HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST SISTER EVER!!!

I just want to wish my sister a Happy Birthday today! She is the kindest, most beautiful, thoughtful person I know. I am so grateful we have become best friends. I miss her so much since she moved back to Utah. I hope you have a fabulous day sis!

Love,
Krista!

Droppin' In

Brady practiced and practiced until finally he figured out how to Drop In. This is a huge deal. He also figured out how to make it over the two humps in the middle of the bowl. We know nothing about skateboarding at our house so he is a self taught man. He can't wait to go to Spocks Skate Camp again this summer, it was his highlight last year.

FIRST PLACE at the SCIENCE FAIR!!!!!!

Kelsey won first place at the school science fair!!! Her project was...."ice cream in the oven, why doesn't it melt?" We did a baked Alaska and explained the principle of insulation. She feels that it wasn't just that her board was awesome, it was that she nailed the judges questions. Either way we are going to the state fair baby!

The Donahoes Return to Arizona

Abby and Kelsey had a total blast. They played barbies, and polly's, and

dress-up, and games, and make-up.

While the boys played basketball, and video games. Brady and Jantz are

listening to Brady's MP3 player.

More Picts of the Donahoe Visit

We enjoyed West Gate. The weather was awesome!

Kelsey and Abby kept themselves busy. They dressed up and did each others hair. They played dominoes. All of the boys were so, so, so tempted to push them over but security protected the girls until they were ready. You go girls.

Carly's New Look

Carly got her hair cut the other day and came out with a whole new look. She loves how managable and healthy it feels. It will save us hundreds of dollars a year on shampoo.

Let us know what you think.

Carly's Plate Techtonics Presentation

Carly had an assignment in science to create some fun way to remember the main issues of plate techtonics. She wrote a script loosely based on the TV show i-Carly. Here is the result.

Brady's Birthday

Brady's 7th Birthday celebration. He got a cool "diamonback viper" bike.

He loves his new MP3 player. He has it loaded and wears it everywhere. He was the only one in the family without his own music so he thought it was about time to level the playing field. He does not have the same taste in music as the girls so he hates to borrow theirs.

Oh boy, he got Heeleys. I had always said no to the Heeleys because he cant wear them to school, however, Grandma and Grandpa Gibson dont care how practical this reasoning is so he got Heeleys from them. When he first got them I was really worried that he might break his head open but now at the time of posting I can tell you that he practiced until he got it and now he is pretty good. I guess now he is ready for a trip to Costco, I hear that is the best place to ride.

Batman Imaginext from Cami.

More Bakugans!!!! Thanks Donahoes.

An AC/DC t-shirt.

Brooke and Ty gave Brady a skateboard tool so he could work on his own board but for some reason I can't get it to load, so for now we will just have to say thanks. THANKS. Great Grandma sent him money for his savings account and Grandma and Grandpa Stone sent a card with money also. Grandma and Grandpa Olsen are in Italy on their mission so he was excited to get their card that said...., "hey I can't read it". Great Grandpa Stone always gives us a call on birthdays. We are so blessed with great family

thank you all for being so supportive.

Dinner and a birthday dessert at Fridays. I think Kelsey was happy he said he would share!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRADY!!!

At the Skate Park

We have found that the best time to go over to the skate park is when all of the other kids are still in school. A couple of weeks ago when Kelsey and Brady were out (charter school) we met some friends over there. Kelsey and Gabby use their in line skates and Brady and Ryan skate board. They had the run of the place.

Ryan, Brady, Kelsey and Gabby.

Brady and Ryan.

Brady practiced until he could make it over both humps. He has been wanted to do it for a while but with all of the big boys it is kind of scary to be in the middle. Now he can go from one side to the other and come back. Obviously I don't know the skater lingo.

This I do know. Brady learned to "drop in" today and it was a BIG DEAL. One of the other boys gave him a little pep talk and he did it. I did take some video that I will post when I find it. It is lost somewhere on my computer. He has been working on dropping in since his skate camp with Spock last July. Ty, he is way excited to show you in person.

A Visit from the Stones

We were so excited to hear that Uncle Brad, Aunt Susan and Grandpa Stone were coming to visit. We had such a great time. It was such a choice opportunity to get some quality one on one time with some of our family we don't get to see very often. I am so grateful they took the time to come hang with us. I hope we have convinced them that this is a great place to thaw out in the winter. Brad played hoops with Brady, Susan got an earful of constant chatter from Kelsey, and Grandpa just enjoyed all of the action. We had sloppy joes and had a Wii bowling tournament that went late into the night. Aunt Pat, Uncle John and Jim and Patsy also came over for dinner and games. One of my favorite pictures of Jim and Grandpa.

Grandpa and Carly.

Brady, Great Grandpa and Kelsey.

Brad, Brady, Great Grandpa, Kelsey, Susan and Jim.

The other Grandpa Stone and Kelsey.

Brad and Brady got some good bonding time together.

Kelsey and Susan.

Susan, Great Grandpa Stone and Grandma Patsy.

Brady's Birthday Party At XRKade

On January 22 Brady turned 7 years old. He celebrated by taking a group of school friends to the XRKade. They had an awesome time and they all went home exhausted and sweaty.

As most of you know I do not cook or bake. However, on their birthday I do let the kids choose what kind of cake they want and then I try to make it happen. I am totally happy about how the cake turned out and so was Brady so it is all good. All of the boys (and girls) at his school are crazy about Converse shoes.

Brady badly wanted Bakugans and boy did he get his wish!! I have no idea what Bakugans are and what they do but I guess you collect them and their cards and then they fight other Bakugans...They look like small round Transformers to me. Anyway, he was so excited. In the picture is his friend Nathan (next to him) and Josue (usually happy) and in the back by the door is Johnny.

This is Brady's good buddy Hanis. He is an awesome basketball player and was on Brady's team for NYS.

Here is Josue with his usual happy smile. He is also one of Brady's best friends. And no his name is not Jose, I corrected Brady constantly until I got to school and Josue (pronounced Hosway) confirmed that I was wrong.

This is Nathan and Brady. Notice how sweaty they both are. They had played for about an hour before we took a cake break.

Cat Updates

Carly and her good friend Bethany.

They are getting big.

New Additions

Here are the newest editions to the Stone family! Kelsey has been working very hard for the last 5 weeks and 3 days to earn a pet. I was expecting a hamster but Jim unbeknownst to me has a huge aversion to rodents, and a hamster qualifies, so we got kittens. The lady we got them from did not want them to be separated from each other so this bumped Brady up to the top of the pet ownership chain. He told us that he doesn't really like kittens and would rather earn a fish so Carly got to have the other kitty. She is now looking for a good home for her bird Blush. The girls both named their kittens after the cities in which they were born so Kelsey's kitten is Dixie and Carly's is Payson. This is Payson.

They love to snuggle together in the Arizona sunshine.

This is Dixie.

They are twins and the only way to tell them apart is that Dixie has a little bit of white on the tip of her tail. We are all loving them a lot, even Brady held one the other day. More posts all about Christmas coming soon. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

Williams Halloween Party

Here is a great picture of the Host and Hostess of the Williams Family Halloween Party. You guys rock. Thanks for opening up the house and freaking us all out.

Carly (my 80's girl) and Rebeckah (a little too cute Becca).

Becca, Carly and our little Devil Kelsey.