The Daily Jones: May 2009

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Memorial Day weekend

We really had a nice long weekend! Friday night after work we took the boys to Joe's BBQ. I had never been, so Phil wanted to take us before we leave. The boys and I really enjoyed it...good food too!! After dinner we went to visit Chris & James Soll. They live in the Islands in Gilbert (I think, or it's Chandler) and they took us out on their Pontoon boat. Parker was jazzed that James let him be the Captain for the night. He did really well at listening to James when he told him which way to steer the boat. Braden got the biggest kick out of their dog and really enjoyed the boat also!

Don't jump Baby!

Hmmm, which way should we go next?

Saturday we were planning on spending the day with Derek, Melanie & kids, but Friday night Ms. Zoe (their youngest daughter) got sick :( so we went over to Kari's house and the kids swam in the hot tub (not too hot tub). Parker & Braden will really miss their cousins! Saturday night Meghan came over...she's always a blast. She brought her pup over so Bozlee and Hannah had company too! During dinner there was a knock at the door and low and behold; Conor!!! It was great to see both of them :) I passed out watching Flight of the Concords ... HILARIOUS!!!

Baby Zoe

Uncle Derek was on a mission to get Parker wet since he wasn't in the 'pool' with the rest of the kids.

My handsome nephew!

Nice hat Ms. Maeley!

The Babies

Sunday we had an early showing so we left the house and went to our favorite breakfast joint; the Coffee Shop. It's the neatest place right on a farm (Joe's Farm Grill right next door). They have tables outside and you literally sit in their Garden....good food too!! We decided to visit some friends we've met along our journey here in Phoenix; Paul & his wife Stephanie have been an amazing support to our family! They have a baby girl who was born one day after Braden! While we were there, Parker declined an offer for a cupcake, then proceeded to throw up all over their living room....NO KIDDING!! I felt so bad!! I scrubbed their carpet the best I could, but really felt bad. I bet they won't forget us now :) We also went to see Darci for a quick moment since she lives a couple blocks from Paul! Poor Parker had to use the restroom, and he told Phil that his butt was puking!!! (We were laughing so hard, but really felt bad for Parker) Kids really do say the funniest things!!! Sunday night we let Parker get some rest even though he said he was feeling fine; rented a movie and got some long awaited sleep!!

Monday we went to the PICU to see baby Zoe who has been in the hospital since Sunday morning due to a respiratory issue. Poor little one had to be sedated in order to keep her from pulling the tube from her little face. Get well soon little one!!! After the hospital we headed to the mall to find Parker some summer shoes, then home for the evening! Like I said it was a really nice weekend...I wish we had 3 days off in a row more often!

Happy Memorial Day!

When I came home from work today, I found Parker in the bathroom washing his hair with hand soap in the sink while I was cooking dinner.... they mean it when they say you can't take your eye off 'em for a minute!!

Monday, May 18, 2009

.....and we liked these ones too

Well, this weekend was successful....hopefully. We found 3 houses we like. One we found out is already under contract, so we crossed that one off the list today. (which was a bummer, cuz it was actually our favorite) The other two are pretty cute little houses!! One is in Littleton with an amazing backyard. The other in Centennial, and if we were to get this one at the right price; it would probably yield the best return since it's larger & in a higher end neighborhood. Unfortunately they are both being sold as a 'short sale' which makes the buying process a bit tricky. So we aren't falling in love with either one knowing the likely hood of actually getting into one of them. We did mention in our offers though that we would be willing to rent them out while pending the bank's approval. So if nothing else, we'll have a place to live for a while until we find our new home!

We also got an offer for home here in Arizona so we're taking that as a good sign as well! The offer came in above our asking price which was encouraging for us; now if only the bank would agree with us! Thanks for everyone's prayers and support! You'll know more when we do!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Check Up

Phil took the boys to their Dr. today. Braden had his 1 yr checkup and Parker's 3 yr. checkup. They were good boys for their shots (as good as to be expected) & here's there stats.

Braden

20 lbs 3 oz 10-25%

291/2 in 50 %

Parker

37 lbs 90%

381/2 in 75 %

Braden is my little guy! Parker weighed 20 lbs when he was like, what? 3-6 months old??

It is so much fun noticing the differences between those two as they grow.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Mother's Day and more...

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful ladies; we love and cherish each and everyone of the beautiful mothers & mothers-to-be in our lives!! While we may not all be able to physically share the day with our mothers; we can cherish memories, be thankful for the time & energy they poured into us, and never forget our Mother's Love! I am blessed to have had 2 moms in my life!!

My biological mother passed away when I was a teenager. She lived her life in Colorado. I moved to Arizona when I was two, but I flew out to see mom on a fairly regular basis growing up, until I was about 12 which was the last time I ever got to spend time with her. She was sick & I was too young to understand. It was one of the hardest times in my life (thus far) for me to learn that she had passed away when I hadn't gotten a chance to say Goodbye! She knows I love her & I know she loved me too!!

My step mom raised me in Arizona from the time I was 3 and did a pretty darn good job if I say so myself! She loved and supported me throughout my life & always encouraged a strong relationship with my real mom! She and I have become the greatest friends in my adult life!

This is the third year I have been a mommy on Mother's Day. This year Phil & I decided to take the boys up to Woods Canyon Lake just North of Payson for a camping and fishing trip. Phil found a great tent for us on Craigslist since we didn't all fit into the old one. I picked up a new air-bed & pump. We packed the van and after Phil got off work on Saturday we hauled up. After several pit stops we managed to get there before the sunset. We met Pam and her family up there! After we got camp set up we let Parker roast his hotdogs over the camp fire for dinner and Brad (Pam's better half) made Smores! yummy!! Parker just liked roasting his marshmallows. We really had a great night hanging out with the Pam's family.

The fun of the trip was pretty much over once Phil & I climbed into the tent with the boys who were sleeping. We all got snuggled in, and just after Phil & I fell asleep Braden started crying. We pulled him closer thinking he was cold, and he puked on us. Phil went to clean it up, and Parker woke up and puked too. ALL OVER EVERYTHING: the new tent, the new air-bed, our ONLY sleeping bags, and US. It was a nightmare. Braden wouldn't stop crying so I had to take him into the van since we were camping in a crowded camp site. shortly after, Phil joined us with Parker and Bozlee. We were crammed into the back of the van trying to keep the boys as comfortable as possible in effort to get a little bit of sleep. By the next morning Phil & I had both been sick. The stomach bug moved through all four of us in a matter of hours - NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT!

We had planned on spending the day fishing & enjoying Mother's Day on the lake, but without any sleep or energy there was no way! It was a miracle to muster the energy to breakdown camp and load the van back up. Phil drove us home and we spent most of the afternoon sleeping. The boys took me to Ihop for Mother's Day 'breakfast' around 6 at night! None of us hardly ate. We rented a movie and laid in bed all night. It will be hard to forget this Mother's Day that's for sure!!