Stone Family

Lauren's Quick Turn Around

2011-11-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

Last night Lauren woke me up at 3:00 a.m. saying her stomach hurt "so bad!" I asked her if she felt like she was going to throw up...she said no. It felt like sharp pains that wouldn't go away. I made her a bed by me and told her to tell me if it got worse. A little while later she insisted that she had to go to the hospital. I started thinking it must be bad if she's asking to go to the hospital. Was it appendicitis? I had no idea, but she said she'd never felt like that before and had to go. So, at 3:40 I woke up Greg and told him he had to take Lauren to the hospital. She was in tons of pain, etc. I had to stay with Camryn who just had surgery a week ago.

Anyway, Greg said he was driving Lauren to the hospital and she was moaning in the back seat. Then after a few minutes she started talking, "Dad! Look at all the people out! Look McDonald's is open! Look at all the people at Walmart!" A minute later, Lauren broke out in song. :)!!! At that point Greg asked "Lauren--are you feeling better honey?" Lauren, "yeah, it doesn't hurt so much now." Greg parked in the parking lot at urgent care and they decided to wait for 5 minutes to see how she felt. After 5 minutes Lauren said she was fine and they came home. :)
She slept through the rest of the night and woke up chipper for school.

Quotable Johnny

2011-11-29T06:51:00.000-08:00

Johnny: Mom! It took a really long time for me to decide which girl to marry!

Mom: Oh? Who did you decide on?

Johnny: Millie!

Mom: Oh, I like Millie. That's a good choice.

Johnny: But mom! All the girls think they get to choose who to marry, but really the boys get to choose!

Mom: Well, it's best if you choose each other.

Johnny: WHy?

Mom: so that you both want to be together.

Johnny: Well, Addie needs to pick someone else, because she wants to marry Josh and he doesn't want to marry her! She needs to looks for someone else!

The worries of 4 year olds! :)

From Minneapolis to Mazatlan Mexico

2011-05-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

In March, our good friends, the Gardners, invited us to go to Mazatlan with them for Spring Break. It was pretty hard to leave Minneapolis at this time of year to go to Mexico, but we did it anyway.....
Oh Heaven!!! It was amazing. Just to feel the warm sun again and feel your whole body unthaw, and to remember there really are warm places in the world! Once we got there, we never wanted to leave!
The kids spent hours and hours playing on the beach. We also had bonfires on the beach at night and roasted marshmallows...great memories!
Camryn and Lauren dancing on the beach
Lauren strikes a pose!
Samantha's hair was so curly there. I loved it!
We rented a 4 wheeler (I should say, Greg rented a 4 wheeler--his favorite thing! :) for an hour one day. It was so much fun to ride it up and down the beach.
Johnny is actually driving the golf cart all by himself. The Gardner's house is right next to a beautiful golf course.
A four wheeler and a golf cart in the same day----what a treat for a little boy!
There were beautiful sunsets every night.

Camryn is our boogy boarder and body surfer. She runs right into the water and spends hours in it every day. She's our little fish.
And little Sammy--she was just happy to be outside, exploring the world on her unsteady little feet!

Samantha Turns One!

2011-05-13T13:53:00.001-07:00

January 28, 2011! One of the fastest years of my life! Where did the time go?
Happy Birthday cutie pie!
Not sure what to think at first....
Decides to touch it and see what happens...
Finally takes a bite...
Turns out she loved it! :) Way to go! You dug right in. You'll fit in just great in this family! :)
Samantha Marie Stone...absolutely adored by her parents and 3 older siblings. She loves to be right in the middle of the action. Loves to be held, loves her favorite pink fuzzy blanket, her bottle. Loves to smile and laugh and to be anywhere her mom or dad is! We love you!

Christmas 2010

2011-05-13T13:35:00.001-07:00

This was our first year staying home for Christmas! Although we missed being with family, it was fun to be in our own home. On Christmas Eve we had a nice dinner, then we read the Christmas story and the kids did their favorite Hanks tradition, "the ball!"
Johnny got a fire station from Santa!
Camryn and Lauren both got Nintendo DS's from Santa! They were really excited.
Lauren also got a piggy bank, some wii games and some clothes.
Here they are bright and early waiting to see what Santa brought!

Samantha was not sure what to make of it all! :)
Here they are doing "the ball." On Christmas afternoon we had some families in our ward over for a Christmas Brunch. We also surprised our kids with their biggest Chistmas gift: a trip to Pennsylvania to see all of their Stone cousins and their Grandparents. We left the day after Christmas. The kids were really excited!

Johnny Turns 4!

2011-05-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

I just had to write a few things about Johnny on his birthday. I can't tell you how much I love this little boy. Part of me can't believe he's 4, but a bigger part of me can't believe he is only 4, because I can't believe that there was ever a time that he wasn't a part our family. I can't even imagine my life or our family without him in it and it seems that I've known him for a lot more than 4 years.
Yesterday, we had a speech assessment done on him so he can start getting speech therapy. He was so cute, he yelled out all the answers to every question with such energy and confidence! :) Anyway, after the interview, the lady said to him, "what's it like to be the only boy with all these sisters?!" Johnny thought for a second and said, "well...I have my dad!" It was so cute, because Johnny truly LOVES his dad and feels such a connection to him. Whenever Greg is home, Johnny is his little shadow...following him everywhere and just talking his ear off :) He always says, "We the boys!"
Today Johnny said, "Mom, I can't believe I the birthday boy!" Johnny's present from me today was that I played cars with him on the floor for over an hour---something I never do and should do more of. (now we have to move all the cars over here and fill them up with gas...now we have to drive all the cars to Wendy's...now we ......) Good for all you mom's who do this on a daily basis! I don't know how you do it! Luckily Johnny's usually just as content doing it alone :) I did enjoy it today.
I also just wanted to write about Johnny's prayer tonight. I love hearing what comes out of his mouth/brain/heart..."Heavenly Father, thank you for this day...all about Jesus never die on the cross again and he go up in heaven and he stay there so he safe so the bad men can't never kill him again..."
I love you Johnny!

2011-02-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

Lauren (6) and Samantha (1) dressed alike one day :)
Lauren saw that she had Samantha had matching clothes, so she wanted to dress up like twins one day and take a picture. Lauren loves taking care of Samantha and playing with her. She's such a good big sister to her.
My three darling daughters eating waffles!
I love this picture. I still can't believe sometimes that I have 3 daughters! I am so grateful for them. They are so beautiful. I don't want them to grow up! I love to watch them love each other so much and be such good friends. I hope they always do!

Johnny Quotes

2011-02-24T08:25:00.001-08:00

Johnny and Millie

I just had to write down some of the cute things Johnny has said lately so I don't forget them. The other night I was saying prayers with Johnny before bed and he said, "I will talk really loud so that Jesus will hear me!" I also have to write a typical Johnny prayer: "Heavenly Father....all about... we don't fight, all about I get to eat candy, all about we play with our friends...etc...amen!" We have no idea where he got the "all about.." but it's so cute when he says it. :)

The other morning I went in to see if Johnny was awake yet and he was just laying in bed looking at the ceiling. I said, "Hey buddy! You woke up?" And he said, "Mommy, I love all my friends and all my family." He is the sweetest little boy. He's just laying there in bed thinking about how much he loves everybody!

Johnny and Millie

One of Johnny's best friends is a little girl named Millie. They love to play together and they go to pre-school and church together and play a lot. Anyway, the other day I was picking them up from pre-school and I looked in the back and saw that Millie's seatbelt was already buckled (she usually likes help) I said, "Millie, did you buckle your own seat belt?" Johnny said, "No, Mom, I got it for her." Johnny had climbed into the very back seat and buckled her seat belt for her and then climbed up to the middle seat and buckled himself in. :) I hope he always treats girls like that! :)

Right now Millie is over and she and Johnny wanted to watch "Rudolph," but they were worried there were scary parts. Johnny said, "Mommy if it's scary, I will cuddle with Millie so she won't be scared."

Other Quotables

Johnny follows Greg around the house all day on Saturday and Sunday. If Greg goes out to shovel the driveway, Johnny goes out to help him. One of his favorite sayings is, "We the boys!" He always asks Greg if he wants to be in his "candy club." and he's always saying, "Come on dad, let's fight!"

One of the greatest compliments Johnny can give you, is to invite you to his birthday party (in May :) He always says, "Mom, I love you. I'm going to invite you to my birthday party!" (He's also been known to get mad and tell me I'm NOT invited to his birthday party--but not very often :)

2 more things: The other day Johnny came downstairs and said, "Mommy, I did get scared in my room and I did say a prayer and Jesus did answer my prayer."

Johnny's favorite thing to do at bedtime is to have Greg and me lay by him and talk about all of his favorite kinds of candy. :) He gets so excited talking about it :) Then when we're about to leave the room, he wants to know how many more days until Easter (the next "candy" holiday!)

Lauren

2011-02-03T09:49:00.001-08:00

Lauren just said, "Mom, what does "snow forts" mean when they say it in church?"
Kristy: "Snow forts?"
Lauren: "Yeah, ...(then she sings)..."evangelists and snow forts..."

The First Day of School 2010

2010-11-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Johnny started pre-school this year at St. Thomas. He goes twice a week for 2 1/2 hours and he loves it! I think he wishes every day was a pre-school day. In the morning he asks me, "Mom, I have pre-school today?" and if I say yes, he say "Yeah!!"
Lauren started kindergarten! (finally! :) She's been ready after 3 years of pre-school! She goes half-day for 2 1/2 hours, so it's still short, but she loves it and she gets to ride the bus home with Camryn. Here she is showing her High School Musical backpack.
Here's the beautiful Kindergartner! She didn't seem a bit nervous, just really excited! 3 of her best friends are in her class and ride the bus with her.
Here is the beautiful 2nd grader on her first day of school. She has a great teacher and her best friend ended up being in her class too, so she was really excited.

Lauren Turns 6 at Chuck E. Cheese!

2010-11-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

This was Lauren's new birthday outfit that she wore to school for her birthday. These are some of the things I love about Lauren: She is so full of life and energy. She is curious about everything and loves to learn. She loves people and makes friends so easily. Everytime we go to a park, she comes away having met someone new. She is a free spirit and always has been. She doesn't worry too much about what's going on around her because she's too busy doing her own thing. She is loving and a great big sister to Samantha. She's always the one I can count on to drop everything and run over to Samantha to make her laugh if she starts to get fussy. She's daring and adventurous, always coming up with new things to accomplish at the jungle gym (get across the whole thing without touching the ground, etc.) I have a feeling she'll accomplish many good things in her life. I love her so much! (And I love that she picked out these pink cowboy boots for her birthday--they are so Lauren!)
Lauren had been dreaming for a year (ever since her 5th birthday) of having her next birthday party and Chuck. E. Cheese. We're glad we could make her dream come true! :) She invited all her friends and had a great time.
The birthday girl!
Eating pizza and chocolate cake with her friends and siblings.
Camryn and Lauren and Chuck E.
Lauren in the ticket booth. This was definitely a highlight! So fun to watch her grab for tickets! It was so funny because some of her friends had token left after 2 hours, and some of the boys went through their tokens in about 5 minutes!

Fall 2010

2010-11-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

My cute kids (before Camryn's accident) on our front porch.
Johnny on his first day of school wearing his new backpack.
Samantha! Oh I love her! She is always grinning just like this!
Handsome Johnny! 3 1/2 years old! (This is for you Aunt Allie!)

Camryn's Broken Femur Continued

2010-11-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

They had to teach us how to get her around in a wheelchair, how to go up and down stairs, etc.
They had to teach Camryn how to get up and down a curb with her walker. How to get in and out of bed, how to go to the bathroom, etc. So many thing we take for granted!
We were so grateful that Grandma could come help! She helped us so much and Camryn was so happy to have Grandma with her!!!
Camryn back at home with her good friend Anna. This is our family room and you can see her bed off to the left. Doesn't she look great?! She's doing really well and making a lot of progress!

2010-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

This is Camryn trying to put on a brave face and she tried to learn to use the walker. It was very hard and scary and painful at first and it took a lot of hard work to learn to go a little ways. She has since gotten very good at it. The physical therapists at the hospital were so great with her.
This is her fun wall of cards from all her friends.
Camryn loved getting visits, especially from her siblings. She said she couldn't wait to see them. Camryn fell in the woods in a huge pile of fall leaves and it took about 3 days for us to get all the leaves out of her hair!
Greg was able to take off work and spend a lot of time with her as well.

Camryn's Broken Femur!

2010-11-16T19:05:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, October 23rd, 2010, Camryn was riding a friend's bike in her friend's neighborhood. She got going too fast and couldn't stop and ran into a tree and broke her femur! She was so brave. Many of the doctor's and nurses commented on how "stoic" she was and how they'd never seen a patient as young as she is handle everything so well. She had a four hour surgery that night, where they inserted a metal rod down the side of her femur and screwed it into the bone. She'll have it removed in 18 months. This picture was taken the morning after surgery. She had a catheter in, a tube coming from her leg to drain excess blood, and an IV.
On Sunday, she had lots of visitors from the ward, her bishop, and her best friend from school. She had so many cards up on her wall from the primary and young women and friends that the nurses couldn't believe she'd only been there for one day.
One of her friend's brought her this "pillow pet" that Camryn loved. Camryn said, "Mom, I'm glad you're not a visitor that comes and goes. I'm glad you're here all the time." Camryn was really brave, but it was hard and scary and many times she would hold out her arms to Greg or me and ask for a hug.

Happy Birthday Lauren! 5!

2010-09-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lauren turns 5! She had a birthday party with all her friends and they wore their Halloween costumes. Lauren was a bride. :)I can't believe this little girl is 5! As Lauren opened one of her presents this morning she looked up and said, "I didn't see that coming!" She always comes up with funny little phrases like that. I don't know where she gets them. :)
Lauren and Camryn, first thing in the morning. She woke up early to open her presents!
As you can tell by the pictures, cute Lauren is so full of personality. There is never a dull moment with her in the family. We love you Lauren!
Lauren at her party decorating masks with her friends: Lorelei, Gretchen, Calvin, Kate, Elaine, and Audrey.

Halloween 2009

2010-09-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

The pumpkin, the bride, and the cheerleader! The kids had so much fun dressing up going trick or treating around the neighborhood. Johnny thought it was the best thing that ever happened to him, when he figured out what was going on! :) People just hand you candy!
He ate candy all along the way :)
This is on our front porch just before leaving to trick or treat.
This is Lauren and her friend Kate and their pre-school Halloween celebration.

We're Back! :) Meet Samantha Marie Stone!

2010-09-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago in North Carolina. She is 7 months.

These pictures were taken right before she turned 2 weeks old. I can't believe how fast the time has gone!

Wow, Where do you start when you haven't posted for a whole year? :) I thought since we got a new computer maybe I could start blogging again. The old one was so slow I felt like I was wasting my life away trying to do anything. The first thing I need to blog about is Samantha Marie Stone! Born January 28, 2010. She is so cute. We all love her to pieces. Even though she's seven months old, the older kids still fight over who gets to hold her first and they all fight for her attention. I thought the excitement of a baby might wear off, but it hasn't at all. Probably because she just keeps getting cuter and cuter. She is so sweet and such a good baby! I'll try to catch up a little from the past year soon....:)

The Little Gymnasts :)

2009-10-08T12:30:00.001-07:00

Camryn and Lauren just started gymnastics. They love it! They are in different classes, but at the same time once a week.

Lauren wanted me to curl her hair in ringlets. Then she put on a little make-up and felt so pretty that she asked me to take her picture. :) Here it is beautiful!

Lauren's First Day of School

2009-10-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Lauren's school started a week after Camryn's and she was so ready to have her's start! The first day Camryn rode off on the bus Lauren started crying. After spending all summer together she felt lonely without her sister!

The girls together on Lauren's first day of pre-school.

Lauren and her friend Loralei, who we carpool with.

Lauren in her classroom on the first morning. She never has any fear or shyness, she just marches right in and makes herself at home!

Camryn's First Day of School

2009-10-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

Camryn's first day of 1st Grade!

Camryn and Greg (Johnny kept running into all the pictures!) Look at that face :)

Getting ready to walk to the bus stop.

Waving goodbye and she gets on the bus for the first time! The bus stop is just a few houses away from ours. I have to say, after dropping her off and picking her up everyday last year (which took about 1/2 hour, having a bus is soooo nice!)

The Minnesota State Fair

2009-10-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

In August Minnesota has a huge State Fair. It was really fun. They have tons of food, rides for the kids, animal contests, vegetable growing contests, etc. This is one of the biggest pumpkins.

More prize pumpkins :)

This is how we kept track of Johnny :)

Johnny loved looking at these huge reptiles. :) We'll be back next year! Anyone want to come?!

Hello Minnesota!!!

2009-10-08T12:10:00.001-07:00

One of our first weeks in Minnesota our ward had a fun run for Pioneer Day. The adults ran a 5K and the kids ran about a mile. Here's cute Camryn.

Lauren running with style. :)

After the race with their friend Lydia.

Mom and Johnny after the 5K at the pancake breakfast.

Washington, D.C.

2009-10-08T12:06:00.001-07:00

Before we left Boston, we took a last road trip to New York and Washington, D. C. to see our cousins and show these neat cities to Ariana. We had a great time.

This was at the Jefferson Memorial.

The kids had so much fun with their Clayton cousins. We'll miss being able to drive to see family.

Lauren's Graduation from Pre-school

2009-10-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

The morning of Lauren's pre-school graduation.

Lauren with Ariana, our friend from Spain who came to stay with us.

This was all the kids sitting waiting to be called up to shake the teacher's hands and receive their "diploma." I wish so badly you could have seen this in person, because it's hard to describe, but a moment I will never forget! All the kids got called up one by one and walked over to shake the teacher's hands. Lauren was called last. When they called her name, she did this (see below).

We all waited for a minute not knowing what she was doing. Then all of a sudden she lept off her chair and did this funny old man type walk (see below)

She shook all their hands in this pose and walked back like this! It caught me so off-guard I couldn't stop laughing. When I said something to the teacher, she said, "oh, she did that in every practice, that's why we called her up last! :) She's a funny kid.

Lauren Susan Stone. What a cute smile!

Camryn and Lauren with their teacher Trudy who we love! (Camryn went to this school last year with Lauren). We'll miss her!

Camryn's Kindergarten Graduation from St. Peter's

2009-10-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

Camryn had a great year in kindergarten. She loved her school and her teachers and made some great friends.

She was really excited to wear her cap and gown. And she learned some cute songs that her class performed at graduation.

This is Camryn with her best friend Gemma and her little sister Simona and Lauren.

Camryn and Gemma had play dates about once a week and had so much fun together. We will miss her!

Camryn and her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hendersen.

Greg's Graduation from Business School!!!

2009-10-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Stone came up to Boston for graduation. We had a great time with them. Here we're sitting waiting to watch Greg get his diploma. Luckily it was a beautiful spring day with no rain!

There's Greg getting ready to walk.

We're so proud of you. You did it1

Greg and his dad.

Greg and Johny Wudel.

Greg walking back to our apartment with the kids after graduation.

We've loved living in Boston. It's such a neat city with so much history and great people. We especially loved living right on the Charles river--I don't know if there will ever be a better place to run! We loved living on campus so we were close to our friends and especially so Greg could come home all the time during the day. It went so quickly....now on to the next adventure!

Going to Hana, Maui.....

2009-10-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

As a little graduation present we got to go to Hawaii for a week with some friends from Business School. We had such a great time! Thanks for all the family who watched our kids while we were gone!!! And thanks especially to Grandma Hanks who let us stay at her house in Hana!!!

This is Greg jumping off the "Rabbit Ears" at Wainapanapa!

There he goes!

This is one of my favorite hikes in the world! The bamboo forest!

Hamoa Beach....heavenly. We spent a lot of time here.

At the airport at the end of a perfect vacation. Back to the kiddos and back to real life! Aloha!

I hope we're back soon!

Johnny Turns 2!

2009-10-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Johnny got to blow out the candels on his cake. His friend Sam is watching.

We had a little party for him at our apartment.

This was his favorite gift. A scooter/bike! He loves it, rides it everywhere and goes so fast!

He always tries to wear his sisters sunglasses so we got him a pair (blue, yet still a little girly--it was all they had! :)

Johnny always makes this face when you tell him to smile! I guess I should take this time to say how much we all love and adore Johnny! He is the best natured kid and has been since birth. He is so loving and fun and easy going, we all love to be around him. He loves playing with cars and loves to lay on the ground and line them all up. He's almost always happy. Happy Birthday Johnny! I can't imagine my life without you. You bring me so much joy!

Camryn Won the Curiosity Award at the Cambridge Science Festival at M.I.T.

2009-10-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Two students out of about 50 entries were selected at Camryn's school, St. Peters, as winners of the Curiosity Challenge. They got to attend the Cambridge Science Festival at M.I.T.

Camryn's Question was, "Why are people different?" (see below!)

We got to attend a brunch and she got to shake hands with an astronaut as she got her award. :)

Spring Fling

2009-05-12T18:10:00.001-07:00

We had a spring fling party on Friday at HBS. The kids had a great time. Here's Johnny eating popcorn--he's very happy about it.

Camryn and Gemma tie-dyed shirts. They were very excited about it.

This is the face Johnny makes literally everytime he sees a camera and someone says "smile!"

Here's the famous smile again. Like father, like son!

One more Johnny! He's such a happy kid! Thank you! Thank you! thank you!!!

This is the bike Johnny got for his birthday. He loves it! He can go so fast. He rides it to the car and back everyday and he sits on it first thing in the morning and drinks his milk on it. :)

Spring Around Campus

2009-05-12T17:54:00.001-07:00

Greg took the girls out on Mother's Day and took some pictures around campus. I love this one. Camryn is now 6 and Lauren is 4 1/2. We're so happy spring is finally here!!!

Johnny Turns 2!

2009-05-12T17:39:00.001-07:00

Our cute little Johnny turned 2 yesterday! I'll put up the pictures of his party later, but I just wanted to put a couple pictures of him up now. He's getting so big!

Johnny got a bike for his birthday and he loves it! He is on it all the time. I'll post a pictures of him on it. They are inseparable. :) We love you Johnny!!!

Camryn Turns 6!

2009-05-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

Camryn and her best friend Gemma have birthdays a week apart, so they had a joint birthday party. It was a garden party. All the kids decorated pots and planted a flower. Gemma had a flower cake and Camryn wanted an "angel" cake. (Gemma is in the pink sweater). They invited all they girls from their class at school. They had a great time. Luckily Greg was there to keep all the kids entertained! (see picture above :)

Camryn opening her presents that morning. She loves to save EVERYTHING! so she got some cute storage boxes so her stuff would be a little more contained and look a little better :) !

This is the pot Camryn decorated with her flowers in it.

Boston Marathon 2009

2009-04-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

I'm a horrible blogger, so these pictures are all out of order. I didn' t have the patience to go back and change it, so sorry! This was taken after the race, right after I got home.

With my cute kids, back at home :)

It felt so good to be at the finish line!

Yes! We did it!

Boston Marathon

2009-04-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

These pictures are out of order. This was the last few yards of the race. I was seriously dying!!!

The girls and Greg and our friends were great cheerleaders. It was so fun to see them!

This was at mile 16, still feeling okay and excited to see everyone.

Boston Marathon

2009-04-22T20:40:00.001-07:00

Two of my good friends, Marilee Moe and Jenni Woodley and I ran the Boston Marathon on Monday. This was taken about an hour before the race. It was hard :) tons of hills, but a really fun experience. The crowds were great and it was so fun to have my family and friends there to cheer us on!

Family Photos....

2008-12-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

My friend Jenni was nice enough to take some photos of us around campus during the fall.

Cute Lauren, 4 years old and so full of life and love. She's really into stuffed animals now and has so many on her bed there's hardly any room for her to sleep, but she refuses to take them off!

Camryn and Lauren: sisters, best friends, so unique and fun in their own ways. Camryn is very into school now (kindergarten). She loves to learn and when she has to miss school for some reason or another, she makes up her own homework for her to do. :) She's at Catholic school and enjoys going to "mask" on Thursdays.

Johnny. Fills us all with joy. He is so laid-back and loving and so much fun. He loves his little trains, cars and trucks and loves to line them all up and make noises as he moves them around on the kitchen floor.

We're so enjoying our last year here in Boston. Trying to take advantage of our time in the beautiful North East. We're grateful for the gift of family and the way it constantly forces us to stretch and grow and change to meet ever-changing needs.

Quotable Lauren: October 7, 2008

2008-10-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Walking in from the car....

Lauren: Mom, were you scared when you were getting married to Greg? (she called him Greg!)

Mom: No, I was excited.

Lauren: Why did you marry Greg? (again!)

Mom: because I loved him so much.

Lauren: Why did you love him?

Mom: because he's funny and nice and I loved being with him, etc...

Lauren: I don't want to be a grown up.

Mom: Well, that's okay. You don't have to be one for a long time.

Lauren: Well, when I'm a grown up, I don't want to get married.

Mom: really?

Lauren: Yeah, I want to be an ice cream trucker

Mom: a what?

Lauren: An ice cream trucker. You know, you get to pass out the ice cream to all the kids.

Mom: okay. :)

I love you mom and dad!

2008-10-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Just had to thank my mom and dad for driving me down, paying for everything, cheering in the pouring rain and driving me back! It was so fun to be with them. I love you!! AND a HUGE thanks to Greg for watching the kids for 3 days--(especially because one of them was sick!!!)

St. George Marathon---Before!

2008-10-07T08:35:00.001-07:00

Waiting at the starting line in the dark and the rain! Jenni's brother Ryan Moats, Jenni, Kristy, and my friend Lilian Hough.
Sisterhood of the traveling running shoes! Marilee Moe, Jenni Woodley, Kristy, Sara Kimball, Lilian Hough! Go Women! Everyone did awesome!
My awesome older brother, Peter, the brain surgeon. He just did an iron man. This was nothing! :)
Waiting for the gun! Here we go!

After!

2008-10-07T08:31:00.001-07:00

My brother Peter and I at the end! It was still raining! and we were glad to be done!
Peter's friend Scott, Peter, Kristy, Meghan and her twin sister Elizabeth. We did it!

Ben and Jerry's Factory and Sharon, Vermont

2008-09-28T19:08:00.001-07:00

Free Samples! Yum!

Joseph Smith's birthplace in Sharon, Vermont. It's so beautiful and peaceful there!

Road Trip to Vermont!

2008-09-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

We went up for Greg's section retreat. The kids liked feeding the horses!
Vermont is so beautiful!
We visited the Cabot cheese tasting factory...Yum Yum!

Uncle Rich! We love company!

2008-09-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Uncle Rich came to visit and we went to Lexington and Concord. It was the weekend Hurricane Ike hit Houston (where he lives) so it was good timing for him to be in Boston. He had no power or water at his house for awhile.

Cute Camryn and Lauren. Notice Camryn's missing tooth!

Kimball Farm

2008-09-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Uncle Rich came to town and we went to Kimball Farm to try their delicious homemade ice cream. It lived up to its reputation. It was sooo good!

Camryn and Lauren with their friend Annie eating their ice cream

I'm Sorry Camryn...I didn't berember doing it!

2008-09-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Lauren "accidently?" erased all the pictures in Camryn's camera. Camryn was devastated and really angry at Lauren. The cutest thing was Lauren's reaction. She honestly felt so sad that she had done it and kept saying, "Mom, I berember (erasing them)" Then she went to Camryn (without being told) and hugged her and said she was sorry. (above picture!)
Camryn forgave her.
Best friends again! Whew! They are such cute little friends. They do fight a lot, but they also really love each other and are very good to each other too.
Just had to add this picture of Johnny. You can never have too much of him!

Lauren's First Day of Pre-School!

2008-09-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Cute little Lauren on her first day of preschool! She goes Monday, Wednesday, Friday with lots of friends and loves it!

First Hair Cuts

2008-09-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Johnny got his first hair cut about a month ago. He sat so still. The lady kept saying she'd never had anyone his age sit so still. I think he liked it!

First Buzz!
Then we decided to get the girls' hair cut to even out the job that mom had done. :)

Camryn's First Day of Kindergarten!

2008-09-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this day finally came! Camryn was so cute this morning. She's been saying the sweetest prayers all week that she would make friends and not be scared at Kindergarten, etc. This morning she got up and put on her uniform and when I dropped her off, there were no parking spaces, so I had to drive around for awhile. I asked her if she wanted to come with me or go in with the school "lady" first. She said, "I want to go in now!" and walked right in the school without me! I went and found her later and took her to her class. She walked right in and found her desk. Her teacher was so nice and the kids all looked really cute. I had to fight back tears the whole way home!

Minneapolis, Minnesota...home for the summer :)

2008-07-03T20:55:00.001-07:00

Finally a new post after 4 months!! This is what we've been up to :) (if anyone cares :) We're living in Minneapolis for the summer. We really like it. It's a beautiful part of the country with tons of lakes, running and biking trails, parks, and really nice people. Here are my cute, crazy kids! They may not always like me, but they seem to really love each other!

On Our Way to Minneapolis

2008-07-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

First we stopped in Palmyra. We were at the Hill Cumorah, when Camryn started smelling the flowers and Lauren suddenly and inexplicably took her shirt off. :)
Then we stopped at the Sacred Grove. Camryn had been asking to go "where Joseph Smith prayed" ever since she first learned about it. It was beautiful.
Next stop was Niagara Falls. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. It was such a beautiful day...there was even a rainbow over the falls.
Next we stopped at South Bend, Indiana to see the Notre Dame campus. The kids were so good in the car. We had a really fun time on our road trip. It was fun to spend so much time together and the drive was so beautiful the whole way.

Last Day at Little Folks Preschool in Cambridge

2008-07-03T20:37:00.001-07:00

Camryn and Lauren also went to Little Folks Fellowship Nursery School 3 mornings a week. They loved it. This was their last day before we headed to Minneapolis!

Johnny Turns One!!!

2008-07-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Johnny! I can't believe Johnny is one! This year has flown by! I feel like I love him more every day, if that's possible. Things I love about Johnny: he loves to cuddle and give kisses, when he hears the word dance or music--he starts bopping his body up and down. He's so good natured and he loves to laugh. He mostly just played with his cake and threw it on the floor. But his sister's sure enjoyed the cake!

Camryn and Lauren Graduate from Pre-school

2008-07-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Johnny!!! He is the happiest little guy. We all love him so much! He's so cuddly and loving and loves to laugh with his sisters.

Camryn and Lauren's graduation from the campus Co-op Pre-school. They loved it. They called it the "mom's school" because the mom's took turns teaching. They were in the same class with lots of great friends.
This is Camryn's artwork on Lauren's face. This is what happens when they get a little bored. :) And this is beautiful lauren all cleaned up. She is such a loving, kind little girl. She is always concerned about other people's feelings. She is so generous and always willing to share whatever she has. She is also so much fun! I know she will bring joy and fun to my life for the rest of my life. I'm so grateful for my daughters! I love them!

Lauren's First Kiss

2008-04-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

On our last day in Mexico, Lauren came up to me with the most excited look on her face. She was totally animated and said, "Mom! Oliver kissed me and I kissed him and we love each other!"
Kristy: Really?
Lauren: Yeah!
Kristy: Where did you kiss each other?
Lauren: (pointing to her cheek) right here.
Kristy: Oh. (trying to contain my laughter)

A few minutes later, Lauren is quiet in contemplation as she looks out the window.

Lauren: Mom?
Kristy: yeah?
Lauren: Mom, can I marry Oliver? 'Cuz we love each other and he a boy and he not in our family.
Kristy: Maybe.

The next day....

Kristy: Lauren, did you tell Camryn about Oliver?
Camryn: What?!
Lauren: Oh, I will tell you later, okay Camryn?
Camryn: What?
Lauren: Oliver kissed me and I kissed him and we loved each other.
Camryn: On the lips?!!!
Lauren: no, right here.
Camryn and Lauren then both doubled over laughing.

Who knew this started at 3 1/2!!! I suddenly had images of the future flash before my eyes. I don't know if I'm ready for this!

Motherhood.....Ahhh!

2008-04-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last hour making a spaghetti and meatball casserol. It was all made in the pan, and laying on the counter, but wasn't cooked yet. I went upstairs to get Johnny up from his "nap" (if 40 minutes can be called that) and when I came back downstairs I noticed the casserol looked darker than before. On closer inspection I found that Lauren had sprinkled--no, dumped is more like it-- pepper all over the WHOLE thing. A lot of pepper!!! Now, I wish I could say that I turned a disaster into a wonderful teaching moment and a funny memory. I didn't. I yelled at her and put her in time out for a good long time. (she's actually still there). I guess it is kind of funny... now. :)

Tulum, Mexico

2008-04-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

We went to see "Tulum" one day. They are some old Mayan ruins built right on top of some cliffs looking over the ocean.

Camryn wanted to make sure her lip didn't get sunburned. ??? :)
Little Miss Trouble decided to smile for us!!! :)

More Mexico

2008-04-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Johnny. Happy and pleasant as always!
Cute little Johnny taking a nap in the stroller
This beach was right in front of our house. The girls played out there for hours.
Greg rented a scooter for the week. He was in heaven. :) The girls loved getting rides with dad.

AHHH Mexico!!!

2008-04-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Playa del Carmen Mexico for spring break last week. It was so beautiful, so much fun and a much needed break for all of us! Camryn and Johnny in the hammock out in front of our house.
On the roof of our friend's house.
We had a hot tub on our balcony, which the kids loved! It didn't get too hot, so it was perfect for them. More like a warm bath.
This is so Lauren... :) This is what I get when I say "Lauren! Smile!" And below--Camryn in her "Mexican look"

MORTIFYING!!!

2008-02-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

This week the most mortifying thing happened!!! Some friends of ours came to visit us from New York and I took the kids swimming at their hotel. When we finished swimming we got on the elevator to go up to their hotel room. My friend and I got on the elevator with our kids and right before the elevator doors closed a large woman got on and stood right in front of Lauren. Lauren bent down to Johnny and said, "Hey bud! You see the big flubby lady?!" (flubby= some mix between fat, flabby and bumpy) The following 30 seconds were the longest of my life! We all pretended that we hadn't heard or understood what she'd said. We just stood there frozen-- DYING inside! I feel so bad! Poor lady, whoever she is! And Lauren, she has no idea what she even said. Ah!

2008-02-18T06:49:00.001-08:00

Lauren just can't resist!

2008-02-18T06:08:00.001-08:00

Lauren got some starbursts for Valentines day from her grandma Maughan "orange grandma."

She was eating some last night and got to the last one.

Lauren: "I will save this one for Porter." (he gave her some this summer and she still remembers)

Kristy: "That's so nice of you honey. He would love that."

Lauren sits there staring at the last starburst, you can see the wheels turning in her head, mouth watering.

Lauren: "Well..... maybe I won't save it for Porter" as she begins unwrapping it. :)

Quotables

2008-02-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in Primary the kids all got a heart-shaped sugar cookie with their name on it. The teacher gave a lesson about how Heavenly Father knows everyone's name. Camryn said, "Why did they say that mom? Of course he knows our names! He made us!"

I wish you could hear this in Lauren's cute voice, but every night when she says her prayers Lauren says: "Heveny Faduh, Tank you fowr eveyone in du whole wide wowld." I love her!

I Don't Like It Either! :)

2008-02-11T14:47:00.001-08:00

Let me know how you Really feel!

2008-02-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

So, I was tired of trying to keep up with my "roots" with blond hair, so I got it colored brown today (closer to my natural color). When I walked in the door I got quite a reaction.

Camryn: "EWWW!!! I don't like it at all! Didn't they have anymore of the light stuff? Is that why they did it dark?"

Lauren: "you're pretty mom, but I don't like your hair, but you're pretty."

Greg: "Wow. I guess you can find a cheaper place and stay blond." :)

I guess it was a real hit!!! I bet you all can't wait to see it now! :)

Ballet Class

2008-02-04T18:21:00.001-08:00

Camryn loves ballet and tries intently to follow the teacher. Every day she asks how many days 'til our next ballet class? Lauren doesn't want much to do with the class until it's time to wear her tap shoes---so she can make a lot of noise. Today was their second class. :)

Family Night

2008-02-04T18:17:00.001-08:00

Family night at the Stone home. Lauren does a little dance...topless. Camryn reads to us all from her scriptures. Johnny just scratches his head in confusion about the chaos that surrounds him. Greg and Kristy wonder who these kids are and why they keep calling them "mom" and "dad." :)

Everybody Loves Johnny!!!

2008-02-04T18:13:00.001-08:00

We could just eat you up! Johnny is almost 9 months now! Hard to believe how fast the time is going. We all adore him and compete for his smiles and attention.

The Three Little Pigs

2008-02-04T18:09:00.001-08:00

Camryn and Lauren's pre-school performed "The Three Little Pigs" As you can see, Camryn and Lauren were the wolves.

Nanna and Poppa

2008-02-04T18:04:00.001-08:00

Johnny loves Nanna. Every time he sees her he gives her a huge grin. Pappa really loved Johnny and one day wanted to hold him. He was really sweet with him. Camryn was also sweet with Pappa. She loved singing him primary songs. Of course everyone loves Nanna!

Sledding in Utah

2008-02-04T18:01:00.001-08:00

The girls had so much fun sledding with their dad! Camryn arranged the whole thing. She couldn't wait to go and asked us constantly until we took her. They LOVED it!

Christmas Morning in Phoenix!

2008-02-04T17:52:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas Card

2008-02-04T17:50:00.001-08:00

Johnny!

2007-12-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

I just had to add this picture of Johnny! I could just eat him up! Isn't he the cutest?

Holidazzle

2007-12-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

Greg and I went to a black tie dinner/dance last night with his section. It was fun to get to know the people in his section better. It was also kind of fun to dance for the first time in who knows how long... pretend we're young and hip again :) Lets just say the people who consume large amounts of alcohol seem to have a slight advantage where the "moves" are concerned. :)

I don't like Santa! But can I have my present please?

2007-12-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

We had a Christmas party today at the business school. The girls were having a great time until Santa arrived...then they both burst into tears. "I don't like his beard!" They wouldn't even go close enough to get their present from him :) They begged me to get it for them. They may not like Santa, but they sure like his gifts! :)

At our ward Christmas Party last week Santa also came. Later Camryn asked:

"Mom, how did Santa get there so quick?"

Mom: maybe his sleigh was up on the roof with his reindeer!

Camryn: (thoughtfully) yeah....or maybe he was just in the other room.

More Quotes :)

2007-11-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

Camryn was singing along to "The Sound of Music" She sang: Doe, a deer a female deer, ray, a pocket full of fun...... :) (instead of "a drop of golden sun")

I told Camryn I had visited the school where she might go to kindgergarten.
She said: "Do they have homework?"
I said, "yes."
She said: "Oh good! I've always wanted to get homework!"

(we'll see how she feels in a few years!)

Quotes from Today

2007-11-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight Camryn said: Mom, Guess how much I love Johnny?
Mom: How much?
Camryn: It fills up my whole heart.

Camryn: Mom, I really hope I can be a cleaning person someday.

Lauren: But I can't be a good girl, Mommy. I just can't.

The Birkshires

2007-11-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

We went to the Birkshires this weekend. It was so beautiful. We can see why James Taylor sings about them! Here are a few pictures from the trip. As you can see, Lauren continues to wear her "Belle" dress every single day. She refuses to wear a coat, but makes sure she has a hat and her "Belle" dress. You can also tell by the pictures that there is never a dull moment in our family. The girls love to ham it up. They are always up to something. The other day I went into the living room and Lauren had poured cereal all over the floor and was eating it. I said, Lauren, we don't pour cereal on the floor! She said, "I'm not Lauren, I a doggy! Ruff!" :)

Johnny is already 6 months! The time is flying and he is getting so big. Camryn is still 4 going on 14. She wants a suitcase and a camera for Christmas. Okay 4 year old!

Trick Or Treating on Beacon Hill

2007-11-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

2007-11-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Halloween

2007-11-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

2007-10-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Quotables

2007-10-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

Camryn was drawing on her leg with a pen.
Kristy: Camryn, please don't draw on your leg.
Camryn continues drawing on her leg
Kristy: Camryn, how do you think Jesus feels when you're disobedient?
Camryn: Sad.
As Camryn continues drawing on her leg she says: Poor Jesus, Poor Jesus, Poor Jesus.

Quotables:

2007-10-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

Camryn's preschool teacher asked the class what their hopes and dreams were for the coming school year. The kids answered: learn my letters, my numbers, learn how to read, etc. When it was Camryn's turn to answer, she thought about it and said, "I really don't dream about this place."

Tonight we carved our pumpkin for Halloween. When we lit the candle inside the pumpkin, Lauren burst out singing "Happy Birthday to You!" ...to the pumpkin.