Merry Christmas...

With 2006 coming to an end and 2007 just around the corner, what better time to reflect on our God of Grace. Sarah and I remain amazed with God's gracefulness, a gracefulness perhaps best exemplified in the birth of a child in a manger. God has been consistently good to us this year, despite our (or, my) inconsistency. We Christians find ourselves taunting our own faithfulness now and then. What a joke! It is Christ's faithfulness to us that is truly remarkable. In 2006 we were blessed with a new home, great friends, relaxing camping trips, joy-filled family gatherings, a milestone birthday, opportunities to serve, and a deepening commitment and love for each other. Oh, and the Badgers had a pretty darn good season too. What will 2007 bring? We do not know, and in many ways, we really don't care. God's hand will be on it all and in twelve months we will sit back again, take a deep breath, and marvel again at His never-ending, and completely unmerited, GRACE. We love you all (family and friends) and pray that you too see God's Grace in the birth of a child this Christmas Season. God Bless.

Had some free time this week, so I thought I'd rework our guest bathroom. Here's a before and after.

Christmas Tree Hunting 2006

A New Season Begins....

In just a few days, the hunting season comes to and end for the year. The snow is falling in Wisconsin, Christmas is just around the corner, and changes are taking place everywhere. What changes, you might ask?

The photos on our site will likely change from dead game to frollicking in the snow with family. More skiing, less hunting. And or course, another new job for Ryan. I know, I know, what's new?

Here's the deal. I have recently accepted a management position with Thrivent that will begin January of '07. While sparing most of the detail, I will be working directly with our Lutheran congregations, managing our relationship with the congregations and helping them navigate the many resources we can and wish to provide. There are many reasons why this is a great step forward for Sarah and I, but I'll share just a few. First, it is an awesome opportunity within a company I believe in and that is unlike any other in the industry. Second, it will allow me to better allign my career with my my passion, helping churches fulfill God's commission here on Earth. And finally (and the greatest benefit), this will allow more evening time for Sarah and I and a family down the road (note: down the road...no news on that front). We are both truly excited about what this means for our lives moving forward. This is truly an example of answered prayer. I would love to tell you more when we see you in person.

May God richly bless you and your families this Christmas Season.

Pirate Thanksgiving...2006

The food = Pork and plantain hash, bread pudding, coconut and jerk shrimp, jerk crab dip, jerk turkey, sweet potato fries, and the bar wenches famous cranberry cake with rum sauce.

The activities = swashbuckling, shivering our timbers, walking the occasional plank, and responding "RRRR" to nearly every question asked.

The verdict = Grandma and Grandpa win best dressed. Beyond that....we have a lot to be thankful for. God Bless you and yours.

Deer Hunting 2006....congrats to Derek and making his first appearance on the Jones blog. We hunted in a zone labeled a "herd management" unit. In other words, the DNR wanted to control the population with a large harvest this fall. After 2 days, 4 hunters, and a truck bed full of 7 deer, we feel we did our part. I'm sure the thank you card from the DNR is in the mail already.

Happy 30th birthday Ryan! I love you!

Happy birthday to my BIG sister Abigail!

I am currently on day 5 of being a hunting widow (again). Ryan, the duck-slayer, is currently in North Dakota hunting ducks with his brother and a friend. I have been once again left to fend for myself. I have only spoken to him once, so I really don't know how the hunting is going. He is due home late tomorrow night. I can't wait for him to come home. Lucy is always a terror when he is gone. She is super whiny and chews on everything (which she never does). It is kind of sad to see her looking at the door waiting for him to come home. I am keeping myself busy...shopping, got my hair cut short again, and going to a halloween party with my sister-in-law and nieces. Oh, yeah I have been working too. I am currently taking a class to renew my teaching license...man, I don't think I even worked this hard in college. It is tough!
Moving on...my volleyball season is offically over. We had a tournament last weekend. We came in 5th (out of 7). It was a good way to end our first season. We actually did win a whole game(not just a set) this year too! I was so proud of my girls. Basketball starts in 3 weeks...can you sense my excitment. I do enjoy coaching and will definately be ready in 3 weeks, but right now I can't even think about it.
I am sure that Ryan will have pictures to post from his trip when he returns...yep, more dead animals. Welcome to my world! :)

A strong cold front blows in from the West, and the ducks come with it.

Dinner on the tailgate...few things in life produce this degree of happiness.

A solid Saturday morning in the field...

Time to catch up!

Wow, times always flys by so quickly. So much has happened in the month of September and we are so bad at keeping this updated. Let's see...

A few weekends ago we had super football weekend. We went the the Badger v. San Diego State game in Madison and had a wonderful time! My sister and her husband came with and we tailgated, enjoyed Madison, and we actually got Matt to wear Badger red. Oh, and he even cheered for the Big Red. (We are going to get you to be a fan yet!) Then on Sunday, Ryan and I had a chance to go to the Packer v. Saints game. We ROASTED! It was so stinking hot that day...we were burned AND sweaty. It was a whole lot of fun, but let me tell you I was footballed out. Ryan was in heaven. :)

Last weekend we spent at home. Our first weekend at home since the summer...Probably even July. It was nice not to have to go anywhere, but we got a lot done around our house. We also went to Appleton's Oktoberfest. We had a great time...good company, good beer, good food. The only thing that spoiled it was the occasional downpour in which everyone went running for the nearest building overhang.

In between our weekends we have been keeping busy too. Ryan has been busy duck and goose hunting. He has been providing our family with birds to eat. Hungry anyone? He will head off to North Dakota for a week of duck hunting at the end of October. His goal for this hunting season is 40 ducks. He is well on his way! He has also decided that a man can never have too much camouflage. Yikes! I have been busy with volleyball. Our season is almost over and the girls are getting better everyday. I will be happy when the season is over, but basketball is right around the corner. It never ends!

The Joneses

Dan being Dan

and Ryan being Ryan

Labor Day in Lake Geneva...


Sarah and I spent the Labor Day weekend on Lake Geneva with the Volbrechts. Two days of boating, three nights of cold beverages and great food, and whole ton of fun. Thanks to Dan and Trina for bringing the boat...and thanks to the Harbor View Motel for providing a cabin with one knife, two forks and no coffee maker. Note...if you can boil water, locate a few plastic cups, and you have Dan Volbrecht in the house...you can make a mean cup of coffee.

Don's Place


Grandma D and the great grandchildren(and Andy!)

This past weekend was spent with Ryan's extended family in Minoqua, WI. We all gathered at his uncle's cabin to have fun, catch up with each other, meet new family members and to dedicate the place to Don. Don passed away last summer and Jerry named the new cabin "Don's Place." It was a great weekend! We got to see family that we haven't seen in a year...including new great grandchildren! Boy, there were lots of kids running around.

Ryan and I stayed through Monday...which means we had the place to ourselves Sunday afternoon to Monday. We read, slept, and played backgammon and cribbage. We also went into Minoqua on Sunday and went through the shops. It was very relaxing and very hard to come home!

We are leaving tomorrow to go camping at LuWiSoMo in Wild Rose. It is family weekend and should be lots of fun!

Matt, Abby, Dan, Sarah, Ryan

Lambeau Field

Ryan and I in Wild Rose, Wisconsin

Hello Everyone!

I always have good intentions of keeping this blog up to date, but I always fail! These past few weeks have been very busy and emotional. Two weeks ago, my grandmother was brought to Theda Clark Hospital in Neenah. She was diagnosed with a large brain tumor. She decided to go home (King Veteran's Home) instead of having surgery. Ryan and I had a chance to visit her a few times, but she passed away last week. The memorial service will be in August to celebrate her walk with Jesus. Prayers for the family and friends would be greatly appreciated!

Ryan and I took our very first-just the 2 of us-camping trip 2 weekends ago. We had a great time! The weather was great( and the company even better!). We had a brief storm...we always do when we camp...but managed to stay dry by playing darts and cribbage at a local restraunt/bar. I managed to beat Ryan once in cribbage! We also played a few rounds on frisbee golf...I beat Ryan once (the first time ever!). We also played a round at Nordic Mountain...which was the craziest and hardest course ever! You start and the base...go up...come down....go up...and come down. We quit halfway through...we were tired! Ryan managed to get poison ivy somewhere there too!

This past weekend our friend Dan came down from the Twin Cities to go to Packer Training Camp. We went both Friday and Saturday....HOT, HOT, HOT!!!! It was fun to see the new Packers this year and to see what the team is going to look like. While I enjoyed myself....the boys were in heaven. Ahhh, thus begins the football season! On Friday, we also took in a Green Bay Blizzard game. This is our arena football team. This was our first Blizzard game and let me tell you, this is a whole different culture! It was very fun...but the people in attendance were very different than a normal football game.

Today is so hot...about 100+ degrees! I am trying to stay cool and enjoy what is left of my summer!

Can you believe it's been three years! Happy Anniversary! It feels like just yesterday...

We biked to the top of Meditation Hill to watch a beautiful sunset....God is good!

Dan and Ryan enjoying a sail around Round Lake...they only tipped over once!

The group...minus my brother-in-law Matt who had to work.

What a great summer! I can't believe that it is almost half over with aready! Ryan continues to be busy at work and I am serving burgers. I am enjoying my job...especially all the wonderful people I get to work with. :) It is keeping me busy this summer. Let me quickly catch you up on our 4th of July to the present...

Over the 4th of July we went camping at LuWiSoMo in Wild Rose, WI. We met Ryan's parents, my sister and her husband, and our good friends from Excelsior. We had a great weekend....beautiful weather and good company. We managed to escape some serious storms. We spent the long weekend at the beach, biking, boating, tubing, and playing a round of frisbee golf. It was so relaxing....a true vacation. We always have a great time camping.

Yesterday we enjoyed Lifest in Oshkosh. We were blessed with a warm day with a nice cool breeze. We got to hear the music of many of our favorite Christian artists...Bethany Dillion, Mark Schultz, Kutless (my favorite), Relient K, and Over the Rhine (awesome if you like jazzy acoustic...they're awesome). We also got to watch the Fitz family jugglers...a favorite to watch. Every group put on a great show! It was a long day....but well worth being tired today!

The following are pictures from our camping trip to Wild Rose...enjoy!

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! I just finished up my last day...okay really it was a 1/2 day. The last day is always a bittersweet event. I loved the year and my kids (no matter how challenging they were). God truly blessed the year! I look forward to the summer. I will be working as a server this summer at a bar and grill. Hey, I've got to stay busy right? :) Ryan continues to be busy with Thrivent. I really haven't seen very much of him lately...he's working so hard.

We spent our Memorial Day weekend up in the Nicolet National Forest with Ryan's family and some friends from Minnesota. There were 1o of us out in the middle of nowhere. It was great fun! The weather was extremely hot and sunny. We had one night of rain in which the thunder was so loud it shook the ground. The lightening lit the sky up like it was daytime. Let's just say little sleep was had that night! We went to the beach, rafting down the Wolf River, and read...it was a very relaxing weekend.

I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend too! Ryan is gone for a Bachelor Pary weekend in his hometown. I am going to shop, read, and relax. We hope and pray that all is going well for you!

Had to share this with you! This is a typical morning for Ryan and Lucy! It is too cute!

Abby and Matt...can't wait until you guys are here!

Ryan's new toy...he decided that he didn't want to push mow our 1/2 acre.
I just really don't know why! :)

Hello! We hope that you all are doing well. We are having a very busy spring here in the Valley. Let me just catch you up on our April...

We spent the long Easter weekend in the Twin Cities. It was so great to see our friends. It was hard to come back! I was on spring break when we came back and I used it to the fullest. I did absolutely nothing during this time off! It was great to get some things done around the house. We then spent the weekend doing some hard work at Camp LuWiSoMo in Wild Rose. We painted the stable and hung signs. It's always a great time when we go back to see the camp. We slept in a treehouse and got visited both night by a flying tree squirrel who tried to eat our treehouse! It was the craziest thing!

Ryan is back with Thrivent and working hard. He is very much enjoying being back with the company. I am in my last month of school and things are just crazy. The kids are ready to be done...and maybe me too (just a little).

Some exciting news too...my sister and her husband will be moving to the Valley this summer! Matt will be finishing up at CUW in Mequon this May with his doctorate in physical therapy. We are so very excited to have them moving so close! We will have so much family here!

The fireplace today...

The fireplace before the Joneses...

Long time, no blogging. Seems with each spring comes a new sense of optimism...certainly true for Sarah and I. We continue to sit back in amazement of how God's blessings continue season after season. For us, this spring brings anticipation and change.

Change #1...We bought another home. This time around, we found a newer house that not only meets our needs, but hopefully, will appreciate over the coming years. We moved in last week and are busy painting away. Next, I plan on trying my hand at tearing down and replacing a fireplace, and then it's on to the basement (what Sarah refers to as my "man space"). With half an acre to roam and run, Lucy has settled in just fine. Apparently she isn't planning on mowing the lawn for us. We have plenty of room for guests, so please consider visiting.

Change #2...In the ongoing saga of my career path, I have once again made a career move. I resigned from my youth ministry position this week (after a very short tenure) and will once again be roaming the world of personal finance. After much prayer and consideration, I reached the conclusion that given my personality, strengths, and many weaknesses, I have a greater potential to impact the world for Christ outside the Church. To some extent, I prefer walking in circles where faith is less common and more necessary. Sarah and I are very excited about the opportunities this move affords...flexibility for travel (seeing family and friends more often), daily variety and challenges, the ability to help clients protect their family and future, and down the road, the opportunity for Sarah to stay home with our children is she so chooses. So, by April first, I'll be back up and running. Anyone need any financial advice?

Sarah's career continues to challenge and reward...and the rewards far outweigh the challenges. She loves her kids, loves her school, and cannot imagine doing anything else. We are very grateful that despite my inconsistency, her job remains secure and fulfilling. She is considering heading back to school this summer to begin work on her Master's. I, however, keep encouraging her to work as a beer cart girl at a local golf course. (I hear husbands get to golf for free.) I thought about it myself, but was informed I don't look very appealing in short shorts. Go figure.

That's us in a nutshell. Again, we love visitors, so stop by sometime.