Slip N Slide 2012

Who doesn't love a giant slip n slide at on a wednesday night at youth group?! :) Very fun times!

Summer Treats

Here are some ways we have been enjoying summer and staying cool in the heat!

Iced Coffee
Here's Pioneer Woman's recipe for homemade iced coffee - been making this for a couple summers now. It's very good. I usually use starbucks and add ice, a little sugar, some flavored creamer and vitamin D milk. healthy, i know.
Here's my post on it:
http://joeandracheljones.blogspot.com/2011/08/perfect-iced-coffee.html

If you are out and about in the afternoon and haven't had your coffee fix, definitely hit up Dunkin Donuts for  any size $0.99 iced coffee or iced tea from 3-6 p.m. I get the iced coffee with mocha, cream and a little liquid sugar since the regular sugar never dissolves.

We've been branching out from just Dean's vanilla and me with my chocolate ice cream and have been getting all these great Breyer's ice creams on sale at Dominicks. They are SO good & of course love the Edy's fruit bars :) We actually make ourselves ice cream cones for walks since I get these for less than $3 and just a cone in dt wheaton is more than that. woot.

We have been utilizing our swing in the mornings and baby pool along with our park district pools to keep cool. Lucy is still being "trained" to obey and stay by me at the pool. She's a wild woman with the water and LOVES it :) Plus who can resist a baby in a bikini????

P.S. Let me know if any local girls are going to the pool - having other kids to watch or play with might be a better way to contain her :)

"Baby Time" - Helpful post on early motherhood :)

I thought this was a clever and helpful & light post on early motherhood. Feeling like I need to read these things and remember what is coming my way again in a couple months, eeks!!

http://www.feminagirls.com/2012/01/23/baby-time/#more-4001

Happy Father's Day - Gampa edition

We are so thankful for both of our dad's being so close by and involved in our lives and Lucy's life. Lucy's Gampa and Pop Pop are two of her favorite people and I'm so thankful for that and that she gets to see them so often.
Lacking in photos of Lucy and Pop Pop but my dad is always taking photos so we have gotten a lot of him with his favorite little lady :)
So thankful on this Father's Day for their influence and example to us as parents and to our kid(s) as well.

Pop Pop




Gampa

Happy Father's Day!

Just wanted to honor Joe and thank him for being such an amazing daddy to our sweet girl and soon to two little ones! WOW! Can't believe we've already completed 16 months of being parents and I'm just so thankful that God gave me Joe for this journey of life and parenthood and everything in between. Can't say enough times what a wonderful dad he is and how much I love him.
Now here's a lengthy photo tribute to the best daddy with his best little lady <3