THE JONES FAMILY
OCTOBER 2, 2015
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Jen's Editing Note: One of the first families we met when we moved to Estrella 10 years ago was the Jones family.
Kim and Mike are both involved with their children, their school, and the community. In fact, they traveled to Tampa, Florida with the All-America City team from Goodyear bringing back our city's award in 2008. They're fun people, too. Caring, generous, and all-around great neighbors in Estrella. I hope you enjoy their #FridayFeature! THANKS Mike and Kim! |
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Where are you from and how did you decide to move to Estrella? How long have you been here?
I am from the San Francisco bay area in CA. Michael is originally from Indiana but spent a good portion of teenage years in Texas and then in Southern CA. We have lived in AZ, in Estrella for almost 12 years. We were drawn to this community because we wanted to raise children in a place that had a small town community feel but was still close enough to a big city. We were looking for a master planned community, that had lots of activities and growth potential. |
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Can you tell me a little bit about your family?
Michael and I have been married 13 years. We have an 11 year old son and a 7 year old daughter. Our kids would be so upset if we did not include our two little dogs in describing our family so I guess we’re a family of 6 with Mina and Gigi who we adopted a couple of years ago when a Phoenix family realized their infant was severely allergic to them.
Michael and I have been married 13 years. We have an 11 year old son and a 7 year old daughter. Our kids would be so upset if we did not include our two little dogs in describing our family so I guess we’re a family of 6 with Mina and Gigi who we adopted a couple of years ago when a Phoenix family realized their infant was severely allergic to them.
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Where do you work?
We both are fortunate to work from home. We go to the office a few times a month and spend the rest of our time working together sitting right across from each other in our home office. I work for Cisco, a high tech company, on their “Giving Back" team. I sum up my job by saying I get to use Cisco’s money and innovative technologies to make the world a better place. It is a truly rewarding job and helps remind me every day that even among all the bad news in the world, there are still many pockets of good news and great people! Michael now works for Unicon, a company out of Gilbert, as a Quality Assurance tester. He spent quite a few years as a stay at home dad. FYI- If anyone wants potty training tips, he’s a pro! What do you enjoy most about Estrella?
We enjoy the size of Estrella, the small community feel, and the people. We have made some lifelong friends in Estrella! The hiking trails, parks, fields, lakes, and waterpark, are all great outdoor activities we enjoy regularly. |
What do you do in your free time?
We love to try new restaurants and travel as a family. We try to take at least one family vacation each year. We like golfing although Michael is quite hard to keep up with on the golf course. I like to pretend my tee box is from where ever his first shot lands.
We love to try new restaurants and travel as a family. We try to take at least one family vacation each year. We like golfing although Michael is quite hard to keep up with on the golf course. I like to pretend my tee box is from where ever his first shot lands.
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You're very involved with your children and their sports and activities. Please tell me about that and any charity work you do.
Michael volunteers his time as a Little League baseball coach in the spring and now is also the head coach for an 11U baseball club team, Diamond in the Rough Cutters. We spend many evenings and weekends on the baseball fields. When I’m not at the fields with the boys I am at dance or gymnastics watching our daughter do her thing! Both Michael and I grew up with very loving, giving and philanthropic families so it has become a natural responsibility of our family to figure out ways to give back and share the love. This year we decided to join the Big Brother Big Sister organization (BBBS). We mentor a “Little” who is an 11 year old boy in Avondale. It has been a rewarding experience for us to try and make a difference in a child’s life and help guide him to make good choices. |
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What is the biggest lesson you've learned as a parent?
Wow, we have learned a ton! One thing that comes to mind is that hugs and “I Love You’s” are extremely powerful. Times get tough, we do our best as parents and yet we sometimes fail or end up in heated disagreements with our kids over the silliest of things. No matter what the situation our goal is that our kids always know we love them and are their biggest supporters, even when it takes someone two hours to eat two LITTLE pieces of asparagus. (last night’s disagreement)
Wow, we have learned a ton! One thing that comes to mind is that hugs and “I Love You’s” are extremely powerful. Times get tough, we do our best as parents and yet we sometimes fail or end up in heated disagreements with our kids over the silliest of things. No matter what the situation our goal is that our kids always know we love them and are their biggest supporters, even when it takes someone two hours to eat two LITTLE pieces of asparagus. (last night’s disagreement)
What do you recommend for new families living in Estrella as far as recreation is concerned? What is the best way for families to meet others?
We would recommend joining play groups or getting your children enrolled in Estrella Youth Sports. We have maintained wonderful friendships from play groups and sports in Estrella. There are also numerous parks and hiking trails to meet others. South Lake has BBQ pits at some gazebos that provide a great spot for gathering.
We would recommend joining play groups or getting your children enrolled in Estrella Youth Sports. We have maintained wonderful friendships from play groups and sports in Estrella. There are also numerous parks and hiking trails to meet others. South Lake has BBQ pits at some gazebos that provide a great spot for gathering.
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What are your hopes for the Estrella community as far as growth and progress?
Our hope is that Estrella will continue to grow so that more people can experience the joys of living in this community. A clubhouse at the golf course would be a nice addition. This would give us an option for Sunday brunches and another option for a sit down restaurant. While we hope for growth we also want Estrella to always maintain its small town feel that we fell in love with. |
