Saturday was a super special day for Aunnika. She was baptized! It was a very simple and special ceremony. Allison and Brittany gave the talks, Michael and Catherine gave the prayers, Mike performed the baptism and the confirmation. It was an all out family event. It really was very special. I was so pleased, touched, and thankful.

Birthday Boy

Mike celebrated his Birthday on Friday! We made him sourdough pancakes for breakfast, Shrimp for lunch, and pizza and rootbeer for dinner. We had to get some fancy rootbeer and some fancy pizza to make it more special than your average pizza night and it was. It was fun and yummy. For his activities he wanted to just play games all day. He played computer games, board games, and even mind games. He read for a while and says he had the best birthday ever. Well I sure hope so cuz he deserves it! He's really the best person I know. I am so blessed to be married to such a good person and he's so fun and smart and kind too. What a deal! I really am the most blessed woman alive I'm sure of it!

Good bye March

Awesome week I tell you! I loved this spring break. We worked on projects including organizing our food storage room and going to the cannery to get some stuff. While there, we took a tour of the place. The kids thought it was pretty cool and then at the end they let us all eat yummy dried apples. We also organized the garage, well we started to, that will be a long project cuz I put all of the old kitchen cabinets in there and the new bathroom ones that have not yet been installed and the big water barrels for food storage and basically just filled it all up before Mike got back from Germany and so it is going to be a big job to really get it all taken care of but we put up lots of the old cabinets in there and made a place for the water barrels. So that was our work.

For our play we played TONS of games, we tried to go to a movie but it was sold out so we came home and had a theater here instead. We got a movie and then the big girls made movie tickets that we would "buy" and then give to Michael to be admitted to the "theater" they also made popcorn and candy cups and we ate our dinner then took a short intermission and "bought" our popcorn and candy and watched the rest of the show. It was great fun. We played more games and read books and had a fine week.

We even got to have some friends and Ammon and Allison over for dinner on Wednesday. We just had all kinds of fun this week. And then to finish it all off we had Mikes birthday on Friday, Aunnika was baptised on Saturday, Brittany and I went to the YW general broadcast on Saturday and today, Sunday, we played ticket to ride and made doughnuts! They were yum it was all fun and cool and neat and wonderful and all that stuff.

And these are two very handsome young men! Hans and Daniel are ready for the baptism. Aren't they just adorable! I sure think so.

Before you know it...it'll be April

Another lovely week in the life. Monday night we had a special FHE lesson about baptism and we will have another one tomorrow. We are excited for Aunnika's baptism on Saturday (at 9:45am for anyone who might could come) Tuesday, as I'm sure your are all aware was a VERY special day in the life of one young lady around here. Brittany officially became a teenager. Well she had a fireside for a visiting general authority that night so we ended up celebrating on Wed. It was really fun and she got everything she wanted (well within reason anyway) I need to just pause here and tell you how wonderful Brittany is. I am so very thankful for such a wonderful daughter and such a great oldest child. She is really such a kind smart responsible fun sweet good person. Whenever she starts sportin' that teen attitude she just needs a gentle reminder and...poof...its gone. She is really good at that. I love her and am so thankful that she is my daughter and friend.

I just think this is a cute picture of that cute girl. She really was laying there saying, in her best british accent, "No no, no pictures please. Really darlings, no pictures"

Thursday while the kids were at school, Brittany got to join Hans, Daniel and I for our fun grocery shopping trip and then we took her for her fun birthday shopping trip. One of her gifts was a Sunday outfit. The shopping was great fun. Thursday evening we took all except Brittany and Allison (they went to dance) up to the base for a "mandatory" dinner activity thing for Mike. I took Michael to soccer practice and then met Mike and the rest of the gang up there. We had a lame dinner and even lamer (is that a word?) activity and then hurried home to get away from all the lameness.

Friday we had all the tons of dance classes but added all of our piano lessons to that and them Mike and I went on a fun date. And then came Saturday Whew!

We started off with a quick breakfast and then all went to the church for our turn to help clean. We got home and delivered Brittany to dance and went to look at some trees for our back yard, to create a barrier between ours and our dear lovely NOT neighbor. We liked the trees so they came back and dropped them off here and then left to deliver the rest. While they were gone we cleared rock form where we wanted the trees and fixed sprinklers and cleaned up pine needles and branches etc etc. Anyway, I went in to put some potatoes in the oven for lunch and then went back out to help with the yard again and realized I'd left my gloves in the house so went back in to get them and there was smoke coming out of the oven so I went to see what was up and the element in there was sparking like crazy and then a potato caught fire and well it was pretty exciting and the oven doesn't work anymore. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn't left my garden gloves in there?!

The tree guys came back and we got the trees planted (they are terrific!) As they were leaving, I came in to make a phone call and the phone lines were dead. You guessed it, we cut the phone line. I guess now, as several times before, I am so thankful for my cell phone and wonder how we survived without these things. I felt like such a criple without my computer though. There were so many time just in that short span that I though I'de just go look somthing up on line but, no that could not be. It will be a while before they can actually fix it. Apparently cutting phone lines is very popular this time of year. They hooked us back up with a temporary line today though. So we're back in business.

Today officially started our Spring break! There were only 4 kids in nursery today. Cool! We had a super yummy crockpot and stove top dinner. See, no problem we can't handle. We then spent most of the remainder of the day playing games with one short interruption by the Home Teacher. All in all a glorious day. Can't wait for more.

Love to all

Midway Through March!

This month is just FLYING by it seems. I don't have any pictures to share but we've had a fun week none the less. I'd say most of the week was our normal busy lots of stuff every day. The out of the ordinary things were; Tuesday we made what we hope to be our final pre-trial appearance, the prosecutor we met with was a total arrogant jerk and wouldn't even look at the wittiness statements we brought in. We are going to our hearing at the end of April. I'm SOOO sick of this whole stupid business. I am astounded that we got the ticket in the first place (for those who don't know, we got a ticket for the kids playing too loud in the back yard. I know, outrageous) I am amazed that the prosecution is going to go through with this rather than dismiss the charges. so when it comes down to it I will be amazed and yet some how not if we are found guilty. When I say we, I mean me since I'm the one on the ticket. Anyway, there is really no end in site since there is nothing anyone is willing to do to prevent this from just start all over again once we get this dumb thing resolved for this go round.

For our date on Friday, Mike and I went up to the Academy and played racket ball. It was tons of fun and VERY funny. (I'm really glad we don't have any pictures of that) We then went and got some hot chocolate and read together for a while. It was a marvelous date.

Saturday while Mike took Michael to his last basketball game, I got the little boys wall taped for painting. Mike got it all painted quick when he got home and then we all loaded up and headed down town for the St. Patrick's day parade. The weather was perfect and though we were not too warm or too cold, a few of us got a little sun burn. I always seem to manage to forget about that. The kids got plenty of candy and necklaces etc and then we headed home. We realized that we really didn't have anything for lunch at home so while trying to decide what to do about that, I remembered that Sam's club was having a little St. Patrick's day thing so we went over there. They had booths set up where the kids answered silly questions and earned shamrocks and then when they had 10 they would go to a prize table and trade them in for a prize (a cookie or some candy) we also got hot dogs for everyone and that was our lovely lunch for the day but it was lots of fun for the kids. We finally got home from that and went out to the back yard to work on our landscape design. (We sure wish Darren was here to help) we got a plan drawn up and moved one bush. It was hard work and took a while. The kids mostly played throughout all that. We then had dinner and got the kids to bed and then Mike and I built a fire in the fire place, set up the computer by it, brought the two big bean bags up from the basement, went and got some more yummy hot chocolate and watched a movie, ate key lime pie and sipped hot cocoa in front of the fire. It was the best! I do wish I had a picture of that. It really was great!

It's a great day for bein' alive

It's been a while since I blogged and I think I have decided to change my blog style. I have previously been using my blog as a journal with pictures but realize that this may be a bit of a bore for most readers and so I'll do my journal elsewhere (at least in theory) and just post some fun or interesting things here for your viewing and reading pleasure (I hope)

So It's been two weeks and while I sure lots of great things have happened over the last two weeks, few come to mind.

I love living in Colorado Springs. It is a beautiful place. While it is a pretty good size city, it still has a bit of a small town feel to it. Usually I feel like I can trust people who we employ to do things, for example repair the car or install counter tops etc. I live in a quiet old neighborhood but am 2 min from SEVERAL stores that I love. (Mike doesn't feel like that is such a great thing. He thinks I might be a little more hesitant to go shopping if it took more of an effort) But one of my very most favorite things about the Springs, is that I have family here! I have my two brothers and their families and one cousin! Last Sunday we had our monthly family dinner over at Sperry and Sara's house and if was so nice to sit and enjoy the company of my family. Next Sunday we are planning on going to David and Ramona's (my cousin) and enjoy a meal and some visiting there. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!!

The next thing I have thought of that occurred in the last two weeks, I flew to Utah (with my two sister-in-laws who live here) and went to the Andersen family women's conference. It was wonderful. I was uplifted and spiritually fed but best of all I got to be with TONS of family. Aunts, cousins, Gma, second Aunts, second cousins, etc etc (get the picture?) and it was awesome cuz... I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!!!

While I was gone, Mike and Michael put the last of the cabinets back up and while it's not totally done, here are some pictues of it. We also tried some paint that is a bit yellow on one wall to consider for the dinning room and it looks aweful so don't worry, the yellow will go away but I love the red. So here finally are some pictures of my kitchen.

Finally, we got to celebrate Aunnika's 8th birthday. Today she turned 8 years old. Last night Mike and I took her out for her special 8th birthday dinner (a family tradition) and she loved it. She told us so several times and then on the way home, she said "this is the best thing that will ever happen in my whole life!!" Well I'm glad she liked it so much but I certainly hope it won't be the best thing ever to happen to her in her life. Tonight we had part two of her birthday celebration with her selected dinner (that usually wouldn't happen on the 8th birthday but because hers fell on a Sunday, we had to take her out last night so she chose tonight's dinner) We then sang to her and opened presents. We will complete the celebration tomorrow night with cake and ice cream.

So there you have the latest and greatest from the Stone house.

Just a few more

For some reason these pictures ended up on top but after the cookie decorating, we had our traditional family formal dinner. It was yummy and pretty.

On Valentines day, according to tradition we had tons of fun decorating and then delivering cookies to our neighbors and our tummies.

Emmm. That's a yummy cookie!