Fruit flies like a banana...

Jasher, 11 months

Perhaps it was said before Groucho Marx... "Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana". Time has certainly flown. Today our little Jasher is ONE year old!

Benjamin, one year

He looks very much like Ben did at this age, but also looks like Paula.

Jasher

A "weezie" of Jasher and I.

This was Ben's first birthday cake. Loved his expression!

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Our garden is really going to town on squash, peas, and onions. I have also been taking advantage of the bounty God has blessed us with, harvesting wild chamomile for chamomile tea, and some to possibly be used as soap.  Tom has helped me harvest wild blackberries, and as I recently learned from Becky's friend Sarah, wild raspberries. The raspberries are not ripe, for the most part, but we have picked enough blackberries for two batches of jelly.

 

Daniel and Sam have both been working- FOUR part time jobs. (One is temporary, another is occasional.) Busy boys. Dan really wants to go hiking, but simply hasn't taken the time off to do so.

 

My job has kept me busy as well, along with the garden and trying to do more around the house- inside as well as out.

 

Here is one of my favorite pictures of the week.

Grace and Dakota

 



June

I have been at a loss on what to do for the boys' 18th birthday, which is TOMORROW!
So far, I have posted an open invitation on Facebook for people to call, text, or send cards to the boys.
Mr C and I went to Atwoods yesterday and bought three mixed six packs of a variety of sodas, including their favorite Ale-8-1. We discovered Ale-8-1 a few years back as we traveled through Kentucky after a family reunion. It is a "local" soda, almost unknown outside the borders of the state of Kentucky.
Next door to Atwoods is Family Dollar, where we got them each a helium balloon, as well as a birthday banner, and some paper plates and cups. All these things are currently residing in my bathroom, which is one of the least likely places for them to be discovered.
Mr C is thinking of shopping for them today- maybe this afternoon. At the moment he is out on the weekly grocery shopping trip.
I also ordered the boys each a polo shirt from Think Geek- "Aperture Science Laboratories"- the fictional laboratory of their current favorite computer game Portal. The shirts should arrive today or tomorrow.
The boys both wanted to do a skydive ASAP.

Both boys are working three to four jobs, part time, in addition to doing  their school work. They work for The Wooden Spoon, primarily. Then for our handicapped neighbor, Anthony. Recently, they have begun working for a chicken farmer who needs some hard labor at updating his (currently birdless) facility. And they work for my co-worker John when he needs them. They are industrious young men. (Contrast to one of my co-workers sons, who is about ten months older. This fellow is Army reserve... one weekend a month. And part- time at McDonalds... when he feels like going.)

So tomorrow, ALL of my kids are legally grown up. Pardon me while I go cry for awhile. It isn't like we didn't know this was coming. And both boys are still living at home- Dan at least until he heads off to the Appalachian Trail in March, and who knows what the next few months will bring with Sam?
Today, Dan asked me how one goes about becoming a pilot, short of joining the military. He cited Roy and Julie Zesch as examples of private pilots he knows. I know Tom always wanted to get a private pilots license, yet never has done so.

Our garden is growing well. We had our first fruits of onions, and squash this weekend. This year we are growing pole beans instead of bush beans... and they are way taller than I am right now. The peas are in full bloom, tomatoes are setting, and have several bell peppers that will be eatin' size in a few days. Oh, and the wild blackberries are ripening. I just remembered that I saw some yesterday. I need to get jeans and sleeves on and get out picking before the heat and humidity of the day are too much!
Be blessed!
Call or text (479) 212 1798 tomorrow to wish the boys a happy birthday. (Be sure you leave a name with your text so they know who it is from!)

Don't be sad because it is over, smile because it happened...

and other things to keep oneself going after vacation!
I had a wonderful time visiting in Texas, although I did miss seeing several friends while there. As the family joke goes, it always rains when we visit. And it did.
The year's accumulated rainfall was at .75" before I arrived. In two days, they got 7.75 more inches.
This resulted in some flooding, but I don't think there were too many complaints about that!

I got to meet Miss Grace Remington Jones. What a sweet little girl. She weighed 9 lbs. 14 oz at her 4 week appointment.
I also got to go with Pya (Paula) to her midwife appointment. Her gluten free diet has dropped her protein spillage tremendously! Hooray for figuring out the natural way to fix an ailment!

Little Jasher is cruising... not quite ready to let go and actually walk... and not about to let anyone help him! Offer him your hand to help him walk, he turns to jelly legs.

Dakota Rose adores her new baby sister. Pretty much every waking moment is spent by Grace's side. She shares her toys and talks to Grace.

Kimber Ann enjoyed the company of cousin Alana. 
Alana was good with helping with her younger cousins. She helped fix hair, and played house. She helped Tyrel "build a fence" around the playhouse. Becky and I sat cringing in the house while Tyrel hammered a board Alana was holding into the ground. She never even flinched.

Tyrel is getting so big... and smart. And, funny as always. He told someone he was "Jones on the outside, but Coder on the inside."

We had Nickole for this past weekend, picking her up on our way back from Texas. I hope she had a good time. She was sick Saturday, and it rained virtually her entire visit, so we never ventured out. She was good at entertaining herself.
At one point she demanded to play "checkers". We don't have checkers, but she indicated the chess set. So Sam started trying to teach her to play "Chest". He explained the ways each piece could move, their purpose, and names.
Then he told her she could make the opening move. She opened with a CLASSIC defensive move... just the way every family member I know would of opened the game.
Sam's jaw pretty much dropped. he took a step back and says, "I am impressed. I MUST say, I AM IMPRESSED!"
I could hear Bill Joe laughing.

Nickole and I looked at old pictures. She was amazed I knew her daddy, and told me again and again he had died. (I know, sweetie, I know.) She was astonished to see him as a little boy. Funny how we tend to not ever think of our parents as ever being children. I showed her a few of Laura... one she thought was a picture of herself! She told me Laura is her other Mommy, her birth mother.

Today was back to work. I was told repeatedly how glad everyone is that I am back. (Not glad enough to lift 35 batteries for me, though!) None of the planograms were done while I was gone, so today was long... and so will tomorrow be. Today is longer, by a meeting I am required to attend at 8 pm tonight. That's close to my bedtime! Boss assures me it will be brief, but I am required to attend because we have some "shipping and receiving issues to go over." :(

I took a nap as soon as I got home. Had a shower later... but when I laid down to talk on the phone, I stiffened up and almost needed help to get up. MUST look for a less strenuous job... though Mr C seems in favor of me staying where I am.

I was delighted to get to see Chris, after almost 2 years. There are positive things happening in his life there. And things I am hoping he can overcome once he is out.

Tommy was back from Brasil. He had an AMAZING missions trip, and is hoping to go next month to an orphanage in Haiti. Then back to school in August. So far, a 4.0 GPA!

Dan and Sam are one week from 18 years old. Where has the time gone. We haven't made any big birthday plans. Is it too late for a surprise party?

Well, it is time for me to get ready to go back to work for the meeting. Have a blessed night and thank you for reading.