Happy 2nd Birthday Brenna

So today is your actually birthday. I still can't believe you are already two. The years have flown by. I have loved you every minute of those past two years. You are a treasure to me. I love who you have become and I love who you will become in the next years. I love to hear you laugh and your smile lights the room. (I know, that's a line used often, but it's true.) When you tell me you love me I feel warmed by your presence. I still can't believe you know to express that feeling now. It shows how much you have grown in the past year.

I love the way you get excited when your grandparents come to visit and I am sad with you when they leave. I love the way you pretend to be shy to new people, but within a minute or two you want to play with them. I love that you like reading books, even though I have read "Blue Bug and the Bullies" enough times for you to know every single of the bugs in the book by name. I love that I am able to stay at home with you every day to watch you grow and learn. What a special privilege I have. You are my special Love Bug.

Yesterday we were able to go ride Pretty Boy. That was a treasure to me. How fun to share my passion with you. I loved that we sang "Jesus loves me", "Old McDonald", and "Twinkle Star". I love singing with you anywhere, and you do love your music. I guess you share both mine and your Daddy's passions. I hope to have many more rides with you. I'll sing to you on the back of a horse any day. Thank you for blessing this Mommy so greatly.

The Skunk Shall Rise Again

Well, he came back in all his spraying glory. I'm not sure why I assume the skunk is male. I'm sure there are female skunks that stink just as much, but I will continue to call ours a male. So last night I was lying in bed reading. Nathan was in the bathroom. I started to smell the now all too familiar skunk smell. I was hoping my nose was just playing tricks on me, but no. Nathan came into the bedroom with a wrinkled up nose asking if I too smelled the skunk he did. He later took Annie out and said it was almost unbearable outside. Luckily several months ago Nathan decided it was best to take Annie outside on a leash for the for her last potty break. He kept her on a very short leash last night. Again this morning all remnants of the smell were gone. I guess he is just staking claim to our house. Please go away skunk.


On a nicer smelling subject I will try to post some more birthday pictures. Let's see if they work this time.

Brenna trying to blow out her candles.

Brenna's 2nd Birthday Party

Yea! My wonderful brother has let us use he old laptop computer. Isn't he the best. So, now you can all be blessed by the stories I have to share with you and my awesome pictures too. Aren't you so excited.

Well, Brenna has had a second birthday party now. It was a lot of fun but exhausting for everyone. Aaron and Liz brought Tanners jumping toy and all the kids got to jump in it. We sort of had a mini carnival here at the Jones house. We ate cake and opened presents, got a few ant bites and even threw up a large portion of the icing and birthday cake. What more could you ask for in a birthday party. Today she is taking a long nap. Thank you Lord for tired toddlers!

I don't want to overload you with pictures that have lapsed. I'll start with just a few birthday party pictures. You can be sure there will be more to follow on her actually birthday on Wednesday.

The Birthday Cake. This was my first attempt at a decorated birthday cake. I think I did a pretty good job if I might say so myself.


Brenna really enjoyed the cake. When she saw Dad with the camera she had to say cheese.


I can't get the pictures to upload right now, so cake pictures are all for now. More to come later.

Illnesses and visitors

Last week I spent all week at home with a sick two year old. How pitaful. She really didn't feel well and ran a high fever. Now she is feeling better but still coughing, and she has passes it on to me and Nathan. We are both battling head colds. Not fun especially while Nathan's parents are visiting. I fear we will send them home with head colds too. It is fun to have them here. We are going to the beach this afternoon. I'm sure I will have loads of fun pictures to post once I have a functioning computer again.

Also now that Brenna is feeling better and her two year birthday is quickly approching, she is beginning to show even more of those trademark characteristics of a two year old. It is an interesting year to be. She has to learn so much about surviving in the world and how a normal person acts. She has to learn that the world doesn't revolve around. Both very hard lessons to learn. Hopefully the lessons will be learned quickly so that we can move on past this stage of tantrums.

No Computer

Hello all who read my blog full of important information. I wanted to let you know why my entries are slight right now. Our computer died earlier this week. So sad! Hopefully we will be getting a new one soon, or at least a new one to us. But you will probably be missing out on all the pictures I take this month. I will have a lot to catch up on when I get back into the times with a home computer. Hopefully I will talk again soon.

A New Baby

Well, Avery Elizabeth Collins was born around 9:15 pm on Thursday night. She weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 21 in long. Elizabeth did have to have a c-section, but she and baby are doing well now. Avery is beautiful and I am so thankful I was able to be here for all the fun. It was so great to be able to hold her less than an hour after she was born. I spend the afternoon at the hospital with my parents, her parents, Liz, and Aaron waiting for the little one to arrive. It was a long wait but I'm so glad I was there.


Brenna and I came home on Saturday afternoon and haven't stopped yet. I guess it is good that we have a slow week this week. Today I tried to go out and take some pictures of Brenna in the bluebonnets, but I wasn't very successful. There just aren't very many here. The picture isn't great, but it will give you all an idea of spring in Texas. It is my favorite time of the year here. I love the Texas wild flowers. When the rain is good, they cover almost every strip of land available. It is a beautiful brush stroke from heaven.

Wouldn't you love to be two again so you could...

...really get into your meals?



...ride unashamedly on your stick horse through the tornado disaster area in the living room?


...have Elmo, Cookie Monster, the purple horse, and your doll house people eating under one roof at the table together?