in case you were interested

girls REALLY DO wanna have fun!

2011-08-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

a group of fantastic ladies and i went on an adventure today to the escondida ranch. lots of gate opening/closing, river crossing, large rock dodging, fresh stream lounging, and dam zip-lining fun! to all those who were there THANKS FOR THE FUN! and to all those who weren't - PLEASE COME NEXT TIME!!!!!

just when you thought i'd given up on you

2011-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

sometimes a nice sunday afternoon bus ride is . . . . . still just a bus ride.

this is the rusty jones' and the jared jones' on a bus. enjoy!

THE GREAT CHOCOLATE EMBARGO

2010-03-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

It's true, my name is Meredith and I'm addicted to chocolate. No really, it's a problem.

I haven't gone one day without chocolate in . . . . i don't even know how long it's been, but I would say at least 6 months. So I've taken matters into my own hands. It's time to break the addiction, . . . .therefore I've decided to ban ALL desserts until June 22. I've made it 14 whole days so far and let me tell you . . . it's NOT FUN!! I miss my sweet, gooey, rich, decadent friend. I'll see you in 3 more months.

just in case you wanted to know

2010-03-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

i know it's a lot of information but haven't you always wondered what St. Patrick's Day is all about?

Had it not been for a band of Irish marauders in the fifth century, March 17 might've been plain old Maewyn's Day — because Maewyn wouldn't have changed his name to Patrick, and he likely wouldn't have become a saint. In fact, it wouldn't have been a Day at all.

But as it happened, a certain 16-year-old Welsh lad was kidnapped by those Irish marauders, and during the six years young Maewyn spent in servitude as a shepherd in Irelandhe experienced a religious awakening, then spent years studying in a monastery. He took on a new name, Patrick, and a new calling — converting his countrymen to Christianity.

Patrick certainly had the luck of the Irish — as a young man he escaped the captors who enslaved him, and several times later in life he escaped arrest by the druids who didn't appreciate his missionary activities in their midst.

He was successful at his chosen mission, too, founding schools and churches and performing baptisms; within 200 years Ireland was a Christian country. The shamrock, a trifoliate clover, became his cleverest teaching tool, which he used to explain the Trinity — three elements forming one entity.

In his Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, he writes:

So, how is it that in Ireland, where they never had any knowledge of God but, always, until now, cherished idols and unclean things, they are lately become a people of the Lord, and are called children of God.

There is some blarney in the stories about Patrick, too, most notably the one which has him delivering a sermon on a hilltop and thereby banishing the country's snakes. Unless one understands this symbolically to refer to pagan practices, it can't be true, for Ireland had no native snakes.

Saint Patrick died on March 17 in the year 461, and this date was declared a religious feast day. TraditionalLenten prohibitions were waived; dancing, drinking, and eating meat were allowed. In Ireland, most businesses, excluding restaurants and pubs, close on March 17. Nowadays, in an effort to present the best face of Ireland to visitors, a St. Patrick's Day festival is celebrated in Dublin from March 13th to the 19th. It features music, theater, dance, comedy, a treasure hunt, performance art, fireworks and more; it draws over a million revelers.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, however, but in New York, in 1872; the parade became an occasion for downtrodden Irish immigrants to declare their pride in their nationality. Parades now take place across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

How to celebrate St. Patrick's Day:

Wear green
Pin a shamrock to your hat
Speak with a brogue
Wear brogues
Wish your friends and family "Top o' the morning to ye" and every so often cry out "Erin go bragh!" (Ireland forever)
If you're a mayor, dye your town's rivers green and paint your lane markers green.

i just thought that you might be interested in this.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

I took a trip to Hell this weekend

2010-03-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

So 6 months ago my sister, Shannon, called me up and said she wanted to do this 204 mile relay race from Prescott AZ to Tempe AZ and that she wouldn't do it unless I did it too. At the time I thought that sounded awful. I had JUST had a baby by C-Section and training for a race was NOT what I wanted to be doing. But I reluctantly agreed and the training began. We assembled a team of 12 girls including myself, 2 sisters, 4 cousins, a couple of their friends and my bestie from high school. Along the way quite a few dropped out and were filled in by a couple more cousins on the other side of the family and some VERY last minute replacements (like the day before, thank you Courtney!) But we were determined to get this race done.

The "FlabFighters" right before the race started, left to right: Evelyn, Meredith, Meghan, Marisa, Courtney, Kelly, Jenn, Debbie, Shawn, Windy, and Karina (Shannon was taking the picture)

Some of my teammates, Debbie the Awesome Aussie, Kelly my cousin, Evelyn the bestie, Shawn a cousin's friend, and Courtney who saved our day

Meghan, Meredith and Windy

Meghan Decorating the Tahoe

Some Jones cousins, Meredith, Marisa, and Meghan at the starting line

the girls from my car Karina in front, Evelyn, Meghan, Shannon, and Windy

Meredith and Evelyn

my sisters and I on day 2, are those tired eyes or what?

What an adventure to say the least. starting with a 3 mile run straight uphill for poor Shannon, the hills I never thought would end, trying to nap on the desert floor with ants circling around, by the way, my sister Windy can put up a tent like nobody's business, losing Karina in the middle of the night during her 7 mile run (thank you kind runner who found her) shannon's 8 mile run in the middle of the night, the portapotties!! i've never used so many in my life, the 1 am run on the highway and spotting my teammates at jack in the box as i ran past them wishing i could join them, sleeping on the pavement in a middle school parking lot at 6 am (not really sleeping), praying that the boy who got hit by a car while passing his teammate water would be ok (we still don't know) the tears that EVERY team member shared as each of us finished our last legs, and finally watching Shannon join us at the finish line to end it all pushing kelly on a grocery cart to get her across the line cause she ruined her knee for this.

In the words of my sister Shannon, "hell is a never ending Ragnar Relay Race, with the need to poo every 20 minutes!" That's what I did this last weekend, and you know what . . . I would do it again.

but for now, i'm resting.

WHAT IS A RAGNAR RELAY ANYWAY?

2010-02-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

Ragnar was a 9th century Norse King. He was a pirate, a raider, a conqueror, an explorer, and a wild man. The tough, fearless, rugged attributes of this Norse King are shared by all who participate in a Ragnar Relay. In much the same way, a Ragnar Relay provides runners the freedom to roam, to explore - a free-spirited curiosity to get out there and experience outdoor adventure. And maybe even to conquer. And though tough or rugged may not perfectly describe you, these attributes become a goal - something to strive for.

In a Ragnar Relay the wild nature of this Norse King is embraced by many participants. Participants who aren't afraid to paint their van plaid, to bring along their own hair band, to join together in yelling as they cross the finish line. You may think that you are not one of them, but you are. Everyone has a wild side and nothing brings it out of you like a Ragnar Relay.

Long live the Ragnar in us all

This is what I'm doing this weekend. Just me and 12 of my friends/sisters/cousins divided into 2 vans to relay 202 miles. Does that sound like fun or what?

VALENTINE'S DAY

2010-02-15T08:40:00.001-08:00

Every year for Valentine's Day, my thoughtful husband

gives me a boquet of roses. So sweet, I know, and I'm sure

many of you receive the same or similar gifts. Now, I

don't mean to seem ungrateful or snobbish, but this year

I'm taking issue with the florists in our lovely Mexico.

You see, they tend to make their flower arrangements

look like they're going to a memorial service, i.e. the picture below.

So this year I removed the beautiful dozen red roses and put them in my own vase.

Much better I think.

i love these two girls. they make my day.

and he's so handsome. happy valentine's day to my wonderful husband.

The Birthday Party

2010-02-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

Mercedes turned 5 yesterday and had herself a PARTY!

It was fun to have all her friends here to

celebrate and play.

Here are a few pictures (in the wrong order of course and i don't know how to fix it)

of all the festivities.

Her exact words were "THIS IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER MOMMY!"

opening the presents.

blowing out the candles

busting the pinata

jumping on the tramp (why did i spend money on the "brinka brinka"?

morning birthday pancake with a candle (her request)

It really was a great day. We love our sweet Mercedes, and we're so glad she's five!

To My First Born

2010-02-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Mercedes,

Five years ago I met you face to face, though I'm sure we knew each other for eternities before. I'd never known a love like that existed. I thank our Heavenly Father everyday for sending you to me. You are the sunshine of my everyday. I love you and I hope that you have a very wonderful and funtastic FIFTH BIRTHDAY!

Love, Mommy

2010-01-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

My Valentines.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!!

WHEN THE CATS AWAY

2010-01-07T20:49:00.001-08:00

Rusty was out of town for a couple days. This is how we spent our time.

Mercedes watched "UP" 3 times.

and Roxy tried green beans and SURPRISE! she liked them.

New Year's Eve PaRRRtaY!

2010-01-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Rusty and I hosted a New Year's Eve Party this year and had a great time.

Thanks to everyone who could make it! It was really fun!

Sorry all the pictures are in the wrong order.

The After Party Tornado

Danny, Dave and Rusty ring in the New Year

Justin, Erin, Jason, Muffy, and Evan

New Year Cheer! (sparkling cider)

Janae and Justin

the host and hostess

Brandon and Jackie

FYI: all beverages in pictures were NON alcoholic.

The Best Christmas Ever!

2009-12-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

This year Christmas was UNBELIEVABLE! After opening presents in the morning with Rusty and the girls, we went down to his parents house for breakfast with them and his brother Jesse and his family. We started helping in the kitchen when people started to kind of disappear and someone (i can't even remember who) told us to go outside. I figured Jesse and Wendy had gotten a four wheeler for one of their kids or something. So when we walked outside and saw the parked bright and shiny silver minivan, i burst into tears. Because, you see, i KNEW no one else in the family had been wishing for the "mom mobile". I knew it was for us and couldn't believe how wonderfully sweet my family is. So here are a few pictures of my "SWEET RIDE".

The Big Game

2009-12-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

Rusty and I went to our first (of hopefully MANY) NFL game earlier this month. I got Rusty the tickets for his birthday back in September and thought that an Arizona Cardinals game would make the most sense because it would be the closest to where we live, and when I saw that they would be playing the Minnesota Vikings on December 6th, I saw it as my chance to finally see my "other boyfriend", Brett Favre, in action. It was sooooooo fun that we've decided to do it every year! Hear are a few pictures from our fun fun fun night!

Sorry it's so dark, but this is the Vikings sideline during the national anthem. I'm also a big fan of number 69, Jared Allen. He's a first class farm boy from southern Idaho. He appreciates the Anthem as much as I do.

This is Larry Fitzgerald. He ruined my night. He was unstoppable and enabled his team to stomp on my Vikings. :(

the big entrance of he cardinals. the cardinals cheerleaders have nothing on our JSA girls!

Here he is with his bullet arm.

These two "old guys" with grey hair chatted it up in he middle of the field for a while before the game started. It was really fun to watch them be so friendly before they become opponents.

We arrived an hour and a half early to watch the boys warm up and take pictures. It was really fun to see how many people had purple Farve jerseys on, myself included.

Our Getaway

2009-12-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

we recently had the opportunity to "getaway" for awhile. we had a blast visiting family and friends. here are some pics from our great escape.

uncle alan met his niece, roxie.

uncle rusty met his nephew, adam, and . . .

his nephew, andrew.

cousins, alayna and mercedes got to play together

and play in the snow

we visited with beautiful cousins.

took some time to relax and enjoy some shows with cousins emily and natalie.

and slept in strange places

and then there are these two wonderful people. this is aunt lulu and uncle darron. they live far far away in a remote state called georgia, where they don't get visitors very often. but somehow they still manage to pull off being the best aunt and uncle there ever was. i'm so glad we got to see them and all of our family members. i apologize to aunt janice and uncle brad, and my dad who seemed to get by without a single picture taken of them. don't worry, i'll get you next time.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

this week, i'm thankful for . . . . thanksgiving! i'm thankful that we get to set aside a special time each year to really think about what we're thankful for and appreciate the people in our lives who are near and dear to us. i'm thankful that i get to spend this special time with my sister and her family and my dad. i wish you all a very happy thanksgiving and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

~Makes It All Worth It~

2009-11-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Today I'm grateful for her

For those of you who don't know her, her name is Mely. She works for me 6 days a week, for as long as i need, or want her to. She is what makes living in Mexico in the middle of the desert worth it. I'm not trying to sound braggy, but really, how ingrateful would i be if if during this season of thanksgiving, i didn't give a shout out to the woman who does my dishes, laundry, bathrooms, vacumming, dusting, sweeping and mopping, and any other job that i just don't feel like doing. i love her and without her i don't think i could survive this mexico life. (p.s. she obviously did't know i was taking the picture, she would be embarrassed if she knew i was doing this.)

i'm also grateful for baby distractors. this is roxie's new favorite "i'm not happy" distractor. rusty calls it the "chair of cheer"

I Am Thankful For Halloween

2009-11-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

Yes you heard me right. I am thankful for Halloween. It gives children a chance to be children, eat candy, dress up, and act silly. It also gives adults a chance to be children, eat candy, dress up and act silly.

isn't she boootiful

scaredy cat!

My little goblins

princess jasmine from alladin

cutest chick i've EVER seen!

our friends threw a "murder mystery" halloween party. we were "Wack Pickleson Beerstin Dunce.

mercedes and her friends at her 2nd annual halloween party!

mama ghost and mercedes at her party. (my favorite is ryder in the background torturing the cat.)

so there you have it. i love halloween and am thankful for halloween.

i love october

2009-10-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

i love october. for so many reasons. my birthday. it's finally cooling off and fall has begun. i can wear jeans without sweating to death. pumpkin flavor everything. and most of all HALLOWEEN!!!!

Mercedes loves herself some halloween too!

this is the pumpkin she helped me carve. she did the straight lines.

for those of you who don't know, this is a bumbo seat. made for babies to be able to sit upright and look REALLY cute doing it. this picture is not the greatest example of that.

she liked it!

for about 2 minutes. anyone want a bumbo seat?

September "Happy Haps"

2009-10-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

rusty blessed roxie in the beautiful dress that grandma joy made for mercedes when we blessed her. we plan to bless all our girls in it . . . right rusty? (he says we're done, we'll see.)

mercedes was asked to sing "i love to see the temple" in the primary program this year. she did a great job and got to wear her cousin, anna's, beautiful white temple dress. she looked like an angel. of course i couldn't record the song in sacrament meeting but her cousin, melissa filmed her singing it afterward and it's on my facebook page. i couldn't get it to download here. but it's worth watching.

on the way home from el paso it hailed on us . . . yes that is hail. we were terrified that it would bust open the windshield. they hit so hard that it made roxie make this face . . .
i'm not kidding, this is what she did when she heard the hail hitting the truck.

~So Much Has Happened~

2009-09-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Roxie turned 1 month old!

bottling season began.
Nephew Jesse got his mission call to Cuernavaca Mexico!

Roxie turned 2 months old and started smiling.

Another year of school began.

And just some regular old family fun. Sorry about the long blog break. I guess I was busy.

~Just An Update~

2009-07-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just having a nap . . .
She STILL likes her baby sister

She got her ears pierced

I've never had to mow a lawn in my life, but if I did, this would be the only way to go!

Some cousins. Noel, Mercedes, Sophie, and Ryder.

July 4, 2009

2009-07-13T08:14:00.001-07:00

cute baby!

Sweet girl!
I LOVE these two!

This year for the 4th, our little community had a party in the backyard of my mother and father in laws house. My fabulous friend Cambria took over the job of planning the party because i had just had a baby and she wanted to do it. She had this great idea of having a decorated bike parade for all the kids. Mercedes reffered to it as the "Bike Festival". Her wonderful cousins, Jackie and Hope, helped her decorate her bike and after pedalling around grandpa's tennis court in her "fancy 4th" outfit, the little sweetheart won first place! She was very excited to say the least and used her first place prize coloring book as her sacrament meeting entertainment the next day. Thanks Cambria for hosting such a fun party!!!!

~Roxanna Eliza Jones~

2009-07-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

June 22, 2009 9:40 a.m. 8 lbs. 6 oz. 20 inches long.

perfect.

Roxie's second cousin, Logan. Born 6 days after her.

Getting Ready for Baby Sister

2009-06-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

What can I say? The girl is excited! It's been 2 years since Rusty and I have been wanting and hoping for another baby, and Mercedes is definetly just as anxious and excited as we are. She helped me do the baby shopping, picking out clothes and blankets, even the breast pump, HA! Now the days of waiting are coming to an end, we're putting things together, painting baby's room, and washing all the baby clothes. Mercedes has been such a big helper. I'm so grateful for her, and I'm so proud of her big sister skills she's already aquired.

And Here's to YOU Mrs. Rasmussen!

2009-05-19T22:29:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Ron Rasmussen! Yep, that's right, that's my mom! and her new husband Ron. They got married this last Saturday in Grants Pass Oregon, where they will be living. It's so nice to see her happy and smiling! I'm sad I didn't get to go, (another bummer about being pregnant!) but it's exciting to see them starting their new adventure together! Congratulations mom!!!!!!

Winner of the Most Boring Blog on the Planet

2009-05-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

So, I still don't have a camera, which means I have no fun pictures to post, which is the funnest part about a blog. And I hate being the guy who doesn't update the blog. So if anyone out there has any current pictures that involve me or anyone in my family, please send them to me so i can post something. MY BLOG IS BORING!!

This is just my cat, Leonard, he's bored too.

!! TOO MUCH TOO SOON !!

2009-04-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Monday I told Mercedes that if Tuesday was a nice day (i.e. no wind) and warm enough, we would go to the pool. So yesterday, she looked out the window and what did she see? NO WIND! (at least until about 2:00.) So we called up her "BEST COUSIN", Jackie, and the 3 of us headed to the pool. Jackie and I were happy enough just to sit and enjoy the rays, but Mercedes was the brave one to get in. She finally convinced me to get my feet in. (that didn't last long. It felt like an iceberg had melted in there.) One hour later we were ready to go home. After a nice warm shower, I looked in the mirror and YOWZAZ! I was looking at a lobster. It might be a few days til we get back to the pool.

sad, sad, sad . . . .

2009-03-21T00:13:00.000-07:00

no more camera. lost at Chandler Mall. blog on break til new camera comes. sorry.

~The Bite Heard Round the World~

2009-03-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Sunday's are a day of rest. Rest from the trials of the world, rest from the day to day chores. And an opportunity to feel the peace of the Lord. But this Sunday was a little different.

However after Sunday dinner Sadie was playing with Maddy the dog at Aunt Wendy's house. I heard the dog growl and then I heard THE SCREAM!! You never want to hear that scream. I grabbed her and saw the blood dripping off her face . . . terrified and scared, I let a few explicits escape my mouth (to which I apologize Wendy, I know you would NEVER want anything to happen to Mercedes) and took her outside to assess the damage. One tooth went all the way through to the inside of her mouth and the other went about half way. After a trip to Goyo (our fix all doctor) who told us that she would be just fine with an antibiotic to prevent any infections and some Motrin to let down the swelling, we're all safe at home. Much calmer, but a little emotionally exhausted. She's going to be just fine.

Is There Room For the Both of Them in the World?!

2009-02-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

~True Story~ the other day, Mercedes and I drove into the driveway and saw some workmen working in the yard. She says, "mama, what are all those workmen doing?" reply, "they're planting trees, Sadie." she says, "well, who's in charge of watching them?" I say, "no one right now honey." she says, "mama, I better sit out here and watch them so they don't stop working."

And so she did. She sat out there for a good 20-30 minutes, making sure they didn't stop. So I ask you, Is there room for both Rusty and Mercedes in this world?!!

Meet Otis and Minnie!!

2009-02-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

Last Monday was Mercedes' birthday. She received 2 puppies for the special occasion. We got them from Jeff and Michelle's Sharpei collection. I got this picture from Melina's Facebook (I hope you don't mind, Melina) because I can't find my camera charger to take new pictures of the 2 that we got. But in any case, we LOVE our new babies. And even if you're not a dog lover, how can you see this picture and not fall in love. So come on over and meet Minnie and Otis!

~~Have I learned from my past?~ Only time will tell.

2009-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

So today is the day. I've decided to get out in the fresh air and try to get some exercise. Let me explain . . . you see, during my first pregnancy I got really sick too and laid around my house pretty much the whole 9 months, (however I was only sick for 3 of them.) And so it goes without saying that the 80 lbs. I gained were much deserved and blame goes to no one but myself and the evil genius behind "Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies." So today is the day I set out to make sure (at least give it a good try, this time) that I don't repeat my past mistake. So the next time you see me feel free to say something like "Hey fatty, where's your twinkie?" or some other fat related joke, in order to keep my mind on the ball. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share them. I'm really gonna try this time.

Did someone say Valentine's Day was just around the corner? . . . . . I can't wait for the sugar cookies!

???What do you dream about???

2009-01-26T10:13:00.001-08:00

When I was a little girl in North Idaho, we had a great big St. Bernard named Heidi. I loved that dog and any St. Bernard that comes my way, still. Recently (maybe due to being pregnant, I always have wild dreams while I'm pregnant) I've been dreaming of having my very own St. Bernard. I would name it Bernie, or Bernice maybe. I have begged and begged Rusty to let me have one, but so far it's "NO! They're too big and we'll go broke trying to feed it!" So I'm enlisting you to help me. Please put a word in for me the next time you talk to Rusty. Even if you're not an animal lover, I promise I'll keep mine out of your trash! THANK YOU!

~Oh Very Young, What Will You Leave Us This Time?~

2009-01-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

Thank You Mercedes and Madelyn. Good thing Mama's feeling better these days!

Tag You're It*

2008-12-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged!

10 years ago I was:
1. 19 years old
2. single
3. dating eveyone I could get my hands on
4. starting my first year at UVSC
5. driving a white Dodge Colt

5 things on today’s to do list:
1. throw up
2. watch t.v.
3. go to the bathroom at least 100 times
4. throw up again
5. count down the minutes til my first tri-mester is over. (2 weeks)

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. Build my dream house
2. set aside for college tuition
3. buy a new computer (maybe a laptop or something fancy like that)
4. travel everywhere
5. hire a surrogate mother to carry my baby (just kidding)

5 places I have lived:
1. Hayden Lake, Idaho
2. Wrightwood, CA
3. Phelan, CA
4. Provo, UT
5. Dublan, Mexico

5 places I have worked:
1. Target
2. County Seat
3.Victoria's Secret
4. American Eagle
5. Escuela Manuel Dublan

Alrighty, I tag . . . Windy, Meghan, and Cambria

A Final Thank You

2008-11-25T15:15:00.000-08:00

I'm so thankful for Mercedes. She makes me smile everyday. I love her laugh. It was a deep, hearty laugh from the first time it came out. So cute it made me cry. I love her willingness to help me. Such a pleaser. I love her love for friends. Something I cherish too. I love her blonde hair, even when it's messy and all over the place. I love that for 3 years she suffered through a constant runny nose that mom and dad always treated with cold medicines and 50 nose wipes a day (not exaggerating) until finally we took her to the allergy specialist who informed us that she was allergic to most all plant life and dust. (haha, oops) Poor girl. I love that she loves me. She's my Sadie Sunshine.

I won't go into as much detail in order to not get too mushy. And I already expressed my gratitude for Rusty when he went to Italy, so I won't bore you. But I am most grateful for him, he's my greatest blessing.

HAVE A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

My Secret

2008-11-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

Thank You!

(sorry about the blur)

~ I admit it, I know I'm crazy cat lady! ~

2008-11-09T15:30:00.001-08:00

It's like looking at a photo album of someone who's had no kids and treats her animals like they're human and they go on and on about how "fido did this yesterday" and "patches made me laugh so hard this morning." I am that person sometimes. I'll admit. It's not that I think Leonard is any different than other cats (other than his horrifying terror of what lays beyond the front door) he's just my special fluffy friend. So today, I'm thankful for Leonard the cat. Thanks for being there for me when times are rough buddy!!

Thankfully Optimistic!!

2008-11-05T08:09:00.000-08:00

In order to truly be grateful, we can't just be grateful for what we have but also for the opportunities given to us. Yesterday Americans all over the world voiced their opinion and although the outcome didn't turn out the way many of us wanted it to, what a great blessing it is that we have the opportunity to speak our minds. So today, I'm thankful to be an American. . . . (living in Mexico -- haha!)

Daily Thanks!

2008-11-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

So here we are, starting the countdown to Thanksgiving, when any ideas of dieting go flying out the window. More importantly though, we try to be aware of the things we are grateful for. This week, I am grateful for a motivated husband. I'm blessed to have a hardworking, get it done guy and to show my appreciation, here is a picture of his latest endeavor.

Now, I know what you're thinking "Yikes!" and "Is that a whole instead of a window?" "Yes." But it's going to be fabulous. We're finally redoing the fireplace with brick instead of bathroom tile (no offense Tom and Charli), new windows are in, a half wall seperating the front door, from the livingroom, and we'll have new flooring in there too. We also have all the tile for new counter tops and backsplash -- no more pink formica!! (once again, no offense Tom and Charli.) So, thank you Rusty for making our home pretty.

Who Says Halloween Is Just For Kids?!

2008-10-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Evan and Muffy

Justin and Jenae

Bert and Kara

Cade and Jeni

Christian and Rachelle

Garrett and BJ

Jared and Meghan

Tyson and Deana

Eric and Michele (sorry about the blur.)

Danny and Kristy

Greg and Cambria

Meredith and Rusty

Thanks Danny and Kristy for throwing such a fun party!!

Mom of the Year Award and Much Much More

2008-10-26T17:21:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I threw a "Halloween Party" for Mercedes and her 3 and 4 year old friends. It was a lot of fun but when it was over I was exhausted. For those of you who don't know my sleeping habits, . . . I don't. I don't go to bed until at least midnight and I never, Never, NEVER nap. But after this party I took a long 1 1/2 hour nap. It was all worth it though. Here are a few more pics of the cute big kid babies.

Alan Memmott and Reuben Whetton!

Maggie Robinson a.k.a. High School Musical Cheerleader!

What?! One of Jared and Meghan's kids dressed like Spiderman?! No Way!

Olivia, just cuteness

The gang (left to right) Kaylee Memmott, Madelyn Jones, Alan Memmott, Mercedes Jones, Maggie Robinson, Reuben Whetten, Peyton Jones, Bella Vizcaino and Ryder . . . Ryder? Ryder? Oh yea he wanted to watch Dora instead.

~ oh . . . the pressure!! ~

2008-10-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had the honor of filling in for Kristy at choir practice playing the piano. As many of you know, our ward choir is led by Brother Maurice Bowman. A man learned in the arts of music and feared by many (only when it comes to music.) I received the music earlier in the day and sat at my piano trembling at the idea of facing him. But when duty calls . . . . So I arrived at the chapel and sat down on the bench. Bro. Bowman of course was there with other members of the choir still sauntering in. He cues me to begin the intro to the first song and immediatly gives me a look like, " I don't know what you think that was, but it wasn't music." And so goes the remainder of the practice. The best part came afterwards when (and I'm not even exaggerating) every member of the choir stopped me on the way out to tell me not to feel bad, and that even the best piano players in the ward are nervous to play for the infamous Brother Bowman. Thanks guys, thanks for making me feel better! And Kristy, if you ever read this . . . . NEVER LEAVE TOWN AGAIN!!

P.S. Brother Bowman is one of the nicest men I've ever met. This was just a funny experience that made me appreciate those who also love music like I do.

Rancho Dublan Fall Ad Campaign

2008-10-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Rancho Dublan has been searching for a company spokesmodel. So I jumped on the chance to get Mercedes into the spotlight. I called up our agent, Aunt Rachelle, and got her to take these glam shots of her. Doesn't she look glorious?
p.s. the above story is a farce. Aunt Rachelle took these pictures because she wanted to. Thanks Aunt Rachelle, Mercedes sure had fun!!

Success!!

2008-10-09T08:07:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the help of my dearest best friend, Rachelle, my blog is back up to standard (at least mine I suppose.) I hope you all have a frightful Halloween with lots of tricks and treats (yummy!)

Computer Illiteracy!!

2008-09-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

My background for my computer is on the fritz! I know it looks ridiculous, so if anyone can help please give some advice. I'm big on Halloween and I was trying to add a spooooooky background and got this horrific result (I guess I got what I was looking for.) Anyway, I give up tonight. Let me know if you've got any answers. Love, Meredith

Ode To Rusty

2008-09-28T15:16:00.001-07:00

It's been 1 week since I set Rusty off to see the beauty that I can only imagine is Italy, and I miss him like crazy. And since I let him take my camera with him, I have no new pictures this week. So I've decided to make a tribute to him with my favorite pictures of him that make me smile. I hope you enjoy them too.

Happy Fourth of July '08!! He loves himself a good BBQ!!

Enjoying his first (of hopefully many) trips the Seattle with my family

He's not afraid to take house work seriously.

I love you so much, Rusty. Please come home soon!!

BUT WHAT ABOUT MY DREAMS!!??

2008-09-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of traveling the world. I would love to see every corner of it. But if I had to choose one country to visit it would be without a doubt Italy. I would go to Venice and ride the gondolas, Rome and see the colliseum and museums, I'd go to the Vatican and Sicily and on an on and on. So when Rusty came home about a month and a half ago and said, "Hey remember when I went to Spain to see the peach orchards and get some new innovative ideas on farming? Well guess what? They're sending us to Italy this time." I've never been so jealous in my life. I even cried. So Yeseterday sent Rusty off to realize my dreams. I guess life isn't fair after all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUSTY (a.k.a. Papa, Popper, Poppy, Pops, and daddy!)

2008-09-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was Rusty's 32nd birthday! So Sadie helped me make his birthday cake. (Really she just licked the spoon and bowl, and yes that is evidence that I let my child eat cake batter with raw eggs in it, don't judge too harshly, my mom let me do it too!!) Anyway, we sure love that man and all he provides for us. We are so blessed and so grateful to have him. I don't know how or why, but he got through the whole day without me taking one picture of him. So here's yet another picture of Mercedes.

Viva la Mexico!!

2008-09-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, at Pre-School, Mercedes class was learning about Mexico's Independence. They had the traditional Mexican meal for snack time and they all shared something that they learned at home (with their parents, yes that means I had homework) and the kids even got to dress up. Well I didn't have anything for Mercedes to wear so I sent her in regular clothes. Then at about 10:30 the teacher's aid, Mary, called up to ask if it was ok for her to wear one of her old dresses from when her girls were little. Of course it was!! So here is a picture of Mercedes posing (yes, she chose the pose) in Mary's Mexican girl dress after school. She had so much fun!

2008-09-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me pretty well, knows that I am very patriotic and sentimental when it comes to the U.S. So today, 9/11/08, 7 years later, I am paying a small tribute to those we lost. Do we remember them? Will we remember them in November when it's time to vote? Which candidate will keep their deaths from becoming in vain?

A few quotes, that I thought were inspirational that reflect on what happened September 11, 2001

"What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed. Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause. Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve. Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together... So I ask again: what was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started. But you're about to learn." ~~ Leonard Pitts, Jr., 12 Sep 2001 in Miami Herald

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." Ronald Reagan

"Let those who say that we must understand the reasons for terrorism come with me to the thousands of funerals we are having in New York City and explain those insane, maniacal reasons to the children who will grow up without fathers and mothers, to the parents who have had their children ripped from them for no reason at all.

Remember British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who - armed only with good intentions - negotiated with the Nazis and emerged hopeful that he had achieved peace in his time. Hitler's wave of terror was only encouraged by these attempts at appeasement. At the cost of millions of lives, we learned that words - though important - are not enough to guarantee peace. It is action alone that counts." -- Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Apples To Apples

2008-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, for Family Home Evening, the 3 of us walked over to Bishop Hatch's house to pick apples. This was something that I know Mercedes will never forget. She's still talking about it. Papa let her climb up the ladder and pick some of her own and drop them down to mama. This was a great, great, great evening topped off with popcorn and a movie. Later, Mercedes asked me, "mom, what will you do with all the apples I picked?" I explained to her that we would bottle them and add them to our food storage. She thought that was a good enough answer and set off to her room to create her own food storage, by setting up rows of mom's kitchen supplies (anything she could get out of cupboards her height) in her room. She's her papa's little girl. So organized.

The Year that could have been

2008-08-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

To be a farmer of any kind you have to invest in a lot of planning and hard work. Hours and hours of labor and intensive thought on how much time to invest in this project and that. But in the end, after you've done all you can, what's meant to be will be. This year, at Rancho Dublan, was looking to be epic. The chile was growing beautifully, many people even stopped to comment on what a beautiful job the men had done. On top of it all the early spring frosts had not seemed to affect the peach trees much, so we were reaping those benefits as well.

Then the rains came. and came. and came. The year that was to be epic became the year we all hope to forget. Oh well. There's always next year.

2008-08-31T15:50:00.000-07:00

She's 3. She's 3. She's 3. Mercedes has made the big leap from home all day with mommy to being a big girl at Pre-School. I struggled with this all summer, "Do I send her to school, and if I do . . . where?" After checking out a Montessori school at the other end of town, we decided to just send her to our little grade school here in town and let her do Pre-School for 2 years. I know, like I said, she's only 3 and she won't turn 4 until February, but the poor little thing is an only child and in desperate need of interaction with people who aren't 7 times her age. So, here she is. Off to her first day of school, and guess what . . . . . she loves every minute of it!!

My First Blog

2008-08-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

Okay So I'm finally going to try and do a blog. My friends have been pressuring me for months to do this and, like with Facebook, I have decided to join the 21st century (only a little later than everyone else.) I'm not sure what this is going to end up looking like, but maybe with a little time getting used to this I can make it look cute. Anyway, this is me. I am married to the most handsome, Rusty, and we have the most beautiful daughter, Mercedes. We are happily living in Colonia Dublan, Mexico, in the state of Chihuahua, living the farm life and loving it. I hope you enjoy Meredith Jones' Blog!!