Tiny Dancer

Baby Caris loves to dance....


Music really gets her moving! Her first substantially felt movements coincide with my introduction to this cute little personality trait of our baby girl. As I was driving home from work one day, a Colbie Caillat song started playing. Naturally, I cranked up the volume and suddenly felt little Caris kicking away! I was pretty excited to finally feel her kicking and happily enjoyed her little movements. The song ended and Caris settled back down. I decided to try an experiment and turned the song on again......right away she started to dance!

Of course I excitedly called big Daddy G to let him know I thought his little girl inherited his love for music and quite possibly her momma's sweet dancing moves. Lucky girl : ) Garrett was excited to try out the same experiment when we arrived home and Caris did not disappoint! As soon as her favorite new song came on, she joined in with her dancing shoes.

Initially I just attributed this cute little phenomenon to coincidence. However, Caris continues to prove her love for music. And that she has pretty good taste in her musical selections. Her favorite artists currently consist of The Stars, Imogen Heap, Colbie Caillat, Tori Amos, Jason Mraz, and Leona Naes (the new playlist is in honor of Caris). Almost everytime one of her favorite songs starts playing, the girl starts grooving. When a family member wants to feel her move, we turn on the tunes. It's pretty cute!



Lucky for little Caris, her dad has quite the musical repertoire already in place for her. Caris has several playlists on her I-pod ranging from 'Playtime' to 'Naptime'. Some of our favorite new finds came courtesy of Uncle Bobby in the form of these great lullaby renditions of Coldplay! We can't wait until she arrives so we can see her dance in person :)


Yesterday was a hard day for Caris and her mom. I came home and decided to treat her with her own personal jam session. Garrett let us use his good headphones and I put them on where I assumed to be her little ears. Last nights favorite dance selections included: (of course...a Caris staple) Colbie Calait - Bubbly, Macy Gray - I Can't Wait to Meetchu, and she particularly enjoyed dancing to The Streets (I figured white, European rap is okay to play for my little girl, right? cultural diversity and all?).

She danced her way to sleep......

We love our Tiny Dancer!

'My Best Friends Weddings' ......

In honor of Valentine's Day...... and in true accordance with my belated style...... a tribute to love.

Last year was the year of weddings! (and yes, I am taking the liberty of including December 'o7 in the category of 'last year'...it was a long year!) It was such an honor to stand by 4 of my best friends' sides - Laura, Ashley, Lindsey, and Martha - as they began their marriages. I love these girls and am so excited they have found their forever Valentines :)

Laura, Ashley, Martha and I were college roommates and have remained close in our post-college years. We have had many an adventure together and are sure to have many more. The four of us have served as bridesmaids for one another and it has been such a special process to celebrate each others weddings.




Laura and Taylor Moore are two kind and gentle spirits and make quite the beautiful couple. They met in medical school and we were all quick to realize that they were the perfect match. On December 22, 2007, they were married in a beautiful ceremony followed by an eventful 2008. We have been lucky enough to see Laura and Taylor as they journeyed to Houston for boards and interviews this past year....and speaking of perfect match, we are anxiously awaiting to see where they will match for residency! (HOUSTON! HOUSTON!...a selfish wish). It has been such a blessing to be have been able to spend time with them this past year as they proceeded us into the journey to parenthood by a few months and have been able to provide great advice and support. Their absolutely beautiful baby girl, Adelyn Taylor Moore, made her arrival on January 20th, 2009 and is sure to be Caris's best friend! We love the Moore family and can't wait to see them again!

Ashley and John!! From the moment these two met, it was clear that they were destined to be together. I had never seen Ashley so sure of anything! John allows Ashley's
amazing spirit to flourish and they are never short on adventure. They also make quite the handsome pair. (see picture...told you!) Ashley and Laura got engaged on the same day and fittingly married in the same week!! I loved it! Ashley and John Ellis were married in a stunning candlelight ceremony in The Woodlands on Decmenber 28, 2007. Soooo beautfiful! They now live in Chicago so we don't get to see them too much :( But I hold out hope for a return to Houston. In the meantime, we will hope to visit them wherever their journey leads them. A visit to the Ellis' is sure to include lots of laughs and undoubtedly a coersion to a random Ashley adventure! Never a dull moment with these two to say the least.

Sweet Martha and Ben! They are the quintessential Hill Country couple. They began dating when Garrett and I lived in San Antonio and we had so much fun getting to know Ben and see how happy he made Martha. These two are always on the go and you could expect
a day with the Gray's to include hunting on the ranch, a perfectly grilled meal courtesy of both Ben and Martha, and great conversation. We also love that Martha did not have to change her monogram after she got married....and that she will be Dr. Gray. Martha and Ben's wedding on September 5, 2008 and she was a gorgeous bride, it was a true Hill Country event! The Gray's live just a few hours from us and we look forward to any excuse to visit them in San Antonio. (As an aside...Baby B was unknowingly 5 weeks old at Martha's wedding! her first big event of the season...We found out about baby the day after the wedding!)

Sweet Lindsey has been a true life long friend. We grew up together in Albany and were kindergarten BFF's ....and since that final 'F' stands for forever, we followed directions and remained that way! Lindsey and I have shared many life events and she is such a precious friend. We have been lucky enough to re-unite in both Austin and Houston in our post Albany days. Lindsey and Patrick Gore have been great friends during our relocation to Houston. They are a beautiful, happy couple who just may the kindest people you will ever encounter. Their wedding in Lakeway, TX was an absolutely amazing weekend and Lindsey was the ever gracious and beautiful bride. I can always count on these two to liven up my Houston parties and to contribute Chik-fil-A!! Love you guys! (They are such a photographic couple too...seriously they take the most amazing photos together!)

Family Expansion Part 3: Baby B!!!

By far the biggest change in our little G&C family this past year has been Baby B - Blueberry!!!! Garrett and I were thrilled to discover a little 'surprise' in September that would be making an appearance in our world in early May, 2009. What a wonderful, exciting time this has been. I wish I would have chronicled our early experiences, but I will attempt to re-cap. Be prepared for a lengthy post! Sorry!

                                                   - Baby B-lueberry at 10 weeks - 

                                                 

Our rudimentary 'due date' math had us a little nervous initially due to the proximity to Tara's wedding in Sonoma .....we were grateful when our official due date had Baby B arriving just in time for the celebration. I think baby is already a little socialite and knew she didn't want to miss the big event. It has been amazing to see how God's timing has revealed itself in the arrival of our baby. My prayer throughout our marriage has been that our family would arrive in accordance with God's plan. Although I initially stubbornly tried to create my ideal plan, it has been so obvious why we place our trust in God. This year has allowed Garrett to be home so much more and I don't think I could have made it through the pregnancy or baby preparations without him! There have been so many unexpected blessings with baby's 'timing', it is clear to see God's plan in action.

                         - At 16 weeks waiving hello! You can see her little hand and feet- 

A few days after things became official, we faced the arrival of Hurricane Ike. Garrett and I chose to leave Houston (we had a new little life to protect!) and watched the storm arrive and anxiously awaited our return home to assess the damage. We were blessed with relatively minimal damage; debris, damaged trees, and several days of clean-up. However, we were without electricity for 17 day. No A/C, no fridge, and no food in summer is not good for a pregnant lady! Garrett was such a great support, but it was quite the challenge. Especially since we were not ready to go public with our news; made for some interesting times at work....speaking of which.... I began a new position the day after we found out about baby.

- Profile shot at 16 weeks -     

Needless to say, it was an eventful few weeks.

Then the fun began!

Off to the doctor for baby's first portrait. More amazing then I could have imagined.

We have been so excited for each 'baby day' thereafter, to hear the heartbeat and see her little self. It is incredible to actually get to witness her growth. Seeing the 'miniature' baby parts is quite the experience.

Our December Baby Day was anticipated with great excitement as we were thrilled to discover Baby B would identify with the female gender....a baby girl!!! We wasted no time transitioning our term of endearment from Baby B -Blueberry to baby Caris Elizabeth. Garrett made his first venture into the life of fathering a Jones girl and quickly purchased several wardrobe pieces before the close of the day. Good luck Daddy-O. She is going to be stylin'!

Plans were soon underway for her nursery and baby gear....still a work in progress.

And here we are! As of today, we have reached the 29 week marker .... 7 months and counting! Baby Caris continues to grow and we are so excited to meet her. Much more excitement to follow!

                      Caris' latest portrait, a close up shot of her face, she's smiling at us!

Family Expansion Part 2: Jordan & Natalie

In November '08 we celebrated the marriage of Jordan and Natalie!!Garrett's 'little' brother Jordan made an official addition to the Blundell family and we couldn't be more thrilled! From the second we met Natalie, we knew she was the 'one' for Jordan and we were so excited for their engagement and marriage. Natalie and Jordan are a great couple and it has been a true joy to see how happy they make one another. I am so excited to have my first fellow 'out-law'!

Their wedding was a wonderful celebration that truly reflected their joy for one another and was a great occasion for family and friends to be together. The location was at a beautiful Bed & Breakfast in Columbus, TX and was the perfect setting for a fall wedding! Natalie was, of course, a beautiful bride, and Jordan made it through the ceremony in one piece! I am so excited for these two :) They also bought a house just 30 minutes away from us, so we are lucky to have them close by!

(Baby B is 4 1/2 months in this picture!)

Family Expansion Part 1: Tara & Robert

                                                

My beautiful sister Tara got engaged in May 2008!! Robert and Tara are planning a beautiful wedding in Sonoma for May 24th, 2009. The Jones family is beginning to even-out the boy/girl ratio, Dad is glad to have some company in that department! Bobby is a great addition to the Jones family and is the perfect match for Tara. I am so excited to have Bobby as a brother!

They are a wonderful couple and we are so thrilled at the path their relationship has taken through their commitment to God and one another. Bobby loves our sister and makes her a very happy girl, and we are so grateful they found one another!

Tara has been busy planning an event that reflects their unique bond and interests and provides an opportunity for their family and friends to have the wonderful experience of celebrating in Sonoma, CA. They have undertaken quite the task and are doing an amazing job to create a wonderful event for us all to enjoy. We are so excited to celebrate their marriage in May!

- At the wedding venue with the bride and groom!

Our growing family

The Jones/Blundell family is undergoing expansion in '08 / '09. The next several posts will be tributes to the new additions in order of appearance! It has been a very busy year in our household, full of celebrations and exciting news. We have loved every second of it!

A few pictures of the respective Jones/Blundell families pre-expansion. Please note that I am wearing the same dress in both photos....I am aware of this. ...

Jones family circa April 2008

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Blundell family circa May 2008

Catching up....

So let's play catch up.

Garrett and I live in the humid metropolis of Houston. Though neither of us expected we

 would live here, we love it! G matched to the OMFS program here in 2007...and so we came. Turns out it was a good decision to 

move to the place where he was to be a resident, that boy is busy, it would have been impossible to commute! I subsequently went job hunting, and found a great one working for UT MD Anderson as a social work counselor. 

We were lucky enough to purchase a house we love in April 2007. So that's where we (along with our puppy Max) are at until the year 2013.... 

My Justification ( I always have one)

Well, let's give this a go.....

In search of a creative outlet and a place for my wandering daily thoughts, I happened upon the blogging world. It seems like just the daily distraction I need from my 8-5 boredom. I'm not sure how this will end up, but thought I'd give it a try!

Notorious for my lack of communication.....I am also hopeful that this will allow me to connect to my wonderful friends and family who I forget to call back :) We have a lot of exciting events happening in the extended Jones/Blundell family and this may be my best chance of accurately recording and connecting everyone.

If we are really lucky, G will impart some of his entertaining wisdom from time to time. Let's see what happens!!