Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!!


Merry Christmas from the Joneses!! It has been a very hectic (and cold!) holiday this year! We celebrated last night by getting together with Nolan, Paige and my dad to open presents. It was just like old times having everyone together at the holidays again! The night before we went for our traditional movie before the holiday (Harry Potter!).

We have had a few visitors lately. Savanah drove to Orlando during her winter break from work to come visit us! It's always great to catch up with old friends (I say old but really college wasn't that far in the past..haha!!). My dad is also staying in the area for the time so it is nice to have him in to visit as well!

Rusty has been working the third shift at Universal. He was promoted to a lead position for the month to manage a team of non-Universal employees while they trial a third shift (10pm to 8:30am). He has been having a hard time sleeping during the day so I know he will be happy to return to a more "normal" second shift starting January. It is weird both being on nights because it seems like someone is always coming or going. I will be happy when things get back to normal but I'm not sure what normal is anymore...lol!


The last time I wrote I forgot to mention our trip to Miami to see Grant marry his fiance Erin. It was a beautiful and intimate wedding and I'm so glad we got to be a part of it! Grant really has grown up quickly over the past couple of years and we are glad to see him so happy!!

At the start of this month we gathered up a group of friends and headed to Blue Springs State Park to camp! It was the coldest weekend I remember camping in a long time! The first night we were there, a small storm passed. Turns out it was a cold front! The next day was cold but the night was down right freezing (literally!!). For a pregnant lady making lots of trips to the bathroom away from the heat of the fire it was not a good situation! Overall we had a great time with friends but we all decided the last night was so cold we could forget about cooking breakfast...off to Perkins we went! The next camping trip will definitely be interesting with 2 little ones!!


Lastly, but not least, we got to catch another glimpse of the babies at our recent 20 week appointment!! THEY ARE BOTH GIRLS!!! Big surprise there, but we didn't really have a preference, just healthy! They were very active and the ultrasound tech had trouble capturing their images because they were moving so much!!! In the end she got all the images and the babies (and mom) are doing great! They are measuring right at gestational age except for their leg length which are measuring a week ahead of time! Yikes! We are going to have some tall daughters....Rusty is already dreaming about a volleyball scholarship..lol.
Hope everyone has a great Christmas and a happy new year!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

So very thankful!

So, I know it is after Thanksgiving but I am feeling extra thankful today. I am thankful for many things, like great friends and family but most of all a wonderful husband and a growing family. We have much to be thankful for this year including a new job, our health and happiness.




We celebrated Thanksgiving this year with a group of friends, old and new. Our house was filled with about 20 people and lots of delicious food (and 3 toddlers...a good trial run)! It was great to have everyone together. Rusty had to work on Thanksgiving day but it was nice to grab a bite to eat together with family at my mom's house.


Last night we celebrated our friend Michelle's birthday at Benihana. It is a really good hibachi grill place...I definitely recommend it!!

Friday, October 22, 2010

It's official!


Now that we are safely through 12 weeks...we are "officially" announcing our pregnancy (although most of you already know!) Yesterday and our 12 week check up everything looked great! I gave blood for the second part of the tests for Spina Bifida and Downs Syndrome. So far everything seems perfectly normal...except for the having twins part! I feel great so far. Haven't really been sick except when I'm hungry and have been going for long walks with Layla and doing prenatal yoga to stay in shape. (Hopefully that will help the cruise weight melt off..haha!) Rusty is already a very proud and involved daddy! Every week he updates me on the size of the baby and reminds me of all the things I'm not supposed to do or eat...lol!

This week we vacationed to the Bahamas on a Disney cruise. Yes! We vacationed AGAIN! But this will be one of the last trips for awhile (and probably the most restful and comfortable ones I will ever have again!!) We didn't do much but eat, sleep and lay on the beach...a perfect vacation! We visited Nassau and Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Can't wait to take our 2 kiddos on the new Disney Dream! (Maybe 2012??) Gotta have something tropical to look forward to!


Right before we left for vacation we had a get together with some good high school friends! We all got together and had a delicious BBQ and brought our dogs...4 in all. It was definitely a full house. I had a great time and it was so nice to see everyone again!!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

They're up!


The rest of our Trash the Dress pictures are up!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Trash the dress!

Well, not literally! Rusty and I had a wedding photo re-do this past weekend with Kristin Mizo Photography. She is amazing!! We were never really happy with our original wedding pictures so we contacted Kristin and traveled down to Ponce Inlet and spent the evening remembering our wedding day...what could be better? I was able to get dressed up again (yes! the dress still fits!!!) and get my hair and makeup done. Rusty was looking very handsome himself! I don't have all the official photos yet but I'll be getting them soon. Just a small preview of our afternoon! And yes, I did get into the ocean in my wedding dress, no it isn't ruined :)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Savannah, GA

Last weekend we enjoyed 2 nights in Savannah, GA. We stayed at the Hamilton-Turner Inn, a bed and breakfast right in the heart of Savannah! The first night we were there we walked downtown to a tapas bar and had lots of delicious food. After dinner we went on a 90 minute walking ghost tour. It was more like a historical account of ghost stories then it was a spooky tour. I think Rusty was disappointed we didn't see any ghosts! We DID find out later that the B&B we stayed at had ghosts in it (supposedly!)


The next day we walked for several hours checking out all the little shops around town and down by the riverside. We even did a wine tasting at the local winery...yumm!! Rusty was such a good sport...he hates shopping but discovered he does like some wine! That night we had a private horse drawn carriage pick us up at the bed and breakfast and take us on a tour of the town (picture above!). After the tour we were dropped off at The Olde Pink House for dinner. We enjoyed one of the most delicious, southern style meals we've had in a LONG time! Afterward we rolled back to the inn to get some rest for the ride home.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Savanah and Savannah!!


My good friend Savanah recently came to visit from St. Pete! She's been in Texas the last 2 years and will soon be off to California! We had a great time visiting Universal Studios and finally went to the new Harry Potter world and rode "The Forbidden Journey!" Can't wait to go back without the long lines! So sad that is the only picture of the 3 of us!! Check out the albums for some peaks of Harry Potter :)

Soon we will be visiting Savannah, GA for a weekend get away. We plan on going on a ghost tour and a private carriage tour of the city! Can't wait!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Pictures are up!!





Finally, our Vermont pictures are up. Enjoy!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Trip to Vermont

Last weekend I traveled to Vermont to spend time with my dad. It was a short trip and unfortunately Rusty was unable to join me because he couldn't get the time off of work. I haven't been to Vermont in the summer in several years and I almost forgot how beautiful and green it can be there!!

Paige and Nolan joined me the day after my arrival. It was the first time all 3 of us have visited Vermont at the same time and we had a really great time together. We picked blueberries, raspberries and strawberries straight off the bush! After getting home with the berries we made homemade ice cream with them! We also spent time swimming in Lake Champlain, visiting Shelbourne Farms (where my dad works part time) and playing with the 2 week old baby bunnies on the farm. We celebrated the 4th by attending an outdoor concert by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, followed by fireworks.

It was a bittersweet stay. My dad and Jim may be moving soon and I will miss Vermont so much. I hope to visit again soon! Pictures to follow...!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Crazy, busy life!


June started off with Rusty's 27th birthday!! We were joined by our closest friends (and a surprise visit by Grant!) for dinner at Kobe's steakhouse. Yumm!! Here he is in his birthday hat....Happy Birthday babe!


Rusty and I finally enjoyed a day at the park together before the Harry Potter madness started! We rode some of the best roller coasters out there and just enjoyed the park (without the expense!) Loving the perks of working at Universal! It is a great job, with a great company. Rusty is so happy to be working someplace he is appreciated! They have offered him lots of overtime and he has put in some really long days lately. I have to brag on him because they are also considering him for a lead position ALREADY! He hasn't even finished his 90 days and could already be on his way to a big promotion! I'm so proud of you and all you have done!!

Between work and play there is more work on the home front! I finally finished my office project I've been working on forever. 3 years after my graduation and 4 years after Rusty's last graduation, our diplomas are finally hanging up on display! This picture is from a recent trip we made to Home Depot with our Christmas gift card from Dad and Jim. It's the gift that keeps on giving!!! After our coooold winter (don't laugh northerners!) all my plants died. They were replaced with some knock out roses...good for those of us with a brown thumb, and some pretty annuals. Why didn't anyone ever tell us how expensive owning a house is? Laughing and loving every minute!

Join us in welcoming Grant's new baby girl, Emma Kate Enwright. Born June 7th. 6lbs 6oz. Congratulations Grant and Erin!!!

Scuba, babies, weddings and cars, oh my!


After returning from our cruise, my sister and I took a trip to the Miami area for Grant's baby shower. One of the downfalls of a new job is not being able to take time off. Rusty had to miss this one! We had a great time and can't wait to meet Emma and see Grant being a daddy!!


As part of Rusty's job, he needs to be dive certified to do underwater track maintenance and inspections on the ride. This is a picture from a dive he did at a local spring as part of his training. He has yet to dive at work but had a great time at the springs!


Yes, it's not an illusion. That's me with my new(er) car. Not exactly what Dave Ramsey had in mind but it was time for an upgrade! I just don't think my Sentra would have made it much longer without some major work! This is Ford's mid size car, the Fusion. I've had it a few weeks now and I love it!


Memorial day weekend we traveled to Virgina and watched my good friend Kara tie the knot! She and Don were married May 29th in a beautiful ceremony in the mountains. It was so amazing and I'm so glad we could be there!!! Congrats Kara!! On the way there we stopped to visit Al, Heather and Peyton and their new restaurant. Delicious! As always, check out the rest of our pictures in our photo album!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Southern Caribbean Cruise


Our long awaited vacation has come and gone. We had a wonderful and relaxing time. Here is a recap of our adventures!

April 30th: Arrival in San Juan. We rented a car and drove to the El Yunque rain forest. Our little car was tested by the mountains but we made it to the top for some amazing views!!! We even did a short hike to an observation tower. Afterwards we drove back to the hotel and checked in then enjoyed a nice dinner at Outback!

May 1st: Cruise day! We returned the rental car and headed off to the ship! Once onboard we checked out the ship, played mini golf, laid by the pool, napped, then headed to dinner! Happy 25th birthday to me! (They forgot my cake!!) Toilet malfunction lead to continuous flushing but easy fix by maintenance man.

May 2nd: Day at sea. Early morning toilet overflow. Water actually leaked up through the carpet outside our room in the hallway. We left the maintenance people working while we went to a pasta making demonstration and 4 course lunch at Portifino (their specialty restaurant). Upon our return we had a voicemail offering us a balcony room and a bottle of champagne chilling. Yes please! At dinner I got my cake and a birthday song from the servers (birthday celebration #3!)

May 3rd: Barbados (and Paige's birthday!) We took a cab to the beach. $20 bought us use of beach chairs, umbrella, 2 rum punches and a ride back to port. Beautiful beach and weather!

May 4th: St Lucia. Excursion to the Pitons. First we rode a bus through the scary mountain roads through fishing villages to the Pitons. Along the way we fought off vendors selling random stuff we had no interest in! We also stopped at a sulfur, walk-in volcano and the botanical gardens. We got a ride back to port on a catamaran and stopped at a secluded beach. Great views, beautiful weather!

May 5th: Antigua and our anniversary! We took a cab to the beach and laid out all day! When we got back we got ready for our special anniversary dinner at Portifino.

May 6th: St Maartin. Another beach day with a nude twist. We sat on the non-nude side but there wasn't much adherence to the nude boundaries! We snorkeled near a reef and saw lots of fish and even a stingray, then rented a jet ski! Amazing day!

May 7th: St Croix (and dad's birthday!). We traveled to Buck Island for some amazing snorkeling. We followed an underwater trail through the reef then did some free snorkeling. We even saw a barracuda....scary!! After we got back to the ship it was only about 1pm. We spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool.

May 8th: San Juan. Our flight left at 3pm so we had several hours to explore the town. We took a cab (we are experts at this now!) to Old San Juan and visited the fort there. Then we checked out the art fair in town and ate some authentic Puerto Rican food....delicious!

That's our vacation in a nutshell (for anyone that cares!) Check out our pictures in the photo gallery!!

April Update

Rusty in his Universal uniform

Well, now that we are almost half way through May I should post our April update!!! Most of this month was spent in anticipation of our upcoming cruise! (This means LOTS of work and overtime to save up those extra spending pennies!!) While we are on the topic of work, Rusty has settled into his job at Universal on the Jaws ride. He works 4 nights a week, which will eventually work out well for us when we get on the same scheduled nights! Each night he is on call for any problems with the ride. After the park closes, he is in charge of shutting down the ride and doing any scheduled maintenance on the boats. After he gets certified to dive he will also be doing maintenance on the track the boats drive on. He has even taught them how to essentially "soup up" the boats, making changes in the engine components to give the boats more horsepower....a trick he learned from building race cars! (Who said that wouldn't come in handy someday?) Between shifts at Universal, he is also still working a few hours at Greenway as a helper for extra cash. Whew...makes me tired just thinking about it!

We took a trip to Wekiva Springs in early April to celebrate our friend Mike's birthday! It was a beautiful day but not quite warm enough for 72 degree spring water swimming. Gotta start working on that base tan for the Caribbean sun!!

As one of the joys of home ownership we (as in Rusty) have learned how to install a garbage disposal. Not something you think about often until it doesn't work and there is water backing up into the sink every time you run the dishwasher...! Could've found a lot more fun things to spend that $150 on but now we have a much quieter and better quality disposal that hopefully has about 20 years in it!

I served on my first Jury in April. It wasn't fun. Not even a little bit. I expected to spend a day in court and go home. No. Not me! I got called for the FIRST jury of the day; it was then I realized something was definitely not going to go right. Then I find out it is jury selection for a first degree murder trial. I about fainted and of course ended up being chosen to sit on the jury. It was very surreal listening to testimony and realizing, wow, I am going to decide this person's future. In the end, I spent 3 days in court for a "not guilty" verdict. This case solidified the meaning of "beyond a reasonable doubt." Lets hope I don't get chosen again anytime soon!

Then it was finally cruise time!!! I prepared getting a pedicure with my sister and Andrea! (Yay! Paige is finally home from college...for the summer anyway!) After our pampering we went to Urban Flats with Rachel and Michelle for Ladies Night! We had great time celebrating my birthday, enjoying half price martinis and entrees and free dessert! Who says it's not great being a woman?! Then, back home for packing and an early start for San Juan tomorrow!!!

Ladies Night at Urban Flats

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Home repairs and more...


After a few dog escapes and a note from the HOA, we decided it was time to repair our fence! Dad, Jim and Nolan: Thanks, we enjoyed spending your Christmas presents (gift cards!) instead of our own cash!! :) Another thanks to Rusty and his dad for spending Sunday repairing the fence in the rain! They fixed the falling fence in the back corner, replaced fallen boards and even put the neighbor's fallen fence panel. Hopefully it'll hold us until we replace the entire thing...


We recently enjoyed a visit from my Uncle Doug, Aunt Kristi and cousins Ali and Rob. They were down on spring break visiting from Minnesota. Glad they had a few days of nice weather! Not much happening with us otherwise. We are eagerly awaiting Rusty's Universal orientation on Wednesday next week. In the meantime, it's all about our dog-child (as you can see)! I picked up her buddy Kobe the other day and they had a great time chasing each other around the back yard...it made me tired just watching them!


Speaking of tired, everyday I attempt to tire out Layla. We started with a few minutes on the rollerblades in addition to her daily walk. Now we have progressed to 7 miles with her running next to me on my bike. Even that doesn't REALLY tire her out. So, after some research and a lot of teasing from Rusty...I ordered Layla a dog backpack. The theory is that it puts the dog into "working mode" and they burn up some energy while also keeping them calm on the walk. If you know Layla, these are two things she desperately needs. Much to my surprise it worked! She is much more calm on walks and seems a LITTLE more tired than from a normal walk. In addition to the vest photoed here, she also wears the actual pack with 3 lb weights on each side! Oh the joys of being a dog owner...!

Monday, March 15, 2010

BIG news!

Rusty has accepted a job as a dive mechanic on the Universal Studios ride, Jaws! Congratulations babe!! Work starts the first of April. More details to follow...

Saturday, February 20, 2010

February

February has also been exciting! It started off with a bang....literally! We have been hoping that it would hold out a few more years but our a/c unit died which wouldn't be so bad except it's been freakishly cold in Florida this year and we've actually used the heater to keep the house out of the 50 degree range! We were actually very lucky for it to have broken now insead of the summer; otherwise we would have spend about 4 times as much to replace the entire system since they just discontinued the "old" gas system we have. Talk about unanswered prayers!
We also hosted a Super Bowl party on SB sunday! Even more amazing that I had the night off, I made it through the whole game...well except the last few minutes : ) It was great to gather with friends. Rusty cooked us all burgers on the grill...yummy!
This past weekend we enjoyed a trip to Clearwater for Valentine's Day. It was really nice and has been a long time since we have gotten away just the 2 of us. We spent the night in a really nice Spa Resort near Tampa Bay and drove into Clearwater to watch the sunset. It was sooo cold that night 40s with 30mph winds off the ocean...burr! Can't wait for our cruise in May!!!

January


Finally getting back to post 2 months later! The last few months have been pretty busy for us! In January we welcomed Robert home from Afghanistan with a family BBQ. We also were able to meet Megan's new baby Kaleb for the first time. (Such a cutie!) It was nice to have the whole Bish family together again...especially after I missed Christmas.

This year we also finally made it back to the Monster Truck show....loved that! I think this year was the first time we realized how rigged it all is but it's still fun all the same : ) We were joined by Nolan and his girlfriend Andrea, Rusty's friend John and his girlfriend Doreen.