an update...finally!

Wow-where does the time go? Seriously! I don't even have a good excuse for not updating for so long. I haven't been too busy or anything like that-life just gets away from you sometimes ya know? Then before you know it you haven't updated your blog for like 3 weeks! So what have I been up to? Let's see...
At the beginning of May I had the opportunity to go up to the BYU Womens Conference with almost all my sister-in-laws. It was awesome! We had such a great time. It was great to spend time with these ladies that I love & admire without the interuptions of husbands or kids. You get to know each other on a different level & I have learned so much from them. I am very blessed to have the great in-laws that I have. The conference was amazing-the first day was a little overwhelming cuz there are just so many great classes to try to choose from. Then that night they had a concert for us with a lot of the well known LDS artists. We were laughing & dancing one minute then crying & feeling the spirit the next-it was great! We even got to hear from President Monson-he was the last speaker the last day. What a blessing! As soon as he walked in it was dead silent-you could have heard a pin drop. And there were like 30,000 chatty women there in the Marriot Center! After a few moments of silence someone started singing 'We Thank Thee o God for our Prophet' & everyone joined in. The spirit was so strong-I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. He said some of the same things he said in general conference-but more geared toward all us women. So awesome! On the way home we stopped at Thanksgiving Point to see all the flowers since it was during their Tulip Festival. It was so gorgeous! We had too much fun making our way thru the garden & seeing all the amazing things they have done there with flowers. I definately recommend it! We are going to make the conference trip a tradition every year-can't wait till next time!
Later that next week I got to see a few friends from out of town-love ya Jennie & Carly! It was so good to see these ladies & their sweet little ones- Jacob & Claire. It made me realize just how much I have missed them. We have been friends since middle school & I love that we can always just pick up where we left off. So good to see you guys! Love ya!
Then of course we have had the usual end of year recitals & graduations to attend. I can't believe Averee will be in Kindergarten next year! She can't wait-she actually thought that she would get to go as soon as she turned 5. She was more than a little dissapointed to found out she had to wait till the fall! The girls have loved their dance classes. Averee is getting better all the time. I think Adee justs like to wear all the different costumes! Here are a few pics from Adelyn & Averee's dance recitals...

This was Adee's favorite costume of the day-what a diva!What a poser!

We got to have a litte tea party together after Adee's recital-she even served us cookies!

Of course Averee is the tall one wearing blue in the middle-look at those nobby knees! Can't imagine where she got those chicken legs from! :0)

Averee was so excited for her dance recital-I think mostly cuz she knew she would get a lot of flowers! She did such a great job-we were so proud of her!

Well, the only other thing I can think of is that we got rid of our dog Sammy. FINALLY! I tried it for a year & just couldn't take it anymore. It is like having another kid! A 'kid' that chews on EVERYTHING (he ruined a couch & more toys than I can count!), barks at EVERYTHING (especially at nite!) & constantly digs up your garden! It was time for him to go & I feel really good about the home we found for him. The kids don't even seem to care so far-I think they were sick of Sammy jumping on them, barking, & leaving 'presents' in the lawn. I will miss my 'floor cleaner' though! He always kept the food under the table cleaned up!

I think that is about it for now. We are headed to Lake Powell tomorrow so I am sure I will have some pics to share next week. Have a good one!

Just a Mom...

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
"What I mean is,' explained the recorder, 'do you have a job or are you just a......?''
"Of course I have a job,' snapped the woman, 'I'm a Mom.''
"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, but 'Housewife' covers it,"said the recorder emphatically.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, 'Official Interrogator' or 'Town Registrar.'
"What is your occupation?" she probed.
What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out.
"I'm a Research Associate in the Field of Child Development and Human Relations."
The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"
Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply:
"I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than 'just another Mom.'
Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door.
Does this make...

Grandmothers 'Senior Research Associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations'?
Great Grandmothers 'Executive Senior Research Associates'?
Aunts 'Associate Research Assistants'?
To all the 'Research Associates in the Field of Child Development & Human Relations'-I LOVE you & keep up the good work! :0)

Funny Tag...

I got this e-tag the other day & it was too funny NOT to share...

1. My rock star name (first pet and current car): King Muffin Van

2. My gangsta name (favorite candy bar and favorite cookie): 5th Avenue Thin Mint

3. My "brotha" name (first initial of first name and first three letters of last name: M Jon

4. My detective name (favorite color and favorite animal): Red Giraffe

5. My soap opera name (first name and city where you were born): Maren Oak Harbor

6. My Star Wars name (first three letters of your last name and first two letters of your first name then the word "of" then a medication you are on): Jonmaofclaritin

7. My superhero name (2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "The" in front): The Purple Raspberry Lemonade

8. My Nascar name (first names of your grandfathers): Bert Owen

9. My stripper name (name of your favorite perfume/cologne and your favorite candy):

Escape Sour Patch Kid

10. My witness-protection name (mother's and father's middle names):

Lee Funk

Isn't that silly! It made me sMiLe & I hope it does the same for you! If you wanna play along I would love to see this on your blog...:0)

I will NEVER...

I have this amazing friend-her name is Stacy. She is one of the smartest & nicest people I know. I haven't known her for very long-we met through our husbands. Her husband aka "Hot Sauce" (as he likes to be called) & Danny were best friends & next door neighbors growing up in Salt Lake. Mike & Stacy have moved down here & we have gotten to hangout with them several times & I just love them. Not to mentionn that Mike is literally one of the funniest people I have ever known. I have learned a lot from her & she is such a good listener-I feel like I could tell her anything & she wouldn't judge me. She is also the mother of 2 (almost 3) adorable kids. She is a great example to me & I so glad to have her in my life. Love ya Stace! Anyway-on her blog she did a hilarious & honest post about all the things she thought she would NEVER do as a mother. I loved it so much I just had to copy her. So here ya go-these are just a few of the things I thought I would NEVER do as a mother:
1-While changing a diaper, I think, "It needs to be wetter than that" and I put it back on
2-Put my kids to bed dirty
3-Put my kids to bed in their clothes
4-Feel good about taking a shower at 3:00pm because at least I got one in today
5-At 7:05 I might say to my child, "It's almost 8:00, it's time to get ready for bed." Thank goodness they can't tell time yet!
6-Turn several pages at the same time of a really long book-although Averee is catching on to that one!
7- Change a diaper in the trunk of my car
8-Sleep on the floor of my childs room until they fall asleep
9-Feed my kids cookies or cake for breakfast
10-Go grocery shopping at midnight
11-Feed cold cereal for breakfast, lunch & dinner
12-Be reading a book to one child while nursing the other
13-Be pregnant when the youngest child can't walk, speak or eat by herself
14-Love snuggling with my kids so much
15-Clean up so many messes of so many different kinds-sometimes I don't even know what it is!
16- Let my kids run around naked in the sprinklers in the backyard
17-Be so upset at someone so small
18- Wipe my kids nose with my hand & then wipe that on my jeans-YUCK-I know!
19- Ignore my child while they throw a traffic stopping tantrum in the store
20- Bribe my child with candy NOT to throw a traffic stopping tantrum in the store
21- Forget details about my children such as current weight, height or year of their birth!
22- Love getting slobbery sticky kisses
23- Worry so much about three little people
24- Learn to love pink
25- Enjoy staying in pjs till lunch time-& beyond!
26- Enjoy cartoons & Disney movies
27- Take less & less pictures of each consecutive child
28- Think of the park as the cool place to hang out
29- Consider the Wendy's Drive thru a lifesaver
30- Love so completely & so fiercely
Well, that is enough embarrassment for one day. :0) Hope you enjoy my list & I would love to see one from you...

Quick trip to Vegas...

Last Friday Danny had to go to Vegas to pick up his boat (it was having some routine maintenance done) & asked us to go with him. We didn't have anything going on so I jumped at the chance! The girls were so excited to ride in 'Daddy's truck' to 'Begas' (as Adee called it). :0) We had plans to see all sorts of cool stuff but plans have a way of changing...due to "routine maintenance"

It is hard to see-but the green frog behind Averee is made of flowers!

We parked at the Bellagio so we could see the water show, but it wasn't going due to some "routine maintenance" work. But we got the see the Arboretum inside the Bellagio & it was gorgeous! SO many flowers & things made out of flowers! They even had my favorite-hydrangeas! There was also a butterfly showcase that had so many different butterflies-it was crazy! We couldn't even count them all!

Just look at these hydrangeas-gorgeous!

Then we headed down to Caesars to see FAO Schwartz & the moving statue performance in front of The Cheesecake Factory. It was a longer trek than I remembered & I only brought the little stroller for Owen, so we had to take turns carrying Adee. I will definitely remember the double stroller next time! The kids had a blast at FAO Schwartz-they couldn't believe all the toys-especially all the huge ones! Adee kept asking to ride them-silly girl! :0) They even got to play on the piano from 'BIG'. I think we need one of those-the kids would be entertained for hours! But I would need some ear plugs!

Sorry the pic is so blurry-I couldn't get the kids to hold still long enough for a decent pic!

Then we headed over to see the show outside the Cheesecake Factory & yup- you guessed it-it wasn't going on due to "routine maintenance" work. Bummer! But the kids loved watching all the fish in the huge tank-especially when a guy got inside to clean the tank & feed the rays. The girls were mesmerized! Of course the food at Cheesecake Factory was delicious & the kids were so well behaved. Surprise! :0)

Then we had to head back to our car at the Bellagio so we could go pick up the boat before they closed. The girls were pretty bummed that we didn't make it to the Pirate Ship at Treasure Island, the M&M factory, the Shark Reef, or the Live Mermaids at the Silverton/Bass Pro Shop...but we have promised to do that next time-and bring the double stroller! :0) Thanks for a fun day Dad!

P.S. That nite we went to the Colbie Caillat concert at Tuacahn & it was really good. I had only heard the 'Bubbly' song on the radio so I wasn't sure what to expect-but I really liked the whole concert. I added alot of her songs to my playlist-enjoy!

ABC tag...

Thanks for the tag Michelle! Here ya go:

A- Attached or single: Attached

B- Best Friend: Danny

C- Cake or Pie: Cake a la mode or Key Lime Pie

D- Day of Choice: Saturday & Sunday

E- Essential Item: chapstick

F- Favorite Color: right now it is RED

G- Gummi Bears or Worms: bears

H- Hometown: St. George UT

I -Indulgence(s): smelly lotion, books, chocolate chips, clean sheets, & new contacts

J- January or July: can I say neither?

K-Kids: 3-Averee, Adelyn & Owen

L-Life is incomplete without: LOVE (good answer Michelle)

M- Marriage Date: March 13, 1999

N- Number of Siblings: 4- Jason, Kyle, Kjarsten & Alesha

O- Oranges or Apples: both

P- Phobias or Fears: Water (especially if I can't see the bottom-like at the lake) YIKES!

Q- Quote(s): Enjoy the Journey, Give Live Love, 'No success can compensate for failure in the home'

R- Reason To Smile: refer to 'K' answer :0)

S- Season: Spring

T- Tag Five: Christan, Jessica, Stacy, Hillary, Tammy & anyone else who wants to play!

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I can't think of anything that at least one person doesn't already know...how bout I blow my nose in the shower (but I think Christan may know this) sorry that's kinda gross! :0)

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Opressor of Animals-mostly chickens :0)

W- Worst Habit: 'busy body' sums up several bad habits!

X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds for sure! :0)

Y- Your Favorite Food: can't think of just one-but I love anything with cream cheese in it

Z-Zodiac: Taurus

Look who's 3...

Adelyn Vause Jones

This was Averee & Adelyn's first Tea Party...so cute!

How the time flies! I can't believe my sweet little chunk is 3! We didn't know what to expect at her ultrasound-whereas at Averee's we already had a feeling it was a girl. But with Adee we didn't really have a strong feeling either way. I have to say that I was more excited about getting another girl than Danny was. :0) Plus, I knew that having their birthdays only a month apart meant that all Averee's clothes would be perfect hand-me-downs. Sorry Adee! When people heard that we were naming her Adelyn they would always ask if we were going to name our kids all 'A' names-but we weren't. It just ended up being the names we liked the most. She was my hardest delivery (I won't go into that now-he he he) but the easiest baby. She was so laid back & only cried when she was hungry or tired. She really spoiled us! When she did cry she had this deep voice-her cry would usually surprise people because it was so deep & sounded hoarse. Adee had the cutest little curly fro when she was little. Averee had curls at the bottom but Adee's curl was all at the top. Such a cutie! She is getting so big & acting all grown up. She gets to go to preschool next year & she is so excited to be big girl like Averee & go to school. Adelyn loves to do anything that Averee is doing to prove that she is a big girl too. She is getting so independent. Which means that her clothes are usually on backwards or inside out & her shoes are on the wrong feet! :0) Adelyn is a tough little tomboy-not much makes her cry. She loves to make messes & it is usually surprising how big of a mess she can make with so little! She is pretty physical & has been pumping herself on the swings for quite awhile now. She loves to dance & has got quite the rhythm. If you have seen her dance then you know what I mean! She can really shake that booty! :0) She is such a ham & loves to act silly to make people laugh. She can always make us smile!

This is Adee showing off her riding skills on her new bike-you go girl!

Happy Birthday Adee Patty! We love you so much! You bring so much joy, happiness & laughter to our family. We can't wait to see what you accomplish this year...

Just what I needed...

I wanted to share a few thoughts & feelings about this past weekend & what a great weekend it was. Conference was awesome-it was just what I needed. My Mom came over on Saturday & we scrapped while we watched the 2 Saturday sessions. Thanks Mom! The kids were pretty good about staying upstairs & watching their movie. I think the Lord helps them behave when He knows we are trying to do something worthwhile. :0) It was so neat to watch the Solemn Assembly-what amazing men! I felt such a wave of reverence & awe come over me to think of the intense responsibility that has come to President Monson. He has always been one of my favorites & now we will get to know him even more. He spoke with such power & authority. My favorite line from him was when he said 'We are fighting a war with sin, brothers & sisters, but it is a war we will win!' He said it with such conviction- I had the chills & knew that he was right. My favorite talk was by Elder M. Russell Ballard at the end of the 2nd session on Sunday. He directed it towards the young mothers of the church & it was just what I needed to hear. I hope Danny was awake to hear it. :0) His story about sitting with his family during Sacrament meeting for the first time in 10 years was hilarious! I think we could all relate to that experience! Everything he said resonated so strongly with me-my heart swelled with gratitude to hear an apostle of God say things that I already knew in my heart-I just needed a little reminder. Elder Ballard made me want to do better & be better-but not feel overwhelmed. As young mothers so much is expected of us & it can be so easy to feel overwhelmed & inadequate. But it is talks like his (& books like 'I am a Mother' by Jane Clayson Johnson) that reaffirm to me that I am doing the most important thing that I could be doing right now: raising & taking care of my family. It really stuck out to me when he explained that children are with us for such a short time before they go out in the world on their own. It is our responsibility to teach them everything we can during the time that we have them in our homes. But of course, I think they usually teach us more. I am constantly trying to be better about living in the moment-slowing down-enjoying the journey. The dishes & laundry can wait-that is what naptime is for right? :0) One of my favorite quotes is from President David O. McKay-'No other success can compensate for failure in the home'. It doesn't get much more straightforward than that. So here is to being a better wife & mother! Thanks to all of YOU-I have been blessed with so many wonderful examples all around me. ChEeRs!

It's been awhile...

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. These past few weeks have been so busy-in a good way. Between spring break & family in town I haven't taken the time to update. But here ya go:

As you know from a few posts ago- Averee has turned 5. We got her a scooter for her birthday-she has wanted a 2 wheel scooter for awhile & she loves it! Luckily, Adee is content with Ave's old scooter. The weather has been great & we have gotten a lot of walks in lately. The girls are getting so good at scootin'...

remember when we didn't even bother to wear shoes let alone safety gear?

One of Averee's birthday presents was some sidewalk paint-she couldn't wait to use it! Knowing what a mess it would make I was a little hesitant to get it out-but I finally caved in. They had a ton of fun-but what a mess! I think the pictures speak for themselves...

Owen REALLY enjoyed the sidewalk paints

The package said 'non-toxic', but EEEWWWW!

Averee lost interest in the paint pretty quick so she stayed pretty clean, Adee had it mostly on her hands & feet, but Owen (as you can see) had it EVERYWHERE! He had quite the colorful fro when he was done :0)

During the week of Spring Break, my Grandma Funk (yes, that is her REAL name) was down from Richfield to visit & staying at my parents house. We had them all over for FHE & the girls loved having Grandma Funk there. We love you grandma Funk! Of course we had to roast Smores-our favorite past time lately...

Grandma V, Grandma Funk, Adee, Averee & Owen enjoying the fire pit

Papa helping Owen roast his mallow

I am so glad my kids love Smores as much as I do!

We had a great Easter weekend full of fun & family. Saturday morning the kids had fun discovering their Easter baskets & that the Easter Bunny ate all the carrots that we left out for him! :0) Later we met my mom at the park for lunch & played in the beautiful weather. Then that night we got to see my nephew Beau recieve his Eagle Scout award-AWESOME! Way to go BEAU! Then we went to their house for the rest of the Easter festivities-mainly the egg hunt. The girls got even more candy & had fun chasing with their cousins looking for eggs. Owen was content with a piece of candy and room to run! What fun!

Averee & Adelyn got lanterns & magic wands from the Easter BunnyOwen got a racecar from the Easter Bunny-but of course he just wanted to play with the grass!

At the park with Grandma V

Just give a boy a ball...

Owen did stop running around long enough to find a couple eggs-thanks daddy!

Here are the girls with their Easter loot-yum!

Well, I think that about does it for the update of the last few weeks. I hope you all had a great Easter as well!

9 years...already?!

Today is our 9 year anniversary & I can't believe we have been together that long already. Time sure does fly when you are having fun! Shortly after we were married & we babysat our niece & nephews for a week. While we were there I saw a note that my sister-in-law had written to her husband that said something like 'Thank you for 10 great years'. I remember thinking how weird it was that they had been married for 10 years-that seemed so long at the time! Now we are almost there ourselves! I thought it would be fun to share some of our wedding photos. I scanned them in from our wedding album so I could make something for Danny. We sure look young-especially Danny-what a baby face! I was almost 20 & Danny was 21. He had only been home from his mission for about 3 months. It was a bit of a whirlwind putting together a wedding that fast-but it turned out so beautiful. Here is some of what I remember...

I remember that I wasn't even that nervous to get married-it felt so right. I was more nervous for the honeymoon! :0) We got married around 10 in the morning-which should be plenty of time to get ready & not be late right? Well, I was late to the temple! It took my BFF Christan a little longer to do my hair than we thought. Poor Danny was probably getting a little nervous! But I got there & dressed just in time. The ceremony was awesome-so many people we love were able to be there. Tons of family & friends. Mostly my friends parents since I was the first of our group of friends to tie the knot. I remember feeling so extremely grateful to be in the temple with Danny & sealed for time & all eternity. What a blessing!

After the ceremony we had a small luncheon at my new in-laws house. It was nice & small-just family & close friends. Then the rest of the day was spent decorating their backyard for the reception that nite. At least that is what everyone else was doing. I was busy trying to avoid Danny because he kept trying to corner me in empty rooms & take advantage of me! Can you believe that! :0) The reception was so beautiful. I loved it! My in-laws have an awesome view of St. George from their backyard. We served ice cream sundaes & cake. We had tons of fresh flowers everywhere & it was so beautiful. Even my cake had fresh flowers on it. So many wonderful people came to see us-it was a little overwhelming. But in a good way. We have been so blessed to have all these great people in our lives. After we cut the cake & said our good byes-we headed for our hotel. I think this was the most nervous I got all day! But it was a wonderful nite full of great memories. (I won't bore you with those right now) ;0) The next morning we headed to Duck Creek on Cedar Mountain. Danny's parents had a cabin up there. We spent several days up there all by ourselves & basically snowed in. Which was fine with us! Where were we going to go anyway?! :0) All we needed was there in that cabin... Well, hope you enjoyed this little stroll down memory lane as much as I did. It was such a great day-I wish we could do the whole thing over again-& I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks for 9 awesome years 'HotStuff'! Life can be a bit of a roller coaster with a few surprises around every corner, not to mention the ups & downs. But I am so glad we have gone thru it all together. We have learned so much from each other & grown so close. Danny is so good for me-I think we complement each other so well. Plus, he can always make me laugh-even when I don't want to. :0) I honestly couldn't picture my life any other way. Why would I want to? I am so incredibly blessed! Can't wait to see what the next 9 years have in store for us-I love you Danny!

Look who's 5!

I can't believe Averee is 5 today! How the time flies! It seems like only yesterday that we were anxiously awaiting the birth of our first child. I had always pictured myself with all boys so I was surprised to be getting a girl. Little did I know that #2 would be a girl also! I will never forget the overwhelming joy I felt the first time I saw her. She looked just like I had dreamed she would. What a blessing she is in our lives! Averee has always been such a beautiful girl. Even as a baby everyone said what a beautiful baby she was. She has her dad's bright blue eyes & blond curly hair. Lucky! Not to mention a smile that can melt your heart.

Averee is such a sweet & sensitive girl. She is very aware of hurting others feelings & I love that about her. She is such a great big sister to Adelyn & Owen. She is usually pretty good to share with them & wants them to have whatever she has. If she gets something (like candy at church) she asks if she can have some for her sister & brother-how cute is that!

Averee is very artsy crafty-which I love! I can't wait to have a live-in scrapbook partner! She already likes to 'scrapbook'-mostly she glues pieces of paper to a bigger paper, but she gets the idea! She loves to color, paint, or do any kind of craft. She is getting so good too-I can almost always tell what she is drawing. :0)

Averee is such a girly girl. Which has taken some getting used to for me. I am not that girly-but she is rubbing off on me! :0) She LOVES to dance. After watching the Nutcracker last year she informed me that she was going to be in it next year & that she wanted to be the Sugar Plum Fairy. The lead! You go girl! She loves everything pink & princess. She loves to wear dresses, jewelry & have her nails painted. Lucky for me-she still wants me to do her hair every morning. That may not last too much longer though cuz she is getting pretty picky about how I do it...

I love how independent she is getting. She can do almost everything for herself now. Which is great for me. She is so smart-she is even starting to try to read. It is so cute cuz she has one of her books memorized so she loves to 'read' it to us. It won't be long now. I really hope my love of reading rubs off on her.

She is such a social butterfly! She loves to be with her friends or cousins. Every morning she asks if we are going anywhere or if anyone is coming over. I guess I must bore her? :0) She is really into playing 'house' right now & it is hilarious to hear the stuff she says while they are playing. She is always the 'mom'-so I better be more careful!

What a cutie! Averee we love you so much! We love having you in our family & can't wait to see what you accomplish this year!