THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK:
Tessa breaking her clavicle (collar bone)! She was flying/racing Corbin on a scooter at a Memorial Day barbecue and it slipped out from under her. She’s been doing well despite the pain. Not the best way to start the summer! Hopefully, this will be it! Love you my sweet Tessa!
x-ray!
Tessa in the ER!
Kevin realizing that he has turned out to be a very organized man (compared to when he was younger). The only problem with this is that his children have taken over and they don’t care as much as he does. He finally lost it when one too many times he got in “his” car and had to move the seat, adjust the mirrors, then he hit his forehead really hard on the visor that was left down. He took out his frustration on the visor! When he was finished he felt better but the mirror is no longer functioning (code word for he shattered it).
Hadley: “Mom, what is the 5th Gospel Standard?” Me: “I don’t know, I haven’t memorized that yet.” Hadley: “Oh ya, you were Jewish when you were growing up! Good thing I’m not Jewish or I wouldn’t know my Gospel Standards.” This didn’t work, because every religion has their own gospel standards, but for a six year old that has watched way too many episodes of Little House (with Percival and Nellie) she is just starting to put things together. 
So cute!
Putting all the Andersen’s and Jones kids to bed in one room. I told them to all close their mouths and stay in bed. Five minutes later Royce asked if he could just put his lips together while he slept.
Hadley trying to understand why Bryson was with a Becca all the time while she was visiting. She kept coming to me with questions and all the girls were reporting every move they made! Gotta love it, but poor Hadley is very confused..
Hadley was playing a tickle game with Addy, Royce and Dixon and all of a sudden she stops and says “Wait, I forgot to tell Bentley (the dog) about the circus (which was over a month ago).”
THINGS THAT WORK:
Becca Smith visiting Bryson (and Addy) all the way from Oregon! She was such a pleasure to have here, we only wish she lived closer. Trips to the Rocket Center, dinner out, swimming, bowling, dates and lots of fun!
Bryson and Becca.
Cheri Andersen (Kevin’s Cousin) visiting! Her three kids were so wonderful and fun! Having Cheri and Becca in our home was such a blessing and it felt so empty when they left! Loved our time with all those wonderful Andersen’s! Late night talks, eating out, ice cream and lots of fun! Thanks for driving from Austin, Texas. We love you!
- Joneses, Andersen’s and Becca! So fun!
Tessa making cookies with Jacob. 
Otter Pops on the trampoline!
Otter Pops on the trampoline! Summer is here!
Preach My Gospel Sunday night with Becca and Cheri. It was great to have two more people bless us with their thoughts!
Getting a wonderful card in the mail from Megan Bruening. When I was in Young Women, another leader gave a lesson on the temple and gave the girls cards to mail back to a leader when they get married in the temple. She sent it to me and made me cry. I’m so excited for her to get married next month. Congrats Megan! Love you!
Corbin and Addy going to a Hunger Games party! It was awesome!!
Hunger Games aftermath! Corbin and Addy!
- Hunger Games!
Getting test results back for Corbin, Tessa and Merritt. They all did great! It’s such a relief, considering I am in charge of their education! It was Tessa and Merritt’s first time too.
Pool opening!!! First day back in the water with cousin Cheri and kids! So fun! Dixon had a love/hate experience on the slide. He would scream and giggle at the same time, but kept going back for more!
Bryson and Becca on a triple date to Point Mallard water park. They had so much fun!
Royce calling a G.I Joe movie from the library E, I, E, I, O!
Well, two weeks sped by! My Aunt Peggy came in last week, so the blog didn’t happen. It was so worth it though! It was wonderful to have family here and she was amazing with the kids! Thank you Peggy for driving all the way from Montana!!! Can you guess which side of the family she is from, my Mom’s or Dad’s?
Aunt Peggy!
THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK:
Spending money on a third car, then the check engine light coming on within the week! Having three cars has really helped though! I think we are cursed to always have check engine lights on in all of our old cars!
Filling out five kids grades and registering six of them for next year! Uggghhhh! I hate paperwork! I need a secretary!
My scary children making up songs! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMmpS-jGXb4
Corbin’s nose surgery! Thankfully, it went really well and he healed extremely fast. As they wheeled him away he threw a tissue back to us like a handkerchief. He had us laughing instead of crying. There wasn’t any bruising and he went to all three hours of church two days later! He did great until he had to do a special wash on Tuesday that went into his throat! It took him an hour to do it and he felt extremely violated! He cracked me up when he came in my room saying “The directions on the box makes it sound like it will be so much fun, but they are lying! It was the worse thing in my life!”.
Corbin’s nose job!
Bryson suddenly putting his white shirt and church shoes on as we were all winding down at the end of the day (this will make sense later). I asked him why he was doing that and he said he was too lazy to go upstairs and put it away, but he didn’t want it to go in the bucket! Ha!
Swallowing a bug at the Ultimate Frisbee game while Addy was taking a picture! Just my luck!
at the ultimate game
and then she swallowed a bug….
Addy asking what movie I got and I said “The one with Queen Tequila and Dolly Parton!”.
Getting pulled over by a cop on the way home from Corbin’s surgery! Kevin had put the new license plate on the front not the back (in Alabama, you only have to have one license plate).
Hadley falling out of bed! Kevin runs up there to see what the loud boom was and asked her if she fell out of bed. She just gives him a huge smile.
Royce: “Mom, you don’t have to choose the right because you are big and a mommy!”
Going to church with a moody teenager. Surprisingly, by the end of church it had flipped around and that same child had some really neat experiences. We were prepared for the worst!
Royce: “I’m not going to be dead, because I don’t like to be dead.” Thank goodness!
Getting frustrated and giving up on helping Bryson with his education.
THINGS THAT WORKED:
Corbin’s Eagle Project! It went awesome and it was completed in one day (we were hoping it would work out that way). We are so proud of Corbin! The room looks so cool! Now to move on to the board of reviews! 
Corbin’s Eagle Project! They painted 14 silhouettes and the “S”. Also, the crimson color on the bottom.
Dixon’s new white shirt and tie (I got some church shoes this week, which will help the outfit). He looked so grown up that Hadley kept saying “He’s looks like a real boy now”. 
Bryson finding some old EFY music I used to listen to. The tape had died, so we hadn’t heard the songs in a long time. “Whatever it Takes” by John McVey and Felicia Serensen and “I Will Not Be Still” by Kenneth Cope! Love them!
Aunt Peggy’s visit! Although we had dentist appointments and well checks (which took days to get all the kids done!) she just went with the schedule. She took Tessa and Dixon to the Botanical Gardens, won Dixon over, went on the trampoline, had a tea party, went to an Ultimate Frisbee game, celebrated Corbin’s birthday, grocery shopping, went to Dublin Park and got upset at Nancy Olsen when she is mean to Wilbur (hahaha Addy read this, and realized the boy’s name is really Elmer!)on Little House! She has more energy than me! She was amazing! 
Kevin putting up the number “5″ all over the house and garage. The kids were asking for days what it meant. He finally explained the five second rule. It only takes five seconds to help pick up things when you walk by them and they are out of place. Now, if something is left out, it goes in the bucket (with the lid). If they want it back (before the two week dump) they have to do an extra chore. It’s working out really well so far! I’m getting extra things done around the house and I don’t have to ask anyone to put their stuff away or look at their junk. It just goes in the bin! Royce was worried that we were talking about taking away dessert. Ahhh, the mind of a four year old!
Royce: “Will I get your surgery if I touch you?” He’s just learning about germs.
Preach My Gospel night! The kids got to make up the scenarios this time and Kevin and I were the missionaries. They loved playing it up! They were so funny!
Rotating who prepares Sunday night dinners! Addy made lasagna and all the side dishes! It was so amazing to not even think about it! Thank you Addy! Bryson is in charge next week.
Royce: “I pedal like this…” He was showing me how he swims and he called his strokes peddling.
Watching Bryson and Kevin’s Ultimate Frisbee game! :0
Best Mother’s Day ever! Everyone was so sweet and took care of me! I think the best part was that I stopped to enjoy it all! Kevin gave me the entire series of Little House on the Prairie!!! So happy!
Loving hand me down clothes! Thank you Kinard family!
Corbin turned 14! We had to celebrate it two days early because of his surgery. Corbin is such a great kid! He is growing like a weed and we love him so much!
Getting to go to “Classical Conversations” three day training (I only went in the morning). We are doing this for Tessa, Merritt, Hadley and Royce next year. It was fantastic! It works hand in hand with the schooling we have been doing, it will just add a little more structure for us.
Family Council on the front steps. We have had the most amazing weather this May! The last two years had torturous weather in May, but this year has been beautiful! So, we just HAD to get outside. Our neighbor came over and took pictures of us. Ha! He took a video too. We’re not quite sure what he’s doing with that (Bryson was playing his guitar).
We lost Dixon to the yard….
Kids washing the Suburban and then Aunt Peggy’s car! 
Even Dixon loved it!
Washing Aunt Peggy’s car!
Moving to our Summer school schedule! Yippee! Much shorter but we still have structure.
Being mesmerized by fireflies! I think the best part of Alabama are the fireflies. Watching the kids catch handfuls is so enchanting!
Water on the trampoline! So fun!
Although, there are many things that don’t work in my life, I am so thankful for them (usually). I have come to a really great place, as I realized that we will spend the rest of our life trying to get together with our children. We will never feel like we can see them enough, once they leave. So, I have changed my attitude into thinking that our life is just one big family reunion. We get to talk, eat together and love each other as much as possible. Yes, we still have to sleep, buy food etc. but let’s soak up as much as we can while we are all under one roof. I am so thankful for incredible children (and husband) that I truly enjoy and love deeply.
THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK:
Looking for a third car! Uggghhh! We just want an old one that has a good engine and doesn’t cost anything! We think we found one that will work out well, we will have to see….
Kevin having an allergy attack at the camp out/play! 
Corbin running into problems as he tries to purchase the paint for his Eagle Project. He finally topped it off with someone taking his cart at Lowes with his Eagle Scout notebook in it!!! All his signatures, etc are gone! Not good!
Tessa coming home sick from church! Although it was fun to pamper her.
Accidentally replacing the word “butcher” with “slaughter”. It made sense to me. “She completely slaughtered it!”
Kevin telling me he still sees my eyes as red (he is very color blind!). We’ve always joked that it’s like the devil, but he can’t even see the color red, so what is red anyways?
Tessa and Merritt misunderstanding the word brainwashed. “I can’t remember the answer to that problem, I am brainwashed! My brain is totally washed out of my head and it can’t remember anything.” They literally thought it meant to take your brain out (I guess it kind of does mean that).
Trying to have a phone conversation while my kids are playing outside and Dixon is inside! He unloaded utensils, pulled eggshells out of the trash, hung from the oven door handle while it was open and hot (I couldn’t even get it closed), rode his car around really loudly and dumped all the containers out of the cupboard!
Corbin: “Dixon needs an off button, wait his bed is one, but it recharges him.”
Bryson catching a wild, baby bunny! It wasn’t good because he was about to roast it! Thankfully, he let it go….
Bryson and his baby bunny.
THINGS THAT WORKED:
Tessa waking up early to make a big breakfast for everyone. She left little notes all over the place to tell everyone! Way cute, love my Tessa!
Tessa making breakfast for everyone.
Royce adding an “ed” to most words that end with ed. “I lookeded for it under my bed.” It’s so cute I can’t correct him.
Canceled party! It gave us an extra night for a movie, popcorn and snuggle time!
Perfect day and night! Started with a friends baptism/party, kid birthday party and ended with our End of the Year Home School Celebration/Shakespeare play at the Walker’s house! It was crazy busy but the evening was perfect! I love listening to my kids act out Shakespeare and everyone did such a great job! Go Carol Walker!!!! The fireflies afterward topped off the night. I LOVE watching children run around catching fireflies! The full moon was great too!
Benedick, Don Pedro, Leonato and Beatrice.
Hero and Beatrice!
Corbin with Hero!
Baskin Robbins! YES!
Kids talking me into Baskin Robbins ice cream on the way home from the play! They just added a new location close to our home! Not good! I love hanging with them all! Thanks Bailey for joining us.
Father/Son camp out at Hulaco! Royce was soooo excited it just warmed my heart! They had a blast! Royce had waited all week for “Friday” to come. He woke up and said “Yippee, Bryson and Corbin and Dad and me, we get to go to the camp out on Friday and that’s today!”
Corbin and Royce at the camp out.
Royce: “Darth Vader was sad because he couldn’t go to the Hunger Games!” HA!
Royce: “Mom, Mom, Mom, the honk on horns says ‘watch out’!”
Royce: “My paraflying is not working!” He got a parachute guy at a birthday party and he kept calling it paraflying.
Addisen getting her Patriarchal Blessing! Wow! It was one of the most spiritual experiences we’ve had. I am so thankful to be raising such special children. You would think I could have remembered tissues!
Family coming to visit!!! Yippee for us Alabamians! More to follow when they get here.
Young Men practicing a sacrament hymn at our house. I love the Young Men!
Bryson starting to work as a lifeguard again. Work is a wonderful thing, minus the bugs, snakes and critters that moved in to the pool area on base!
Going to the temple with my wonderful husband. I think some of our most precious moments together are our car rides together. I am so blessed to have such an incredible man!
Flowers from Kev!
FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “If I had made that morning myself I couldn’t have done better. It was sunny, spring air, but it was that cool, spicy kind that keeps you stopping every few minutes to see just how full you can suck your lungs with out bursting. It seemed to wash right through and through and make you all over. The longer you breathed it the clearer your head became, the better you felt until you would be possessed to try and see if you really couldn’t fly.” Laddie
This is how I feel after I go running and I am cooling down on my walk. At least I know that at one point of the day I felt like I could conquer the world!
Let’s conquer the world! At least for a few minutes.
THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK:
Finding out that Corbin has a VERY broken septum and has to have surgery! We are not sure when he broke it. The only thing he can remember is swimming at someone’s house in Oregon, around 4 years ago, and someone landing on his nose. It bled and hurt badly. He will have a Septoplasty/Inferior Turbinectomy done. Big scary words huh. He has a 100% blockage in one nostril. Uggghh!!! Poor Corbin.
Bryson and Addy thinking they are entitled to our razors! Kevin got me a “nice” razor for Christmas a couple of years ago and they just go for it (Bryson uses Kevin’s). We didn’t have nice razors until our 30′s, they can buy their own “nice” razors or use disposable.
Finding out said child hadn’t told us the entire truth about last summer. Each time we have an experience with our kids it amazes me how it can turn into a neat discussion and end up a great learning experience.
THINGS THAT WORKED:
Going to the Circus!!! We got free tickets for the kids at the library and it was an amazing experience! It’s not the circus I went to as a kid! I loved watching the kids faces throughout the event.
Hadley, Royce and Addy at the circus.
Just before the circus!
Circus!
Playing 50′s music and dancing with the kids! One of my favorite things to do! I showed them how to do the twist like my Dad did when I was a kid. I won’t bless you with a video of me doing it! Tessa added back bends to our fun! So cute!
Going camping with the YCL’s at camp Hulaco. I had fun and got to know the girls a little better. I was so impressed with these great young women! I only got nine mosquito bites, but I am still having bad dreams about all the bugs that were flying around me! Especially the one that I smashed on my neck while I was sleeping!
Neighborhood party! There were great people, food and a jump house! The temperature couldn’t have been better. I LOVE our neighborhood!
Hadley: “Who made our house and that dress over there? I know that Heavenly Father can make anything he wants to and really fast! He can even do more than Santa Claus!”
Stake Conference! Even though Kevin was a little stressed as he helped get things ready for Stake Conference, it was so worth it! I loved the talks and was truly inspired!
Royce asking if Joseph Smith was at Stake Conference.
Hadley asking if President Vaughn was a prophet. He looked like the prophets that spoke during General Conference.
Royce listing off his favorite foods: “Yellow cake, frosting, brownies, bionicles, cars, brownies.”
Three older kids getting to work a lot! Addy babysitting and the boys working outside. They have a lot of camps, etc. to pay for, so we are very thankful (we also love having them work!).
Tessa: “Mom, how old were you when you stopped playing with dolls?” Me: “Around 12, but I wanted to keep playing with them, I just didn’t have anyone who would play it with me anymore. Then I started babysitting and I could ‘play’ dolls with the kids.” Hadley: “Why don’t your friends play dolls with you now?”
THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK:
Dixon stuffing all his food in his mouth at once! Lovely!
Dixon's lovely table manners!
Kevin getting home and the next day lamenting that he is not in charge of his own schedule anymore, the kids are!
Royce eating an Apple Jolley Rancher and he just kept saying “It’s so spicy and peppery!”.
Me staying out until 2:00 am, then sleeping in while Kevin make biscuits! Royce opened the door and yelled “Mom, it’s not your birthday, so you don’t get to sleep in!”.
Hadley’s present to Tessa: “Dad, do you know what I am giving Tessa for her birthday? It’s that red neck thing. I found it in Bryson’s trash, so I got it and I’m giving it to her.” Only our Hadley…
Hadley the trash lady: “Mom, I don’t like emptying your trash because of all the disgusting stuff!” This with a dramatic face. “Like what, Hadley?” HJ: “Like that underarm stuff, yuck!”
We read a General Conference talk each school day. They sign it after they have read it, then we talk about it. Hadley, who is in first grade, has started reading them. She underlined the entire first page! I underline what I think is important and she was following my example! Too funny, but the poor talk was attacked by her pen!
Merritt creating nose art?
Merritt's pointy nose?!!!
THINGS THAT WORKED:
Bryson and Claire Munster singing at Music Mania!!! Claire’s school sponsors this. They have been practicing for months! It was a “Happy Mommy Moment”, my grin was plastered across my face! Great job you two!!!
Kevin getting home and me running into his arms. A week is too long! We did great this time, but it has been so wonderful to have him home again!
Huntsville Times field trip. We even brought Dixon (he is in training, by this I mean training him to come when I say, etc.). He did great, but my arms were exhausted after the room that had ink. Many thanks go to my children that helped with him.
Huntsville Times field trip.
Three weeks of beautiful weather and incredible walks. Also, training Dixon to follow me. I take extra time to let him learn why it’s worth it to come to me. He loves the birds, trees and the cement. He kept rubbing the pavement with his hands! So cute! He also said “Hi” to the trees as the wind blew through them. He thought they were people. When he decided to go a different direction than us he would just say “Bye!”, then giggle and take a step into someone’s yard. He was adorable.
Dixon figuring out his car (pretty good for just learning to walk). It’s helping him not get into as many things.
Girls making Royce’s bed.
Royce enjoying his freshly made bed!
Formal church dance. Addy and Ashley were beautiful!
Addisen and Ashley going to the church formal. Beautiful!
Tessa’s 11th birthday!!! Yippee! She is a fantastic 11 year old. She blesses us with her enthusiasm everyday and is very caring and helpful. We love our Tessa! Royce was still upset that it wasn’t his birthday! He offered to share Tessa’s presents with her. Tessa passed on that idea! We have added the tradition of going around the table and saying what you like about the birthday person. Loving it! The birthday person is grinning ear to ear by the end!
Tessa is 11!
What home schooled children do when it’s lunch time! Ha! It’s so loud! Thankfully, the baby sleeps through it!
Royce noticing Dixon’s runny nose said: “Dixon has snort and buggers!”
Home school group planning meeting for next year! AWESOME group of ladies and a great year to look forward to!
Celebrating Maddie Smith’s 13th birthday. Happy birthday Maddie!
Smith's! Happy Birthday Maddie!
Hadley and Bryson’s Birthday, Bryson’s Prom, Kevin in Germany and Kelly Swallowing a Bug!
Hey y’all! This is Addy, I get to write this time! I think Momma is enjoying a Little House break… At least I can take one thing off of her list. Now I can show you how life in the Jones home really is…….
THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK:
Dixon the destroyer. He is all over, into everything, and so loud! Even Royce noticed. He said, “We should make Dixon get out of here, because he is a destroooyyyerrr!!!”
On Hadley’s birthday, Royce whined that it was not his birthday. He said he needs to be a birthday boy. It was a very long day!
ahhh, he looks so innocent and perfect....
Dixon is so cute, even if he destroys everything! He opened a card that sings; “I like to move it, move it.” He dances to it, and it’s super cute! Especially because he is fat! 
Bryson is finally making money! He worked for our neighbor, Rusty Counts (as Corbin compared him to Well-Oiled Counts). He is actually making money before he starts life guarding. Yay Bryson.
Fun Relief Society night for mom! They played games, and apparently it was so fun, they almost peed their pants!
Bryson had Prom and the ACT on his birthday! He was so busy, but those are two great things to be doing on your birthday, right?
I don’t know why I am putting this under things that didn’t work, but my mom thinks its bad… Earlier this week I said “It’s going to be a sad week without the iPad!!!!” Dad is in Germany for a week, and I miss him but the iPad was a great friend to me. We are all missing Dad too!
Mom swallowed a bug while running! hahaha She gagged on it over and over, but it never came out! Hahaha I wish I would’ve seen that!
Dad is at Germany speaking at a conference. Awesome business opportunity! Mom says she is so busy that it isn’t too bad. She was fine until she dropped him off at the airport, then cried a bunch! Then she sucked it back up, and moved on with her day. (Oh, and his room is pink!)
THINGS THAT WORKED:
Dixon loves being outside! We all love taking him on walks. He tries to run away, and points out the birds, and tries to pull out the rocks in the pavement. So cute!!!!!
Hadley’s Birthday! She is 7, getting way too big. she says the cutest things, but she is really sneaky! Ahhh, love her! 
Bryson and his tux
Bryson’s prom on his Birthday. He loved it! He said one of his favorite things about it was wearing the tux, and smiling. Haha He had a great time with Ana, his date. Mom called it a wonderful Mommy moment. Thank you Ana! 
Mom and Bryson went to lunch on his b-day. He told her another one of his confusing, strange theories. “You are just the best mom; not a good or bad mom. Just perfect. Most kids gauge it on what they can I get away with, but you are like my best friend.” Okay… What I got from that, was that mom is the best. Or something like that.
We went to the thrift store and got a dress for the dance this weekend. I didn’t fit right, so Karalee Arnell is fixing it for me. Yay! Thank you!
Dixon sleeping 15 hours!!! Also down to one nap! Mom gets so much more done in the morning now. We are loving the peace and quiet.
Corbin loves Reese’s! We are practicing for a Shakespeare a play that we are doing, and he doesn’t want to act in love! He can’t! The only thing he can be in love with is Reese’s. He is pretending McKenna is a giant pile of Reese’s. Poor McKenna. But he is doing it perfectly. I was telling Royce that Corbin and McKenna will have to fall in love, and kiss, and he said, “Oh, fall in love with the Reese’s?! And kiss it?!” I have no idea how he knows about that!
Corbin loves his Reese's!
Stocking up our food storage at Costco again. You would have loved the comments I got!
You gotta love my 10 year supply of taco seasoning!
Mom signed up for LEMI training in Oregon! She is so excited to learn more and go to Oregon!!!! Yippee for her.
This summer Bryson, Corbin, and I are going to the Trek in Oregon!!! Our stake isn’t having one, so we get to go to the one in Oregon. I can’t wait to see everyone!
I’m back to the blog! It was a wonderful vacation and I’m ready for another one! The three week break from the blog was wonderful but I feel like I should keep going with it. The memories are so worth it! I’ll just focus on all the good parts of it and not think about the rest (I do that a lot in my life!). This is for all of you that let me know how much you enjoy it. The notes were very special to me and I’ll keep them forever! Thank you (sweet tears on my face). Love you all! I’ll try to keep this short, but the last three weeks were full of so many wonderful moments (even the ones that didn’t work) it will be hard.
Book quote of the week: “She looked at him with a smile that was like a hug and a kiss.” Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter
THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK:
Trying to take family pictures in Destin with a one year old! This one sums it up! 
Kevin hitting his head on the side of the pool during a Marco Polo game. Took him out for awhile…
Trying to play a family football game on the beach with a baby crawling through the game! Of course he kept heading for the trash can. It reminded me of the Garbage Pail Kids. That would be my Dixon! Dixon the Destroyer pushing a tall ceramic lamp over onto the tile floor. That was a fun one to replace!
Tessa catching a turtle while fishing! Poor little turtle. 
Bryson, Corbin, Hadley Merrritt and Royce getting really sick on vacation! It was so sad to see them just laying around without their enthusiasm. Of course, Bryson still went to the beach and played in the water. He would come out and ask if we were all cold? No, Bryson you just have the chills. He still got his tan though.
Car battery dead in the little car. We kept saying we were going to jump it and Tessa asked “Do you really get on it and jump on it? How does that work?” It’s obviously been a long time since we have had to jump a car.
Noticing how wrinkled my eyes have become. I was looking at our Destin pictures and it really shocked me. I finally figured out that the faces I look at all day are so young and gorgeous that my mind has tricked me into thinking I’m that young. I guess that might be good…. ? 
Royce wanting to go play with the big boys in the neighborhood. I told him to go help the girls with their lemonade stand he said with big tears “But the girls are not having much more funner!” 
Curse you Pinterest desserts!! Need I say more?
Feeling like a duck out of water in my girls camp calling. It’s a long learning curve considering it won’t be fixed until summer.
Bryson having four wisdom teeth pulled and four more molars pulled. Ouch, eight teeth gone and a tough recovery. Throwing up and a lot of pain. But, he is all better now and back to working and playing hard. We really missed his fun personality. It made me cry to see him not be able to smile or talk. We got a great video of him after the surgery…
Talk with Bryson about finances. We pulled Bryson in to Kevin’s office to discuss his lack of money. Kevin helped him make a list of all the things he still had to pay for this week (PROM, gas, etc.). Bryson thought Kevin was making a diagram to show him more about “The Talk”! You should have seen the look on his face! Back to the money, he was pretty much out of money and now he realized it. Since Sunday night, he has acquired many jobs and will have made enough money to pay for it all! Go Bryson, just point him in a direction and he’ll get it done (if he really wants it!).
Dixon is done with the bottle! I can’t bring myself to get rid of them. I have loved babies and bottles since I was a kid.
Kevin’s realization: “I have finally resigned my life to be utterly inconvenienced by my children!”
Kids going to the beach in their clothing the first night we got there. They were supposed to just put their feet in…. Will we ever learn? 
THINGS THAT WORKED:
Tessa: “Mom, you have to keep writing the blog, it’s how I find out what happens in our family!”
Hunger Games midnight showing! Kevin took Bryson, Addisen, Corbin, Claire and Jack Munster (Trudy and Sadie Walker joined them too) to it. They LOVED it! They all came out paranoid and looking all around them.
Listening to the videos done by the Stake Presidency back in Oregon on The Family Proclamation. I’ve only started them, but what an incredible treasure. I can’t believe the amount of time that was put into them. I just kept smiling and learning.
Royce: “Can I have more Holly Molly’s” = Hot Tamales in the car on the way to Destin. Another one was about his flat tires on his bike “Mom, I need help, my wheels are all slobbery!” He meant slippery. Royce wanted more cinnamon bears (I must really like cinnamon on a trip!) and he asked for more “gummy bears hot”. 
Visiting another ward in Destin! We loved it! It’s so good to step out of what is regular to us and see things differently. We couldn’t find Kevin after wards, we thought we lost him to a meeting in a ward we aren’t even in…..
Kevin teaching the kids to “index” on the church website. It was a perfect Sabbath Day activity at the beach.
My Mom losing tons of weight! She looked like she was going to blow away! Way to stick to it Mom! We love you! 
Playing a ruthless game of Cranium with my family! My Dad was imitating death by rolling on the tile floor and hit his head. It was hilarious (to us at least…). Here is to giraffes in Maryland!
Golf Carts as a mode of transportation! So fun!
Family togetherness!!! It was so great to have Uncle Justin playing with the kids and to get to see his kids! My parents were so patient and wonderful. I want to just keep saying wonderful things, but I will stop. 
Going to Pirate Island and playing Hook-up Tag. As we crossed the bridge, Royce asked if the pirates were nice pirates?
Kevin, Tessa, Corbin and Bryson snorkeling! 
Listening to General Conference on the car ride home. It helped it go by so quickly.
Cleaning lady coming while we were gone! It is the best feeling to come home to a perfectly clean home! I wasn’t bugged anymore by all the dust and spots on my cupboards. Love it!
Free circus tickets for the kids from the library. We scored with our big family! They only had to read five hours! Silly library, make it much higher.
Deciding and signing up for classes next year for the kids. It is so exciting to get ready for next year.
Egg hunt and picnic at the church! Fun! Neighbors giving us the cutest Easter Dessert! 
Temple with wonderful friends! Ahhhh, lasts me all week.
Kevin getting a nap in his “Man Chair” recliner! 
Making dinner, leaving for a nap after we eat, then coming downstairs to a perfectly clean kitchen. I LOVE chore charts and good kids!
Dixon playing Peek-a-boo and saying “Booey-boo”.
Having time to really watch my kids and think about each one! I love them so much that my heart feels like it could burst. I can see their amazing potential and how special each one is. Kevin and I are truly blessed to get to live with these amazing kids!
Amazing friends that love and support me. I love having friends that know me so well and can strengthen me with their words. It’s a true treasure on this earth to have friends like that.
Kevin’s new account in New York…. Kevin: “Which style of videos do you want me to make?” Guy: “Either, I like the party planning one, but I love the talking head one too!” Ha, I love Kevin’s talking head too! You can see his videos here: vinjones.com
