part about being a teacher) but most of all I love being able to remember our Savior. We have much to be thankful for this year and we have been so blessed. Not to say we haven't struggled, but we are happy and healthy and loved.

Anyways... We (I mean me) are happy to FINALLY have a Christmas tree. I have been annoying Paul about getting a tree since the day after thanksgiving. He doesn't love this time of year nearly as much as I do. I sure love this guy. Merry Christmas all!!!

Bowling

2011-10-15T12:39:00.002-06:00

We are babysitting my niece and nephews this weekend. Today we took them bowling with the Mellenthin kids and Matt. We had such a great time!

The girls' poses were too awesome. Every picture I took of them, there was a new pose

Just Crafting

2011-10-01T19:11:00.002-06:00

I am someone who doesn't craft. I don't have good taste, I'm not skilled in that area. However, the fine app Pinterest inspired me. I kept seeing these great wreaths that didn't seem all that hard. So I decided I was going to be crafty. I made a wreath! So proud of myself. You can all call me Martha Stewart now.

This was in the beginning phases. I had picked out some cute fabric to wrap around my wreath thing.

I finished the wrapping. By this time I had severely burned myself with the hot glue gun multiple times.

Made cute little rosettes (thank you YouTube!)

And here's the final product! It didn't even take me THAT long. Maybe an hour total. And that included running my poor hands in cold water forever. I have to say I'm pleased!

Momentum

2011-09-16T23:16:00.002-06:00

Paul and I had such a fun night tonight with mike and Carly!! We went to Zupas (courtesy of papa Dave) and then went to Momentum to do rock climbing. Momentum has a night where you can go from 10pm-12am for only $5. I couldn't believe we were up that late... I am a grandma already and go to bed most nights by 10. But we had such a good time with them! Hopefully we can do it again soon! Both of our forearms are dead. We need to master the skill of using our legs while climbing!

Mike and Carly

2 year anniversary

2011-09-04T09:41:00.001-06:00

I can't believe yesterday was our two year anniversary! Time has gone by so fast. We have grown so much together. We have been able to do some pretty amazing things together. I have loved being married to Paul. I can't imagine it any other way. I'm pretty sure he's the only person who could put up with my craziness at all times. I love him so much! Happy anniversary, babe! Love you!

Blondie

2011-08-26T17:27:00.002-06:00

Well... I went blonde. I just randomly decided I'd do it. I really just copied Katy. But I hope I have more fun now!!!!

Paul's new ride

2011-08-22T19:33:00.001-06:00

Paul got a new ride... Huck! Huck is now pulling Paul on his longboard. It's genius. Paul doesn't have to do anything (just like he likes) and huck gets a lot of exercise. It's perfect!

Can't believe I'm a teacher!!!

2011-08-19T17:45:00.002-06:00

I have spent SO much time in this classroom!!! The teacher before me... Well, let's just say she wasn't the most organized. I spent literally the last 2 weeks just cleaning and organizing. Here are some pictures of my room. I wish I had done before and after pictures. But I didn't think about it.

This is an overall view

This is the closet that took my mom probably 6-7 HOURS just to organize. Bless her heart! Best mom award goes to
Mary Dee

So happy to have this classroom finally organized and ready for my 11 students!! Im getting more and more excited for school to start. Remind me I said that in 3 or 4 months.

Girls Night Out... Plus Paul

2011-08-12T23:06:00.002-06:00

Having a sleep over with my two nieces tonight!!! We have had so much fun. Making cookies, watching Rango, cuddling, playing with Huck... and of course crushing on Paul. Yes, these two have serious uncle crushes on him. Can't blame 'em.

Paul's Birthday!

2011-08-10T10:19:00.001-06:00

Paul's birthday was a blast! He turned the big 26! I feel like he is so old now. However, we have such a fun and lazy night. We went to the Bombay House for dinner... It was delish and we got way too much food, but we loved it.

We then needed to go play with the dogs (we were watching clay's dog) and so we did that. Then we went back to our NEW place and I had made Paul's favorite cake... Cheesecake! I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm not a baker of goods usually.

Then we (this was Paul's choice) watched like 5 episodes of Breaking Bad. Oh! And I forgot to say I ACTUALLY surprised Paul for his gift!!! This is the first time in our 4.5 years of being together I've surprised him! I'm so happy about that. I got him a stellar watch.

Oh and don't worry... Huck was in on the celebration too. He sure loves Paul!

I sure love Paul too. Happy birthday babe. Glad I get to celebrate with you every year.

Hawaii!!!

2011-07-29T07:30:00.029-06:00

Just a warning... picture overload on this post! But my goodness... I wish we never had to come back! Maui was the best trip Paul and I have ever been on. We had so much fun, there was never a dull moment. We were always switching up which beach to go to, we went hiking, did the road to Hana, different restaurants every night, etc. We LOVED this trip. I can't even tell you how much we want to go back... NOW. But we decided we needed a trip before life got hectic. Paul and I are both starting new jobs in August, we're moving to the Millcreek area, and we're just planning on having a crazy couple of months. Life is going to be a lot different from here on out. We're actually grown ups now we feel like. But anyways, we decided (or I decided) that we needed a reward for our hard work! So I very spontaneously bought tickets to Hawaii while Paul was saying, "Wait! Wait! Let's think about this!" But there was no thinking, and we're so glad we did this trip!

Take me back now! This picture was at Aloha Mixed Plate. Delish!

These pictures aren't really in order. This was our last day on Kaanapali beach. We went snorkeling, but weren't that impressed there. Honolua bay and the other side of Black Rock were much better snorkeling.

At black Rock

We were suckers and bought 2 coconuts to drink from - $14!!! And it really wasn't any good. But, oh well. Such is life.

Here's a view of Big Beach. On the other side of this rock wall was the nude beach... interesting.

On the Road to Hana there was the prettiest beach. It was a black sand beach (more like black rock) but it was so pretty. I'd never seen a black sand beach before. It made the green just pop out so much more! (and don't worry, I'm not lactating or anything... just the swimsuit wasn't dry when I put my shirt on)

We went to the coolest waterfalls on the Road to Hana (thanks Sara and Scott for the recommendation!) It was absolutely GORGEOUS. It was probably one of my favorite things that we did. We were there for over 4 hours. We started out by walking through all of this bamboo forest, then there were 4 main waterfalls. They were all gorgeous. We couldn't even take pictures of the last two waterfalls. We had to swim through a river to get to the last waterfall so we had to ditch our bags and camera. The last waterfall was the coolest one by far. You could swim at the base of all of the waterfalls. Paul even jumped off 2 of them! I was terrified for him, but he's alive and well.

(the lady who took this didn't quite get the waterfall... oh well.)

We went to the blowhole which was really cool. The blowhole would shoot up SOOO high! There was this cute little rock that had a heart "naturally" in the rock. Of course we had to snap a pic

Don't know what happened here... I'm not too blog savvy)

This is the top of Honoula bay. We LOVED this spot! We saw so many fish. We also saw some turtles! At another beach I almost stepped on a turtle... that would have been bad news.

Snorkel face

Other things we loved... seeing a herd (???) of dolphins at Kaanapali beach. They were playing in the water just off of the beach. They were jumping and doing flips, it was so cool! We also saw stingrays while snorkeling at black rock. We loved eating out every night... our favs were Leilanis, Pita Paradise, Hula Grill, Aloha Mixed Plate, a flat bread pizza place, and more delish food that I can't remember. Food was a big deal for us. hated the prices of groceries, especially produce! $7 for blueberries?!?! My goodness. But really, we loved loved loved this trip! we had such a hard time coming back. We are excited for all that is coming our way though. It's going to be a crazy couple of months!

Sobering Week

2011-07-18T23:36:00.006-06:00

So, I know blog posts are supposed to always be happy and wonderful and telling people about the great things that are going on, but honestly, this past week has sucked. I'm ready to move on from this week. My sweet Grandma Joy passed away on July 5th. She was such an amazing woman, and I'm so lucky to have such a great example to me in how to raise a wonderful family, how to be a great member of the church, and an all around wonderful, kind woman. Her funeral was just one week ago from today. We had been expecting grandma's death for quite some time now. I feel like every time I saw her I felt like it could be the last time I saw her for the past few months. She had been pretty sick on and off for a while now. But this last time she was sick, the doctors gave her days to live. She died peacefully with her children surrounding her at the hospital. I'm so happy I was able to say goodbye to her before we left for Lake Powell. I'm so grateful to have her as my grandma. Her death was a happy one, not in the sense that I'm happy she died, but because she has lived a full and happy life. She was ready to go and see my grandpa. It had been over 10 years for them to see each other.

On another note, my foster brother passed away yesterday. Monte Nelson had lived with my family on and off throughout my life. He came to live with us when he was very young. He was the closest thing my brother Dave had to a brother for MANY years. He was our brother. Monte has randomly dropped by our home over the years. The last time I saw him was 4 years ago, when he showed up the day Mike was set apart to be a missionary. Monte was at Mexican Hat yesterday when he slipped and hit his head on rocks and fell in the river. They have yet been able to find his body. I'm so sad about this. I feel like my grandma's death was such a good thing, and this death I'm not understanding as much. Monte will be missed, and his family are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope his family can find peace and closure. He was only 36.

All in all, I'm done with this week. I'm so grateful for the gospel and that I know that my family will be together forever. I'm so grateful for my family and the closeness we have with one another.

If you're interested in the full story about Monte, you can read a news article about him here and here.

This is It!

2011-07-12T16:44:00.004-06:00

Scary... I'm actually going to be a teacher! I just went to MY classroom for the first time, and I thought I was going to throw up the entire time I was so nervous! I can't believe summer is almost over. I need time to SLOW down! August 24th is coming way too fast.

Girl's Trip

2011-07-08T08:40:00.010-06:00

In early June, my sisters, mom and I went on our annual girls trip. It was SO much fun! We just went to St. George, but it was really one of the best girls trip ever. We didn't take many pictures, but here are the few I have. It was really such a great trip. We decided that it was going to be a quarterly trip instead of annual from here on out. I wish that could really happen! On the trip I got to spend lots of time with this little one. Lizzie is the cutest (asain) baby ever! Still not sure if Kyle is the daddy... but I guess time will tell.

We had lots of fun getting our pedicures!

Lots and lots of fun....

We got to go down to Vegas for the day and go shopping and we to see Cirque Du Soleil - Ka. It was SO amazing! Becky and I were rebels and snuck some pictures with our iPhones. So the photos aren't the best quality and definitely don't do it justice, but it was so amazing. The stunts that these people could pull were so cool!

We surprised my mom by having my dad spontaneously show up in Vegas. It was really cute. My mom did a total double take and was so surprised by pops showing up. It was so fun to have dad come! Other then babies, he's the only boy allowed on the girls trips. We loved having him!

My Cute Husband

2011-06-12T21:36:00.004-06:00

Man oh man... these boys are sure cute! They've been best buddies since birth. So grateful for Marcus and so glad I have these pictures!

BEST DAY EVER

2011-06-07T17:27:00.004-06:00

Today has been the BEST DAY EVER for me! I found out today that I will be teaching at Highland Park elementary school!!! I'll be teaching kids in grades 3-6 with severe disabilities. I am SO happy!!!

I also decided (much to Paul's dismay) that we are going to MAUI to celebrate!!! Who knows when the next time we will just be able to up and leave?!?! July 20th can not come soon enough!!! It has been the best day ever!

Wish List

2011-06-04T14:00:00.008-06:00

Ever since we have been married, I have wanted a gorgeous headboard. They're SO expensive though! I wish I was crafty and could make something cool... but I'm not. So I'm just dreaming of the day that I can afford a gorgeous headboard. Paul thinks I'm so silly for even wanting one... but he's a boy and doesn't get it.

I think this is a cute alternative to a padded headboard. I like it. I wish I was crafty.

Funny Stuff

2011-05-23T20:21:00.003-06:00

I stole this off of someone's blog... but I think it's just so funny!

Click This

My Week of Sanity

2011-05-18T19:37:00.007-06:00

I was able to go to DC and New York over spring break. Yes, I'm that slow in posting about it. But I had so much fun. Paul wasn't able to go with me, but I had a great time visiting my sister and friends. I was able to finally not think about school and to just have some fun! It was so nice and I had such a great time. Thanks Amy and Kyle for letting me stay in DC and thanks to Lisa and Jon for letting me stay at your place! I didn't take a ton of pictures, and most pictures in NYC are taken of me by me... so sorry about that. But really, this was the best trip and SO incredibly needed! Some things I didn't take pictures of were being able to see Chase Rigby and Julia Hertz and Abby Henriod. I got to go out to dinner with all three of them and it was so good to catch up!

At the zoo in DC... Hogle zoo sucks

Liz is such a cutie! She's such a mellow baby. Catherine on the other hand... well, let's just say Amy and Kyle will have their hands full (or do have their hands full)

NYC

One of my many self taken picture at 30 Rock.

View from on top of 30 Rock. It was so cool, and such a clear day. I couldn't have asked for better weather the whole time!

My last day there, I got to spend the WHOLE day with one of my best friends in the world, Hana! It was so much fun, and I loved that things have not changed one bit between us. I haven't seen her since our wedding, but I didn't really even get to be with her because things were so busy. I'm just so glad she had the day off to spend with me!

Lisa got half of her day off and we went to this awesome restaurant (Max Brenner, I think?) and it was AWESOME. It was chocolate everything. I devoured the food, and forced Hana and Lisa to get dessert with me. I basically just ate it all though. It was so delish!

Overall, this was such a great trip. I had great weather, great company, and great places to visit. I had so much fun and was so lucky to be able to go. I loved loved loved this week!

GRADUATE

2011-05-07T18:10:00.005-06:00

I did it! I am a GRADUATE! I got my Master's in Education specializing in Special Education. I'm so happy that I was able to do this, and I'm so happy that I actually finished! I have made some great friends through the program, and am so grateful for the experience I have had. I couldn't have done it without Paul - he's so supportive. I couldn't have done this without him. He has definitely kept me sane through all of this. I also want to say thank you to my wonderful parents. They supported me through school, and I'm so grateful to them! I did it... and I'm so glad I'm done!!

SOOOOOO HAPPY!!!

2011-04-28T20:35:00.002-06:00

I did it! I'm FINISHED! I am finally done with my homework, which means I'M GRADUATING! I can't freaking wait to be done with school FOREVER. (Yes, I still have a class this summer, but it's short and doesn't count because C's get degrees after this semester!) Really, this is the best feeling in the world. I am beyond happy to be done. Can you tell?

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-19T12:34:00.003-06:00

Even though I'm in DC, I have to give a shout out to my pup, Huck. Happy birthday!!! We're so glad to have you (most of the time that is).

Huck at two weeks

Huck just a few weeks ago

cute little monsters

2011-03-31T21:48:00.001-06:00

aren't they cute?

Cravings

2011-03-31T21:30:00.001-06:00

Don't these look delicious? I'm craving some right now...

quote

2011-03-18T20:34:00.003-06:00

6 Minutes

2011-03-14T15:36:00.001-06:00

I can't imagine my life as I know it be over in a mere 6 minutes.

6 Minute Video

Sad Day

2011-03-11T19:10:00.007-07:00

This is such a sad day for me and my family. This place that we've called home for 7 years of my life has been hit by such a sad tragedy. I'm so grateful that my parents are no longer here. They lived in Tokyo, but traveled frequently throughout Japan. But the home that they had lived in was hit pretty good by the earthquake. The people who lived below us said all of their dishes, glass, etc. was totally destroyed, but they were fine. It's just heartbreaking to see all of the destruction that has been going on. I'm so grateful that at least most of the missionaries in Sendai have been said to be ok. I'm so grateful that none of my friends and their families were harmed. It's such a blessing. My prayers and thoughts are with those in Japan and those affected by this devastating force of nature.

UPDATE: Church’s Missionaries in Japan All Safe and Accounted For

I absolutely am in awe that every single missionary was found safe and accounted for.

Long Time Comin'

2011-02-27T20:42:00.016-07:00

It's been a while since I've really blogged about what's going on. Here is what we've done since Christmas...

Celebrated Christmas Eve at my parents, then Christmas at the Jones'.

Had a dance party with the nieces and nephews

Love riss

We had a lot of family quality time with my family over Christmas. My sisters were both in town and it was so much fun! We went and saw the lights at temple square with the whole family. It was chaotic.

My nephew, Luke, had a big birthday! He turned 8 in November and got baptized in December with his cousin on the Johnson side. Congrats, Lukey! So proud of you!

Paul and I scored tickets to the Jazz game. This also happened to be the game after Jerry Sloan quit. It was definitely different, and many fans were wearing Jerry Sloan shirts or sporting posters pro-Jerry.

The Mail Man (aka Karl Malone) was at the game too! We totally could see him from our seat. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Last but not least, we went to St. George with our friends over President's Day Weekend. It was cold, rainy, and the weather was awful. But it was really such a fun trip! We did absolutely nothing, and it was exactly what we all needed. Thanks Scotts and Larsons for making the trip!

The only thing we did other than go out to eat was go on a drive up Snow Canyon, and suprisingly it had snowed that day. It was so gorgeous to see the snow cover the red rock. Thanks, Scotts for taking the pictures.

And last but not least, my sister Amy had a baby girl last week! Welcome, Elizabeth!!! We sure can't wait to meet you!!! (That's number 18 on the Evans side. My sisters pop out babies like it's their job. Love them all)

My Street after the Storm

2011-02-17T16:48:00.003-07:00

Winds calm as crews work to finish restoring power - ksl.com

Check this out... there were HUGE trees blown over from the store last night. And I'm totally driving by the camera the last 15 seconds. I'm famous

I love

2011-02-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

And I'm not afraid to admit it

Va Privada

2011-02-09T21:19:00.003-07:00

After being officially creeped out by random anonymous creeper blog-stalker comments, we're going private. Leave your email address if you want to follow.

L.O.V.E.

2011-02-08T21:38:00.006-07:00

Things I'm loving right now...

1 - Paul... man, I'm one lucky girl

2 - Family & Friends - need I say more?

3 - Despite how much I may complain about it, I do love school. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to learn

4 - I love that SPRING is on the way! That groundhog better be right!

Over It

2011-02-01T21:07:00.006-07:00

I try not to complain on this thing... but really, there are so many things I'm SOOOO over with right now!

#1. I'm over winter. SUMMER, PLEASE COME QUICKLY!

#2. I'm over school. Let me just graduate already! I am vowing now, I'm NEVER going back. 6 1/2 years of school is very over rated.

#3. I'm so over not being able to spend time with this hunk! We really see each other for maybe 2 hours every night, then I'm off to bed. I love Saturdays because it's really the only day of the week I get to spend time with him!

Ok, I'm done. Promise. Just had to get that off my chest. I can't wait for this month to be done and over, and we are on our way to warmer weather, no more school, and spending more time with my hubby. We're on our way to bigger and better things over in this part of the hood in just a short amount of time.

2010

2011-01-03T19:18:00.002-07:00

2010 was such a great year! We have been so blessed and have absolutely loved this past year. I can't believe that it's already 2011! Time is flying by us.

Some things we enjoyed of 2010 are:

We got to celebrate

We enjoyed a little sun and ocean fun

Took in this bundle of joy

Glad that only a few things were destroyed

Got to spend time with friends

But best of all, we got to spend time with our families doing the things we love most!

2010 was a great year, but I'm getting really excited for 2011. Probably because it's my last year of school EVER! Happy New Year's everyone!

UPDATE

2010-11-09T20:23:00.002-07:00

Wow, it's been a while. We have really been so incredibly busy the last few weeks. I feel like school is consuming my life. But we were able to sneak away to Washington DC to visit my sister over Fall Break. It was SO much fun! I wanted to stay there forever. I am in love with DC and want to live there now. Beware, this might be long.

The first night we walked around the Mall. It was pretty cool seeing all of the monuments lit up. There were so many people there!

We tried to hit up as many Smithsonian's as possible. Here we are in front of the American History Smithsonian. I think our favorite was this one, the Air and Space, and then the Holocaust Museum (SO sobering!!)

We went on a bike tour around the Mall during the day. It was such a great way to go see the Capitol and the monuments. We got to see so much this way. I'd highly recommend it.

We went to the Air and Space museum with Amy, Kyle and family. Lily looks like our child, not Amy and Kyle's. Oh well.

This was the funniest picture of the whole trip! Love Catherine's face!!!

Again, here's our child and us at the first airplane the Wright brothers flew.

We got to see a really cool dedication thing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There were troops from all of the military branches.

We really had such a great time! We were so lucky to have Amy and Kyle let us crash at their place. We were so grateful and couldn't have had any more fun. Thanks, you guys!

And on an unrelated note... poor Huck got snipped. He hated the cone of shame and wouldn't look at us when he had it on. Good news is he can't make any babies.

Funny

2010-10-18T13:08:00.001-06:00

These are funny I thought. My brother in law is part of this company and I think they did a good job...

Hiking

2010-09-28T16:47:00.002-06:00

School basically consumes my life. I'm working full time and going to school full time... so blogging isn't on the top of my list of things to do currently. I'm actually multitasking... I'm in class blogging! haha But really, it's rare that Paul and I get to go and do fun things together so we were really happy to get out and go hiking! We went to Mt. Aire. We thought it was going to be a nice, easy going hike. It was only 2 miles, but it was surprisingly hard! Even Huck's legs were shaking after, so I felt better about being totally pooped afterwards. It was such a gorgeous hike! The fall colors are becoming so pretty and it wasn't very hot either. The weather needs to go back to that! Here are a few pictures...

My Boys....

He is getting SO big now! It's crazy how fast he is growing!!!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-09-03T16:07:00.003-06:00

Can't believe it's been a year! I'm so lucky, and am so glad I married Paul. Happy Anniversary, babe! Love you!!!

Happy (very very late) Birthday!

2010-08-30T15:54:00.004-06:00

Paul's 25th birthday was almost a month ago! I'm such a slacker, I know. But really, I'm so grateful to have Paul in my life. I'm so grateful for his kindness, PATIENCE, and what a great person I married. I couldn't ask for anyone better. He's the best husband anyone could ever ask for. Sorry, Paul, for doing absolutely nothing for your birthday (we were in Cali... I guess I got him a cake but I pretty much suck). You're the best babe! Love you!

California

2010-08-18T23:55:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Jones family decided to take a much needed (and atypical for the Jones clan) trip to Oceanside, CA. It was so much fun! I really didn't take too many pictures... I'm waiting for my sister-in-law (hint hint, Sarah) to blog about the trip so I can steal her pictures. I pretty much have a small shrine of Caroline. Oh well. But really, this trip was so fun. We went to the beach every day, and just explored around Oceanside. Gaia was always making Paul come take her out into the waves, and tried to get me to join a few times. It worked on occasion. The water was pretty cold! I think the highlight of this trip though was Matt's sunburn. It's probably one of the worst ones I have ever seen. Too bad I don't have a picture of it. But really, kudos to Jane and Grant for planning such a great trip!

Oh how quickly this little one's attitude changes....

Introducing the calmest baby I've ever met... miss Ruby.

Cabin Fever

2010-07-27T10:51:00.003-06:00

We celebrated the 24th by going to the cabin this weekend. It was so much fun. Dave and Jen and their family came up with us. It was really fun having them there! We did a bunch of hiking, being lazy, eating, and just hanging out. It was such a great weekend!

I love this place...

2010-07-27T10:44:00.004-06:00

With these people...

Seriously, Lake Powell is such a fun place! I think that if I were to choose almost any vacation it would be to here. We are so lucky to be able to go every summer, and I hope that the tradition continues the rest of my life. Here are a few pictures from the week...

It was so fun having Erika and James and Matt (which let's face it, it wouldn't be the same without him) there with us! Even though it was so much fun, I really did miss Jeff, my brother who's on his mission. I think this might have been my first family trip without him ever. Kind of weird. Amy and family were also VERY missed too! I can't wait to go visit them in DC soon!!! But it was still so much fun! Thanks, Mom and Dad!!!

4th of July

2010-07-12T08:49:00.006-06:00

We had such a great 4th of July! We were able to spend lots of time with family and friends, and have such a great LONG weekend! We went to the rodeo with some great friends. This has been a tradition for my friends from high school and I for like 6 years. It's so much fun, and it's just a good excuse to see people again and catch up. This is going to be our last time going since Lisa and Jon are moving to NYC and Kiersten and her husband Andrew (not in the picture) are moving to Cali. It's so weird growing up.

I'm SO lucky

On the 4th during the day, we decided to take Huck to the dog park for the first time. Huck is definitely man's best friend... no matter what he says.

We watched fireworks with Paul's parents that night and had a BBQ with the Jones family the next day. We really had such a great weekend! Off to Lake Powell now!!!!

Mom's 60th Birthday Party

2010-06-29T13:09:00.003-06:00

My wonderful mom just turned 60 years old! Wow, i can't believe that. She's such a great person, and I'm so happy that she is my mom. We had a big birthday bash for her and had tons of good food, good company, and lots of water fights. The water sprayer thing broke, so it ended up being Isaac spraying everybody. A few tears were shed, but mostly all smiles. Such a great night! Happy Birthday, Mary Dee! We sure love you. (and THANK YOU Becky for letting us break in the new house!!!)

As of late...

2010-06-24T17:07:00.002-06:00

Things are finally calming down for us. It's been so nice to finally start enjoying summer. Last week I had a week long class that went ALL DAY, but I got a semester's worth of work done in just 5 days. So that was good to get that out of the way. It was a hectic week, to say the least.

This little man has been the highlight of our lives every day. We are the crazy people who think a dog is their child. Paul won't admit this, but he's totally in love with Huck, and I love it. I really didn't know how well we'd all adjust, but it's seriously been so easy and great. Huck is a great dog and is learning (and GROWING) so fast! I can't believe we've had him for two weeks already. It's been so much fun! (And yes, sisters, Mary Dee loves him and even admitted it to me)

In other news, we went to see my niece Marissa's dance recital. It might have been the LONGEST rendition of Beauty and the Beast I've ever been to, but seeing Marissa and her class "dance" was so worth it. They were tea pots. She is such a cutie!

After the concert, we were debating if we should just go get ice cream with the fam, or if we should go let out Huck. Marissa turns to me and very sternly said, "You go let Huck pee! Then you can come get ice cream!" It was so funny. Love that girl.

I want one of these...

2010-06-22T12:30:00.002-06:00

It's been a long week...

2010-06-16T20:57:00.001-06:00

Fruit of our Labors

2010-06-11T15:18:00.003-06:00

Look at these tomatoes! I have to say, I'm impressed with myself for not killing all of my tomato plants already. But really, it's thanks to my mother-in-law that these are even alive. She's shown me the ropes. Can't wait to have some FRESH, home grown, tomatoes!

2010-06-06T11:04:00.005-06:00

Just two more days until I'm done working here...

And then I get this in 3 days...

I can't wait for summer to come!

Gaia

2010-05-27T14:54:00.002-06:00

We had a little photo shoot with Paul's cute niece, Gaia, yesterday. We took her to see Huck and the other puppies. Isn't she just darling? Love the missing teeth. (sorry for the low quality pics... they were taken from my phone)

And of course I can't help but show off Huck as of late...

WELCOME!

2010-05-26T21:58:00.004-06:00

Congratulations to Sarah and Nick! They just had a beautiful baby girl this evening. We're so excited for this little girl and can't wait to see her!

Ruby Hannah Morgan

8 lb 1 oz

20.5 inches long

LOTS of hair!

Congrats again, you guys!

Funny Commercial

2010-05-19T12:06:00.002-06:00

Seriously, I laughing pretty hard when I opened this youtube video my sister sent me. Thank you, Lisa.

Huck

2010-05-14T20:54:00.002-06:00

Huck is now 4 weeks old! I can't believe it. We are getting him in about 3 weeks if all goes according to plan. I seriously am so excited! I took my nephews to go see him today and he's already doubled in size. He's growing teeth and getting so big. And yes... this blog will most likely be dedicated to him for a long time. Sorry.

Luke with Huck

Ben with Huck's brother

He is the cutest thing ever!!!

He doesn't look like this in his picture, but he is really much bigger than his siblings. He's a chunk.

A Little Inspiration

2010-05-09T14:16:00.005-06:00

Seriously, this lady is amazing. And not to be churchy... but her story is just so touching. I've watched this video twice now, and can't imagine going through what she went through. I don't think I'd ever be as strong as she is. She's so inspiring.

Introducing the newest Jones...

2010-05-05T22:20:00.003-06:00

Meet Huck.... he's our brand new, yellow lab. He's only 2 weeks old and probably the cutest thing ever. We'll get him home to us when he's about 8 weeks old, so we have a while to wait. But we're lucky and get to watch him grow up for the first few weeks. His current owners are super nice and are totally willing to let us come over whenever to see him. He's really the cutest thing ever. It's always been my dream to have a yellow lab, and I can't wait to take little Huck home! Thanks, Paul, for letting me have a dog!!!!

2010-04-19T22:54:00.004-06:00

Do anyone else just LOVE this weather?? Man, we have been enjoying

ourselves immensely. Summer can't come soon enough! I especially

can't wait to go to this place... just a few more weeks!!!

Looking...

2010-04-13T16:06:00.005-06:00

For one of these.....

(yellow lab)

Or one of these...

(Hungarian Vizsla)

Let me know if you know of any being born beginning of May.

St. George

2010-04-10T23:09:00.002-06:00

Paul and I were able to go to St. George for the weekend. It was SO warm! It was about 80 degrees every day, and we had so much fun. We went biking twice, hiking, and just laid out - just relaxing. It was so much fun to get away and we're so grateful to my parents for letting us use their place!

Family Ski Day

2010-03-22T19:57:00.002-06:00

Paul and his family are avid skiers. Needless to say, I am not. However, this weekend we had a family ski day and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day. We went up to Solitude and had such a great time! We definitely missed the Morgans though. The best part was Matt, Paul's little brother, drinking the left over hot dog juice at lunch for the 2nd year in a row for a measly $10. I don't know how he did it. Wish I had pictures of that. These pictures are the ones that Paul's dad took. Thanks, Grant!

tumblr vs. blogspot

2010-03-01T14:34:00.001-07:00

so whats the difference between tumblr and blogspot? Any insight?

It's one of those days...

2010-02-22T14:46:00.002-07:00

Zions

2010-02-16T14:39:00.005-07:00

This weekend Paul and I went down to St. George with our friends Steve and Collette. It was such a fun trip! It was some much needed R&R time. The only pictures I took were on our hike in Zions to the Emerald Pools. This was my first time ever going to Zions. I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on. This is such a beautiful place, and I hope that I can explore more there soon.

From Feb 2009 - Zions

love these boys

2010-02-16T14:38:00.001-07:00

These are some great friends. Paul is one lucky guy.

My New Favorite....

2010-02-12T14:47:00.002-07:00

I love it when you find JUST the thing you've been looking for! I finally found the perfect pair of leggings. I have seriously been searching high and low for the perfect pair... not sheer, long, and not "bulky" for lack of wording. I ripped my new pair today at work (serious bummer) but then decided to go and try American Apparel's Winter leggings. They seriously have the best pair there. They are so thick, long, and I'm in love. I know you've all been waiting for my endorsement... so here it is. I officially would recommend these to anyone. And just for those who are wondering... yes, this is the most exciting thing going on in my life right now.

The Results of Boredom

2010-01-26T21:49:00.002-07:00

Paul and I are bored.... very very bored. I don't want to do my homework, and we're watching Jay Leno. We are already an old couple.

Stolen Pictures

2010-01-06T21:03:00.006-07:00

Ok, so I just stole these pictures from my sister-in-law. But I FINALLY have some pictures of Paul's family! Sarah (Paul's sister) is always taking pictures and so I just never do with their family because I figure I'll steal them later... which I do... frequently (Thanks, Sarah). Here are some more pictures from Christmas......

These are Paul's cute cute cute nieces.

This is Paul's Benton side of the family.... so great and I love Grandpa Benton's slick jacket.

Paul is just as attractive as ever...

The New Year

2010-01-03T21:24:00.003-07:00

Wow... I can not believe that it's already 2010! This year has gone by so fast. Last year this time, I was starting to plan the wedding (even though Paul and I didn't get officially engaged for 6 more months........). This year has flown by. There has been so many great things that have happened, and I really don't know how 2010 will beat it. Paul and I were talking about resolutions for this year and here are a few of them...

My list

1. Do really well in Graduate School this year.

2. Travel.... I'm hoping to Norway since Paul has family there and that would be just awesome.

3. Be better about being healthy in exercising and eating better. I've been trying this year, but need to get back on track.

And there are more... but those are the main ones.

Paul's List

Get a grown up job.

Paul isn't quite as into this as I am, if you couldn't tell.

Of course we went to St. George this weekend with my family and I didn't take ONE picture. It was a fun trip, and it was so fun to finally see my parents' new house down there. It's been a good year, 2009.... thanks for all of the memories.

Christmas

2009-12-30T17:35:00.003-07:00

Christmas is my favorite time of the year by far. I love the lights, the decorations, but most of all the time spent with family. My dad was super tricky and flew home my sister, her husband, and kids secretly which made Christmas that much better. I feel bad, I have no pictures of the Jones clan but I'll steal some my Sarah's (my sister in law) blog later and post them. But it was such a great Christmas and it was such a great first Christmas with Paul!

These are our Christmas pj's that my Mom always gives us each year. They were super cute this year (I'm really banning my Mom from ever buying them again... but that's another story).

This is my favorite picture below. I love how Tom never takes off his Spider Man hat (he literally sleeps in it) and how he's so tired of listening to the Christmas story. He's so funny!

Mmmmmm...........

2009-12-22T16:57:00.001-07:00

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-17T20:19:00.005-07:00

After BEGGING and BEGGING Paul, we FINALLY got a Christmas tree! I really am a Christmas fanatic and love this time of the year. Our tree is so cute, and I'm so happy I bought ornaments last year (yeah, I plan ahead). It really has made our house look so cute (and VERY crowded). But It wouldn't be Christmas without a tree. I'm so excited for Christmas in just 8 days. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

2009-12-17T19:52:00.008-07:00

So... I'm so excited for our very good friends, Steve and Collette, who are ENGAGED!!! I've known Collette for a really long time, and she has been my best friend for a very long time and I just love her to death. I'm so excited for her and Steve to start this adventure. And I'm so excited Paul and I have friends who are getting married! Congratulations, you guys. We love ya.

I'm excited....

2009-12-14T15:54:00.003-07:00

Jones family, take a seat before you read this... but yes, I am excited to ski this year! For some reason I've been dying to get up there and most likely fall on my face. But at least I'm excited. These pictures were of Paul last year (?) and I have to say I have a pretty impressive husband. I feel bad for Paul cause he's not getting a ski pass this year, but hopefully next year he'll have more friends going up. But yes, I am anxious to get up to the ski resorts this year. It's a monumental moment.

More wedding

2009-11-28T16:38:00.018-07:00

Sorry for all of the wedding posts... I just never really did it before, and these pictures are more or less for siblings who live out of state. Anyways, enjoy!

I just love Caroline's face in this... so mad she has to be there.

Wedding Pics... finally... part 1

2009-11-25T13:42:00.019-07:00

I finally have time to look through the wedding pictures and post them. There are SO many to look through. Lindsey (Green Apple Photography) did such an amazing job! I'll post more pictures of the wedding later, but here are some favorites.

Paul being so nice....

And me being so mean....

Page caught the second bouquet toss.... and Lily really wanted to catch the first one.

My friends are so great... love them

Oh, how I love these two boys. They are so great.

Best Waffles Ever

2009-11-21T11:50:00.002-07:00

I made some of the best waffles I've ever had before this morning. They are so good. If you're looking for a very unhealthy, but definitely delicious breakfast, I highly suggest these. I'm sharing the recipe with everyone.

Pumpkin Waffles - thank you, dealstomeals.com

3 eggs

1 pound can of pumpkin (just the small can of pumpkin)

3/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. water/ beat together

then add:

2 1/2 c. flour

1 3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 1/4 t. salt

3/4 t. nutmeg

3/4 t. cinnamon

Blend these all together and put in a waffle iron. We topped ours with whipping cream.

favorite pictures

2009-11-18T19:24:00.009-07:00

This sequence of pictures is one my favorites from my wedding. My niece, Lily, is the funniest girl. All during the wedding she kept coming up to me just touching my dress, saying I looked like a princess. She's so stinking cute! She's always posing for pictures, and I have no idea where she could have gotten that from cause Amy (her mom) and I would NEVER have done that as kids! More to come later... I'm too lazy right now.

College Grad

2009-11-17T14:14:00.006-07:00

I am OFFICIALLY going to get my Master's in Special Education at the University of Utah! I can not wait to start school again (well... I can, but won't)! But I'm so excited for this program, and am so excited to further my education. I'm so lucky that I'll be able to go back to school and start this new adventure. I can't wait to start this program in JANUARY!!!

Halloween Adventure

2009-11-04T22:37:00.009-07:00

Well, I have to say "grown up" Halloween isn't quite as fun as when you're a kid... but it was overall a pretty good success! I got to dress up 3 times even (it's sad that I'm really excited about that, I know!). The first time was for my class I work with at Highland High School. We had a Halloween party last Friday. Even though hardly any of the kids dressed up, the teachers sure had fun!

This is my class... it was difficult even getting a picture where the majority of us were looking.

This is Heather, Preslie, me, Lori, and Christi Anne. We are the teachers for the class and definitely liked Halloween way more than the kids.

The second time I got to dress up was at least with Paul. On Halloween night a few couples got together had a little Halloween party. And by party I mean eat some junk food and watch the lamest scary movie ever. I'm embarrassed to even say what movie it was. Paul and I dressed up as Polygamists, but we looked more like Amish people instead. I wish we had been able to get more girls to dress up and follow Paul around.

These are the pumpkins we carved. (Paul's and mine was WAY better than Collette's and Steve's)

And the last time I was able to dress up was on Monday night. My friend Lisa threw a murder mystery night, and it turned out to be pretty successful. It was fun being able to dress up with friends and hang out!

Even though "grown up" Halloween isn't as fun as when I was younger... it was still actually really fun. I'm so excited for the Holiday season, and can't wait to spend more time with family and friends!!!

HALLOWEEN

2009-10-26T14:07:00.002-06:00

Oh, how I love HALLOWEEN!!!! I wish I was a kid and I could get all dressed up, go trick-or-treating and get sick from all of the candy I'd eat. I really wish I wasn't too old to do my favorite tradition. But I'm lucky, and still get to dress up on Friday for my classroom! Everyone should dress up on Halloween and be a kid for a night.

Sun Valley Adventures

2009-10-12T18:27:00.010-06:00

Over UEA weekend, Paul and I went to Sun Valley, Idaho. I had never been before so we decided to go there. This was also my wedding present to Paul... a trip. It was so fun, but FREEZING! We stayed in Ketchum, Idaho. We really did nothing. We walked around Ketchum and Sun Valley. It was really too cold to do anything. We went to the Kneadery for breakfast one day... and oh my gosh. Such good food! I highly recommend that place. We really had the best breakfast. It really was such a fun and lazy trip. It was good to get a break from real life for a few days.

The Big Wood River

over by our hotel

what an attractive man I married

In Ketchum walking around

Shout out to Leecher

2009-09-26T23:27:00.000-06:00

One of my best friends got married last week. The wedding was gorgeous, and Lisa looked beautiful! Just wanted to give her and Jonny boy a shout out and say CONGRATULATIONS!!! So happy for you, and love you both!

Lake Blanche

2009-09-26T23:15:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I finally had a day off. Paul decided instead of sitting around the house we could go do a hike. We hiked all of the way to Lake Blanche. It was a total of 6 miles, and it was pretty gruesome. Nothing compared to what Matt (my brother in law) does. He does a whole mountain like every other day. He's crazy. Paul took a picture probably every 10 seconds, so we have LOTS to choose from to post. The colors were so pretty yesterday. I love it when fall is starting to come. It's the perfect temperature, and the smells! How I love the smell of fall! It was just a pretty perfect day all together.

One of Paul's many "artistic" pictures he took.

Us at the top finally!

The Honeymoon Adventures

2009-09-17T19:35:00.000-06:00

For our honeymoon, Paul and I went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was an amazing trip! Paul did such a good planning the trip, and getting the best hotel. It was such a nice place to stay at. We really did nothing, except on my birthday. I'll blog about that later though. All we'd do every day is sit by the pool, go to the beach, and walk on the marina at night. It was way too hot to do it during the day. We learned that the hard way. It was a much needed vacation.

On our way to snorkel on my birthday

at the marina

on lover's beach

Paul will be embarrassed I posted that picture. but i like it anyways.

Us on the beach by our hotel. There's a couple totally getting it on behind us. Pretty awkward.

A view from the hotel

A great view of the hotel. Paul did such a good job.

Another pool. Such a beautiful place!

We're Back!

2009-09-14T14:30:00.000-06:00

So we finally got back from Cabo San Lucas. It's not too fun leaving paradise, but it's fun setting up our place and getting situated. The wedding went perfectly, and I loved everything about it! It went super well, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. I'll post more about the wedding once we get pictures back.

Here were some of my favorite pictures from our bridal/groomal pictures. Paul was such a good sport during all of the pictures. I was really grateful for that. It was FREEZING that day up at the cabin. You can't tell in the pictures, but it was so cold that it had snowed earlier that day. But it really couldn't have been a prettier day. The colors were so vibrant around us.

I loved my flowers so much! Thank you, AMAZING FLORISTS!!!!!

it's vein, I know. Oh well.

2 more days!!!

2009-09-01T15:28:00.000-06:00

I decided that since Paul and I are getting married it's time to start this blogging thing. We'll see how it goes. Just 2 more days until the WEDDING!!!! It can not come fast enough