Our Little Musician

Yesterday, I captured Thompson practicing his class song "Halloween is Here" for the school's Fall Program, which was this morning. He and his classmates did a great job!

Then I got a bonus...Thompson's guitar version of the same song.

But if think we're finished...we're not. Read on! Thompson then sang a song accompanied by a surprise instrument (mind you an instrument I didn't think he knew). God has certainly blessed us with a musical child. Enjoy!

Translation: The bass goes like this...there's a little wheel turning in my heart.

Snow in October?

Why not? We awoke this morning to a flurry of snow...what a surprise! I can't think of the last time, if ever, that I've known it to snow in NC in October. Anyways, both the snow and winds picked up around mid-morning for about an hour and created quite the winter wonderland. It's still chilly and breezy, the but snow has finally stopped and the sun is out.

In other news...We have seen our parents within the past four days, so that's been special for all of us. Bobby's new position with The Palmer Group continues to go well. He is gearing up for another post-season softball game tonight. If they win, then they'll play in the finals later this week. Thompson has been busy practicing his song for his school's Fall Program on Thursday and anxiously awaiting Friday's Halloween festivities. (If we get lucky, we may be able to capture video for you!) He got to wear his Halloween outfit to school today and will showcase it tonight at Kindermusik as well. Stay tuned for pictures!

Apple Picking Time

This morning marked our first apple-picking excursion. We headed to Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock where we were greated with temperatures in the mid-50's and joined by three other friends and their mothers. The kids enjoyed climbing on and over the pumpkins, picking apples and eating them right on the spot, and touring the grounds by riding in a tractor-pulled wagon. No trip to the orchard is complete without enjoying an apple doughnut and puchasing some apple cider for home.  (And no post is complete unless we feature Thompson on a "digger"/antique forklift!)

A Night in the Woods

Well, last night marked the Jones family's first overnight camping trip. We stayed at the North Mills River campground, which is about 15 minutes from home, and were joined by our neighbors the Freemans. We enjoyed "hobo" dinners and hot dogs cooked on the campfire...and, of course, no camping trip is complete without s'mores! Overall, Thompson did great, although sleeping in the tent presented a bit more of a challenge as he is neither used to sleeping with us nor sleeping in a tent. Oh, and did I mention that he hasn't yet mastered the "inside" voice yet? Rain settled in around midnight and even though we arose to a wet campground, it was awesome to listen to the sound of raindrops on the trees and on the tent. We packed up shortly after breakfast and headed home, where we have spent the remainder of today recuperating. Oh, and en route home, a full grown black bear (300-400 pounds) crossed the road in front of us...pretty cool! We look forward to another outing, although we think Thompson may need a few more months under his belt. We'll keep you posted.

The First of Many

Yesterday morning I got the first of what I know will be many more questions to follow. It was raining, and after breakfast, Thompson asked why it was raining. My response...God sent the rain to water the grass, trees and flowers to that they would grow. Being in the "why?" phase, Thompson asked the question again to which I responded with a similar answer. As I continued about the house taking care of my morning "to-do's" I heard..."Where is God? I don't see Him outside." Wow! I certainly wasn't prepared to answer that question, and in that moment, I was convicted that this wasn't a question I could ignore or take lightly. So, I answered it as best I could, hoping my answer was good enough. God must have imparted a fraction of his wisdom to and through me as Thompson seemed satisfied with my answer. And while I haven't had another such question yet, I know there are many more to come.

Just Had to Say

We love our neighborhood! As several of you may recall, upon moving back to the Asheville area in 2004, it took us nearly a year to find our home, which we purchased in April 2005. Since then, we have been ever thankful for God's provision in showing us Ashley Woods. It is a family friendly neighborhood and we've been blessed with wonderful neighbors and friends. Just yesterday afternoon, we hosted a playdate and cookout for several families we've met who have young children. (We had 10 children under the age of 4 with 2 babies on the way!) As we said good-bye to our last guests, Bobby and I commented on how much fun we had in fellowship with our neighbors (and friends!) and how blessed we are to call this neighborhood home.

Evening Reflections

With this being my first post since the beach trip, it goes without saying that it's been a busy couple weeks. Our days tick away and before we know it, the sun is setting on another day and Thompson is reminding us that "his light" (the street light in front of our house) is on, which must mean bedtime. Thompson continues to embrace each day with all it has to offer and, in his delightful spirit, inspires us to enjoy the simple things in life. He continues to love school, and looks forward to chapel and music days. And he is definitely a creature of habit! (I wonder where he gets that from?!) Bobby has officially ditched the crutches as his ankle is healing up remarkably well. He has successfully passed all of the initial and mandatory testing related to his new job and is now working on his marketing plan. As for me, I've been busy being a wife, mom, friend and volunteer. I found this tiny window of time this evening to post to our blog as Bobby is in Chattanooga for the night celebrating his 15th high school reunion. (He ought to have some great stories when he gets home tomorrow!) As always, thank you for "keeping up with the Joneses".