Gearing up for change!

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.

God give me courage. Courage to do things I have never done before. Courage to speak my mind, take a risk, make a change. It's about that time...more to come.

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~Martin Luther

Took the kids for a late fall walk today down at the Liberty Reservoir. It was amazingly refreshing to walk in silence in the woods, breathe the fresh air, and just watch the childrens' curiosity in nature.
Paxton wasn't too interested just yet, he was more worried about eating, as usual. He was asleep about 15 minutes into our excursion. We did see a few fisherman, heard some early deer hunters, and we saw about five deer dash out of the clearing into the forest. The only downfall of the whole trip was mommy's bright idea to "go with the path less taken." That resulted in lots of sticker bushes and mud!

Hello World

So it's been a year and a half. What's new since then? New house, new baby, new car, new hubby. What's the same? Same state, same job, same frame of mind. Last fall Derek and I bought a house in Westminster. We (he) fixed it up and are now living here with my two kids and our son, Thomas Paxton, "Pax" who was born on July 15th. He's quite handsome, if I do say so. Derek and I were engaged last November and plan on a small wedding soon!

Evan started Kindergarten this fall. I was pretty excited about it at first but now it's just everyday life. He likes it well enough. I'm just praying he stays out of trouble, he's quite a talker, like his mom. Averi is doing well too. She likes doing what Evan is up to for the most part, but she's a very bright little girl and can hold her own!

I'm doing well. Just getting into the swing of life with three kids. It's been a major blessing to have three beautiful, healthy children. I wouldn't change anything about my life right now. Derek is an amazing guy, he is thoughtful and caring. He takes care of his family and puts us first. I couldn't have gotten any luckier when it comes to love.

With the holidays coming, I'm sure I will be quite busy, however I'd like to keep at this, it's kind of therapeutic. I'd also like to keep things in perspective and keep a positive attitude, even when life gets a little crazy, it's still peachy :)

Summer!

Oh, we love summer! I cannot believe it's been about a month since I updated, but it's been a whirlwind of events here! School has ended and we are a few weeks into our summer vacation! Just spent a week visiting my dad (Opa) in LaPorte, TX. The kids really seemed to enjoy themselves. I plan on spending the next few weeks taking a class (boo) and relaxing by the pool (yay). I also need to get into my classroom and do a little sorting through and cleaning up for the fall. I got a brand new classroom starting in the fall and I need to figure out where I want to put everything. So I will probably spend a few days there working on that as well! My garden is slowly recovering from a major hailstorm that damaged my peppers and tomatos. I will post pics soon! The corn in almost knee-high! I should have planted more of that, but oh well, time escaped me!

One thing I love about TX, the wild flowers:
The "Texas Star" aka Swamp Hibiscus


And one thing I don't like, the BIG spiders (think as big as my hand!)
Banana spider female (larger) and male


The kids on the airplane, ready to go!


One of their professional pictures! To see them all go to:
http://www.holdmymemories.com/robertjones


Evan by the pool!




And Avery at the pool/eating a popsicle!



Thanks for looking!

Picking Strawberries

One of my favorite things to do each spring is go to Baugher's in Westminster and pick strawberries. I believe they have the BEST strawberries I've ever tasted, but maybe they just taste better when I've picked them by my own hand. This year I think we were a little early, last year there were many more ripe ones, so we spent about an hour out there picking the best ones!

Avery and I on the tractor ride to the field:


Evan in the field, don't pick up that one!


Avery last year and yesterday, for comparison:


Our berries:


We had lots of fun, and for once we remembered the sun screen!

We also went to the first carnival of the summer last night, Gamber's. It was crowded, but the lines were short!


And for fun, this morning in the pool! Only two weeks left of school and then it's summertime!

Updates...

I will make this update mostly photos since I have been lazy and not posting very often! Lazy=living life with two toddlers haha. Let's see in the past month we have been to OC, Penn State, Harper's Ferry, and Skyline Caverns. I'll just start with pictures and explain when needed.

The first president of Penn State...Evan Pugh (PU--haha)


Pictures of the kids and I on Skyline Drive, WV:




Harper's Ferry:



Where John Brown was captured:


Harper's Ferry, where the Potomac meets the Shenandoah:



My friend Derek and I on the bus...

Evan on the bus:


Avery chowing at Don Pablo's Mexican Restaurant!


Evan chowing at his friend Roland's Birthday party!

Today...

28 years ago I came into this world! I cannot believe how fast time has flown since high school. Life seemed like it would go on forever then and now it's just flying past before my eyes! I would never have imagined that at 28 I would already have 2 beautiful children, a job I love, great friends and loved ones, and of course I never expected to have to deal with a divorce. In the last year I have learned a lot about myself. The biggest thing is that I am resilient. I never thought I would bounce back this fast. My own strength and ambition surprises me sometimes, I am not sure where it comes from, maybe my grandmother? She was one of the strongest people I know! I am trying to make the most light of the hardest situation I have ever been in. I've realized what real love is through this and what I am deserving of and capable of giving.

I have been bad at updating lately, just have been really busy finishing up grad school for the semester and spending time with those I love! Last weekend I took the kids to Ocean City, it was a blast. I will add a picture post soon! Update on my garden: still planning to plant my seeds, SOON! And I HATE RABBITS! Lol, they look so furry and innocent but no broccoli/strawberry plant is safe with little bunny foo foo around! Guess I will be replanting those as well! My tomato plants are small, but doing well!

Kids are doing pretty well. Avery has this awful rash all over and the doctor thinks it just most likely an allergic reaction, but the poor thing has been itching for days! Evan has been one temper tantrum after another! His little world must be so confusing for him with all that is going on. I am trying my best to provide routine and structure to help him, but it's proved a challenge! Pray for me!

Well, pics later, I promise!

Happy Birthday to me!