Kasey's Slide Adventure

As promised, I am going to continue posting some of our summer adventures. This is Kasey just a couple of weeks ago. As mentioned before, his new favorite activity is "climbing." In this video, he climbs up a Little Tikes slide and goes down all by himself (with mom's close supervision, of course)!

American Fork Camping Adventure!

This is our most recent summer adventure. I will try to post pics of other things we've done this summer as I get the time .

Kasey grinning at dad - you can see his first tooth if you look close. The other one was on its way in this pic!

Crazy hair!

Kasey standing in our tent. I know he looks happy here, but Kasey didn't have the best camping trip ever. He had a little cold, and I don't think he felt good for a lot of the trip. Regardless, he still loved playing in the dirt and being outside!

On our way up to see the Timpanogas Caves. It took us three tries to go through the caves! The first two times were during Kasey's naptime, and he was not happy! We risked destroying the tour for others, so we left the caves. But, on the way back down the mountain, he fell asleep. So, what did we do? We raced back up and they let us go back in the caves and finish the tour, all during his nap! Oh, the joys of having children! :) It was all worth it - the caves were beautiful!

Hiking up Timpanogas Mountain (we only went partway).

It was a beautiful weekend, and we had such a nice time enjoying the mountains and hiking, making tinfoil dinners and dutch oven cobbler. It was a short, busy camping trip, but a fun escape to the mountains!

Yes, we are still alive!

I know, I’m officially “The Worst Blogger on the Block” (haha, get it?). Since it’s been awhile (okay, the whole summer) since I blogged, I decided to give everyone a little update on how we’re all doing. Then, to avoid a heinously long blog post, I’ll post pictures of our summer adventures separately.

Let’s start with Kris: He just started his last year of the MBA program at the U of U. Hurray! He is working so hard for our family and doing so well in school. This year is going to be incredibly busy for him, though. He is currently involved with the Utah Entrepreneurship Challenge and The Entrepreneurship Club, plus an independent study and a field study, plus work part-time for USTAR. PLUS just being a husband, dad, and dog-owner. His plate is definitely full!

Tiffany: She continues to stay at home and manage the dog (Molly) and Kasey. She just attended her first yoga class and loved it, and just joined a bookclub, which was one of her life-long dreams. J Otherwise, she stays busy at home trying to figure out how to use her food storage (dried beans – help!), keep the house clean amidst two master-minds of mess (Molly and Kasey), and keep up on the ever-building pile of laundry. She loves being home with Kasey, especially now that we have a sandbox, swing, and baby pool!

Kasey: He is growing so fast! He is almost 11 months old, and just as curious and active as ever. At 9 months his record was 10 steps, and since then, all he does all day long is walk, and walk, and walk (like the pioneer children J)….For awhile he would pick up one toy, walk with it for some time, drop it, pick up another toy or household item and walk with it, etc. all day long! Now, he takes the occasional pit stop to play. He is getting fast, though. I blink and he’s gone! His most recent achievement was climbing up the ladder of a Little Tikes slide and going down – all by himself! (Well, I did have to sit him down at the top of the slide to prevent him from walking down it.) Recently he has started to imitate everything we do. He has learned to clap, give high fives, turn pages, imitate sounds and words, and “Go Crazy!” (which means shake your head from side to side and say “Ahhhh!”). He also has two bottom teeth. He jives when he listens to music, and he points at things and says “Woooow!” Whenever we mention food or he sees food, he says, “Mmmmm!” His current favorite activities include walking, climbing, swinging, eating/playing with dirt, exploring outside. He is getting more and more fun all the time, and we are so happy to have him in our home!

Molly, the demon/dog: She is growing like a weed. She finished her Obedience Class, and even passed her Obedience and Good Citizen dog test (she had to sit, stay, come, etc.) at 5 months old! Kris keeps reminding me that she is such a good dog. She doesn’t run off like most dogs, minds fairly well for a 5 month old dog, and so far she’s been very friendly, well-mannered, and playful. We now let her in the rest of the house (instead of just the kitchen), and she does really well with Kasey. She licks him to death, but Kasey also grabs and pokes Molly to death (thankfully she tolerates it extremely well!), so they are even. Often I still think we’re crazy for getting a dog, but I’m sure Molly will become a wonderful family addition in time. I call her Master-Mahan-maulster-Molly, but really, it’s just me getting used to having a puppy. Perhaps it’s because she destroyed my favorite flip flops and Kasey’s best sandals, left feces (repeatedly!) in the attic after she was already trained, and has permanently destroyed a section of the grass (pee spots, ew!). I guess I haven’t quite forgiven her yet. J

Summer Adventures: What have we been up to this summer? We’ve taken a couple trips to Lake Powell with both our families (Kasey had his first boat ride, tube-ride and waverunner ride). (For a more detailed account of one of our Lake Powell adventures, see entry: “The Best and Worst Hike Ever” which will be forthcoming.) We also took a trip to St. George with Kris’ family and visited Lagoon. Kasey had his first swimming lessons, in which he learned the important skills of splashing and going under water. Tif and Kasey flew to Virginia with Grandma to see Heather (sister) and Javan (husband of said sister). They showed us the sights in DC and we had the best time. We miss them! We’ve been on a couple bike rides and park visits. What a busy and wonderful summer we’ve had! We’ve been so blessed and everyone is doing just great!

We did it. We got a dog.

Tiffany finally agreed to a dog. In fact, she even said Kris could choose a dog for his birthday present. (It sounded like such a good idea at the time.) Her name is Molly May, and she is an English/American Bulldog mix, about 7 weeks old. We feel like we have another baby in the house! Kasey and Molly have quite a few similarities: (1) They both put everything in their mouths and are constantly chewing on things. (2) They are curious and inquisitive, getting into everything, especially what they're not supposed to. (3) They want your constant attention and company and cry/whine when you leave the room. (4) They both need to be trained; however, I think Molly has Kasey beat. She'll be potty-trained before Kasey's even walking (or else she better be!). :) Sometimes I think we are crazy - a puppy and a baby? What were we thinking?

As a stay-at-home mom with Kasey and Molly, things have gone fairly smoothly. However, we have had a few trying moments. We have a dog gate that keeps Molly in the kitchen area. One day Molly was in the kitchen playing and Kasey was on the other side of the gate playing. If I was in the room with Kasey, Molly would start to whine. Then, if I went into the kitchen with Molly, Kasey would start to cry. Even though the gate is see-through, they each wanted me right there! I didn't feel comfortable letting Kasey play on the floor with Molly, at least not without constant, vigilant supervision, so I thought of a solution. I put Kasey in the carrier and we proceeded to the kitchen. However, simply my presence alone wasn't good enough for Molly. She weaseled her way right onto my lap! I guess that's the solution, then. I'll be spending quite a few of my days, sitting in the middle of my kitchen floor, with both "kids" on my lap. This isn't quite what I pictured motherhood to be, but I guess it works!

We weeded the yard the other day, and Kasey chose to taste some leaves and dirt. (Molly did too, if you must know, but the evidence wasn't quite as pronounced on her face.)

More pics of Kasey (He's 7 months old on the 17th!)

Playing with dad! (He loves to flop himself upsidedown.)

Kris and Kasey in their Sunday vests!

P.S. If anyone has tips on dog housebreaking, childproofing your dog, and/or teaching a dog not to bite at your pants and never let go (Molly thinks this is so fun despite my stern "No's, shaking a can with pennies in it, and/or spraying her in the face with water), I'd be much obliged. Oh, and a reminder of why it's worth it to train a puppy might help, too. :)

New Job, Diaper Explosions, and Tulips!

We have exciting news to announce: Kris interviewed for a job at USTAR for an internship this summer, and, you guessed it - he was on time for his interview! Oh, and he got the job! We (Tiffany and Kasey) are so happy for him! Of all the internship opportunities, this fits his interests and career plan the most. We are so grateful! We know the Lord is looking out for us! Tiffany is also accomplishing great things: She recently cleaned out the microwave and organized the baby food jars by category. Kasey, refusing to be outdone, is continuing to shock and awe with his diaper explosions. (See below for more details.) Nothing but greatness coming from the Jones' family! Even our house is catching on - check out these tulips! Who would have thought that the previous owners were such prolific gardeners? Lucky for us - Tiffany absolutely LOVES tulips!

P.S. (Do not read if you have a weak stomach.) One of Kasey's diaper blowouts was unbelievable. Poo (excuse me, I mean bodily waste) went up his back, extending in a slim-like manner to his armpits. After Kris managed to wrestle Kasey out of his shirt, the stuff was everywhere, including a nice-sized glob on Kasey's forehead. (Note: Kasey is now eating solids, and his excrements are no longer the sweet-smelling baby poos of old.) We expedited Kasey to the kitchen sink where he was rinsed clean. The whole time Kasey was crying, unsettled by our frenzied attempt to wash him. Then we plunked him in the bath. Poor kid!

Kasey is 6 months old tomorrow!

Once again, it's been awhile since I've updated our blog. You can expect this in the future. Being a mom is a full time job! :) So, the update. We'll start with Kasey. He is just getting more and more fun all the time. He is sitting up now, starting to eat solids, and becoming quite the active boy. He grabs and eats everything in sight. He is so much fun, and we are learning his little ticklish spots that make him giggle and giggle. He makes us laugh and smile every day. Kris: He is working hard in his classes, almost finished with his second semester of grad school. He interviewed to be one of the directors for the UEC (Utah Entreprenuership Challenge) next year, and he got the position! In fact, he worked so hard as a volunteer this year with the sponsors that they made a new position just for him! I know I'm bragging a little, but he's worked so hard! Not only is this a great opportunity to be involved, but Kris will also recieve a part-time scholarship. We are so blessed! Kris is also working part-time on a construction job, in charge of the painting. He is so busy, but he's doing such a wonderful job managing work, school, and family. Tiffany: I'm loving being a mom! I do a little substituting now and then, but mostly I'm home, refining my diaper-changing, laundry-doing, dinner-making, house-cleaning, baby-loving skills! We'll use pictures to tell what else we've been up to:

Kasey's first hike at Zion's National Park. He knows he's one cool dude.

Mom and Kasey love to go on walks (and sometimes dad)! He's all ready to go!

Kasey loves playing with his dad.

And, as I mentioned earlier, eating everything in sight.

Check out this hat. For some reason, it made me laugh and laugh, even now just thinking about it! It accentuates his features quite nicely, dont' you think?

"Stop laughing mom! You're hurting my feelings!"

Kasey fell asleep holding on to his crib. Too funny!

Yummy, rice cereal!

Yay for sweet potatoes!

Last pic. We got some professional pics taken when he was 4 1/2 mo.'s old. This one was my favorite! Thanks for reading!

Kasey is four months old today!

I can't believe it's been since November since we've posted anything! Who would have thought that being a mom and grad school would keep us so busy! We'll let the pictures tell what we've been up to...

(About 3 1/2 months old)

Kasey on his perch.

Hiking in Southern Utah - Kasey's First Hike!

(This was just last weekend - about 4 months old!)

Ahh Kris! The baby!

Best hike ever! Not for mom, though! :) Yikes!

First Immunizations (See the bandaids?)

First Christmas (I know, I'm really behind!)

One of my favorites!

Dad's Favorite Trick

Baby Blessing