Quick Pics

Here's our last week in cell pictures....

    Girlfriend LOVES her food.  One of her inherited qualities from her momma!  She starts making the excited noises when she sees it coming.  And she tends to eat with her arms out like in the picture.

     Her first time to sit in the buggy.  She's still not sitting solo but is close. She was fine as long as she was buckled.  This was towards the end of the Walmart trip.  She was pretty tuckered!

 First time to use our little stroller. 

 

And her Sunday dress.  Sporting the outfit her Mawmaw Jones made her.

 

Shopping

     Yesterday, my sisters, Kendall and I ran to Knoxville.  I needed to have my wedding band and engagement ring inspected (to keep up the warranty) and to pick up a few things for a future project.  We had a good day.

    I bought this chalkboard and I am in Love with a capital L!   It's actually bigger than what the picture makes it look like. I have so many fun projects running through my head for it.  I will be practicing my chalkboard writing because "Dinner at 7" isn't cutting it for me!

 

     I had been hoarding a Children's Place gift card since our baby shower days.   I picked up a blue jean jacket for the girl.  (The Leopard print seems even fainter in person).   Is it sad I'm super excited for Fall so she can sport this darling thing?  Yes, I know it is sad.  :)

      Kiah used the little bit left on the gift card to and got Kendall this dress.  Love us some tutu!

 

I think Kendall loves fun shopping trips.

 

Bring Those Babies to Church

     We've had a prophecy conference at church this week.  Bro. Dewey Williams has been preaching and he knows his stuff :)  I have been so excited about it.  
   
     Then reality hits...a baby whose normal bedtime is when the service is just beginning.  It has been slightly discouraging to miss virtually all the preaching for having to take Kendall out of the service.  Michael is great to help out with her but is typically busy with church related duties, sound and treasury stuff.  I'm just being honest when I say I've struggled with even going a few nights.  What's the point?  I'm gonna make a motion to have all church services in the mornings because that is her good time :).  

   As dis-hearting as it is I wouldn't trade my sweet baby girl for anything!  And I know this is a season in our life and is so worth it.  A friend recently told me that you keep going to teach your kids that's what we do.  Living for God is the most important thing in our life.  I hope all this will one day stick with Kendall even if we spend a lot of time in the church foyer and nursery right now.

   I saw this little inspiration and thought I would share.  It made me feel better.  The author is unknown.  And I have to say, not everyone that sits in the back of the church is a "bad guy".   One family has especially been a blessing to me just by some simple encouraging words. 


BRING THOSE BABIES TO CHURCH

 My heart goes out to the parents of small children. I know first hand the kind of problems they face. Training up a toddler in the way he should go is a constant job, a continuous battle, seven-day-a-week task, not to mention an awesome responsibility. After six days of their whining chorus at home and three hours of embarrassment while shopping, the last thing some young mothers want to face is an hour of agony and humiliation at church.Many young mothers have asked herself, "Why do I keep bringing them to church?" As she enters the auditorium she utters a silent prayer that the kids will be good and the sermon short. The service begins. While mother is picking up toys, drying eyes, wiping noses, swatting, scolding, trying tosing, listen, and pray, the toddler is pouring juice on her dress. To the toddler, church is an exciting adventure. Song books are a challenge to take, stuffed toys make great missiles to launch over four or five rows, and the collection plate would make a great hat. Young parents take heart! Let me assure you of this:

 1. Your children do not disturb others nearly as much as you think they do.
 2. If people without children are determined to sit at the back of the church, then they deserve any distraction they get.
3. Most people really do understand your plight and remember back to the days when their children were infants and toddlers.
 4. Remember that you are both wanted and needed in the worship service.
 5. Have faith that the hand, which now hurls crayons, will one day spread the seeds of the Kingdom.

Quick Pics

    I sent this to a friend who gave Kendall bunch of clothes.  Kendall was pretty excited about the sleeper.  

     Kendall girl loves riding on Daddy's shoulders.  It is sooo funny cause she uses his ears as handles.   

    I let Kendall watch a little Sesame Street late each afternoon.  She seems to like it pretty well. 

 

    All ready for church yesterday.  Mom bought Kendall this dress for $3.99.  It ended up being one of my favorite ones yet.  So cute.

That's it for last week.  

Train Up a Child

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
  Proverbs 22:6

Can I pour out my heart for a minute?

As a rookie in the parenting department, this verse has been on my mind ALOT lately.  Kendall is still little and is just starting to recognize and learn.   Our number one job as parents will be to train her.  We are still figuring out what this training will look like in our home.  

Leading her to Christ is the ultimate goal.  Not only to salvation but to the knowledge that you can live a satisfied life while serving God and trusting 100% in his word.  Even more than just the knowledge of these facts, but a desire to fulfill these.

In the Jones' house we do believe in discipline, even more specific spanking, gasp, quick call DCS.  And although I can see how training and discipline run hand and hand, I'm talking about specifically about training.  

While I was pregnant I read the highly controversial book, To Train Up a Child.   I remember having mixed opinions.  Some of the ideas from the book I thought were great.  A few of the them I remember thinking they were to harsh for our family.  I really need to reread it because I can't specifically remember many of the details.  
 
Although, Michael is the head of our home, as a stay at home mom a lot of the training will be left at to me.  I have several thoughts and ideas but they are all unproven.  And I know better than to blog that I'll be doing this and that, only to discover later that this and that aren't so cool.  :)

So my question to my dear bloggy friends...what "training" did you do (or are currently doing) with your kids?  I would love to hear what was effective and not.  I would love to hear from older and young moms and everyone in between.  It's time to come out of the wood works.  Even if you have never commented before, I'd love it if you'd take 2 minutes to do so, then you can go back into hiding.  

Maybe I can do an update post next week with your suggestions.  :)   I can wait to gain from others experiences. 

  

Read to Me!

 The more that you read

 the more things you will know,

 

The more that you learn,

 

 The more places that you will go.

--Dr. Seuss

 Reading time is also great for snuggles!  

--S. Jones  :)

Love us some Peach!

 

Kendall had her first peach the other day....verdict?....love.   Girlfriend actually loves all her food.  That mesh feeder is the best.  She went to town.  It will certainly be a pre-bath menu item.  Oh and peaches taste better if you wrinkle up your toes...try it!

Sorry for the nakedness.  She did have on a diaper.  ;-)

Quick Pics

 

     It's time for my cell phone pics from last week.  Just 3 but they are good ones.  :)

 

    Kendall having playtime in the floor.  She's still not a crawler but can get to any toy she wants!

    This is for all you bow-haters.  Stop at Walgreens on the way to church and this is how I found her. 

   

    And because the bows aren't bad enough...who's gonna nominate me for Mother of the Year Award?

Fourth of July 2013 (in August)

    Let's not even talk about how late I am in posting this.  :)   What's really funny is that none of these pictures are actually from the 4th.  The fourth turned out to be a rainy day.  This first group of pictures were from the day before the 4th.  Chloe and Kendall wore their matching shirts for church.  I took about 55 pictures of these 3 stooges and these are the best I got.

    On the 13th, we made our annual trip to Kingston to watch the fireworks.

 Melt my heart!

     Best friends for almost 18 years. 

     The whole crew minus my sisters and Dylan and Shay.   They were still walking around being cool at this point.

    We were nervous about how Kendall would do.  She slept through the first 5 minutes or so. And then she sat all kicked back in my lap just staring at them.  I think she's gonna like this tradition.   We know we do!