Merry Christmas 2012 from the Jones Family

Where to start?..... oh, yes, Merry Christmas 2012! 

Things have changed since this picture was taken a year ago!  We were living in West Monroe, Louisiana, the weather was in the 40s and 50s, we still had Sliver, and we had just returned from a vacation out in Washington State.

Adam was almost 4, and going to pre-school with some of his best friends.  I was working as a Territory Manager for John Deere, and Ted was keeping the house together and training for triathlons.  



 

 

And what is different today?  Ted is still keeping the house together and training for triathlons (and a 1/2 marathon coming up in January).  I am still working for John Deere, as a Large Ag Tactical Sales Manager, and Adam is almost 5 and going to pre-K with some of his best friends. 

 

We have also moved from Louisiana back to Kansas, sold a house, bought a house, lost 2 cars, bought 2 cars, I have run a 1/2 marathon, Ted has run several triathlons, visited Washington State to visit friends and family and attend a wedding, Adam has started to write and read, we lost Sliver in September, and we are about to gain a new niece or nephew.  A lot can happen in a year!

Adam celebrated 4 years in January 2012, with a "Car and Truck" birthday party - not a big surprise, as he continues to be fascinated by all things powered by engines.  We are looking forward to birthday #5 coming soon - It may be another "Car and Truck" birthday again!

 Adam also enjoys lots of imaginative things - he has at times been a fireman, bat, cat, mouse, armadillo, dog, shark, snake, jellyfish, and other assorted animals, sometimes all within about 10 minutes!  He keeps us entertained and we get to answer lots of questions about what each animal eats, how it sleeps, etc. 

 

In March we met up with my parents in New Orleans to have a good visit, and so I could run a 1/2 marathon there - it was a fun few days, and I had a good run and finished in my target time.  I haven't been motivated to run that far again since then, though! 

New Orleans has a great Aquarium, and also a wonderful Insectarium - Adam was fascinated by all the cool bugs, especially the hissing cockroaches!

We also made several trips to state parks around Northern Louisiana this spring, and found some wonderful places to play and enjoy getting out into nature. 

Our backyard provided plenty of entertainment throughout the year - it backed onto a wetland, and there were always birds and animals to spot. Some of our favorites were the woodpeckers (three different varieties), egrets, and hawks.

As always, there were plenty of home maintenance and home improvement projects to keep us busy.  Adam has gotten quite handy with a wrench and screwdriver so he can help us out when needed!

In March Ted completed the University of Monroe Triathlon, to kick off the triathlon calendar. Adam ran the last hundred yards with him. 

At the end of March Jean had an offer for a new job with John Deere back in the Kansas City area - so the house went on the market, we finished all the home improvement stuff we should have done way back when we first moved in, Ted found us a house in Olathe, KS, and we got ready to move!

We will miss the wonderful people we met in Louisiana - we had great neighbors, coworkers, and the John Deere dealerships were full of amazing interesting people that I enjoyed working with greatly!  We will miss everyone down there!

We will also miss the wonderful wildlife we encountered down in Louisiana - this was a little lizard that was in our back yard one afternoon.  We will even miss the giant spiders, cockroaches, stinging ants and giant red wasps, alligators, 6 kinds of poisonous snakes, etc.  They made thinking about nature walks interesting!

 

We moved into the new house in the Kansas City area in early May, and luckily only had one night in the new house before the movers arrived with all our stuff.

 

Then it was an adventure to figure out where to put everything. More than 6 months later we are still arranging and rearranging!  We do like the new house, and especially the new neighborhood, which is actually our old neighborhood, since we lived in this same area when we were in Kansas City last time!  It has a great community pool for the hot summers, a new park area with things for the kids to climb on and play, and a great path that runs almost from our doorstep to two different city parks.  It is great! 

We have enjoyed lots of activities around Kansas City since we have been back - the Zoo, Children's Museum, Deanna Rose Farmstead, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop, and other special events (like the one pictured above where Adam got to sit in about 30 different trucks, cranes, rescue vehicles, etc on the same day) have kept us busy.



For the 4th of July we participated in a kid's parade at the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop, and Adam won a prize for best decorated bike (and boy).  They also had a band playing, tours of the buildings, and fireworks - fun stuff!  

In July we traveled out to Washington State to visit family and attend a wedding. That is a great time of year to be in Washington - we had mostly good weather and got to visit with most of Ted's family and a huge number of my relatives.

 

It was great to take Adam over to Eastern Washington for the first time, and to enjoy wonderful "camping" with my mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law near Leavenworth so we could go to a wedding there.  Weddings are always such a great opportunity to see all the relatives!

 

We enjoyed all the seasonal fruit while we were out in Washington as well - fresh off the bush or vine.  Adam was very good at picking strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and other things, but they often ended up in his mouth instead of the bowl!

 

 

Being in Washington is so much fun because we spent time in the mountains, and we also spent time at the docks in Olympia, where Adam got to see seastars, anemones, crabs, barnacles, and lots of fish in the saltwater. 

 

After we got back from Washington in July, it was back to work, and Adam started a Pre-K program at the end of August.  While he misses the fun "Dad" time he had during the summer, he has really enjoyed his classroom, teachers and especially playing with the other students.  And we never know what he will come home and tell about that he learned in school!

 

We did a group bike in September to raise money and awareness for mental health issues, and Adam was the youngest rider to complete the 10 mile route (we were supposed to only ride 3, but that is a whole different story), so here he is accepting the smallest trophy I have ever seen!

 

In September we lost Sliver - she was 14 years old, and we miss her terribly.  We haven't even started to think about getting another dog or pet yet, as she was a member of the family and will be impossible to replace.

September also involved a weekend where Adam and I went camping with cousin Rebecca while Ted participated in a triathlon, lots of trips to zoo and Deanna Rose, and lots of warm dry weather.

October was LONG, as Adam was looking forward to the double excitement of having my parents come and visit, AND Halloween!  He really had a good time for Halloween - we made a shark costume for him, and he liked that, but the BAT costume his grandma Beth brought was the real winner!  It was too small for him even then, but he managed to squeeze into it for Halloween, for Thanksgiving, and was just asking about it the other day.  It is starting to split at the seams, so it won't last much longer!

And here we are almost at Christmas again!  We put the Christmas lights up on Thanksgiving, had the tree up that weekend, and Adam has been making lists of what he would like to get for presents.  It has really helped to get him writing (and reading), as he has to write down what he wants, and to read the toy boxes to figure out what to write!

 

Well, enough about our year!  We are all settled in Kansas City, Adam is looking forward to a winter with snow, I am enjoying my new job and all the office activities, and Ted is keeping fit, and we are looking forward to the next year!

 

We hope you had a WONDERFUL 2012, and that the new year brings great joy!  Take care and keep in touch! Happy Holidays!

 

Jean, Ted, and Adam Jones!

 

2011 Recap

by Jean (pictures to come)

Ok, it has been a while since we posted anything… but we are going to make up for an entire year right here in one pass. It is the annual Christmas letter, where we provide a rundown of our entire year in nauseating detail. So if you have a cup of coffee or another stronger beverage and are prepared to read for a while, go ahead.

Ted, Adam and I are still living in northern Louisiana. We had no hurricanes again in 2011 – so we need to leave the state before the next season blows us off the map since we have now been here 2 years without a major storm! Mississippi River flooding aside, it was a very dry and hot year in Louisiana – it was strange to be in a drought for most of the year while in danger from the worst flooding since they started record keeping! But we still managed to get out and do some fun stuff this year.

January was filled with trips – Ted was going to go do the Phoenix ½ marathon, but had to watch from the sidelines due to a leg injury. So he enjoyed 3 days with his friend Travis exploring the Phoenix restaurants that have been featured on Man Vs Food (having the exact opposite effect that running a ½ marathon would!). Adam and I made our own trip west, meeting up with my parents in Las Vegas. Now that they are retired, they get in one (of their several) RVs and hit the road when the weather turns cold and wet in Washington, usually ending up somewhere in the southwest, chasing sun and warmth (and interesting hikes and locations). So we met them in Las Vegas and after spending a few hours showing a 3 year old the Vegas strip, we decided that was enough of the bright lights, volcanoes, and pirate ships, and spent the rest of our trip out hiking around red rocks, cacti and sand. We also celebrated Adam’s 3^rd birthday while there, so it was a great trip. Thanks to Uncle Duke and Auntie Sharon for letting us all stay at their house!

February was filled with Adam’s class at preschool, Ted’s trips to the doctor to try to figure out what was (still) wrong with his leg, and my work for John Deere, which is what keeps us here in Louisiana. I enjoy working with the local dealers and every day has a different challenge for us. The weather and climate are so different down here that there were farmers in the field doing bedding and starting to plant by the end of February – and this was a little earlier than normal. Once farmers get into the field and start work, it doesn’t slow down again until November!

March marked the first triathlon of our season. Ted got to do the Warhawk Triathlon last year, so this year was my turn. It is over on the ULM campus, and includes a pool swim (thank goodness – no way I am getting in a lake or bayou in March!!), bike and then run. Adam ran the last 50 yards of the run with me, crossing the finish line and then he had to have several cups of Gatorade to recover!

April and May were full of excitement as we watched the weather reports and listened to the locals talk about the Mississippi River and the possibility of flooding. If the levees had broken near Vicksburg, there could have been water almost to Monroe (70 miles away). That is how flat Northeastern Louisiana is. We were actually more worried about the drought conditions in our area and how that would affect the crops and the economy. Record high temperatures were recorded during this time also, just to put an extra twist on the weather concerns!

At the end of May we made the long journey (way too many hours on a plane with a small child) to Washington to visit family. Ted’s dad has some health problems, and Ted ended up flying out a few days early to be there and help support him and the rest of the family. By the time we got there everything was much better, and I am happy to report that he is now back home and doing well with Ted’s mom Mary. While in Washington we also got to spend lots of time with Adam’s grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and some of our school friends, which was great! And it didn’t even pour down rain the whole time – thank goodness!

After that trip west, it was a shock to come back to Louisiana and the heat and humidity, but we managed to cope.  I did the Cotton States Triathlon in August, and I lucked out – the weather was cool and almost rainy, perfect for a swim, bike and run.  And Ted did a triathlon a week later in El Dorado, AR.  Not often in the summer in Louisiana do I worry that I will be too cold getting out of the water! Adam did the Kid’s Fun Run, just like last year, so he is building a collection of event t-shirts already!

Other kid events took up many of the fall weekends – the Ouachita Parish Safety Day is a great opportunity to learn more about safety and all of the entities that are there to protect us (and for the kids to sit on fire engines, boats, atvs, etc). And they always give out hats, so Adam has a collection of fire, police and safety hats.

There was a great Kids Fitness day at Kiroli Park near our house, and Adam and I had a great time trying Zoomba (he is more coordinated), hula hoop, shooting baskets, climbing the rock wall (in harnesses and hard hats and everything), and all kinds of other events focused on getting kids outdoors and more active.

And as always we spent lots of time at our local zoo and the NorthEast Louisiana Children’s Museum.

In October I took some vacation time, and we headed over to Anderson, SC for a ½ ironman distance triathlon that Ted (still injured) was determined to finish. He had been planning this with our friend Kati for months, and was going to be great on everything but the run. So we camped and did some sightseeing on our way there, and then enjoyed a great race venue with lots of kids’ activities while Ted and Kati tore up the triathlon course. They both finished, and we are very proud of them!

After that big trip, we had a quiet November with Thanksgiving at home featuring pulled pork (this is Louisiana after all) and green beans and sweet potatoes. And a week later we left for Washington to do a “tweener” visit – catching up with everyone between Thanksgiving and Christmas, instead of trying to go on a major holiday. I also had another reason for the trip. My friend from college Jessica invited me to her wedding – in Hawaii! Don’t let Ted tell you that I didn’t offer to take them – I did! Somehow the idea of another 5 hours flying, either with or without Adam was too much for him, so they stayed in Washington and visited with many of our family and friends while I was off on Oahu helping Jessica get her wedding details together, visiting with my sister Shannon who lives there, and taking a little time to snorkel and sightsee. It was a great trip and a wonderful wedding so I am glad I went! When I got back we had a great “ThanksChristmas” dinner with all of our family at my parent’s house and had a chance to visit a little more, and then we had to fly back to Louisiana.

Adam has been VERY EXCITED about Christmas for a while now (since Thanksgiving day at approximately 3:45pm). It is about to drive him nuts that it still isn’t Christmas – every day he asks us if it is here yet. So tonight is going to be great! We have presents under the tree, bean soup for dinner, cookies made and ready to leave for Santa (and eat ourselves), lots of Christmas carols playing, and we are ready for the main event!

Hope you have a VERY Merry Christmas and that your New Year is full of all the best for you and your families!

Love,

Jean, Ted, and Adam Jones

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Wait, It's Been HOW Long?

With Mother's Day in the rear-view mirror, naturally our thoughts turn to Christmas...

Okay, it's possible I've neglected the blog a little too long.

Anyway, Christmas was fun. To put your mind at ease, yes, Adam did receive the skid-steer he was hoping for. I know you've been on the edge of your seat for the last 5 months in anticipation. Sorry about that.

This was the first Christmas where Adam really got into the whole holiday thing. There were all sorts of pre-Christmas events that he enjoyed, like going to the Children's Museum and getting "snow" all through his hair and telling Santa (several times) that he wanted a skid-steer.

Or going to the zoo to look at the porcupine and other animals.

Or the Christmas party at the gym.

Or heading to downtown West Monroe for the light and music display.

He also noticed the big tree in the house.

And the stocking with candy and tiger slippers in it.

And the presents that appeared under the tree Christmas morning. Like a certain piece of equipment from Grandma Beth and Grandpa Ray:
And the service center from Grandma Mary and Grandpa Ted:

And after all the excitement of the presents, Adam helped Jean with dessert.

He was a huge help.

With a thank you to grandma and grandpa (both sets).

Pretty Much

Adam Describes Louisiana In Five Words

Adam, describing the garage sale he and his mom patronized this morning: "It had shotguns and trucks!"

More soon. Really.

Updates! Pictures! Video! Humorous Anecdotes!

All things you'd get from a competent blog author, but NOT ME! Guh. I've, uh, been busy. Yeah, that's it.

Anyway, I'll make a pathetic stab at getting caught up soon. Probably this weekend. Or something.

Come Read Our Lazy Christmas Letter

So here is our Christmas letter, which in years past would be sent to your mailbox. This year, in an innovation I'm calling "Putting The Darn Thing On The Internet Because Printing and Mailing It Is Too Much For A Slugabed Like Me," we're just gonna put it here and you get to use your precious internet time reading it instead of updating your Facetube or Mybook or Youspace or whatever you kewl kids are doing and we're not these days. You kids with your "tweeting" and "friending" and "poking" and "pinging" and other things that sound dirty... Humbug, I say!

The big news is that we seem to have survived our first year in Louisiana. It was a little touch-and-go in the summer, when the high temperatures were regularly reaching 3000 degrees, with 173% humidity... well, by my calculations anyway. But we made it. Adam, of course, loved the hot weather. We spent a lot of time in the air conditioning of the local children's museum, but when we were outside, water played an important role in Adam's summertime existence. We went to the pool a lot, and by the end of the summer, he was pretty darn close to swimming. Next year, he's going to be a swimming fool. He also found that running across the front lawn naked or nearly naked through the sprinkler was great fun. I don't know how our neighbors feel about it.

Adam turned 2 years old in January (which of course means he's fast approaching his third birthday already, but we don't want to think about that right now). And in February, he took his visiting Grandpa Ray and Grandma Beth to his first Louisiana Mardi Gras parade. He was completely exhausted by the end but refused to leave before it was over.

The visit from Ray and Beth coincided with the Saints big win in the Super Bowl. It was pretty exciting for the long-suffering locals, given the not-so-glorious past of the team formerly known as the 'Aints. And Ray and Beth got to see the Saints' victory parade, which was cold and windy but still fun.

Adam also got to experience his first camping weekend this March when we met Tori and Kevin, and Seth and Deb and Vicky at Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas. He was a natural when it came to s'mores and canoeing, but a two year old boy and tent camping are a lot of work for parents. It was a fun weekend, but that boy sure wore us out.

Beth had had such a good time in N'awlins in February that she came back in April. She flew directly to the Big Easy, and we met her there for a weekend of cable cars, the zoo, the aquarium, and gators.

And we had our first non-family guest in May when Colin extended his Southern work trip with a few days in our sleepy hamlet. We weren't able to show him much of the area because we still didn't know much about it ourselves, but at least he got to sample the end-of-the-season crawfish.

In June we trooped out to Washington for Sharon and Ben's wedding. It was as close to a family reunion as we're going to get, and it was fun to see everyone again (or for the first time).

After a couple of quiet - and hot - months, we flew up to Iowa for Rebecca and Bob's wedding. Again, fun to see everyone, and we had a good time exploring Pella and Knoxville, topped off by Evey's first-ever kayak experience, with a huge assist from Tori and Elizabeth.

In late October, we received a third visit from Beth (I wonder if she likes it down here?) and a second from Ray. They helped us through Halloween and had a good time collecting pecans at a local farm. Adam was a tiger (in LSU colors - don't blame me; if Jean does the work, she gets to choose the colors).

A couple of weeks later, I ran in the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 marathon. It was a fun weekend with Jennifer, Bryan, Stormy, and Blake. We did a little pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving while we were there, which allowed us to have a nice, quiet Thanksgiving here. It was our first Thanksgiving in a while that we didn't travel, and it was a nice change of pace.

We were going to do something similar for Christmas, but Jean got a hankering for the sea, so we're going to go to Gulf Shores, AL for a few days next week. But first, we've got to get Adam through the holiday without him exploding. The last few years were relatively easy because he didn't really grock the whole Christmas thing. He just didn't care one way or the other. This year is different. He is fully invested in Santa and presents and trees and lights and candy canes and stockings and snowmen... the whole nine-yards. We will soon find out if Adam received the skid-steer tractor he loudly and proudly announced to Santa that he wanted for Christmas, and the anticipation is killing the poor kid. I like to think of it as a tough but necessary lesson in patience that will be good for him in the long term. Adam is not so sanguine.

Aside from the Christmas excitement, the other big news lately is that Adam has started full-time pre-school. He's been going to school 3-4 days a week for the last few weeks, and he's enjoying it a lot. Combine that with his nearly complete potty training, and he's gone from toddler to boy in the blink of an eye.

We wanted to get him in pre-school so that I could start working again. I'll be teaching a class at University of Louisiana Monroe in the spring, and I'm looking to get certified as a group exercise instructor this year, with the long-term goal of becoming a personal trainer. We figure it's something I'll enjoy and can do wherever Jean's job with Deere takes us. For now, we're enjoying our respite from the crazy summer weather and looking forward to the crawfish season.

Now, you kids get off my lawn.