Keeping up with the Jones'

Summer Fun!

2012-01-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

Even though we were busy with the kitchen remodel we still had time for some summer fun. These pictures were taken between July and August.

It All Started with the Kitchen

2011-07-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our summer was filled with dust, demolition, building, moving furniture, more dust, moving furniture again and more dust.... but it will all be worth it in the end. This was our summer to spruce up the inside of the house. We started with the kitchen, then the floors, then the celings. We will move on to paint and front porch soon. Here are a few pictures documenting Steve's hard work.

First step, removing the old florescent lighting.

Second step, removing the upper cabinets over the peninsula.

Steve and I did this all by ourselves with some muscle and a lot of ingenuity.

Next, installing recessed (canned) lights.

Cutting the counter....

Drawing pictures on the end of the counter before Papa finishes it off.

Installing a new cupboard and moving the dishwasher.
Moving the island before the new floors are installed.
Moving out before the new floors.....

New carpet...

...and new laminate.

Moving back in after the floors were installed.

New countertops.....

...and appliances.

New microwave and stove hood to come.

Then we moved outside!

Demolition of the walk up to the house.

And demolition of the porch/step.

Pouring the new porch and walk way.

This was as far as we got before the end of summer.

More to come next Spring!

May and June 2011

2011-06-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hannah turns 2!

Finally, we have been able to have some outdoor fun. The weather is starting to feel a bit more like summer so we have been hanging out in the backyard with family.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mother.

A few weeks ago she slipped while cleaning the shower and broke her foot. Now she has a cast! This proves that cleaning is not good for us. I have been trying to explain this to Steve but so far he's not going for it.

So, I'm off to clean my bathroom....

March and April Activities

2011-05-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

We have been busy going here and there so it's time for an update!

Kiera and Cooper watching a movie together.

Hannah more interested in the popcorn than the movie. She loves popcorn!

Janae holding Owen and enjoying every minute of it.

Sweet Sisters

Hannah learning to play t-ball. She can hit the ball but not without closing her eyes.

Hannah with her mom after she got home from Hawaii.

Kiera and Owen

Best Brothers

Brothers taking a drive.

Cooper coloring Easter eggs.

Sitting around our first first of the season.

Happy Hansons!

Owen at 4 months.

Cooper with his Easter basket.

Owen

February Flurries!!

2011-02-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

It's snowing...on February 24th! We love it - no school or work for us today.

New Year's Eve

2011-01-12T19:39:00.000-08:00

This year our theme for our New Year's Eve celebration was....

Jeff, Heather, Janae and Kiera

Chris, Andrea, Cooper and Owen

Chris, Kim and Hannah

Brenda and Steve

All of us

Lonnie, Betsy and Kaylee

Nancy

Jill, Gary, Chelsea and Mallory

Dan, Tami, Siena and Evan

Brothers and Sisters

The youngest Duck fans!

New Baby - 5th Grandchild - 2nd Grandson

2010-12-08T13:57:00.001-08:00

On Friday, December 3rd, Owen Joseph Hanson was born.

This is Andrea right before she left for the hospital to have Owen.

Here is the happy family.

Owen Joseph Hanson, 8 lbs 2 oz, 20.5 inches long.

The happy, beautiful mother, Andrea.

Cooper holding his new baby brother for the first time.

Papa with his two grandsons.

November Activities

2010-12-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

Most of our noteworthy activities happend at the end of the month right around Thanksgiving Day.

On Thanksgiving Day, early in the morning, the four of us participated, for the 2nd time, in the Turkey Stuffer 5k Run/Walk. Kim and Steve ran, I walked with Andrea who was expecting her baby at any moment. Steve's time was 37 minutes, Kim's time was 42 minutes and Andrea and I made it in 52 minutes! It was great - we didn't feel so guilty about eating a big dinner later in the day.

We decided to try to take a picture of the family while we were all together, except for Kevin who is on his mission. Andrea used her new camera, a gift from Chris for her birthday. She used the timer setting and it worked out pretty well. It is a challenge to get everyone to look straight ahead and smile at the right time though.

The four grandkids all ready for bed.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we went to a Christmas Tree farm to pick out our tree. Andrea wanted to be able to help before her baby was born. Cooper and Hannah had a great time running around together.

After looking at almost every tree available we finally found on that we all liked. Cooper helped his Papa and Daddy carry it back to the van.

October Birthdays!

2010-11-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

We get to celebrate 4 birthdays each October, Kiera, Cooper, Andrea and Heather. We were fortunate enough to spend a little time with each of them on their special day.

Kiera turns 3!

Cooper turns 2!

Andrea turns 27!!

Heather turns 30!!!

2010 Pioneer Trek

2010-08-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

At the end of July Steve and I participated in a Pioneer Trek with the youth (12-18 years old) in our Stake. We spent nearly a year planning and preparing. This was our second Trek, the first one we went on was in July of 1999. There were only young women on that Trek, I was a "Ma" and Steve was one of the support team. For this Trek, I was on the planning committee as one of my responsibilites as a Stake Young Women's President. Originally we were going to be in a support type of position so I could hang out with all of the young women but at the last minute one of our "Ma's" got sick and was not able to go. So we stepped in as the Ma and Pa. It was a challenge but lots of fun. I have many stories about things that happened on the Trek so I'll work on adding a few as I have time. For now, here are some pictures:

This is what the handcart looked like before we loaded it up....I know not very big, huh! We had to fit enought supplies and gear for 6 days for 12 of us.

This is our loaded handcart as our "family" is getting ready to start "trekking". We were Ma and Pa to 5 boys and 4 girls and we had an "Uncle" as part of the family. Our Uncle was a great help to all of us.

The next few pictures are of us pushing and pulling the handcart. We traveled on several different road services and most of them were like the one below.......

VERY, VERY, VERY DUSTY!

This picture was snapped of us when we stopped to rest along the way.

This was the lake we camped by the last night of the Trek. We had some special and fun experiences here. Two of the youth were baptized and later in the afternoon we had thunder, lightening and rain!

This is a picture of us all as we finished the Trek. We arrived at the parking lot of Corbett Snow Park to find family, friends and lots of good food and cold drinks.

Catching Up - June and July!

2010-07-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

So many things have been going on in our lives this past couple of months that I have not had time to update our blog. So here is a quick recap of June and July.

I was able to attend Janae's first dance recital. She is in a dance group with six other 5 year olds. They performed two dances, "Me and My Teddy" and "Minnie Mouse". They were adorable! Janae did a great job. We were so proud of her.

Chris B. graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelors degree in Biology. It was a beautiful day as we sat in Reecer Stadium watching the graduation ceremony.

Chris H. graduated from Oregon Health and Sciences University with a degree in Dentistry.

We helped Kim, Chris and Hannah move to Bend! Chris started working at US Bank and will be starting Helicopter Pilot training in the Fall.

We helped Andrea, Chris and Cooper move. They are living with us until they can find a place of their own.

We celebrated Steve's birthday!

We celebrated Independence Day with Gary and Jill and the family.

We got some new toys for the grandkids.

We went to Bend to visit Kim, Chris and Hannah.

Finished the garage.

Had a visit from Kim and Hannah.

It has been a busy but fun couple of months!

Chris turns 30!

2010-05-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Chris had an interview in Eugene on his 30th birthday, so we were able to help celebrate. Andrea made the cake!

Easter at Grandma and Papa's House

2010-04-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Cooper checking out their Easter Baskets.

New Easter Skirts! Janae picked out the fabric and Heather made the skirts.

Kiera and Janae with their baskets.

Group Picture......Adorable!

2010-04-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Next time we try to take group pictures I'm going to try to remember to have someone taking video at the same time just to document everything that goes on behind the scenes when we are trying to get all the kids to look at the camera at the same time. Just imagine (which isn't hard because you have probably experienced this before) all of the adults arranging kids, fixing clothes and then running behind the camera and making noises and clapping hands trying to get all the kids to look at them, keep their hands off of their faces and smile.....all at the same time. Janae was great, she was ready for every click of the camera. The funniest part of these pictures was when Andrea stepped in to move Cooper closer to the girls (for a more balanced picture)and as soon as she backed up Cooper started scooting away (no girl germs for him) so this was the best we could do. After every one of these "photo shoots" I tell myself I need to take a photography class so that even if the kids don't cooperate (wiggle, giggle and move) the pictures will still turn out.

Decorating Easter Cookies

2010-04-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

We decorated cookies during the morning session of General Conference to help keep us quiet while we listened to the speakers.

Egg Hunt

2010-04-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

It started to sprinkle just as the egg hunt started but the kids still had lots of fun.

More Easter Pictures

2010-04-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

Cooper trying to get as close as he could to his Easter candy.

Hannah in her Easter dress.

Dying Easter Eggs

2010-04-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Backyard Fun With J & K

2010-03-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

A beautiful Spring day in Vancouver!

Saturday Morning Donuts!

2010-03-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago while up in Vancouver I took the kids to Krispy Kreme Donuts. We had lots of fun watching them make donuts and then picking one out to eat!

January and February in Review!

2010-02-23T20:28:00.001-08:00

This past couple of months have gone by almost faster than I can keep up, but we have had lots of fun. So here are a few pictures of some of the things that we have been doing.

Cooper's first "tea party" with his cousins, Janae and Kiera.

The girls had fun showing Cooper what it was all about.

Cooper caught on right away, especially when they started passing out the cookies.

Hannah with her first sucker.....

....and enjoying the swing.

2010-02-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Sunday after church.

Grandma with the girls.

Letter from Sister Eva Ivanova - Czech Republic, Ostrava Branch

2010-01-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

On January 11, 2010 I received the following from a Sister in the Ostrava Branch where Kevin is now serving.

Dear Sister Brenda,

My name is Eva Ivanova and I am president of the primaries in our branch in Ostrava. Your son, Elder Jones is here and he is very good missionary. He quickly learns. Today we in the primaries got your gift - stickers. Much thanks for the gift. He made us happy and is very useful for us.

You can be calm. Your son is independent. At Christmas, they were missionaries in my home and I cooked a Christmas meal. I like to teach with them and other church members helping the missionaries too.

If you're interested, you can read my story. You'll find it at: http://mormonwoman.org/2010/01/06/portraits-of-mormon-women-eva/

Annex I send a picture.
Love Eva

It was so fun to get this letter. If you have a chance, check out Eva's story by clicking on the link above. It includes a couple of pictures of her. I can't really take credit for the sticker idea. Kevin told me before he left that he heard that some missionaries carry a few stickers in their pockets to hand out to children while they are talking with their parents or to use as an ice breaker. So I included some in his Christmas package hoping they would be helpful. I'm grateful that they were.

Christmas with Elder Jones (Kevin)

2010-01-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken in July, the day before he told us that he would be serving a mission in the Czech Republic.

We spent just about an hour talking on the phone with Kevin early Christmas morning. Heather, Jeff, Janae, Kiera, Kim, Chris and Hannah were there with us. It was good to hear his voice.

He told us about his experience in the Mission Home and his walk around Prague. You can see the pictures he took on his mission blog.

He told us about his first week in Ostrava and the baptism of a man named, Jaroslav Spunda, that was performed at the end of that week.

He said that the meals they are served consist of meat, a sauce or gravy and bread or dumplings. The first few meals he ate he found that if you finish the meat first, they give you more meat or if you finish the bread first, they give you more bread. Their custom is that if a guest finishes one thing on their plate before the rest you fill up their plate again, it's like asking for more. So, he was getting plenty to eat! He said it is not as easy as you think it would be to finish everything on your plate at the same time.

He celebrated Christmas Eve with his companion and a couple of families in the ward. In the Czech Republic Christmas Eve is traditionally the night when they have the bigger celebration and Christmas Day is more quiet and laid back. Tradition also says that Baby Jesus brings the gifts on Christmas morning, not Santa Clause. Two Elders from another area spent the night at their apartment and they spent Christmas Day by sleeping in and watching Kevin open his Christmas gifts (I guess they had already opened theirs).

He is working hard and continuing to learn the language and is loving every minute of his time there. We are so grateful for the time we had visiting with him.

This is a picture of the Ostrava Town Square at night.

This is a picture of a church across the street from his apartment in Ostrava.

Christmas with the Swanson's

2010-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Day with Heather, Jeff, Janae and Kiera at their house this year.
Kim, Chris and Hannah were with us also.

Janae with all of her gifts!

Kiera with all of her gifts!

Heather opening a ring from Jeff.

Jeff with a gift from Heather.

Christmas with the Blevins'

2010-01-09T11:43:00.001-08:00

Christmas Day with Kim, Chris and Hannah.

Chris, Kim and Hannah talking to Janae.

Hanna trying to get into one of Kim's stocking stuffers.

Kim, Chris and Hannah still trying to wake up.

Christmas with the Hanson's

2010-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve with Andrea, Chris and Cooper. After opening gifts at our house we went to Grandma and Grandpa Sharp's house for dinner and gifts with them and Laurie's family.

Cooper in front of the Christmas tree. You may notice that you can't see any decorations on the tree behind him. They were all moved up out of his reach!

Andrea showing off an Edward (from Twilight) puzzle!

Grandma with Cooper.

Papa with Cooper.

Copper helping Chris open a gift.

Catching Up!

2009-11-15T16:28:00.000-08:00

My girls have been giving me a bad time about updating our blog. It has only been a few weeks after all..... I only have a few excuses for it taking me so long to get on it, sending Kevin off on his mission, getting acclimated to my new calling as Stake Young Women's president, making alterations to a wedding dress for one of the young single adults in our branch, getting my act together for the 3 October birthdays in the family, making lasagna for munch and mingle, attending church meetings all while working full time...... oh, wait! I don't have an excuse because these are the same you all have going on in our lives everyday too. I am blessed with work! Really I am grateful to be busy.

Here are a few random pictures from the past few weeks. As you scroll down there are pictures of our Anniversary party and Cooper's birthday. Enjoy!

Andrea at Cooper's Birthday Party

Heather and Jeff waiting for the party to start

Siena with Cooper

Sweet little Hannah

Papa with the two youngest grandchildren, Cooper and Hannah

2009-11-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Sharp on Halloween

Siena helping me make cinnamon rolls

Kevin and Kim washing dishes the weekend before he left for his mission

Tami (she's so photogenic)

All four grandkids! It's so hard to get them all to hold still, smile and look at the camera

Cooper's First Birthday!

2009-11-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

We had lots of fun celebrating Cooper's 1st birthday. He turned 1 on October 19th. He was a good sport letting us all take pictures and "help" him with his gifts. Andrea did such an amazing job making his cake!

30th Wedding Anniversary Surprise!!

2009-11-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

Our kids surprised us with an anniversary party to celebrate 30 years of wedded bliss. We really have had a great marriage and we are grateful for every minute of it (the good times and the hard times). All of it has drawn us closer every day. We are grateful for our children and the time and energy they took to make this happen for us. We are also thankful for all of our extended family members that came to celebrate with us. We love them with all of our hearts.

Heather made this beautiful cake for us using the same colors used for our wedding/reception.

The Happy Couple!

Kevin Leaves for the MTC!

2009-10-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

It was a wonderful and sad day when Kevin left for the MTC. We were so happy for him and excited for the experiences that he would have yet sad that it would be two years before we would see him again. We know he made the right choice to serve the Lord for these two years and know that he will touch the lives of many people in the Czech Republic for good. We love him and will miss him, his hugs, phone calls, and especially his teasing but look forward to reading his letters/emails about his missionary service and of course look forward to his holiday phone calls. He was really excited to leave and get started. He has a strong testimony of the gospel and is ready to share it with others in his mission area.

To help distract myself I took pictures. They aren't great because I was looking through tear filled eyes and not remembering to adjust for the light, etc. This is a picture of Kevin and Steve as we were walking into the Eugene Airport.

Kevin and Mom

Kevin and Dad

The last picture I could get of Kevin behind the security gate.

Kevin started a mission blog, which is now my assignment to keep updated, the link is on the right side of the screen. His address is posted and as I receive letters and emails I will post them here also. Please feel free to send him letters, I know that he will love to hear from you.

Cooper with a Pinwheel

2009-09-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

He knows that it is supposed to spin and has figured out his own method for making it work.

He's just too cute!

Our Vacation in Nauvoo!

2009-09-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

We spent our summer vacation in Nauvoo, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri. While in Nauvoo we took advantage of every event and tour available. We went to bed late and got up early so we could do it all but it was worth every minute. It's so hard to put into words what we felt and experienced. Our testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel have grown immensely and we wish that everyone could see and feel what we did. If you ever have the chance to go to Nauvoo take it, you won't regret it. Below are a few of the hundreds of pictures that we took. We hope you enjoy them.

Nauvoo Temple

Steve and I in front of the Temple. Inside the Temple is beautiful, decorated in 1830's period decor.

Statue depicting Joseph and Hyrum Smith's last ride out of Nauvoo on their way to Carthage where they were martyred.

The same statue at night.

Carthage Jail

2009-09-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Our first view of Carthage Jail. As you can see the grounds are beautiful.

Carthage Jail. The second story window is the room where Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum were martyred.

Steve and I in front of Carthage Jail.

Statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

The grounds were covered with beautiful flowers. I had to take some just for my mother to see.

Carthage continued...

2009-09-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

These plaques were on the pathway up to Carthage Jail.

Nauvoo Tours

2009-09-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Standing in front of the Scovil Bakery. This was one of my favorite tours because they gave us a gingerbread cookie to sample! Yummmy!

Inside the bakery.

Authentic baking tools in the 1830's.

This was one of Steve's favorite tours. There were guns galore displayed. It was pretty amazing to see all of the small intricate pieces that were all made by hand.

Tours continued....

2009-09-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

The John Taylor Home

Inside the John Taylor Home. The rocking horse was handcarved and I thought the potty chair in the corner was especially cute.

Lucy Mack Smith Home.

The Brigham Young Home.

Summer Vacation - Hannibal, MO

2009-09-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Nauvoo included a trip to Hannibal, MO the birth place of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). The following pictures were taken in a park next to a bridge that was dedicated to Mark Twain.

This is a statue representing Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Becky Thatcher's flower garden.

This is a plaque on the "old" Mark Twain Memorial Bridge. My favorite paragraph states "A recurring summer problem was the swarming of mayflies attracted to the bridge lights. At times, the pavement was covered 2 inches thick by the insects causing it to become extremely slick. Snow plows were necessary for their removal." Eeewwww!

Tom Sawyer's famous fence.

Becky's house is across the street from Tom's house. It was being renovated so we didn't get any good pictures of the house its self.

Mark Twain Riverboat

2009-09-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

While in Hannibal, MO we took a dinner cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat. It was a fun experience. The Mississippi River is amazing. It's about a mile wide and very muddy. Mark Twain once described the Mississippi River as "too thin to plow and too thick to drink." It is very true. It's not the kind of river that I would want to swim in.

A picture of the Mark Twain Riverboat before we left on our dinner cruise.

A view of the dinning room as we were seated.

Our table!

Steve standing on the top deck just before we left the dock.

This is a picture of a barge hauling coal. We saw several of these during the week. They are a lot bigger than they look in this picture. One of the passengers told us that working on a barge like this is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world! I was surprised to hear that especially because there was not a soul to be seen and it was moving so slowly and quietly.

Mark Twain Cave

2009-09-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

This is the entrance to the Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain) Cave. It was so amazing inside, our pictures don't do it justice. The tour guide made it fun with all kinds of stories related to the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Walking in beside a little girl who was telling me that she was afraid of the dark and worried about going inside. She was holding on to her father's hand so tightly that her fingers were white.

A view inside the caves.

There was a section of the caves where names were written all over the walls and celings. This is one that was way up high that was signed June 25, 1924. They used to use a torch to burn the rock and then scratch in their names which has helped to preserve them over time. The cave became a protected site in the early 1970's so they no longer allow people to sign their names.

Steve inside one of the passage ways.

Me inside the same passage way. You can see the lights they have placed along the way. At one point in the tour they turn off all of the lights so you can see how dark it is. See is not the right term because when they turned off the lights it was so dark that you could not even see your hand in front of your face. As soon as the lights went off my thoughts immediately turned to the little girl I walked in with. She did okay, but I'm sure that the blood supply to her father's arms and hands was cut off for those few seconds that the lights were out.

Lover's Leap, Hannibal MO

2009-09-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

This is Lover's Leap just outside of town in Hannibal, MO. It's a beautiful site where you can see for miles around.

This plaque tells the story of the legend of Lover's Leap. To me it seemed very similar to Romeo and Juliet. It is a reminder of how strong of an emotion love really is.

This picture gives a little better view of how high the cliff is.

Steve (below) and I standing on Lover's Leap with a view of Hannibal and the Mississippi River.

Principal Jones

2009-07-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

Due to recent budget cuts, this is Steve's last year as principal at Territorial Elementary. On the last day of school he was presented with these two pictures along with a gift certificate for a round of golf (they learned early on about his favorite hobby). The first one has pictures taken by some of the parents during Outdoor School the last week of school. It reads "Students may forget what you said but they will never forget the way you made them feel." Steve had lots of fun with the kids. He has always been good at making a point to have memory making moments with them so this was a perfect gift for him.

This is the back of the picture, all of the kids at Outdoor School signed it.

The second picture is of all the kids at Territorial Elementary

with their signatures around the border.

Steve will really miss being their Principal but will be forever grateful for the time he had with them and the memories they have helped him make.

More Hannah Blessing Pictures!

2009-07-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

We didn't get a chance to take pictures of Hannah in her blessing dress on Sunday so Kim dressed her up later in the week and did a photo shoot. These three pictures are my favorite.

The dress is made out of cotton eyelet with little pearls sewn on the body and hem of the dress.

The hat is also cotton eyelet with pearls sewn around the edge.
I just thought this picture was so sweet and it really shows the red tint in her hair.

Cute Grandkids!

2009-07-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a few recent pictures we took that I thought were pretty cute.

Cooper with his Dad.

Janae and Kiera.

Hannah with her Dad.

Sahalie Falls

2009-07-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Last week we spent the day at Sahalie Falls. It was a beautiful day. We hiked the trails for a while and then had a picnic lunch. Days like this always renew my gratitude for the beautiful country we live in.

Surprise News From Kevin!

2009-07-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Kevin and his friend Erica came home from BYU-Idaho this weekend to participate in the blessing of Kevin's newest neice, Hannah. While they were here they surprised us all by telling us that they had both decided to serve a mission! The biggest surprise though was that Kevin had already received his mission call, on June 18th, ---- to the Czech Prague Mission! We cried, cheered and cried some more. He leaves for the MTC on October 14, 2009!

Erica will be submitting her papers within a week or so and is looking forward to her call. We are so excited for both of them; for the things they will learn, the experiences they will have and the spirit they will feel as they share the gospel with others.

Hannah's Blessing Day

2009-07-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, July 5, 2009 we all went to Corvallis for Hannah's blessing. Chris did a great job giving the blessing, he is such a loving and devoted father to Hannah and husband to Kim. We are so happy that he is part of our family. Afterward, we went to Kim and Chris' house for a picnic. It was a beautiful day.

Stephanie Comes To Visit

2009-06-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend we all met at Grandpa Jones' to see our neice, Stephanie and her daughters, Tyler and Ashley. We had lots of fun visiting with everyone. I thought the picture of Mallory sitting on the tractor was especially cute.

Swinging with Great Grandpa

2009-06-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

Janae talked Great Grandpa Sharp into pushing her on the swing. She had lots of fun. You could hear her saying over and over again "higher Grandpa, higher".

Making Cookies With Grandma

2009-06-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

Cooper is now old enough to help us make cookies. His job was to hold the package of chocolate chips while Janae and Kiera helped to put the other ingredients into the bowl.

Fun By The Fire

2009-06-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to do in the summer time is to roast marshmallows over the fire. As you can see Janae just could not wait for the fire to die down. Kiera and Cooper are just happy to eat graham crackers and watch the action.

Hannah - 1 Week Old

2009-05-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken on Saturday, May 23rd, Hannah is now 1 week old.

Kim and Chris are great new parents. I am so grateful that they let me spend the week with them. There's nothing like a new baby, especially when they're your grandchild....

I love being a grandma!

Janae and Kiera Come To Visit

2009-05-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, May 21st, Heather, Janae and Kiera came to visit. It was really fun to see the girls with Hannah. Janae was so excited to meet her and so sweet. Kiera was not very interested in her new cousin, she just laid there after all!

This is such a sweet video of Janae holding her new cousin.

The sound isn't great but it's worth watching.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Come To Visit

2009-05-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 19th (Hannah's original due date)

Great Grandma and Grandpa Sharp came to visit.

Hannah is their 6th great grandchild.

Hannah Kristine Blevins!

2009-05-18T06:58:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our newest granddaughter, Hannah. I'll post more pictures and info once we get them home from the hospital.

2009-05-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day

2009-05-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Kevin surprized me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day delivered to my office. Heather, Jeff, Andrea and Chris gave me some great photo albums for all of the pictures that we sorted long ago. Kim and Chris gave me a bottle of Eucalyptus Spearmint (my favorite scent) Body Lotion and Pillow Mist. Steve gave me some of my favorite candy from See's and a trip to see the grandkids. I'm so blessed to be a Mom to such a wonderful and loving family!

Fun at the Park

2009-05-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

Four Generation Picture

2009-04-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

After Kim's baby shower we celebrated Mallory's (our neice) 1st birthday at Roaring Rapids Pizza Parlor. While we were there we took the opportunity to take this four generation picture of Cooper, Andrea, Grandpa Steve and Great Grandpa Dale. This was the first time that Dale had seen Cooper in person.

This is a picture of Mallory and her sister Chelsea earlier in the day at our house.

Baby Shower for Hannah Kristine Blevins

2009-04-27T19:26:00.001-07:00

This weekend Heather and Andrea hosted a baby shower for Kim at our house. There was lots of good food including a beautiful dessert provided by friend Lindsay. It was fun and they did a great job. Kim is loved by many and she was blessed to have 29 friends and family members and their 11 children come to help celebrate the upcoming arrival of Hannah. Here she is with the gifts she received. Everything was so adorable and very much appreciated.

Kim's 24th Birthday

2009-04-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Kim's 24th birthday this past weekend.

She now has enough candles on her cake to nearly set off the smoke alarm!

Happy Birthday Kim!

2009-04-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today is Kim's 24th Birthday! These pictures were taken on her 4th birthday. It doesn't seem like 20 years have passed by already. But it has and soon she will have her own baby girl to celebrate birthdays with!

Happy Birthday Kim, we love you.

Kevin's New Adventure

2009-04-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

This week we had the priviledge of taking Kevin to BYU Idaho were he will continue working toward his undergraduate degree. His goal is a career in neurological sciences.

He has a great apartment that he shares with 5 roommates.

The apartment sits on a hill with a great view of campus and...

...is across the street from the Rexburg Idaho Temple

which he can see out of his bedroom window.

Kevin with his friend Erica wishing we would

just hurry up and leave already!

Good Friends!

2009-04-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

After we left Rexburg and Kevin we stopped in Meridian to see our friends Linda and Lynn.

We had a good time and we are very appreciative of their generous hospitality.

We Looked Out The Window and What Did We See!

2009-04-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

April 14th at 7:00 am??????

More Snow!

2009-04-14T07:22:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken at about 7:15 am!

Grandpa Jones' Farm

2009-03-08T20:42:00.001-07:00

This weekend Heather, Janae and Kiera came down to visit. While they were here we went to visit Great Grandpa Jones on his farm. When we got there the first thing the girls wanted to do was play on the swingset. It was cold but they didn't care at all.

More Pictures on the Farm

2009-03-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of going to the farm was seeing the cows. When we first walked up to the gate the cows were several yards away. But they moved closer at Steve started calling to them. The girls were excited to see them coming.

Heather has been teaching Kiera animal sounds and she has mastered a few like dog, horse, duck and cat but has not quite figured out the sound for cow. While we were with the cows and trying to get Kiera to "moo" one of the cows "moo'd" back at us. Kiera thought that was really funny and even tried imitating the sound.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't get a picture of Janae actually feeding the cow. As you can see the cow had already started walking away by the time I got to the camera.

Our Cutest Grandson!

2009-03-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

This video of Cooper was taken early in February. Of course we think he's the cutest and smartest grandson around.

Happy Birthday Kevin!

2009-03-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

On February 11th, Kevin celebrated his 21st birthday. I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by. It seems like just a short time ago that he was a newborn in my arms. These pictures were taken when he was just a few days old. It was hard for me to put him down, I loved holding him so much. I'm glad I held him so much in those early months because by the time he was about 6 months old he wanted to be on his own to explore the world. From that time on I cherished every hug and kiss I got and I still do. One thing that I have really appreciated about Kevin is that he has always been very open about saying "I love you" to me from the time he first learned how to say the words.

I love you Kevin, Happy Birthday!

New Year's Eve!

2009-01-15T21:02:00.000-08:00

Every year on New Year's Eve we pick a theme

and have a party with all of the Jones'.

This year the theme was the "80's".

Almost eveyone dressed the part.

Like, so cute Janae, Heather and Kiera

"Goonies" Chris, Cooper and Andrea.
It's hard to see but Cooper's outfit has cassette tapes all over it.

Wow! Flashback Steve and Brenda!
Steve is helping to accentuate the shoulder pads in my dress.

M C Chris and Totally Rad Kim.

More Pictures from New Year's Eve

2009-01-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

2009-01-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas Dinner!

2009-01-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

One of our Christmas traditions is to have all the Jones' over on Christmas Day for dinner. We always have lots of food and lots of fun. This year Dayna was here all the way from Texas. Others that were here included: Lonnie, Betsy, Kaylei and Adam; Nancy, Aaron and his girlfriend; Tami, Dan, Evan and Siena; Dale and Millie and all of our family for a total of 24. We missed Gary, Jill, Zach, Chelsea and Mallorie who were spending the day with Jill's family.

Christmas Morning With The Family!

2009-01-15T20:15:00.001-08:00

Kevin opening his new watch!

Kiera stepping on as many presents as she could.
Kevin, Jeff, Heather and Janae watching the show.

Kiera playing with her new baby doll.

Janae so excited about her new gifts.

Christmas Morning Continued!

2009-01-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

Steve (Papa) watching all the fun.

Chris and Kim just starting to open presents.

Cooper enjoying his first Christmas with his parents, Andrea and Chris.

Christmas Eve!

2009-01-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve with the Sharp side of the family and had a great time. Just a few days earlier, Mom got a new puppy. Her name is Sophie and she's a Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix. She weighs about 2 pounds and is so adorable.

Cooper Playing With Papa

2008-12-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

Cooper has learned to smile now and so I tried to get a video of him playing with Papa so you all could see how cute he is. Beware though, the camera work is not that good!

More Pictures of Cooper Smiling

2008-12-23T21:13:00.000-08:00

Cooper's Blessing

2008-12-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

These are a few of the pictures we took at Cooper's blessing on Sunday, November 16th. As I've said before, there is nothing quite like a newborn baby....especially when they are your own grandchildren. I just love the picture of Janae, Kiera and Cooper sitting together on the couch.

Birthday Celebration!

2008-12-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

This year for my birthday, my family surprised me with many fun activities and events. Steve had made arrangements to pick me up from work early on Thursday and to have the day off on Friday. When he picked me up he took me to the Portland Oregon Temple and then out to dinner. When we got to the Temple we ran into one of my cousins, Teresa Fisher and her husband Gordon. It was a nice surprise. We were able to sit by each other during the session and then to have a good visit afterward. After dinner, Steve took me to Andrea and Chris' house to see Cooper. We spent the night and in the morning Steve and Chris went golfing and we met Heather and Janae and Kiera at the mall for a fun shopping trip. Later that afternoon/evening the rest of the family joined us and they surprised me by taking me to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Portland, the Rhinelander. The food is great and as you can see in the picture behind me they have an accordion player that wanders around the restaurant serenading the guests. We like to sing along and we always make a request for them to play "The Chicken Dance". All of our kids and their families were there along with Tami, Dan, Evan and Siena. It was a lot of fun to be with them all. After dinner we went to Heather and Jeff's house to open presents and spend the night. On Saturday all of the girls went to a holiday craft fair in Vancouver. Sunday morning Cooper was blessed by his father, Chris, and Steve, Kevin, Dan, Chris' father Ernie and his grandfather all stood in the circle. Jeff was not feeling well and Chris B was in Washington attending a class so they were not able to be there. It was so wonderful to share this special time with family and hear the blessing. After church we went to Chris and Andrea's house for brunch and spent some time together with Chris' family. It was a great birthday weekend and I very much appreciate all my family did for me. I love them all!

Congratulations Kim and Chris!

2008-10-26T19:00:00.001-07:00

With so much going on in our lives right now I have been slow getting some important and wonderful news posted.

On October 6th, Kim and Chris surprised us with the news that they are expecting their first baby on May 19, 2009! We are so excited for them and are looking forward to our 4th grandchild.

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

One of the things we did on the farm was visit the pumpkin patch. Janae and Papa spent lots of time looking for just the right pumpkin to take home. Kiera liked riding on the hay wagon.

Fun on the farm

2008-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went with the Swanson's to a farm that has all kinds of activities for families. These pictures represent just a few of the things we did. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed watching Janae and Kiera having fun.

Great Grandpa and Grandma Sharp

2008-10-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

Andrea's grandparents came to meet Cooper on Saturday morning. Cooper is their 5th great grandchild.

Home From The Hospital

2008-10-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Andrea was finally able to leave the hospital on Wednesday. The first picture is of Cooper all ready to go in his new car seat. The second picture is of an exhausted Andrea and Cooper after we got them settled in at home. The third picture is of Cooper enjoying his own personal swing.

2008-10-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our grandson,
Cooper Christian Hanson.
He was born on Sunday, October 19th at 12:37 am in Portland Oregon. He weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz. and is 21 inches long.

Pillow Fight!

2008-08-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Vancouver to spend some time with Janae and Kiera, and of course, Heather, Jeff, Andrea and Chris. While we were there I caught this moment on camera. Kiera is 10 months old and has figured out how to bother her sister Janae who will be 4 years old later this month. This brought back so many similar memories of when Heather and Andrea were that age.

Cute Kids

2008-08-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, while in Vancouver, we went out to dinner with Heather, Jeff, Janae, Kiera, Andrea, Chris, Tami, Dan, Evan and Siena. Afterward, we went back to Heather and Jeff's house. When Kiera went to bed we put in a movie to help the older kids stay quiet. I thought they all looked so cute I couldn't help but take a picture.

On Saturday, we went to the Clark County Fair. Janae and I went on the Tea Cup ride and had lots of fun.

Janae and Heather went on the Roller Coaster. Janae loved it. She even got brave enough to put her hands in the air!

Kiera - Learning to Walk

2008-08-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Kiera is right on the verge of walking. She has great balance but needs to build up her confidence a little more. She does really well pushing the stroller around. I'm sure she'll be walking on her own very soon.

North Carolina

2008-08-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we went to North Carolina. Steve served his mission there a few years back (ha ha!) and has wanted to go visit for a long time. We had a great time and met a lot of nice people. North Carolina looks like Oregon, green with lots of trees but unlike Oregon it is hot and muggy.

Steve showed me most of the areas he served in and he even found a few of the apartments and houses he lived in while there. He has a great memory when it comes to people and places which I already knew but I was impressed that he could find these places after so many years away.

While we were traveling around we managed to visit South Carolina and Tennessee also. You will notice that we even drove through Bat Cave, North Carolina.

Outer Banks, North Carolina

2008-08-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

We spent some time on the Outer Banks. This was our first time on the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful day. It was windy but very hot. The water was about 82 degrees. We enjoyed the fact that you could wade in the surf and not have numb feet and legs when you were done.

Grandfather Mountain and the Swinging Bridge

2008-08-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

We took an exciting walk up to the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain. The bridge is the highest swinging footbridge in America. The bridge really does swing when you walk on it but, thank goodness, it's made of steel and not wood. The bridge is suspended more than a mile above sea level. When you get to the other side you realize you are standing on the edge of a cliff. I was surprised that there were not any railings or fences. I'm not afraid of heights but I found myself watching everybody's kids to make sure they didn't get too close to the edge (just like an over protective grandma). It was really beautiful and you could see for miles and miles. Steve spent part of his time taking pictures of other families with their cameras. He wanted them to have pictures of their whole family together. Everyone was very appreciative.

The Biltmore House, Asheville, North Carolina

2008-08-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

We spent several hours touring the Biltmore House and Gardens. This place is amazing. It took over 4 years to build the house, they finished in 1895 making it the largest home in America to date. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside but it was very impressive. Some of my favorite interesting facts are: the house sits on 8,000 acres of land; the library contains more than 23,000 books; there are 43 bathrooms - most houses in 1895 didn't have even one; electric lights throughout the house; one of the bedrooms displays two Renoir paintings, Child with an Orange and The Young Algerian Girl; there is a bowling alley, swimming pool and gymnasium in the basement; they have an early form of walk-in refrigerators, a laundry room with a belt-driven barrel washer and an inside drying room; etc. Mr. Vanderbilt and his architect were very forward thinking.

There are several gardens and they are all beautiful. The conservatory is open to the public and you can buy hundreds of varieties of plants. I could have spent all day there looking at each and every type of flower and plant.

We learned a lot and really enjoyed our time there.

Sparklers with Janae and Evan!

2008-07-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July with Heather, Jeff, Janae, Kiera, Andrea, Chris, Evan and Siena in Washington. We had lots of fun together. This video is of Janae and Evan with their sparklers. Siena didn't want to do sparklers so she's not in this video.

Evan and Siena are our nephew and niece. Their parents, Tami and Dan, were on vacation in Italy and Andrea and Chris were taking care of them. We were are their house doing fireworks.

I couldn't believe how many people were doing fireworks. The neighborhood was filled with smoke and it sounded like a war zone but it was a lot of fun.

6th Wedding Anniversary!

2008-07-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

Heather and Jeff celebrated their 6th Wedding Anniversary on June 28th. I can hardly believe that it's been 6 years!

Happy Belated Anniversary

Heather and Jeff.

We love you!

Steve's Birthday!

2008-06-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Steve's 51st birthday on June 28th.

Andrea and Chris were here along with Evan and Siena, our nephew and niece. Kim and Chris were here and so was Kevin.

These are pictures of Steve opening his gifts, Mario Kart and accessories for the Wii. We all had a lot of fun playing each other.

Steve is a great husband and father and we love him very much!

Happy Birthday Steve!

Grandpa Sharp's Birthday!

2008-06-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my Dad's 73rd birthday this weekend along with Steve's. We spent the evening at my parents house. We had a barbeque and ate lots of good food. Kim made the birthday cake in a cake decorating class that she is taking in Corvallis.

Dad is a wonderful father and grandfather. We all love him very much.

Happy Birthday Dad!