Easter Sunday

Ben, Rachel and I have all been getting up at 8:00 am every Saturday morning for the last month to go and practice for the Stake Easter Devotional. This Saturday we had a long dress rehearsal and we had an extra ward rehearsal (Brea was at the church for choir practice and various meetings from 8 till 3:30-yikes).

On Easter Sunday we got to perform and it all became worth it. The ward choir performance and Easter Devotional both turned out great. Rachel has a solo in the Easter Devotional and she did great. It was a great musical presentation and a wonderfully spiritual Easter Sunday.




The Easter Bunny brought us all some bunny chips!!

Great Gooshy Husband Story

Today Ben brought me in an Easter egg with a clue in it and told me to follow the clues. I followed the intricate weave of clues leading to eggs all throughout the house that lead to a special gift from Ben. He got me shorts, which seems like just a normal thing, but he went through the trouble of find out my size, going to the store and thinking about what I would like. Although many wives would be mortified if their husbands bought them cloths, I am not. First because Ben has good taste, but also because this is one of the most thoughtful things he could have done. It showed that he was really thinking about ME and that he loves me. He is an amazingly perfect husband!!

An Adventurous Fun Day!

Andrew is on Spring Break and so he and Mylie came down to spend a few days at Nana and Grandpa’s house. Yesterday I went over to hang out and play with them- and we had some fun. We walked to pick Grandpa up from work and on the way back we saw a lot of exciting things. We saw a big horned owl (with a rotating head), we walked through a swamp, we found perfect walking sticks and we saw fox holes. But the two coolest things about our walk were that we caught a snake and Andrew even held it, and Mylie touched it. It was slippery, but not too slimy. And we also got to swing across the river on rope swings. They were nervous at first, but they really enjoyed it.
















In the afternoon we went to the Longmont Rec Center and went swimming. Right after we got there they closed all the pools, except the lazy river, for swimming lessons. The kids are like little fish and they love to swim- so we spent almost two hours in the lazy river. The kids dove to the bottom to get things and we played bumper cars with the inner tubes. Afterward the kids got to climb on the rock wall. They each climbed up three times and they weren’t even scared! They were like little monkey’s they got up really fast and really enjoyed it!
























After the Rec Center we went back to Nana and Grandpa’s house and met up with Uncle Ben (who got off of work) and we had pizza for dinner. It was such a fun day! When the kids went to bed we realized that we are not young anymore and we are EXHAUSTED. After trudging through a swamp, spotting owls, catching snakes, swinging over rivers, swimming for two hours and playing inner tube bumper cars- I am warn out!! What an adventurous fun day!!

Let It Snow!- Colorado Style

The amazing thing about Colorado is the weather- I love Colorado weather!! Colorado has all four seasons and dang beautiful ones at that; however we do have a mild winter...until March. Every March (almost always inevitably falling on spring break) Coloradoans hunker down for their “Snowstorm of the Century.” In 1994, at the age of 7 I remember standing up to my waist in snow, as my older siblings helped dig out the driveway. In 2002, at the age of 15 I remember digging out the driveway and helping to chop down the tree in the front yard (which collapsed, narrowly missing our roof).

This year the excitement of the “8 inches of snowfall” rang through the state some bought snow shovels and some scoffed with doubt. However on March 26 we got our snow storm! Work was cancelled for many, school was already cancelled (because yes, it is spring break) and many stayed at home with hot cocoa and American Idol. It came down from 6 am to 6 am, a hard wet snow, dropping more than a foot at our front door.

However, the most glorious part of Colorado is to come. The following day we awoke to a sun filled morning. The roads were plowed and…it is true…dry! (No icy, snow covered, slush for months- Goodbye Rexburg!) The lawns, trees and rooftops were beautifully white, yet we had a safe (warm) drive to work. The mountains were gleaming beautifully under their new snow cover and all was watered, fresh and new.
Colorado is a beautiful place to live!




























Look at how thick the snow is on Chelupa's car!






















This is the trusted hand-measurement in the morning on the first day- we still have a day of snowing left. It was really thick













I was trying to shovel- with no avail.

Locked Doors and Broken Windows...

I am driving Mom & Dad’s red car (the car of my youth- memories *sigh) this week so that I can get to and from work more easily. My eyes have more fully been opened to the reasons that you get teenagers OLD cars as I see how horribly Michael and I treated and destroyed that poor Ford Escort.

Anyway, I went to fill the car with gas and I locked the keys in the car. Luckily it was a semi warm day and I had one of the windows rolled down an inch. I got a hanger from the gas station tenant (which means I am not the only person this air headed) and tried sticking it through the open window to somehow pull open the handle, since there are no automatic door locks to push (in this old car). I proceeded to drop the hanger INTO the car.

In frustration I pulled the glass of the window off of its normal seal (probably breaking the window- sorry dad), enough to squeeze my arm in and open the door. I popped the glass back in place (window still goes up and down- so not broken…badly) and went on my way.

So far, since I got my license back, I have not had good car luck!!

St Patties Family Get- Together

Yesterday we had a Stones family get-together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (hence the green hair- from the parade in Denver) and the latest family birthdays- Aaron’s (Feb 21) Alice’s (Feb 13) and Sean’s (March 17). We met at Erica’s house and had homemade Corned Beef and Cabbage, with potatoes, with a delicious chocolate rainbow cake and ice cream. It was wonderful to see family and be encircled with the joy of childhood. We played boci ball in the backyard and eventually ended up at the park playing baseball- with the entire family joining in on the fun.

I love families and the joy they bring into our lives!!

Driving to the Shower

I got my drivers license back after a 6 month absences and have had no accidents, tickets or near death incidents. However on Friday I got VERY lost out near Loveland, CO going to Amy Gibson’s Baby Shower and had a 45 minute driving detour. It was a reminder of every stress that accompanies driving and temperamental cars- with high way driving, nearly running out of gas, the setting sun in your eyes and nothing on the radio.

The red line on the following map is the crazy unexpected detour that I took in order to make it to point A.

















However I made it to the shower, better late then never, and enjoyed seeing Amy (beautifully pregnant) and wishing her well on her pregnancy. We are so happy for her and so excited to see the newest addition to the Gibson family!!

Dance Internship

I got a dance internship at Booth's Ballroom Dance Studio in Denver. It is an unpaid internship and I am going to basically be shadowing any and all of the instructors and see their teaching techniques and will also see how a large dance studio is run and organized.

I started yesterday and I am still a little iffy on what I should do. Because I am not getting paid, they are okay if I just stand around… which is not the kind of thing I like to do “at work.” But I will hopefully find my footing and get more comfortable with things.

Nissi’s

Last night, Ben went (with his Mom and Rachel) to Nissi’s, a restaurant/music club. They heard Eric Forsyth, a guy in our ward (and who we know from school) perform and said it was great. They stayed to hear the other performances and said it was a great atmosphere and Ben said it would be a really fun “date spot.”

Free Steak Dinner

Ben took a survey over the phone for the Fire Department and his name got put into a drawing for a ‘Promotional’ Free Steak Dinner and he was chosen. So we got to go to a Free Steak Dinner (with friends, so Mom came with us) at Magnolia. While we waited for our food a man taught us about fire safety and the proper care and maintenance of fire extinguishers and fire alarms in our homes. It was very educational and informative and….it was free.
Ben and I thought it was funny because we were BY FAR the youngest people there!!

Final Cake

I finished my cake decorating class and here is a picture of the final cake. (Well I can’t find batteries for my camera- so I will get a picture off when I find them.)
After we finished the class Nedra had to do the food for a post funeral luncheon and so Rachel and I decorated all the cupcakes with mini roses. It was fun to see all that we had learnt come to use in a ‘real life’ experience. (Pictures of cupcakes to come!)

New Church Callings

Now that we are living back at home, we are going to church with Ben's parents to their family ward. It is quite an adjustment going to a family ward with not just young children but an entire primary and youth program. Speaking of which...
Ben and I just got our callings in our new family ward. Ben got called to be the 9-10 year old primary teacher. He has about 4-5 boys in his class. He really hasn't shared too much opinion on the subject- whether he is excited, happy, sad, nervous or worried. But I am sure he will excel in whatever calling he does in the church.
I was called as the 2nd Counselor in the Young Women’s Presidency. I am so excited my nerves could reach the same caliber. There are not many Young Women in our ward (like my ward growing up) and as the 2nd Counselor I will be over the Beehives (which makes me a little farther from their age…ha ha). The program has changed a lot in the few years I have been out but I am excited to have something to do and some outlet to put my creativity and organization.

We are both excited to be welcomed into the ward and we feel like we are starting to be a little more grounded in our situation and spot in life!!

Playing with the Kids!!

Mat and Andi went on a trip this weekend and so Mom and Dad babysat the kids (Andrew and Mylie). We were able to go and to play with them and hang out with them all day- it was so much fun!! They had a fun morning with Nana (Mom) at the Children’s Museum in Denver and then we got to spend the afternoon with them. We went to McDonalds and played on the play place; Went on a big walk along the river to Grandpa’s work, and found walking sticks; decorated gingerbread people-yum; we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows; Watched Jurassic Park Junior- Andrew thought it was fun and Mylie thought it was very scary; and we had cake and ice cream. It was a busy jam-packed hyper kido day but it was SO fun to be with the kids!!!



Mylie scared by the T-rex in Jurassic Junior.



































































Decorating gingerbread people...men, women, children and dogs!!













Most of these are the adult decorated, we had already packed the kids up- so they could take them home (to show their parents).

Cake Decorating

For Christmas Ben signed me up for Cake Decorating Classes and him (and my parents) got me a bunch of cool cake decorating stuff. So I have been taking the first Wilton cake decorating course at Hobby Lobby throughout the month of January with Rachel, who is taking them with me. The first week was mainly just talking and explaining and we missed one week- while in Idaho for the funeral. So this last week was our first “hands on” week of decorating however with frosting catastrophes (on our side, the other students side and even the teacher had difficulties) we only practiced (making roses) and didn’t actually end up decorating the cakes we took. So when we got back I decorated my cake- with the wrong frosting (cream cheese frosting instead of gross Crisco frosting) and using ‘advanced’ methods (the basket weave- which is not taught until the third corse). The cake was lopsided and odd colors, but it tasted good. Here are some pictures; there will be more to come next week.

Grandma Lewis' Funeral

Ben’s grandma (his mother’s mother), Norma Andersen Lewis, passed away on January 10, 2009 at the age of 90. Grandma Lewis was born July 16, 1918 in Vineyard Utah. She had four children; Larry, Nedra (Ben’s Mom), Sandy and Kent. She was an amazing pianist and musician. She was a work horse- and still had a garden last summer. She baked bread and was an exceptional cook.



















Ben and I had the chance to get to know Grandma Lewis very well when we were at school at BYU-Idaho. We would go to her house and help her garden and help her around her house. She would tell us stories about her husband Bud, her kids and her childhood. It was such a blessing to get to know Grandma Lewis and such a privilege.

We went up to Idaho Falls with his mom, dad, and sister, Rachel to help get things arranged for the funeral. The funeral service was beautiful and was a wonderful tribute to the life of Grandma Lewis. It was wonderful to see family and friends but a sad time to say goodbye to Grandma Lewis.