Keeping Up With the Jones'

Something New

2009-10-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Check this out!

Weekend Update

2009-08-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot going on this weekend, which was wonderful! Friday night I got to spend some time at home in the evening with my "Friends." Heehee- I had a couple friends over and we just vegged and watched episodes of Friends. Now that I'm looking back over my weekend...I pretty much watched Friends all weekend. How lame...but yet so enjoyable! Anyhow, Wes played Risk with some friends upstairs for a while. Saturday- I could have slept in, but did I? No! I was so upset that I couldn't just sleep a little longer. I was awake by 7:30. Oh well, maybe my dream of sleeping until 10am is lost forever...

Lisa & Shannon came over Saturday morning. It was good time spent catching up. It's great having family here-although it felt a little weird at first how we were all going back to our own homes in the evening! Usually we're vacationing together, so it's been an adjustment to have our own space! Wes & Jason came back from shopping at the Outlets. (Yes, I said shopping!) and Wes decided to make a big Saturday lunch for everyone. It was very yummy. We had our first experience eating at the dinner table in our 2nd bedroom. Let me explain... Last Tuesday our apartment flooded, unfortunately. We had about 3 gallons of water in there and had to get it extracted by some fancy machine... Well, in the midst of this, we had to rearrange the furniture so the carpet could dry. After said carpet was dry, we decided after living here for almost 9 months, it was time for a re-arrange. With the limited amount of space in our living/dining room, we decided to turn Wes's office/2nd bedroom into our dining room/Wes's office. Thus, giving us more space in the living room and utilizing our 2nd bedroom when needed. Now, all I think we need are TV trays and we'll be set!

Today was nice. We didn't need to be at Crossings until 9:15am! Lately, I have been playing keys in our Worship band on Sundays a lot more, which is great because I really enjoy it. But, it was really nice to take our time getting to church a little later this morning. 6:30am just gets a little too early to have to leave the house by! After church, Wes, Ryan (our friend & upstairs neighbor) went to eat lunch at the Gondolier. Had another yummy pizza. Wes got sick and thought the food was not good. Then we got to listen to someone at the next table complain about their meal and then storm off. Now, I'm not usually someone who really speaks their mind on these blogs, but is it really necessary to tell a restaraunt manager that the "veal parmesan" wasn't really what you expected and you think you know how they should prepare it and then get angry and leave abruptly. Is it really that important to you? Maybe that is just foreign to be because it's not really my nature to complain in restaraunts or at least not to someone in management (If it's not good I usually just don't eat it, and tell those around me.)

The rest of the afternoon was great- worked in our filing cabinet. Always feels like there are papers to be filed away, shred or handled. It's a never-ending pile. This evening, we walked down to my office and I worked for about an hour. Wes walked down with me to take some time to read and pray. It was really nice just to get out of the house. We've definitely been home-bodies this weekend.

My favorite part of the whole weekend... spending time with Wes. We've been really trying to develop more friendships outside of each other, and I think we've been doing a great job and growing those friendships and making more of an effort to do things separately. With that said, sometimes it just takes a little time away to really enjoy each other's company. It's nice to miss him. We had several opportunities for some girl time/boy time this weekend. I've decided that it's very difficult for me to understand how to remain two separate individuals, and yet rely completely on each other (apart from our dependence on our Creator.) I guess it has to be some type of inter-dependence. It's a very difficult idea for me to grasp.

Does anyone else have this type of issue? How do you handle or manage? Any tips?

Photo Overload

2009-07-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!

2009-06-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our 2nd Anniversary! I can't believe it's already been 2 years! I wanted to post some photos here of the "special" day. If you can believe, I still have some prints I want made. I had an opportunity to look through some of the photos Whitney took and I think I may get some prints made.

I loved our wedding. We had so much fun! (I hope every one else did, too!) It's been fun to think back and look at these pictures!

My Husband, The Manly Man

2009-06-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon was quite the eventful day. I unfortunately had to leave for a quick doctor's visit during the afternoon, but as I came back to work I noticed a frenzy in the office!

They found a snake in our office and it had slithered into a closet and was hiding. So, there was only me, Megan, Kristen and Mike. (All of which were freaking out and being very girly!) So, I called Wes and asked him to come down a little early, since he was picking me up at 5 to go grocery shopping. And, he decided that it would be fun to try and find the snake himself.

Since the closet door had been shut for a few minutes, the snake had come out and was sitting in the floor. So, Wes poked at him with a stick (to make sure he was real!) and then he went into the corner. So, he and another guy, Lee, began taking out all of the stuff in the closet trying to find him. Then he realized that he had moved up the bookshelf and was sitting on a book that was open. (Kind of random, I know!)

So, they finally were able to pick him up and put him in a tote to take him outside. And, they let him go at the pond across from the office. It was a little too close for me, but oh well. Hopefully he will find a new home there and stay!

I was so proud of Wes- and impressed! I will never be afraid if we have any critters or creepy crawlers in our house. I know that he will protect me and get rid of anything for me.

One Step Closer

2009-05-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

We are officially debt free, except for our student loans! Just paid off the last credit card!

In the past year we have paid off the following...

1. CarMax (Car Loan)
2. Dell (Big mistake- never finance technology!)
3. First Tennessee Bank Visa
4. Capital One Visa

Woohoo!

My Mission this Week (Which I have chosen to accept)

2009-05-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

Watch all 3 X-Men movies. Well, I know it's a tough mission, and there are plenty more important things that I could and should be doing, but...

Wes would like to see the new X-men movie, but I was very unwilling, since I haven't seen any of the previous movies. And, quite honestly didn't really think I would enjoy them much. However, Whitney & Jeff offered to let us borrow their DVD's of all 3 previous movies, and I began watching with an open mind.

I have only 1 movie left, and I must say that they are pretty good! I am surprised at how much I have enjoyed watching them. I only have a few more days to watch the last one, but hopefully I can find the time at some point. And, then I will be able to willingly and anxiously accompany my husband to the movies and see the latest one (and actually enjoy it!)

Indiana Weekend

2009-05-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

So, here are the pics from our weekend (three weeks ago!) in Indiana. Random wedding pics, Grant's and Kent's. Enjoy!

The Dawning of a New Era

2009-05-23T07:19:00.001-07:00

Officially, today, Wes and I have taken the first step to becoming a couple that sits on the same side of the table when eating out. For years and years, (ok, only 2 years!) this has been a practice that we have secretly despised. We never really understood why people would want to do this.

Today, we realized that due to our short attention span, and the inability to focus on our own conversations, it may be better for us both to sit close so we can focus on each other- not everyone else in the restaraunt. (Hence, the reason why we always paid attention to couples sitting on the same side of the table!)

I never thought I'd see the day...

Please Pray!

2009-05-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

We're helping with a lock-in tonight. Enough said?

More Pictures

2009-04-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

Picture Pages

2009-04-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

It's definitely time...

2009-04-27T16:58:00.001-07:00

To update this blog! The time has gone by too quickly. It seems like so much is going on these days, it's very overwhelming at the thought of even trying to start a new post. Today, I decided that I just needed to sit down and do it. No more excuses! To all of our distant friends... I'm sorry we haven't put much effort into sharing our lives these past few months. Hopefully the changing seasons will bring a revival in my heart to write again and update more often!

So, what's the latest with us? (I hear you asking...) Wes is finishing his last week of classes. Although he is not graduating this year, most of his classes are Senior level classes, so they are wrapping up this week, I think. Graduation is next Friday, May 8. Unfortunately, Wes did not meet the requirements for graduation next week, but it's OK. God's plan is bigger than ours. Now, he will be able to take the additional Media classes he wants, while finishing his final class towards his B.S. in Preaching & Youth Ministry. So, how much longer does he have now? (Again, I hear you asking...) Wes will be finished with school next spring- May 2010.

On to my news: I will be going back to school full time (in the evening) to finish my undergrad work. I am working towards a B.S. in Management for Non-Profit Organizations. I am very blessed to be working at a college and plan to take full advantage of the generous staff tuition discounts. This is a new program- but it is right up my alley. I'm not sure exactly what this will look like for me in the future, but it will give me great closure. I will be finishing up in June 2011. I have only 30 hours to complete this degree, unfortunately I just have to work on the program's time frame and that puts me out 1 year and 10 months.

Work, for me, has been going well. I am transitioning out of the "Admissions Counselor" per say and moving to more of an administrative assistant type role. I very much missed the office work and did not feel I could do as much traveling as was expected. Thankfully, there was a need to help create a new position and here I am! I will be working with data entry, office paperwork, calendar coordinating, etc. All kinds of stuff! Plus, I am still the Guest Services coordinator, which often times takes up 50% of my day! I am very grateful to have a job to go to every day. I absolutely love being able to walk to work and often seeing my husband several times throughout the day. It's quite a change- at Somerset, I was working 40 minutes away from home and spent endless hours driving in traffic to and from work!

Over the past few months, we have enjoyed several different goings-on. Earlier in March, I was able to go home and spend several days with my family. I missed Wes a ton, but all in all- it was great. I loved spending time with my Mom & Dad & Grandma! Sometimes, I wish they were closer, but we will take what we can get for now! (Maybe one day- grandkids may spark their interest to move a little closer!) It's crazy that someone would retire FROM Florida and actually move anywhere else. The middle of March is kind of hazy. I think it was mostly spent working countless hours in preparation for the JBC Spring Retreat 2009. We had a very successful weekend! It was a great turnout- over 400 people total! I was so relieved when it was over though. I am pretty sure I spent the next week just catching up on sleep and office work!

At the beginning of April, we found an amazing neighborhood yard sale. It was so fun- we found all kinds of goodies! (See picture below!) We budgeted $40 to spend and it was awesome! Very nice to have money to spend and know that you get so much more when you buy "gently" used. The next weekend- Jason, Lisa, & Shannon were here! We had a nice little mini-vacation up in Gatlinburg! It was such a relaxing time. We spent so much time by the fire, in the hot tub, just lounging around! We ate way too much- but as always, it was soooo much fun!! Why is eating out so much more fun, by the way? We got to do several fun things like Dixie Stampede, Gatlinburg Aquarium, trolley rides, endless treks around Pigeon Forge! It was great to spend time with family, and I think that God has really opened some doors for the "other" Jones'. (Actually, the original Jones'!) Jason has applied to JBC as a student, and is planning to enroll in the Fall! How awesome is that! It will be nice to have family close by! I am excited for this transitional time in their lives. It will be a big change, since they have both lived in Indiana their whole lives. God has a plan, and I pray that as they are seeking it they find JBC a place to be encouraged and a place to grow. In the words of Crossing-ites: "There is one God. He is Yahweh. He has a plan and it can not be thwarted."

After Jason & Lisa visited TN, Wes was able to make a trip up to Indiana. He wanted to be a support and encouragement for Jordan, his cousin. Wes baptized him when he was younger, and he was preaching on Sunday, April 19. So, Wes took off on a Thursday and came home Sunday evening. It was quiet here at the house without him, but I know he thoroughly enjoyed his trip. It was good for him to see friends & family.

This last weekend was Rossini Festival. The weather has been fabulous. We went to Rossini last year, and I think it is absolutely crazy how God moved us to Tennessee so quickly. I don't think we knew where God would lead us at that point. We had visited JBC to see how feasible it would be for Wes to finish his degree and here we are 1 year later. He's almost finished- I'm almost finished! We both have great jobs. We love our faith community that we are a part of! I am excited to see what the next few years of life look like.

Praise God for answered prayers- Wes had been waiting to hear back about a summer job here at JBC. There was some concern on availability, due to many applied students and not enough jobs to go around. Well, he got a call from Anyssa (our dear friend and the school's athletic director) and she asked if he would be interested in maintaining the fields all summer long, full time. So, we were very excited- He will be responsible for keeping up the soccer & baseball fields all summer. I think he will really enjoy being outside and having a flexible schedule. Praise God!

It feels good to be back to bloggin'. I just needed to get that first initial post in. Hopefully it will be easier to keep up, rather than just "vomit" up a post! (Excuse the language!)

If you made it through this long- thanks for reading! :- ) Enjoy the pictures! I will post more soon!

Wes & I at Rossini- (Ryan in the background!)

Wes drinking his "green" drink. Shannon wasn't quite brave enough to try it. It's his quick way of getting vegetables, i.e. blended up spinach, broccoli, and celery with some water. Yuck!

Yard sale finds... 2 tennis rackets, 2 ties, 35 mm film, mail holder, 5 pairs of shoes, desk lamp, bundt pan, 2 Pampered Chef spatulas, jester hat, and an old film camera.

Weekend Shots

2009-03-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Ours was good- we got stuck in some snow last night on the way home from Savannah, but that is ok. We made it finally around 11:30pm. We really enjoyed our time in Hilton Head- definitely would go back again for non-work things! Very laid back community, obviously stress free! We enjoyed hanging out with the high schoolers at the convention, but we really enjoyed having a little bit of time to go gallavanting around town. There was a lot to see- lots of shopping and yummy places to eat! It wasn't particularly warm there- I was pretty disappointed! I'm very ready for warm weather- hurry up Spring!

Here are some shots from the weekend...

Enjoying the non-warm beach!

We had some strange fascination with taking photos of shoes... This was Wes's shot practicing in the early morning light. We love our Chaco's!

When we got there, we immediately walked out to the beach and there were tons of shoes everywhere! Again, a fascination with shoes! These yellow shoes were fun! Wes took this photo, too!

Sportin' a new "do" (Side shot!)

Happy to be there! Long car ride, but definitely enjoyed driving my dream car! (2005 Honda Accord)

I am not usually the creative one, but I was actually proud of this one!

Savannah, GA as we're leaving the city

Downtown streets, Savannah

P.S. I'm pretty sure this picture was taken when Wes just lifted his camera outside the window and took a shot! Not bad!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-23T16:35:00.001-08:00

I promise- we HAVE been eating since the last time I posted my meal plans! This has been very difficult for me to really keep up on because I have certainly not been the one to cook these days. Yes, it's true- my wonderful husband has been taking up a lot of the cooking/meal planning here lately. Sometimes, I will just give him a menu for the week, but lately, he's just been wingin' it! Truthfully, I only miss cooking, every once in a while. Thanks, Wes. You are an amazing man!

Monday: Tonight, I had a grilled cheese and Wes had a quesadilla! (Not real fancy!)

Tuesday: Pot Roast with red potatoes, brown rice

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Crock Pot hen (Not sure what we'll do with it yet!)

Friday-Sunday: Fast food (Traveling to SC)

I have subscribed to the Grocery Game but have yet to really make it work for us. Anyone else tried it? I can cancel it, but I just wanted to give it a shot! My grocery shopping has been very sporadic- I'd definitely love to hear how often you guys shop! We shop for 1 week and try to keep our budget within $75-$100. I'd love to cut that in half! Unfortunately, we usually don't make it back to the store for another major trip until next payday. We will eat on leftovers for the next week or just eat sandwiches and stuff. I guess I have years ahead of me for perfection... Practice, practice, practice.

Favorite Things

2009-02-23T16:08:00.001-08:00

Spring has to be close... There is one lonely tulip outside our apartment and I thought it would be gone after our Sunday morning snow- but guess what? It's still there. This picture was actually taken after the snow melted.

I am so ready for spring! It has been very cold here lately and quite frankly I have about had it! Tennessee is supposed to be warm! Where's that heat wave I've been waiting for?!? I am going down to visit my mom for her birthday and I am so hopeful that it will be nice and warm in Florida. I am really excited about the trip- even though I still hate flying. Oh well, I would hate driving in the car for 13 hours, too.

I have been deliquent in my postings as of late. Lots of things going here just not enough time to share! February has come and gone, it seems like. I am very happy to welcome March- first day of Spring! Here are a few highlights from the past few weeks...

We have played our new Indiana Jones Monopoly now two different times- one during a power outage, and the second time just for fun! (I actually won!)
We had our taxes prepared and decided to buy a new TV with our refund! Take that- crappy economy! For those inquiring minds, we went with a Vizio 32" Flat Screen Full HD (1080p) and we absolutely love it!
We have completed our 3rd week in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. (Haha, kind of ironic to list this one right after the mention of the new TV!)
We had several new kids come to our Sunday morning "hang out" at Crossings- I hope they come back!
We have definitely enjoyed the new Monday night tradition of hanging out with the Blackburn's and watching Heroes!
Wes played in his first "staff" Intramurals basketball game! Even though he is not staff, he is playing for me, since I have no interest whatsoever!
We've had lots of visitors to the house lately- funny how that happens when you finally get around to inviting people over!

Some upcoming trips this next month include...

Hilton Head, SC (Feb. 27-Mar 1) We are attending the Christian Youth of Georgia convention, I know, crazy how it's held in Hilton Head!
Titusville, FL (Mar 5-8) I am flying down to see Mom & Dad!
Cincinnati, OH (Mar 13-15) We are attending the CIY Discipleship weekend to represent the school there and hang out with the Wolf's.
Gatlinburg, TN (April 8-13) Jason, Lisa & Shannon are coming back for the week and we're staying up at the Wingfield's cabin! Woohoo for vacation & family!

Ok, this will have to do for now. Gotta get to my Menu Planning!

Menu Plan Monday- Feb. 2 (Happy Birthday, Justin!)

2009-02-02T16:40:00.001-08:00

It's that time again!

Monday: hamburgers, tater tots

Tuesday: quesadillas, fruit cocktail

Wednesday: lasagna, frozen vegetable medley

Thursday: tilapia, baking potatoes

Friday: leftovers

Lots of Posts

2009-01-26T09:03:00.001-08:00

I just updated 9 posts! Make sure to check them all out below!

Jury Duty

2009-01-25T18:32:00.001-08:00

I have jury duty! Someone told me that I make it sound like I have a disease when I say that. I kind of feel that way. I hope that I will be cured and rid of this disease quickly say around 9:30 tomorrow morning. I have to be honest- I am really nervous! On one hand, I can't help but think of that dumb Pauly Shore movie and it makes me laugh a little. But on the other hand, I watch way too much TV (Law & Order, mainly) and that brings up lots of questions. Will I have to be involved for weeks and weeks? Will I have to stay secluded? What will it be like in court? Do courtrooms actually look like they do on TV? Will the prosecutor try and make me feel hard hearted towards the defendent? What will be the crime? Will there be justice?

Ahhh! Pray for me. I hope it's not a big deal and I can be in and out in less than 1 hour. Wishful thinking? Maybe.

I guess we'll see!

StuCo 1.25.09

2009-01-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

Crossings 1.25.09

2009-01-25T18:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots Wes took during set-up this morning...

Student Community (StuCo)

2009-01-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

Our StuCo group minus Grace!

Nate & the girls catching up

Jaime & I in a serious discussion

Cory hugging the pillow

At Crossings, we are leaders in our middle school student community. Here are just a few shots of us hanging our during worship! We get together on Sundays and eat, laugh, talk about God, get to know each other! We've just recently moved into a new location and as you can see, we find it quite cozy in there!

Wolf Series #2

2009-01-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

Just a little explanation: We had the privelage to watch Jude & Harley on Friday night for Bill & Betsy. It was so much fun! Wes has been playing a lot with his new camera so he took lots of pictures and we thought we would put together a little storyline! It's amazing how much more there is to take pictures of when there are children & dogs around!

A Series of Photos for the Wolf's

2009-01-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

Last Weekend Pictures

2009-01-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

Family picture minus Wes

Outside the Castle

Shannon knocking on the BIG castle door

Bro & Sis-in-law

My Favorite Niece

2009-01-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how precious I think this girl is! From the very beginning of Wes's & my friendship/relationship Shannon has always held a very special place in my heart. The first time I met her she was 1 1/2 and now she is already 5! She is quite the ham and just absolutely amazes me at how smart she is!
I love hearing about how she is doing in school or all the fun things that she says to her Mom & Dad. My favorite "story" from last weekend while they were visiting was this: Jason & Lisa brought us a late Christmas present of several different games for Wes & I to play in our non-TV time. One of them was Boggle. Shannon was playing with the "hour glass" but really only 1 minute timer. Lisa and I were having a nice conversation and just catching up and Shannon came over to me and said that this hour glass represents our lives. Now, at the time, it was very funny and I was floored that she knew what represents meant. But now I can see things a little differently. Our lives are just temporary- and one day we will leave this earth. I know she wasn't intentionally making such a profound statement but I was just amazed at how right she was! I am so blessed to have her as a niece. God has his reasons for not allowing me to have a niece on my side of the family and I used to question his plan. I know His plan always has been for her to be a part of my life.

Build-A-Bear

2009-01-25T17:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Jason, Lisa, & Shannon came down for the weekend and it was so great to spend time together! Friday, Jan. 16 was Shannon's 5th birthday so Saturday we got to go to Build-A-Bear! She built a cheerleader bunny named Lewis. We were so glad to spend some time with them- and we got to do lots of things. Saturday, we went out to eat and to the mall for Build-A-Bear. Sunday, we went to Crossings, and then we had small group afterwards. Shannon got to play with Molly, Adie, & Maggie so that was fun for her. It was sad for her to leave, but maybe they will be friends in April when they come back for Easter! Sunday evening, we went to Pigeon Forge and played indoor putt-putt and it was Shannon's first time. She got a couple hole-in-one's! Monday, they had to leave around 2:30 but in the meantime, we did lots of shopping and got to eat lunch together.

It was so nice having family around for a few days. Shannon is growing up so quickly and it's crazy to think that it was on her 3rd birthday that Uncle Wes was in China and couldn't celebrate with us. Which, by the way, Shannon recently told me that she didn't care for the strawberry cake that I made for her on birthday #3 but she ate it anyways because she was afraid it would hurt my feelings. Kids say the darndest things!!

Menu Plan Monday- first time!

2009-01-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

So, I want to start posting my weekly menu for all the world to see. I'm turning a new leaf- I want to start organizing, better develop my meal planning & grocery shopping, start couponing, and learn how to really save money. So, here goes!

This week we are trying to use what food we already have- avoiding a grocery store trip for one more week, if possible!

Monday: Out to eat for Wes/Banquet at work for me
Tuesday: homemade corn chowder (It's actually getting cold enough that soup sounds wonderful!)
Wednesday: omelets
Thursday: StuCo meeting/basketball game (Order pizza with other leaders)
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: homemade pizza (Shannon's birthday party!)
Sunday: grilled cheese & soup

fUn ThInGs To LoOk At

2009-01-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

New Year's Day with Miss Liberty Bell at the Whitakers

Kind of an awkward picture, I mean, where is that back arm coming from??

I love these guys- long time friends! They were kind enough to let us stay at their house New Year's Eve and gave us a key to get in their house late at night, and then they didn't kick us out when we couldn't get the door unlocked and had to call and wake them up at 2:00am! Gotta love them!

Fun cousin time! We don't get to see each other often, but we always have fun when we do! Miss K's mom is my first cousin, so technically we are 2nd cousins, but who cares!

We don't live very close to family, so it is always nice to be around them, when we can! Here are 2 cousins and 1 aunt!

I just think this picture is funny because she looks totally frightened and then Wes's butt is in the background!

Wes is playing Wii Fit and my almost 2 yr old cousin wanted to lay down beside him and play too! It was too cute! He kept doing everything we did!

Then, we finally let him do the ski jump, but he needed a little coaching! Didn't quite make the jump but had fun anyways!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, my first post of the new year. I have been slacking in the blogging department. Just a quick re-cap of the past few weeks. We had a good Christmas- didn't go anywhere. We stayed home and just enjoyed a few days off work. Our tradition has become going to see a movie on Christmas Day. Last year it was National Treasure 2 and this year it was Quantam of Solace. There weren't half as many people at the theater here in Knoxville as there was in Indy last year! I guess that is the difference in Castleton & West Knoxville! We tried to figure out what other traditions we wanted to try, but looking back, I'm not sure if we ever really nailed one down. Oh yeah- we made a big breakfast for Christmas morning! Yummy!

I was off for a couple of days for Christmas, and Wes was off for Christmas Day. It was nice to be home! We are definitely itching for a new television. I know we willingly gave it up, but we are excited to save up the money for a new flat screen! I don't know if it's just our lifestyle or if it's just that we don't have a lot going on right now, but I am certainly finding more times during the week that we are just at a loss for ideas to do in the evenings! It's so hard to do stuff that doesn't cost money! We are trying to be fairly conservative in our finances so that makes it definitely a little more difficult to just go out and spend money to cure boredom!

New Year's was unexpectedly fun! We weren't really planning to do anything, but then it actually worked our for us to take a quick overnight trip to Atlanta! We took a JBC display to a high school lock-in. It was fun- well it was more exciting than more lock-in's I went to in high school. We got to stay with some family friends of ours, and then on New Year's Day we spent the day playing Wii Fit. Oh my gosh! I totally want one! It was great. We were at my cousin, Tracey's house and we hung out with her 4 kids most of the afternoon. Fun times! Pictures will be coming!!

Now, it's back to the regular routine! Wes starts classes next Wednesday. I think he's ready- I just asked him and I am right! Wes got an exciting package in the mail today- he just recently sold his iBook so he could have the money to buy a new SLR camera and it came this afternoon! He bought a Pentax ist DL and so far, I think he likes it! We'll have to share some of the photos he takes with it!

This coming weekend I will be going to the Tennessee Christian Teen Convention. I am going as a youth sponsor and I must say, I'm rather excited! We will have a group of 5-6 middle school girls and after our pre-Christmas slumber party- it's going to be great! They had so much fun together! Hopefully, I will have some pics next week from the upcoming weekend!

O Christmas Tree

2008-11-30T17:58:00.000-08:00

This year we got a real tree! We have a beautiful Frasier Fur from Walmart. It was perfectly shaped and we didn't even know what it would look like since it was all wrapped up. We had a great time together putting the tree up and decorating it to suit both of our tastes!

Trimmin' the tree

Before we unwrapped it

What a perfect tree!

Merry Christmas!

Our Post-Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-11-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

Lastly, we wanted to spend some time over our break with The Overbay's. We live in the same town, but we don't always get to spend a lot of time with them, so we planned a big after Thanksgiving dinner. Whitney & I cooked a TON of food, but it was so much fun. We had so many leftovers, so that was good! We cooked most of the afternoon yesterday, while Jeff & Wes played some video games. It was a rainy afternoon, so perfect weather for being inside! Dinner was excellent! I couldn't even pick my favorite dish because it was all so good! It was also great fellowship time with friends. They were gracious enough to let us sleep in their floor so we didn't have to drive all over Knoxville and then back for worship this morning!

On the menu...

Roast cornish hens

stuffing

mashed potatoes

broccoli casserole

macaroni & cheese

rolls

pumpkin dessert

dirt pudding

And, yes I am weird... I took pictures of the food but not of our friends. Sorry guys! I will try and do better next time!

Second of Three...

2008-11-30T12:09:00.001-08:00

I am so grateful to have spent our second Thanksgiving with my parents. It was so last minute and I just absolutely loved getting to spend time with them. We don't generally see them very often, usually around every 5-7 months or so. This was our first time to "host" and it was so great having them in our home for about 28 hours. It was a quick trip as they need to get back to Atlanta, but it was delightful. We spent our time cooking food, baking cookies, playing card games, taking strolls around campus, and as always those last minute trips to Walmart! It was fun and a great success (cooking-wise!) We had lots of food to choose from: pot roast, green beans, cheese ball & crackers, homemade caramel corn, crescent rolls, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, sweet tea, pumpkin pudding dessert, the list goes on and on. Yummm!

First of Three Thanksgivings!

2008-11-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our vacation is over. It has been such a wonderful time spent with friends & family. We had an Indiana Thanksgiving, a Tennessee Thanksgiving, and a Post-Thanksgiving Dinner! It was amazing! We enjoyed each one just as much as the other. I also felt like it was a huge "baby" week! So many new babies to see and man, they have grown up so much since we last saw them!

We also saw our other "babies." These are Justin & Holly's dogs, Roz & Ripkin! I think they love us!

Just a re-cap of all that we got to do while we were in Indiana- Friday night- stopped by the Kent's to see Noah & Geneva & Chris! Saturday AM- got to eat breakfast with Judy Acton, my mom away from home! Saturday PM- had Thankgiving with the Jones' and then got to see Ryan & Tosha & baby Jakob! Sunday AM- worshipped at Harvest and ate lunch with friends! Sunday PM- went shopping with Lisa while Jason & Wes went to see a movie with their Dad, then ate dinner with Justin & Holly while watching the Amazing Race (old tradition!) Monday AM- stopped by Stokes Elementary to see students that Wes worked with last year, then off to Somerset CPAs where I worked for the past 3 years! Monday PM- went to see Derek & Lynsey & Annabel and stayed the night. Tuesday AM- got up and played with Annabel while Lynsey gave Wes an IQ test! Tuesday PM- left for home, stopped in Greenwood to see the Kent's again! (Can't get enough of that little guy, Noah!) Tuesday PM- arrived home around 10pm!

More to come...

There's No Place Like Home

2008-11-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

We moved! The Lord always provides for our needs. Time and time again, I have seen this played out in our lives and often times, He will provide MORE than we need. For those times, I am incredibly grateful. Wes & I were able to move out of our original apartment here on campus and into a larger apartment in the same building. Yes, we've been married for almost 2 years and this is by far our largest home and it is wonderful!

We have 2 bedrooms now! Wes is able to use our 2nd room as an office/art studio/catch-all room! We also have washer/dryer hook-ups! Yay! This will be wonderful one day, now we are just looking for someone with a washer/dryer that they are willing to sell for almost nothing or at least just let us borrow for a while! We will have pictures soon!

We leave for Indiana tomorrow. We'll be in IN Friday-Tuesday. Can't wait. It will be so nice to have some time off and also get to spend time with friends & family.

Also, we have a huge praise! Wes took 2 CLEP tests on Monday, big stress for him lately. He passed them both and will be able to get credit for 3 courses. This means that he took a test proving he had knowledge in several different areas and now he will not have to take the actual class. Not only is he saving time, but also saving money! Praise God! I was so proud of him! He worked so hard studying and I know he is quite relieved!

Way Too Quiet

2008-11-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

This week, Wes & I made a decision to get rid of the TV!

I can't believe it! Yesterday, it was a good decision. The day before that it was an even better decision! Today, not so good. I think I am definitely going through some withdrawal this evening. Wednesday is Wes's night to work late. So, typically it was my night to watch ANTM and then my new fave, Stylista.

Tonight... it's quiet. Nothing in the background drowning out the quiet. I've been coming up with ideas of things I could be doing instead of watching tv. Here's my list so far... bake something, clean something, read something, organize something, learn how to do something, call someone, make a grocery list, tweek our budget, journal about something, take a late night walk, go for a swim, go visit a friend, write a letter, read the Bible, listen to some tunes, go visit Wes at work. The list goes on and on. If anyone else has anything to add, please let me know.

We, as a family, are trying to make decisions now that will benefit our future children and I think this has been a wonderful decision- I just don't like it. And, I think that because I don't like it so much should tell me that it was probably a good decision. I'm uncomfortable in the quiet. I know this is probably a lesson I need to learn, so... here goes!

The Newest Little Pumpkin

2008-11-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a weekend trip to Indiana. Geneva had her baby! I was able to get up there before she delivered, so that was great being able to pop in before things got too hectic. He was born on Halloween so he will forever be a little "pumpkin." Geneva & Chris did great, and I am so proud of them. They always seemed so calm, and anxious for everyone to meet their new son! I heard that she was quite the trooper in delivery! I just think he is the cutest little boy ever!

Wes wasn't able to go with me, so I was blessed to have another friend accompany me home to Lebanon. We got to see some friends while in town, and I also got to spend some time with my niece, Shannon. I miss her so much- she is growing so fast. She regretfully informed me that she didn't like the birthday cake I made for her 2 years ago, but she ate it anyways because she was afraid it would hurt my feelings! Here are a few shots of Shannon & I! (We're eating a S'more together!)

I really enjoyed getting to spend time at home in Lebanon. Jason & Lisa were grateful enough to let us stay with them for the few nights we were there. It was good to be home. Makes you wonder sometimes why God moves you to a certain place- I know there are reasons! I pray that I can continually be aware of those reasons and fully trust Him that we are exactly where we need to be!

Wes & I will be going back to Indiana for Thanksgiving, well Pre-Thanksgiving. The holidays are coming a little early for us. We'll be home the weekend before Thanksgiving and I can't wait! Lots of food, family, friends and.... fun!

Cabin Weekend

2008-10-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Lentz's came down for a mini-vacation and were able to stay in my boss's cabin in the Smokies. It was so great getting to see them- we hadn't seen them since June before we left on vacation. We met Friday night for dinner, and then parted ways. Then Saturday we got up and headed towards Pigeon Forge and we all spent the afternoon walking the streets of Gatlinburg. We played 2 games of putt-putt golf, and I'm pretty sure I lost both of them. It was a beautiful day outside! A perfect 68 degrees!

Saturday night we went back to the Wingfield cabin and watched Napolean Dynamite- still very funny. I can still remember the very first time I saw that movie... I laughed because it had been a long time since I'd seen it, so I forgot some of the lines! Then Wes & I got in hot tub with the girls and had a blast!

Sunday was an awesome time at Crossings. I am sorry I missed the teaching time because I heard great things about it. After Crossings, we went to eat Chinese food, and then brought everyone to visit our apartment. Sunday afternoon we headed back up to the cabin and then everyone went off on a hike around the area close by. Kim & I stayed back and just talked on the porch. It was nice catching up! Then we played some Play Nine, ate some pizza, Wes drew some caricatures, took some goofy pictures and then we had to say our goodbyes! It was really sad to say bye- we had a lot of fun getting to spend with everyone! We miss our family back home, so it was nice to show them around our new lives here in TN.

Today was back to work- I was almost thinking that I would be heading up to Indiana to see Geneva & Chris's new baby, but it was a false alarm! I hope he comes soon! I know they are ready to go, and I know Geneva is especially ready!! I'll keep you updated....

P.S. If anyone wants a wonderful cabin idea for a small or big vacation- I have a the perfect spot! My boss, Tim Wingfield, owns a beautiful cabin in the Smokies and has very reasonable rates, and I would love to stir up some more business for him. Let me know if you would like to know more about his cabin and I will be happy to put you in contact with him!

Lost Photos Recovered

2008-10-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Confessions, Travels, Midterms & Fall

2008-10-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

My last post was over a month ago. Not good. So much has been going on and I have failed at keeping everyone up to date with the happenings in our home! Please forgive me and please know that I am faithfully trying to do better at keeping this blog up to date!

Fall has arrived. TN weather is great- we are still enjoying the windows being open throughout the night. I would love for the weather to just stay as it is, but unfortunately, it's not up to me. The leaves are quickly changing, and I absolutely love peeking out our living room window to see the mountain backdrop with the reds and oranges of the leaves.

Wes turned 28 last week. I can't believe it! Almost 30, haha! We didn't really do anything on his special day, but that is ok! Wes is working on Wednesday evenings, and unfortunately his birthday fell on a Wednesday this year. I am so happy he was born!

During the month of October I have been able to travel some for the college. I went to Virginia Beach at the beginning of the month, and then just got back from Fredericksburg. There are a lot of things about a college recruiter that are very new to me, so these have definitely been learning experiences. I went to IMPACT 2008 (Student Ministries of Virginia) in Virginia Beach, and then I attended a Christian college fair at a high school in Fredericksburg. VA is an absolutely amazing state this time of year. It was such a beautiful drive, and I was sad that Wes wasn't able to go with me, but I got to spend some time with an amazing, young lady. She is a senior this year at JBC and works in the admissions office with me.

Midterms are finally over for Wes. He only had two but they were both fairly difficult and I know he spent lots of time studying! He had a midterm in Church History and also Worldview. Sounds tough enough! I'll keep you updated once he gets those test scores back! I know he did great!

We are looking forward to having the Lentz's down our way for a visit. They will be coming down to Gatlinburg to stay for the weekend, and I'm really excited to just get to spend some time with them. Hopefully, we will have some new pictures to update you with!

Morganne Grant Being Cute

2008-09-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Funtivities

2008-09-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! Justin, Holly & Morganne came down to visit. Friday night we got to go putt-putt golfing in Pigeon Forge. Then Saturday, we were able to relax until the afternoon and we went to Gatlinburg and walked around. It was super busy- took us 2 hours to drive what would normally take 25-35 minutes! We parked and rode the trolley up into Gatlinburg and walked around. We bought fudge and ate at Corky's BBQ! Yummy. Then, Sunday we went to Crossings and then headed off to Townsend, TN. This was the best part! We were hiking on a trail and we saw 4 deer and 2 bears! The 2 bears could have possibly been the same one, but we like to think there were two. Thanks to Justin for stopping to take potty break in the woods! If it weren't for him stopping by a tree we would have never seen the bear. It was a good size black bear. The park ranger says he's probably the same one that has been spotted close by for a couple of weeks. They say they're pretty harmless if you keep your distance. We did! But he sure was close- he actually crossed the trail about 50 yards in front of us!

Then to close the evening, we ventured off to downtown Knoxville for Boomsday, which is quite a spectacular display of fireworks! I am so glad that Justin & Holly were able to come down and spend time with us in TN. We sure do miss them! It was time well spent, and we had a great time laughing and being silly! And, I also hope that Morganne can stop growing up so fast! She will be 6 months this next weekend, and it is just going by too quickly! Hopefully I can post a few videos of her being cute!

One of a Kind Baby Shower

2008-08-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we had a baby shower for Chris & Geneva. We had so much fun getting together with old friends, and also just celebrating the upcoming arrival of Baby Kent! I really missed having our friends close by, so it was really wonderful getting to see so many people in one place. Then Sunday after Crossings, we went to eat lunch with Chris, Geneva, Derek, Lynsey, Annabel, Dan, Hannah, Edie, and Hattie and Wes and I. We did a whole lot of laughing. The shower was quite unique as you can see below by the pictures. Chris was in charge of the games, so I tried to post a picture of each game that was played! We had to diaper a baby with a partner only using 1 hand each! Then, the boys had a bottle drinking contest! Lastly, they went bobbing for plastic babies in whipped cream pies! Enjoy the pictures! P.S. Wes won the bottle drinking contest!

Derek & Lynsey & Annabel

2008-08-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Derek & Lynsey came down to Tennessee for a wedding & a baby shower! And, also to visit us :- ) We had so much fun spending time with them- we're praying they move to TN again one day! They got in really late on Friday night, and we got to spend time with them until they left this morning. We got to babysit Annabel on Saturday night, which was great! She is such a good baby! I will definitely miss them!

Annabel will be turning 1 next month, and unfortunately we won't be able to make the birthday party! She is such a neat little girl. She has quite the personality and is super smart! She picks up on things real quick!

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

2008-08-14T18:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, so no babies in our household... But it seems like there are babies everywhere else! This weekend I am co-hosting a baby shower for Chris & Geneva Kent. Geneva and I have been friends for the longest time. It's hard to think that we have gone from our silly, younger years to our more mature and adult-like silly years.

When Geneva and I were little, we LOVED to play house. We always loaded up our entire rooms full of toys and baby dolls and packed them up to take to the other's house to spend the night. We would spend hours and hours playing house, college, cruise ship or camping, those being among our favorites. Often times we would pretend like we were pregnant and that we would go into labor and we would always be the other's nurse who actually helped them through the labor process. To make my story even more ridiculous sounding, we actually had spray water bottles that we would use to make a sweaty effect on our faces from pushing!! My how crazy our imaginations were...

Geneva is now very pregnant and I won't be able to help her push little baby out, but I certainly can't wait to meet the little guy. I mean this point in one of our lives has been a dream of ours since we were little girls and I just can't believe that we are actually here! I know she will be a wonderful mommy and I am just so thrilled to still be a part of her life and I can't wait to be a part of little _______'s life, too! P.S. No one is finding out the name until his arrival! I can't wait!!!

I pray for a safe and healthy arrival for Geneva. Also, I pray for the many others that I know who are expecting. I know it must be such an exciting time and I just pray for a smooth pregnancy and an even smoother birth! God is so great!

Getting Settled

2008-07-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

We're finally starting to get settled and it's only been a week! That is amazing. Our new apartment is quaint and just the perfect size for us! We even have extra storage space for any new accumulating stuff we may snag over the next year or so. I started my job on Wednesday, July 9, and so far, I love it. There is a lot to learn and I hope to become more familiar with the office over the next few weeks, but I think it will be something that I love to do.

The more and more settled we feel in Tennessee, the more and more I miss Indiana. I know it's early and we've only been here for 6 days. I understand that it will take time and I'm willing to be patient. It's funny- I miss Indiana but once we crossed that state line, I feel like I never missed a beat. Tennessee is very much home to me. It has been wonderful to see the smoke rising over the mountains early in the morning, (wink, wink I think that is why they are called the Great Smoky Mountains!) I think what I'm trying to say is that I miss all our fellow Hoosiers back home. We had to say goodbye to so many wonderful relationships- I pray that we can continue to keep in touch and hopefully when we cross that IN state line it will be like we never missed a beat!

Check out pictures of our apartment and Johnson Bible College community....

Johnson Move

Down to the Last Few Days

2008-07-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

Today we went back to Cocoa Beach. It was fun. It's been storming here every day in the afternoon, so we got up early and head over before any storms hit. We went and sat on the beach for a while, and walked along the Cocoa Beach Pier. We saw a couple stingrays and jelly fish in the water swimming with all the surfers! Then we ate at a restaurant on the pier and went walking around town. It was fun! It's hard to believe tomorrow is our last day in town! We are getting so excited about our move to Tennessee. We will be getting into Indianapolis around 12:10PM on Friday and we plan to leave for Tennessee on Saturday around 7:00AM. What a crazy, busy weekend ahead of us! We miss everyone back home and we'll be happy to have one last night in Lebanon! We're hoping to catch the fireworks for July 4th!

Vacation Days 3 & 4

2008-06-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from yesterday & today!

Today is our first anniversary! Happy Anniversary! It has been pretty exciting here around the Pratt/Jones household! We went on a safari in a wildlife refuge, huntin for gators. Unfortunately, we did not see any. But we did see many, many birds of all shapes and sizes. After the "Jurassic Park" trip, we drove to a canal in the Indian River looking for manatees, which are way more exciting to spot in the wild than at Sea World. We found several! And much to our surprise, we spotted a dolphin swimming around in the canal!

Yesterday we slept in- so tired! Then we got up and went to a friend of my mom's to swim at her house. We were able to just lounge around the pool and play around! We practiced our diving and swam a few laps! My sunburn is slowly starting to get better! After we swam- it stormed so bad! There was some pretty cool lightning though, which you know me, I hate lightning, but it was awesome to watch. We went to see Kung Fu Panda after dinner! Cute movie!

Vacation Days 1 & 2

2008-06-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

Florida has been wonderful! We arrived safely Wednesday evening and I was once again reminded how much I dislike flying! Luckily, Wes loves to fly and was able to help me calm my nerves. Thursday morning, we left for the beach at Jetty Park. This park is in Port Canaveral where the cruise ships pull in and out. We saw a couple of gambling ships leave the port, but they looked kind of dirty! We walked down the beach and picked up shells, and saw a couple of washed up jelly fish! Wes enjoyed running out into the waves, and he almost got caught in a fishing line! We both wish we would have put a little more sunscreen on, but hey, that is ok! At least it was at the beginning of our trip and hopefully we learned out lesson!

Yesterday, we got up early and went to Sea World! We spend 11 hours there. Long day! We saw lots of whales, dolphins, penguins, birds, sharks, stingrays. Wes rode The Kraken, the only rollar coaster at Sea World, but no one else was brave enough to join him! Needless to say, we were super tired when we got home last night, and I think we both fell asleep as soon as we hit the pillow!

It has been great getting to spend time with my Mom & Dad. I forget how much fun they can be! Man, they sure have a lot of energy! We've really loved being able to just be here at their home, and help around the house when we can, or even just sit around and play games with them! Last night we pulled out several photo albums to look at. It was great- I love looking at old photos. And, amazingly enough, I found a picture of my Great-Great-Great Grandmother & Grandfather! How cool!

We hope to have pictures to post soon. At least hopefully before the end of our vacation!

Vacation Countdown

2008-06-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

We leave for vacation in just a few days. We are busy saying goodbye and trying to get everything packed and ready to go! We hope to have some pics posted soon, so please keep checking for updates!