Happy Halloween!

Love from the bug eyed Jones kids! Are they twins or what? :)

You must have been a beautiful baby because baby look at you . . .

at you now! Mer is 11! Time flies when you are . . .

in 5th grade! Over five feet tall and growing like a weed, reading a ton of books, a real beauty queen, ice skating, training for a 5K run, earning all A's (I think), going to girl scouts, playing Webkinz, participating in drama club, taking flute lessons, going to church school and hanging out with all of your friends! :)

SCORE!

Will made his first grade soccer debut this afternoon. He scored the first goal of the season, the first goal of the game and the first goal of his soccer "career"! His team, the Okemos Mudsharks, tied the game 10 to 10. What fun soccer is on a sunny fall Sunday afternoon! Go Mudsharks! Let's hope for a season of more sun than mud. :)

Back to School!

Mer and Will had a great first week back to school, I think. Reality will set in when they have to go for five full days next week! Just ask ME who has been back for nearly three weeks. Next year we will all be on the same school calendar, at least I hope so.

Meredith has a teacher who is new to the building, he is young and male. I think that it is going to be a great year. How could it NOT be when you have the elementary school version of a rock star as a teacher!?? (translation: male teacher at the elementary level = rock star)

Thoughts about school from Mer? So far she doesn't have much to say but I do notice that she is taking great care in what she wears to school each day. (Sorry Mer, Mr. S. is too old for you.)
I can't help bursting in song, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" Answer: I sure hope so.

Will was exhausted last night. He could barely stay awake at the high school football game of all places. His reports about first grade? The bathroom was flooded, Peter and Blake got into a fight, then lied about it and Gillian (his favorite gal pal) from kindergarten met a new girl in their class who has brownish-red hair (Will's details) that "Gal Pal" thinks she wants to be friends with, but they don't know what her name is yet. Note to teacher and self: Perhaps Will shouldn't be sitting next to Gal Pal in class? What kind of conversation was Will having with Gal Pal, "Hey, Gal Pal, what kid do you want to be friends with? The girl with the black hair or the boy with the yellow hair?" Gal Pal to Will, "No, Will, I think I want to be friends with the girl with the brownish-red hair."

Oh! And he has student teacher in his classroom, Ms. H. but . . . he has no idea of what her first name is. Hmm . . . I hope he doesn't think that if he knows her first name he can call her by her first name. OR perhaps he will call her tall, way too skinny, young and cute student teacher with the yellow hair? (Bad, bad MOM)

Baby Will!

This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Will. He is sitting on the back porch of the library on Mackinac Island POSING (as always) for the camera.

Happy 7th Birthday Will!

Time certainly flies when you are having FUN! And FUN is what Will is all about. Will must be the happiest, most easy going little boy around. He is always on the move but he smiles, TALKS, skips and sings all day long. His smile and sweet talking ways are hard for anyone to resist -- especially MOM. Will, you are the apple, strawberry and banana of my EYE. Happy Birthday to you! :) I can't believe that you are going to be a fabulous first grader. Watch out world, here he comes! (Ready or not!??)

Bear Hug/Sisterly Love!!!

Mer and Will share a hug after a great day at our favorite beach!

We Are Family!

A few favorite pictures from our trip to Colorado!

Colorado Cousin Collage!

From top left: Grandma Mary & Grandpa Marty Jones, Eric, Michelle, Emily
Row two: Chad, Melissa, Avery, Ryan
Row three: Meredith, Lauren, Will, Kelsey
Bottom row: Adam, Carly and Carly again

Bottom right corner: The WHOLE gang with Grandma and Grandpa.

Rocky Mountain HI--GH (Sing It)

Guess who is NOT happy to have a picture taken?

Summer Fun, Will Style!

Never one to be afraid of anything, Will didn't think twice about jumping off of the high dive at the neighborhood pool during our Chicago trip or sliding down the drop off slide into 12 feet of water. Yikes! I was nervous just watching him.

Me?

The Windy City

Mer, Will and I are off to Chicago this morning to visit our friends the Konrads. We are taking the Amtrak train so I don't have to drive in Chicago traffic. I always think that when I FINALLY get to the city that I am almost to Glenview. I guess I am (only about 30 miles), but I have waited in traffic for two hours trying to drive North. There is nothing more FUN (said sarcastically) then driving in traffic with my kids fighting in the backseat of the car. Today they can argue with each other on the train and I can sit in a different car! Or perhaps I will get off at a different stop -- now that is not a bad idea, is it?

Boy OH Boy!

Smile for the camera! Please?

INCOGNITO?

I'll bet that no one can guess whose behind these shades?

(Mer & Will in NYC)

The Rock!

Mer and Will admiring the view from the top of Rockefeller Center in a VERY brief moment of sisterly love!
(Or are have they been cloned?)

Like Daughter! I think we both need some chin work!?

Jen & Mer in NYC

Like Mother . . .

Hurrah!

School's Out!

Hurrah! Today was the last day of school for Mer and Will. Will's teacher said that she wished she had 20 students like Will. (Now that is one scary thought!) Mer's teacher said that she already missed Mer's sweet smile. Can these really be the same children that come home to my house every afternoon? Let summer vacation begin . . .

A First!

Shock! We actually have a picture taken together courtesy of Meredith.

Beauty Queen?

Or is she a Beauty TWEEN?

Sweet William #2

Here's proof! :)

Sweet Willam

Yes, his eyes are really THAT blue. But it is rare that he is not in motion! The picture was taken in St. Thomas U.S.V.I.

Mer -- wear a hat during a blizzard? goggles? NEVER. The price she pays for beauty.

Will snowboards for the first time as the snow falls and falls . . .

Ski weekend at The Homestead -- before the snow storm that hit this morning!

Snow! Hurrah!

Will is so happy that the snow is FINALLY falling that he snuck out in the backyard this morning for a taste! Now if it will only stick . . . Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!