Gettin' ready for Christmas 2008

Here is Elise modeling!

















Natalie and Weston got ahold of the camera again!!!!! Pretty scary looking!!












Natsky and her best bud posing




















A beautiful December Arizona Sky!

Merry Christmas to all!!

Here is an official engagement picture of Rob and Camille. We only have 6 weeks left to get ready for their wedding!!!!!













Our latest family news is that Sister Bethany Hansen returned from a successful mission to the Detroit, Michigan mission 6/4/07 to 11/19/08.
On the flight home, since she left out of Detroit and had a layover in Chicago and it was 28 degrees when she left, she wore lots of warm clothing AND a pair of fuzzy lined boots. When she flew into Tucson, it was 86 degrees and she began to sweat!!! We teased her that she didn't remember what AZ Novembers are like!! When she got home, she immediately got into her suitcase and changed her shirt and shoes to something a little more cooler! She is home and doing well and will be living in St. David and working in Tucson for the time being. She reports on her mission on 11/30/08 at 2 pm and all who want to come are invited!

Camille is engaged!!

This is a blurry picture of Camille and Rob, but it gives you an idea of what a cute couple they are! Of course we will be taking lots more pictures of them and will post a better one when we get it! They got engaged on October 11th in a very romantic setting (so we hear!!) They are planning a January 2, 2009 wedding date, so it looks like the Holiday Season will be extra busy this year! We are excited for them and know that they will make a happily married couple because they already are a happy couple!





Now, this next picture has nothing to do with the last one!! Just want to make that clear!! Elise and Natalie went out to light the barbeque on Sat. and I heard Nat scream and then Weston say "Go get the camera!" I didn't know why, but if Nat screamed, then it HAD to be about something dramatic!! When they opened the BBQ, they found a very fat black widow spider who had evidently sucked all the juices out of a very dead and dry grasshopper that was still wound up in it's web down on the grill! I took a picture and then we pushed the grasshopper through the grill bars and the spider decided to high-tail it out of there before we lit the grill!!
See all the exciting things that happen at the Jones house!!!

Happy Fall

A tree that looks like a poodle (actually 3 trees) A serene pastoral scene in St. David.

This is our windmill and scenes from our backyard. This is a scene from Fernan Lake in No. Idaho from our August visit,

Fall is my favorite season and time of the year! I have to force myself not to decorate the house until the official start of the autumnal equinox--this year was Sept. 22nd! October is my favorite month of fall and not for the obvious reason. I like it because the air is finally cooler here in AZ and we can open our windows at night and let the cool breezes blow through the house. I like it because the colors are changing and we do have trees here that change colors brilliantly. I like to have my camera in the car with me during fall so if I see a pretty scene, I can pull off the road and take a picture. I like fall because I love the scents of the season--apples, peaches, pumpkin pie, cinnamon and "harvest smells"! I burn lots of scented candles this time of year to add to the natural scents around our little village. I like fall because I like to dress up at Halloween with my preschool class--it gives us adults license to act like kids again!! Anyway, above are a couple of my favorite fall photos that I've taken the past couple of years

Here is Elise and Cami when they did their hair in "spouts"--and I don't think it was even Halloween!! This is a silly picture of Weston and a rubber band! He stole the camera again and was taking self-portraits of his lovely mug! He took several, and this is the "best" one, I think. When do boys actually grow up???

Trip to Idaho

Craig and Kelli got to go up to Idaho in August for 2 special occasions: Kelli's parents 50th wedding anniversary in Coeur d'Alene

AND to meet our 4th grandgirl Tenley in Boise!

Jessica and Justin and Brynlyn got to fly up to Idaho with us and it was sure fun to get to be with them for a whole week. (Well, at least we think so--they may not!) We spent some time on the Lake Cd'A boardwalk enjoying the cool lake air and beautiful scenery.

And in Boise we had fun at the zoo with all 4 grandgirls!

(Hurry--take the picture before they all escape!)

Back at the Corral, the 3 kids at home who didn't get to go to Idaho because they didn't want to miss a whole week of school, had some fun of their own with big sis Leah. Chad and Ashley came down one of the weekends too and we are pretty sure a huge party was thrown at our house while we were gone! All evidence was cleaned up by smart children before we got home!

8/8/08 This is our silly dog Teddy who decided he didn't like being segregated from the rest of the family while we were eating dinner and found a way to "peek" out from under our very dog -resistant barrier! What a nut!

Let's hear a BIG HOORAY--the kids went back to school yesterday!!! HOORAY!!

We only have 3 in school --2 in middle school and 1 in high school. Weston started 7th grade and already he says his favorite class is "Performing Arts". Who would have guessed that?! Natalie is a freshman and is very sore from starting volleyball practice last week! Elise is a junior and is getting ready to cheer at all the fall sports games. She'll be one of 11 cheerleaders this year!

Camille is getting very close to moving away from home and going to EAC in Thatcher--she will leave on the 16th or so. She and her dad have had a very frustrating car experience trying to get her "mobile" in Thatcher. Cami bought a car that needed some work that Craig and she have been working hard on all summer. It still needs more work and she is ready to leave for college! It is taking more $$ than she wanted to spend, so we made her a deal. Together, we bought her another low-budget car and when the MR2 is done, Craig will drive that one! It will get lots better gas mileage than the truck he drives now and at $4 a gallon for gas, and a drive to Tucson daily, that will sure help. So, both Cami and Craig are happy. Elise is not because this all means that we have to sell the car she was going to drive to high school so we can pay Cami back all the $$ she put into her 2 cars. Elise gets to drive the scoot! Here is a picture of Elise when she decided to play dress-up like a model one boring summer day. She could pass it off, couldn't she?!

Here is a picture of a couple of very wierd kids on another boring summer day. This is what happens when parents leave the camera around and the kids get ahold of it to take "self-portraits." Not a good idea!

So, one evening during scripture study, our dog Cocoa decided she wanted to be a part of it, so she slowly climbed onto Kelli's lap; so slowly and imperceptibly that Kelli didn't even notice till Cocoa's whole doggy body was already there! OK, so we have 2 dogs that are nuts!

This last picture is of some of the Jones gang when they went camping on Mt. Graham this past summer. Craig had to go to Bishop's night at scout camp so everyone went up to join him and they set up their own camp site. Chad and Ashley joined them up there for some fun. They got to go fishing and hiking and enjoy some "time in the pines" that we desert rats don't get very often. Ask Elise and Natalie about the black bears next time you see them!!!

We Started a Blog!

We Started A Blog!! Yea, we know, IT'S ABOUT TIME!! Well, better late than never, as we say here in the country! This picture is of some clouds that were over one of our neighbors houses that we thought were awesome! The colors and lighting were really vivid and later, this cloud and many more, opened up and rained on us for a good long time! We didn't mind as we need the rain.

We have a website where we have posted lots of pictures, but most of them are 5 to 7 years old, so part of the goal of this blog is to post newer pictures for your viewing pleasure! Hopefully Kelli can do it mostly by herself without having to wait for Craig, the computer wizard, to help her!

Here are some pictures of our 4 GrandGirlies! We have a brand new one that just arrived last week and she is first. . .

This is Miss Tenley Louanne Hurd

born 7/23/08

to Scott and Rachelle Hurd

(look at those chubby cheeks!!)

This is Miss Brynlyn Madison Pollard

born March 4, 2008

daughter of Justin and Jessica Pollard

(love the headband!)

These are Misses Sydney Malia and Mallory Jade Kelsey

born April 2004 and October 2006 respectively

daughters of Zach and Heather Kelsey
(cute matching dresses!)

We are blessed with lots of girls in our family: 9 daughters, 1 daughter-in law, and 4 granddaughters!

We also have 2 sons and 4 sons-in-law! We need some grandboys, but will patiently wait while we spoil our grandgirls!