The One With All The Pictures

Random pictures in no particular order. (I think I'll have to do a post with pictures of all my different hair cuts. Every picture I see of myself my hair is different.)

What child is this? Zach or Eli?

One of my first times at the range. I think he's dead.


Daddy and Zach. I love this because Jason has a real smile.


So, this guy is hot. Real hot. Especially all decked out in riding gear and jumping a few hundred feet in the air. Man I love him.

Eli has a lot of catching up to do.

Biggest sister, Larisa; Mom; Me; Middle sister, Francesca.

We're at our favorite past-time mall in Orange County, CA, South Coast Plaza. We would go there after school to hang out. We would go to Sanrio (Hello Kitty) and they had little gum, candies and trinkets for like 5 cents. We'd spend 25-50 cents there and loved it.

Matt and Zach. Cousins only a month apart. At my sister's old house in Utah.

Me, my sister, some cousins, Zach, aunt and uncle in Utah at my sister's.

My dad, mom, me and Zach at my sister's again.

My dad's parents and me and my mom's mom. December 2001 at my college graduation.

What child is this? Eli or Zach?

Jason's parents (grandpa is holding Zach so he's covered up) and their grandkids several years ago.

Zach, my dad, and Zach's cousin Matt at the LA temple when my grandma got married a few years ago.

My mom, me, Francesca, Larisa. I'm not sure where this is. Maybe Boston. Just us girls flew to New Hampshire, where Larisa was living, for her 30th birthday. July 2006. We went to Vermont, Boston, somewhere else...? Hmmm where else did we go?

The One With Zach Funnies

I love 5 year olds. They are so funny! Zach loves those As Seen on TV commercials. Whenever they're on he is glued to the tv. I was in the shower just now and Zach came in. (Our shower door is textured but clear so he can see me but it's all blurry-like.) He noticed that I was shaving and got very upset.

Zach: No! Mom! You need one of those pink thingies.
Mom: What pink things?
Zach:The things that you go like this and does this.
Mom: Whu?
Zach: Yeah, so you never need to do that anymore. You don't have to shave anymore.
Mom: Oh, right! One of those things. I don't have one of those.
Zach: Well, you have to call the number and get one.
On and on he went telling me all about it.

Can you guess what these As Seen On TV products are before looking at the link?
He asked for three of these for Christmas so we don't have to raise our heating bill (one for him, mom and dad.)
We need one of these so our money doesn't blow out the door.
If we got one of these we wouldn't have to lift a finger!
His favorite commercials feature this guy--think Mighty Putty and Mighty Mend-It.
He told me he wants to go to the place with Logan that you wear the thing around here (wrist) and you get your tickets and has the cage. Place=?*

I asked him if he wants to grow out his hair like his cousin Matt. He said yes but he doesn't want the dots. What dots? Matt doesn't have dots on his hair. No, here, on his face. Dots=?*

He is the child that understands to put the thingy on the thingy, or vice versa. But what he does with that direction will change everytime as everything is a "thing that does this."

I always ask Zach why I lose everything. He said I should just put everything in a box. That's a good idea, but what if I lose the box? Well, you'll just have to buy more things, he said.Today I was looking for something and asked him why I lose everything. He said I should just write it all down. Smart boy.

*Answers: That place is Tropicanoe Cove. Those dots are freckles.

The One Where It's Too Cold

It is a terrible, horrible, no good, very cold day. That's what it is because I went outside and I was cold and I checked the weather and it said 11 degrees. Then I tried to walk out to my car and I slipped and fell on the ice. I hate ice. Then I tried to open my car door to start the car and the door was frozen shut. I had to put the carseats back in my car and so I had to open the other car to get the car seat out. That car door was so frozen shut that while I tried to pull it open I slipped again on the ice and fell. It is a terrible, horrible, no good, very cold day I yelled at everybody. But nobody even heard me because my words froze before they came out of my mouth. Then I had to get the kids in the car and take Zach to school and I was missing a button on my jacket, I had no gloves and my hair was blowing everywhere. I don't want to go outside again until the ice is melted, the sun is shining, there are leaves on the trees and it's at least 50 degrees. It is a terrible, horrible, no good, very cold day. I guess some days are like that. Especially in Indiana.

The One Where Zach Writes An Email To santa@thenorthpole.ice

Dear Santa,

This is what I want for Christmas. Look at the pictures please. I want those [presents please."] I've been good. Please bring treats for my mom and my daddy. Find the J and the M and put them in the right place please and my Z please. Please buy a E for Eli please. Please buy a army tree please. Buy those things for us please. That's it please.

Love,
Zach Bigler Jones.

The One Where I Have One Of "Those" Kids

Zach wanted to go play in the snow today. He got himself dressed in a hat, gloves, snow boots and shorts and a short sleeved shirt.

Zach: I'm going outside to play.
Mom: You need a coat. It's cold outside.
Zach: I'm just okay.
Mom: Ok, sure.

Two seconds later Zach comes back inside.

Mom: Did you get cold?
Zach: Yeah.
Mom: Do you want a jacket?
Zach: Yeah

I guess he's just one of those kids that has to learn it for himself.

The One Where It's Time For Christmas Cards

I found this Etsy seller who makes custom Christmas cards, Holiday cards and baby announcements. I was thinking of doing Christmas cards through Snapfish but these are so much better. They are so cute, I just can't decide. If I had known about this seller 7 months ago I would have done baby announcements with them. (More designs here.)

The One Where It's Our Version Of Thanksgiving

I was all set out for a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving day. I had plans of hanging out watching movies and playing games with Zach and Eli.

Zach and I did make some cookies.

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies. They are so good. No pictures of the finished product but the dough is the best part.

We played this over and over, too. Zach loves to play games.

Well, the not so relaxing part was trying to help Jason get ready for his convention. First I had to finish those tablecloths. Oh ya, Jason says, I need some holes in them for the monitor cords to go through. What, I say? Ya, just cut out some holes, he says. Grrr, Ruff and Arrrggh. You just can't cut out holes in fabric, I say. Oh ya, he says, I need like, some kind of hook or string/ribbon thing to tie the banner to the front of the tablecloth.

I spent many a more hours on those things. I told him I get double time for working on a holiday, billable to the mPlexus boss. I made three of these, all different sizes. They are far from perfect but I was totally making it up as I went along.


And have you ever tried to fold those banquet style tablecloths? They aren't easy. I wanted them folded nicely to cut down on wrinkles. I think I'm as proud or prouder of my folding job than the sewing job.


Then we spent about 2 hours in the evening over at his office trying to pack him up. It's amazing what one needs to display at a convention. I counted at least 6 computers, 3 laptops, 4 monitors, 8 keyboards and maybe 50 different cables and cords. And that's just the beginning. Hopefully Jason will take some pictures while he's there and I can post them later. Finally at about 10:30pm he rolled out for Chicago in a very packed truck.

Now for the good part. First, thank you to those kind offers we received for real Turkey dinners. We would have liked to join you, but we really were busy today!

Second, I am so thankful for a wonderful husband. Jason is such the best. He works so hard at anything he does it's amazing. His company has had so many roadblocks and idoit-blocks it's not even funny. He takes great care of his family. I am so lucky!

I'm thankful for my kids. They are fantastic. Zach - who can sleep through anything. Even a very loud, screaming baby 2 feet away. And Eli - who still fits just right on my chest for a little nap and has decided that he likes his mama the best. I could go on but it's getting late.

I'm thankful for my friends who have made it easy to be away from the rest of my family. And not only easy, but preferable!

Happy Thanksgiving!