The Jone's Family Comes to Utah

Can you believe we all fit at the table? Mom and Dad squeezed all 14 of us at the Family table. Grandma, Grandpa, Carl, Aimee, Tyler, Jarod, Natalie, Ryan, Shane, Me (Sarah), Jessa, Caleb, Elsie, and Paige. My Dad was going to put some of us at the Dining Room table and my mom said - "no, I think we can fit!" and we did! it was so fun to see all of my beautiful nieces and nephews - sitting by my kids. We ate the famous Pinborough roast, baked potatoes, gravy (made by Grandpa and Natalie) rolls, beans, and my yummy creamy poppy seed/pomegranate salad.

Dad makes the BEST gravy. Natalie helped. He is always eager to teach is gravy making skills to young learner!

Carving the roast beef. :)

Getting the fixings ready.

Jessa and Natalie playing downstairs with My Little Pony. That's where Grandma got the name "Pony Grandma."

Fairies, Playhouse, and a Train

Jessa is really into fairies right now. She loves reading the Rainbow Magic Books and drawing pictures of fairies and writing about fairies. It is an obsession. So when we found a 'Fairy Garden Kit' at Borders, we couldn't pass it up. It's this cute kit with a flower basin, fairy, ceramic fairy house and mushrooms, and seeds to plant. She got to paint everything and she just planted the seeds this morning. They are just wheat grass seeds. She is so excited (can't you just tell she is thrilled?). And she earned the kit by folding lots of laundry, cleaning Elsie's room, and baby-sitting. She was super motivated! And now for the 'magical' garden to being growing...

Shane just built this little table in the kid's playhouse. Elsie and Caleb broke the table in with a little picnic lunch. The kids have been begging for a table in the playhouse for months. Many more picnics to come! :)

Elsie's 'choo choo train.'

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sandwich of Love

Pagey playing with her toes. :)

Best sandwich maker in the world.

Munchkins at breakfast. (oops how'd this pic slip in?)

Wowza! Check out that delicious sandwich. Shane made me this beautiful work of art - aren't I the luckiest? He also made the Boston Cream Cake below. He's been getting fancy in the kitchen. :)

Super FHE

Jessa and Caleb love to be in charge of family night. Jessa taught family night a few Monday's ago, and her lesson takes the cake. She had a poster, an activity, pictures, and she told us a story from the children's Book of Mormon. And she had no help! Her lesson was on 'Faith and Love.' She shared the story from the Book of Mormon where Alma the Younger teaches the people about faith. She taught us that faith is like a seed we plant in our hearts. If it's a good seed it will grow into something beautiful. Then she gave everyone a piece of candy (faith and love seed) to eat (plant in their hearts). Then she showed us a 'faith and love' pocket where we put a little colored flower everytime we finish a chapter in the Book of Mormon.

Caleb did a sweet FHE too. He made a map, and we had to hunt for legos, and then make something with the legos. Love our kids.

Little Helpers

Happy 2 Miss Elsie!

Last night I was putting Elsie to bed and I said "you're perfect." She said "I perfect." I said "you have a pretty smile." She pointed to her nose and said "pretty nose." Then her eyes, hair and ears. Elsie is completely perfect. She is stuborn like a 2 year old, but so sweet. I love her hugs and when she tells me "I lub you mom."

For her birthday we went to The Treehouse Museum in Ogden with Pony Grandma and Grandpa. At the museum Elsie was looking at the horses in the Rodeo Arena. Another little girl came up and tried to ride a horse. Every horse she approached Elsie would say forcefully "MINE!" The mother looked at my Dad worried she would upset Elsie by putting her daugher one of the horses. My Dad said "Don't worry, she just thinks they are all hers." Just like everything else. Poor Paige. Every toy that makes it to her hands get snagged by Elsie.

After a fun time at the Museum, we had a yummy lunch at Crackerbarrel. Grandma and Grandpa gave Elsie a Raggedy Anne doll and a Dora birthday card that really sings. Both were a hit.

On Elsie's birthday we had pizza, and Daddy brought home a big bouquet of balloons for the birthday girl. I think Elsie liked the balloons more than her presents! She got a cradle, a stroller and a coloring book. She loved her Dora cake. She helped me make it, and all day she talked about "my birthday cake!"

Scooters, Blankie, and Books

Shane ran over Jessa's scooter with the car, I ran over Caleb's. OOPS. They got new scooters this weekend. My kids seem to always be in their pajamas!
Elsie wrapped up in her 'lovey.'

Watching morning cartoons.


Elsie's FAVORITE activity: reading books. Jessa is a big help with this. :)

It's been over a year since I blogged, life got extra busy after Elsie was born. Elsie is now 1 1/2, and she is pure joy. I never knew how fun it would be to have a baby with older siblings. Jessa and Caleb are so entertained by the funny words she says, and the way she makes a mess in her high chair, and all her little quirks. They are also good to play with Elsie or clean up her toys.

We finally finished our basement! The timing was perfect, because the kids have a place to play away from Elsie (who doesn't understand block towers, dollhouses and things like that), and they have a place to play away from ME. I love my backyard and basement. When the kids want to be noisy and crazy they have a place to go, and I can have some peace and quiet upstairs.

Caleb has had a fun year at preschool, he's made some good buddies and learned his letters and how to write his name. This last week was imagination week - Caleb got to dress up as a cowboy, pirate, and take a 'monkey' to the circus. He got a remote control jeep for his birthday, and has enjoyed trying to sneak his car up to us while he's hiding...Ha ha...

Jessa has loved kindergarten, and is a good reader. She's started piano, and enjoys it most of the time. She played her first season of soccer - by the end of the season she was afraid of the ball. We're not giving up yet - but maybe soccer's not her thing. :)

We're expecting number 4, on September 21st! It's a girl and we've decided to name her Paige Madeline. Shane and I have just been busy playing with our kids and enjoying them while they are little.