Pattern Block Heaven, Thanks Grandpa!

My Dad gave me his pattern blocks awhile ago. I LOVED these things all those years ago when I was in his classroom after school making patterned pictures or mosaic patterns forever. I have the strongest memory of that! Anyway, it was so fun to see my kiddos having such a blast with these too!! I had to document it!! Thanks so much Dad!!

Baga and Ce-ce Visiting!!

My Goodness, we had the best time when Brandon's Mom and Dad came up! They stayed Friday night and had to leave Saturday, but we sure packed it in while they were here! We amazingly enough finished all the new things in the Living and family room the day they came, it was a whirlwind, but all was in order and looking so beautiful when they arrived, such a blessing that Brandon found that desk right at the perfect time so we could have it all finished! Just WOW!! And did they ever rave about it all!!!

We had such yummy food and I loved making it. We had a crazy, silly, very fun talent show. Jeremy did movie lines---hillarious! Bethany played her recorder. Lindsay came up with this litte song of tapping glass bottles together and Rebekah made her monkey do a little dance. SO cute!! We watched How to Train Your Dragon, one of my ALL TIME favorite animated movies!! LOVE IT!!!! That was for Family Movie Night Friday evening. We read stories and Mom and I played---I played poorly, but it was still a blast---from this amazing duets for one piano and 4 hands book that has been so fun. We played scrabble and Mille Bourne and the boys did puzzles, YAY!! We watched some old movies that Dad had copied from their old VHS tapes to DVD's and that was a blast to see cutie Brandon as a teenager---I would have been SO gobsmacked if I had known him then, and playing the trumpet to boot!!! Anyway, it was a blast!!

The best part---ask anyone--- was when Baga showed everyone how to make massive bubbles with string and a drinking straw: you run the string through a straw that has been cut in half and tie a knot. then you hold the straw "sides" and put it in the bubble solution, which was just 1/3 cup of blue Dawn dish washing liquid and a basin full of water. Then we headed outside---and it was freezing by the way---to make some monster bubbles!!!! And boy did we ever!! It was a funny weather day here, like usual, I guess. But the humidity was up and it was very windy. I think this is why the bubbles made those most amazing shapes!!! If you click on these bubble pictures it will blow your mind---ha ha ha!! I am amazed at the luck of the picture taking!!!! I actually caught---by pure luck---the pops of some of the coolest big bubbles!!! Seriously pure luck, becasue with a digital camera, there is that second of lag and you never really know what you're going to get, but we scored big on these, SO cool!!!!! Enjoy!!

Anyway, it was the perfect conclusion to the most amazing week ever!

St. Patty's Day!

We had the best day with our green buddies!! Everything we did had some kind of Irish meaning and reason. We made Irish Brown Bread and Rainbow cupcakes and homemade pizza for lunch with orange, green and white on top, very fun. We even went on a hunt for Leprechaun treasure---which probably has nothing to do with St. Patrick himself or anything real for that matter, but it certainly was fun!!!

We here at the Jones home welcomed Patrick McGrady, our very own wee leprechaun who comes a bit before St. Patrick's Day and lives in the knot that we got from Grandpa when he retired. Each year Patrick leaves footprints up our wall and his belongings in the know while he is here and then when St. Patty's Day arrives, he goes about his business of finding out who in Flagstaff isn't wearing green. The last few years he's even left us some little trinkets to show his gratitude for the hospitality the kiddos have shown him---writing him notes, very tiny of course;leaving him bits of yummy food and treats on a soda lid, not touching his belongings, that kind of thing. It's so fun!!

Anyway, Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! Live long Blarney Stone!!