I MADE A CAKE

So, for those of you who don’t know me, this doesn’t seem like a big deal. But for those of you who know me, or have experienced my cooking, you will appreciate this…
I MADE A CAKE...successfully.
Yes it was from a box (and so you might not seem that impressed). But I didn’t burn it, didn’t add to much oil, made the frosting, frosted it and then…gave it away piece by piece (I only had one piece- that is an accomplishment). So I was really proud!
(Charlotte, my friend on a mission in Chili, sent us some Chilean dulce de leche and so Ben wanted to put that on top- so that is what that is.)

Break Between Semesters (4-11-08 to 4-20-08)

We finished our finals and the winter semester. We were able to go home to Colorado and see our families between the semesters. It was great to be able to spend time with our family and see everyone. Colorado was beautiful (much warmer then Idaho) and we were able to spend time outside enjoying the spring.





Saturday we spent the afternoon with at the Stones home eating and playing games. We even got the parents to play tag and soccer with all the kids. It was hilarious and so much fun.





We had a chance to go see our niece, Mylie’s soccer game. It was so fun watching them run after the ball and being able to spend that time with out siblings.






Wednesday we went with the Newson’s to Utah, where we got to see Ben’s cousin Micah get married. Micah and Amanda were married in the Salt Lake Temple and it was beautiful. (This was the first sealing we’ve seen since our own, so it was emotional and very memory provoking.) We had a chance to go through a session (Brea’s first live session) and to spend time at the temple. The luncheon and reception were fun- it was great to see all the relatives and family.



We stayed with Jeremy (Ben’s brother) and Heidi and got to spend time with their family- watching soccer, playing games and eating Krispy Kremes. While we were there we were able to spend time with Ben’s other brother, Tobin- who we don’t get to see often.

It was a great week off from school and visiting family. We are glad we had that chance to see everyone.

NEWSON FAMILY UPDATE:

We are coming to the end of our winter semester and thought we would update you on our lives. We have been married for 8 months now- we can not believe how fast the time has gone. We are living in Rexburg (Idaho) in a small apartment. We are enjoying having our own place (with our own stuff) and pretending to be all grown up. We are both very excited for the snow to melt and winter to be over.

Both of us are in our senior year at Brigham Young University-Idaho. Ben is studying Organizational Communications (consulting) with a minor in Spanish. He will be graduating in July (but he might wait to graduate and take pre-reqs for his masters). He is looking into different major programs and schools but he is also considering going back to work for a couple years to get experience. Breanne is majoring in Health Science with an emphasis in Health Promotion and Lifetime Wellness. She is getting two clusters (two clusters= minor) in Business and Ballroom Dance. If all goes as planned Breanne will be graduating in December and then do her internship next winter (wherever Ben’s schooling/job takes them).

Breanne’s health is doing much better- thanks for all the prayers and warm wishes. Breanne had a seizure at the end of January and was hospitalized and very ill. We had some tests done, but they all showed no problems. She has been seeing a neurologist and chiropractor and has improved immensely. She has caught up in all her schooling and is back to her normal (loud) self. April 10th she hits her three month mark and is off ‘seizure watch’ (meaning she can drive, lock the bathroom door, climb latter’s and swim alone). She is very excited to be able to drive again and is counting down the days.
Ben is teaching Career Workshops on campus and is getting a lot of experience teaching different groups of people. He is getting more responsibilities this summer, so he will be working more and he is excited for the experience he is gaining. Ben is taking a golf class in the summer and is very excited to have an excuse to go out often. He is also planning numerous camping and biking trips when it gets warmer.
We hope you are all doing well and we would love to hear what’s new in your lives.

Dinner at the Arizona/Idaho Stones

After the last session of conference we went to dinner at Rachel and Curtis’ house (Brea’s cousins) with Ally and Ben. Bailey and Avery were adorable and warmed up to us in the end. It was fun to get to hang out with all of them. The food was great, the company was great and the games were fun (we played a men vs woman trivia). It was an enjoyable evening.

Weekend at Benson's Cabin

Friday night Ben and I went with our friend Brandon to the Benson’s cabin (Brandon knows the Benson’s from his home ward in CO). The cabin is in Driggs (about an hour from Rexburg) in the Teton Mountains. To call this a cabin would be an understatement; it is like the castle of cabins- with two kitchens, heated floor tiles, a walk around deck and imported furniture from Israel. It was beautiful. We decided that it would be a night for relaxation- so I took a bath.

Yes, it sounds weird but they had a HUGE bathtub with jets and bubbles. I am not really a bath person, but after that bath I have decided to join the realms of Ernie and Rubber Ducky. I felt like I was 4 again (although at the age of four I never had a bath like that). When we turned on the jets it mad the bubbles puff up…a lot. Ben thought it was hilarious and took pictures (don’t worry I was modest, there are so much bubbles I could be in an Eskimo suit and you wouldn’t even know).

When we woke up this morning the boys made a big breakfast (bacon, pancakes, orange juice and eggs) and we got ready to go to conference. After the first session we decided to drive up (in the jeep) to Jackson Hole, WY (only about 20 minutes away-over the pass) to explore. As we started up it was beautiful and so wonderful to be in the mountains, about half way up it started snowing- hard. We had no place on the narrow winding mountain pass to turn around so we had to press on. We got to Jackson and the boys decided that we should just turn around and go back- because they were worried the pass would close. So we got behind the gravel layer and followed it back over the pass- at times we could only see the blinking lights of the gravel layer through the blizzard (yes, and its April). We decided to go straight back to the cabin and listen to conference (which put me to sleep- ugg I know I am bad).
That night we watched movies (well I did while the men-folk were at the Priesthood session) and we played dominos all night (which made me feel like an elderly person in a nursing home- we were bad). We came home Sunday between sessions. It was so much fun to be up there and have a relaxing weekend.
Thanks Benson’s!!

Uniform Drive

SUPPORT YOUR TROOPS, SUPPORT YOUR SCOUTS
The Young Men living on Camp Pendleton, a military base in Southern California, are eagerly awaiting the summer and their opportunity to go to Scout Camp. However, due to the limited income and resources of these military families, many of the boys do not have scout uniforms or the equipment necessary to attend camp. The young men have personally been working hard to raise the money to attend scout camp, however they cannot raise enough for the equipment and/or uniforms required by the camp. We are working hard to encourage people to donate used uniforms and/or equipment for these young men.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP OR DONATE PLEASE CONTACT ME AT STO04033@GMAIL.COM

New Home Addition

Brenda gave us some old furniture for our apartment. Some of the pieces were in her friend’s house when there was a fire- so they were sooty and dirty. I scrubbed them off (haven’t painted or sanded them yet- it’s to cold outside) and they look good. We are happy to have new additions to our home.
(*and yes…Ben is studying on the floor!)

Happy 21st Sean!

We drove down to Logan (March 16) for Sean’s 21st Birthday party. It was fun to be with family and be able to play and relax. Brenda made an amazing meal (mostly green) with WONDERFUL cheesecake for dessert. Then we all sat around and talked- it was great. I love my family!

Guitars Unplugged

On campus there is a big concert called GUITARS UNPLUGGED. This is a concert of all the best bands/musicians in the school. It is a very big shindig and is always so much fun. This year (March 15, 2008) we went with Jordan and Michaela Spence. The music was great and the atmosphere is cool (almost like we aren’t in the Rexburg ‘bubble’). It was so much fun.

Elder Michael David Stones

Michael has a blog with all his mission letters home. The address is...http://elderstones.blogspot.com/
Check it out.

King's Singers Concert

Last Night, (Wednesday February 27, 2008) we went to a King’s Singers performance. It was so amazing. The King’s Singers are ‘one of the world’s most sought-after and acclaimed vocal ensembles.’ They are from Cambridge (England) and they have been doing a US tour the last three weeks and came to REXBURG (of all places). They sang amazingly and it was so cool. They did some old English and Renaissance pieces; they sand Blackbird (by the Beatles) and some other really cool ones. It was fun to be able to get out and go to this concert.

Snow Covered....Everywhere

Rexburg has defiantly kept up to its reputation as a very windy and snow covered place. This year Rexburg has gotten more snow then we both think we have seen in our years here. The cities snow removal crews had a hard time getting rid of the snow, so huge piles and mounds have formed throughout town. At one point they had pushed all the snow into the median, and it piled so high you could not see the cars on the other side (making it hard to U-turn). There were icicles coming off the buildings that were 4-5 feet long. The snow was shoveled on some sidewalks, creating tunnels and canals. However, through the storms and fridge snow, there is a glimpse of hope. The weather has gotten above zero and has sky rocketed to the low 30’s. With this new forecast of a ‘summer’s heat’ there comes the glimpse of a true Idahoan walking around in flip flops and shorts. Bathing suits will soon be seen as the snow melts and floods our street and sidewalks with the feet of melted snow.

And the glorious place we call home is none other but….REXBURG, IDAHO!!

Life Update

Well there is not much of an update other then, we are safe and alive. We have gone through many tests (MRA, MRI, EEG, ect) and no results have been found as to the cause of Breanne’s seizures. She is slowly feeling better, getting back her energy, going to class, ect. She still gets dizzy and lightheaded if she does too much (which she is using to her advantage) and she still gets pretty bad migraines, but overall she is doing better. Ben is also getting back to class; the two week absence has left him with a lot of homework and stress. He is working hard to catch back up, while balancing the new responsibilities he has with Brea.
Other then our medical mystery we have been okay. We were able to attend the Rexburg Temple Dedication, broadcasted live on campus, which was a very special opportunity. We are so happy and grateful that we have a temple so close to us and that we have this new opportunity to attend more regularly. It has been a great blessing and beacon of faith for us both.

Our New Life Trials

Thursday (January 24, 2007) Ben woke up to Breanne having a seizure. He called 9-1-1 and she was rushed to the Rexburg Hospital, where she had another seizure. Breanne had never had a seizure before and the doctors are unsure what the cause was and/or if it will happen again. They stayed in the hospital till Friday evening, when she was released to go home. Since then we have gone to multiple doctors (chiropractors, doctors, neurologists, radiologists, ect) to try to find out why Breanne had a seizure and if it will happen again. She is still pretty sick (with limited to no strength, constant migraines, dizziness, ect) but we are learning a lot about seizures and different possible causes. We have more doctors’ appointments this upcoming week and will hopefully find out some more concrete information about Brea’s health. Ben has been amazing and such a great support and help. He is having a hard time having his wife in and out of hospitals and in constant pain. It is hard for him, but he is showing loads of love and support.
Thank you to everyone for your prayers and warm wishes as we struggle through this unexpected challenge in our lives. We know that things will work out for the best and that Breanne’s health will improve quickly.

Walking in a Winter Wonder Land

One night, after going to a dollar movie, we decided to walk for a while (because we walked everywhere in New York, and we kind of missed it). Well, walking in Rexburg isn't half as interesting, but we walked past the museum and got to see the wintery wonders of Rexburg alseep (it was 11:00).