Happy Halloween and Fall

Pictures say it all!

Little Ghost and Tiny Witch

Boo At The Zoo

We went to the Columbus Zoo yesterday.  It was SUPER busy because it was “Boo at the Zoo,” where everyone can dress up in their Halloween costumes if they want and they had special Halloween stuff going on.  We really just went to see the animals, but some of the decorations were cute!

The zoo was a lot of fun!  It was perfect weather- over 70 degrees, and the exhibits were pretty cool. I think Payson loved the animals, but he really loved the Polar Bear Playground.

Many of the animals were active, and there were very few exhibits where we couldn’t find the animals, and only a few animals sleeping. 

Of course I had to snap a few pictures of my cuties!  We had our stroller that holds the baby car seat, but sometimes Avenly wanted to be held and Payson needed a rest from walking, so he would sit in the car seat.  At one point, Josh wanted to pull the legs of his pants up to make shorts (a very humorous look after he did it), so I put Avi on Pay’s lap, and he thought that was pretty neat!

The Columbus zoo has a new African exhibit called, Wild Africa.  It was neat.  It was set up like a safari with a lot of land for the animals to roam free on. 

A year ago we went to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.  During that trip, we looked at the lion with his big mane.  As soon as he saw us, he stood right up and faced us.  There was literally 6 inches between his face and mine, and of course thick glass.  It was AWESOME.  Josh was trying to get the camera out, but wasn’t quite quick enough before Payson (whom I was holding) got scared and started crying.  Needless to say, we didn’t get that really cool picture!

Luckily, I had my ipod more readily available for this zoo trip in case something cool like that happened again!  Well, guess what?? It did!  In the aquarium Payson was looking through the glass, when a big turtle came up to him.  The turtle put out his arm- like he was going to give Payson high five.  I told Pay to put his hand to the glass.  Pay was a little too scared to do that, but the turtle sure wasn’t!  I even got a picture!!

Another cool exhibit that the zoo has was the kangaroo exhibit.  Basically, the kangaroos roam free within their territory.  (We had to walk though double doors to get to their territory).  There was a path for us humans to walk on, but basically the kangaroos could hop on the human’s path if they wanted.  At one point a kangaroo hopped right be Payson. 

The zoo has some webcams on a few animals.  One of the webcams is on the penguins.  We figured this out before we went to the zoo, and emailed the webcam link to some family!  When we got to the penguins, we texted and told them to click on the link!  Sadie, my sister-in-law, took some screen shots from her ipod of us waving to the webcam.  My dad, Benji, and Kayla, also said they saw us on the webcam!! Pretty cool, huh!?

We ended our day by having dinner at PF Changes.  It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad we went!

The Mind of a 2 Year Old- Toddlerisms

Do you ever wonder how a toddler’s mind works?  Being a mom of a 2.5 year old I have found myself thinking this a few times. Payson is so funny sometimes! He does  things I wouldn’t even think to do, but perhaps when I was 2 I maybe I did similar things!! He also says things that are cute coming from such a little person.

How does a toddler’s mind work?

Here are some of Payson’s TODDLERISMS to try and answer that question::

He always wants to go to Meijer, or Walmart, or Kroger, or Target.  He tells you what store he wants to go to, too!

-“I put poot (poop) on the wall, Mommy!” I heard these words come from Payson’s room as I was holding Avenly on the couch in the living room.  I walk into his room, and sure enough- guess what was on the wall?

 

-When I ask Payson to smile when trying to take a picture, I get a smile not looking at the camera or with eyes closed.

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When I say “look at the camera,” or “open your eyes” the smile goes away and I usually get a funny face instead!

-While eating lunch yesterday, Pay explained that there was a fish from Meijer (our favorite store that has everything, including fish) in his burrito.  He showed me a piece that kind of looked like it had eyes and a mouth. Then he ate it, and told me he ate the fish!

-When Avenly cries Payson is the first to say, “pick her up, Mommy,” or “Mommy, feed her.” He loves his sister so much!!

-He will also share his toys with her even when she doesn’t hold them, yet!

-To Payson (and now Josh and me) “Black Milk” is chocolate milk.

-He finds the best time to repeat something Josh or I have said. One time Avenly had a blow-out on my pants, and Payson firsts asks, “Mommy, she pooped on you?”  After I said “yes,” he then says, “Oh, man!”

-When our neighbors gave us their pretend toy kitchen.  The first thing Payson did was go get my oven mitts so he could play with his kitchen.

-He loves to play Daniel Tiger games on the computer.  One game is a tea party.  Payson loves to “eat” his cookies and strawberries  and “drink:” his tea.  He even makes cute noises while doing it.

-He names characters in the books we read after himself and family members and friends of his. All boy characters that have glasses are Aaron (after Uncle Aaron). Depending on what the other boys are doing, they are Payson, Uncle Tosh, Dash (friend), William (friend).  If it’s a man it’s either daddy, Grandpa Jones, or Grandpa Doug.  Most females are Mommy, but now that Avenly is here- any baby is Avenly.  Aunt Tina and Aunt Sadie have also been named!  You can tell who he Facetimes with the most.

The first picture is Tosh and Sadie. The second is Tina and Sadie.

-Every time he cries we hear the words, “I want a kleenex.  Mommy wipe it!!  Eyes! Eyes!  Nose! Nose!”

-I put shoes on Avenly for the first time and Pay says, “Now she can walk with me!”

-And although, he does many more cute 2 year old Toddlerisms- the last thing I will mention for now, is he repeats all prayers as they are being said, including those in church!! I Love It!

So, maybe there is not one single answer to the question, “How does a toddler’s mind work?”  I do know one thing!  This innocent, dependent becoming independent stage won’t last much longer, so I have to enjoy it while I can!!

Three Decades Old

Normally I don’t blog about my own birthday.  In fact, this may be the first time since I got married! I may or may not have blogged about my 25th birthday- I don’t remember! Non-the-less, this blog post is about me and my 30th birthday!

Turning 30 is a surreal thing because it seems like I have been in my 20s forever.  I remember when my mom turned 30, and that’s really weird to think about.  She seemed so much older and had it all together raising her kids.  I don’t always have it altogether, and I can bet there were times she didn’t either, but I remember how great she was, and as an 8 year old- I thought she was pretty awesome!  I still think she is pretty awesome, and a good example to me how I should live my life as an adult.  She is a great blessing to me, so I have created a list in no particular order of 30 blessings (or things I am grateful for), even though I know I have more than 30.

1. My wonderful mother, Teresa, and father, Doug.

2. My talents.

3. The holidays and traditions.

4. Food! I love food.

5. My education.

6. The Gift of the Holy Ghost

7. My husband, Josh!

8. Priesthood power.

9. Natural beauty of the Earth and God’s other creations.

10.. Sleep

11. My two beautiful children, Payson and Avenly. I realize that I only have a short 18 or so years to make the biggest impact in each of my children’s lives. Before I know it, they will be turning 30, and I hope they are stronger more faithful adults than I am.  I hope in my time teaching and raising them, I can be a good influence and do a good job as my parents did with me.

12. Modern day prophets.

13. Money, and my husband’s job.

14. The chance to stay home with my kids.

15. The airplane and other forms of transportation.

16. My siblings and their families.

17. My ability to teach.

18. The Land of the Free.

19.Those who have served me and my loved ones one way or another.

20. Temples and the knowledge that families are forever.

21. My in-laws.

22. My grandparents and Josh’s grandparents.

23. Friends and other extended family members.

24. My experiences and achievements (see below).

25. My Savior, Jesus Christ, and his Gospel.

26. My healthy body and the ability to bare children.

27. Modern technology.

28. The four seasons.

29. Modern day medicine.

30. Tender Mercies of the Lord.

My current calling in church right now is Gospel Doctrine teacher.  In most wards the majority of members that attend Gospel Doctrine are generally the older members of the ward, but not always.  This is the case in my ward. I am one of the younger members of the ward who goes to Gospel Doctrine.  My first Sunday teaching I said something like, “A lot of you have a lot of years on me, not that I am calling you old, but if you have some input during the lessons, please share.”  I was kind of trying to throw a joke in there, by not calling them old, but the truth is- they do have more wisdom than me because of their age and more experiences in life.  I hope that at age 30 I have more wisdom than I did 10 years ago.  Although,I have a lot more to learn, I have thought of at least 30 important things I have learned in my 30 years of life!

1. Expect the unexpected- for example I have had two babies so far and both birth stories things happened that I did not expect to happen.

2. Things don’t always go as planned. I  planned to get married when I was 19. I ended up getting married at age 25, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

3. The Lord has a plan for us, and life is a lot more pleasant if we follow his plan.

4. If we keep the rules and make good choices, we will be blessed.

5. Everyone is different and we don’t have to have the same opinions.

6. People are not perfect, especially me.

7. If mommy kisses a two year old’s owie, it really will feel better.

8. The power of Prayer is real!

9. You can buy almost anything on a deal whether it is on clearance, sale, or with a coupon.

10. If we pray for an attribute and really work for it- we will gain that attribute.

11. We don’t always know what is going on with other people, so it is best to try and be kind to everyone. (Easier said than done)!

12. Food interests change over time!

13. It is important to keep  up on your credit card bill.

14. Stay close to the Priesthood! That is where safety lies!

15. Satan knows how to work on us, and he will in fact try.

16. My mom and dad are wise and they will always be there for me.

17. The only way to live with God again is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

18. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real, and not only for repenting, but every aspect in our lives.

19. Potty training is not easy when the one being trained is not ready or doesn’t want to be trained.

20. Marriage is not super easy, but it is worth it, and it gets easier the more you learn about one another and the more selfless you both are.

21. TV and movies have gotten worse overtime, and many pg-13 movies are not good.

22. Time flies!!!

23. Sharing the Gospel can be hard, but I have also learned that it is so important to share- even when it is scary. (Something I need to work on).

24. Technology is great, but not 100% reliable.

25. We don’t need everything we want to be happy.

26. It is really hard to keep your house clean when you have a husband and kids.

27. One of the best feelings after showering at night is crawling into bed with clean sheets.

28. When travelling with little ones, it is best to just go with the flow!

29. I have learned to sing, play the piano, and develop other talents.

30. Good nutrition helps you loose weight faster than working out.

The truth is, I wouldn’t be who I am without the experiences and things I have learned over the last 3 decades.  A person in their 20s is considered a young adult.  Once somebody hits age 30, they are not considered “young” any more, so I guess that is why turning 30 has been a significant birthday!  I am no longer young, and although I wouldn’t consider myself old by any means- I hope that I have become an accomplished and mature adult in the 12 years I had as a young adult. I have decided to put together a list of 30 accomplishments/experiences in my life thus far. (I hope that in 30 years I was able to accomplish a lot more than 30 things- like walk, talk, etc, but this list I am compiling on the blog are things that stand out in my mind!  The purpose of this list is not to brag. These experiences and achievements have helped me become who I am now.  I hope that someday my children or grandchildren would read this, and get to know a little bit about me when I was younger!

1. Gained a Testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. I have been blessed with my testimony, and I am so glad I was able to gain my own testimony of the Gospel.

2. Got married in the Temple to my sweetheart, Josh Jones.

5. Got my degree in Elementary Education from Idaho State  University.

6. Taught school for 3 years and work as a Parent Involvement Facilitator for a year.

7. Got my M.Ed. from Western Governors University.

8. Starred as Maria in the “Sound of Music” in high school.

3. Pushed for 2.5 hours and saw my sweet boy, Payson, be born.

9. Played many other fun roles in musicals and even choreographed the dancers parts in  “City of Joseph.”

10. Won $1000 when I was in 5th grade from a stock market essay contest thanks to my dad for teaching us about the stock market.

11. Spoke at my Education Graduation Banquet.

12. Had the opportunity to serve in a variety of callings.

4. Had my sweet girl, Avenly, naturally.

13, Been to all of the states, except Alaska.

14. Been to 3 continents and at least 10 countries and other US territories.

15. Lived in 9 states  (Nevada, Idaho, Hawaii, Arizona, Utah, Kansas, Colorado, Illinois, and Ohio).

17. Helped my family when my mom had breast cancer when I was 15.

26. Met the Dolly Lama in Yellowstone National Park.

16. Hiked to the top of Angel’s Landing.

18. Got my Young Women’s medallion.

19. Graduated from seminary and institute.

20. Got baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when I was 8 years old.

22. Bought a condo.

21. Got a music scholarship for voice when I graduated high school.

24. Made a baby quilt for each of my babies.

25. Sewed my daughter’s blessing dress.

27. All my life I have been the oldest of five kids, so many great experiences have come from having younger siblings.

23. Ran on the very first Olympic track in Olympia, Greece.

28. Was First Attendant at my high school homecoming.

29. I have a credit score of 798.

30. Was an EFY counselor.

Hopefully, I will continue to have many more experiences. 30 years old is not really old, and I hope to live another 30 years, and actually become almost old.  If I am lucky, I will get to live 60 more years and not only be old, but also wise from living a long adventurous life full of Gospel standards, experiences, and opportunities.