Amanda's Baby Blessing

We're So Glad When Daddy Comes Home!

Glad as we can be! Matt has been going to scout training every tuesday night for the past 4 weeks along with his usual wednesday night mutual. Somewhere in there he went on an overnighter scout training and had parent teacher conference at his school. I was surprised when Isaac asked where daddy was last night. It only took him a month to notice! And Seth cried when Matt came home to drop off a dolly (from helping someone move right after work) and walked right back out the door to go pick up kids for Young Mens. I called daddy back to give the boys a kiss and promised that dad would say goodnight to them and they were ok. So when Matt came home today he spent a good 45 minutes or so wrestling with the boys. I love my family!

I Scream, You Scream!

If you have already read this post, then you know that I'm not a real icecream fan. But even I scream for icecream when it's 31 Flavors for $.31! We didn't get there in time to go in with our friends and didn't want to wait in the line, so we just went to Rite Aid next door. The boys didn't care and since neither place has mint chocolate cookie, I wasn't heartbroken.

You should have seen how fast their toys dropped as soon as I said "let's go get icecream". They got so excited that it made me feel guilty that I never really take them to icecream. What kind of mom and I?

Isaac Saves the Day!

"Gramma 'Lissa" got locked out, so Isaac came to save the day prepared with his tools and fireman hat.

Our Hero!

Pea-NUT, Peanut Butter! and syrup!

Pea-NUT!

Peanut Butter!

Isaac's first attempt at his own pbj. Luckily I did the jam. But when he showed me the finished 2-inch thick sandwich, I opened it to see what ELSE he had put in there! Much to my surprise, it was just peanut butter! And I thought Sethy was the peanut butter fan.



And finally...yes, that's syrup. I was wondering what was taking him so long to eat his waffles. This isn't the first time we've had a syrup catastrophe with Seth. At least this time it wasn't on the carpet like a year ago. It was just all over his ENTIRE body! Unfortunately, this go 'round he consumed much more of it. Like almost half a container's worth! It was lite syrup, but still! I almost called poison control! What followed was the biggest sugar low I've ever seen!

Happy Birthday Samantha!

Catching Flies

It's Seth, then Isaac and then Samantha. Watch Sam closely. What is she doing? One of the employees suggested she was trying to catch flies. Any other suggestions?

Does Anyone Know...

...if there is a way to archive within a page element? I want to start archiving my "Jonesims" quotes within the page element itself (or I guess I could archive it in a separate page element if I had to). I think I saw it once on someone's blog, but of course, I can't remember whose.

I've Been Tagged! Who's Next?

What were you doing a decade ago?

I was walking A LOT! And enjoying the colorful blossoms of spring. I was in Korea in a beautiful city in the country named WonJu. I had almost exactly one month left of my mission. At this point I was contemplating my mission and wishing I could somehow have done more. I still have dreams of going back to Korea on another mission.


5 things on my to do list:

1. Get out of bed...eventually.
2. Take a shower.
3. Get dressed? maybe.
4. Feel guilty about not cleaning the house.
5. Take a nap.


5 places I've lived:

1. Orem, UT
2. Burbank, CA
3. Provo, UT (BYU)
4. Korea
5. Long Beach, CA


5 jobs I've had:

1. file clerk
2. extra booking agency (booked extras on movies, commercials, tv) (best job ever!)
3. book labeler at BYU Library (next best job EVER!)
4. staffer for Volt Temp Services
5. Angels Gate Park Coordinator (ran day camps, booked filming and weddings and directed special events)

(No, Melissa, I've never telemarketed)


5 things people don't know about me:

1. I was diagnosed with diabetes after my mission.
2. I'm addicted to thrift store shopping, zit-picking, and avoiding cleanning house like the plague.
3. I'm not a real icecream fan. I can almost always pass on icecream. (Please still be my friend!)
4. I am on drugs and am LOVING it! I'm a huge advocate of anti-anxietydrugs! Just ask!
5. Nothing much left to say....I think I'll go take a nap.

I tag Su, Lisa, Brooklyn Cook, Cari Rath, and Lori Hess!

I'm a Winner!

I won the "Summer Blues" basket for Isaac's preschool fundraiser! It includes, but is not limited to, 2 large pizzas, sand sculpting tools, moon sand, sunblock, carryall, lunch cooler and tickets and passes to:

• Legoland


• Wild Rivers


• Aquarium of the Pacific


• CalBowl


• Glacial Garden Iceskating Rink


• Paint N Glaze

Not bad, eh?

Hugging Ryan Seacrest and Other Such Nonsense

Melissa, Natalie and I got to go see the dress rehearsal for Americal Idol yesterday. I had told my sister in Poland that morning that we were going but that the judges would not be there, only the contestants and Ryan Seacrest. She said that the only reason to go would be to see him anyway. Well, I don't really have those same sentiments. His mouth is really weird and when he was a dj for star he always sounded a little way too into himself.

But when he came and stood right next to us and was shaking everybody's hands, I had to ask him if I could give him a hug from Poland. He said that there was no way he could make it to Poland right then. I told him it was for my sister who lives there. Charitable or self-serving? So, he gave me a hug and then asked about her, if she was Polish or what she was doing in Poland. I was surprised that he even asked. So, I guess he's not that bad of a person! But after that I couldn't help but wonder what my motive was for that hug? I kept wishing my sister were there to have received it and that it served no real purpose for her! So at that point I could only conclude that it was purely self-serving.

It was really cool to be right up against the stage to see the contestant's faces so closely, and it was fun to watch them perform in person. But the coolest part of the rehearsal, other than the fake Paula and her hilarious comments, was waving to Niel Diamond who was hanging out watching a few feet away from us. We tried to get him up on stage, but he just smiled back and waved.

Here are a few things I observed:

1. Ryan Seacrest has a huge scar under his chin.
2. The studio/stage looks HUGE on tv and is amazingly small and not so impressive in real life.
3. Carly's voice fills up the whole studio and is super powerful.
4. Kristy Lee is even more beautiful in person.
5. Brooke has NO butt.
6. Even though I don't appreciate Jason as a musician, his eyes NEVER stopped sparkling!
7. David Archuleta really is shy and modest. What a cutie!

We had a great time and are hoping we'll get tickets to a live taping soon.

Our Extended Spring Break

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Slowly, but surely!

Okay, okay! You've all convinced me to get back into this (I'm soooooooo lazy!). BUT I still haven't figured out how I'm going to find a balance! I'll try a short weekly update, so maybe I can stay on top of things for posting and reading other blogs. If any of you have any suggestions, I'd sure like some advice on how you keep up with blogging without letting it take up tons of time. It looks like I have my work cut out for me since I'm behind by 3 months! Thanks for your patience!

Vegas Baby!

For our 8th Anniversary in March we went to Vegas for the second year in a row. Mainly because I really wanted to see "O", but also because it's such a quick and easy getaway we had to do it just one more time. This year we couldn't have asked for better weather!

Of all the times I've been to Vegas, I've never been to the Flamingo Gardens. It was a much needed retreat on a very warm, sunny day. Even though it isn't large, per se, it was a nice contrast to the hustle and bustle of the strip. There were lots of benches to rest on in the shade while we listened to the waterfalls.

If you've ever wanted a different view of the Bellagio fountains, the Eiffel Tower across the strip is the place to do it! The fountains provided lovely entertainment during a delicious lunch.
It also "whetted" our anticipation for the show that night in the beautiful hotel where we saw "O" (from the french word "eau" meaning water). We were only 8 rows back and didn't even get a drop! What a rip-off!

ODE TO ELFIE ~ In Our Home October 9, 2007-February 16, 2008

Isaac had been asking for a cat, so when she came up to our patio door (and after some research), we took her in on October 9, 2007. When we found out she was a girl I figured it was only fitting to name our black, female cat that we got in October after a witch. Hence came the name Elfaba, after the misunderstood, not-so-wicked witch-of-the-west (the green one) from the musical Wicked.
The most wonderful part was that Isaac loved her sooooo much. The most horrible part was that Isaac loved her sooo much! He couldn't stop loving her. After months of reminding Isaac to "leave her alone, put her down, don't squish her, leave her alone, don't hit her, don't kick her, leave her alone, don't hold her by the hind legs and jump up and down, leave her alone, leave her alone, leave her alone!", we finally decided she might be happier in a different home. So, with much tears (mostly on the part of Matt who regularly threatened her life) we took her to the animal shelter where they assured us after she went to adoptions that they will keep her until she finds a home. It is with much sadness and relief that we no longer have a cat. But her memory lives on as we continue to pull hairs from the computer chair that was her favorite napping spot.

ELFABA

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How Many Polacks Does It Take To Have A Party?

The answer is 4. As long as they are your long lost sister and cousins! Even though we skype all the time, it's still not the same as having them in America! We had a great time going to Disneyland, the Korean Bell, Ft. MacArthur Military Museum, Cabrillo Aquarium, Uncle Jon's house, and shopping, which of course included my favorite thrift store!

We finally got to see our third Polish cousin/nephew! Aaron Levi makes a DARLING Aaron Underpants, wouldn't you agree? He was amazingly persistent in getting those on his head.

Isaac and cousin David "camping" at Uncle Jon's house and eating the most delicious marshmallows imported from Polska.

Sliding, Not Sledding

After sledding down a nearby hill a few times with their cousins, the boys found the frozen playground much more fascinating! We don't have any of those around home! Notice how Seth flies off the slide!

Christmas in April

Well, here's your "surely" Lisa! But you can definitely count on the slowly for a while! I hope you all don't get whiplash from going so far back in time! We'll start with Christmas Vacation...

Well, after seeing Matt struggle for a while to make a snowman as though it were made of sand, I gave him a hint to pack a snowball and roll it around on the snow. He was amazed at how well it worked. Unfortunatley, though, for the life of me I couldn't remember what one uses for "coal", so Isaac suggested we use the grapes we brought from California. They worked perfectly!

(I can't believe I forgot we used rocks!!!!)

While Isaac and Matt were working away at building the snowman, I took about 20 pictures of Seth happily eating snow. Actually, gorging on snow would be a more appropriate term. Notice him biting the glove to get the last bits of snow off before he goes for another handfull.

By his smile here on the grounds outside of temple square, you can see that Isaac is in Celestial Glory (aka Heaven). Rather fitting that he made a snow "angel" at the temple. It was obvious by the joy and exuberance that he did this with that he had been waiting quite some time to do this since he could only read or watch things about snow angels in California.

Can you spare three minutes? If so, turn up your speakers, sit back and enjoy!

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