The End of the Beginning

Well, today is the last day of the first week of school. The girls are happy with their teachers and classes, and I am officially broke. Mackenzie was fitted for her violin and she should be able to start bringing it home next week. I have mixed feelings about this. I am excited that she is learning to play an instrument, but not quite as excited about having to listen to the practices.Savannah I loving the fourth grade, and chatters about her teacher everyday after school. I am so glad that she has a reason to look forward to school and doesn't dread it. Soccer starts next week, so I am almost done with my duty there. I don't know if I will do this particular job again. It hasn't been to bad except for this one mother who has now taken to calling repeatedly and leaving nasty messages on my machine. Some people need to soooo get a life!

Dennis' family business burnt down Tuesday night. His daughter and grandson were in the building, but made it out okay. They believe that it was arson, but I haven't heard anything definite yet. The building was historical and had been there since the late 1800's, and Dennis' family had run there business from there since I think 1875. Anyway, they are still trying to figure how much the damage is totaled at, and I feel horrible for him. He and Martha went away for a few days for some peace and quiet and to regroup, which I think they deserve. I am terrified of our house catching fire and can't even imagine what his daughter is feeling right now.

We are going camping with the ward tonight, and then the rest of the weekend will be spent at home recovering from our weird week. My hope is to get in at least one decent nap, but we shall see.

Soccer Parents

Okay, I am somewhat of a soccer mom. I admit it, I volunteer for things that have to do with soccer, I actively participate in soccer stuff, and I want my daughter to play well. However, I do not throw a fit if my daughter gets put on a different team than her friends from school. I am of the belief that meeting and interacting with new people is good for my child. It will help her grow as a person and it will help her be able to handle many different situations as she gets older. I am apparently the only parent in my child's school who who thinks this way. I am the age coordinator for Savannah's age group this year, and let me tell you, some of these parents need to cut the cord. I am trying to make up six teams and fill as many requests as I can, but I can't always do that, especially if no request was made on their registration. This has not stopped parents from calling repeatedly and complaining about teams. They want this girl, not that girl on their team, and they want this coach not that coach, even though the other coach is not coaching this year. They all have their opinions on how things should be done, yet none of them are volunteering to help the organization in any capacity.That frustrates me. It is kind of like the concept of If you didn't bother to Vote, you don't really have the right to complain about how the country is being run.Anyway, I just needed to vent a little and now I feel better. Hopefully this will all end when the first games start. One can only hope. TTFN

And We're Off!!

The girls have started the school year! Hurray! Although it is a little wierd to be the mother of a seventh grader, who is becoming much to cool to be seen with her mother. So I just dropped her off and wished her well. Savannah however, still is unashamed of me and wanted me to walk her into school. So we had to get both boys dressed and ready to go also, but it wasn't so bad. Vannah ran into one of her friends right away and I was no longer needed after I paid for her lunches. They both gave in and let me take pictures of them for the scrapbooks, and of course DJ had to have a picture too, even though his first day isn't until next week.Well, here's to a little more peace and quiet around the house!

Where in the world is...?

Last night Dallas and I were able to go on an actual date that involved more than a quick meal and a movie. We attended a concert called Acappellastock here in Ogden. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it is basically several different acapella groups performing at one venue. I have a friend whose husband is in the group that hosts the concert every year and she hooked us up with tickets. There were some really awesome performers there like High Fidelity and TonicSolFa. The main event however was the group Rockapella, now being called XRP. You might remember that they sang the theme song for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The high schoolers next to us made me feel really old when they said," What show are they talking about? I have never heard of it?" The show was a blast and we both really enjoyed it. I think that Dallas was surprised that it was so much fun. I have a feeling that he was expecting three hours of Barbershop Quartets, and that wasn't the case at all.

Tomorrow the girls go back to school and I have a week to get everything in order again before I start working and DJ starts school. I am looking forward to some peace and quiet around the house again.TTFN

Soccer pics

I had to repost this due to technical difficulties. This is our Savannah playing on the All-star soccer team this year. They played in three tournaments all over the valley and placed fifth in two of them. Savannah played keeper most of the time but she did get a couple of quarters in as a center. Her soccer skills improved considerably, and she really started to like being keeper.

The last week of freedom...for the kids

Well, here it is . The last week before school starts, and it has been fairly eventful. IT started out last weekend with all four children getting some degree of the stomach flu. DJ and Kenzie were the worst, with fevers and upset stomachs. Vannah wasn't too bad, just very uncomfortable without getting sick every ten minutes, and Ramos threw up all over my brother,turned to look at him, laughed and said, Daddy, I got you!". I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. My brother always plays it cool and had never had that happen to him before. When my niece was sick last month and got sick all over my sister in-law, Ever laughed at her and swore that would never happen to him. So basically he cursed himself. Anyway, Saturday we had taken the kids to the zoo in Salt Lake with Dallas' dad who is up to visit for a few weeks. We had lots of fun, and the kids got to ride the train and the carousel, and we watched the bird show. Kenzie even got to do a little shopping at the gift shop, so all of the children left happy. Sunday they woke up sick, so I went to church by myself. Primary was fun as it almost always is. The older kids sometimes look at me like I am a bit crazy, but I think that is why they always end up singing louder. You wouldn't want to upset the crazy woman. However the little kids love me, and I have so much fun with them! I really do enjoy this calling.

Monday Dallas was off, and we just hung around the house. The kids felt better and were playing all over. Savannah went to Martha's house for a couple of days, and Kenzie curled up to a couple off good books. Tuesday DJ went to tumbling class and I actually got to work out for about 45 minutes. I felt really good for about two hours, and then the stomach bug hit me. Of course. So, Wednesday I was sick all day and had to miss Kenzie's back to school night. Dallas took her and he seems to approve of the majority of her teachers, which is a big improvement from last year. She is taking orchestra and wants to play the violin, but Dallas is trying to talk her into playing the cello. So far, she is not buying it. I don't think she wants to play an instrument that is bigger than she is.

Thursday I felt better, which is good since I had to go into work. It was our back to school day at the preschool, and I got to meet all of my kids. I also took DJ in to meet his teacher. He is so excited about starting school! I love this age when school is where they love to be, and it isn't such a chore to get them out of bed and ready for school.Which leads us to today. A beautiful Friday where I will be cleaning house and finishing up laundry. Tomorrow we have tickets for Acapella Stock, so we are going to go as a family and enjoy some good music. It is more my thing, but Dallas will suffer through with me because he loves me.Well, I have to go and actually do the things I am thinking about since I haven't inherited my magical powers yet.TTFN

August, the busiest month of the year!

Well, it has been a crazy summer, but this month has just about done me in.We are getting ready to go back to school, which means I will be going back to work. Thursday I went to my teachers meeting and picked up my curiculum and everything else I would need to have ready for the first day. I am very excited about teaching preschoolers again, but I am also glad that I am only doing it two days a week. Kenzie will be in orchestra this year, and both of the girls will be playing soccer again this year. I have also agreed to be the age coordinater for the U-10 age group, which means that I have to get all of the teams made and the coaches found for that age group. DJ will be starting school this year also, so life as we know it will be crazy.

A couple of weeks ago we went camping down in Spanish Fork Canyon with Martha and Dennis. It was fun to be away from everything for a little while. DJ and Savannah had a blast digging and hiking and getting filthy. Kenzie did not join us because we went the night that Breaking Dawn came out, so she stayed with my mom and went and bought it at midnight. She had it finished by the time we got home the next day, and has reread it at least once that I know of. The girls and I also went and saw Corbin Bleu in concert during the Weber County Fair. They enjoyed the concert, and they even got Drew Seeley's autograph and pictures with him. For those of you who do not have tweenage girls in the house, he is the boy who sang for Zack Effron in the first High School Musical, and the one who played Troy in the first Tour of HSM. The things you learn for your children!! Anyway, I think that brings us up to date. I will try to update my blog once a week, and that will be a bit easier to do once school starts. I hope all of you had a wonderful summer!

Extra Pics from the 4th of July

Martha had taken pictures of the Fourth of July. Some are of us at the Party store a few weeks earlier. They would be the ones with the funny hats.

July 24th, otherwise known as pioneer day

We had a busy day as usual. Dallas marched in the Ogden Parade in the morning and I took the kids with me to watch. After the parade, Dallas had to go into work, Savannah went with a friend, and I went shopping and to lunch with Martha. We checked out Tai Pei trading in Clearfield and fell n love with it. It is a wonderful place to go for anything to do with decorating. We had planned to go to the rodeo, but decided not to. Instead we stayed at home and lit sparklers in the back yard while watching fireworks. It was nice to spend the day with Martha and DJ and not have to go to any meetings or appointments. If only I had more days like this one.

The Fourth

See, I told you that I would eventually post again! We have had a busy summer at the Jones house, but it has been enjoyable. The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays, and this year was no exception. We woke up early to go to the breakfast held at the church, then headed over to North Ogden to watch Dallas march in the parade. It was the first time my little niece and nephew had ever been to a parade, so it was even more fun. The kids ended up with tons of candy and even a few Popsicles. Afterwards, we headed off to lunch and then home for a nap. Everyone came over for a barbecue dinner and we set off fireworks for about two hours. My neighbor Nancy and her little grandson joined us for the fireworks, and it was nice to get to talk to her for awhile.





Saturday Dallas and I went out for a belated anniversary celebration. We went to lunch and a movie, and we even got in a little shopping. He bought me "Pride and Prejudice" on DVD, the one that A&E put out a few years ago with Collin Firth. I thoroughly enjoyed my time away with him and we were able to relax and laugh for the whole afternoon. Sunday I received a new calling as Primary chorister on top of my ward missionary calling. I am very excited about it. I love working with the children in the church. their little spirits are just wonderful to be around.





Next week Mackenzie heads of to Girls Camp for the first time. I am excited and nervous for her. It will be such a wonderful experience for her, but she is so not an outdoor sleep in a tent and no indoor plumbing kind of a girl. Dallas is going with her, and they are coming back early so they can go to the family reunion on Thursday. Busy, busy, busy, but i really do prefer it that way. I promise to be better about posting. I am getting my scheduling back to normal and not feeling so overwhelmed, so it will be easier. TTFN



Dallas marching(well really just walking) in the parade.




The girls waiting for the parade to start and DJ thrilled with the firetruck passing by.



My niece Kylie looking very patriotic!






DJ watching the fireworks, and my kiddos playing with their sparklers.

Posts

Okay, I know I have been severely lax in my posting lately, but I promise that I will be posting new pictures and wonderful tidbits of our life this week. Things are crazy here as you can imagine, but I am starting to get used to eleven people in my house and am making time to put everything up. Just give me a day or two, three tops!

Busy Bees

Savannah had her first soccer tournament this week. They did okay and even won a game, but we didn't make it to the finals. I am actually okay with that since it meant I didn't have to drive into Salt Lake again today. For most of the girls this was their very first tournament and they didn't know quite what to expect, but they played well and will now be more prepared for next weeks tournament. Savannah played Goal Keeper the majority of the time, but did get in a couple of quarters as half . She doesn't particularly enjoy being in the goal, but she is very good at it. She has no fear of the ball coming at her or even of being kicked. Of course if her parents tickle her to hard she gets very upset, but you could kick her in the face and she is fine. Explain that to me!

Bill and Nena arrived on Tuesday and will be staying for a little while at least. Martha may have found them a place in Clearfield that will work nicely for them, but they are still thinking about it. I am glad that they are here and that we are able to spend some time together. Dallas hadn't seen Bill since Grandma Brooks' funeral four years ago, and he had never met Nena, so it has been nice for them to hang out. The kids are so cute, and DJ loves having more cousins his age to play with. They all play until they just collapse from exhaustion. Kylie fell asleep at the dinner table one night and on the ottoman last night. It has been really nice for me because both Kylie and Jonathan are potty trained, so DJ has been much better about going on the potty. Hopefully by the end of the summer we will be able to call it a done deal!

Well, we are off to mow the lawn and clean the house today. We may even put up the pools for the kiddos. We shall see. TTFN.

The calm before the storm

Okay, so things at the Jones' are going pretty good. The house in in a somewhat clean state and all the kids have been having fun out in the pool and keeping the arguing to a minimum. We had a bit of a problem with the air conditioning, but it is fixed now and life seems to running pretty smoothly. Father's Day was nice and calm. We went to church where Mackenzie gave a talk in sacrament, then we came home and vegged until dinner time. I made all of Dallas' favorites (steak, mashed potatoes, and peas) and Savannah made brownies. Bill and Neena should arive late tomorrow night, so we are trying to get everything ready for them. Other than that life is fairly mundane here in Utah. I hope exciting things are happening to you all!! TTFN

We're all going ape around here!!

Monday we took a trip to the zoo with a friend of mine here in Utah. We spent the whole day just walking around and really enjoying ourselves. The new carousel was up and running, so we went for a ride.DJ rode on a tree frog, and Ramos was on a mandrill. We also took a trip on the little zoo train that they have at the Hogle zoo. Of course our last stop was the ape house where we found Savannah's favorite animal, the orangutan. The whole little family was up and running around, and we got some pretty decent pictures. The rest of the week has been pretty cold, but I was able to get my garden in finally. I still have to get my carrots planted, but everything else is done. I just hope it all turns out okay. Today was exciting. We found a gas leak in Mackenzie's room, so the whole day revolved around getting the right people there to fix it. It turned out alright though, and we no longer have a funny smell in the house. Well, we are off to bed. Goodnight!

I am this many!!

Saturday was DJ's 3rd birthday! I can't believe he is growing up so fast. He is potty training and having conversations that you can almost always understand. We had his party at our house with all of the family including cousins and my step-brother and step-sisters. We turned on the sprinklers and let them get wet while the adults sat around and enjoyed the warm weather and some good conversation. It was Bob the Builder themed, and we had a construction hat pinata that only made it through 4 of the kids before it was broken. DJ got a new Spider man bike, some new clothes,a construction play set, water guns, and a horn to go on hist bike. Needless to say, he was in heaven.After the party we played outside for a little while longer then went inside and watched Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which is DJ's favorite movie.He stands in front of the TV and sings all the songs and dances along. It is too funny! Then it was time for a bath and off to bed for him. He had a good day and went straight to sleep.

All the kids running through the sprinkler.

DJ swinging at the pinata.

He picked out the cake himself. It was chocolate.

YEA!!! Presents!!!

"It was a hair raising day, and now I'm Exhausted!!"

And the winner is....

The Ogden City School District Math Olympiad was on Thursday and Savannah was chosen to attend as one of the top third graders in her school. She did the egg drop where she second place, and the math quiz game where she got third!! As you can probably guess she was very excited when she got home and had to show everyone her medals. We are very proud of her, and we're glad that the school year is ending on such a good note.

Wednesday she will go and tryout for the AYSO all-star soccer team, so we may have more exciting news mid week.

Weekend Exhaustion

This weekend was very exhausting in many different ways. Saturday was Savannah's last soccer game for the spring season, and we threw a pizza party afterwards. I ended up coaching the game because Dallas had to work, and I don't mind saying that I never want to do that again! Saturday evening we had our ward picnic and sports night. The food was good and it gave us a chance to get to know a few more people. I played water volleyball and ended up getting wet, but not too wet. Mackenzie spent the day at Lagoon with her friends and didn't get home until about eleven. Dallas and I were so ready for bed, but she just wanted to stay up and talk. Sunday we drove to Rupert, Idaho for my grandmother's funeral. We had a big lunch with all of the family and then attended the viewing. My aunt put together a lovely DVD about her life, which was only interupted a few times by DJ saying loudly, "Look! That's Grandma! She over there. She's dead now!" At least my family has a sense of humor and those around us who could hear him just smiled quietly. Monday was the funeral, after which we had another family meal and then got on the road again so that we could make it home in time for Dallas to run one of his recruits into SLC. The picture above is from Grandpa's funeral in February. It is my grandma, Savannah, Mackenzie, and my cousins Bethany, and Valerie. Below is the obituary for my Grandma Hernandez as it was published in the South Idaho Press.

Dominga Arenivas Hernandez
Rupert—Dominga Arenivas Hernandez, age 75, was a loving wife, mother, sister, and friend. She passed away peacefully May 15, 2008, awaiting the loving arms of her deceased husband of 88 days in Boise.Dominga was born May 14, 1933 in Pecos, Texas to Bernabe and Juliana Arenivas in Saragosa, Texas. She attended schools in Texas, and later met her husband, Everardo Ramos and their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls Temple. She obtained work with Ore-Ida Foods, where she retired of 30 years and made many long time friends.
Dominga was extremely devoted to her family. Her family was the outmost importance and strived in teaching good principles of hard work, education, church service, and a testimony of Jesus Christ were instilled in the hearts of her family. She was a longstanding, active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She held various church callings serving as a Nursery Leader which she loved and cherished those children, a visiting teacher, and her passionate calling as a missionary with her loving husband serving in the Texas McAllen Mission. This was one of the highlights of their church service, serving together and making new friends.Her love for cooking was evident to all who knew her and her family. She was famous to all for her beans and tortillas. She was asked by many to open a restaurant, but her example was shared to many and her family. Her family was her prized possession, and it was evident with the photos displayed in her home. Her many friends were also of highest esteem.She will be greatly missed by her children that loved her so much, but her children know that Mom and Dad are together again smiling down upon them.She is survived by her children, Victor (Maria Elena) Rivera of Durango, Mexico, Eloisa (Robert) Dills of Englewood, Tenn.; Jose (Shannon) Hernandez of Smithfield, Utah; Hilda (Charles) Wilson of Meridian; Esteban (Gloria) Hernandez of Burley; David (Juli) Hernandez of Meridian; Margarita (Daniel) Jensen of Heyburn; Yolanda (Curtis) Tyrrell of Riverton, Utah; and Abel (Lisa) Hernandez of Jerome; Sister, Manuela Gonzales, Pecos, Texas; 45 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.She is preceded in death by her parents, Barnabe and Juliana Arenivas, husband, Everardo Ramos Hernandez, son Everardo Hernandez Jr., daughter in law Holly Badger Hernandez, grandson Benjamin Hernandez, a great granddaughter Riley Ann Jones and her brothers, Porfirio Arenivas, Hilario Perez, Ismael Gonzales.The funeral services will be held on Monday, May 19, 2008 at 11 a.m. at the Rupert 7th Ward Building, 324 E 18t Street. A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday, May 18, 2008, at the Hansen Mortuary in Rupert. Burial will follow at the Rupert Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the LDS Church Perpetual Education Fund.
Copyright © 2008 South Idaho Press

Mother's Day

I imagined this Mother's Day to be a peaceful day ending in a nice dinner with my mom and step dad and Martha and Dennis. The kids would be so helpful, and Dallas would be doting on me all day. And then I woke up from my dream. In reality after church was over I got to deal with a nine year old who was pouting because she didn't get a candy bar like all the mom's, a twelve year old who wanted to talk about going to Lagoon this weekend, trying to make sure the house was ready for company, and my loving husband having to go into work. DJ and Ramos tore off their clothes and refused to get dressed again, and my stepbrother sliced his finger so badly that he had to have three layers of stitches! So mom came without Geoff, and he came after making sure Geoffy was okay and safe at home with his mom. It still turned out to be a nice evening, if a bit hectic. Dallas made dinner before he left, and it was delicious. When everyone had arrived we enjoyed our meal and then played a game and watched a movie. It just goes to show that a chaotic Mother's Day is better than a dream Mother's Day anytime. At least that is what I will keep telling myself.

Some Older Pics

My mother-in-law gave me some copies of pictures from last year and earlier this year. Some are of Bill and Neena's wedding, some of Savannah's first soccer game this year. Hers turned out much better than mine, so I thought I would post them. The kids in the pics from the wedding are Bill and Neena's four kids- Zachary, Bradley, Jonathon, and Kylie Jo.

The Wedding

My cousin Josh's wedding was on Friday and I was actually able to go. They were married in the Bountiful Temple, which is beautiful. I went by myself because Dallas had to work, but it was still nice to be in the temple and to spend a little time away from the world and with family.I am so glad to be able to spend time with this side of my family now. We didn't see a whole lot of each other growing up and it is nice to get to know one another as adults. Dallas was able to attend the reception that evening, and was able to meet many members of my family for the first time. The girls got to hang out with their cousin Bethany, and ended the evening mad at me because we couldn't take her home with us. The boys were just happy that there was food and ate until they couldn't eat anymore. I took some pictures, but my camera just isn't as clear as I would like in some instances. Maybe if I hint around enough Dallas will get me one for Mother's day or our anniversary. By hinting I mean I will take him to the store and tell him "This is the one you are buying me." It was a great day, and I am glad I took the time to attend.