Happy Father's Day

I'm double blessed to have not one but two wonderful men in my life.  I wouldn't be who I am today without either one.  Happy Father's Day to my two awesome dads!  

They deserve so much credit today.  I never realized how hard parenting was until I became one and I know I was quite a stinker during my teen years.  

I thank them for all the sacrifices  they made and the wonderful rode models they have been for me!  

I also want to send a Happy Father's day to this guy, my hubby and daddy to my babies!  He is exactly what I'm not when it comes to being a parent and I'm so thankful for that.  He's patient and strong!  He is a wonderful dad and I just love seeing how much the boys look up to him and adore him!

Happy Father's Day to all dads today!  

It's Friday!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

1)  So  I got this ombre nail kit for my birthday on Sunday from one of my wonderful sisters and I'm dying to use it.  Problem is my nails are terrible right now.  Hoping this weekend sometime to go get them done and see if they will use this kit to paint them.  

2) Wednesday had a great day with my little family.  Let the boys play outside in their pool and water table all morning, had lunch, then took them swimming at one of their grandparents, napped, then headed to a parade, and finished off  the night with a trip to our ice cream shop Homewood and our nightly cuddle fest.  Wish every day could be that great!

3)  I signed up to run my first full marathon.  I'm freaking out a little bit.  We have about 25 weeks but I'm still nervous as all get out.  I wanted to do a full but was still nervous and some days was thinking I should run another first but this one was nearing selling out so we went for it.  Lucky for us the next day it was sold out! We have a big group going down to Memphis for this one.  Running the full it will be my mom, myself, my sister and my sisters hubby.  Then running the half will be my other sister, and her mother in law.  Since it's a fairly close one of to home we also have some people coming with to watch including my hubby this time.  It should be a fun trip now just to build up to running that stinking far in the next half a year!

4)  I'm so thankful to stay at home most days to get to witness moments like this.  This afternoon before nap, Noah wanted to watch a little TV and of course Carson wanted to, too.  He is Noah's little shadow and copies everything he does so since Noah wanted to lay on the couch with the "circle blanket" he had to too!

5) Feeling extra blessed this week. I got to go on two lunch dates with Matthew this week.  Some days I work I run errands since I don't have the boys but this week I skipped them and went out to eat with him instead.  And my kids are just so darn adorable.  Have had so many cute/ sweet moments with them this week.

Watching a movie before bed one night.  They thought it was so cool to put the pillows on the floor!  Carson wanted to do it the next morning too.  

In case you missed it on Instagram, the boys love helping their dad do anything.  Noah got to plant some more seeds in the garden and they both helped water.  

Today they were having a blast pulling leaves off the trees and bringing them to me.  

Looking Outward

I don't know what kind of selfish rut I'm in, but I think I have been here for quite awhile and I don't like it.   I was talking to my best friend the other day about how some people are just so good at being nice and doing special things for others.  I don't know about you but I want to be one of those people and I'm just so far from it.

* I want to be more generous.
* I want to be more thoughtful
* I want to make someone else's day
* I want to make my friends and family members feel loved
* I want to be someone who sends cards for no reason


I know there are lots of random acts of kindness challenges all over and those are great but  I really want to do it a little bit differently and concentrate on the wonderful people already in my life and not the strangers.  I'm so blessed to have so many awesome family members and friends and never take the time to show them how much I care or how much I appreciate them.

That brings me to a personal challenge I'm going to start next week and wanted to encourage you guys to follow along when you can.
I'm going to start with 7 challenges, one for each day for a week.  I will be starting Monday the 17th.

Day 1  Check in with a friend I haven't spoke with in awhile

Day 2 Visit a Grandparent

Day 3  Send 2 cards just because

Day 4 Send a friend/ family member flowers

Day 5  Offer to babysit a friend's kids so they can have a date

Day 6 Bake a friend/family member some goodies

Day 7 Shower people with compliments

I'm excited to start this and if you plan to join along let me know.  

Also if you have ideas for another week, comment below or email five27jones@gmail.com

Need Volunteers

Hey blogland!

Posted this on Instagram last night.  Filled a few spots but have two left!

Who wants them?

Almost 30

My birthday was last Sunday and I started out the day to myself getting in a 5 mile run.
It was a quiet run and I was lonely.  Just the week before I was running with 17,000 people all on the same trail in San Diego with beautiful scenery and adrenaline like I've never experienced before.   But as I ran down those lonely country roads I also did a lot of thinking about my life thus far.  I was overwhelmed with thinking about all that we have.

I just turned 29 this year, and a few weeks before my birthday my hubby turned 30.  30 sounds so much older than any number in the 20's and  I can't believe I'm almost there.  Age doesn't bother me now but someday I'm sure it will.   I have terrible skin, but yet have such a baby face.  I've always hated it, but someday will like it when everyone thinks I'm younger.  

Anyways,  since most of you don't really know me.

Here's what I wanted for myself as shallow as it sounds by this age

Kids after 30 because I really wanted to get my career going first

Big city career in fashion

Live in a big city

Wear high heels every day and dress up every day. 

I always pictured myself walking down the city streets, with heels, dresses and skirts, and a briefcase.  

To Be "Successful"

Well now  that I'm 29 here's my life

2 young boys and plan on being done having children

Live in my hometown which is pretty small and we actually live outside of it.

My house is covered by fields on 3 sides.

I wear flats, boots, or flip flops most days.

I still love fashion and dress up when I can but honestly most of the time I live in yoga pants and a plain colored tshirt

My life is truly very far away from glamorous!

I don't do anything with my fashion degree because I work with my husband at his optometry office.

Now by comparing the two, one would assume, I'm possibly not happy with my life or that I don't feel successful.  

I won't lie, of course I have days where I'm not completely happy, days where I do want more.  Days when I want that feeling of success and something of my own.  But at the same time, 99% of days, I'm completely happy with my life.  

I can't imagine my life without my boys, they bring me more joy than anything I have ever known.  

We actually spent a year living in the middle of downtown Chicago and I didn't like it like I thought I would.  I loved getting to experience what we did while we were there.  I was always around people but still felt lonely.  I missed our friends and family like crazy and couldn't wait to get back to them.  

With my career I knew that if Matthew and I were to get married, I knew we would end up back in our hometown because he had plans to join his father's optometry practice.  That was something I really thought and prayed about before we got married because I knew a big career using my degree just wouldn't be in the cards where we live. 

Now I'm actively trying to find someone for my job at work because more than anything I want to be a full time SAHM to my boys before they go to school.  I never thought I would want a van and to be the mom who stayed home.  I always thought I would need something more.   (I didn't realize how hard being a mom would be obviously when I thought that)  I have in the last few years really wanted to start a business and have had multiple ideas that would work in our small town and still hope to do so someday but most likely not when our kids are this young.  

I have shared this quote before but wasn't sure if I had on here and this truly sums up my life so far.

God knew what I would want.  He knew what the desires of my heart were going to be and he picked my perfect mate for my  unknown dream life.  We are blessed beyond measure and living the life that was made for us. Here's to another year, that I'm sure will be better than the last!  Here's to living in the country with my two kids and just being a mom without some fancy career.  Here's to my happy !  

Weekend Shenanigans

Boy did this weekend go by fast!

Friday was blah, I spent the day trying to recover our house and the laundry from vacation.  I usually have to clean the house as soon as I get back, not this time,  I kept putting it off so finally got myself organized, did some cleaning, wrote some bills, you know the boring grown up stuff.   It did feel great.
The boys spent the morning whining, screaming and playing the normal!  They did seem to play a little more though and I got some good quality time in with them too.  Friday night was family night, dinner at home, then  we headed to the Park and local ice cream stand.  Our boys love the park, and we seriously have been going there a lot lately.

 Carson my monkey.  One of his new things, anything he can hold on, he likes to swing from.  

Family photo on the slide

And Another on the Merry go Round.  Yeah we were those dorks taking selfies at the park!  

Our affectionate child.  Loves giving kisses and hugs!

Saturday Matthew worked in the am as usual and after the boys naps we headed to my cutie patootie little nephews first birthday party.  I can't believe he is already 1.  They had his party at the park and had a cookout so you know the boys enjoyed it.  Hunter really loved his cake, especially the icing.

Then Saturday night Hunter and his Aunt Kate, (my sister) came over and hung out with us until bedtime.

Hunter loved his first popsicle, and my boys never turn them down.

My world!

 Noah also gave the boys some tractor rides.  It's his new thing, amazing how much happiness tying these two things together can bring them.

Sunday we headed to church then to my dad and Dinah's for a birthday cookout.  My grandma turned 85, my aunt 50 and me 29 so we had a party for all of us.  I was the only one with a boring non special birthday year.  We did have some delicious food and the boys always enjoy "papas" .

The boys also kind of went swimming, we thought it was too cold but they were fine so they played mostly on the steps and with the water.

The rest of the day was filled with naps by all, dinner at my favorite mexican place with my mom and other family, then some more family time at home with my sweet little boys.  Tonight they did seem extra sweet and fun.  Love nights like these!

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Here's to another Monday!

Linking up with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans

San Diego

San Diego is beautiful, period.  And I would move to Coronado Island in a heartbeat 1) if we had 3 million dollars to buy one of the super cute charming houses the island is filled with and 2)  My family and friends would move there too.

We flew out to San Diego on Thursday and came home Sunday and our trip was filled with great food, shopping, being tourists, relaxing, laying out, running and just having a great time!  

 I won't go into a play by play of everything we did but here are some highlights!  

 Seaport Village being tourists!

 The view from the condo we stayed in.  This was in Pacific beach and right on the bay.  There was an awesome boardwalk all around it.  It was perfect!

Pretty view from Scenic Drive 

We took a  boat road over to Coronado one day then took Segway tour of the island.  I have been there before but it was neat taking these instead of walking.  We literally pretty much went around half of the island  and got to see all the cute houses, get right under the bridge, lots of history, the famous Hotel Del Coronado, parks and beautiful trees and landscape.  

Helmets were not optional.  We all had bad hair the rest of the day!  The segway's were really fun.  I always looked at people weird who were on them, but we enjoyed them.  Great way to see lots of things without walking 15 miles and much quicker.  Fun to drive also, haha

Group photo before our Italian carb loading dinner the night before the race.  

Right to left, it's My sister Randi, me, sister Kate and my momma.  Aren't my sisters and my momma beautiful?  

 After our Italian dinner we went to a frozen yogurt place called Yogurt on the rocks and it was delicious!  We actually went back again before left.  The first time I had cupcake yogurt with a ton of toppings then the next time I tried cookies and cream they both were delicious.  I think my town needs one of these!

Our last day before we left did some driving up the coast a little and saw a few more beaches then went back to Pacific Beach and rented some bikes.  Yes I wore my purse around my neck I didn't have anywhere else to put it and my sisters loves crazy pictures me not so much I always just smile.  

Our last night and once again got treated to a wonderful dinner.  

Now that I've gained about 5 pounds from this trip,  I have some work to do.  Vacation always makes me go crazy with food and snacking, self control level was about a 1 the whole time!  

We had a great time, good weather, and lots of memories.  

I'm thinking we should make this girls trip a yearly tradition!

Have you ever been to San Diego?  If so, what was your favorite part?