Spring is Here

THE JONES THIRD ANNUAL POLAR BEAR SWIM

Think Brycen either needs smaller goggles or a bigger face.


Yes, the water was that cold!


Zac working hard to convince Lance that he really does want to jump in!



Zac and Lance have a squirting war, by this time Brycen was already sitting out enjoying the sun.




Even Sebastain got sprayed!

I managed to stay fairly dry being the photographer. Scottie, the smartest one of the group, stayed inside.



I don't know if there is an official age when boys are too old to wear shorts to church, but Scottie was more than willing to trade in his sports jacket for his plaid shorts.


Brycen is very grateful that Grandma Carolyn sent him invisible kool-aid. Now he can smuggle his kool-aid into church disguised as water in a water bottle. He is a cleaver one!

A Glimpse of Our Week

I just had to take a picture of Scottie kickin' back in our friend's way cute chair.




Everyone deals with grief differently, but I think only my sister deals with grief by buying farm animals. In an effort to remember my grandma, who use to take us to the pond to feed the ducks and geese, my sister bought my parents two ducklings and two goslings who are now taking up residence in a bathtub while they try to figure out what to do with their new pets. They are very cute, but I still think my parents should have locked the door when they saw Ali coming with a box!








Lance's work helped with an Earth Day project on Saturday. We spent the morning picking up trash along one of Folsom's creeks. While scouting for litter we found a cool rope swing. after we were done Lance took Brycen back to the swing. Zac refused to go back to the creek he just wanted to eat his free lunch and head home. If you look closely you can see that Brycen has a blue Gatorade mustache.

Sweet Scottie and the Pinewood Derby.

I have said that Scott's spirit and my spirit are intertwined. The communication of our spirits is our own private language. As I consider the most spiritual moments of my life most of them center around Scott. From the moment we decided to get pregnant with him he has been the purest expression of my faith. Most of you have read the poem I wrote for Scott, that was an incredible answer to a fervent prayer. Last year, I recorded this is Scott's journal:

Within your eyes your vast wisdom can not hide. I find myself looking into your eyes and wondering who it is I am seeing. So often it seems caring for you becomes a list of mundane tasks to be completed each day. Sometimes I lose sight of who you really are. My sweet, precious, innocent son. A child of God with work to be done. I believe you know when I become lost in the motions of caring for you, because it is at those very moments that your spirit again touches mine and I find myself falling in love with you all over again Each time this happens my love for you intensifies and I realize how much I have missed you. Scotiie I dream of the day when we will embrace and then sit together and share our feelings, our love, and our thoughts with each other. Until that time please continue to find ways for your spirit to shine through you body and I will try to be in tune enough with you to embrace my spirit with yours.

Recently my spiritual connection with Scottie has gone from quite whispering to shouts of pure love. He has started to hug me and when he hugs me it is so powerful. It is like his whole body is trying to tell me he loves me. When I talk to him he just laughs at the sound of my voice, because he is so excited. I really don't know what has brought about these changes, but I am so grateful for them. Again, Scottie has strengthen my faith--I would be lost without him!


Wednesday Zac participated in his second Pinewood Derby.



Brycen and Zac sharing a tender moment. Brycen really wanted Zac's car to win which was funny because he was much more concerned about Zac's races than his own races.



Zac loved to watch the cars race down the track, and being able to hang out with his friends, but he didn't care at all if he won or lost.



Zac's car is the red and white one next to the school bus. It is shaped like a rocket with a real narrow, cylinder front and a wider rear. It is very cool. During last month's practice race he came in first place, but we did not do as well for the real deal--we still did better than our last place finish of last year.



Brycen re-designed his car from last year for the open race competition. His car like Zac's seemed destined for a third place finish. By the time Brycen is actually in Scouts we will be pro-car engineers!

Goodbye Mammaw

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My Grandma (Mammaw) is 91 years old she has had pneumonia for sometime now. She has fought an incredible fight, but she is now worn out. The doctor has said this is the end. When I saw her on Tuesday she was pretty much out of it. On Wednesday Lance and my mom, brother, and sister were able to reach her and spent some very sweet time with her. On Thursday two of my uncles flew in to say goodbye and they all experienced something very special My sister was able to get Mammaw to wake up and even eat breakfast. She talked and laughed with her children and then by lunch time she started to slip away again. Unfortunately I missed both of her awake times. The first time I was in a meeting at Scott's school and the second time I was at Brycen's evaluation for kindergarten. I am very glad though that we have been visiting her regularly so I have had some nice times with her. Today we could not wake her at all.

The thought of losing her has made me realize what an important part of my life she has always been. When I was a toddler sometimes she was the only one that could get me to eat. My mom would call her and she would come by after work and feed me. I even remember her rocking me to sleep. As a child on Saturday morning I would lay in bed and listen for Mammaw and Pappa's voices (and the smell of coffee) that always meant they had brought us donuts--the white ones with sprinkles. Whenever it "stormed" she would become frightened and make Pappa drive her to our house. I loved those times I would sleep with her on the pull out bed. She would tell me stories and I would rub the soft, soft skin on her arms--I always told her, her skin was softer than my softy blanket. In high school she even called the school's office to tell them I was sick, so I could have one more day to study for a test--thanks Mammaw. She attended my graduation from BYU, even though this meant spending 12 hours in the car, and she was rather fearful of being in cars. A great deal of the thanks for that trip goes to my Uncle Eddie and Aunt Connie who tried to keep her calm for all those long hours. She was not able to travel to Utah for our wedding, but she called the hotel just before we headed out the door to the temple. At the time I thought it was rather inconvenient to have to talk to her at that moment, now the picture of me on the phone with her that day is priceless to me. She came to the hospital when Zac and Scott were born. She was one of the first people to hold Zac. She came as soon as she could to meet Brycen. She and Zac have always had a sweet connection. Recently when we would visit her she had a hard time remembering me, but she always recognized Zac. I will miss her very much. Mammaw, I love you forever.

It Has Been Awhile!

Zac was starving just before dinner was ready. I had already put a bowl of cut up pineapple on the table, so I told him he could put as much as he wanted in his bowl to eat while I finished making dinner. That was a mistake. Somehow he managed to get all the pineapple to fit in his little bowl. At least he eating healthy food.


My conversation with Brycen that lead to a FHE on the spirit and the body spreading at death. We used the old primary concept of a glove being our bodies and our hand being our spirits. Anyway, here's how the converstation went as we were driving home today:

Me: Brycen look at the little squirel running across the street.

Brycen: He better get out the road before he gets hit by a car, because animals can't go to Heaven.

Me: All animals go to Heaven.

Brycen: No they don't Jared (his four year old buddy) told me.

Me: Well Jared is wrong. Jesus loves all the animals too.

Brycen: (After a long pause) You mean Jesus is so strong he can even lift an elephant to Heaven!


Brycen thinks it is really cool that he can climb up on the car.



Brycen found a perfect spot to hide so he could surprise Lance when he cme home from his bussiness trip to Utah.


Brycen and his friends enjoying Musicmakers at our house.


One more cute story:

I've been wondering if Brycen has realized yet that Zachary is "special" Today I asked Brycen if Zac is more like Scott or more like him. After thinking for a minute he said, "more like Scott" holding back the tears I asked why, to which Brycen said, Scott has sticky up hair and so does Zac, but my hair goes down. He is so wonderfully innocent and accepting of his brothers! I wish everyone could view people in the same light.