tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-177423912012-01-28T18:52:08.649-05:00Stephen and Beth Jones and familyThe Jones Familynoreply@blogger.comBlogger1091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-37465177448778618992012-01-28T18:51:00.001-05:002012-01-28T18:52:08.657-05:00

by Peter "Bama" (the dog) has been a great dog for us. She is a shih tzu (SHEET-ZOO) mix. It was fun having our Grampa here for a couple of weeks. That equals about 100 scrabble games, and about 30 chess games. Along with naps, walks, jokes, and all kinds of things. Winter has been more of a "Winter and Spring" mix this year. 1 in., then it melts. 3 in., then that melts, etc.. Weird winter for

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-35327114431434201002011-07-22T10:09:00.001-04:002011-07-22T10:09:58.957-04:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-48947779724195129802011-07-21T20:01:00.002-04:002011-07-21T20:04:53.843-04:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-87329725015866830652011-07-18T09:49:00.001-04:002011-07-18T09:49:10.488-04:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-88751958048876393062011-07-18T09:45:00.001-04:002011-07-18T09:51:50.209-04:00

The Jones Family

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-28944317893376294512011-05-28T16:10:00.001-04:002011-05-28T16:10:19.469-04:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-42387932205258245102011-05-26T21:05:00.002-04:002011-05-31T07:16:55.955-04:00

David and Daniel have different reactions to an adjustment in the game rules!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-58618048249373041102010-12-22T08:32:00.000-05:002010-12-22T08:32:17.330-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Joneses! Just wanted to share our 2010 Family Christmas Letter: It’s nice sitting down to write this letter knowing that we are blessed with so many great friends and family. We appreciate our relationships will all of you! We’ll get right to the point and start bragging about our kids! Abby (21) and her husband Simeon both graduated (with honors!) from Indiana

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-29361707644008443052010-11-03T08:40:00.000-04:002010-11-03T08:40:40.652-04:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-40317082808905933112010-10-13T22:05:00.001-04:002010-10-13T22:05:03.650-04:00

David's new hobby

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-67996580335616753342010-08-09T17:57:00.003-04:002010-08-09T18:06:46.471-04:00

I guess we all have our own individual gifts and talents!  Here's Daniel's....

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-51361086276828354012010-08-04T13:12:00.002-04:002010-08-04T13:39:13.031-04:00

Peter, David, and Andrew Cute imitators....

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-78237110231673512022010-08-04T07:44:00.002-04:002010-08-04T13:31:38.930-04:00

I thought I'd added more than just 2 pictures in the last post. Oh well....trying again! David building his birdhouse at camp Daniel Peter and Andrew playing video games at Abby's Not a very good picture, but this is special - my oldest and youngest together!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-89407325039640534232010-08-02T09:37:00.002-04:002010-08-04T13:34:56.495-04:00

Just a few random pictures... Daniel, Andrew, and David Peter behind them (we're in the big van on the way to Marion, IN for Campus Challenge) Peter (in the blue hat) building a birdhouse during Family Camp at Winding Creek

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-6940756158117837512010-08-02T09:07:00.001-04:002010-08-02T09:07:19.237-04:00

So this is Daniel's reaction when he hears his brother is sick! Germaphobic!!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-50068749478935569962010-07-23T21:04:00.002-04:002010-08-04T13:41:52.480-04:00

My 10!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-89539257456128558782010-07-23T20:59:00.002-04:002010-08-04T13:44:23.965-04:00

Together in Marion, In.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-76219640014422560182010-07-11T15:25:00.001-04:002010-07-11T15:25:24.007-04:00

All settled in at Nanny & Grampy's camper ready for Family Camp at Winding Creek!  It's hot (around 90 today) so we're thankful for air conditioning and the swimming pool.  I'm sure it will be a great week!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-84454500633514627572010-06-23T21:28:00.001-04:002010-06-23T21:28:36.110-04:00

We enjoyed spending the afternoon and evening with Nanny and Grampy and Mark and his family out at their camper at Winding Creek Camp.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-26612152920078196022010-06-17T23:06:00.001-04:002010-06-17T23:06:30.168-04:00

Stephen's away and look what I find in my bed!  Good thing they're so cute! :-)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-50874448540357049272010-06-15T18:50:00.001-04:002010-06-15T18:50:27.684-04:00

...the cutest little catcher around! :-)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-47119130852324111492010-06-12T13:05:00.001-04:002010-06-12T13:05:56.405-04:00

When Grampy is around, Peter is often found doing whatever Grampy is doing.  This is a good example of that.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-7103085026297605802010-06-10T16:34:00.001-04:002010-06-10T16:34:13.940-04:00

Daniel, Peter, and David enjoying an ice cream cone in downtown Hastings.  Thanks, Nanny & Grampy!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-19160770979893918062010-06-09T15:43:00.001-04:002010-06-09T15:43:54.582-04:00

The older guys gave a hand to help set up the summer bathtub for the little guys!  It's their cleanest time of year!:-)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-85081886902306909532010-06-07T13:39:00.002-04:002010-06-07T16:22:34.068-04:00

I enjoy puttering with perennials in my flower beds.  This year I hope to keep up with the progress by taking pictures more often.  Maybe the pictures will help next spring when i can't remember what's planted where!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-63352697274804743272010-05-30T21:02:00.002-04:002010-06-03T08:49:05.591-04:00

The beaches along Lake Michigan really are beautiful.  We haven't taken full advantage of living so close, but we did enjoy it today!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-56138146300606850232010-05-29T08:53:00.000-04:002010-05-29T08:53:13.474-04:00

Paul graduated from Byron Center Charter School May 27, 2010.  We're proud of him and excited about his plans for the future.  He'll be heading to Bethany Bible College in the fall where he'll study global missions. Congratulations, Paul!  We love you!!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-6140269042017551532010-05-25T19:14:00.001-04:002010-05-25T19:14:37.288-04:00

First time at bat for the night and he gets a beautiful base hit!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-29235669966798776852010-05-25T11:57:00.001-04:002010-05-25T11:57:43.643-04:00

One of the things I love about warm evenings is sitting on my porch swing and having my guys hang out with me.  This was a rare moment when I had 5 of them at once.  The picture only shows Paul, Philip, and Andrew, but we were also enjoying the company of Thomas and Sam.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-13914047477249229182010-05-25T11:51:00.001-04:002010-05-25T11:51:03.383-04:00

I'm trying to see how smart my new smart phone is when the user is not so smart! :-)  If i can figure out this mobile thing, I just might do more blogging!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-46255776489029439382010-05-25T11:45:00.002-04:002010-05-25T12:01:46.941-04:00

And no, the Elmer's bottle in the background is not him trying to glue it back in! Don't have a clue why that was on the deck!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-90571269065143828322009-12-07T15:09:00.002-05:002009-12-07T15:16:30.789-05:00

"The Wedding" Abby and Simeon were married at College Wesleyan Church on May 9th. It was an absolutely wonderful time! The wedding was beautiful and the time with family and friends precious. Tony Purkey, Thomas Jones, Simeon, David Turkington, Josh Jones, Paul Jones David and Daniel Jones   Megan Stewart, Kelly Wright, Abby, Lindi Simmons, Holly Carlton, Amity Turkington Anna and

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-89075256531890890342009-12-07T10:00:00.001-05:002009-12-07T14:43:00.413-05:00

This may be hopeless...but I'd really like to try to get back to keeping up this blog! Some of the boys have been reminding me that I haven't been doing it, and they seem to enjoy it when I do. If nothing else, it's a good family archive! So .....backing up to last February! The last entry was about Jack. He's still with us and doing great. He's been a really good pet. I didn't realize how much

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-57152783302263709422009-02-14T08:01:00.003-05:002009-02-14T09:02:03.777-05:00

Yesterday was one of those rare days when everything just works out! Paul and Thomas's school is out for a long weekend winter break, Stephen had a day off, the stomach bug that has been lingering around our house stayed away, it was my birthday, and we got to spend the day enjoying being together. We had hoped that the day would work out that way, but you just never know! We wanted to do

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-55634962386385458972009-01-23T07:25:00.007-05:002009-01-23T16:45:49.544-05:00

Wednesday, I became an American citizen! After living here in the US most of my life, I finally began the process of naturalization last May. It's been interesting! Things went very smoothly and I was surprised at how simple it was.The swearing in ceremony was held at the Gerald Ford Museum here in Grand Rapids. There were 81 people from 35 different countries being naturalized. It was a very

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-82805902765810711862009-01-09T12:49:00.004-05:002009-01-09T12:59:19.082-05:00

Even with 9 sons, I still sometimes find myself amazed at what boys will do.It's windy, snowing, 23 degrees, the windchill is 9 degress and Philip, Sam, Andrew and David are outside playing football!I'm glad that energy is being spent outdoors! By the way, I took these pictures from INSIDE the house!!Time to go make some hot chocolate....

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-26327744097205508952009-01-01T22:48:00.005-05:002009-01-01T23:01:14.115-05:00

The Jones home has now made the big time: Google Maps Street View. Naturally, there's no way to take a snapshot of our home without catching two of our boys in the yard. Amazing, but creepy technology. Go ahead and do a 360-degree spin.View Larger Map

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-50539211915252321002008-12-21T17:16:00.003-05:002008-12-21T17:34:14.811-05:00

We're now officially under a blizzard warning with an actual temp of 6. So much for my goal to NOT cancel church services this winter. Our 40 mph winds today are quite impressive. The artwork that the snow and wind create is still a unique thing for Bama people to behold.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-79011450007414532602008-11-30T19:01:00.007-05:002008-11-30T20:04:26.582-05:00

[note: this post is written mostly for a "southern" audience--for you Michiganders, it's old news] Tomorrow is December, so it stands to reason that it might start snowing sometime soon. Today, the lake-effect snow machine started cranking out its stuff. In spite of all of the winter weather drama here, nothing matches the enthusiasm of Alabama's James Spann when there's a tornado warning. My

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-73978517943791646012008-11-18T09:34:00.004-05:002008-11-18T09:54:07.246-05:00

Stephen was driving down a country road (bringing Paul and Thomas home from school) when an SUV crossed the road in front of him. They were supposed to stop and either just didn't, or did, but then pulled out in front of him (didn't see him or thought they could make it??). He slammed head on into their rear quarter panel.We're so grateful for God's protection. Seatbelts and airbags no doubt

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-57816772067290700052008-11-11T09:32:00.002-05:002008-11-11T09:44:25.430-05:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-77210872884840756602008-11-10T22:23:00.004-05:002008-11-11T08:44:58.028-05:00

[Steve is hijacking the blog]—We we’re reading a devotional tonight at the supper table about God’s command to Joshua to pull out the flint knife and circumcise the Israelites. (The topic had to do with commitment). This naturally required me to explain what circumcision was to our eight sons (the ones who didn’t know). Not that our supper table is ever formal, but as you can imagine, this

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-80642164520323744922008-11-09T20:58:00.005-05:002008-11-09T21:58:14.079-05:00

and my last post had kids in the pool on July 4th. Guess I'm a bit overdue to update, huh?Obviously a lot has happened since then. Here's a month by month overview:July - One highlight of that month was the week we spent in Hastings, MI at Winding Creek Camp for Family/Youth Camp. Everyone enjoyed camp and the change of pace was nice. We were thrilled to have the use of a cottage all week and

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-82346524550187949272008-07-06T18:40:00.003-04:002008-07-06T18:50:13.837-04:00

We've had a fun July 4th weekend. The weather has been perfect for enjoying outdoor activities. Here are a few photos:David, Philip, and Daniel in our backyard pool On Uncle Mark's lake Peter The older guys jumping on the water tramp David

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-88032892876169401972008-07-01T12:04:00.003-04:002008-07-01T12:10:01.047-04:00

Andrew and Sam in front of their cabins at Kids' CampPaul's Kittens - 3 weeks oldOne at 4 weeksDavid and Andrew with our neighbor, Donna, in front ofher hollyhocks - the largest I've ever seen!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-89376291517710838682008-06-23T10:30:00.010-04:002008-06-23T18:10:34.943-04:00

Here's what's been happening with the Jones family:Abby is in Oregon. For some strange reason she seems to like being out there! :) She and Simeon are doing concerts together - every Sunday a different church - and she has a job at a store (something like a T.J. Maxx is how she described it). She's having a great summer!Joshua is in Canada where he's in the EXALT choir once again this year.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-14770146886834769232008-05-29T16:46:00.003-04:002008-05-29T16:50:22.629-04:00

Family Volleyball!(and Daniel and the engaged daughter weren't available).

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-14680533862946926402008-05-29T16:38:00.005-04:002008-05-29T16:46:11.773-04:00

We're in that time of year where we see sunsets after 9:30 pm. Within a matter of seconds, the colors morph from bluish pink to reddish orange.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-78569358011500867752008-05-29T16:24:00.007-04:002008-05-29T16:52:50.825-04:00

Josh graduated from Byron Center Charter School as valedictorian! We're proud of you Josh!Marching with Chuck Taylors!The valedictorian speech has the principal laughing!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-51498482416791734592008-05-18T06:58:00.005-04:002008-05-18T08:18:20.957-04:00

It's official!! Simeon and Abby are getting married! It's bittersweet for Mom and Dad, but Dad did consent and had given his blessing. We are thrilled that she's found a wonderful man and have no doubt God has great plans for their future. The proposal happened at Disneyland and Simeon had made arrangements for a photographer to capture the moment. Here he is down on one knee.She said, "Yes!",

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-73677077904427279072008-05-08T22:04:00.006-04:002008-05-08T23:38:10.104-04:00

Here's the latest news at the Joneses...Abby's school year is done and she and Simeon are home for a short visit. They'll leave this weekend and fly to his home in Oregon where she'll go with his family to Disneyland next week and then join him (singing and playing the piano) in several concerts that he'll be holding. She'll come back mid June to spend the rest of the summer in Michigan.Joshua is

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-4269260799717350832008-04-18T15:08:00.010-04:002008-04-18T17:34:35.130-04:00

Lots happening for the Joneses in April! I'll try to keep it short and get in all the news!!First, the sad news. Our family's dog, Buddy, who's been with us for almost 8 years (since he was an 8 week old puppy) died this week. We live on a very busy highway and had worried since we moved here that his natural instinct to run out into the road would mean his demise. Unfortunately, that's what

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-872685848706886242008-03-28T17:52:00.005-04:002008-03-29T10:54:50.080-04:00

Steve, Allison, Megan, and Matt Stewart spent last week visiting with us! We had a great visit and loved being together. We learned something, too - at our age it is NOT possible to stay up half the night talking and then get up and function normally the next day! :)We had a great day trip to Chicago while they were here. Here are some highlights:Lunch at a genuine "Chicago-style pizza" joint:

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-7355469046347191922008-03-13T17:31:00.000-04:002008-03-28T17:51:38.033-04:00

Another fun learning experience for the southern kids.....tapping the maple trees, gathering buckets of sap, and boiling it down to make sweet, 100% pure maple syrup! It's very basic process, but rather time and energy consuming. First, the maple trees are "tapped" - a hole is drilled and a spout inserted. A bucket is hung on the spout and the sap flows into it. The rate of flow varies depending

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-22157303363247949542008-02-29T16:51:00.004-05:002008-02-29T17:06:08.877-05:00

When I picked David up from his SS class his teacher told me an interesting thing. The lesson was about sharing. They talked about giving and sharing in different situations and circumstances. When she asked what we can give in church David's responsed, "BIRTH!".Not sure where that came from!He's cute, though! :)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-59805607746788634062008-02-16T18:22:00.005-05:002008-02-16T19:41:01.480-05:00

Well, not exactly. But this is only about the 4th day of solid sunshine that we can recall in 2008. And so you tend to view it as a worship experience (of the sun's creator).The sunset snow-shoveling solemn sixth son. (Andrew)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-68009527373985346632008-02-12T20:39:00.000-05:002008-02-12T21:38:41.433-05:00

We're officially ready for Spring...or something with a different color. According to the National Weather Service, we've had 80.1 inches of snow so far this season (and that's 26.4 inches above normal).We've also had to cancel our last Sunday morning worship service and our last two Wednesday night events.But it's easy to get restless and forget the reality that...one day warm weather WILL

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-19392423302652846392008-01-25T00:51:00.000-05:002008-01-25T01:08:50.886-05:00

Since I (Steve) have already hijacked this blog once today…I figured I’d do it again. From time to time, I get an email or phone call from Alabama friends asking about our church and my role as a pastor and “how’s it going?” Since this blog mostly centers around our family activities and how we Southerners experience new stuff in Michigan, I figured I’d share a couple of my own thoughts.Believe

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-19651990172755410442008-01-24T21:42:00.000-05:002008-01-24T22:42:50.494-05:00

Steve is hijacking this blog for a moment. Since the New Year began, I've been trying to do some things that are more "artery-friendly". Other than cutting back on certain types of foods, I'm also trying to walk more (it's handier and cheaper than going to a gym). After 5 days of snow, we finally got some sunshine. And so it seemed like a good day for a walk around our 3-mile "block". Even though

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-65268568870295992752008-01-22T20:13:00.000-05:002008-01-26T12:17:18.845-05:00

We're in the thick of Michigan winter and hanging in there! We've often heard of "lake effect" snow....now we know what it is! Basically, as cold air moves in over the warm lake snow clouds form and dump the snow near the lakeshore. The area impacted is relatively localized and the clouds don't move on out. Remember how cartoons often have an image of a rain cloud hovering over one area? That's

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-23660918269958384352008-01-06T20:15:00.001-05:002008-01-06T20:32:57.494-05:00

The New Year is ready to settle us back into routines, but with a few minor changes. We enjoyed - and got very used to! - having Abby home for Christmas, but she's returned to Indiana Wesleyan University for her second semester. She almost had to take Daniel (our family nickname for him is, rather appropriately, "Monkey".Leaving with her good friend, Holly Carlton:Joshua has started a part-time

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-78115510990810118442008-01-01T14:22:00.000-05:002008-01-01T14:36:06.788-05:00

Beth was thrilled to be able to get away this past weekend and attend her niece's wedding in Macon, Georgia. It was a wonderful weekend! Here's the bride and groom, Jack and Sara (Neyman) PylesThese are the Gorveatte family members present. The back row is Fred, Ruth (Beth's sister), Sara and Jack, Stephanie, and Joseph Neyman. Beth's brother Joel Gorveatte and his wife Tracy are behind Beth on

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-27061966112527253862008-01-01T14:16:00.000-05:002008-01-01T17:27:47.983-05:00

We've discovered a fun family activity in downtown Grand Rapids. It almost makes you feel like you're at Rockefeller Center in New York! The best part for our large family is it only costs $1 per person!!Thomas (14), Joshua (17), and Paul (15)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-36067957027424996142008-01-01T14:11:00.000-05:002008-01-01T14:38:18.020-05:00

Someone asked us the other day if we'd skipped Christmas because we hadn't updated our blog! We didn't, and here are some pictures to prove it!Paul surrounded by onlookers Abby, David, Andrew, Peter, and DanielDaniel and David opening a shared gift.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-33486377818128019722007-12-16T16:30:00.001-05:002008-06-21T21:34:37.675-04:00

Southerners are still amazed with snow. Here's some afternoon video after 7 inches fell last night.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-66259002077364766222007-12-15T20:20:00.000-05:002007-12-16T16:45:23.903-05:00

Four of our boys participated in the West Michigan Homeschool Fine Arts Christmas concert. Philip played the cello, Sam played the trumpet, Andrew & Peter played recorders and sang in the choir.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-31652429783396943102007-12-03T13:31:00.000-05:002007-12-03T13:36:35.031-05:00

We had a little more snow last night. Behind our house, there's one small hill which is handy for sledding. For our younger 6 boys, this is their first real snow.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-14696483813189644192007-12-02T14:47:00.000-05:002007-12-02T14:53:22.354-05:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-57588282669792249282007-12-01T22:25:00.001-05:002007-12-01T22:37:47.385-05:00

The forecast today called for some "wintry" weather. Sure enough the snow started falling last this afternoon......It wasn't long before it was beginning to accumulate and the boys were anxious for it to be enough to go sledding. Unfortunately for them, about the time it reached that point we had a dinner meeting and they were sequestered in the downstairs den. Finally, about 10:00 everyone was

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-86354408708183964212007-11-24T09:28:00.000-05:002007-11-24T09:39:42.157-05:00

It violates all Mom's sense of tradition, but we got our Christmas tree yesterday! Tradition says we do it on the first Saturday of December, but if we did that this year (and I suppose every year forward!!), Abby wouldn't be with us. So, we joined the ranks of those who put up trees at Thanksgiving. It's painful for Mom, but Abby's more than worth it!! :)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-43969120238793102732007-11-23T10:13:00.001-05:002007-11-23T10:29:19.028-05:00

We are enjoying having Abby home so much!! She's such a joy! She and the little guys had a photo session and the pictures are too great not to share!!!Andrew, David, and Abby Andrew, Daniel, Peter (back left), and David (back right) Notice Daniel's pajama outfit....he's quite the fashion king!Philip (12) with AbbyHow sweet - Peter loves his big sister!!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-55665876526274781392007-11-21T20:55:00.000-05:002007-11-21T21:07:50.758-05:00

We're spending a quiet (well, not exactly quiet) evening at home! Joshua's girlfriend, Carly, came for dinner and to meet Abby and now everyone's hanging around the living room playing games, playing with cameras etc.Dad and Abby officially opened the Christmas season (24 hours early by Mom's standards!!!) by singing a duet of "White Christmas" inspired by our tonight's forecast of a couple of

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-46274329408412553702007-11-13T17:24:00.000-05:002007-11-13T17:35:53.424-05:00

Daniel is crazy about anything with wheels and engines. He LOVES to play with this train set. It's a battery hog and a set of batteries never last for more than a day or so. Every once in awhile I make his day by getting him a new set of batteries! Today was one of those days! :)Sam and Andrew are trying to get the leaves up before the snow falls!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-49665635061912130222007-11-08T21:51:00.000-05:002007-11-08T21:53:27.824-05:00

The second is sure to come out any day now.....just in time for him to sing: "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth....."!!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-1787266454453034772007-11-08T21:43:00.000-05:002007-11-08T21:50:57.043-05:00

But this sleet was our first taste of wintry weather. I think there's likely to be just a bit more over the next few months!! :)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-59958589310621366862007-11-05T12:54:00.000-05:002007-11-05T13:05:03.233-05:00

We're enjoying living so close to Beth's brother Mark and his family. Since his wife Sherry is an LSU alum and big fan, we had fun watching the game together. During halftime we celebrated cousin Jordan's 10th birthday.Philip and Sam watching Aunt Sherry light the candles.Yeah! We managed to surprise her!! :)

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-83727146563241800272007-11-05T12:48:00.001-05:002007-11-05T12:53:58.382-05:00

The little guys are excited about getting to use their new mittens (they have lots thanks in part to the Michigan cousins -Kate and Seth - who moved to Alabama!! :) but Mom's wondering how we're going to keep up with them all!!! If the forecast holds, we'll be seeing more than just frost by tomorrow morning!!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-3136359782901162272007-11-05T12:44:00.001-05:002007-11-05T12:47:42.318-05:00

....but first you have to bring in and stack up the wood:then you all gather around to "help" Dad light the fire!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-4893219308760748702007-11-05T12:23:00.000-05:002007-11-05T12:43:10.570-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to post these last week! We enjoyed an afternoon at the zoo on Tuesday of last week. The weather was perfect - upper 60's and no wind - and we pretty much had the place to ourselves! We're thinking it'll be interesting to go back in the snow this winter!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-75713616687077174732007-11-01T15:07:00.001-04:002007-11-01T15:22:48.776-04:00

Peter the PirateAndrew - "Moses", Sam "Secret Service Agent", PeterDavid - "Clown", Daniel - "Woody"DanielDavid

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-48289517322733775892007-10-29T21:53:00.000-04:002007-10-29T22:17:04.719-04:00

Here's a video clip of Abby singing with the IWU Chorale in Kalamazoo.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-32200114662713119992007-10-28T21:54:00.000-04:002007-10-28T22:03:48.176-04:00

We got to hear the IWU chorale tonight! They were performing in Kalamazoo - just 40 miles from here - and we were thrilled to be able to go. They were amazing!Of course, SHE's the star!! It was pretty neat to see Tuscaloosa friends, too. Devin Kerstetter, Laura Kennedy, and Jeffrey Jensen (not pictured) are also in chorale. I think Daniel was a bit confused at seeing Laura. He remembered her,

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-78858236532801177602007-10-21T16:46:00.000-04:002007-10-21T17:05:24.073-04:00

Here are some random pictures from the last couple of weeks. Notice all the birthday cakes? We've had 3 birthdays in the last 2 weeks! Philip turned 12 on the 9th, and on the 18th Thomas turned 14 and David 6. Philip Sam and Daniel Philip This picture is included more to show you my favorite trees than to show Thomas practicing soccer! ThomasDavid

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-62534580638913528022007-10-14T17:09:00.000-04:002007-10-14T17:15:20.851-04:00

Mom's laptop has been out of commission this week so the photos are slow in getting processed, but follow this link and scroll down just a bit (but not before looking at the cute pictures of their precious kids!) to see some pictures of a recent fun time we shared with the other families from our church staff: http://www.ncypjoshisconfused.blogspot.com/.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-28531121914928861522007-10-06T22:21:00.000-04:002007-10-06T22:44:15.192-04:00

NEWS FLASH!!!!!!David (5) has learned how to ride a bike!! He's been very timid about trying and really hasn't been interested in learning, but last week he saw a 3 yr. old and 4 yr. old (our asst. pastor - Josh and Jess Crisp's kids) riding and apparently it was just the motivation he needed!NEWS FLASH #2: THOMAS SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL!!No doubt it was due to the large number of personal fans -

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-7934672776518312152007-10-02T14:36:00.000-04:002007-10-04T14:48:30.180-04:00

In our freezer!! :)It's one thing to go to the grocery store and buy a roast or hamburger meat, but it's another to go to a butcher and get a side of beef processed! It makes the cow part of it all a lot more real!!On another note....today David (5) came in VERY excited! Our neighbors' guinea hens had baby chicks that had just hatched! It was pretty cool for everyone. I've tried to get one of the

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-6480454568805887922007-09-29T08:11:00.001-04:002007-09-29T08:24:07.275-04:00

A couple in our church has a pumpkin patch and invited us to come visit. It was lots of fun! Just when you think you've found the biggest, you see another that beats it! Everyone got to pick out their own to bring home. Since the walk back to the van was pretty long, Mom cautioned everyone to pick one they would be able to carry. Peter struggled with his, but found that he could stop every

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-85986199697364994672007-09-27T08:05:00.000-04:002007-10-06T22:50:29.497-04:00

The boys got to help our neighbor dig potatoes from his garden today. Their yield was 2 bushels! David came home and exclaimed, "Mom! The potatoes were under the ground!!!"

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-25533203354248636562007-09-25T12:36:00.001-04:002007-11-22T23:06:55.143-05:00

Daniel, Peter, and David playing in the field behind our house.Andrew getting educated. He's in 4th grade this year.

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-34222290639618608822007-09-22T13:14:00.001-04:002007-09-22T13:22:10.235-04:00

We have had beautiful weather this week! Not sure how many more weekends will be warm enough to wash the cars!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-66389326245817566722007-09-22T12:47:00.001-04:002007-09-22T13:12:46.485-04:00

These pictures aren't for showing off the kids, but rather, for giving you a feel of the community park. The building here is the Township Office and Community Hall. Behind it is the library, a fire station, and recycling center.There's a tennis/basketball court, volleyball net/court, soccer field, playground, picnic pavillion, and a nice winding walking path.Across the street is a large gas

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-59700909050424022322007-09-18T22:01:00.000-04:002007-09-20T20:20:41.648-04:00

So, the warm clothes get all unpacked, and some of the summer things put away and now it's back in the 80's! Guess this is Michigan!! I hear it eventually does get cold and stay cold, though! :)These are just a couple of pictures I took while the younger boys and I went for a little hike tonight after supper. This is right across the road from us. Beautiful! A couple of people have asked to see

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-54296308458924497672007-09-15T14:23:00.000-04:002007-09-15T14:35:29.387-04:00

The last couple of days we've had a brief taste of fall. The high temperature only 58 and down near 40 last night. That meant Mom had to dig out the warmer clothes! Here's a sample of what that process looks like:Here's a new experience for the Jones family - attending a soccer game! Thomas came in a little late, and has absolutely no experience, but he joined a local soccer team with several

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-40517186411377795832007-09-13T17:20:00.000-04:002007-09-13T17:42:27.087-04:00

Today was a "day off" for Stephen and we spent it running errands in Holland. As soon as we got back the younger boys headed straight for their favorite spot - Mr. Gene's garden! He's our neighbor - and a very patient one I might add! He's spent so much time letting the boys ride around his farm on his golf cart and lets them "help" with picking produce. It's been really great for them!Daniel

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-63971651059734418342007-09-12T19:44:00.000-04:002007-09-12T19:45:37.254-04:00

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-52861148539060042912007-09-12T17:35:00.000-04:002007-09-12T17:44:40.791-04:00

Just testing my new camera! I guess I'm getting old, because I'm finding it harder and harder to learn how to use new things. I'll try playing with it some, though, and hope to get some pictures up soon!

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-85879361663612724762007-09-02T22:12:00.000-04:002007-09-02T22:37:27.117-04:00

Here are some pictures from Abby moving into the dorm at IWU: David, Daniel and Peter were so cute helping carrying stuff to her room. Paul, Thomas, and Dad did the real work, but don't tell the little guys! :) This is Abby with her roomate, Haley. The little guys found lollipops (intended for the freshmen!) and

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-27268805063816928162007-08-26T22:07:00.000-04:002007-08-26T22:31:47.750-04:00

I really did have good intentions to keep this blog up to date, and my main excuse is that I need to get some pictures to include with my posts, but, I guess I've just be lazy! Or maybe busy??!! :)We're finally feeling pretty settled in our home. We have unpacked most all the boxes that will be unpacked (we have a wonderful storage space for those boxes that just need to sit) and I'm finally

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-41536053286786640242007-08-09T21:47:00.000-04:002007-08-09T21:57:03.794-04:00

What an exhausting week! I'm about to crash for the night, but since we're now all set up for internet access (and yes, we were able to get high speed cable access!!) I thought I'd better take just minute to let everyone know we did arrive in Burnips safely.Sunday night we had a problem with the hitch for the U-Haul trailer that our van was pulling and the delay cost us about 4 hours of time. We

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17742391.post-27280626163447917182007-08-05T07:51:00.001-04:002007-08-05T07:59:54.361-04:00

After a long day of loading trucks, we closed the doors on them late last night and are ready to pull out today after church. In spite of the heat (99 and high humidity) and in spite of the fact that we have WAAAAY too much junk, things really went quite smoothly. We had great helpers (thanks Gene, Steve, and Betty!!) and our own kids were great workers, too.We're really looking forward to our

The Jones Familynoreply@blogger.com1