TEAM Jones

Christmas Eve and Day

2010-01-02T22:47:00.002-05:00

Tamara Jones is having a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS in her new house. Sitting by the fire, watching Christmas movies with my family. My kids baked a cake and cookies, we hung our new stockings (thanks Mrs. V) on our mantel beside our little tree and are waiting for our Lord's birthday!

December 24, 2009 at 7:43pm

Tamara Jones is thanking God for His Son Jesus, who was brought into this world to die for me. Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to all my friends and family! Spent the day

Allowed the girls to wake us up an hour earlier this year (7am) to open presents. They were so excited. It was nice to see them get something after all that they have been through. Went to mama's for lunch and presents there. All in all a great Christmas!

Busy, Busy December Part 5

2010-01-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

MOVING DAY, MOVING DAY

Tamara Jones is loving my Lord, my life, my family, my almost finished new house, my sweet new bed, ahhhh the joy of having a real bed and a real house! Oh, never underestimate the power of a new jacuzzi tub! More moving in today!

December 19, 2009 at 7:58a

Tamara Jones is loving my Lord, my life, my family, my almost finished new house, my sweet new bed, ahhhh the joy of having a real bed and a real house! Oh, never underestimate the power of a new jacuzzi tub! More moving in today! (repost from Saturday, same feelings today!)

December 21, 2009 at 11:27am

Tamara Jones is having a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS in her new house. Sitting by the fire, watching Christmas movies with my family. My kids baked a cake and cookies, we hung our new stockings (thanks Mrs. V) on our mantel beside our little tree and are waiting for our Lord's birthday!

December 24, 2009 at 7:43pm

December 18-24, 2009

Busy, Busy December Part 4

2010-01-02T22:09:00.003-05:00

Face book quotes....

Tamara Jones is wondering...Lord, I have tried to keep a patient and good attitude through this trial. But today I am wondering, is this just my life, or does others experience things like this?

This is my appliances being delivered, but the truck went off into the ditch beside my driveway. Two days from moving in, and I am experiencing the everything that can go wrong will go wrong phase. Lord, please be with me, keep my spirits up. PLEASE!

December 15, 2009 12:01pm

Tamara Jones is on my computer listening to my baby snoring in her room, which is about 3 feet from me. Part of me thinks I will miss the togetherness my family has shared in the box. Well, maybe just a tiny bit, not too much!

December 15, 2009 at 10:21pm

Tamara Jones is asking you to join her in prayer...PLEASE, oh PLEASE, Lord do NOT let it snow or ice tomorrow. My furniture is coming tomorrow and we only have limited power/water/gas in the box. Please, Please, Please, no precipitation.

December 17, 2009 at 7:07am

Tamara Jones Moving Day, Moving Day, I am moving into my new house today, moving day, moving day, the snow will not keep me away! Ha, we are moving into an unfinished house, and I am thankful! The men will be working around us next week, but they are happy for us that we can move in before Christmas!

December 18, 2009 at 8:59am

Tamara Jones

Snow and all, we were able to get all three bedrooms put together with furniture. The living room delivery truck is stuck in Rutherfordton, the delivery man had to spend the night at the firehouse. Moved about 1/2 of the stuff from the box to the house, until it got too COLD to go back outside. What a great life I lead thanks all to Him.

December 19, 2009 at 8:01am

So the week of the 18th came, the day our living room and bedroom furniture was coming. The men and women had stayed late on Thursday to try to finish, but could not do it. They were coming back on the 18th, but THE SNOW BEAT THEM HERE. We had two men come in and try to do some final clean up so we could move in. Jay and I picked up the girls from school around 11am and we came home to the bedroom furniture being delivered, lovely! Those two men worked all day while the snow poured down and finished putting our beds together so we could sleep our first night in the new house.. What a great group of men! Then around 7pm we found out that the living room furniture was stuck in the snow and would try to get to the house on Saturday.

December 15-18th, 2009

Busy, Busy December Part 3

2010-01-02T22:05:00.003-05:00

Final inspection was set for December 14th......

Face book quotes....

Tamara Jones is asking for prayer! My inspection is set for Monday. If all mechanical passes inspection, we could have our CO (Certificate of Occupancy) on Monday. The house will not be done, but we can start moving stuff in and prepare to live there within the next week. PRAISE GOD, this is almost over and I thank HIM for all of the blessings He has shown us!

December 11, 2009 at 4:13p

Tamara Jones God is so Good, God is so Good, God is so Good, He's so Good To ME!!! Inspection passed! We are moving in by Friday! PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD!

When we passed inspection, I cried and Jay hugged the inspector. It was a true look at all of the emotions that Jay had bottled up for the past five months.

First week of December through December 14!

Busy, Busy December Part 2

2010-01-02T21:42:00.006-05:00

Face book quotes....

Tamara Jones is praying that I do not yell today. The flooring people are here and they did not order what we signed for, they brought a cheaper grade hardwood and I am so upset. Waiting for a return call to see how they plan on fixing it so I can sleep in my house Christmas Eve!December 1, 2009 at 11:38am

Tamara Jones

The flooring people have to order the correct hardwood and it will not be in until Monday or Tuesday so the contractor is trying to rearrange the other subs to come on different days. My cabinet man says he is coming to do the other cabinets tomorrow. We will see...

December 2, 2009 at 9:01pm

Tamara Jones is thankful that the flooring company chose to order the correct hardwood flooring although it will be another week before it is here and installed. ARRG, but the vinyl is down in the house, and I love it, I think it is beautiful! Things are still moving forward, hoping to have the rest of the kitchen cabinets tomorrow. December 2, 2009 at 9:13p

Tamara Jones All I want for Christmas is my house to be done, my house to be done, my house to be done. All I want for Christmas is my house to be done, so I can have a Merry Christmas!

Tamara got a new Red Theme Tree for their profile in My Christmas Tree.

December 2, 2009 at 9:23pm

The first couple of weeks of December were extremely busy. Floors were installed, painting was started, doors were installed inside, etc. The plumbers, heating and air, and electricians had to finish and get final inspection. Finishing touches were coming together, but it still seemed so far away. We were at Lowe's picking out things we had forgot to pick out, or things we had not been told to pick out and it felt like we lived at Lowe's a lot.

Emily's Room.Meredith's Room.

Kitchen cabinets, not done!

Busy, Busy December

2010-01-02T21:14:00.004-05:00

Wow, I took a minute and looked at my blog today and realized that it has been FOREVER since I have blogged. So I will try to put the past month out here for all to see, short version...

We kept our tradition of buying a live tree for Christmas the week of Thanksgiving. We went that weekend and paid $15 for a three foot tree and then had Lowe's cut a 1 1/2 off of it. We took it to the box and had to cut another 6-8 inches off it to make it fit in our kitchen window. The four of us took to decorating it, like we always do, and it took about 3 minutes to have lights and decorations on it. We laughed and laughed, but inside, I was a little sad. Christmas is such a great time for me, I love the story of the birth of my Savior, and we usually go all out with decorating. However this year we limited ourselves to just a few decorations and were happy enough.

Last Week of November, 1st Week of December

A Voice of Thanksgiving

2009-11-22T16:53:00.002-05:00

Psalm 26:7 that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

This Thursday is Thanksgiving, a day to reflect on things that we are thankful for. This year I am thankful for an abundance of things...I will try to list some of them here.

Tamara Jones is thankful for...

My Lord and Savior, who saw fit to save me. Save me from hell, save me from myself, save me from this world. He has seen fit to provide for us this past year while my husband has been unemployed. He has seen fit to save us from a house fire that took all our earthly possessions away. He has been gracious and allowed me to grow in His wisdom and love.

My Family

My Preacher, who has saw me at my worst, but still helped me to become a stronger Christian.

My Church

My Friends

My Box (because many people do not even have a box)

My Dogs, who have been so good to me!

My cars, which have chose to stay running (and are now both paid off)

My Breath

My Health

Green Grass, Wind, the Cold Weather that is finally deciding to come

Shoes, and hair bows, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a hair brush and comb

Water, electricity, hot water and non generator electricity

Fire and water proof boxes that saved some of my pictures from the fire

Fireman who worked all day to save as much of my possessions as possible, including pictures and dogs

Generous people who took time from their busy lives to make sure that we were okay and brought us food, plastic ware, towels, money etc when we did not have anything

Thanks be to God for the great things He has provided!

Looks like a house to me...

2009-11-22T16:36:00.003-05:00

Since my last post, our house has really came together to look like a house again. The drywall has been put up, mudded, sanded, re-mudded, re sanded, re-mudded and re sanded for the third time. Then, they sprayed the ceiling with "knock down" which I love. On Thursday the painter came in a sprayed everything white. It looks very clean (compared to all the black soot colors that we had seen).

To keep on schedule, we need the trim work done by Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The 30th brings in the electrician, plumber and heating and air guys. The 7th brings our floors in, and the 14th brings the final paint jobs. Somewhere in all of this, our kitchen cabinets will be installed and appliances brought in. We are trying to be ready for furniture delivery around the 18th.

Everything is so close, that without God it will not all come together. But, miracles do happen and I am praying that I can at least sleep in my house by Christmas Eve. God is good!

I LOVE DRYWALL......

2009-11-07T18:50:00.003-05:00

I walked through my house Friday almost in tears. Why, you say? DRYWALL!! Ever saw a girl cry over drywall? It was funny, I was so excited, we have rooms now. Walls and rooms and it looks like a house again. Next week they will tape and mud it, and we have already picked out all of paint colors.

The contractor has been saying he hopes to have me in the house by Christmas. I am standing on my faith! God is so good, He can make anything happen.

Consumed by the Fire

2009-11-07T18:33:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I think that all I think or talk about is the house. Whether it be the fire, the camper, the rebuilding, I feel like it's consumed me whole. I do not think that it is all bad, the Lord has taught me some valuable lessons through this trial that I know will and has made me a better Christian. In the near future, I will have my house back with a renewed sense of courage and love to be able to fight the next battle thrown at me! I will have a stronger family, because we have made it through this trial and done so with more love for each other than we had before the fire. And I will have the knowledge that God loves me so much that He notices that I need Him still, even when I thought I could live life on my own.

Sunday at church I felt led to pray a prayer of thanks to God for letting my house burn down. Doesn't that sound crazy? Preacher Glover says that is Christian growth. I hate that it took me 4 months to get to that point, but God works in His time, not mine. It was a strange sensation to thank Him for something that in the beginning I thought would break me. In those first moments after hearing the fireman tell us over the phone that our house was gone, I really thought, "HOW AM I GOING TO LIVE THROUGH THIS? What is going to happen to my family, did my dogs make it, oh no, all my pictures, my Papa stuff." Four months later, I can still feel the pain in the pit of my stomach that I experienced that day. However, there is no dwelling on it, just a remembrance. Now I know that God let that fire put me at a level that I needed to be, lower, lower, lower, so low that I had to reach up for HIM and HIM alone. Reach up and say God, help me, help me to be strong for my family, help me to live more for you, just help me be the way You want me to be not the way I want to be.

I am so thankful for Him. So thankful that God looks down on this huge planet called earth and narrows his gaze to a little part of Rutherfordton and sees me. That He sees that I need Him and then lets me know that He is always here for me!

Last October House Update

2009-10-31T13:45:00.002-04:00

Front Door...check
Back Door...check
Windows...check
Walls...check
Insulation...check
Plumbing...check
Electrical Rough in...check
HVAC Rough in...check

Things coming...
Monday...inspection for insulation
Tuesday...drywall delivered
Wednesday...drywall being hung

So, we are starting to really look like a house with separate rooms now and I get really excited when I see things done. We could not find a solid wood front door at Lowe's that was prehung, but we were able to locate a beautiful door within our budget at Bargain Builders and the contractor took it to stain and seal. They hung it yesterday, but have black plastic surrounding it so the drywall/paint guys don't mess it up. Basically, I have a great front door, but I cannot look at it yet. HAHAHAHAHA They are hoping the painters can start painting in 2 weeks, so that is exciting as well. We have picked out the majority of the new stuff for the house, cabinets, flooring, outlet covers, light fixtures, ceiling fans, switches, vanities, appliances, the list goes on...but we have a few more things to pick out so we will be back at Lowe's more in the coming weeks!

Keep us in your prayers as we are happy to put another month in the box behind us. The Lord is good to us, keeping us safe, the power on, our phone working, selling our puppies to pay our bills. He shows us daily that He loves us and I am so glad he does!!!! Looking forward to November and what is in store for us!

House Update

2009-10-23T23:39:00.004-04:00

Inside of house with stud walls up!

Not sure if you can tell, but we have shingles and the roof is on!

Bricking up the gable on this end to match the other end!

It has been three months this week since my house burned down. We are still living in our camper, had to cut the heat on this week, it works well by the way! Showers have gotten a little worse, the cold water running in the hose from our well to the camper is harsh!

Friday came and went today with no inspection. The roof is done, the electrician is done, I think the HVAC finished today also. So I hope that the inspection can be done on Monday and then the insulation can be put in on Tuesday. I am trying to keep in mind that this is the first step, and there are many more before I get my "CO". (Certificate of Occupancy) It is hard knowing that if things would move a little faster......... Its like I have waited this whole time to see a house forming and now I am getting impatient. What is up with that? I pray that God will keep me in check, take away my impatience and grant me the emotions I need to get through this until my house is done. I do not want to lose all of the valuable lessons that I have learned through this. I want to be the better person that God wants me to be.

Our puppies are starting to go home. I thank God for a great sister like Heather that has helped me take care of all our puppies. Without her, we would not have managed. She has had as many puppies in her room as we have had in the box. LOVE THAT GIRL!

House Update

2009-10-17T09:16:00.004-04:00

The house is starting to come along. The plumber was here this week, the contractor tells me next week will be a madhouse. Monday the electrician, the roofer, the brick mason and the HVAC guys are going to do their thing. They are supposed to be done so that all of them can be inspected on Friday. If the inspection goes well, the insulation and dry wall will start the next week. We have been told to start picking out all our indoor items so they will be ready for pickup when needed.

We have also picked out and paid for all of the bedrooms and living room furniture. Ashley Furniture was great for our living room suit, thanks to Joyce for that. Diane at Wes Bolick gave us a great deal on our bedrooms. Emily's getting a loft bed, Meredith a chocolate full size bed and of course, we are getting a cherry sleigh bed! We were excited to know that those 4 rooms will be furnished, but boy was it hard to spend out all that money and leave with nothing to show for it. (We have a tentative delivery date for December 18th for the furniture).

Please continue to pray for us. I am counting down the days I have to live in the box by how many showers I have to take with my 6 gallon water heater and tiny shower. I still have days that I shout at the tiny shower how much I hate it! hahaha

October House Update

2009-10-05T21:50:00.003-04:00

The whole roof is on, the inside walls are coming this week. Roof shingles will be added after the plumber comes. We have been told to go pick out our tub/showers and front door! Windows are supposed to be here Friday. It is so dark inside the house now, it looks funny, I LOVE IT! Hopefully just 2 1/2 more months to go.

I thank God for looking out for us and keeping my spirits up throughout this hard time!

Last September Update

2009-09-30T17:37:00.003-04:00

WE HAVE 1/2 A ROOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

September Fire Update #2

2009-09-28T23:10:00.004-04:00

The trusses are up. After over a week of NO work being done on the house, the trusses went up today and I am so excited. I will repeat my earlier posts saying, "Once the roof is on, things move a lot faster". So I am counting on that to happen now. It seems like the contractor has been telling me that for a long time. I know that they cannot control the weather, but it was very sad watching my house (or what is left of it) sit here with no work being done on it.This is the view from inside the house now. It changed the look so much to have the trusses on. It almost looks like a real house again. We are supposed to have a whole roof by the end of the week!
This is the LARGE crane that was used to put the trusses up. The crane operator got all the trusses on in 3 hours, it was amazing the transformation!

We still covet your prayers on a daily basis. We are about 60% done with inventorying our belongings. It does not get any easier, but we are hoping to be done soon, so that we can only look ahead instead of viewing what we have lost. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for our family. We love each and every one of you!

Stand Still on the House Building

2009-09-17T19:47:00.002-04:00

You have to love the rain, we need it. Yet, I wish it would go away for now. I waited 3 weeks for the trusses to get here for the roof. They came last Thursday. The crane to put the trusses on was supposed to come yesterday, but they canceled because it was supposed to rain. So now, we are a week to ten days before the crane can come back out, and the work is at a stand still because they cannot do any more inside until the roof is put on. I just want to say that it has been a hard week for me to see NOTHING being done on the house. Pray for me!

Thankful Thursday

2009-09-10T20:08:00.002-04:00

I have many things to be thankful for!

Today I am thankful for trusses!!

Thank you Lord for watching over my family on a daily basis. It occurred to me this week that I am 2/5th of the way through this trial! Only around three more months until my house is finished. I have been waiting for 3 weeks on the trusses to begin the roof and they arrived today. Please let the work continue at a good pace, and watch over and protect the workers here rebuilding my house for us! Please continue to give me the strength and patience to survive this!

September Fire Update

2009-09-08T11:25:00.002-04:00

The house is coming along, the contractor says good, I still say very slow!!
We now have very few walls and floors, the roof is coming the end of this week, and they say that once the roof is on, things will move faster. I sure hope so!

This is my newest thing to think about. I have always hated shutters on houses. They serve no purpose like the old wooden shutters you could close way back in the day. So we have removed the shutters from the front of the house and I think that it looks fine without them, so I will probably not be putting new shutters back on. Let me know if you have an opinion on this.

Beyond Groovy!
Meredith's room had layers upon layers of flooring. This was the bottom layer, you want us to save it for your house? Jay thinks its groovy!

Just another dumpster being filled at the Jones home! We have counted that they have used at least 7 dumpsters in cleaning out debris and they still have a few more floors to rip up! This will be one thing that I will not miss in the yard when it is gone, oh yeah and do not forget the portapotty. (I will NOT show you a picture of that nasty thing!)

Our water went out for about 2 days this past weekend. That was a bummer, but the only setback or trial I had all week. God is good to us!

So, in closing, please continue to pray for us. I feel like every posting is asking for prayer, but we sure do need it.

Happy Anniversary To Me

2009-09-04T07:06:00.004-04:00

Today is such a happy day for me.
It is my 15th Wedding Anniversary!
Such a milestone! I feel so blessed to have a great husband like Jay, I love him so much!

Excitement at the Box, not really

2009-08-29T08:51:00.005-04:00

Well, the Jones family has had some excitement in the box since we last blogged and some of it has not been good. On August 14th, Elsi, Emily's 5 year old Pekingese decided it would be fun to play in the road and was hit by a car. This is the 1st dog we bred and kept, and she has never left our side when outside, so it was a shock to us that she went toward the road. We have decided that this fire has not only altered our lives, but our dogs lives also, so we are trying to be sensitive to their needs. After a not so small ER bill, we have found out that Elsi has a dislocated jaw, 3 broken teeth that have fallen out, her pelvic bones are broke in 3, maybe 4 places and she has compression in her spine that is keeping her back legs from moving. But she is alive, and that is an answered prayer. I kept thinking how horrible it would be for this dog to survive the fire, just to be hit by a car, and for Emily to lose everything she owned except her dog, then lose her dog too. But God is Good and kept Elsi alive to see another day and Emily happy.

Sunday night my car starting acting up with the windshield wipers and then on Monday we noticed that the windshield is cracked. The windshield has a range sensor that tells the wipers when to come on, so with it being cracked the wipers stay on all the time. Jay has pulled the fuse to make them stop (working on getting that fixed???? when some money comes in). Then Thursday afternoon a terrible storm came by. Jay had gone to pick Emily up from volleyball practice and had a flat tire on the way home (in the rain and remember the wipers would not work). So Jay and Emily were stranded on Melvin Hill while Meredith and I suffered through the storm in the box. Needless to say, the power went out not once, but twice, and the rain itself felt like it was going to knock the box over, the wind added to that fear. We managed through it, my dad came and helped Jay put on the spare and he finally got home around 7pm.

To cook a meal in the box is stifling, so we are using our grill outside to cook most of our foods. Thursday after Jay got home, he was cooking hamburgers (in the drizzle) when he came in and said a power line/transformer was on fire across the street. I called 911, told them my address, they wanted to know the address where the fire was. I said, just tell them my address, they will know where to go, they battled my house fire just a month ago. Sure enough, just a few minutes later the great Green Creek fire department was at the scene of the electrical fire. Before they arrived, we watched in amazement, the white and orange colors of the fire, so unlike a regular fire, and the humming noise was very loud. It went out, then started back again and about 30 minutes later we were without power and phone. We decided to go on to bed around 8:30pm after opening all of the windows in the box that will open. I told Jay that we were REALLY roughing it now, without power/air/water. The power came back on around 10:30pm, so we managed okay.

On Friday, as Jay was taking the girls to school the transmission went out on the Suburban. This is the same car we had the transmission replaced in just 3 years ago when it stranded us in FL and we had to pay 3 times the normal amount to get it rebuilt. So we are down to one car, and that car has a cracked windshield and the wipers do not work. PRAY FOR US!

We have decided that we should change our last name from Jones to Job. I have been reading in Job the last few weeks trying to keep his attitude, trying to remember no matter how low we go, God is always with us, taking care of us. Pray that God will continue to teach me patience throughout these trials, and that I will be open to listening to what He has to tell me. On the bright side, the house is moving along, some of the floors have been torn out and the burnt pieces in the walls and where the roof goes has been replaced with new wood. It is nice to see new stuff being done, the carpenter told us this week his goal is to have us in the house by Christmas, so we are praying that things continue to go smoothly and the time line keeps moving up!! haha

After re-reading this blog, it seems like we have had a rough 2 weeks, and we have. Know though, that God IS WITH US, and we feel His presence in our lives even while we are down. Have we asked, what else can happen? Yep, but we are taking each bad thing and looking toward the positive and knowing that God has something good in store for us, as long as we continue to look toward Him for our needs.

Things NOT To Say To Someone Whose House Has Burned Down!

2009-08-14T10:52:00.005-04:00

This is my Top ? List of Things NOT To Say To Someone Whose House Has Burned Down!
It has no number right now because I will add to it as people say stupid things...

The Number 3 thing that you do NOT say to someone whose house has burned down is...the contractors say 6 months to rebuild, hah, you better plan on 9-10 months.

The Number 2 thing that you do NOT say to someone whose house has burned down is...oh, I know how you feel, my house has burned down twice!

The Number 1 thing that you do NOT say to someone whose house has burned down is...my buddy, his house burned down, not once, not twice, but 3 THREE times. He just rebuilt everytime!

Fire Update

2009-08-14T10:31:00.004-04:00

Good Morning, I wanted to update my blog on the progress of my house demo. This picture was taken the day the fire happened on 7/21/09.

This picture was taken 8/13/09, my house has no roof at all, only my chimney.

You can actually stand in the living room and see my bedroom window and closet.

This is starting to get to Jay, pray for him. He has tried to be strong through most of this, but I think it is really hitting home now. He is worried about the brick being structurally sound, I try to tell him the contractors know what they are doing, but he is still worried. He is outside the box now with the contractor and building inspector. I hope he is getting all of his worries out and they will reassure him. I know that God is in control and He would not have left the brick for us if it was not safe.

School started for the kids on Monday. We are trying to get into a morning routine that works for them to get ready. They seem to be okay, they like school.

I have tried to start inventory on the stuff in my house that was ruined by the fire. Boy, this is a hard task. I lost so many pictures of my babies! I try to keep in mind that my babies are still here, so that takes some of the sting away. I am a very sentimental person, so it still hurts.

I hate the camper, but I love the Lord so I am trying to be a trooper about this. Countdown to the end of the year is always in my mind, just 5 1/2 months to live in the box. Pray for God to make this go by very fast for us.

Pray for my mom and sister also. We have no way to wash our clothes and they have taken this task over for us. I thank them so much for doing this, as I know it is a chore. I will probably start going to the washerette soon to relieve the burden.

All in all, we are still surviving, but still requesting daily prayer for God to get us through this and be with every day, all day...to let people see that we are trusting in God and not letting this get us down.

Thankful Thursday

2009-08-06T15:59:00.003-04:00

I have many things to be thankful for!

Today I am thankful for SHOWERS!

It has now been 2 weeks and 2 days since our house fire. Slowly we are getting into a routine living in the camper. We (on Tuesday) were able to take showers in the camper. Do not take advantage of having a shower in your own home. We have for 2 weeks gone to my Dad or Mom's house to take showers. Yes, lugging all of our toiletries back and forth is a pain! Our camper shower is tiny, but functional. So for the past two days I have been able to take a shower here, and it is a joy! We do not have permanent running water from our well, but Jay turns it on when the camper holding tank needs refilling, so we are managing! We got power on Saturday, so yeah, we are no longer needing the generator.

Lord, thank you for the modern luxuries of water and power, things we have taken for granted for so long. Thank you for continuing to give me strength to live through this ordeal, even though some days I get so down. You are so good to me!

Smoke Detectors

2009-08-01T17:56:00.002-04:00

Okay, so the weirdest thing happened this week at the Jones Box. I have heard different reports from different people regarding smoke smells. Some believe that you will get the smell out and some say it NEVER comes out. The restoration people took every stitch of clothing we owned last week after the fire. They say that they have a special way to clean them, and they guarantee their work or we do not pay. I have been excited hoping that our clothes could be saved. High hopes, I know.

So, on Thursday, they brought out the emergency set they took 1st to sort through which mostly contained my clothes. When the delivery driver started bringing them into our box the smoke detector started going off. Jay thought that maybe the battery was old and took it out. After the driver left, I told Jay that I had just purchased and replaced the battery, (of course I wanted to know that we had a good smoke detector), so he put it back up. When we started opening the bags of clothes, we noticed the smoke smell, but the detector noticed it more. It started going off and would not stop. So Jay and Emily took the clothes back outside and the alarm quit going off.

Now, Jay thought that it was funny. I was depressed. My hope is wavering on the restoration of my clothes. We kept one pair of my pants out and my sister washed it in the normal wash cycle and the smell was still there. She is going to rewash it tomorrow after soaking it in vinegar and see if that works. PRAY FOR THE VINEGAR! I do not want to go shopping for new clothes, it is not fun for me.

Also, I understand that in the end of all of this I will have a great house! It will be all new and I will love it. I want people to know why I am not excited about this. I LOVED MY HOUSE!!!! God gave me that house 9 years ago and I loved every piece of it. It had its flaws, like any house, but it was mine and I was proud of it. I know that God has His reasons for this, and in the end I will probably come out better, but please understand that right not that does not make any of this better. For example: Jay and I went to Lowe's last night with the girls to get pickets to fix the dog fence where the fireman had to cut it down. While there, we just stopped by the kitchen department. Let me rephrase that, Jay MADE me go to the kitchen department to look at cabinets and counters. Do you have any idea how many choices they are? How do you pick the right one? How do you know that when you put it in your house that it will look okay? How do you know your choice is right and that you will be able to live with it for many years to come? SCARY, SCARY!

So, while you look and listen to me, and think that I am handling this pretty well, know that inside I am asking those questions about everything we are doing right now. I am second guessing everything. I pray for God to give me guidance, please pray that I will be patient in seeking His will in this MESS!

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-30T21:36:00.003-04:00

I have many things to be thankful for!

Today, I am thankful for my community!

We live in the best little community in the world. Years ago we moved to Rutherfordton to be in the country, away from city life. Away from busy streets and noises. This past week we have realized how great of a place we moved to! The support is pouring in from people we know and people we do not know. We have been pleased to meet neighbors that we have only waved at in passing. The love for fellow neighbors is great here in my little stretch of the woods and I thank God for that!

Thank you, Lord, for giving us support from your people!

The BOX

2009-07-29T09:34:00.004-04:00

Welcome to our box. I have decided that this is NOT my house, nor did I want to call it my trailer or my camper. So we decided to call this our BOX!! Below you can see our 32 foot box that we will call "home" for the next 6 months.

We are thankful to have found this box! Dawn's brother Dustin knew someone who had it for sale. After telling him our story, he came down $5000.00 on the price to get us at the price we needed, so praise God for that also. Thanks to the Greene Family for all of their help, including Russell who was amazing the day of the fire in saving my stuff, and continuing to help the firefighters on his day off! Pray that the walls to the box do not close in on us, and that the next 6 months go VERY FAST!

The Cleanup Begins

2009-07-29T09:16:00.004-04:00

The cleanup at the TEAM Jones house has begun. 9am Monday morning a group of wonderful men and women showed up to start cleaning out the mess you see below. They are boxing it up and putting it outside for me to inventory. I am expecting this job (for me) is going to be very hard. I am not looking forward to making a list of everything I owned that is ruined, or trying to remember what was burned up in the fire. Pray for strength to get through this ordeal. I could have started Monday but have not been able to do it yet.

View of my dining room and kitchen from the back door.

View of living room before cleanup.

View of my living room after the cleanup has started.

View of my bedroom.

View from living room into dining room.

View looking from Emily's room upstairs over the top of my house.

This picture was very hard for me to see, the devastation is enormous. I have been told not to go into Emily's room, it was the hardest hit since it was in the attic where the fire started. I praise God for keeping us safe!

Please keep praying for us!

Survival Mode

2009-07-25T22:18:00.003-04:00

Writing to let everyone know that I am in SURVIVAL MODE!!!!! You know, that mode that you HAVE to be in to survive. The insurance agent thinks that I am quote "strikingly phenomenal" unquote in my handling of this house fire. I just explained to him that I am doing what has to be done to keep my family together. Please continue to pray for us,

This is so hard.

I may not show on the outside how I am feeling, but know that my struggles are inside. The Lord is there for me, and showing me little lessons to gain from this trial. I go back to one of my songs of the week... GOD WILL MAKE THIS TRIAL A BLESSING!

The fire investigator has released the house back to us. His official determination is that the fire did not start in the kitchen, but in the attic with the wiring or HVAC unit. It made me feel a tiny bit better that one of my "pretty things" did not cause me to lose everything I owned, that I did not cause this fire, this pain for my family, this loss. It was something beyond my control. Thank God for the little things in this tragedy. The contractor will be there Monday to start removing our things, to see what can be saved (although they are doubtful about saving anything) and to start removing debris so they can rebuild. Pray that this goes smoothly and FAST.

I am keeping a long list of everyone that has helped or offered to help! I hope one day to thank each of you again individually, right now, please know that I thank God for each of you every day! You know who you are and know that I love each and every one of you!

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-23T09:24:00.003-04:00

I have many things to be thankful for!

Today, I am thankful for our LIVES!

As you can see, our house caught on fire July 21, 2009. We had left around 9:45 to deliver a puppy to Charlotte. At around 11am or so, the fire department received a phone call that my home was on fire. They worked for two hours and got the fire contained before calling us to deliver this terrible news to us by phone. We rushed home and found that the wonderful firefighters at Green Creek Fire Dept and others had saved most of my pictures and photo albums and all but 1 dog. We are so thankful that they went above and beyond and were able to save many of our precious momentos that could not be replaced. They stayed until around 5pm, but had to come back twice to put out some hot spots. Our house is a loss inside. The fire went from the kitchen window up and T'd out across the roof. We have lost almost everything we own, but we still have each other and that is what matters to me.

Now, I want to get my story out! We will know for sure soon, but the firefighters think that the fire started by one of my (MANY) suncatchers in my kitchen window. They think that the suncatcher caught my paper towels on fire that were on their holder by the sink. I am telling all I can, because per the insurance company this has happened to other people.

We are all okay, just pray for us!

Lord, I am thankful that you kept us safe during this horrible ordeal. I am thankful that we were not in the home and that most of my dogs were saved. I am thankful for each and every day that you give me. Thank you Lord for knowing that I would go through this and sending the many friends and loved ones to help me get through this! THANK YOU LORD FOR LIFE!!!!!!

Tamara's Song of the Week

2009-07-20T10:37:00.003-04:00

Child, You're Forgiven
Gaither Vocal Band/God is Good cd

I came to Jesus and I took my Stand
But what I'd surrendered was back in my hands
Defeated by failures haunted by fears
I cried out in anguish, "My God, are you here?"

Chorus
He said child you're forgiven
forgiven and free
he said it, I heard it
Sweet victory
The future can never intimidate me
since I've been forgiven
forgiven and free

I'm resting and growing in His strong embrace
I've traded performance for amazing grace
My soul is at rest but I still must rejoice
When I think of the day
that I heard His voice

What a relief, I can't earn my way
When I come up empty
My father pays
I'm learning to live,
And I'm learning to die
And one of these days
I'll be learning to fly

Chorus
He said child you're forgiven
forgiven and free
he said it, I heard it
Sweet victory
The future can never intimidate me
since I've been forgiven
forgiven and free

See it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA1BMCMWxE8

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-16T11:35:00.007-04:00

I have many things to be
thankful for!

Today I am thankful for my Church!

Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a part of your body! I thank you for Mt Pleasant Baptist Church, Pastor Glover, his wife Rhonda, their children, our Youth Minister, Rev Daryl Tolleson, his wife Ashlee, their boys and the rest of my church family! Thank you for giving your life for me. Thank you for giving us men that preach the Bible like Preacher Glover! I love you Lord!

Tamara's Song of the Week

2009-07-14T10:49:00.002-04:00

We Are So Blessed
written by Bill and Gloria Gaither

We are so blessed, by the gifts from Your hand
We just can't understand why You loved us so much.
We are so blessed, we just can't find a way
or the words that can sayThank You, Lord, for Your touch.

CHORUS:
When we're empty You fill us 'til we overflow
When we're hungry You feed us, and cause us to know.
We are so blessed, take what we have to bring,
Take it all, everything, Lord, we love you so much.

We are so blessed by the things You have done,
The victories we've won and what You've brought us through.
We are so blessed, take what we have to bring,
Take it all everything,Lord, we bring it to You.

CHORUS:
When we're empty You fill us 'til we overflow
When we're hungry You feed us, and cause us to know.
We are so blessed, take what we have to bring,
Take it all, everything, Lord, we love you so much.

1982 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management River Oaks Music Company
(a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)

See it here:
Sung by Greater Vision

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6EESQOy2F8

Babies, Babies, Everywhere Babies!

2009-07-12T23:44:00.002-04:00

Today started our VBS at church! I have always loved teaching the Nursery class, which is usually babies to age 2. I knew that I would have baby Tucker, who is 2 months old, his mom is VBS director. I had also asked my sister to bring Reagan who is 2 years old. Well, wasn't I surprised when I ended up with 5 in my class tonight. Tucker, 2 months, Brayden, 5 months, and Reagan, Noah and Victoria, all 2 years old. Luckily, I had plenty of help and we had a blast. However, I am very tired!

Overall, praise the Lord, our VBS had 112 people in attendance tonight~we are praying for more kids and adults tomorrow!

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-09T11:25:00.008-04:00

I have many things to be

thankful for!

Today I am thankful for my dogs!
Here are just a couple of them.....

Marisol

Lady Beckett

Lady Brennan

Kendall's Litter of Cavaliers

And let us not forget Jay's boxer Hebrew!

Thank you Lord for giving us the opportunity to
raise puppies and meet new people and make new friends!

Marisol and Hebrews pictures courtesy of Sugar Snap Photos, thanks Shelby! http://sugarsnappetphotos.com/

Tamara's Song of the Week

2009-07-06T13:19:00.002-04:00

HOLD ON (JESUS WILL COME)
by The Harvesters

Hold on, hold on, Hold on to the old rugged cross;
And someday, someday, someday,
Hold on, hold on Jesus will come.

Have you a river you cannot cross,
A mountain too steep to climb?
Have you a valley you can't go through?
Hold on till Jesus comes.

Hold on, hold on, Hold on to the old rugged cross;
And someday, someday, someday,
Hold on, hold on Jesus will come.

Life filled with heartaches and sorrows,
When our loved ones are beckoned away;
And our homes are so empty without them,
Hold on till Jesus comes.

Hold on, hold on, Hold on to the old rugged cross;
And someday, someday, someday,
Hold on, hold on Jesus will come.

And someday, someday, someday,
Hold on, hold on Jesus will come.

See it here:

sung by the Hayes Family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozD3E8mSNAo

Our Wonderful Fireworks

2009-07-05T00:25:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord for our Freedom

2009-07-04T11:51:00.004-04:00

Today is Independence Day.

It is the day our fellow Americans celebrate the fact that we are Free. Free to be Christians, Free to go to the church of our choice, Free to love, Free to live where we want to, I could go on. I am praising God today for allowing me to be born in the United States. But more than that, I am praising God for allowing me to be born into the family of God that day in April, 1981! I am praising God for knowing that I would fail Him daily, but love me anyway. I am praising God for not putting me on a shelf, and allowing me to still be a witness to others of His love! Today I am praising God for being Free!

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-02T13:03:00.004-04:00

I have many things to be thankful for.

Today I am thankful for my family!

I wanted to show you the difference a year can make...

Easter 2008 Team Jones Family Picture

Easter 2009 Team Jones Family Picture

Thank you Lord for giving me the greatest husband and kids any one could ever ask for.

Here's The New Doo!

2009-07-01T22:42:00.007-04:00

So, my lovely daughters and I went to get haircuts from my WONDERFUL sister-in-law, Amber, at Distinct Images in Boiling Springs. Meredith ended up getting the haircut that I had blogged about earlier, and it looks so great on her! She loves it short, and was bubbling over with excitement after Amber was done cutting it!

Me, I went with a little more length. After seeing how short Meredith's hair was, I just could not do it. So...................this is what I ended up with.

It is going to take some getting used to, and of course will never look as good as today when Amber styled it, but I will do my best. This is the shortest I have had my hair since I was in the 3rd grade. It feels so light and airy, think my headaches will go away??????

In case you are wondering, Emily did not shed her beautiful locks. She just had it trimmed, she is so beautiful, both inside and out!

Haircuts, Haircuts, who wants a Haircut?

2009-07-01T00:06:00.003-04:00

I am the worst customer for a hair stylist. As a child I had a few bad cuts, and as an adult, have gapped up my hair more than once. I cringe as I sit in the chair listening to the scissors. I have basically had the same haircut for over 18 years. I always revert back to the long straight locks whenever I venture to try something new. One time, I even let it grow long enough to donate 13 inches to Locks of Love.

To get a haircut I have to prepare myself to call the stylist, then I have to make the appointment a week in advance to prepare myself to go to the appointment, then I try all day to talk myself out of going the day of! I know they hate to see me coming. So, here I am again, I have made an appointment tomorrow to get a cut.

I have fought with my sister all week trying to find a new style. She seems to think that I am a loser who will never try anything new. I am bound and determined to go shorter, but the thought scares me tremendously. I know, it is a stupid fear, but it is my fear!

So, this is what I am going to try and talk myself into.......

Will I do it, because, WOW, that is reallllllllllly short? Will I do it? I have always had hair long enough to throw into a ponytail, this will not. Will I do it? We will have to wait and see tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Tamara's Song of the Week

2009-06-29T23:03:00.004-04:00

God will make this trial a blessing!

I’ve just come into a valley one like I’ve never been before.
I keep searching for a way out seems like pad locks are on the doors.
Oh there must be another sunrise another sunset that I’ll see.
God will make this trial a blessing that’s the love he has for me.

I was not the first one to come into this place.
You see every child of God this test you must face.
It is here that God will mold you and make you what you ought to be.
God will make this trial a blessing just be patient you will see.

Now I’m standing on a mountain looking back I can see.
When I was in that lowest valley his strong hand was leading me.
Oh its good to see the sunshine and to taste sweet victory.
God has made this trial a blessing oh the grace he gives to me.

God will make this trial a blessing tho it sends me to my knees.
Tho my tears flow like a river yet in him there’s sweet relief.
There’s no need to get discouraged there’s no need to talk defeat.
God will make this trial a blessing and the whole wide world will see.

as recorded by The McKamey's

See them sing it live here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSlSeYg34UE

What A Day the Lord Blessed Us With

2009-06-29T22:12:00.002-04:00

I want to start by saying that when your preacher tells you, or you read it in the Bible that God answers prayers in His time, IT IS TRUE!!!!! Ever since Jay was laid off in December we have tried to get our house payment modified. We knew that the government was "bailing out" the companies and that they were to provide help to people who needed it. Well, we felt that we needed it. Each month of the 7, yes seven, months that Jay has been out of work we have called our mortgage company and tried to get our loan modified. Each month they have said that we do not qualify. Until now! God has answered our prayers and the company has said we finally qualify for modification. This will take 3 months to complete with all of the paperwork, but our loan payment goes down immediately! It is a 57% savings each month for us!

The Lord is so good!

Just keep believing that He will take care of you and He Will!!!

I Survived the Rotisserie

2009-06-23T18:17:00.002-04:00

Funny, Funny, Funny Story. When the doctor told Jay last week that he was doing both a colonoscopy and endoscopy, Jay joked that they were going from both "ends" and meeting in the middle making me a rotisserie. Well, I survived the rotisserie.

When you hear people say that the prep is worse than the procedure, believe them, it is. Yesterday was the worst and at times I did not think I was going to make it. Today, I started out in a much better mood! I was fearful of being awake for the procedure, and at the end they did have to wake me up due to some spasms I was having. But it was almost over, and I did OK. It actually helped me to wake up earlier as I was able to listen to what the doctor said instead of relying on Jay to tell me what he said. (Anybody who knows Jay will know that he cannot relay information very well) (I love him anyway).

So the verdict is in, colon ulceration and diverticulitis. I had an ulceration that had been bleeding, so they "patched" me up, took some biopsies and told me to come back in a week. I am so relieved to know the cause of my pain for the past 7 weeks and that it should go away now. Thank God for no major problems noted, the doctor is assured that the biopsies should come back fine! Thanks to all who offered prayer and to the Lord for taking care of me!

Colonoscopy Preps are for the Birds

2009-06-22T22:33:00.002-04:00

Ok, I will try not to be gross about this, but I am scheduled for my colonoscopy tomorrow morning. I had to go today to talk to the anesthesiologist and have an EKG. Everything was fine and I was sent home to start my prep. Well, prepping for a colonoscopy is for the birds! I am supposed to drink 64 ounces of Gatorade (clear or lemon-lime only) with 238 grams of Miralax, 8 ounces every 15-20 minutes. Well, I started this at 4pm, and at 10:30 I have still got 16 ounces to go. My papers say that if you feel nauseated, stop and resume in an hour. Well, every time I drink some, I feel nauseated, so this feels like it is taking forever. I only like to drink with meals, so not being able to eat is not helping me drink this stuff. My Mom and Second Dad are worried that if I do not finish this tonight, that they will not be able to do the test tomorrow. Well, I say, if they are not able to get this the first time, they may not have a second chance. This experience is almost, almost, but not quite as bad as the flu. Chills, nauseated, need I say, diarrhea? Let me finish this post by saying, PRAY FOR ME! Please!

I got to Babysit, and oh was it fun!!!

2009-06-21T23:59:00.007-04:00

Jay and I were able to babysit this past week for our friends two young boys. Tanner is 3 and Tucker is 6 weeks. We had so much fun! Well, I know I did, I sat and held Tucker ALL DAY! It was so nice having a baby around again. I sometimes long for those days, but I am totally content with my two lovely daughters!

Tanner was a blast! He enjoyed playing with some of our puppies, including his dog, Baja, that we are doggy sitting for. You can see him here with Murphy and Lucy.

We had also purchased a new pet bed from the benefit held for Tanner's Uncle Jason! We had not decided where to place the bed, so the dogs were not allowed on it yet. After lunch, Tanner decided he wanted to take a nap, and he climbed into the pet bed and went right to sleep!

How cute is that?

So, thank you to Ashlee and Daryl for trusting us with their precious babies! We are here anytime!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T23:45:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there! We spent Father's Day with my family today! I cooked roast with potatoes and carrots, green beans and rolls. Emily cooked our macaroni pie! I also got up early, before church, and made Jay a cake. Now for those of you who do not know me, I am not a baker, nor a chef. So, making this cake was a big deal for me. I had a great flower dish that I had never used. Jay wanted a lemon cake with lemon icing. So I made the cake, then my sister dyed the icing and I made it a flower. I know for you professionals my cake probably looks like a child did it. But I was so proud that I wanted to take a picture and show everyone! Isn't it cute???

Me and My Sick Self.....

2009-06-21T23:37:00.004-04:00

Since Easter Sunday, I have been experiencing sharp abdominal pains, along with other gastrointestinal issues. On Tuesday, the doctor will perform a colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy on me. I am a little nervous about it, mainly because I am a great big baby with no pain tolerance. Of course, I am living with quite a bit of pain with cramping and such, so I think this will be worth it. Pray for the doctors to have no problems and for me to come through this with answers!

On a positive note, I had my 1st mammogram on the 12th. I was quite a bit nervous about this also, but it was not too bad. Mostly pressure, not pain. And I am glad to say I received a "no problems detected" letter from the test so I was relieved. I urge all women to do this!!

Job Status

2009-06-21T23:35:00.002-04:00

Please keep Jay in your prayers still, he has still not found employment. The Lord is continually here taking care of us, but it has now been OVER 6, yes 6 months. Never fear, the Lord will watch over us, but keep us in your prayers anyway!

Jason......

2009-06-21T23:29:00.003-04:00

I am going to sit here tonight and try to catch my fellow bloggers up on the life of Team Jones. Something that we have been praying for daily since June 3rd is Jason Williams. He is the brother to our friend Ashlee and son to our friend Kathy. He found out that he has leukemia and has spent the better part of June in the hospital fighting this! He has three young boys and my heart has ached for him and his wife Lindsey. You can view his site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jasonwilliams. He was able to go home for a week, but will have to return to the hospital on Friday. Please, if you are following my blog, pray for Jason and his entire family. The Lord has been good to him in his recovery so far, but he still has a long time to go.

Jay versus Deer and Tree...Guess Who Lost?

2009-06-21T23:20:00.003-04:00

It has taken me over a month to be able to write about this incident. On the morning of May 15th, after taking our girls to school, a deer ran out in the road in front of Jay and he hit it, then ran into some wet grass and rammed into a tree. Needless to say, the tree won! Jay was not hurt, thank God! But my car did not make it. This car was a "Prideful" thing of mine. Jay and I purchased it brand new with only 471 miles on it. We had put every mile on it, and tried to take care of it. When the insurance company said it would have to be totaled, I was devastated. I tried to think, how is this good? But, lo and behold, the Lord was looking out for us. We totaled a car with 142,000 miles on it. In our (almost) 15 years of marriage, and 5 Oldsmobiles later, we have found out that around 150,000 to 160,000 miles Oldsmobiles need new transmissions. Although mine was not showing any problems, we felt that the time would come. The car that we were able to purchase is a newer model Oldsmobile, with only 39,000 miles on it, and we paid for it in full with the money the insurance gave us. Praise the Lord, it was a hard road to travel, but the Lord came through for us again, and now we have quite a few years before needing any transmissions here! Even when we think that things are bad, the Lord is always looking out for us!

Pray For Me

2009-05-07T17:27:00.002-04:00

I have not posted in a long time. The devil is really on me and causing some serious sadness in my life. Please pray for me and my family while we rely on faith to get us through some tough times!

Let's Play Ball

2009-03-10T20:15:00.002-04:00

I did something today I have never done before, and really thought I would never do! I PLAYED BALL! Hahaha! Emily is playing softball for the second year in a row, and Jay and I want her to do well so we decided to practice with her at night. So, Jay got out there with her first and tried, I repeat tried, to pitch the ball to her and did not succeed. So he decided to play catch with her. After about 1/2 hour of watching, I thought I would try to help her by pitching to her. I was totally bad for a while, but finally got the hang of it, and she was able to make a couple of base hits off of my pitches. Even more surprising was the fact that I was able to catch 2 of the balls that Emily or Jay(who was catching) threw back at me. Jay thought the sky was falling when I caught the first one. I had a lot of fun, and hope to do this with her 2-3 times a week. Meredith was on the front porch working on home work, but she got in on the fun some! It was a joy for me to be outside with my family, playing together. We spend alot of time together, but is it really time well spent? I don't always know, but it is times like this that helps me realize just what God has blessed me with, and I thank Him for His goodness.

Nothing New To Post

2009-03-06T19:38:00.004-05:00

I have tried for 2 weeks to figure out something to blog about. Life is obviously boring here at the Jones house! Nothing new, sending out resumes, but no luck as of yet. God is still with us, and keeping us in good spirits!

I have been asked to oversee the Easter Egg Hunt at our church, and I am excited. It has been a long time since I have done a Holiday activity and I am ready for the task. We are going to have games and of course, the Egg Hunt for the little ones, an Amazing Race for the teenagers with Biblical obstacles, and BINGO for the adults! We will end with door prizes after a devotional with our Student Minister, Daryl.

I have finally been able to update our church website. I designed it last year, and the hosting had some issues which have been fixed, so I am on the ball again. I love doing the website, and feel that it is a great way for me to use the talent God gave me for Him. I have been able to learn so many historical things about my great church, and am proud to be a member. You can check it out at http://www.mtpleasantbaptistsc.org/. Pray that God continues to inspire me with new things to create and upload for His glory!

We attended Meredith's Fine Arts in Greenville this week. She got an Excellent rating on her photography and a Superior rating for her Vocal Ensemble with the other 5th grade girls. I am so proud of her. Emily has started softball practice 4 days a week, so we are on the go again. I am so proud of her too. My girls mean the world to me, and I hope they know how much I love and appreciate them.

In saying that, let me ask to you to please be in prayer for a friend of mine from high school. Becky Cox (Bolt) and I went to school together from 5 years of age to 18. This week she lost her 10 year old son. I do not even want to imagine the hurt her and her family are experiencing. I know that God has His reasons and that He has the child in His care, and that He will get them through this hard time. Just please pray for them, and while you are at it, hug your child today! Tell them you love them. Its something we should continually do, and sometimes we forget in our day to day lives. I am pledging to do better, make sure my kids know that Mommy loves them always! Will you join me?

Until next time.....

Jay had a Birthday!!

2009-02-21T20:25:00.003-05:00

Jay had a birthday yesterday!!! Usually we buy a GREAT cake from Mrs. Page up the road. (She has the best tasting cakes). But, alas, we could not afford a cake, so my wonderful and loving sister made one for him. I LOVE IT!!! Bet you can't guess how old he turned? HAHA It was so good. Heather also volunteered to make dinner, so the Condreys joined the Jones for breakfast at dinnertime! It was delicious, and Heather did a great job. Once again, I shall mention that I am extremely blessed to have her as my sister! Most of the time we go out for birthday dinners, but we had a great time here at home, and I think I shall have my birthday at home also. We all played video games afterwards, it was a hoot to watch Mama and Tommy boxing, bowling, playing tennis. Overall, it was a joy to have family over and Jay had a good time!

Well.......

2009-02-18T12:30:00.003-05:00

Well, Jay did not get the job. He did get a nice letter regarding his "commendable qualifications". The Lord still answered my prayer by not letting the disappointment overwhelm me. February is a hard month financially for us and we are struggling some, not much. Still food on table and roof over our heads, so we cannot complain. We sent out over 20 emails with resumes this Monday, so hopefully things will work out. We know that God has something for him, just waiting to see what it will be.

School is out today due to power outages across Landrum. So....I have not only my two girls, but Jennifer's 5, yes 5 kids today. Her school was not closed, just the kids school. Anyway, its really interesting around here.

If The Paw Fits

2009-02-10T23:29:00.004-05:00

Wow, I cannot believe I failed to mention my new store!!! If The Paw Fits, my unique pet supply store has a permanent physical location! We are now located at Twigs Unique Gifts at 105 East Rutherford Street in Landrum, SC. I am so appreciative of Barbara, owner of Twigs, in giving me this opportunity to own my own piece of the American Dream! Twigs is 3 levels of the most awesome items! The bottom floor is designer consignment clothing, the middle level is unique gifts, and the top level is for vendors who want to rent a booth for their store. When you are on the middle level and look up the stairs you can see If The Paw Fits. We spent all weekend getting our displays set up and ready for sales. At If The Paw Fits, we try to cater to small dogs and provide items not found in big chain or small pet stores. Also, we are adamant about keeping our prices at a level that everyone can afford. If you have a small dog, you should stop by and see all of the wonderful items I have in there, and please, TELL YOUR FRIENDS! If you do not have a small dog, just stop by and let me know how I did in setting up, then browse around the other levels for neat gifts!

I am so grateful to God in allowing me this chance to own my own business, and doing something I enjoy, which of course is anything dog related! I am so blessed in my career life! For the last 15 years I have had a great opportunity to establish a good reputation in the accounting field, and even opened Team Accounting which caters to small businesses needing a bookeeper once or twice a month.

However, I really have felt for the past few years that my heart was with these animals. I have pondered the ways to move my career into a position where my dogs will pay me a "salary" (haha that is funny). Anyone who has ever raised puppies knows that if you do it right, you will not make any money in it. Therefore, Team Kennels will probably always be in the red, but it brings so much joy in my life that it is worth it. If The Paw Fits gives me the chance to purchase items for my dogs, to put in my puppy packages, and to sell to the public while making a dime. It has done very well online and at craft shows, but I have dreamed of having it located in a store, where people can have the chance to browse, or ask for special orders. The Lord has answered that dream, and I hope and pray that I can create a great place for people to shop!

THE LORD IS SO GOOD TO ME, I do not know why He loves me and blesses me like He does, but I want to give Him ALL OF THE GLORY for the things He has done and things He will do!

Been A Week

2009-02-10T21:50:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been over a week since my last blog, and we have another litter of puppies. These are Pekingese, all white from a red mom and gray sable dad, go figure. These puppies are gorgeous and I would love to keep the white girl, but alas, my husband does not yet have a job, so we have to sell all the puppies we can.

His interview went extremely well, but we have not heard back yet, so we are still praying for guidance. See how nice he looked!! I love seeing him dressed up and in a tie, but he, like so many men I know, does not like wearing a tie. Therefore, I took advantage and took lots of pictures this day!

We want the job given to him so bad, but at this time my prayer is that if he does not get the job, that my faith will not waiver, and I will continue to trust the Lord to take care of us. My disappointment grows with every day that we do not hear, and I just pray for patience, I know the right job is out there where God wants him to be. Patience is given through tribulation, and we are in times of tribulation. I half listened to our new President give his speech about the economy last night, and honestly, it was more depressing than uplifting. This world is not going to get better for a long time(if ever before He comes back), and I am so glad that I have God looking after my family! Without Him, we would not be able to survive. I also know that so many families are in our same financial situation, and without the hope that He provides us. Lets all say a special prayer that they will find comfort in our Lord to help them through this time also.

Valentine's Day is coming up and we are having our Sweetheart Dinner at church. Our Youth portrays the wait staff for tips to use to go to summer camp at Look Up Lodge. Emily had so much fun at camp last year, she can not wait to get back this year. The Youth is great, dressing in black pants and white shirts, filling glasses and delivering food. I have tried to get Mom and Tommy to go, but it is not looking hopeful. From what I understand, there is some problems with old habits that need to be worked out, causing stress with Mom, Tommy and Heather. My prayer is that old habits will die permanently.

Going back and reading this blog, it sounds like life is down for us. In reality, life is good, GOD is watching after us and taking care of us, my family is together and in good health. God will never let us down!

The Puppies are Coming

2009-01-31T21:19:00.004-05:00

Well, I delivered the final puppy from my litter of Cavapoos to its new owners today, came home and found Iris starting to have her litter of Peke-a-poos! We are up to 4 girls, we have never had a litter of all girls, so we are keeping our fingers crossed! The Lord blessed us this weekend when all of the Cavapoos went home, we were able to pay our COBRA insurance, which everyone has to know is very expensive!

Here is a picture of one of the puppies...

Continue to pray, as Jay's interview is coming up!

All is well

2009-01-30T23:50:00.002-05:00

Well, our Friday night adventure is over, and wow what a great time I had. My sister joined us for a good part of the evening, which was nice. We ate Little Ceasers Pizza, which was so easy, no mess. We had alot of laughs (mostly at Jay's expense) and I think he learned alot about his interview next week. Daryl had some good information, some of it I had already given to Jay, but you know, Jay never listens to me, maybe he will listen to Daryl. Overall it went well, thank God for good friends.

Friday Night Adventure

2009-01-30T17:22:00.002-05:00

Long ago in a time forgotten, the Jones Family used to love to have lots of friends over on the weekends for dinner, games, tv, etc. We loved having company and entertaining, we loved the Christian friends God had gave us, and the time shared with them was a blessing. Then a baby rocked my world, (my second child). She had GERD, and was sick from the minute she was born. My body betrayed me, I had post partum, high blood pressure and headaches that turned to migraines, along with a sick child. My entertaining days were over, it was too stressful on me (literally doctors orders). I think that contributed some to me straying from the Lord, being in constant contact with Christian friends is such a joy, and to me, helps keep us on track. ( I am not blaming that, my straying was my fault, and I take total blame, but many factors contributed). Anyway, many of our friends lost their way, some divorced, some left the church, others just left God totally.

Since that time my body and I have come to an agreement. I will be as nice to it as possible, and it will let me live with some degree of normalcy. My post partum finally disappeared, my high blood pressure is kept in check with medications, and changing from a no baby pill to a no baby shot made my migraines almost non existant. Note, I say almost non existant. So, for the past few years, I have been okay in living with my body.

I tell you this because tonight, I will be entertaining again for the first time in a very long time. My friends, Daryl and Ashlee are coming over to help Jay with his job interview next week. Daryl is a recruiter and is just going to walk him through some questions. I am thankful for them that they want to help. Daryl is going to be preaching a new church for the next month and is under pressure to do the Lord's will. Ashlee is pregnant, and dealing with sinus issues this week, and probably does not feel like coming. BUT THEY WANT TO HELP, and we are SO THANKFUL for that. So, I have cleaned my house to the best of my ability, put most of my dogs up, and am ready for company!!! PRAY FOR ME!

First Time Blogger

2009-01-29T22:41:00.000-05:00

Hi, I am going to try this, because if my Mom can do it, anyone can do it. I live in NC with my wonderful husband and two awesome daughters. I am the owner of a bookkeeping business, and raise dogs as my passion. We raise Pekingese, Peke-a-poos, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Cavapoos. Occasionally we will have Maltipoos or pure Poodles. We love raising dogs and knowing the happiness we give to others through these puppies. We take great pride in the care we give our dogs!

We attend Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC and love the church and people. Our Preacher, Rev. Glover and his wife Rhonda are such a blessing to us, they have seen us at our worse, and are now able to see us trying to walk with the Lord and get stronger in our faith. Our new friends, the Tollesons are so much fun to be around, and we are thankful for them.

We have lived life to the fullest, living in the world for a long time. It seemed to be a fun ride while it lasted. However, the joy of being back with God, is SO much more rewarding. My husband became laid off the first week of December. Instead of my normal, OH WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO, attitude, I felt the Lord's hands over me, telling me not to worry, that we are in HIS hands, and He will take care of us. And let me tell you, He has done just that. Today marks the 8th week of my husband being without work, and we have not gone without, and so far, our bills have mostly been paid. I wonder daily at His grace, and thank Him constantly for all He is doing for us.

Next on my praise list, Jay finally has an interview. It will be in Hendersonville, and I need prayer, prayer, prayer from everyone that the interview goes well, and that God's will be done, if Jay is meant to have this job, He will give Jay the answers needed to get the job.

I also want to give God the glory for my children. Meredith, who usually seems to get left behind in academics, has excelled in Fine Arts. For the second year in a row she has won Best In Show for her digital photography. I am so proud of her, God has given her a great talent, and I hope to find someone who can give her lessons once Jay finds another job. She is also a wonderful singer, along with her sister Emily. We are trying to sing more at church, to give God glory with our voices that He gave us. Once Jay gets a job, we have promised Emily that we will continue her piano and voice lessons. God has something great in store for Emily, and I just pray that He continues to give me the wisdom to guide her through her journey!

I also want to thank God for my extended family. My Mom and 2nd Dad, Tommy are great! They have been there for me through lots of bad times, and I hope that as an adult I have made up for any bad as a teenager. I also hope that I have made them proud in my accomplishments, and that they know that I love them. My 1st Dad is always there for me. I can talk to him about almost anything and he does not judge. We are alot alike and sometimes do not see eye to eye, but I know that he loves me and that he would do anything for me!

My sister, Heather, is the most awesome sister in the whole wide world! I do not know why God gave her to me, but I thank Him for her daily. She is so good to me, and I love her so much.

My sister, Jennifer, is my roller coaster sister. We have good times and bad (alot of bad sometimes), but I would do anything to help her and her great children! I love her dearly and count on her to always make life interesting! I ask God daily for help in keeping us happy as a family.

Jennifer's kids are, well, what can I say, kids! Holden talks loud (like me) and alot (like me) and is a joy to be around if you need an energy pick up. Noah is quiet, but well spoken, is very helpful in cleaning around the house. He is easy to get along with. The Twins are great. I started out with Marah my favorite, as a newborn, but Makena seems to have grown to love me more. Marah likes Heather better, so it works out okay. Marah is outspoken, but Makena will tell you the truth whether you like it or not. I like taking them together, they get alot of attention because they look so much alike. However, as they are getting older, I have started taking them one at a time to give them individual attention. I love being able to put ribbons in their hair, as my girls have outgrown ribbons. Twizzler (aka Reagan) is starting to love me. He is a great baby and loves my puppies.

My brother, Tommy, is well, a brother. I was not around him alot growing up, so we are not extremely close. However, I love him very much. I am so proud at what he has accomplished in life and His walk with God. I am proud to call him my brother. His wife Amber is so sweet. Her love for Tommy is apparant, and I wish them lots of years together!

Well, it is late, and I need to say my prayers and get to sleep!