CHRISTMAS

Uncle Ken & Missy
Ky's Train Set from Santa and her stroller in the background which she has proven to be quite a wreckless driver with, poor Baby!

Ky in her Christmas Dress!

MeMe and Mema on a drive!

Ky and Big Bud feeding the cows!

So, this year for Christmas we spent the week in San Angelo. Kylie had so much fun... This was the first year that she actually was able to talk about Santa and was generally excited that he would be dropping off toys under the tree. Before we left for our trip we talked to her about Santa and how he gave toys to all the children in the world so they would have something to open on Christmas morning. We also talked to her about the importance of giving so we decided to decorate a paper grocery bag for Santa and we went through all of her toys and she picked out the ones she no longer played with. These toys she put in the bag and left the bag under the tree for Santa to pick up and add to his sack of toys for all of the other boys and girls. We were so proud!

Once we were in San Angelo we were able to spend time with MeMe, BigBud, Uncle Ken and Mema. We went to the ranch, fed the cows, watched the deer and of course ate tons of food. We even sang Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas Day, after all he gave us the biggest gift of all. Kylie also made cookies for Santa with tons of sprinkles, saw tons of "Jesus Lights" (Christmas lights) and opened tons of gifts. She now has her own kitchen stocked with food to cook for Mommy and Daddy a cool new train set and a stroller for Baby. We have to admit Kylie made quite a haul again this year. We have already had to invest in a new storage shelf for all of her goodies. What a year!!!

Asking All For Help!

Hey all... My cousin Erin is in need of help, so I am passing along their message of hope. This is written by her husband Chris, a man who really loves his wife and wants to make her dreams of becoming a Mom come true.

Hello,
Today I come to you for a very important reason. Many people who know us are probably unaware of the medical problems that Erin, my wife, has been enduring over the past few years. Erin has been suffering from a severe hormone deficiency that was brought on by a combination of a genetic disorder and an adverse reaction to birth control. As a result she has been left unable to ovulate on her own, consequently meaning she cannot have children naturally. More than anything in the world, I would like to give my wife the ability to have her own children. It has just been killing me to watch her crying nearly every day at the site and sounds of other people's children. Every time someone mentions children to her, it is like they are sticking a knife in her side. The only thing in the world she wants is to have her own child, to hold, love, and watch grow. And every day that passes, is just another day her heart is broken...

I have asked for her permission to bring our family and friends into this problem in hopes that we may all help to solve it. The primary problem we are having is, these fertility services have been deemed as medically unnecessary, and are not covered by any form of medical insurance. Therefore, we have to pay for these services completely out of our own pocket. Now we have gone through preliminary diagnostic tests that have shown that she can have children with medical assistance. So we know that fertility treatment is a viable option for us. But one single run of IVF runs nearly $12,000 not including all of the necessary diagnostic appointments and medications. To get a guarantee of a successful treatment the cost grows to as much as $20,000. We have already paid out $3,000 for preliminary treatments and appointments, and have saved an additional $4,000 towards further treatment.

What I am proposing to our family and friends, is to help Erin and myself to invest in the only thing more valuable than all the cars, homes, and stocks in the world; A new life. I am asking for any help anyone can give towards meeting our goal of $20,000 for all doctor’s appointments and IVF treatments. Please, ask your friends, co-workers, neighbors, and anyone that may be able to help. Having children seems trivial to most people until they can’t have them anymore. With your help and the grace of God, hopefully we can successfully bring a new life into the world. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely,
Chris Thomas

For more info please visit
http://www.ketzra.com/BabyFund/

So, tonight we took Kylie to a UT Basketball game. This is the second year we have ventured out to a game with Ky in tow and I am happy to say she seemed to have quite a bit of fun this time around. There was so much to see and do that she was busy and content the whole time. Of course, Bevo was her favorite. She kept saying "Bevo sit here" and pointing to the seat next to her. It was so cute. When we got home, Cody gave Ky the ticket stubs to play with so she showed them to Harley and said "Two tickets, Harley go".

Trail Of Lights

So, on Sunday night we took Ky to "The Trail of Lights" here in Austin. She had so much fun walking like such a big girl, looking at all of the lights and displays. She has really gotten into Christmas this year. She even put a picture of "Baby Jesus" on a branch of our Christmas Tree. (Sometimes she calls it a Jesus Tree) It is hard to believe that last night we were out in short sleeves, remarking how hot it was and then tonight we are already below freezing. We are so happy we decided to venture out last night to see all of the lights, it was sort of an impromptu trip. Tonight would have been so cold! We did however light the fire tonight in the fireplace and sat around it drinking hot chocolate marveling at how Santa could fit down such a cramped chimney.

Thanksgiving

So, I realized that I forgot to post Thanksgiving. Oops. We have been so busy between work, getting ready for Christmas and the "Terrible Two's" that I just can't seem to catch up. Since Cody had to work on Thanksgiving as usual, Ky and I went to San Antonio for our Thanksgiving feast. Well, actually we cooked a whole meal the night before so we could celebrate with Cody and then we packed a few sides to take with us to Granny's. The trip was quick but at least the Turkey was hot...

Kim!

I am so excited. It has been eight or so years since I have seen Ms. Kim Rowley. We went to High School together and it was like not a single day had passed when I saw her today! Kylie really liked her too! She keeps saying "See Kim, See Kim" when she wants to look at pictures on the computer. Hopefully it won't be another massive amount of time before we get to see her again. I can always keep my fingers crossed that she will pack up and move back to Texas, Austin maybe!

Welcome Baby Maren!

We are so excited! Jennifer and Waleed had baby Tidbit on the 14th. Her name is Maren Genna Lutfiyya. Yippe, Ky loves looking at the pictures of her new baby cousin. Good work Jennifer and Waleed, she is so beautiful. We can't wait to meet her.

Trunk or Treat!

For Halloween we went to "Trunk or Treat" put on by our church in the parking lot right outside of Gattitown (Kylie's favorite place to eat). Kylie seems to love the idea of "Trunk or Treat", all of the cars are in the form of a semi-circle with their trunks decorated and filled with all sorts of treats. In the center of the circle are all types of games for the kiddos to play. What fun! Even Ms. Linda and Mr. Jerrell had their car out filled with yummy treats... After Kylie filled her pumpkin to the brim we went over to Gattitown and had our fill of pizza and ski-ball. Yippee!

Carving a Pumpkin...

This evening we carved our pumpkin for Halloween. Last year Kylie dove head first into the challenge, but this year it took quite a bit of coaxing for her to get her hands dirty. She of course wanted Daddy to do all of the work. Kylie did have fun though, especially when it came to taking pictures and turning the pumpkin light on and off. Now it sits on our front porch as we hope it does not end up splattered on the sidewalk or taking a joyride with the neighborhood kids.

Halloween Bash at Bowie High School...

Today we joined Andrea, Will, Aiden and Josephina at the Halloween Festival at Bowie High School. The kiddos had plenty of candy as they played the various games and had a pizza picnic. Kylie also had a blast dancing to the many bands that played in the Courtyard. She seems to be looking forward to Halloween this year so today was a great treat.

Granny's Birthday...

On Saturday we took a quick trip to celebrate Granny's Birthday. We got to visit her apartment, eat a yummy meal and of course Granny got to open presents. Kylie also got to see MelMel and Papa. What fun it always is to spend time with family.

Christoval

On Friday afternoon we drove to Christoval to attend Meme and BigBud's SURPRISE RETIREMENT PARTY. Since we got there a bit early we took Kylie to the park, where she had a blast throwing rocks into the river and watching the fish. As soon as Meme and BigBud finish the house they are building maybe Ky can get in some fishing time!!!

Pumpkin Patch

A few weeks ago, Cody and I took Ky to the store and let her pick out her costume for Halloween. Out of everything there she chose "Goldilocks", how perfect is that! So, today we tried out her costume and took Kylie down to the Pumpkin Patch in Buda, where she ran up and down the rows of pumpkins and picked the one for her and Daddy to carve for Halloween. She even picked out a baby pumpkin to color. It was so much fun!

Texas Parks & Wildlife EXPO 2008

Today we went to the Texas Parks & Wildlife EXPO. We have gone every year since we have lived in Austin and believe it or not it is just as fun each time we go. This year Kylie was old enough to do some of the activities. She was so excited about fishing since Daddy promised her this morning that she could see lots of fishies. With Cody's help Kylie did in fact catch her very first fish, a trout... Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the fish.


Although Kylie was partial to the fish, she did stop long enough to see some of the other "wildlife" they had on exhibit. The snakes were too scary so we stuck close to the ground and examined the turtles and of course the bird dogs.

Kylie also had fun playing around in the TPWD Helicopter. I guess she takes after Cody, he loves to go flying and so does she.

Hurricane Ike

As many of you know, Cody was sent to the Galveston area after Hurricane Ike hit. He said the destruction was horrible and brought back many pictures of the devastation many of those that live on the Gulf Coast will being going home to. After seeing these I am pretty sure that living on the coast is something I can live without.


There were many more houses on this block. Only these 5 were left standing, the rest are as you can see completely gone...

This is the lion the guys helped get out of the church. The guys said the lion went willingly but the tiger, which we do not have a picture of, did not.

This is the cow the guys rescued from the second story of a home. Poor cow!

The guys used an airboat to get to many of the places to check for survivors. Praise the Lord they found a few and brought them to shelters.

General damage to the area, it is just awful to see in pictures I can't imagine being there in person.

This is the bridge the guys had to use to get onto the island. Yes, it was down to one lane and the others had been taken out by the waves. Scary...

Party Time!

This evening, Kylie went to a Luau Birthday Party for "The Boys" down the street. She had so much fun! The boys had a pool and of course cake, what more could a girl ask for. Even baby Josephina, the boys new little sister, enjoyed the festivities. What cuties they all are!

Family Fun Fair...

This afternoon was the "Family Fun Fair" at church. We stopped by for only a few minutes since it was really too hot to stay very long with a toddler. I would have to say that Ky's favorite part was the Camel. She loves animals, as long as Daddy goes to see them with her!

Goin' Bananas

There is a cool inside play place not far from our house filled with tons of inflatables and play areas for kiddos. The best thing is, it has air conditioning for those HOT Texas days. Kylie and her friend Ryan had a "Playdate" there the other day. It was worth every penny!

Eklutna Lake - Alaska

For one day only all of the Jones Kidlets were together! Even baby Tidbit in Jennifer's belly. What a great trip. We can't wait to go back during the winter sometime so we can hit the slopes. Well the bunny ones for me at least.