Bittersweet Beginnings

Today is the first day of school and with it brings the first day of a new chapter in my life.  It is the last time I will be experiencing the first day of kindergarten with one of my children.  David William will be entering the 5th grade, Devin will be starting 2nd grade and Hannah will begin kindergarten.  Of course, there are mixed emotions in our house about starting another school year.  The boys are not happy the summer has come to an end, but Hannah can hardly contain her excitement as she begins this new adventure!  Little do any of them know, I am having some mixed emotions myself!  I never like it when summer ends because I enjoy having my kiddos home with me.  This year, however, I find myself struggling more because, for the first time in 10 years, I will not have a little one home with me!  I feel blessed that the Lord allowed me to stay home with our children while they were young.  I won't say that every day was a piece of cake during those 10 years, because it wasn't.  There were moments along the way when I felt my lot in life was laundry, dishes, runny noses and dirty diapers-only to do it again the very next day!!! But despite those rare moments, I love being a stay-at-home mom!  Although I am sad that the time has come to end this chapter in my life, I am excited about the new adventures in the next one!  So, I am preparing myself for the tears to spill over as I send my last one off to kindergarten this morning and even cry all the way home!  Am I still going to be a stay-at-home mom in this next chapter of my life?  You bet!  It will just be a little different than before.  No they won't be home with me all day, but I will still be available to them whenever they need me!  I guess I can look at it this way, I finally get a lunch break and a really long one too!!!

Melissa
Stay-at-home mom

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY DEVIN WILLIAM!

Seven years ago, at 8:50 pm, our youngest son came into this world!  He was a healthy 9 lbs 2 oz.  I remember struggling with feelings on how I could possibly love a second child the way I loved David William.  However, once they placed that precious baby in my arms, I was in love!!! I remember being surprised at how big he was, but then again, I did crave McDonald's big macs and french fries throughout my pregnancy!  All of our children are blessings to us, but Devin came into our lives after a devastating miscarriage followed by a year and a half of "trying."  We of course, were elated that we were about to have another child!

Devin is our "go-with-the-flow", "happy-go-lucky" kid!  He is also the comedian in this household!  Boy, can he make us laugh!  He is just funny without even trying!  Once, I even asked Hannah who the funniest person she knew was and without hesitation, she said "Devin!"  Devin is also very kind!  Often times I will see him share with others even if it is a sacrifice for him.  He rarely thinks of himself and it is common for him to want to spend his money on his brother and sister instead of himself.  I'm usually trying to encourage him to purchase something for himself since I know he has worked hard to save up for a special toy! Sometimes, I can get frustrated because I feel like people take advantage of his kindness and I want him to speak up if something is not okay with him.  On the other hand, I have to stop and thank the Lord that Devin has learned early on that kindness, although hard at times, is the correct way to respond in any situation. 

Thank you Lord for choosing us to be Devin's parents!  You have blessed us with this amazing child and we thank you for everyday that we get to be with him!  Our prayers for Devin are that he would continue to mature physically and in his love for the Lord!  It delights our hearts to hear him speak of the truths he has learned at church or school about our Lord!  More than that, we love to watch him live out his faith even as a child!

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEVIN!  WE LOVE YOU!

  MOM and DAD

                                                         

Devin Turns 7!!!

It's hard to believe that my little boy will be turning 7 tomorrow and entering the 2nd grade on Monday!  Where has the time gone?  This mama has been struggling lately with how fast the kids are growing up and all I want to do is hit the pause button to slow things down!  But, I am so thankful that I have happy and healthy children that love the Lord and mom and dad too!  I would like to do something similar with the kids, like I did with the letters for Hannah's birthday.  So, I have asked David (D) and Hannah (H) some questions about Devin that I would like to share with you. 

#1 When was Devin born? (D)-August 12th, 2004   (H)-August 15th (pretty good guess for a 5-year-old)

 #2 How much did Devin weigh when he was born? (D)-6.4 lbs   (H)-3

#3 How long was Devin? (D)-6 inches   (H)-1 foot

#4 Who do you think Devin looks like? (D)-Mom  (H)-He reminds me of someone I love, David.

 #5 What is Devin's favorite food? (D)-Pizza   (H)-Chicken wings

#6 What is Devin's favorite color? (D)-blue   (H)-green-once he told me he likes green.

#7 What is Devin's favorite sport? (D)-baseball   (H)-I think it is baseball.

#8  What is your favorite thing about Devin? (D)-He is a Cubs fan!  (H)-Watching him play the Wii because I want to see if he wins or not.  He is awesome at Wii I'd say.  He is one of my favorite brothers.

#9 If you could take Devin anywhere, where would it be and why? (D)-To the top of the Sears Tower because he wouldn't be expecting it!   (H)-Lonestar Restaurant because there are peanuts there and I LOVE peanuts!

#10 What is your favorite thing to do with Devin? (D)-Go on vacation!  (H)-I like swimming with Devin!  That is my favorite thing.


DEVIN'S ANSWERS:

#1-August 12th
#2-2 ounces
#3-about maybe 4 inches
#4-I don't know, David???
#5-Pizza with pepperoni and cheese
#6-green
#7-basketball
We did not answer the other questions since they were specific to each child.


I hope this brings a smile to your face!  I know it made me smile and reminded me that their is nothing more precious than the bond between siblings!!! 

Finding Blessings Through Tears

 One year ago our family changed forever.  One bad decision resulted in tragedy.  One knock on the door brought devastating news.  One phone call brought us to our knees.   Nothing could have prepared us for August 8, 2010.  For those of you that know me well, you know this isn't the first time we have lost a loved one.  I can assure you that it doesn't get any easier.  I think losing Jill and Niko hurts more because the hole in my heart just got bigger.  I will say however, that I felt the peace of God more than I ever have prior to the accident.  Very soon after the accident I remember a thought that entered my mind.  It was, "look for the silver lining."  I had no idea where that was coming from and it was somewhat irritating.  We were all devastated and how could there possibly be anything good that could come of this nightmare?????  But, I kept hearing that still small voice reminding me that I was not alone and that God was unfolding His plan.  The Lord kept taking me back to the weeks and months after the loss of my siblings to remind me of how He helped me through the pain and used that time in my life to strengthen my faith.  As I began to realize what God was doing, I decided to try it His way for awhile.  I then started to keep a mental note of all of God's blessings during this difficult time.  Things like friends and family coming from all over just to love on us and help in any way they could.  Homes were made available to us to stay in while we were in Virginia.  Prayer warriors who faithfully prayed for us and continue to do so a year later.  God was there even in the little things.  We had more food than we knew what to do with, our cars were cleaned and the dogs were walked and groomed.  If there was anything that we could have possibly needed, all we had to do was say the word and it was delivered to our door. There were too many blessings to count!  God had my attention now and I began to feel this overwhelming peace that God was in control and He was doing something amazing!  In my own life, God continued to challenge me to stop wasting my time on the insignificant things and start focusing on the eternal things.  God used Jill and Niko's lives to encourage and bless others.  What is more amazing is that even in their death, God continues to use them to be a light in a very dark world!  I can't think of a better blessing/silver lining than that!  In the midst of my grief, God presented me with a challenge-finding blessings through tears!   ~Melissa          
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOOFAaUGfRE

Letter to Hannah by Mommy & Daddy

Dear Peanut,

We can't believe you are five today!  The day you came into our family was such a wonderful day!  The doctor was pretty convinced that you would not be arriving for a few more days, but Mommy knew you were ready to make your grand entrance!  We were overjoyed when the doctor placed you in our arms!  You were pink and perfect!  I am so glad God chose us to be your parents!  You have brought so much joy to our lives and we are so grateful for everyday we get to wake up and spend with you!  I love you Hannah Marie! (Mommy)

I could not have imagined how special life could be with you in it.  I was nervous at first because I didn't know how to handle a little girl!  But what a blessing you have been to me!  I love hearing you say "Daddy" and I love seeing your smile.  You are a precious blessing to me!  I love you Peanut! (Daddy)

                                       Happy Birthday Hannah Banana!
                                                              All our love,
                                                        Mommy and Daddy

Welcome to our family Hannah Marie!

Hannah Marie Jones

Happy 1st Birthday!

Woo Hoo! Look who's 2 !

Look at me, I'm 3 !

Our peanut turns 4 !

                                               

Letter to Hannah by David William Jones

 Dear Hannah,  I'm glad you're my sister!  I hope you have a good birthday.  I know you're excited for school.  We'll have a good time with Grandma and Grandpa.
Love, David

Letter to Hannah by Devin Jones

"Happy Birthday!  I hope you have a good birthday.  I'm glad you're my sister!  My favorite thing to do with you is swim!"

Love, Devin

 

Letters To Hannah

Our little girl will be turning five this week!  My how time flies!  I thought it would be fun to have each one of us write her a special letter in honor of this special milestone.  Devin will get to go first and he is currently working on his rough draft.  I will be sure to post the final product this evening!!

Our Debut As Official Bloggers!

Not sure how well this new endeavor will work out, but we are determined to give it a try!  My hope is that you will have a chance to read about our happenings from each one of the members that make up this Jones Family!  Granted, I will need to type for the little ones, but I'm sure they will have plenty to say!  They always do!  Here is to a new adventure in the lives of the Jones'...