Basketball for me and Hockey for the boys is OVER for the Season!!!

Well, it's that time of year when the big sports season has come to an end. Of course I have mixed feelings about this. I have more time to do cleaning and organizing! Yay! The boys will have more time for the odd swimming and golfing lesson. Kolby will join Lacrosse and Kade's soccer league starts tomorrow. Real is going to play softball again this year; he took a few years off, but I think he really missed the competitiveness, and he is a really good player.

I am going to continue with YOGA, my lifetime commitment to inner peace, calmness, and most importantly, injury recovery and prevention. YOGA has changed my life. I go to the most amazing class twice a week with the most amazing teacher. My biggest challenge is practicing on my own at home. My mind and body shows when I miss a class, and I never ever miss a class if I can help it, because I get cranky, tired, sore, and lazy. I deal with difficult work situations in a more compassionate and patient manner. I find myself breathing more. Most people don't breathe enough. It is such a simple practice, yet so hard to remember when faced with stress. However, through daily practice, breathing exercises comes easy and second nature.

What does that mean, 'second nature'? My kids often question what some of the 'figure of speeches' sayings mean and most times, I am not sure. Like, 'kill two birds with one stone' - why would you want to kill any bird, especially with stones??//?!! Anyways, back to the topic of schedules - I want to have more time to scrapbook, exercise at the gym, read, and be with family and friends.

Here are some pics of the winter months of Holiday celebrations and sports events.

Christmas 2011

Christmas came and went by so FAST!! Each year it seems like we have less and less time to do the traditional things we usually do. I tried the schedule thing, and the list thing but nothing seems to slow down the time. I just wish I did more of 'nothing' with my kids. By 'Nothing' I mean hanging out at home with the curtains closed, phones turned off, and doors locked from family and friends, just to spend some quiet time with the boys. Now is the time, to spend as much time with them as possible. On the flip side, I wouldn't have minded to have some quiet time to myself in my house too, of which I didn't get either. Which is probably why I am at home right now feeling sick. The bug caught up to me when the holidays were over.

However, it is great to spend time with my large family doing the traditional gatherings like, Family Bingo, Kid's Santa party, Cookie Exchange, Lip Sync competition, Glitter Party, and Family dinners. I didn't take a lot of pictures this year and I regret that because I am a scrapbooker.

Stand up and Walk!!!

Brain Power!!
Building a healthy brain isn't a new concept. It's been around for many many years. So why does it take us (westerners) so long for us to follow wisdom. I attended a workshop today that was about building a healthy brain. In my counselling training and experience, I have studied brain development and the different theories around growth. I have also learned how trauma can affect the brain, heart and body. Todays workshop not only made connections to how my students' brain learns and grows, it made connections to myself, my kids,  and my husband. There were many concepts I learned today, but the one thing I will always remember is that
   M o V e M e N t                             M o V e M e N t                      M o V e M e N t
is the most important thing about learning. Kids need to move throughout the day in order to learn and engage. They need to get outside in the fresh air, away from tv, internet and games, in order to stimulate their neurons to create more dendrites. So when I lectured my kids about how tv will make their brains soft, I was lying, because it already is soft ( I learned that today too). However, the message is still important - that too much tv will make you 'Stupid!' I am guilty of watching tv for hours at a time on some nights, especially on thursdays with Grey's and Private Practice. But I also try to model good 'down time' by reading quietly for long periods of time too. I came home today and taught both my kids, 6yrs and 11yrs, about brain growth and brain wellness. To my surprise, they were very interested in their brain growth. My eldest immediately went to the internet to look up images of healthy and unhealthy brains. After showing them some physical exercises on how to stimulate their brains, they said they already felt different, that they could feel the right side of their brain communicating to their left side - kids are so cute. They were very enthused to learn more exercises on how to grow more dendrites . . . WOW! We also talked about good brain food like fish (they were very proud because they eat a lot of fish), avocado, nuts, kale, blueberries, and water . So . . . get up and start moving, start a regular exercise program, kick your kids outside, open the windows and breathe, and eat brain food daily. I am happy that our family are doing a lot of these things already, but we have so much more to change in our lives to build and re-build healthy brains.
I am now going to get up and MOVE!!!

SUMMER of Camping and Travelling

Well, it has been a LONG TIME since my last blog. Even if I am the only one to view my blog, I will try my best to update as much as I can.

SUMMER was great for the Jones Family. We camped a lot in our trailer at LakeElse in Terrace BC. We went on our ANNUAL FAMILY Water Lily Bay Gathering - being with the whole family is so much fun. Every year at the same resort we have been gathering for over 35yrs. The kids do a lot of fishing, swimming, and boating. The adults do a lot of eating, participating in theme days, sitting around the fire til late in the night, and more eating. Most of our family live in the same town and we lead very busy lives but we always make the effort to visit for birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations.

WE also went on our first HOT trip with the family. We wanted to take the boys to DISNEYLAND and ourselves to MEXICO. So we went on our first Cruise through the Mexican Riviera with the boys and then a week in Disneyland. OMG . . . it was so much FUN!! There were moments when I would take in the heat and scenery and think, 'why didn't we do this sooner!' Obviously, we were missing out. The boys were able to experience places they've only seen on tv. Kolby understood where we were on the map and was able to put things into perspective. He really enjoyed himself. Kade really came out of his shell and braved through a lot of activities he normally would have been conscious about. They both had a great expreience. We were able to do everything as a family - Rock climbing, mini-golf, swimming on the beach, surfing, all disney rides, driving in a convertible, taking in shows, Angels game and so much more. . .

I will always remember this trip. We plan on going on more before the boys get too old. We just need to start saving money now. Actually, we need to pay for this one first, then start saving for the next one.

Keeping with the Blog!!

I really need to keep up with the Blog. It feels good to write down thoughts and feelings and experiences of our daily life. Even if no one reads it, I feel better. I will try to keep updating our blog weekly, at least write one or two sentences about plans or goals. 

What to do??

What to do when you are a working mom?

My kids are in school and I am a full-time elementary counsellor. I regret that I didn't take the time off last year to be present for my youngest during his pre-school years. He is turning 5 this year and I am still thinking that I should take a part-time leave from my work to be available for kindergarten activities, before and after school activities, and lunch time. My house is always is in 'rush' mode and it seems to affect my work and my kid's day. Does anyone have any thoughts on this???

Badminton Star

Kolby made the badminton team this year and did very well in the Play Day. He has an excellent demeaner about himself. I am so proud of my baby, not only of his great sense of humour and his easy-going attitude, but of his respect for others. He is a well-liked kid; kind of an 'old soul'.

BOO!

* all the kids had so much fun trick or treatin'
* the little ones looked so cute with their action hero costumes
* this is Kade, Josh, Chase, Kolby, and Adon

SUMMER HOLIDAYS

This summer we had the opportunity to take a mini vacation to Adams Lake thanks to Stu and Sarah. Real was able to take a week off so we drove to Kamloops, shopped for toys and food and headed to find the cabin. We had to take a small ferry operated through a pulley system; it was quite the experience the first time on it. We drove onto a ramp and the ferry gets pulled across the lake. We finally found our way along some twisting and turning roads and we expected a qaint little cabin, but what we found was a huge house filled with all the amenities. The cabin has its own little creek and little wooden bridge running right through the property. It was peaceful and beautiful. They had their own dock, boat, quad, dirt bike, everything you need and more. I lost track of how many rooms there were. Even with all that space, our boys still managed to sleep on the floor on an air mattress in our room. We stayed for five nights and enjoyed every minute. The one day it rained (just for a couple of hours), we went to Kamloops for shopping and Starbucks. The boys had a great time soaking up the sun, swimming, quading, boating, and just lazing around. My favourite part of the day was first thing in the morning with a cup coffee on the deck reading my yoga books peacefully listening to the creek. Why don't we have more of these moments? Real would take an afternoon nap on the deck or the dock. The neighbors were very friendly and waved at us every morning from their dock, just like pleasantville. We went boating and tubing. Kolby went on his own for the first time and loved it. Real went tubing too while I drove and almost lost his shorts because I was driving too fast. Apparently, when he signed to slow down, Kolby thought it meant speed up. Who ever had binoculars at that moment saw a full moon. Kolby and I thought it was pretty funny. It was Kade's birthday while we were there and we went go-carting and mini golfing. It sure is nice having Kade old enough to do more fun activities now. He is getting more brave to try new things. He wanted to go faster on the quad and faster on the go carts. Kolby was right in his element in the outdoors. But I think Jaada had the most fun of all. She got to be with her family all day long and play and sleep and eat. She slept right outside our door every night. She did really good in the water, huge improvement; she joined us on her own by swimming way out to us on our floaties. We were very sad to leave because we knew that we probably would never see the cabin again. They are thinking of selling it and we could never be able to buy or even rent a place like that with all those amenities. So we cherished the time we had there. We felt re-energized by the sun and water. When it was time to go We drove to PG, stayed at the Treasure Cove for the pool and good breakfasts. We shopped the next day and headed home. Even though we loved our mini family vacation, it sure is nice driving home with all the beautiful greenery and the rich lush mountains with the strong waterfalls. We sure are lucky to live in such an active environment Sometimes we complain about the weather, but I love home. For the rest of the summer we will enjoy our backyard and maybe go camping for a few days. Kolby had hockey camp this week and spent time with his friends. Kade will get together with his friends and maybe indulge in his first sleep over. It is still summer and I am going to enjoy every minute of it before school starts. Here are a few more pictures in random order.

I NEED TO POST MORE OFTEN

Well, a lot to talk about. It's been almost three months since my last post. All three of you who view my blog may have lost interest by now. But I promise I will post more often.

Our kitchen reno has taken Way longer than we had ever planned. But I finally have a sink and stove. I am getting the rest of my counter tomorrow. My list of what Not To Do in a Kitchen reno is increasing. It is so worth the wait, I am loving every step of the way and I can't believe we lived with that ugly kitchen for eight years. I will post some pics of the finished project soon.

School is out and I am thoroughly enjoying my summer holidays. I always feel very tired the first two weeks of summer. Now I am getting my groove on, preparing our years fish, cleaning and organizing, working out again, and now I am getting ready for our holiday in the sun. We are heading to a cabin on a lake where the heat is. It is just for a week, but we will take anything. Real needs a break from the water. He has been going steady on our charter business since May. I can' wait to get away from the tv and ringing phones.

We have been fishing a couple of times this year and picked up some spring salmon. We have taken a few trips to Pike Island for picnics. We went on a Family Camping Trip to Water Lily Bay ( a beautiful lake not far from home). I have been going on dates with my girls to the movies, dinner and drinks. We have been busy, but we take time to relax as a family too.

Here are some recent pics and not so recent pics in random order:

Kitchen Renovations

Yes, we are renovating our kitchen. I know it will look awesome and it will put value into our house, but it SUCKS!! It is a messy, dusty, dirty, unorganized, crowded, confined, long, so very long process. I shouldn't complain, its been what I always wanted and Real is being patient and working hard. Carpentry is not part of Real's fortay, but he is learning, we both are learning a lot, mostly of what not to do. So if anyone wants to renovate their kitchen, call us and we will tell you what Not to do.

For example, do not:
*call the permit guy
*get your Ikea kitchen shipped (its cheaper for everyone to drive down and bring it up yourself)
*start renovating without a back-up cooking station
*live at home during the reno
*pack up your whole kitchen (get rid of stuff when you can)
*get a new puppy just before you renovate because you might have to pay a $900 vet bill if she breaks her leg
*do your income taxes during the reno
*move everything into your living room
*leave your furniture uncovered, actually anything uncovered

Here are some pictures of the beginning of our reno and some before shots.

"Parents VS Kids"

Kolby was so excited to play against his dad. He said, "we are going to own them!!" I think Real was more excited than Kolby. The game went well, very cute to see the kids try even harder to skate passed their parents. Kolby scored two goals and Real scored three goals. He kept asking 'did you see that, did you see my goals?' That was Real asking, not Kolby. The game was tied and ended with a shoot out with all players and both Kolby and Real scored one each. The kids won it in the end and everyone celebrated with pizza. Fun Day of Hockey.

Spring Break and More

I am the worst blogger ever. I am not very good at keeping you up with the Jones'. I will try harder I promise, for those of you who keep looking and thank you for looking.

We went to Skidegate for the weekend, unfortunately it was for a funeral. A huge loss for the family and the Haida Nation. The service was very emotional and meaningful. I was very proud of my handsome husband in his Fire Fighters formal attire as he was apart of the funeral service. Real's mom, Val was also very proud of both her boys, as they were both in their formal wear. Real's brother, Jamie is a Coast Guard for the Queen Charlottes. The feast that followed was just as memorable. Unfortunately, Real started to feel ill and we were unable to stay for the remainder of the night. It was very nice to see Real's family, we wished we had more time to do more visits and more dinners, . . . mmmmm good dinners. Thanks to Real's aunty Toni-Lynn for allowing us to take over her room, well . . . her whole house. The picture above is of cousin Trey and Kade sitting in the window of our cabin on the ferry. Kade was asking for Trey the whole trip so we wanted to take them to the beach to collect shells and rocks. Something we love to do every trip. The picture below is us at the beach. We were all curious of a bone we found stuck in the mud. The boys could spend hours down the beach. Kolby kept saying, "Gram would love it here, she would probably stay here all day".





It's Spring Break, uh huh uh huh uh huh.
We really want to go to Terrace for a night but the weather isn't cooperating with us. Kolby really wants to do something fun for Spring Break. He isn't a fussy boy, he would be happy with going to Rain for brunch (popular restaurant in town). We are very proud of Kolby, he is a polite, respectful boy who tries hard in school with excellent grades and loves playing sports. He is a very avid reader at home and at school. Kids are attracted to him because of his fun, loving, comedian demeaner.

I am trying to enjoy every minute of Spring Break; spending mornings in our pj's, going for walks, visiting great-gram. Now I want to get some cleaning and organizing done. Everyone has their list of things to do, even Kade. He is very proud of his list - swiffer the floor, pick up his toys, and play with the dogs. He is our boy who has limited amount of hugs and kisses, so when he is willing we all line up.

***Girls in Red***

Just a few more pictures (taken by uncle Frank) of the ANT. This is a picture of my sister Jude, our mom, and me - our mom is wearing red in support of our team. We had a whole section of fans wearing red this year! This is the first year that our mom stayed for the whole game. She is usually too stressed to watch so she either peeks in at the door or goes home to clean and phones someone for updates.








This is our whole team for 2008. Well. . . not our whole team, Lori (our cousin) practiced most of the year with us and due to her heavy Masters Program, she was unable to commit to the tournament. We are expecting her to play next year for sure. Kerri and Cindy were unable to play due to ethnicity, but are very much apart of this team. Thanks to our coach uncle Wayne (left) for a good season of dedication, experience, pride in our team, and for being cool and collected when needed. Thanks to Glenn (right) for his commitment, dedication, and crucial game equipment like ball bag, oranges and water.


Here is a picture of me taking a foul shot. All our foul shots were very crucial in winning the game. I only shot 50% on the line, good enough to keep us in the game, but not good enough as a personal goal. (check out those pipes)

All Native Basketbal Tournament Fans Win 2008!!!

2008 ANT Metlakatla Crest

Here we are coming back from a time-out, re-freshed and re-grouped. This was one of the toughest games I have ever played in . . . in terms of energy and perseverance. The Kispiox girls are very tough competitors. We used our experience and skill and came out winners in the end.

Metlakatla is located on the north coast of BC, just across from Prince Rupert. We have the smallest community to draw athletes and fans from, but we sure have a lot of Heart! Playing for your own village and representing in the ANT is very meaningful to us. The final game was great entertainment for our fans and they kept us going with their chanting and cheering. Thank you Fans!!

WAI WAH METLAKATLA!!!

Here we go again!

I love the feeling I get when I walk into the Civic Center during this time of the year. I go to the Civic Center many, many times throughout the year for my son's hockey, basketball, badminton, and women's ball hockey, but during the All Native Tournament the cultural feelings are strong. I can feel the power of our people when we come together to join in this historical event every year. People hold their heads up high and take pride in being First Nations through the sharing of food, meeting new friends and re-uniting with old friends, listening and watching cultural celebrations, and just being Together. My family spends all day and sometimes well into the evenings at the ANT and we sit in our favourite spots and keep track of who is winning and who is out while eating fried bread, fried oolichans, smoked fish, clam fritters, and my favourite cockle chow mein.

The fans are amazing, especially the Metlakatla Fans - for such a small community we sure have a lot of support. I look forward to playing hard, playing fair, and playing together!

Scrapbook Retreat

This is a picture of Kerri and me that I took by holding the camera away from us. I think I did pretty good.

Working Hard

Here is Debbie and Krist consulting on a layout, we do a lot of sharing.

Family

Here we are taking a break with family to celebrate my sister Jude's bday.

Scrapbook Retreat a Success

Another fun year at the retreat with great food, a lot of space, great company, a workout gym and steam room, and time for socializing in the lounge. I am not sure how many pages I did, who's counting anyways, (I know some of you are counting). I am known in the group as the one who takes a lot of time getting started. I will post some of my layouts in a bit. These pics are a few of my family and friends during the retreat ( very missed: Cindy, Cathy).