More Change for the Jones'

I've waited long enough to say...

Change is in the air and we are a part of it. What? More change you ask? Ok, don't ask. I'll tell you anyhow. If you're reading this then you get to hear whether you want to or not. Ya, control freak blogger Me!

#1. School: All the kids are going back to PS {that's Public School for ya'll not used to the HS (that'd be Home School) acronyms} either full or part time. That was said in my mind with my southern draw, by the way. We have been taking HSing a year at a time since God directed us into it 10 plus years ago. This year Boo decided after much prayer it was time. She's ready. She's been home for 8 years. Wow. Gabe has been back in PS awhile; since his sophomore year. Becca is our stick-to-the-same girl. She's going part time to PS and taking classes at the junior college this year and next. She's like the flexibility of HSing. Now Lina... Hollywood as we call her... she has wanted to go to PS since K-garten. I kept saying no, no, no. Now we're saying yes. She is soooo social and needs competition to motivate her. She will be in 4th grade this year. Of course we can always bring them back home if we see any undesirable choices being made. How's that for control. HSing really is an awesome educational choice. The best really, especially to ground your children and teach them many of Gods principals. With that said, I'm glad there are choices. Change is good too. The decision to send Lina was two fold.. which leads to change #2

#2. T an I have been praying about me and what my future holds. Gabe goes off to college in a year and the other two shortly there after. I would like to work. Buuuuuuut... I haven't in so very long, I don't know what to do or where to start. Is that possible? If I could make money entertaining you reading this blog, I'd do that. So here's my list for my future... you vote. Let me know what to do.'K, 'K.

What I Want to do When I Grow Up:

1. Be Miss America. Shoot. too late.
2. Teach..gotta finish college though I've been teaching for 10 years already.(southern draw again)
3. Be an actress on a sit com.
4. Missionary. Always have, always will. Can't really leave my family. That'd be bad. and sad.
5. Motivational Christian Women's Speaker..Oh BIG dream since newly married. love to talk. Love to see women be women.
6. Mom. Adopt or have more kiddos. Great job. The best.
7. Writer. Book of Devos . That's how Reality Check got started.
8. Writer. Children's book on interracial families. Ya... We are interracial. Surprise!
9. Flight Attendant. Are people flying still?
10. Work for a ministry. Love people!
10. No idea? Help.

Ok. That's the big news. Kids going off to PS. Me growin' up to do something. Any ideas...

Who are You?

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart. You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do. You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's" Your Personality Type?

Almost went to Cabo Tonight

Tonight we drove up to Denver to meet up with the Lawrences for some dinner and a long awaited chat session. Cynthia is driving through to take Sean to Kansas City for some Butt Kicking Hockey club. He'll stay there and board with a family for the year. Anyhow we were so excited to see them after 8 months. Too long for good friends. Cynthia was online looking for a flight for her dad and inadvertently found one to Cabo.. boy were we tempted to go. My kids say I'm not spontaneous any more...made me laugh thinking about calling our husband and telling them where to find us. Good laughs... love you guys!

TAG...You're It!

My sister in law Joanna tagged me on her blog. She left me instructions so I copied them here:

I'm not sure how this works but I think this is what you're supposed to do...

First, the rules.
1. link back to the person who tagged you. (did it, above)
2. post these rules on your blog.
3. share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. tag people at the end of your entry.

So 6 unimportant things about me...

First... I've moved way to many times to count. I lived with my sister Reg and friend Kimmie in an apartment my senior year. Talk about growing up fast.

Second... I always wanted to be Miss America. Now, I want to be on a Sit-Com. Just once, maybe twice.

Third... I hate the dark. Really hate it. Petrified.

Fourth... My purse is always messy. It's my place. No one touches my purse. I clean it occasionally for sanity's sake.

Fifth... I Love, LOVE checkin' out bathrooms. Always have since I was little. Even designed one I hoped to build one day. Saw one this weekend in Estes Park with a major cool sink. Granite, rough on the outside, smooth on the inside.

Sixth... I feel like I'm always going north and if you ask me which way to go, it'll always be"to the right". Really directionally challenged. Got lost in Hartford, Conn when Gabe was a baby. Pulled over in a really bad part of town to nurse him and get my barrings straight. I like Mapquest.

So if you are reading this, your turn... YOU'RE TAGGED! Go!

We're Home!

Gabe used to read all the time. This is a nice sight. I was adamant about the kids falling in love with books.... and Spanish. Both open up your world!

We made it home. My back is killing me but we're alive and safe. It was a quiet ride home except for the girls in the back giggling.

Last night: The campfire was great. We talked and played verbal games.. you know, if you had to live in a nudist colony or dumpster dive what would you do? Another was takin' adjectives to describe each other. My son said "worries" for me. Not fond of that one. Oh yes, and "Mom". He said that describes me all around. I always say I have no skills but one... I know how to be a mom. Not artsy, can't cook ( I get by ), or ski, but I can be a mom. Ok... I'll take it.

Sleeping in the truck: So it was warmer but there were sticky thingy things that hit me in the back and Lina is a WILD sleeper. She kept flinging herself on me. Hmm.. is this how it was for the pioneers? I would have been so cranky!

Breakfast: that yummy bagel. Good. Mmm.

Snack: Chick a Fila shake. Becca asked for that. I agreed. Chocolate makes me feel better.

Glad I'm home. Now I need a spa to fix my aching back.

AND... I made it back before Joanna had Keaton. I surely didn't want to miss the Big Event!

Estes Park Camping .. Another Great Day

Ok. we made it through the night. Notice the title... the days are great but sleeping stunk big time. We were down right cold. And not just me this time. The cots were fine but I was so glad to see the day light. Early this morning we took off and started our adventurous day. The girls and I went horseback riding.. sorry forgot to post the picture... and the guys went for a bike ride. That was very fun. Lina and Boo really enjoyed it. Becca rides all the time so no biggie for her. She enjoyed the scenery though. We came back and showered afterwards and took off for the town of Estes Park to play. We had a great Mexican lunch and walked around the cute shops. I got a few stocking stuffers for some family members that will remain unnamed too! We drove by the Stanley Hotel. That's the famous hotel in Stephen Kings The Shining. Now we're back at the campsite and I'm ready to go home. I am NOT looking forword to lack of sleep again. But a campfire will be nice. It's windy right now and looks like it wants to rain. So.. I'm keeping this short tonight. Oh... it's still daylight! Ta Ta for Now!

Estes Park Camping ...We Made It!

ok so the grammar isn't perfect... im blogging in the dark! keep reading....

we made it! the place is beautiful and not a long drive from home. T helped me so much to get my thoughts in order today. I decided to avoid it last night and finish this morning. i laughed at medias family reunion instead. We have seen a lot of buck going through the camp and we keep trying to get good pictures. so far they are all far away. I'm going on a two hour horseback ride with the girls in the morning while T and Gabe go on a bike ride. Should be fun! Oh and the cots... we bought two cots for T and myself. can't wait to try those out. I'll let you know what i think

Ok... here's the healthy food i bought for the trip. so far we've had cinnamon rolls, chips, coke, oreos, chips ahoy, hot dogs, sandwiches and water. camp food. nice and easy and junky! We are eating out tomorrow so i hope to have some veggies! oh, grapes. we've eaten grapes.

So I'm typing in the dark. Becca just joined me and wants me to come back to the campsite. It took three tries this afternoon to get this free wifi connected. I just had to blog! you have to see this place!

Complete AnXiEtY

I like camping..at times love it really, but today as I am packing for a short trip we're taking soon, I am having an anxiety attack. Grant you T gets the list ready for me and even gets the stuff down from the attic. Thank you husband. But me... I am remembering all the work to get ready to go...laundry, grocery shopping, reminding the kids what to bring, food prep, hoping I got it all on the list, charging batteries for cameras, towels; I'm the one who remembers those too..... Aghh! Look at it all. I'm not even done yet!

Date in the Downtown

T invited me on an afternoon date and of course I took him up on it! We went to a plaza where the jazz band Dotsero was playing first. They were great! It's been a long time since we were able to attend a smooth jazz concert. I miss that. We walked across the street to this great micro brewing company to eat afterwards. I had a special summer brew made with blueberries! Yum! Our lunch was right on too. The downtown area of the Springs is real clean and very inviting. Glad we tried something new. So then we headed off to buy some camping supplies for the upcoming trip. I tell you, the weather here is AMAZING! I keep saying over and over... I can't think of one thing I don't like about living here except the crazy drivers on interstate 25 of course.

Yah for afternoon dates. I love my man....

Trees for the Forest

Can you see the trees for the forest? Maybe you see the wood blind in the way of both?

Today my girls and I went over to Joanna's house to surprise her with a "the baby's coming" cleaning. It's tough to do it all with a toddler and a big belly. We were so excited! Robby even got in on the action and "took her on a date". We finished in 2 hours..whoo hoo. Teaching your children chores (all your children, not just the girls!) pays off. Anyhow.. after we left with smiles on our face, I took my daughter to the orthodontist for a monthly check-up. In comes a lady full of anxiety who "happens" to sit by me. After listening to her tell her daughter a long saga, her daughter walks back to have her retainer repaired. She and I are sitting there and she says she has a headache. I told her,"Give me your hand." So she does.. I know, I look so trusting anyone will hand me their hand. I start to rub on the area for headaches and talk with her about her stress. She then continued the story and explained all that is happening in her life today. Best friend's daughter is in the hospital, her niece falls and breaks her arm in her house yesterday, surgery tomorrow, her niece doesn't have insurance...on and on. I switch hands and keep rubbing. In the conversation I had a chance to talk with her about Valerian Root for her stress, asked her if she had any water today, and kept rubbing her hand. By the time she left I had 2 names to pray for today. Don't know these people but do know they need prayer. I told her I'd pray for them and she thanked me. And thanked me again.

So ... when it comes to being the hands and feet of Jesus, just find one tree. Sometimes you have to look for them, sometimes they sit right by you in a doctor's office. The wood blind.. that's you. Sometimes you need to raise it up and get yourself out of the way.

Reality Check: Where are you today? Are you seeing the wood blind? Is the forest looking pretty big? Can you see the trees? Once you ask Jesus to use you, to be His hands and feet, expect it. The Forest will fade and you'll see so many trees.

Thanks for Listening,
Tuna Jones

Swimming in July..Hot Diggity!

Our family, well.. most of us, went to the GlenEagle Country Club pool today with our neighbors. I was so excited to be in the water again. The place was clean and very kid friendly. Pool toys, big spaces to play, lifeguards that let the kids play! It made me miss walking out back and jumping in our pool! I think we may have to join here next summer!

We Started the Play House!

Today T and I planned, talked, and came up with a master plan for Lina's playhouse. I think some details will continue to work out as we move along. We do know it'll be around 6 x 5 inside and the porch will be around 3 extra feet. My job is to hold the lumber in place, measure it, say Good Job!, and make T laugh at my engineering ideas. He is so good at building! Yah Husband! We have a patch of Scrub Oak in our back yard that we're nestling the house into. It'll have a cute front porch and hopefully be the same color as our home. I can't wait! Neither can she! Lina says it's gonna be for lots of fun activities like beauty shop, make up, and of course just hangin' out in.

I've always wanted enough room for the kids to spread out and play like I did when I was a young whipper snapper in Kentucky. This is just a blast for me to see it happenin'.

Campin' in Our Own Backyard..or is it Forest?

The girls decided to camp in our backyard for a couple nights. So fun! We have the forest and an indoor potty...what more could they want?

We are in our season of late afternoon showers so they were even prepared for the rain. You Go Girl! Keepers of the Home and Camp paid off.


Good Morning Sunshine!

Ok, so Charley Girl guarded them all morning and whined to join them in the tent when she heard them wake up. Her electric fence prohibited her from crossing over to them. She is such a good watch dog. Yah!

Cherries! Cherries! Cherries!

We have Cherries! Our tree is full and ready to be picked. Yah!!! Today I made an apple-cherry crisp. YUMMY!

Desperation Conference..Jesus is Awesome!

Last night was so AMAZING! I love seeing young people excited about Jesus! Dancing, singing, praying, yielding. Thank you Lord for a generation seeking You. David Perkins gave a great teaching on the Awesomeness of Jesus. With a Capital A..Awesome.

Gabe works for the lighting dept. at New Life, more specifically for my brother. It was really great to see all the hard work and long hours this week in action. He has learned so much from my brother.

Today (and tonight) is another great day for the Desperation Conference ... Matt Redman is on tonight and today the girls are going to a teaching on being an Authentic Christian in High School.

All ya'll need to send your kids here next summer... ok not all of you.. just as many as I can house!

Desperation Conference This Weekend!

D08 Recap from AV Geek on Vimeo.

A Giraffe Says?

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a must if you come to the Springs! We saw so many great exhibits, exercised from the hill climbing, and enjoyed a day away.

So when Corrine said she could tie her cherry stem in a knot in her mouth..the competition started. She was the best at it after much effort on the other girls part. I never knew it was even possible!

This baby Wallaby was adorable! The girls all took turns petting her. We thought about bringing her home..but not!

Check out the souvenir of the day! Mood Animal Rings all around.

Becca had this Utility Knife from T tucked in her purse. Never knew my daughter carried such a gizmo with her??!! So glad she did, I forgot to bring a knife to cut the sandwich. Go Bec!