Thirty-Five & A Little Competition...

This past Saturday was a special day for this handsome young buck...

Mark turned 35...THIRTY-FIVE!!!!! I am not sure why but his turning 35 has bothered me a little. I guess because it sounds like such a "grown-up"...or maybe because it is so close to 40...or maybe because it means I'm not far behind....ugh. But even though he has a few more grey hairs (thanks kids) and a few more aches and pains than he used to, I can honestly say that my hubby just gets better with age! :-)




Also on Saturday, Kayli had her first full Winter Guard competition and since it was close to home, some of the family was able to come out to watch. Here are a few pictures of the proud spectators....

The competition was great and DHS came in 4th place. The girls have worked so hard and it definitely shows. The performance was beautiful. I even teared up a little as I watched my baby girl spin and dance and do things with a sword and rifle that I could never do! She looked so graceful and full of confidence and it made this Momma proud! 

Overall, it was a great day for the Jones'! 

Last Weekend....

Last weekend, we all piled up and went shopping for a new couch and TV. The kids killed some time in the car by trying to find Waldo... 



(Any moment in time that involves the two of them not fighting MUST be captures in photos!)

We did actually find a couch and a TV that day and after we emptied the boxes that the couch was in, Chase had a blast creating his own box-house. But not just any box-house....a 2-story box-house complete with a VCR and TV! He stayed in that house all weekend....until the middle collapsed and we finally had to put it out of its misery.

 

 

 

 

 

We also took some time last weekend to spend a little quality time with some of the family.

 

 

 

 

 

A few good words to describe life right now-random...disshelved...unorganized....chaotic....exhausted. Our house is upside-down due to the new living room updates (which has quickly turned into a playroom/kitchen/living room/hallway update) and Mark has been really busy at work (working all night and day recently) which has slowed our progress. Pair that with parent meetings at school, science projects, projects at work that required me to work late last week, baseball signups/tryouts, color guard practices, etc. etc.etc. I guess you just have to embrace the crazy side of life sometimes....right?

 

 

  



 



Home Improvement...

Thanks to a leaky roof, we had some water damage in our living room. Of course, we could have just replaced a few panels and painted but what would be the fun in that??? Instead, we have opted for a complete living room revamp! Mark and I have even learned a little on what it means to compromise....I get a sectional - he gets a new fireplace-mounted TV. See-It's not just a home-improvement project...it's a relationship-builder. Money well spent! :)

Luckily, my Dad is a home improvement guru and volunteered to help us out with some of our projects. This weekend we got started by replacing some of the damaged paneling and installing new crown moulding. We still have a LOT more work to do but at least we can finally see some progress!

Poor Sammy....he is so confused!

Let the planning begin!

 

 

Of course, Mark and my Dad couldn't have made it without a little help from my Mom and I....

 

 

Just kidding - this is what we really did most of the day....

 

  

Actually, I did help the guys out most of the day with whatever I could while my Mom helped me out by doing our laundry and helping the kids clean their rooms......wait- maybe we should do this every weekend???

 

 

After a long day, we finally got all of the crown up and caulked and ready to paint. We have a lot more to do but for now....I'm off to shop for couches and TV's!!

 

 

Thank You, Thank You,Thank you to my Mom and Dad for all of your help!!!

  

Great Weekend with Great Friends......

Last weekend we were SO EXCITED to have the opportunity to spend some time at Lake Martin with the very best friends you could ever ask for! Some of our friends are lucky enough to have family members with a lake house that is not too shabby....as in unbelievable, to-die-for, beautiful, I-could-stay-forever, featured in "Better Homes and Gardens" gorgeous! See for your self....



 

 

Of course the house was FABULOUS...but it didn't compare to spending the weekend with the great company of our closest friends, Keith, Amy, Jamey and Melanie (along with a whole slew of kids). We arrived late Friday night and quickly settled in for a comfy night in our PJ's while the kids played and we grilled steaks and relaxed after a long, hard work week. (Kayli, unfortunately, did not make this trip as she had a Color Guard mini-event in Nashville. Also, our other good friends Steve and Tonya couldn't be there due to other engagements...we sure did miss them all! )

 

 

 

 

The next morning started with a friendly game of kids vs. Dads basketball game....

 

 

 

That game ended with a friendly Father-Son wager with the loser being tasked with presenting the winner with a bowl full of ice cream - king/servant style. The kids lost and paid their dues.....

Later that afternoon, we all got dressed up in our Orange/Blue gear to attend the Auburn vs. Ole Miss basketball game (well, everyone except Amy who is as big of an AU fan as you will find....until they play Ole Miss!) We drove into Auburn and ate at Mellow Mushroom before heading to the game. I personally had never been to a College basketball game and have never been a big fan of basketball so I had no idea what to expect. However, it was SO MUCH FUN! The atmosphere was awesome, there was not a bad seat in the house and it was a great game. Unfortunately, Auburn lost the game by 1 point after a questionable call by the ref to which a fan sitting behind us so eloquently stated...."We #!*;$# lost the %#@!* game by one &;*#@!* point because of that *&;!@# ref!!! Even though it was an emotional loss for some :) we still had a great time and can't wait to head back to the plains as soon as possible to attend another game.



 

 

The next morning we packed up and got ready to head home. But not before we had a little fun on the GIANT swingset built in the front yard.







(That is me way up there....and I have never been so scared IN MY LIFE!!! And this first video is proof....)

We even got a few videos of Mark and Jamey being their usual crazy selves...

 

 

 

 

Although it was nowhere near long enough, we had such a great weekend. We always enjoy spending time as a group and feel so fortunate that these people were put into our lives. We love you all and look forward to many, many more unforgettable memories!! :)