Whirlwind Weekend

Weather in Vermont is temperamental to say the least, so we were very fortunate this past weekend to have beautiful weather, and we were able to do everything that we had planned.  Friday we went to the Quechee Hot Air Balloon Festival.  We started out by looking through the craft tents and sampling locally grown products.  After our taste testing, we had some great BBQ for dinner. 

After dinner we found a spot near our friends Bailey, Adam, and Xavier to watch the balloons take off.  There was a slight delay to wait for the wind to slow down, and then the balloons started getting blown up. 

Slowing the balloons started taking off, which was a beautiful sight.

After watching the balloons take off, we walked around a little longer and watched a local band perform.  Hadley really enjoyed the music and got her groove on, dancing to the delight of everyone around us.

Saturday we visited a local park that our friend Nicky told us about.  Hadley loves to slide and climb and really enjoyed playing with Frank.  The rest of the day we spent at home relaxing and playing in the backyard.

Sunday was Father's Day and Gideon chose to go back to Quechee to hike the Gorge and play miniature golf.  The Gorge was very pretty, and I was very happy that I was able to keep up with everyone even with all of the hills and my very pregnant belly.

After hiking the Gorge, we went across the street to play miniature golf, which was the first time for Hadley.  At the beginning it was a hit, but she quickly got bored with the idea of hitting the ball with the club and wanted to just play with the balls.  Hadley and I stayed in the shade as much as we could, while Frank and Gideon continued to play. 

It was a very busy weekend, but we had a great time.  Who knows what next weekend will bring.

How Are You Feeling?

Pregnant women are constantly asked different questions, but I think the one asked most often is "How are you feeling?" So for all of you who have been wondering, this is for you. As with almost everything, there are good days and bad days, but overall I feel good.

I love Hadley more than anything and everything I went through while pregnant with her was worth it, but I have to say this pregnancy has been so much easier. I only had about 12 weeks of morning sickness, manageable heartburn, no congestion, and limited headaches.

Something new I am experiencing this pregnancy is sciatic nerve pain. This occurs when Malia presses on the sciatic nerve. The pain then radiates through my back, bottom, and right thigh, stopping me in my tracks. I'm also experiencing a lot more general lower back pain.

Still, I feel good and am looking forward to meeting Malia. As I am in my third trimester there are a few symptoms that just cannot be avoided.

• I now look like an upside down turtle when trying to get out of bed.
• Sleep is becoming very elusive and I spend more time awake wishing morning would come than actually sleeping.
• I spend most of my time in the bathroom.
• I grunt or groan whenever I stand up, especially if I was sitting on the floor.
• I have to ask Hadley to pick up things off the floor when I drop them.
• I can now rest things on the top of my belly for convenient access.

Taken June 20th at 33 weeks

Girls Day Out!

While Gideon and our nephew Frank went to Six Flags New England, Hadley and I had a Girls Day! After a relaxing morning of sleeping in and a long breakfast, we headed for Norwich, VT and the Montshire Museum. Right away I knew it was going to be a huge hit with Hadley when she noticed the fish tanks and squealed "Fishies" with delight. After checking out the fish, turtles, and frogs, we moved on to some of the many exhibits. One of the first we visited was the blocks, and it took a lot of convincing to get her to move on.

Next we moved on to the bubble area. There were a lot of kids in this area, but Hadley was great at taking her turn and sharing. She quickly learned how to make big bubbles with the hula hoop and pull the three dimensional shapes out of the bubble mixtures. One of the greatest things, but also the hardest, of being a Mom is watching your little girl learn to do things on her own and have her tell you that she doesn't need your help.

Hadley really enjoyed watching the Leafcutter Ants and watching the cause and effect in the Air/Turbulence exhibit. Every time we moved to a new area, she would become instantly interested and want to learn what to do. My baby is quickly becoming a little girl right before my eyes. I miss my baby, but I am so excited to watch her grow, learn, and develop.

After the Museum, we went to McDonald's for a very late lunch. I knew she had a good time as she kept giving me hugs and kisses without any prompting and could not stop talking about all of the things we had seen.

Hadley napped on the way home and we finished off our Girls Day playing with animals (Little People), watching Pablo (Backyardigans), and a bubble bath. I know it is going to be more difficult when Malia is born, but I want to continue Girls Day with just Hadley and Mommy. I love our time together, and I want her to always know that Mommy is here for her and I'm never too busy for her.

How Our Experience Began

Our Experience started way back in 1999 when Gideon and I started dating. We were high school sweethearts who most people said would never last as I was going away to college and he was joining the Marine Corps. Much to everyone's surprise, we continued to fall more in love with each other and stayed together despite the long distance. We were married June 1, 2002 in Benton, IL. I was living in Indiana, and Gideon had orders to move to North Carolina after having been stationed in Okinawa Japan for a year.


In Fall of 2005, Gideon returned from his third deployment, this time to Iraq, and I moved to North Carolina to be with him. In March of 2006 we moved to Stuttgart, Germany. We loved living in Germany and all of the traveling opportunities it gave us. While there, I finished my Bachelor's Degree online and graduated with a degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Sales and Marketing. We also began focusing on expanding our family, beyond our two cats, Sasha and Cassie.

In September of 2007 we found out I was pregnant. In December we learned we were having a girl! We quickly decided on the name Hadley Christine, and our amazing beautiful little girl was born May 17, 2008 after 42 hours of labor. She weighed 7lbs 4 oz and was 19.75 inches long. She had pneumonia when she was born, so she spent 10 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Since leaving the hospital, she has been very healthy and we could not imagine our life without her. She shows us something new every day and has taught us what it really means to love another person.

In October of 2008, we moved to Newport, RI as Gideon had been accepted into a program that allows him to earn a college degree while still maintaining his active duty status in the Marines. After graduation, he is commissioned as a Marine officer. We were only in RI for 7 months for Gideon to attend a college prep school.

On June 1, 2009, we moved into the first home we have ever owned in Barre, VT. Even though the house needs a lot of TLC, we love it and are learning a lot about home improvement. In November 2009, we found out we were pregnant again. We were a little surprised, but very happy. We are now waiting to meet Malia Rose who is due August 1.

Well, that is a very condensed version of our story so far. Stay tuned for more updates and journey's through our Experience. I'll leave you with a recent picture of Hadley with her cousin Keagan.

Getting Started

Being a military family, it can be hard to stay in contact with friends and family. It is even more important to stay in contact with one little girl and another on the way, so I am creating this so we can share stories, pictures, and updates with all of the people we love and miss around the world. Stay tuned for an introduction to our family and the latest happenings in Our Jones Family Experience.