I Am Number 4

It's that time of the year, when I pull out Landon's birthday video, hold him in my lap and get all emotional as we watch it.  In less than an hour from now, he will officially be 4! My little baby is growing up!  Landon has been a great addition to the family and even though the ride has been bumpy, it was a ride worth taking.  Landon, or Lou, or Lewtz, or Lou Gergz, or Landerson Cooper, or nug-nug, or Landy, depending on the day, has brought nothing but joy to our lives.  I have no idea how our family of 5 would have functioned, but it wouldn't as been as fun without Landon, that's for sure.  He is our shy, quiet guy, who when gets excited about something, won't shut up. :)  He loves doing things with his brothers and he has a special bond with his twin, Sissy.  The other kids see Landon as the baby and try to protect him. Today they are following him around calling him the "birthday boy."  It melts my Mommy heart to see how much these kids care for each other.  Sure they have some knock down, drag out fights, but they truly like each other and play well together.  My only hope is that they stay this close in to adulthood.  I love my kiddos, they are some very special souls that will bring light to this world!  I have no doubt that Landon is destined for greatness.  Every time I take the chance to observe him, I realize that any person that comes into contact with him is blessed.  He, by all purposes, shouldn't be here, so any wife, kids, grand-kids that he has are a whole branch of a family tree that was never suppose to grow.  It amazes me!  All I can say is, Thank you Lord for knowing what we needed, when clearly, Russ and I didn't.  We love you, little Lou!

That Time Of The Month

Ahhhh yes, that time of the month has come and gone and I tried something different.  The picture above is cloth pads.  Yup.  Guess what?  I liked it!  It was kind of fun and we all know that periods are no fun!  I came across these pads on accident, or maybe not.  I had to wear my first ever tampon last cycle.  I went 30 years without needing a tampon.  I actually got anxiety from this, but I survived.  Coincidentally (or the government spying on me) a video about pads and tampons containing chemicals and toxins that could possibly cause cancer, popped up on facebook that day.  I know, I know, what doesn't cause cancer?  They lit some always pads on fire and they burst into a huge fireball, they lit the chemical free pad on fire and it just sort of smoldered. Anywho, I was reading about alternatives to always pads.  There is the diva cup, which is a little silicone cup that you insert up there and dump out periodically.  I wasn't ready for such a commitment. :)  So I went on to the next comment and they talked about cloth pads.  I figured if people could do cloth for babies, why not for your period?  I am sure my ancestors did it.  I have about 20 years of periods coming my way. So I researched a few brands and decided to try these out.  I anxiously waited for my period to start.  I know, I am crazy!  It came and I got to take these bad boys for a spin.  I only have 3 so, I did a lot of laundry.  They are comfy, didn't leak, and got the job done.   I am heading back to the website to pick up a few more and anxiously wait for my next period. :)

So I officially don't wash my hair, don't wear deodorant, don't wear makeup and use cloth pads.  What am I missing?  I (and my husband) draw the line at shaving. The pits and legs must be hairless, so don't even suggest that! :)

My Inspiration

 This coming Saturday will mark 14 years since Russ and I met.  14 years!!  It's hard to believe.  I have spent almost half of my life with this man.  My best friend, my confidant, my inspiration, my lover, my greatest supporter.  It has been a fun journey.  14 years ago we met and sparks flew. :)  When I woke up the morning of the 27th and was super bored and called my friend, I would have never imagined that on that day I would meet my future husband.  When we were laughing about underwear at Value Village, I didn't realize this man would be the man I would laugh with forever. The next day we went to a Bad Company/David Lee Roth concert.  I am not sure if I have ever told Russ this, but when that night was over and I came home, I set on the end of my bed, and I completely spaced out thinking about him.  I honestly don't know how long, but it was seriously like the movies, where they go to la la land and finally snap out of it when they hear a loud noise or someone calling their names.  Yup, it's real. I had it bad!  Over the next 2 weeks everything just kind of fell in place and on August 11th we went on our first date.  I know the movie we went to, but I honestly can't remember a darn thing about the movie, other than Paul Ruebens. :)  I spent the whole movie wondering if he was going to hold my hand.  Finally around the end he put his hand on mine and as they say "the rest is history." I still get butterflies in my stomach when I remember it.  I have never had to work or struggle to make this relationship work.  It just does.  That is how I knew that this man was "the one."  Russ is my soul mate, he completes me.  I hope to grow old and gray (already started) with this man.  I hope to laugh about our old person problems together and fight over directions when we take our grand-kids on vacation.  Right now we are knee deep in the battlefield together, raising 4 kids.  It's going to be one bumpy ride and I know with my partner in crime, we can move mountains!  So watch out kiddos, this dynamic duo is coming for you!

 I love you, Dude!  You are truly the meaning in my life, my inspiration. :)



and nothing's gonna stop us now!

How The American People Are Being Cheated

A lot of people are admtting to having Ron Paul regret.  They regret they didn't listen to him.  He has been right about EVERYTHING!  You were cheated from having a real candidate for President last year.  You were cheated of freedom and liberty and you should be pissed off!  The lame-stream media controls you.  They are right now, inciting race wars over a simple self-defense case.  The jury spoke, justice was served and they are still harping the subject day in and day out.  Do you ever ask yourself why?  Why did George Zimmerman go to trial without a grand jury overview??  Because it wouldn't have seen the light of day!  There are reasons this stuff happens and you need to wake up!  Always ask what their plan is.  They are bank-rolled by somebody.  They script everything.  Have you ever wondered why some news stories get national attention while other, more important stories, are ignored?  A media controlled by liberal views is dangerous to our freedom of speech and should upset you as a Christian.  The day is coming soon that we will be persecuted for our beliefs.  It won't be just words, actions are coming.  I think the most upsetting thing is that we have no one to blame but ourselves. We have been asleep at the wheel and we are headed for a crash of epic proportions.

With that said, enjoy your weekend! :)

Backstreet Boys Go Political

See the video at this link: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/backstreet-boys-premiere-world-music-video-gma-120903461.html

The Backstreet Boys released their new music video today and it has left me discombobulated. They chose to make it political and it has left a sour taste in my mouth.  Music, at least to me, is suppose to be about losing what is around you.  They had me until the end and I am very disappointed that they chose that route.  Really, I have no opinion at the moment, of gay marriage.  But I sure don't want it on my BSB videos.  Is this enough for me to turn away from my boys?  Probably not.  But please stick to making music and not political statements.  Please!  Oh, and welcome back, Kevin!

July 4th, In Pictures

Love this picture!

Such a ham jones!

Landon knows how to party!!! Takes after his Daddy!

I asked them to say "we love each other!" :)

Best Daddy in the world! I love this man!

Even the spiders came out to party! 

A Christmas Letter In July!

I can't believe that it is already July! We started our summer off with our first Smith/Jones camping trip!  I was a little anxiety ridden to embark on this adventure, but all in all the kids did great!  Plus they had a blast hanging out with Uncie and Aunt Becky and their cousins Tucker and Bailey.  We went to Ft. Stevens, up by Astoria.  It is one of the biggest national campgrounds.  There were tons of historic sites, including everyone's favorite Battery Russell.  It had that old, creepy , haunted feel to it, but the kids had a blast exploring it.  It is an anxiety ridden Mother's worst nightmare though.  Big holes, dropoffs and stairs with no railings.  I survived. Barely.  I realize that these kids will probably give me a million heart attacks over the next 20 years, and even after that.  I have no pictures of this adventure, because I forgot my camera. :(  Trust me, this trip did in fact happen and we all had a blast! We discovered, or at least confirmed that Landon is in fact a bully.  He was calling kids about 10 or so "fat boy" and this kid was not fat.  He was practically getting in his face.  You would never know, since he freezes up around adults.  Last year he yelled at a group of boys that were playing ball on the beach "you play ball like a girl."  So we have to watch this guy.  Hopefully his brothers are willing to step in and either contain him or protect him. :)  It's always the small, quiet ones that like to get in trouble. 
Wyatt and Trevor turned 5 a couple of weeks ago.  I really don't know how that happened.  It seems like yesterday I was waddling around Costco waiting for them to make an appearance.  I remember when we brought them home from the hospital and Aurora loved them for a few days, then she muttered the famous line "Wyatt Trevor put back."  Fortunately the boys couldn't talk when Landon came along, but I have a feeling they would have had the same sentiment. We threw the boys a pool party, since 5 is a milestone.  They chose a shark themed party.  A good time was had by all and we avoided any major meltdowns.  We had one in the parking lot on our way out.  Landon, who had been handling the attention the boys were getting like a champion got a little upset when I told him he couldn't hold one of they boy's toys.  So he screamed "It's my birthday too."  But he quickly recovered.  Speaking of that.  Our little baby does have a birthday coming up!  He will be 4 this time around.  FOUR!  Geesh. Here's hoping that we are leaving the terrible three's behind us, forever.
We have been having a heatwave around here, so of course the pool, the sprinkler and the water guns have come out.  It is hard work being an adult in the summer.  Blowing up pools, filling squirt guns, paying the water bill.  I want to be young again, but I don't want to go to school. :) 
Trevor has taken up drawing and now we have stacks and stacks of his artwork laying around.  He like to draw Robin and his girlfriend, Poison Ivy and he really has a talent for it.  He fills in the little details like her mask and the R on Robins costume.  I have no talent what-so-ever, so it has been nice to see one of our kids with some natural talent. 
Aurora has lost some more baby teeth this summer and at her last dentist appointment they mentioned the "o" word.  Of course the only orthodontist I trust moved to happy valley, so I may just have to take the longer drive.  We do not have ortho coverage and I shudder to think what it will cost, but they claim that if we are proactive now, she might not need braces.  So I guess we will see.  All of the kids have perfect straight baby teeth, so why in the world can't their adult teeth do the same? Luckily none of the kids are thumbsuckers, so we may (fingers crossed) get off easy.  Or we may send Dr. Brown into early retirement! :)
With the weather being nice, we decided it was time to pull out the picnic table.  Well Russ, tried to do it by himself and dropped the thing on his foot.  He comes inside with a huge goose-egg on the top of his foot. He spent the rest of the day laid up with copious amounts of arnica and ice.  Luckily he was able to go to work this week and it seems to not be broken.  Needless to say, we have not eaten on the picnic table this week.  Go figure! :)
Russ and I got a little taste of some baseball by going to a Hillsboro Hops game.  They kind of suck and they are on a nice losing streak, but I love being around baseball.  It was 90 degrees and we were in the sun for quite a bit, but I loved every minute of it.  I loved the crowd booing the umps when they got a call wrong, watching people dancing on the fan cam and the crazy in between inning games.  We are throwing around the idea of taking the kids next time. 
I am still shampoo free, except for when I got my haircut at the salon.  Don't really miss shampoo and my hair seems to be thicker.  After a few road bumps (birthday cake) I am back on track with my new lifestyle and have dropped 6lbs.  Size 0, here I come!  You all know I am just kidding.  I am aiming for a negative 0. :)
The summer has just began, we have more birthdays to celebrate and more fun to be had.  We hope you are all enjoying your summer!
Love,
The Jones 

You Don't Have A Microwave!?

Nope.  We haven't had one for probably a year or more now.  I remember the first microwave my family had, it was huge and had turn knobs, like an old TV.  I would sit in front of it and watch the food "cook."  Pretty much everything hot that I ate growing up came out of a microwave.  I grew up in the microwave generation.  I don't think we ever used the oven.  I think in the early 90's they started talking about radiation danger, so I would get yelled at for standing in front of it.  When my little cousin was diagnosed with brain cancer, I remember the grownups talking about microwaves and hot dogs.  So all this info has been floating around for years and years.  Our microwave broke and we never bothered replacing it.  We don't do too many packaged foods and therefore it was just taking up space.  There has only been 2 occasions where I wish we had one.  Anything you can cook in the microwave can be cooked in the oven or on the stove top.  It takes longer, but knowing that I didn't nuke my food of all nutrients is worth it.  I personally don't have anything against microwaves.  I will use them while on vacation, or while I am at someone elses house. I think a properly sealed microwave is safe, but won't sacrifice nutrition for time. Everything in life is a choice and we chose not to use a microwave at our house.  And we are slowly going through our friends list and stopping all communication with those who would chose to use one.  Just kidding! 

Noel

 

Here is an updated picture of our sponsor child, Noel. Isn't he handsome!?  He has grown so much in the last year.  He looks happy and healthy! He turned 6 in January. So far our correspondence has been with his Mommy and he will draw us some very nice pictures.  We have sent extra gifts to the family and his Mommy was able to buy some shoes for her job and put some extra food on the table.  It is such a blessing to be able to bless a family so far away.  I am hoping to visit Noel and his family in Honduras one day.  The kids love to see his pictures and we hang them proudly on our fridge, just like he was one of our own.  We are currently praying for his prayer request for his Daddy to find the Lord.  His Dad is allowing him to go to this "special" school because he knows it will lead to opportunity, but has not yet accepted the Lord.  So could you please pray for Noel and his family.  Please pray for the country of Honduras as well.

Sponsoring a child through Compassion has been fun and there are tons of kids looking for sponsors.  If you are lead go here and take a look: http://www.compassion.com/default.htm