Our Next Move

After prayer and counsel over many months, we are happy to announce that we are moving to Memphis, TN! While all the details aren't clearly set, we are excited about the direction God is leading us.

On top of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis - spring of 2013

The original plan was to move this summer at the completion of Robert's program. However, a well-suited part-time job has come open for me (Kim), so I will be moving back permanently with the girls in less than 2 weeks!

We will all be flying over together, as Robert will be working with a church in Memphis for about 3 weeks as part of his Seminary program. I'm just so grateful I don't have to make that flight with our little sweeties all alone! He'll also be spending another month with us in Memphis for my sister's wedding that coincides with an extended school break.

There are still many details we are sorting through, but we are so very humbled and thankful for the clarity and guidance God has steadily provided as we've sought to answer the question: "What's next?!"

We are really grateful for those of you who have been praying for us, and ask that you would continue to do so as we face some major transitions in the coming weeks and months.

As always, we've leaned heavily on Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."

Samantha

On to our last, but certainly not least, family update: Samantha.

Or "Boom Boom" as we like to call her. Please don't ask us where this nickname came from - I suppose when you're the third these crazy names can sneak in.

Just a few days old

Samantha was dedicated with several other babies at our church in September. It was a sweet time of praying for her and committing to bring her up in the Faith.

Pastor Greg praying over Samantha

While I was pregnant with her and deciding on her name, I was reading 1 Samuel and I would pray that she would listen to God like Samuel did.

And from the moment she started noticing sounds I often thought "Wow! This kid hears everything!" And, y'all, sometimes I think it's a miracle she ever sleeps. She startles at the teeniest rustle of paper or pitter patter of toes. Poor Ellie and Meg hear "REMEMBER, Samantha's SLEEPING!!" all.the.time.

We chalk it up to her sensitivity to noise, but this sweet thing hasn't exactly been the stellar sleeper that her sisters were. It's probably because she's been in the same room as Wiggle Worm Robert Jones, though ;) We've, thankfully, now started moving her to the kitchen when we go to bed, and we all seem to be getting a better night's sleep.

She's never short on smiles, that's for sure. This kid smiles on cue. She should do commercials. Seriously.

Her first Christmas was sweet and pretty low-key; it reminds me of her delivery when they told us we were free to go... and we just drove home... and started life... We sorely missed having family there to help us welcome her, but it was special in its own right and felt very English. Carry on, Jones Family! Sure you just had a baby, but that hardly necessitates a headline. Chin up! People do this every day!

Opening up her presents

Just around Christmas time we started feeding her solids and she's done well. Now, if we can only get her good at taking a bottle, we'll really be cooking!

She's fully into teething now, too. As of few weeks ago she has her two Trout Teeth (as I like to call them) on the bottom and she's getting her top two.

Which one of these is not like the other?

She loves her bouncer, too. At least for the first 10 minutes or so. And I love the freedom it usually affords me to finish up dinner :)

She's a tummy baby all the way. She's so close to crawling - she usually does that rocking on all fours thing for a while before she gives up and just swivels on her stomach to reach for another toy.

She's in this stroller quite a bit, but such is the plight of #3 I'm told. They have to be more on-the-go and she deals with it pretty well I think.

She is now sitting up well (with the occasional tumble over) but usually moves back onto her stomach after a few minutes of sitting.

Munching on a carrot stick at a restaurant in Oxford

My favorite article of clothing she owns has to be this sweet hat some friends knitted for her.

I mean, it just doesn't get any cuter than this:

Our little sweetie is nearly 8 months old and we (as all parents of little ones can attest) just don't know where the time has gone! She endears us to herself more each day and it's hard to imagine what life was like before she joined us.

Meg

Our Meg.

Meggie Moo.

Mega Wreck.

These cold winter days I'm finding it difficult to "run" the girl as much as she needs. She's a bundle of sweet little girl energy, and she loves to go and see and do. Unfortunately, she usually runs headlong into whatever she fancies doing, and she has a darkened front tooth to prove it :)

She's home with me and it's been really sweet having her to myself. I thought she would be pretty devastated to have lost her best friend to school, but she didn't seem bothered at all... at first.

Playdough fun with Big Sis

I think she liked having me and all her toys and her little sister all to herself.

But these pleasures were fleeting, and I soon found that I was requested much more frequently to play barbies and babies. This is what this precious girl looks like most days: princess dress and as many babies as she can carry or push (or both in this case!). 

She's passionate about babies :)

We have so enjoyed BSF again this year. Meg is usually one of the oldest in the class, and her teachers tell me she loves to help them and the little ones. I can even tell a difference at how much she remembers from the story from this year compared to last. It's sweet to see her little mind expanding.

This girl is an underground pro.

Having lunch after BSF on a warmer day :)

This little one also turned 4 years old this fall. I just can't believe what a difference a year makes!

She requested "pan-a-cakes" for breakfast

We took her to the London Aquarium for her birthday, and I think it was a hit with all of us.

Her favorite thing was seeing the penguins at the very end.

The fun thing about having a 4 year old buddy with you all the time is that you get to take her to coffee... a lot! There's often a little stretch of time in our days when you're out but don't have time to go home before your next thing, and these make great coffee moments. Robert says he's jealous of our coffee dates... I said he should be.

After the school run but before the library was open

It helps that I think Meg may have the most like-me taste-buds in the family.

Taco Salad for lunch

She's also been doing really well with her letters lately. Whenever we have a "letter day" she's glad to review the letter with me and practice writing it - this is a big change from even 6 months ago when I often heard "I want to learn it, Mummy, just not from YOU!" {sigh}

Yesterday, after picking up Ellie from school, we braved the hovering-around-freezing-temps and went to the park. We didn't last long, but it made me look forward to the days when I can be outdoors with my Meg and she can run all that beautiful spunk around.

Admiring our grey heron friend before the cold set in

What a gift she is to us all.

Ellie

Here is our sweet, smart, beautiful Ellie belle update.

She's doing well. Her biggest news is she is right in the middle of her first full year of school.

First day of Year 1

All of the other children in Ellie's class started Reception together the year before, so I wasn't completely sure what the transition would be like for her.

A little one-on-one time for Mom & Ellie

I was pleased to see that - though exhausted at the end of the day - she caught on quickly.

She was awarded "star of the week" the first week

I had a wonderful parent/teacher conference with Ellie's teacher where I learned she was excelling in just about every area. Her teacher seemed as surprised and excited as I was (her teacher had been a little concerned that, having missed Reception, Ellie would be perpetually behind the others). She really loves school, and Robert and I love seeing her horizons expanded with growing knowledge of the amazing world her Creator made and sustains.

One of her first writing assignments

Our beautiful walk home on nice days

In her enthusiasm for writing, she leaves the sweetest messages all over the house and can often be found writing notes to her teacher, parents and friends.

Presenting Daddy with an entire shopping bag of hand-written notes for his birthday!

She loves to read to us and recount concepts she's learning at school.

She would craft and "make" all day long if she could.

Making "Thankful Turkeys"

We decided to have Ellie to attend one after school club, and (though there were several other clubs she probably would have enjoyed more) we "helped" her choose football. Now, in the US, all good little children play soccer when they're 5 and 6 years old, so we assumed it would be similar in the UK.

Out of about 20 kids that showed up on day 1, Ellie was the only girl. And that sweet girl ran and kicked her little heart out, and then politely asked, "Do I have to go to football every week??"

We encouraged her to see the season through, even though she truly hated going. She never even sniffed a goal, but at the end of the season she received the special award for the player that showed the best sportsmanship, listened to instruction, and tried their best.

And we just gushed with pride and gladly bought her ANY ice cream she wanted.

She loves to make up plays and pretend - I have a new appreciation for the never-ending creativity of my big sister (the eldest of FOUR girls).

She jumps at the opportunity to sing on stage.

She's actually becoming REALLY helpful in the kitchen these days.

And did I mention she's a stellar big sister?

We're pretty grateful for the lively, tender-hearted, cautious and caring gift of a daughter she is to our family!

NOTE: I do realize these updates present a pretty rosy picture of our amazing but imperfect daughter, who has struggles that accompany her strengths like the rest of us. Thank you for understanding as I try to share appropriately about her in this public space.

Kim

After all that sweet, relaxing time in Oxford, I feel a little more prepared to keep writing updates on all of our family members.

So... for the update on me! I've been keeping the homefires a burnin' these days. It's not always ever easy and I often feel all my weaknesses utterly exposed under the weight of parenthood, but golly do I have a lot to be thankful for.

My beauties

To back up a little LOT, I had the great pleasure of welcoming three very special ladies at the end of the summer. They're from our church back in Alabama and they came through London on their way back from mission work in Uganda.

They're pretty amazing women. They've each counseled me MANY times on parenting, marriage, and church ministry. I almost think it's unfair to the wider Christian community that they're all in the same church! Maybe they need to spread the love a little?

Well, they DID spread the love to my family and me while here! They came bearing lots of beautiful gifts from Uganda and even took me to TEA AT THE RITZ!!!

Their visit - along with the other company we enjoyed - were the highlights of my summer.

But come September, I was ready for the steady pace of back-to-school season - especially since we would be bringing our first little one to school each day now.

Ahhh, the anticipation of school days.... of crisp and tidy uniforms every morning coupled with a nourishing breakfast (no sugar-laden cereal for us!) .... of new friendships forged and ministry flourishing.... of volunteer reading in Ellie's class and being the dependable parent who accompanies school trips.... of thoughtful teacher gifts for Christmas.... eh hem....

Weeelllllll.... I can barely get the child to school on time! To say my expectations were a little unrealistic would be like saying the Alps are a little steep. It's been a good humbling and learning time for me.

On Tuesdays we drop Ellie off at school and then Meg, Samantha, and I head into the city for Bible Study Fellowship.

Waiting for our underground train

After BSF we stay in the city for lunch, talk about what we've learned, and slowly make our way back north to pick Ellie up from school. It's a wonderful and thoroughly exhausting day, and we've loved studying the life of Moses this year.

Sometimes we take selfies while we're waiting for school to get out :)

Over half-term we so enjoyed having our friends from out west visit - you remember, the ones that also have 3 girls. We took that whole gaggle of girls down to the Tower of London on the first of November to see the poppies that commemorate the lives lost in war the last 100 years. It was very moving to see our lively, giggly, unknowingly blissful children walk among such a picture of sacrifice.

I also had another birthday thrown in there somewhere :) We had KFC for dinner and it reminded me of my childhood where - almost every year without fail - my mom would offer to make me any meal I'd like and I'd always ask for KFC. It's just finger-lickin' good, ya'll.

And I received the dearest cards and gifts from my hubs and girls. Family birthdays can't be beat.

I've also been enjoying our LTS Wives courses this term and feel like they're really helping to address early-on some common struggles we may face in future ministry. I also pray with a few of the wives regularly and have been so encouraged during these times. We even snuck in a night out to dinner together...

Overall, I think we've really settled into our family-of-five groove, and I'm thankful to have all my little ducklings in tow...