Happy Birthday to Isaac!

How is this kid 22 years old and MARRIED?? to the BEST wife on earth, as evidenced by these couple of photos. A surprise party at Red Robin; Bundtini cakes homemade by Meagan! They have wonderful friends. What a blessing. (And isn't he handsome, with a beautiful wife?) You might recognize a couple of the guys as groomsmen of his.

For those who might not know, Isaac and Meagan live in married housing at Boyce College. They both work at Memoria Press, although Meagan is having to take a break from Memoria this semester to do her observation hours for teaching.

Thank you for praying for Isaac for all these years! God is GOOD.

New Year's Newsletter - Keeping Up with the Joneses!

Road trip photos - Happy New Year!

Walnut Canyon, AZ

Meteor Crater 

David’s snowball got bigger and bigger as we walked along - this wasn’t even full sized yet! Doesn’t he look mischievous?!

With Gavin’s siblings and their families ❤️
We love them all so much!! What a blessing to relish a snowy Sequoia grove together.

Another sweet blessing: Our dear daughter-in-law, Meagan, the newest addition to the Jones family!

Gracie’s snowball wasn’t quite as threatening as David’s, but it’s still very impressive!

I grabbed this photo of Marcie as she was putting her coat back on. Snowball-fighting is warm work, even on the coldest days!

As per usual, Isaac inserted himself into a shot I was attempting to take of someone else. So I just took it of him instead. He always acts so innocent. 😆

Supper and games at Curry Village

Tunnel View in Yosemite, Gavin’s childhood “backyard”

 

Happy cousins with Will in the lead

Yup. I found the full-size snowball photo.

 Enjoying one last meal with Gavin’s sister’s kids

Christmas cheer with Gavin’s family

We love Marmi! She’s such a great sport putting up with all our large family hubbub! Papa is too!

One very big, happy family! I think we all had a wonderful time together, and we’re thrilled with our newest addition: Meagan! She and Isaac were able to fly out to join us. (We drove.)

The cousins playing a chaotic game of catch and keep-away on a beautiful afternoon.

Christmas cookie preparations

 

Happy Late Fall!

The trees here in Texas are only fully “turned” as of this week. It’s glorious weather! I love living in the South during winter. Gavin just snapped this photo of the quints with our dog, Captain. ❤️ All of us are well and busy. A few photos and brief updates follow. 

Just finished at my niece’s ballet, The Nutcracker (of course). She was a snowflake! She’s been in remission for 6 years - thanks again to everyone who prayed.

With Marcie after her basketball game last night! 

Gavin has had several really meaningful, productive, enjoyable trips to his Alma Mater, LeTourneau University, as part of his new role in recruitment for our mission organizations. He even taught a couple of classes on weather patterns. On Thursday he got to catch up with his favorite professor, Mr. B.! What a blessing! 

Gracie is sporting new braces and pretending to be a nerd with my glasses. 😀

Christmas treats with a best friend, Grandma and Grandpadad, and a sweet cousin!

At Dallas Baptist University after their Christmas concert. Only Seth went along! 

Will enjoying helping and entertaining my toddler niece, who is quite possibly his favorite person!

Seth's goodbye to Ukarumpa

One beautiful morning in Papua New Guinea the sun was shining on the singing birds and the fog was hovering over the valley. We pack up the house and wait outside for the P2 Bus. We see the bus drive to our house then we get into the blue and white bus. The bus rumbles and bumps up and down on the way there. We get to aviation and get off the bus. This morning I left my home, the home I have lived at for eight years of my life in Papua New Guinea.

 Papua New Guinea is a small country right above Australia. It is the second biggest island on earth. PNG is a country with mountainous rainforests and beautiful reefs. PNG has over eight hundred languages. Almost every tribe has their own language. Villages are located all over the rugged mountains. And most of all it has been my home for most of my life, My Home.

Friends are there at aviation or might I say family, I have known these people for most of my life they are like family to me . We give hugs, and take pictures, we talk, and play. I see the pilot examining the plane before we fly. Later the pilot says  ‘’it is time to go’’. We say our last goodbyes  then we get on the plane. All of the aviation staff come out to say goodbye.  Then I smell the plane fuel as we get on. The pilot prays for us before we go. Then we taxi on to the rough dirt air strip then the pilot turns the plane around. The plane’s throttle gets pushed slowly forward, we gain speed and lift off the ground. 

We fly over Ukarumpa, my home town where we see our beloved school, and church. Then one of my siblings says  ‘’I see our house.’’ The house I have lived in most of my life. Tears streak down our faces. This is the most emotional moment of my life. We fly over the mountainous jungle and get to Port Moresby, the capital . This is the day I leave my home in Papua New Guinea.

Life Lesson: Sometimes it can be really hard to leave a place that you love, but you can take a deep breath and let it go and just go on to whatever God wants for you.

 

Isaac and Meagan came to visit! Plus a few wedding pics

We loved having Isaac and Meagan during their "Fall Reading Days." They had to do some reading and writing assignments while here, but we got to have them for 10 days!! This is a photo with my family their last night. Thanks to everyone who has asked after my mom. She is doing well on the whole, still struggling with a few residual weaknesses and some pain from her herniated disc -- but she hosted this evening get-together, which is amazing! 

We went and played pickleball! The newlyweds beat us.

Just a sweet picture of Will enjoying our dog Captain.

I'm just trying to get through the days right now, so you're getting lazy unedited screenshots of the funnier wedding photos, including "surprise" photos that were taken while Isaac and Meagan looked forward and their guest performed some shenanigans behind them. 

Dancing cousins! 

My mom and the newlyweds

Gracie and baby cousin, happy Hannah!

The Security Detail (AKA our three quint boys on the seemingly tireless shoulders of their cousin Lincoln and friend Soso). You can tell that Isaac and Meagan were in fact seeing what was going on behind them by looking at reflections in the windows in front of them! Cheaters. 😉

Soso and Lincoln displaying Seth

Gavin and Gracie  (and I have to say that we have the most beautiful daughter-in-law in the world, inside and out!!) 💓💗💕 Isaac and we are SO blessed!