Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year!!!


We wish everyone blessings on this New Year's Eve. This has been a great year. We have so much to be thankful for.
Everyone in our family is healthy. Matt and I have jobs. We have a wonderful church family. The adults in our family know Jesus as Lord and Savior. God has kept our cars going another year. (They are true Dave Ramsey cars and are pretty dern old.)
We know that God has a purpose for our lives and feel His presence and guidance daily.
We both have wonderful, supportive moms, who love our kids and each of us.
God gave us a new house this year. Last year we lived in a house that was cold and still had utility bills of over $600.
Our doggy, who was in a car wreck, made it and is very healthy.
We have so many old and new friends that we love.
God has given us the opportunity to sing together many times this year to new people, which we have really enjoyed.
Things are good between our 16 year old and us. Our kids are getting along so much better than ever. Matt and I have been married 12 years and still love each other. :)
We've had lots of good times together, from singing in weddings to trips to Six Flags.
God has met every need we have had and lots more.

I could go on and on. Matt has taken everyone to the fireworks stand. We live outside the city limits now, so we can go crazy.

Take care. We really are thankful for all of you. See you in 2008!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Matthew's New hat


Matthew's New hat
Originally uploaded by jonesrestoration
Christmas has been so great. Hope it has been for all of you. We had a wonderful time with my mom, at church on Christmas Eve, going to Grandma's and Grandpa's on Christmas Day, staying with Mamaw and Nana in Clinton, etc.
Matt and I came home today and Matthew's hat was waiting at our front door. (didn't make it for Christmas morning)
I thought I would model it for him.
The kids will come home Monday.
Take care...and Happy Early New Year!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Christmas rantings...holiday cheer

Hi there. My name is Laurie, and I used to blog.
Last post was December 7. Since then there have been 3 or 4 Christmas programs, parties, exams, basketball duty, etc.
The high school choir sang in between acts of Stocking Stuffers. This was the drama dept.'s skits. They were great. The choir had a good time being a part of this. There has been so much drama in choir that we haven't needed any skits. Things are getting better, though. We had a party after our exam on Friday, and the kids were pretty cordial to each other.
We are working on becoming a choir that pulls together. The kids haven't had opportunities to be a part of something excellent, and putting out the kinds of energy that it takes to get there. With every performance of Stocking Stuffers I saw them get better and better. We still need to work on behavior. I put a lot about concert etiquette on the choir exam. I hope they didn't miss any of those questions.
I could write for about an hour about the Kindergarten and 1st grade Christmas program. Let me just say that it was wild. The kids were so very cute in their penguin costumes. The parents loved it. We learned a lot from it that I believe we will benefit from next time and forever. One person said "I was just sitting there watching you and thinking that you were about to lose it." I kept my sanity. The kids were so excited to be penguins and that their moms and dads were in the audience that they were having a party on the risers. They wouldn't look at me to save their lives. I had to get up and literally say "Boys and girls, look at me!" Hee, heee. I can laugh about it now. One girl shook her head, not wanting to come and say her lines. I gave her a very desperate look. I think she knew I was about to lose it. We finally got to the end, though.
I am wiser now, although I don't know how you keep Kindergartners from looking at their parents, except to practice for two weeks at school and threaten them. I didn't want to do either. The teachers were so busy testing, etc. We wanted to save their school time. We'll find a happy medium next time. The kids were pumped up, though, because one of our songs called for a kazoo, and they all got one of their very own. I have to swallow my pride often. It is not hard for the Lord to keep me humble. :)
On December 16th the kids at church did a program. The youth and children's choir. Youth in the morning, children at night. They all did such a great job. I couldn't believe that the Jones children actually sang solos (except you know who.) Jacob and Claire did great jobs.
Here is Claire.

The church just goo-gooed over all of the kids. They were so sweet.

The youth had been doing an advent wreath starting December 2nd. It has been so cool to see them read and light the candles. There was a tense moment when a certain un-named youth tried to light the candles last week.
After school was out this past week, we really got into Christmas. Matt had Rhapsody rocking with his 426 track Christmas play list. The songs are so great. So much good Jazz. Ella Fitzgerald, Burl Ives, Mel Torme, Laurence Juber, Vince Guaraldi, The Jackson 5, The Chipmonks.
The youth did a live nativity scene on Friday night. Wow! I still am trying to get over Matthew and his friend Stephen being sheep. Here is a little taste of that.


Matt used the money that Grandma and Grandpa sent to buy the kids two collections of Christmas movies. All of the classics including Frosty's Christmas in July (a little freakish if you ask me), The one with baby new year, and all of the best ones.
My family has kind of gotten a new favorite. It's called Robbie the Reindeer. It's made by the Wallace and Gromit people.
We had to watch "Meet Me in St. Louis" a bunch of times, too.
These holidays have been great. So much of a blur, though. I hate getting to the last day of school and thinking "Man, I meant to get this person a gift." I will have to plan a little more ahead next time. I also will try better to find out details about my own children's programs. Jacob had one that Matt and I really didn't know much about, until it was all over. Better communication next year.
The adult choir at church is having our program in the morning. It is called One of Us. Mom is coming and then no church tomorrow night. Matt and I are going to have a date. I never thought we would have gone so long without one. I forgot that Matthew did babysit not too long ago for Matt and me to go see Dan in Real Life. Still, another is needed. I have read that you are supposed to plan one every week. Also a date with each of your kids. We are long overdue. That is a new year's resolution.
Jacob, Claire and I are about to go to my worst nightmare of a store to find Matthew and Benjamin a present. This year we have combined the kids so they can get each other something they would really like and not just something to say that they got each other something. So Matthew and Benjamin bought one present for Jacob and one for Claire. That trip took us about 4 hours, so I don't expect to be back anytime soon. I did tell Claire and Jacob if they fussed at all, that we would come straight home. We might be home early.
Tomorrow is the fourth Sunday of advent. Then Christmas Eve is Monday night. We get to light the big white candle. Happy Birthday, Jesus. Thank you for loving us enough to come here for us. We don't deserve it in any way, but are grateful for it anyway.
Here is a really cool video I got from a friend:
The Watchmaker.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Nutcracker Ballet at Fulton Chapel on the Ole Miss Campus

There is so much to tell about this week that I will save most of it for another time.
Tonight I took Jacob and Claire to see the Nutcracker Ballet at Ole Miss. The house was packed so we had to sit on the floor towards the front. The kids could see great.
What a way to get us in the Christmas spirit! Have a great weekend. Thanks Brandy and Jason for the precious Christmas card of your sweet people. They are precious!

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