Category » familyJones Design Company

May

16

a happy saturday and a happy giveaway winner

There is something so wonderful about a sunny spring Saturday. Especially when it was a stay-home day and we were able to tackle some yard work that we’ve been wanting/desperately needing to do for a while.

Task one: plant pots

pots undone

The kids and I went from nursery to nursery while I tried to figure out what in the world to put in my front pots. I’m not very good at this gardening thing, but I think I chose some good plants … or at least ones that make me happy. I even went a little crazy and chose a purplish red begonia for a pop of color.

Task two: weed the lawn.

weeds

I know they make weed killer chemicals for this, but the dandelions were driving me crazy and I wanted them OUT! So I used my new poker tool that Ryan bought me and pulled out every.single.one.

While I was busy dirtying my hands, the babes {who were rather grouchy because they have not yet received the memo that saturdays are for sleeping in} spent their time reading

reading

riding

munching on watermelon and riding in/on cars

go carts

These activities made them much less grouchy.

Do you want to know what makes grown men really happy?

chain

Yanking dead bushes out of the yard with a truck.

pulling

out

bare yard

We are rearranging the plants in our front yard and needed to pull out the dead one and remove the huge one that never belonged there to begin with. Our front yard is not looking so hot now,

but at least my pots are pretty!

Okay, ready to find out who is the big winner of the May Giveaway?

hip hip hooray!

To claim your prize, please email your address to me at emily@jonesdesigncompany.com

I am putting together the june giveaway and will post it in the next few days.

As always, thank you to all of you who entered the may giveaway and for spreading the word with your face book friends. If you weren’t able to enter, please know that we are working on making the entering process easier and more inclusive. Thank you for bearing with us as we find the best solution. You all are great.

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Posted by emily | 20 comments

May

09

our new family photos

We had family photos taken a few weeks ago. It was an unseasonably warm and gorgeous day {which after being rained out twice before, it was a welcome surprise!}. We worked with Estepworks Photography and could not be happier with the images.

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Baby girl isn’t walking on her own quite yet, but she loves holding hands and taking steps… and the boys and mommy & daddy happily oblige.

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We spent an hour or so walking around Bellevue Botanical Gardens and the boys were completely in their element exploring, throwing sticks in the water, jumping off rocks, trampling rare plants. Sorry Bellevue Botanical Gardens for that.

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I’m so happy to have these images to remember this time in our family’s lives.

If you live in the Seattle area and are in need of a fabulous photographer, please feel free to contact Estepworks Photography.

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Posted by emily | 55 comments

Apr

01

these hands

I took these photos one afternoon a few weeks ago. It was a moment when I was truly cherishing my little ones.

With their sweet hands that clean.

And build.

And craft.

And draw.

But I’m afraid I don’t always cherish these moments. Too often, I see it like this:

Audrey wasting another diaper wipe.

Mason making a mess in the living room.

Brady using far too much tape.

Ethan leaving his papers strewn about the table. Again.

Ugh. I hate admitting that. Do you know what I mean, though? So often I miss the joy of their playfulness and creativity because I’m more concerned about things like wasting tape and not wanting to clean up another mess. Things that are necessary, no doubt, but not things that show my children how much I value them.

My babies’ hands make messes. They hit. They drop their food on the floor and wipe their sticky fingers on the sofa.

But they are everything I’ve ever hoped for.

They are full of curiosity and unlimited talent. They share their toys. They offer to help. They draw amazing pictures and write silly stories. And they give the sweetest hugs.

I created this little note card to put up in my office … sometimes I just need a gentle reminder to refocus my perspective. Perhaps you do as well.

Please feel free to click on the image to download a pdf. There are four on a sheet, so you can pass a few along to friends.

Being a mommy can be a thankless job. We may not hear much gratitude for all we do, but I know that simply by loving our families to the best of our ability, we are making a difference. And perhaps with the right attitude, this great responsibility and honor can be full of joy and grace even when it’s messy.

***UPDATE***

Sorry that I overlooked that many people have one child! So here is a card for you.

And a family one as well.

Just click on the image to download the pdf.

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Posted by emily | 118 comments

Mar

23

spring wardrobe

See that ad over to the right for EstepWorks Photography? We’re having a family photo shoot with him in the upcoming weeks {our first date was rained out … late winter/early spring is very unpredictable in the NW} and I’ve been trying to come up with coordinated – but not too matchy – outfits for our family of six to wear.

. . .

A few days ago I received an email from Jessica letting me know about a fun contest she is hosting. All you have to do is come up with a design board of your favorite spring outfit and include two pieces from her jewelry line to be entered to win a pretty generous prize.

. . .

So I combined the two thoughts – outfits for our photo shoot and outfit for a spring design board – and came up with one giant collage to suit the entire family.

Here it is:

What do you think?

For the record, I think ‘his’ outfit is a bit prepier than ‘he’ would actually go for {especially with the little pom-pom boutonniere which I happen to adore}. I am loving Kayce Hughes’ shirt dresses and those joyfolie shoes are the sweetest things ever. I tried to include pieces that our family actually owns so that when photo-day arrives I could achieve a similar style.

So there you have it … my version of our family dressed for spring.

You can enter the Design Your Look contest at www. jesslc.com. It is pretty fun to come up with a dream outfit … or six.

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Posted by emily | 32 comments

Mar

16

I want a dog

Both Ryan and I grew up with family pets. My dad is a lover of all animals and we always either had a dog, cat, rabbit, goat, bird or some combination. I am not overly affectionate with other people’s pets, but I have always loved my own.

Ryan and I have often talked about getting a dog. Its only natural. Get married. Buy a house. Have a few kids. Get a dog.

But I have two problems. 1. I’m not a big fan of dog hair {or wet dog smell or dog poop}. 2. We are not the type who will take a dog for a long walk everyday. Not that we’re lazy …we just have a pretty busy life {you know, four kids, a couple of businesses and all}.

So here’s our solution: English Bulldog. They may drool, but they don’t shed much. And boy, oh boy, are they lazy. Perfect.

via

We have wanted to wait to get a dog until we were out of the baby stage … which we are approaching.

Yesterday I saw a man walking the beefiest looking English Bulldog. A few hours later I saw the above image {on My Sweet Savannah} and it clicked: I want a dog.

So … I’d love to hear your thoughts on dog vs. no dog. And if you know anything about living with a drooly english bulldog, please feel free to share the ups an downs.

**UPDATE**

Okay, maybe I don’t want a dog. At least not an English Bulldog. I’ve loved reading the comments and one thing I can say … I have three boys who are not necessarily smelly now, but in a few years, I’m sure they will be. I don’t think adding a smelly dog to the mix is best for my sanity. Maybe I should take Holly‘s advice and notice the leopard carpet in the photo instead of the dog!