loving the computer Camera!

Just a little happy video

We have made to the end of a crazy year.

We made it, we have survived and are stronger and better then before!

This was a heck of a year.

Let me recap.

Brian Graduated law School (on time never retaking a class)

Brian took the CA bar exam (hardest Bar exam in the NATION)

Move 3 miles away (to the most beautiful house we have ever lived in...an ocean view..big trees..beautiful kitchen..one bath room and no dishwasher, but lovely!)

Child #4 joins the family

Brian's Father died of Leukemia

1 week later Brian found out he did not pass the bar-did well, but not well enough

We move to AZ...in with the in laws

Kids move schools during school year

Brian takes AZ bar exam

Brian passes AZ bar exam hooray

Interview all over the place

In laws loose house in foreclosure (big house and land in Lehi to mobile home in trailer park)

Team Jones moves again (3 miles away to a historic home in Brian's fav. neighborhood. A very nice house with huge yard but smells like a smoker)

More job interviews

Brian Gets a job in a big fancy office building in Phoenix with a fancy law Firm (one year from the day he took the CA bar exam.)

Kids go back to School

Things start getting back to normal

We have had a crazy year and half. Everything has been stirred up and flipped over, but through it all we have been faithful.

Brian and I have tried to go to the temple often.

We keep recommitting ourselves to read the scriptures daily.

We have been praying constantly lots of times we said, "well lets go pray about this" as in right now lets kneel down and make a decision.

We have remained cheerful and told the kids what an adventure it always was,

we told the kids it was like camping the few days when we didn't have running water, the kitchen was completely packed, we had NO money to buy food AND moving plans had been delayed another week. We took cold bucked showers and had dinner with Grandma Gpa and the Figgins.

We told the kids it will be so fun going to live with Grandma Jones. Our family grew closer when we spent FHE's in Mommy and Daddy's room. We got to love and appreciate Grandma Jones as she made sacrifices for our family and gave up most of her house for us. We taught the kids to pray daily, "Katie will you go to your room right now and pray for..." then finally, we were able to say our prayers of thanks and dance around with tears of joy when Brian got a job offer.

Through all the change our love and faith has grown. We just celebrated 9 years of Marriage! and I am so happy to be married to Him! I love him more every day, I love the Man and Father he is, I am so proud of all he has accomplished, through all his trials her had always been faithful and loving to me.

I Know we have been blessed by heavenly father and my so many friends and family!

Just to name a few

Mommy stayed a week to help when Gordon was born! Taking the kids to school, making dinner, reading to the kids, cleaning the house dealing with Brian!

Clarissa came and helped us pack the whole house (neatly) in 3 days

Brains Cousins and helped drive cars to AZ

Scott and Lewis "moved out of the Family room" So we could have space alone very kind :)

Jenny has kept be company, hung out with me, aways makes we yummy lunches

and buys me lunch. She made us feel happy to move to AZ.

Samuel, has helped moved us a few times! and sell things

My parents helped a lot at the garage sale to benefit my Mother in Law

Charmaine has watched my kids lots of times (When we went to far away job interviews, moved, did 2 garage sales)

The in laws remodeled the house we are living in, and were patient during our trials.

Stewart Brian's older brother gave us the referral that got Brian his job at Phillips and Associates.

Our current Land Lord, and good friends, have been very charitable and patient!

I know lots of prayers have been said on our behalf

Our parents have gone without to share with us

My Grandparents have sacrificed so Brian could attend Law School

My sisters have been there to comfort me with encouragement and phone calls.

we are truly blessed and give prayers of thanksgiving every day!

it is always dangerous to name names, let me not forget to thank Mardell Wenger she baby sat more then I c an say, during law school, moving twice, lots of Dr apt. for babies, date nights, She also was definably my best friend in SD, lots of shopping trips and sewing projects (she pretty much taught me to sew!) I would have been so lonely with out her in San Diego...and now she is in Az with us! Hooray!

Also our good friend Ryan Robeson. He (and his people) bought the in laws house and resold it so we could live there for a few more weeks. He was very patient, as we had to extend the move out date many times!

Now. I am sure I left some more people out who served us,

and I know some family and friends would have served us also if they had the opportunity, so thanks to everybody!

Quilt for Jr

I have been doing impovement porjects to the furniture and home, Brian and I made an upholsterd head board, then I sewed matching pillows, back in March (maybe I will still blog it) I painted our dresser and nightstand black with gold drawers.

Just yeaterday I painted Susans todler bed, that was not a big a deal the bed was white, I just cleaned the bed and repainted white, now it looks new not like 3 todlers have been loving it for

6 years.

One project that was a big deal was that I sewed my first full size quilt!

I made it for Jr. I used mostly fabrics that I already had.

I always like that part best! It was my first full size quilt and I machine quilted it so there are a lot of puckers, especially on the back, but the qulit is for a young boy so I think it adds to the charm. Also the lines are not straight, some on puropse to add to the charm. In the end I love the way it turned out. Especially the flame blocks and the red blocks!

I hope it loves it for years, now we just need a bed (he is in a bunk bed with his sister) and his own bed room for him!

Gordon Says I Love You

For a few weeks Gordon had been dooing baby talk and I sewear it sounds like he is repeating back to me "I Love you."

Update

The last 8 months have been the most life changing months I think we may ever experience. Brian graduated Law School in May, He studied intently for 3 months during the summer in San Diego. While he studied for hours a day I took care of 3 kids and was pregnant. He took the California Bar Exam the end of August. We move about a week after the exam. Katie started Kindergarten and Brian went to 1st grade the beginning of September. Then a week later Gordon Kent was born. He spent some time in the NICU but was healthy and came home 5 days later. During the last month of that pregnancy I was the busiest I have ever been in the last trimester of any pregnancy. We moved to a new house, went on 2 hikes, lots of bike rides we played in the waves at the beach a few times and hosted company 3 times!
After Gordon was born we went to Arizona in late October. We went home to see my Father in Law while we were there we blessed Gordon Kent named after his grandfather, Kent, who was struggling with Leukemia. Grandpa Jones my husbands father passed away in early November. We went home to Arizona again for the funeral and stayed in Arizona week to wait to find out the Bar Exam results. Brian did not pass one of the hardest exams in the country, so we had to move back to Arizona. This move was bitter sweet we were definitely happy to be moving back but we only wish it was under better circumstances. We moved in with Brian's Mother to help pay the mortgage, help her adjust to being a widow, also it is a nice place to live while Brian prepared to take the Arizona Bar exam. he took the exam in February and now we wait again.
It may seem like we have been given a lot of trials but we still praise and thank Heavenly Father everyday. I know we are doing the right thing now. We love being home and we love where we live. Our kids are healthy, Gordon is a joy to our family, our kids are excelling in school and adjusted well. We love to be near family, and the Arizona weather has been perfect ever since we moved here. We are looking forward the future, a full time job and the blessings waiting for us. We know if we are faithful we will have the things we need.

october 2009

September 2009