F.V Jones

This is the best store in the entire world. It's only 10 minutes from our house, therefore making it a convenient place to hang out. It is owned by the lady standing next to Mom, Mrs. Josephine Jones. She and her son, as well as a couple of other women, run it. I believe certain grandparents will remember it. Especially the wood floors.
They sell everything. Seriously, you name it, they probably have it. It's always packed during hunting season, mainly for the great food.
We stop by almost every Friday for lunch. Jon enjoys having conversations with the owner. For example, today he asked if the store carried dynamite. Much to his disappointment, the answer was no.

What we've done while the weather is COLD

Jon's birthday crown (partially finished).

Shhhhhh, don't tell him!

Another partially finished birthday gift for Jon. He wanted a shield (of course), but I didn't like the cheapy plastic ones from stores. This idea was actually Jack's: take a premade wooden plaque, paint it, add painted wood motifs, staple straps to back. Voila, a cool and personalized shield.

Baby blanket for baby. This one has one side of really soft flannel and the other of silky satin. Jack is jealous.

New boppy-type pillow. Brand new Boppys were selling for over $40! Yikes! I bought 1 yard of fabric, 2 bags of stuffing, and made my own. It took about 1/2 hour and I saved $30.

Not sure about this one. Check out the fashion: tie-dyed shirt, boxer shorts, navy blue dress socks, assorted guns, and the ever-present hat. Oh, and just a little bit of a cross eye. He's still pretty cute though.

Snow day!

Madeline and Billy Goat.

Jon at the Creek.

It was cold!

I think Jon is catching snowflakes on his tongue. Not sure about Billy.

The view from the back deck.

The radar showed an 80% chance of snow last night, beginning at 9:00pm. Well, I got up around 11:30PM and there was nothing. No rain, no snow, no nothing. Then I got up again around 12:45AM and it was snowing. Bill had the day off as a result. Only about 2 inches, but still fun to play in.

Why Jack will throw a 75mph fastball this season

Check out this wood. Jack has cut it all by hand, using this sawbuck (that's what he calls it) and his hand saw. He works on it everyday regardless of the weather. First he cuts the trees down (sometimes without permission!), then he limbs them. Next, he drags them to his "landing" and begins the task of cutting them into lengths. He cuts and stacks for hours. Now that he has an axe too, he will split some of the larger pieces. He's begging his dad for a wedge. Can't think of any better way to use up some of that boyish energy!

Sam Luigi's house

This is Sam Luigi. He's Jonathan's pocket knome.

This is Sam Luigi's house. See Sam Luigi sleeping in his bed?

These are the coolest blocks. You can find them here: http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1004&pgc=117&cmvalue=MCD0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1

The best $1 ever spent

Today, I decided to cut the boys' hair. If you recall the last time I did this, it wasn't pretty. Jon HATES to have his hair cut. Today, however, I think we've turned over a new leaf. I unashamedly bribed the child with a trip to Dollar Tree if he behaved during his haircut. With visions of $1 junk toys dancing in his eyes, Jon actually brought the haircutting supplies to me, climbed up into his chair willingly, and proceeded to sit still the entire time. Even for the front part. No crying, no complaining. And all I had to do was spend $1 ($1.05 including tax) for a cheap, plastic gun that probably contains poisons and/or lead. I even treated myself to a box of Junior Mints, also $1.05 since we were, after all, at Dollar Tree.

Camera battery is dead, so no pictures. Sorry.

Jack's Birthday

What do you get a 10 year old boy for his birthday? This was our quandary. Bill, in his infinite wisdom (!), thought that lumber might be a perfect fit. So that's just what we did.

Jack, fainting from happiness.

Drilling the pilot holes for the legs.

The finished project.

Jack told us that this was his "best birthday ever!" We figure that's a pretty good sign that he liked his gifts. He's working on some birdhouses now.

Working backwards

I've been meaning to post pictures and such from our holiday happenings. I guess we'll start with more recent and work back.

The day after Christmas we ventured to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, specifically Kill Devil Hills. Or Kitty Hawk. Kinda the same place, really. This is a stretch of barrier islands that runs the entire length of the NC coastline. Check it out on a map. Anyway, Kill Devil Hills is the sight of the Wright Brothers first flight. While in Washington DC this summer with Rheann and Alexander, we visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and actually saw the Wright Bros. flyer. Neat to see where the flight took place. A replica of some sort of Civil War boat/ship/thing.

Our favorite place on the Outer Banks: Manteo on Roanoke Island.

Also the current home of Andy Griffith, though we did not see him.

Oregon Inlet, a fishing area.

A lighthouse (obviously).

The Alamo

Jon's latest fort. He usually plays in his fort, dubbed "Idaho" but it seems "The Alamo" may take over as favorite fort.

Sasquatch

Our family are Bigfoot fans, or at least Jon and I are. Mom and Dad say that we need help, but we believe that there is unexplained phenomenon out there that could be real. We not only believe in Sasquatch, we also believe in aliens, the Lochnes Monster, and a number of other things that make us look like weirdos. We are also pleased to say that Dad had a Bigfoot encounter two years before I was born. We think that this encounter may be were our craze for the unexplained came from.