Ross & Leah (Emma and Deacon too!!)

This is our own Jones Family of snowmen…there is Daddy snowman, Emma snowgirl, Deacon snow-baby, and Mommy snow-woman…Emma had to accessorize herself with a winter scarf.

Of the 30 years that I have been on this planet, I have never had a white Christmas until this year!! It was wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for a better day…opening presents, time with family, playing in the snow, and a great meal. We even went on a slippery walk where Emma became very well acquainted with the pavement unfortunately. It will be a Christmas I will never forget!!

This is our family at a family wedding this October….I haven’t updated my blog in almost a year so I thought it was time Just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. One of my new years resolutions is to do a better job with the blog…we’ll see how long that lasts.

Do you remember the first time you got your hair cut?? You got to sit in a fancy swivel chair and on top of a milk carton crate…Awww those were the days, when you didn’t have to worry about the economy all you thought about was…am I going to get to eat some ice cream after this?!? Well Emma had that day today…This is Emma posing with her new haircut. She looks so cute and was such a big girl getting it cut. She thought she looked pretty cute and so did we. She kept putting her hands through her hair making it all messy…now that’s what I’m talking about.

Deacon is ready for playing with toys…we put him on the floor yesterday and he grabbed the toy and tried to pull it towards him. I know it is silly, but Ross and I were both really excited it…Emma was really proud of her little brother too.

Deacon is already four months old. I can’t believe it!! He is such a cutie. He smiles and talks all the time. Emma loves him and gets so excited everytime he wakes up from his naps. He is starting to play with toys and jump in his jumparoo. It is pretty funny to watch

It seems that I have spent more time on the hardships and troubles we have had these past few months than the joy that we have experienced. I never realized what an amazing job being a mom is. I am humbled by the task many days that the Lord would allow me to take care of two of His children. It comes with a lot of tears and laundry

This past month Ross and I have realized just how blessed we are, and how we have taken it for granted. I know that I search for joy in the wrong places, a full night’s sleep, a new outfit, a cookie… but those are all fleeting. What’s funny is I know it, but I still have yet to learn it. God is truly working in my life as I focus on Him and not my circumstances each day. This season of joy as I call it is my new driving force…I want to be a person whose heartbeat is one of joy and not frustration.

 I want my children to know that Jesus is the only way we can fully live, without Him in our lives, we are constantly searching for joy. I have been truly convicted of this.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”

 We went on a walk the other day and Emma picked up two sticks and began to play them like a violin. All I can say is thank you “Jack’s Big Music Show.” If you don’t know what I am talking about you are invited over to my house everyday from 8:00-9:00.

Happy Violin Playing…

Well, this week has been one of the hardest weeks of our lives. Jenn and Mike had baby Linley on Monday…she is beautiful and weighed in at 10 pounds!!! My  mom came down for the delivery. On Tuesday night I dropped her off at the hospital to help Jenn with the baby and on my way home I started to get this deep pain in my back. When I got home Ross was holding Deacon and said, “he’s starving,” so I started nursing him.

As I was nursing him, the pain got worse and worse. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and gave Deacon to Ross. For about 30 minutes I was in excruciating pain. Emma was trying to comfort me and tell me to take deep breaths. Finally, Ross decided that we should go to the ER. He took Emma across the street to Mike. And we took Deacon up to the hospital to stay with Aunt Jenn and Grammie and his new cousin Linley while we were at the ER. The pain had subsided at this point and they started running tests…at 2:00 am and after two hits of morphine, I was diagnosed with kidney stones!!!

We got home slept for three hours and I stayed on pain medication, which helped by only taking the edge off…We made an appointment to see the urologist for that afternoon. When I went in it was clear that my stone would probably not pass and that I would need surgery, so we scheduled surgery for the following morning at 7:30am.

After the lithotripsy, which is using sound waves to break up the stone, I feel much better. Despite having to “pump and dump” all day, Deacon took to formula just fine. He would eat my right arm if I let him

Ross and I are still very tired, but happy that our family is somewhat back intact and not being carted around everywhere. Our friends really stepped in to help us and showed us what the “family” of God is all about. I always knew my sister and Mike will be there to help us, but our friends are there for me as well.

So I guess I learned a lot about my friends this week, the Lord’s provision, and I also learned a lot more about kindney stones than I ever wanted to.

I just took these a couple of days ago. Deacon is getting to be such a chunk. I think he weighs around 10 pouinds or so. He is such a sweetie, and so is that little girl of ours!!