Hey Everybody it's Family Night

Are you singing the family night song now?
One of our favorite nights is Monday night. Cort and I take turns teaching FHE and it is amazing to me how much Jack remembers and learns. I had to give a talk on FHE a while ago and we have been pretty good at doing it. I always had FHE growing up and we think it is so important to teach our kids the gospel in our home.
For family night we dressed the boys up as missionaries complete with Elder Jones nametags and Book of Mormons. We talked about some friends and family that are on missions and wrote them letters. We also talked about saving their money so they could go on missions some day. It seems like a long ways away for Jack and Hank to go on missions, but then I think about how fast the past three years have gone that Jack has been here and it will be here before we know it. It is never too soon to start talking to your kids about missions- haha that commercial can be used for a lot of things!

And one of Jack's favorite things to do as a family is to play duck duck goose and put a puzzle together. He is getting really good at doing puzzles by himself. I love to see his wheels turning and trying to figure things out.

Scooby Doo

Now that we live in the "country" we have wanted to get the boys their own puppy. Max our chocolate lab is really good with them but we got her when we were first married and she is more our dog and is getting kind of old. So we surprised Jack for his birthday which isn't for another month with a chocolate cocker spaniel. He was so excited when we pulled up and he saw the puppies on the grass and we told him to go choose one.

Jack bringing his new puppy home. We conned him into naming the puppy Sam and that is what we called him for a few days but Jack was having a hard time remembering his name so we let him change it and of course he changed it to Scooby Doo- his favorite cartoon recently.

Jack was so excited to give the puppy a bath and carried it around with him EVERYWHERE!

It was so cold outside still when we got Scooby so he stayed inside until it warmed up, and as soon as it warmed up a little he was right out into the garage. I guess we aren't very good puppy trainers because we could not potty train him and I was so sick of cleaning the floors. The first weeks I kept asking myself WHY WOULD I GET A PUPPY??? The whining, chewing, pooping, and peeing. I was about to go crazy but then I would see the boys on the couch holding Scooby or Jack cuddling with him and telling me "my puppy is so cute" or telling Scooby "you are my new best friend".

And now that Scooby lives outside and Maxamillia tolerates him a little more Scooby is such a good dog and Jack and Hank absolutely love him!

Sally

I finally got my OWN horse! Her name is Sally. Cort saddled her up for me and we went around the hills by our house on a fun little ride.


You know what they say that opposites attract. This was the case with Cort and I. We were totally opposites growing up-at least with our interests. All he knew was horses and rodeos. I have rode horses a few times growing up but never owned one and only would go to the Famous Preston Night Rodeo every year because that is just what you do living in Preston. I grew up with sports. Basketball, volleyball, softball, track, mountain biking, hiking, and watching my brother play football. It has been so much fun over the almost 8 years we have been together to teach and learn from each other. While we were dating I was really concerned that Cort didn't know how to shoot a basketball, or throw a football. I had to teach him and he actually got a lot better. I love to go to rodeos and love the farm living style we now have. We like to do so many things together and love that we can share our hobbies with each other and with our kids. We have had so much fun doing all these things together and we both enjoy each others worlds which also makes us very busy having fun with all our hobbies we have acquired!

Bunnies

Just to add to our collection of animals, Jack and Hank got to spend the day with their Grandpa Rod and this is what they came home with. They really are cute bunnies and Jack and Hank of course have hauled them all around. Jack named the bunnies "Jack" and "Hankers" which is what ALL our animals would be named if we let him.
Cort spend the weekend building a top of the line bunny cage. We figured we would always have some bunnies around so we might as well have a nice cage to put them in.

We are good with animals on the Jones Farm now-everyone who LOVES to give us animals...

The Best Thing About Winter

SKIING! I actually got to try out my new skiis two weekends in a row! Cort and I went skiing with my Dad and BIL Kyle to Beaver and had a blast.
Cort and I gearing up for the big ski day

The famous take a self photo on the lift picture... I am not sure where that extra chin came from on me.

My Dad, Cort, Me, and Kyle- In no particular order of who is a better skiier...

Then the next weekend I went with my Dad and Scotty to Pebble. It was such a nice and warm day we had a great time.
My favorite run was called what I had all day, "Wedgie"

This is Scotty, he is single, he is a pretty good skier, any takers? I just have to help him out any chance I can get. I am starting to worry about him and his quest for celestial marriage.

Me and Scotty- if you marry him you could replace me in the picture :)

We were getting on the lift and all the sudden I looked down and my ski was missing. I looked back and it was standing straight up in the snow with the next chair almost running into it. Luckily the lifty saw it and stopped the lift and stuck in on the next chair. I didn't really even know it happened but the funny thing is, the exact same thing happened the next time getting on the lift in the same hole!

Can you go skiing without taking a on the lift self photo?

I love hanging with just my Dad and bro. We have such a fun time together.

Time Out for Women

For Christmas my MIL Jami gave all her daughter in-laws tickets to Time Out for Women. I have to admit I was a little hesitant at first to be excited about going but am so glad I did. We had such a fun time and the speakers were fabulous. My favorite speaker was Linda Eyre and her daughter. They wrote a book together called "A Mother's Book of Secrets" Jami bought us all the book and we even got it signed! I even got my picture taken with Mercy River, they sing religious songs and entertained during the Saturday session.
My MIL Jami, SIL Sunee, me, and SIL Stephanie

Jack Starts Preschool

Jack is growing up so fast! He started preschool, even though he doesn't turn three until March 31st, but he loves to play with kids and is pretty smart. His preschool is really fun because they have a hour of learning time and then a hour of activity time where they do aerobics, dance, tumbling, and they even go swimming. He was so excited to get a back pack and makes sure it is packed every night before preschool.
I am at work when he goes to preschool so Granny gets to take him in.
Hanging up his back pack.

Jack swimming with one of his best friends Luke.
He is learning to write and spell his name.
A cut out picture of Jack's body he colored.

Hankers- Pickle or Cookie?

This little guy keep things interesting around here. He is 15 months old and is SUPER busy. He is getting a mouth full of teeth and is the absolute WORSE teether in the world. I don't know if I was just spoiled with Jack but Hank has had such a hard time getting teeth. He screams ALL night, has diaper rash and diarrhea like you wouldn't believe, runny nose, and is very irritable. Thank you for teething gel and butt paste to make things a little better. He almost has all his teeth now, some are still barely poking through but it has been a long couple months getting them all here at one time. Hank and Jack are already SO different from each other. Hank is so busy and loves to climb on EVERYTHING. He has already learned to scoot the stools around so he can climb up them to get things up high. I find him on top of the office desk, sitting on the back of the couch, standing on the kitchen table, and the other day on the counter with the lid off the frog tank and his hands inside. His favorite thing to do is to open the pantry and dump every cereal or cracker box on the floor. He is so dang cute and looks so innocent though I can never get mad because he always gives me this huge grin, or turns around and takes off running to hide. He is one determined little boy and doesn't give up until he gets what he wants. He is also becoming quite independent as you can tell in the picture. He likes to feed himself now which means a lot more baths and clothes to wash.
The other day Cort was getting home from work and Hank met him at the door (he LOVES when "Da" comes home- so cute) Cort came into the kitchen holding him and we both noticed something on the floor. Cort asked what it was and I told him it must be a pickle that dropped on the floor from dinner last night. Cort immediately said I don't think thats a pickle. I bent down to pick it up and Cort said that it looked like poop. As I was smelling it, Jack yelled from the bathroom for someone to come wipe his bum. I about started gagging and asked Jack if he just pooped and how Hank got his poop out of the toilet. Jack said that Hank got the poop out of the toilet with the spoon he was holding and that he thought it was a cookie!
So I am holding a piece of poop I thought was a pickle and Hank thought was a cookie. Don't you love a classic poop story?

Once the was a Snowman

Named Jack! Jack loves to name everything after himself. Jack, Hank, and I had a fun time in the snow. I pulled them all around the house on the sleigh and they were so relaxed. We had to improvise a little for the snowman, have you ever seen a banana for a nose? Jack makes sure to say hello and goodbye to Jack the Snowman every time we come and leave home.

Building something for Mom

Jack got his own tool kit for Christmas and loves to "help" dad in the garage building things. He makes sure that he always has his safety glasses on and makes Cort wear his also. Cort was building me some things so Jack thought he would make me something also.

Around the Jones' House

We have just been enjoying the new year and our new house. Here are some things we have been up to.
Jack and Hank LOVE to take a bath together. I actually love it also because they for the most part play so well in the bath tub together. They can be entertained by bubbles and bath toys for about a half an hour. Plus I love how they smell in their nice clean jammies and all lotioned up.

For family home evening Cort gave the lesson on how Heavenly Father created everything on the earth. Then we set up Jack's fish tank and put in some plastic sharks, fish, and sea creatures. The boys thought this was SO COOL, and so did I because I don't even have to remember to feed them or clean the tank.


Jack got this little tent for Christmas and calls it his "puppy house" he really likes to pretend to be a puppy or any animal. He can even con Cort into playing just about any animal with him.

Happy New Year!

We like to party! We like to party with these party animals. For New Year's Eve we had some friends over to help bring in the new year. We had a blast and of course stayed up WAY too late!
We played some mean games of cards.

Vic and Cort rocking it out with guitar hero.

Played a tournament of ping pong. Trevor and Hayden

Shane and Katie

And this years ping pong tournament champions- Nick and Ash! They both won a Napoleon Dynamite T-shirt. But everyone better watch out cuz Cort and I are practicing up for next year.

Judd- doing what he does best, which I'm not sure what that is...

I love these girls! It is awesome that all Cort's high school buddies married such cool girls that we all get along so well.

Jack's "best friends" These guys had so much fun together all night watching movies, eating junk, and playing games. They were all so dang cute!


We wish you all a Happy New Year! We hope to see you all soon!

Photographer Jack

For Christmas Jack got a new digital camera- just a crayola kid camera. He lOVES it! He follows me and Hank around the house all day saying "say cheese!" He was so excited to bring his camera to Pocatello to see my grandparents because he wanted to take a picture of my Grandma's dog Buster. He is getting pretty good at taking pictures at everyone else's expense.
On the way there he saw a train he just HAD to get a picture of.

A lovely picture of one of the hundred pictures of me.

He was so hilarious telling my Grandpa to say cheese!

A self portrait of Jack.

Grandma Cowman

Baby Ben

The fish tank at the Veterans center where my Grandpa is.

And his prize picture of the day Grandma's dog Buster.


Jack didn't take this picture with his camera, but he came out of his room SO proud of himself because he can get dressed all by himself now! Let's just say sometimes as a mom you just have to smile, say they look great, and look away. Especially when he dresses himself to go somewhere out of the house... He is such a nut and is growing up so fast. Jack is at the stage where he can do EVERYTHING by himself which requires a LOT of patience from his mom and dad.