I can't believe it's been a year since our last post. Actually I can. Like everyone else, we got busy, got Facebook, Twitter, etc, and didn't sit down to put anything on the blog.
So now it is time to get up to date on an entire year again!
As normally happens, we started our year in January, and promptly went out of our normal schedule, with a camping trip!
Arizona in January is a delightful place to camp, as long as we were bundled up morning and evening, and had Jean's parent's camper van to climb in when it got too chilly! Ted visited a friend in Phoenix while Jean and Adam camped with Jean's parents in Blythe to go to a bluegrass festival, and in Tortilla Junction at Lost Dutchman State Park.
Adam got to go on a trail ride with his Grandma and Jean for his birthday present, and we all got to explore an old Gold Mining town!
It was hard to come back to Kansas City after that great trip!
In April we added a new family member. Our old dog had passed away last fall, and it was time to get a new dog. We thought we were going to get a medium sized dog again, and somehow came home with a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix instead! Happy is 13 lbs of intense energy and keeps us busy!
In the spring Ted did some running, biking and running and competed in a triathlon, and Jean did the Kansas City Corporate Challenge through her work again. This year she added the 1/2 marathon to her list of activities, along with biking, the 5K, and golf.
In July we had scheduled a trip to Washington to visit family, a trip that was accelerated when we got the news that Ted's dad had passed away unexpectedly. He had been in poor health for years, which just led us to believe that he would live forever! It was a terrible shock to hear that he was gone, and we all miss him.
Since we needed to go out early to be with family and attend the funeral before commencing our regular vacation, rather than rebooking plane tickets Adam and Jean decided to take a few days and make the drive, with Ted flying out to meet them. Happy thought he could be a good car dog, so the car was packed with gear and bikes and off we set!
First sop, Sioux Falls, camping at a state park there.
Day 2, a quick trip to the badlands and a stop at Wall Drug, on our way to Rapid City and the state park outside of Mt Rushmore. We got to the campsite and got out of the car just in time to hear the first clap of thunder. Notice the blue tarp over the tent. Luckily the rain came straight down and we stayed dry and warm!
Day 3 Mt Rushmore, and the drive across Wyoming. Adam was pretty impressed with Mt Rushmore!
And we even saw a Mountain Goat in the park right at the base of Mt Rushmore!
We camped just outside of Yellowstone, at the windiest campground I have ever visited, that still managed to have thousands of mosquitos in the evening. We had to put bug spray on the dog to prevent him from being carried away by the vermin! But the next morning they were gone, and it was a beautiful day to go to Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone Lake - brrr! I can't believe Adam put his feet in it!
Adam was in charge of the binoculars, and scoped out the buffalo you can see in the background.
In fact, we saw several buffalo, this elk, and many other wild animals both in Yellowstone and on our camping adventures! Happy kept them from getting too close - what a good guard dog!
You can get an idea of the hordes of people that visit Yellowstone daily - this was the group watching for Old Faithful to do its thing. I had Happy on the leash, so we had to stay in the dog approved area, but Adam went up and saw it up close before coming back to tell me all about it.
After Yellowstone we stayed outside Butte, WY at a great campground that night, and then drove as far as Vantage, WA the next day before deciding we couldn't go any farther. That gave Adam an opportunity to swim in the Columbia River the next day. Happy and I waded - BRRR!
After we got to Centralia/Napavine, there were lots of visits with family and friends. Ted's family was all there, and we had the chance to see everyone for a couple of days before the funeral and after. It's not often we get everyone in one place for a family photo!
All the Jones grandkids with Grandma Mary (who is trying to cut down on the horseplay!)!
After that we settled into our normal summer visit routine - growing beards,
playing with cousins, and their dogs,
riding in the Model A with Grandpa Ray,
enjoying beautiful Washington summer days with Grandma Beth,
picking cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and even a few late strawberries,
and getting together with all of Jean's siblings and parents.
While we were there, Ted ran a 1/2 ironman distance triathlon at Lake Stevens, and finished faster than he thought. That meant we missed being there for the finish! Good for him, bad for the photo finish opportunity!
Then it was off to the beach to visit Jean's aunts and uncles, teach Adam how to pull crab pots, and then enjoy the fruits of our labors!
After all of that, Jean and Adam flew home to get back in time for work, and Ted and Happy drove back. They didn't stop at all of the national monuments, so they got back much faster (but didn't have as much fun!)!
The rest of the summer was consumed by trips to Science City, the Children's Museum, and other activities by Ted and Adam, along with getting ready for Kindergarten, which started in the middle of August for Kansas (very early!). You can see Adam's excitement.
Actually, Adam really enjoys Kindergarten. He has a great teacher and some really good friends. Since he really likes to read and is good at it, that gives him something a little special that helps him feel good about school.
In October Jean's parents came for their annual Halloween week visit, and we had a good time hosting them. We went to the arboretum (with Adam the Ninja) and enjoyed their wonderful Asian Art display on a pleasant fall afternoon.
Ted and the in-laws also went to the Confederate Veterans Home in Missouri as well as some of the Confederate war battlefields in the area.
Adam was having trouble deciding what to be for Halloween. He thought about being a bat.... then a skeleton bat.... then an army skeleton bat....
then he changed directions altogether, and decided on the SWAT team....
Or the Shark from last year....
But his favorite ended up being the dragon costume his grandma Beth brought for him. Grandmas are the best!
In November we went out to University of Kansas and attended a Science Day put on by their Chemistry department. Adam has decided that he is a Kansas fan. As he puts it, "I say Go KU!"
We have the tree up, the gingerbread house made, some of the presents wrapped, and we are almost ready for Christmas! We are planning another trip to Washington for the holidays - we won't have any berries, cherries, crab or other summer delicacies, but the company will still be good!
We are thankful to have such good family and friends, and we wish you all the best for the 2013 Holidays!
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