Mr. & Mrs. Jones

12.11.15

 

Wednesday...and...A REALLY Big Fish!!!

This is what Wednesday looked like!
The Rooster and I headed to the JSA, for registration.
He will be a Junior beginning Monday....WHAT???
Holy Smokes, that kid is cute! I sure do love him!
We have had so much rain in our area, that it is incredibly green.
Very unusual for us. I can't say that I have seen it this green around her in a very long time!

 

 The river is running full and fast! Again, very unusual for our area.
We are enjoying the fantastic clouds, the beautiful greenery, and a running river, so very much!
 As we crossed the river on our way from the JSA today,
The Rooster stopped on the bridge and said...
"Mom...don't you want a picture of the river???"
A full river is a rarity around here!!

 

The Rooster and Cousin Jacko are enjoying their last moments of freedom before school starts again. The spend a little time most every day, doing a little spear fishing.
Unusually, they come home empty handed, with a great story about "the one that got away...."
but yesterday after a few hours in a local "preson" or reservoir, they returned home full of excitement, asking me to get the "good" camera, because I would believe what they had caught.

 

I think I said something like..."holy smokes..that is gross!"...but they were so thrilled
with themselves it was really fun! Cousin Jacko had gotten the "big one!"
They also told me that the owner of the reservoir told them, that if they would keep killing the large Carp...they would have a job! I can't say I have seen that much excitement in them in awhile! They are so cute! I love it that they find so much entertainment in a little spear fishing!

When The Easter Egg Hunt Doesn't Go Your Way....

 

When you are 3...it isn't a good thing when you open your Easter Egg and you find a rock!

  In fact...it makes you pretty mad...and you say things you might regret...like...

"The Easter Bunny Lied!!!"

"I have NOT been a bad girl!!!"

BUT...rocks instead of candy...inside Easter Eggs...often happens when

 the older cousins find the Easter Eggs...BEFORE...the Hunt begins.

 

 

And this is what it looks like when you are registering your complaint about

 the Easter Bunny to The Farmer... who promises to have a talk to the Easter Bunny

and clear things up! It is a very traumatic thing to find a rock in your Easter Egg!!!

Cousin Love Found In A Tie....

 

Our missionary letter didn't arrive yesterday...it makes me sad when we miss a letter! Late yesterday afternoon a sweet companion and very dear friend of the Missionary Boy...sent us a quick note letting us know that he would write on Tuesday...Today! And sure enough, a sweet letter arrived along with a couple of pictures. Close to two years ago, The Missionary Boy's dear cousin was serving his mission in Argentina. During a service project the Missionary Cousin ended up with a shard of metal in his eye and was quickly transported to Mesa for surgery. It was a very scary time for our family. The Missionary Boy quickly asked if he could go to Mesa to see his dear Missionary Cousin. His love and concern for his cousin was very tender. We ended up heading to Mesa so both The Farmer and the Missionary Boy could check on the Missionary Cousin. His surgery went well. Miracles took place and the Missionary Cousin healed beautifully. While we were in Mesa The Missionary Boy spent a little time with his Missionary Cousin, they talked and talked. When it was time to go, The Missionary Boy removed the tie he was wearing and gave it to his Missionary Cousin to use for the remaineder of his mission. After a little time of healing...
The Missionary Cousin returned to Argentina and completed an honorable mission.

 

Not too long after the Missionary Cousin came home he came to my house for a little visit. He brought with him the tie that the Missionary Boy had given him when his eye was hurt. The now returned Missionary Cousin asked if I would please send that special tie back to The Missionary Boy so he could also wear it as he completed his mission. I thought it was a very very sweet and thoughtful gesture. I packed it up...sent it to England and this morning The Missionary Boy sent me a couple of pictures... and named them..."The Cousin Love Tie!" In this picture The Missionary Boy is with an Elder from Argentina...who was in his group when he entered the mission field...who he loves very much. So that Cousin Love Tie has been to...Mexico...Mesa...Argentina...Mexico...and now in England. It will be interesting to see where that tie ends up!;) I am sure it will always find it's home with a....cousin!! *Just a funny side note...the tie is stained a bit but the Missionary Cousin was insistent that it not be cleaned...so it remains stained;)

Cousin Love...And A Birthday!

 

These two have been very close from the time they were little! They "get" each other.

They love each other!

It was Cousin M.'s birthday...and that meant Cousin lunch..at school.

Well...really every lunch is Cousin lunch...

because there are so many of those cute cousins!

 

This lunch was special...Cousin M.'s mom prepared a yummy and favorite lunch of Sweet and Sour Meatballs...with all the fixin's. I have always loved "Cousin Lunch" at the high school...it is a great time to check in on the kids and let them know how much they are loved.

It is something we have done for many years!

 

This particular day...the Cousins were dressed for a devotional that they had that morning...

It made me think of them as missionaries...and made me a little teary.

It is coming quickly;)

What lucky cousins they are!

 

He's Home!!!....

 

He left us 2 years ago...our Missionary Nephew Ben...to serve the people of Argentina. Today he returned home having completed an honorable mission. Posters and banners were made...we all headed to El Paso...and we waited for his arrival. We found a little corner in the airport and gathered as a family. We talked about how the time had passed so fast...(some days!)...and all that had changed since he left. Would he recognize his siblings??? Would he recognize the the little cousins???...all the while his father was tracking his flight as it headed toward El Paso. And then the plane landed...we watched through a large picture window. The family gathered the banners, signs, and balloons and we waited for him to appear..."our missionary son...brother...nephew and friend."

 And this is what it looked like....

 

The two Grandma's...

 

Siblings reunited!!

 

Brothers...

This was the most tender moment I watched today...after the Elder arrived and was hugged by everyone...his younger brother sat apart from the crowd...weeping. Watching him brought me to tears too...and as I hugged him I said..."you are so happy he is home aren't you?" The young brother couldn't talk but nodded his head yes. What a sweet moment that was!

 

It was a wonderful afternoon for our family! Welcome Home Elder Ben!!!

 

Visiting USU....(Summer Catch-Up...)

While in Utah, we decided that some college campus visits would be a good thing. Thanks to some great family...PreShie got the VIP treatment at a couple of college options. The morning that The Farmer and Rooster took off on the "Harley Ride," PreShie and I headed to Logan. Although many members of my family have graduated from Utah State University, it had never occurred to me that my kids would possibly attend that school. Somehow The Missionary Boy got the idea that USU would be the perfect school for him...before he left for his mission...and soon that idea spread with some of the friends and cousins. PreShie didn't know what to think. So off we went...to check out Utah State University! Uncle Ben and family just happened to be in the area on a family vacation, so they came to Logan to meet up with us and the Logan Cousins!

It was so much fun to spend time with so much family!

The drive was beautiful! Logan is just a beautiful place. PreShie kept commenting along the way, about how beautiful it was and how fun it would be to live there. We met cousin Nikkel at the school...also a USU graduate...and began the campus tour. The more we toured...the more PreShie love it! Beautiful campus...not an overly big campus...family close by...it began to look like a place she would love! We learned what it meant to be a "True Aggie," and PreShie made sure to call her Grandpa Charles to see if he was a "True Aggie,"...which he confirmed;)

Our campus tour guide happened to be the Student Body President for this year...he was excited and fun...he made life at USU look pretty great!

The campus is very, very beautiful!

By the end of the tour...she was pretty determined that USU was for her! One of the funnest part of the trip to Logan was meeting one of Grandpa Charles' childhood friends who is a recruiter there. He told us some fun stories and made us laugh!

After the tour, we met Uncle Steve...and family...for some Aggie Ice Cream...which was very tasty! PreShie really enjoyed getting to know more cousins...and although she was pretty certain that USU would be a great option for her...Uncle Steve's "hard sell" made her even more excited to move to Logan. She said "it has everything!"..."school, small town...and lots of family to take care of me!;)" I wonder if the Logan cousins know what is headed their way! It really was a great day, it was so great of Cousin Nikkel to spend so much time with us and make sure that PreShie...and her Mom...knew the ins and outs of USU. I think it would be a place that both PreShie and The Missionary Boy would be very happy! Who knows...maybe a few other friends and cousins will join them in Logan;)