Say Cheese

Back in NOVEMBER we had some family pics taken by this amazing man.  He also took some solo pics of Weston for his one yr pics.  The end results were...well...amazing.  Take a look if you don't believe me.  Here's just a SLIGHT GLIMPSE into the limitless cuteness...

So many THANKS go out to Ace Fanning, the mastermind behind the camera.

January is over...

...and I am back.  This year January seemed to be just as, or even MORE, busy than December!  Which means the blog gets put on the back burner...even though one of my New Year Resolutions was to blog more.  Ironic, no?  Nonetheless, February is here, so lets get back to blogging!

First up in the list of updates...Christmas (two months later)!

We had a wonderful warm Arizona Christmas this year.  We enjoyed Brett's two days off of work for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but missed our usual trip to Utah for skiing and Blaser Family fun.

Weston started to grasp the whole present concept, except despite all of the sweet new things he received, his two FAVORITE presents turned out to be... a package of Teddy Grahams from his stocking... and Uncle Garrett's new basketball.  Hmmm...

We spent our morning...

...showing off the new goods...

...hammering out some pretty sweet tunes...

...trying out Grandpa's new hammock...

 ...enjoying some new books...

...lounging in style...

(btw, check out my two little clones.  LOVE that they are seriously making the exact same faces in the first two pics!)

...and basically having a blast!

There really is nothing as magical as Christmas morning. 

Only 320 days to go till next year...

Merry Christmas!! (in February)

"Happy" List

This article was on the front page of one of the sections of the newspaper on New Year's Day.  I LOVE it!  Like, really REALLY love it.  So much so that I've decided that one of my New Year's Resolutions should be to do all of the things on this list (well MOST of them anyway, 'cause let's be honest, I'm probably not going to adopt a dog or cat from a shelter, or buy a turntable when I don't own any vinyl records).
Let the New Year begin...

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No-guilt New Year's resolutions
by Diane Porter - 1.1.2012
The Arizona Republic

ENOUGH ALREADY WITH the guilt-ridden, I'm-so-fat, I'm-so-lazy, I-must-fix-my-life NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS.  We're over it.  They don't help.  Get a grip!  THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU.  You're fine.  Sure, pick a goal.  Do it.  You're capable.  But NO MORE BEATING YOURSELF UP.  The phrase is not "Have a Guilty New Year."  Take a breath.  SEE THE GOOD IN YOURSELF.  If you must make a resolution, start with one of these.  Because the biggest word in "Happy New Year" should be HAPPY.

• Leave your change in the vending machine for someone else to find.
• Send a handwritten letter to a child.  With a stamp.  Write their name on the envelope.  They should know the thrill.
• Kiss someone as if you mean it.
• Get 10 things out of your closet that make you feel bad.  Take them to Goodwill.
• Frame a piece of art.
• Thank someone in uniform.
• Adopt a dog or cat from a rescue organization.
• Go 24 hours without the Internet.
• Dissect the junk drawer.
• Find a new recipe.  No, a new one.
• When a friend or co-worker loses a loved one, mark it on the calendar.  Ask how he or she is doing in six months.
• See a late movie.
• Wear your seat belt, and make others do it, too.
• Do one thing you keep putting off.
• Laugh out loud in real life.
• Download music in another language.
• Get to know the benefit of the doubt.
• Take your child out of school one day and go play.
• Leave a wildly inappropriate tip.
• Take a leap of faith.
• Put a plant on your desk.  Something else should be alive in your cubicle.
• Change the radio station.
• Stop feeling guilty unless you really are.
• Get a physical
• Buy something in a new color.
• Eat somewhere across town.
• Notice someone.
• Come up with a new, satisfying cuss word.
• Sign your organ-donation card.
• Write a manifesto.
• Watch an old movie.
• Pay anonymously for the person behind you in the drive-through lane at the coffee shop.
• Buy flowers for no reason.
• Eat on the patio in January.  Call a friend in the Northeast as you do.
• Find an old friend.
• Pick up a rock that catches your eye.  Carry it around in your pocket.
• Make a CD or playlist of the music you loved in high school.  Play it to distraction.
• Spend one day by yourself.
• Deal with you photos. (You know you want to.)
• Make an appointment with yourself at 3 each day to walk around the block.  Yes, while you're at work.
• Get a library card.
• Who was your teenage pop crush?  Find a photo and print it.
• Put the Christmas lights away right.
• Pick one thing you don't understand and learn about it.
• Throw out the old ketchup packets in your desk drawer.
• Stop texting while driving.
• Buy new music.  And not just the top-selling hit on iTunes.
• Pick one negative thing your brain tells you and set it straight.
• Talk to the person in the corner.
• Put folded-up dollar bills in a spot in your car so you can easily give one to someone on the corner.
• Learn the art of deep breathing.
• Watch cartoons on Saturday morning.
• Stop using made-up words.
• Take old towels to a vet or pet shelter.
• Write a fan letter.
• Vow to stop dressing up your pets.
• Register to vote.
• Actually vote.
• Make a list of you 10 favorite books and re-read them.
• Pay attention to a child who isn't yours.
• Vow to look at the cellphone bill and figure out why it costs that much.
• Walk up one flight of stairs a day.  When you can do that, make it two.
• Mute the commercials.
• Are you a birthday slacker? Vow not to miss one all year.
• Ask doctors hard questions.  They work for you.
• Deal with what holds you back.
• Buy a turntable at a garage sale and play your vinyl records.
• Smile at someone cute in a car.
• Put an old leash in your car in case you see a lost dog.
• If you never apologize, learn to do it well.  If you apologize too often, learn to stop.
• Buy ribbon.
• If you're in a rut, get out.
• Send a thank-you note to a teacher who made a difference in your life.
• Take a different way to work.
• Remember that dream? Take a baby step.  Just one.
• Stop for a doughnut.  Just one.
• Write a love letter.
• And OK, sure: Eat well, exercise more, quit smoking. (No lecture.  We just like having you around.)

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Messy Fun

Weston's motto:

more mess=more fun

Can you blame him?!

Merry Wishes

Ho! Ho! NO!!

Dear Santa,

You scare me.

Please, just hand over the candy.

Thanks.

- Weston

P.S. I really REALLY like your reindeer.

Family & Turkey & a Decathlon?... Oh My!

This Thanksgiving was probably one of the funnest I can remember.  We spent Thanksgiving in Mesa with my family, but we had a great assortments of things to spice it up.

First,  FAMILY...
In addition to my parents, siblings, and Grandma, we had several visitors to share the fun with.
  - My cousin Paige and her family (husband Robert and two kids Reagan and Max), who came down from Las Vegas for a medical residency interview at Mayo Clinic and decided to stay through Thanksgiving
  - My sister's friend from Utah, Misha, who decided to ditch her family and come enjoy a warm thanksgiving in AZ
  - My dad's friend, Dallas, who didn't have any family to spend Thanksgiving with
It was so much fun to have all the extra friends and family, especially since they all made UH-MAZ-ING food!!

Robert and Reagan on the tramp

Reagan was a GREAT source of entertainment for Weston.  They had so much fun chasing each other around the house and yard, and Weston seriously thought he was so cool playing with big 3 yr old Reagan. :)

Next, TURKEY...
I can't do a Thanksgiving post without talking about the meal!!  In one word.  DIVINE.

Taylor and Misha whipping up the most delicious sweet potato pie you've EVER tasted!

Martha Stewart...watch out!!

Oh how I LOVE eating Thanksgiving outside!  I hope we always live somewhere where the weather will allow this.  Best tradition EVER!

Finally, THE DECATHLON...
This year we started a new tradition... "The Annual Jones Family Thanksgiving Decathlon."  We had 10 different events to challenge our brains, balance, athletic ability, and overall awesomeness.  With the addition of Paige, Robert, Misha, and Dallas, there were 10 competitors.

The gamemaster and brains behind the entire operation....

Brett came up with most of the events and the scoring system to make it all fair

THE EVENTS...

1. A Badminton tournament...played over a volleyball net. 

We like to mix things up a bit.  :) 

Weston REALLY thought he was supposed to be in on the action.

2.  Frisbee Golf...a par 3 course.

3.  Ladderball... 

Again, Weston really likes to get in the way.

4.  "Minute to Win It" Cereal Box Puzzle...

I ended up with the quickest time for this event.  Wahoo!

5.  "Minute to Win It" Dice Balancing Game...
5 dice stacked on a popsicle stick held in your mouth

6.  Around the World Ping Pong...

Double elimination

7.  Pool Competition...
Apparently we're all bad!

8.  Basketball...
Kind of a weighted event since my Dad and Garrett are basketball pros!

9.  A Foosball Tournament...

played in randomly drawn pairs

10.  Wii Archery...

Score the most points in 3 rounds

We had such a BLAST competing in our Decathlon and it was a great way to help burn off just enough of our amazing dinner to make room for pie! YUM.

After all the points were tallied, the overall winner... BRETT!!!

Kinda iffy that the guy keeping score wins, right?! Actually, Brett totally rocked it! We had 10 different prizes that everyone got to choose from in order, and Brett got to sign our new "Annual Thanksgiving Decathlon" Trophy!

To sum up our totally awesome Thanksgiving... 

Family and Turkey and a Decathlon...OH MY!