Halloween at the Jones home

I made these little hooties for my VT's.

and a bigger set for my Mom.

The kids had a creepy time making pudding eyeballs for a FHE treat.

Oh Halloween Day we tried to Keep the Sabbath holy and fun, with the few extra minutes before church we took pictures.

here is Brian and I on our way to the neighbor hood block party...or first one!

Costume Parties

We had a fabulous Halloween. I passionately refuse to buy store bought, cheaply made, but still very expensive costumes. I prefer to make mine or thrift one.

Brian was Darth Vader. I made his shirt with applique and sewed his cape.

He loved the new Light Saber best of all.

Katie was the cutest bumble bee ever!

I thrifted her costume and made the pom-poms for her slippers and hair.

Susan was a purple fairy. Easy to please we had most of her stuff already.

Gordon was Yoda to match Brian.

I made his costume and was very pleased he kept his hat on most of the night!

After we had finished all the costumes. A neighbor called and asked if our girls wanted to match the teenage girls and let them take the girls trick-or-treating. I knew my girls would love that, so we borrowed costumes from Mardell (hers are also hand crafted :)and the girls got to wear 2 costumes for 2 parties. Katie is Jasmine and Susan is Belle posing with our neighbor and Baby sitter Juliette.

Today at 4:00

Today was cool day. not too cold at all, it is just starting to feel cool all day.

At 4:00 almost everybody was out side doing their own thing.

I was sweeping the porch.

yes we live in a BRIGHT pink house.

Brian wandered to the far end of the yard to make friends with a wild kitten. The kitten was more friendly then I have ever seen it. It kept rubbing up to Brian and letting it pet her.

Katie was spinning in her Halloween skirt.
(this was a few days before and actually prob 6:30..Susan was in the bathtub today at 4:00)
On this day she was helping me make dinner and set the table.
Mostly she kept sneaking bites of potatoes.


My favorite..Gordon was discovering dirt.

Happy 4:00 everybody!

Crafting Ghost Family

During Fall break the kids had a, messy fun time making a Ghost family.

Susan waiting for the starch and cheese cloth to dry.

Katie Bella looking sweet and innocent

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!