Ellie and Daddy "Talking"

The New Addition...

Brennan Gabriel Jones was welcomed to our family October 5th at about 2:05 a.m. He weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 inches long. He was 3 1/2 weeks early so to say we weren't quite prepared is an understatement. We spent one extra day in the hospital to tackle some jaundice but he is doing well and thriving. He has been a wonderful addition to our family. Ellie loves being mommy to him and Riley is a huge help with putting the pacifier back in his mouth. Thatcher loves to hold him as well. More will come later but this crucial update is long overdue. We are a family of six and loving it!

Oops. It's Been Awhile

Okay, I have tried posting several times in the last year and for some reason it would never work. So here is one last attempt to see if my computer, the internet and God will make this happen. In the last year much has happened... We are settled into and love our home in State College Thatcher is the cutest almost 2 year old around and loves balls, Elmo and keeping up with his big siblings. Ellie is a very talkative four and shocks me almost daily with her attitude, vocabulary and dress up abilities. Riley is my 5 year old that heads to kindergarten in 20 days! He is addicted to legos and will most certainly go through withdrawal when he heads to school. Griff ran a marathon last September and has been busy but loving his job at the Applied Research Lab at Penn State. I am pregnant with number four and excited to be in the home stretch with just 10 weeks to go! We have enjoyed the summer off and spent many afternoons at the pool, taken some trips to Lancaster to see friends and just enjoyed having a little less to do, though some weeks it doesn't feel like less. We are gearing up for kindergarten, preschool, and the return of Penn State students as I will lead another 5 Aspects of Womanhood Bible study on Monday nights. And we are gearing up for baby #4 whose gender is only known to the Lord and the ultrasound tech at this point. :-)

Pictures and Some Thoughts

I haven't updated this blog in quite awhile. I have put pictures on Facebook more frequently simply because of ease. But, in reality I had a third child, we put our house up for sale, we sold our house, we packed our house, we moved, we unpacked a house and I am thoroughly exhausted. Some nights I have layed in bed thinking about possible post I could write and pictures I could post but it never went beyond just thoughts as I dozed off to sleep. I can honestly say now, that I love State College and it is home to me and us. The kids are adjusting and loving the neighborhood. We have a park right across the street with great walking trails and we have some wonderful neighbors (they are the Joneses as well. Haha). The kids love playing together which is a big change from our old home in that my kids were the only kids around. State College in the spring is beautiful. Seriously, I love it. Everything is blooming and looks incredible. We are blessed to be near wonderful like-minded friends, and our kids love one another (see picture of Ellie and Rachel playing dress up). We have a great home that I love and consider a true miracle and blessing that it is ours. Griff has a whopping 7 minute commute to work and could walk it if he wanted to. This is a huge change from the 30-45 minute commute he has had since we were married. I can drop off his lunch during the morning or he can come home for lunch and see the kids and that has been so fun. I'm excited for warmer weather and picnics on campus and exploring the duck pond, arboretum, all the bike trails and amazing parks. I think another thing that is making State College more enjoyable now is simply that life is getting a touch "easier". Really, life with three kids four and under isn't easy but it is easier now than it was a few months ago. Thatcher is over 20 pounds and for those that don't understand babies that is huge. He is 8 months and his chubby rolls look like muscles. He is a cute butterball but he is also a workout for me to pick up out of the pack-n-play or carry around. But, he is now sitting up and I don't have to carry him and the carseat around all the time. Praise the Lord. Ellie is potty trained. Again, praise the Lord, she picked it up so quick. Thank you Jesus! And Riley is the typical first child, follows the rules and tries to keep Ellie following the rules and tells me when she isn't. And we can now be outside playing. Having the windows open and another place to play and wear the kids out is wonderful. So, we are trying to thrive and enjoy this crazt, exhausting, yet blessed season of life..

Our Home

Okay friends, here are pictures of our new home and some of what we have been doing to pass the cold days. The first pictures are of Ellie's room (Riley counting for hide-and-seek) and a Pinterest project I did for her room, the boys room, the upstairs bathroom and a Pinterest project I just finished in there. Then, there is the foyer from two angles, followed by the livingroom/toyroom, the downstairs bathroom and the kitchen. I know some of the pictures are dark but at least you get the idea. I didn't get a pic of our bedroom because Thatch was napping in there at the time. In addition you will see storytime, Riley's playdough creations and a "cave". Enjoy!

What's Been Happening

In the last two weeks we have packed up all our worldly possessions, spent a few nights "camping" in our own home, went to a wedding (actually we only made it to the reception because we were still packing), spent the night in a hotel, moved, unpacked, unpacked, unpacked and oh yeah, took care of three kids in the midst of all of it. And Griffin started a new job. It's been pretty slow around here. :-) We are slowly finding a new normal here. It helps that I lived here before and know where to buy groceries, get gas, the quickest route to the ER, and the quickest route to a Starbucks. The kids love their new home and the stairs they get to climb multiple times a day (since we moved from a ranch home). I am loving my beautiful and spacious kitchen and all the storage I have now. Hopefully pictures of the new home will come soon. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the last two weeks. My baby.

My big boy.

The moving van.

All empty.

Our last lunch.

Making new memories in our new home in Ellie's new big girl bed.

I'd be lying if I said I'm not tearing up looking at these pictures and thinking about the last few weeks. I loved that home and all the people that entered it and got to live life with us there. It is sad to think that season of life is over. Sad. I know there are good things for us here. Really good things. I am excited about being here but I am also sad. The kids asked about their preschool friends today and I tried to explain why they are there and we are here. They asked about our old neighbors Jim and Marie and I had to try and explain that too. Moving isn't easy. The kids are resilant and they are already excited about their new neighbors that had them over for a playdate today. I am excited about our new neighbors too. I'm excited to attend PSU events and activities, to be involved on campus again with the Navigators and to see our family grow (not in number but in years) here. I'm excited for the home that God provided for us here, right by a park and a great walking trail. But, as I try to figure out the new normal for us, our daily routine, fun activities to do here with the kids, etc. I mourn the loss of Lancaster and all God provided for us there. Four years ago when we moved there I was thankful to be there and no longer in Philly but I longed to be back in State College. Now, five years after I left (when I married Griff) I am back. God brought me back here. He answered many prayers of mine and Griff's. And for that I am excited to see what He is going to do here in and through us.

Their Many Faces

These days are extremely crazy and full with preparation for our big move. So, in the midst of it all we have found some comic relief in our children and their many faces. Happy Face -

Angry Face -

Sad Face -

Poopin' Face -

Happy Face -

Sad Face -

Angry Face -

Poopin' Face -

Happy Face -

Angry Face -

Spittin' Face -