irielife.net

Well, I thought that this would be the appropriate forum to share news about school. We will be posting news more regularly on the website since we will not be able to call as frequently from overseas. Sally called a few minutes ago to say that there was a message on the answering machine from Arizona State University business school and that I was admitted to the program! All the work that JB and Lisa did to get me into the program paid off! Thanks for all of your support and late night phone calls and document reviews.

We are really happy to have heard the news before we move off to Ireland for the summer. They also indicated that I would get into the dual degree program if I apply soon. So, I could walk away from ASU with at least two masters – a partnership with the engineering program could result in a third masters a year later…we’ll see. Talk to you soon.
Love,
Rusty

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My goal tonight is to learn how to wend my way around this website all by myself. First of all, JB, you must do something about that title requirement–just knowing I have to come up with a title can stall me for the whole evening.

This is the first chance I’ve had to read through the things you’ve all written–thank you for making this work. I’m trying to do as I want you all to do and I find it more difficult than I would have thought so I really appreciate you following through and doing it while I was on my 4 week hiatus–but I worry about you all all the time so that should count for something. Dad really does not like his job and we are trying to think our way through some possible changes–do we really want to stay in Calif? Is it time to retire? Where would we retire? Would Dad want to work in Oregon? Would Dad want to change jobs and stay in SR? Do we love the status quo enough make it worth Dad keeping a job he dislikes on good days and detests on bad? ???????????

It was so nice to get away to Baltimore. We haven’t been so far away together for so long ever–and with no particular agenda but to enjoy ourselves–what fun. We didn’t expect to fall in love with history and the settings of history–live, in full color and three dimension. To see places that have 200 or 300 years of…history–you must read into that word drama and intrigue and struggle and accomplishment and idealism and fear and courage–it must not be an ordinary word…I’m glad nobody in the family outranks me in the editing department.

Anyway, all those places we said we didn’t care about seeing–we were wrong. And being close enough to see them in small child-sized doses over a period of several days was perfect. We can’t wait to do it again and again. This country is a miracle. Now that I’ve started, I could go on and on, but won’t. I need to have a computer lesson to get me through next Tuesday.

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Seth was becoming quite the hair farmer so we gave him a buzz tonite. The pre-picture is on the left. If you click ‘read more’ you can see the results.

Seth is also really into “helping” lately. He can’t speak very well – I’m not sure he thinks it’s worth the effort with two doting sisters and a mom who’s whipped, but he does have a pretty consistent word for “help” that sounds something like “hayp”. He yells “hayp” after getting his diaper changed so we usually hand him the offending bundle and he trots over and leaves it in the garbage. He’s branching out — lately he likes to hayp vacuum and carry in groceries from the car. Seth’s “hayp” tonite was a whole adventure unto itself…

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For better or worse, the soon-to-be baby has a nickname, and I guess an explanation is in order…
When we had the first ultrasound, the doctor was concerned that the due date was wrong because the baby was so small relative to her gestational age. Somehow, that little fact resulted in the nickname “snowball”. When the doctor mentioned how small the baby is, for some reason Susie and I both thought about the Seinfeld episode with the tiny dog.

The attached clip should explain it all (click on the Kramer photo to view the clip in Windows Media format – it should play automatically).

If you haven’t seen the Seinfeld episode, click ‘Read More’ for an explanation.

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Not a lot of news for this little Jones family since our last posting. Ryan has the best news of all… he is proudly sporting two front teeth. Well, he actually only has little teethlings – razor sharp miniature versions of baby teeth, but he spends a considerable amount of time sharpening them further.
We are excited to go on our first night out without the baby this Friday, thanks to Susannah for babysitting. The weekend after that Sally will be headed down to Arizona with Ryan for a few days while Rusty finishes preparing for the GMAT and his application to MBA school.
Ryan sends you all a sloppy, dripping wet kiss. Actually, his version of blowing you a kiss is more like a motorboat noise accompanied with a little more moisture than anyone really thinks is strictly necessary. He sort of uses his drool to mark his territory. Most days, Ryan makes sure that his dad is marked in some very embarassing places before heading off to work.
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Dear Family,

Jackee and I flew into BWI (Baltimore Washington International) airport after a smooth and pleasant flight. We waited briefly for our luggage and by the time we got out to the curb, lo and behold, up drives this white van with three little kids in the back yelling “Hi grandma and grandpa”, and waving red valentines. Actually, Seth was yelling something undecipherable in his own little micro-language, but with an equivalent enthusiasm.

While grandma told stories about the rest of you to JB and Susie up front, I rotated my vertebrae 180 degrees and talked with Camryn, Allie and Seth most of the way home.

Camryn’s favorite phrase was “Guess what?”, followed by a 200 microsecond pause (and I answered ‘What’ at least 5 times, until I learned that my ‘What’ was an impediment to her intended follow-on information). Camryn was so full of stories and information to share, it took at least 5 minutes to kind of “empty” her pent up store.

Allie was patient, and quiet, waiting in the opposite corner seat until the Camryn-explosion of “Guess-what”‘s had subsided. Then we spoke, nearly 60-year-old grandpa, to nearly 60-year-serious granddaughter. We communed, heart to heart, about the symbols on the very detailed valentine card she (and Susie) had made for our welcome.

And Seth, what a little man! Big cheeks that are almost the size of Rusty’s “chipmunk storage chambers” at the same age… not quite as large, but just as charming. After arriving at JB and Susie’s big little home, Seth let me rock and sing him to sleep. About the second time through “De ‘tem Wa Por Qua”, he was out. The feelings were powerful, and reminded me of the deep bond I fused with each of you … doing the same, years and years ago.

Love, Dad (from Baltimore)
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Well – This little Jones family is trying to work out a way to stay involved on the web. We finally have the computer set up in our bedroom and out of the baby’s room. That way we can work on the computer while he is asleep. Ryan run’s the roost. We were at Grandma and Grandpa’s house last night and tried to show them how he would eat vegetables. He has been doing really well with peas, sweet potatoes, and the like. Well, the green beans came with us and we sat him down to show off. We put a nice healthy spoonful in his mouth. I have never seen my son make such an awful gagging face. He pushed it out with his tongue and looked around at anyone who was watching to find some sympathy for his torture. Grandpa promptly handed me the spoon so that I would be identified with bad tasting food and he would continue to be associated only with licorice and salty popcorn. Sally and I both felt a little bad for forcing it on him since neither one of us wanted to sample the goo, but today at home he ate the whole bottle and started to cry when there wasn’t any more left. This kid just wanted the attention.

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Hi-
I am sitting at home- we are stuck in a snowstorm and they have closed the schools, the mall, and most of the roads. Heather has been going crazy and she just left with some guy who put chains on his Jetta in order to get out of his house to stop himself from going crazy…he picked up heather and they are off to buy a blowdryer at WalMart (which we assume will be open…) So, wait for more news on my roommate who risked her life for a blow dryer…

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Mick Johnson, Mom’s (Jackee’s) cousin, passed away this week.

Click on “Read More” to read Mick’s obituary.

(Thanks to Southern Utah News for granting permission to post this)
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Jackee and I had a wonderful 4 days at Clearlake lsat week. We excerised in their little micro-gym, which was fun because the view was out over the beautiful lake. Afterwards, you could go swimming in their huge lap-pool, or melt yourself away in their hot tub. Generally, we opted for the hot tub.

We also found the History Channel to be our favorite “show”.

And, we finally played Dixee’s Foot-n-Mouth game, which uses four decks of cards and a complicated set of rules. Dixee’s rule-note ended with “… well, I’m tired of writing.. call me if you want more explanation.” So, when Jackee was losing, she simply explained the rules which Dixee had failed to mention. Hmmm….

Click ‘Read More’…
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