A House Becomes A Home...

In August 1989 the Stones family moved from California to Longmont, CO. We moved into a house with shaggy brown carpet, flowered wallpaper, banisters, flower boxes, paneled walls and the ever dreaded popcorn ceilings. This house graduated 6 kids from high school. This house has housed 2 mothers, 1 Nana, 4 Uncles, 1 Uncle Geek, 2 Aunts, 1 Grandpa, 1 Father, 1 Foreign Exchange Student, 2 Nephews, 6 Missionaries, 1 Boa Constrictor, 4 Rats and multiple visitors. This house has gone through multiple remodels, paint jobs, and fixer-up-ers. This house has seen a family grow from 8 to 22. This house has seen happy times and sad times; this house has been a home!

Our 21 Year Home...

This last week after 21 years my parents moved out of our BELOVED home! I know this may sound sappy and overly sentimental but I am just like that (overly sentimental that is) and I was very sad to be moving from our home. I do love my parent’s new house, a house that allows for the whole family (grandkids and all) to be in one great room at once. But I will forever miss my childhood home!!

The New House... soon to be Home!

Disney Land/ California Adventure

Earlier this year Ben and I made baby blankets for service and got two free tickets to Disney Land. We decided to save them for the ‘off’ season so that it wouldn’t be as busy and we could get the full experience.  So this past weekend (Oct 16-19) we went out to California and went to Disney Land and California Adventure with Tobin and Nicole.  It was a little overcast, so there weren’t a lot of people, and the lines were short- it was a PERFECT day.  We got to go on so many rides (Tob and Nicole were good guides) and we even got to see a show (Aladdin).  Ben usually gets motion sick but we took precautions (Dramamine) and he was able to do all the rides with us.

Walking through the tunnels at the Indiana Jones Ride.



During the Tower of Terror.



I had never been to Disney Land and Ben hadn’t been since he was really young so it was a real big adventure.  We got lots of buttons when we entered the park (first timers, anniversary, birthday) because we figured it was close enough to all those things for it to count. The people were so nice and EVERYONE who saw me with my Birthday button wished me Happy Birthday (Goofy even sang to me over the phone)!  It was clean, beautiful and everyone was nice. We know why it’s called the happiest place in the world!!



Sporting our 3D Glasses outside 'A Bugs Life'



In the evening we got to see a parade (all about dancing- I loved it) and Nicole and I joined in the conga line.  And we stayed late in California Adventure and saw their new lights show (they project color up on water) it was amazing and aww inspiring.  It was a great trip and defiantly made us feel like kids again!!

Garden Grub

We heard talk of a frost two nights ago so Ron and Nedra decided it was time to pick everything left in the garden (except the squash). Here is the result...

They are such great gardeners!!! YUM!

Burglar Proof

We have been watching our neighbors pets (two dogs and a cat) while they are out of town. The dogs spend the day outside but if we are at the house they are aloud inside. On Saturday night, Brea was over at the house watching a movie (they have a really comfy couch) and so she had the dogs inside with her. Ben came over later to join her but she had all the doors locked (for safety’s sake) so she had to go unlock the house for him to get in. This is where our story begins…


Brea unlocked and opened the first door but as the dogs were trying to get out she quickly closed it, walked through the mudroom and unlocked the outside door to let Ben in. That is when they noticed that the inside door had locked behind her- locking the dogs and her coat (with the key) inside!! It was about 11:00pm by this time but they still called the neighbors seeking a spare key (but had to leave a slightly comical and desperate message).

Then the search began, equipped with a large spot light the pair began circling the house, checking every window for access- all locked. Jiggling at all door handles- all secure. Even trying to pick the lock with a nail file and tweezers but alas this desperate duo was not robber material. Finally the neighbors called back to inform the team that there was a spare key buried in a flower pot on the porch (about 6 inches deep).

Finally access was gained to the house, the dogs were saved and the humiliation was lessoned. The neighbors can now fell confident that their house has been tested and deemed successfully burglar proof.

Chili Cook Off

 This year we decided to enter some White Bean Chili into our wards Chili Cook Off.  The Cook off Was a HIT!! There were so many different Chili’s, Baked Good and Desserts- it was definitely a feast. And then we had a vote.  I don’t think I had an entire portion of anything, but I did taste almost everything (but food just kept coming). NO my Chili was not voted the #1 Chili- but it was worth the effort and defiantly worth coming for the company and good food!!

Here’s my recipe- ENJOY!!

White Bean Chili

Ingredients:

Roast Beef

Onion

Garlic

Potatoes

24 Oz Canned Green Chilies Mild (Green Salsa)

White Kidney Beans (2 cans)

3 Cans any other White Beans

Directions:

Cook Roast with copped onions and 1 clove chopped garlic until done (350 degrees in crock pot for a couple hours). Chop into ½ inch (nickel sized squares).

Add beans (drained) and green chilies. Add Water if needed (don’t make it soupy).

Peel potatoes (I used red so I didn’t peel, just scrubbed), dice into nickel sized squares, cook to soften and then add to chili. (Cook them before because if not they usually wont be soft enough and will add a strange crunch to the texture.)

Let everything cook and warm together for a while. Salt and Pepper to taste. I added about 2 more cloves of garlic to ‘spice’ it up and some more Chilies (its up to your discretion).

Autumn in Estes

Today Ben and I took a day trip to Estes Park to see the autumn colors and beautiful mountainside. As we were driving in, there was a herd of elk right next to our car and then we saw more on the way out. We got to hear them bugle and even got to see two males clacking their antlers together.

We stopped and got to eat in Estes Park and walk up and down the river walk. It was fun to see the sites and eat such great food.

We went up to the Stanley Hotel (Ben had never walked around the ‘haunted grounds’ before) and while there, we were given a free pass for Rocky Mountain National Park. We went to the park and went on a couple (short) beautiful nature walks. The many colors were so beautiful and aw-inspiring.

It was a great day full of wonderful AUTUMN FUN!!

Honesty...it's worth 20 Bucks!!

Ben picked me up from work one day, back in July, and found $200 lying in the parking lot. Being the honest citizen that he is, he turned it in to the police and was told that if it was not claimed in 60 days that he could have it. Well, 60 days is past and we are now $200 richer… that is what you get for being honest!! Thanks BEN!


Note: Two weeks before this Brea got a speeding ticket for $180- so we are actually only $20 richer!

Rockies 2-3

We went to the Rockies game with Mat and Andi and their family on Monday. They lost but it was a fun game because we got to be with family and friends.

Canning Palooza

I spent a day at Erica’s watching the girls while she and Mom canned applesauce, peach jam and tomatoes and made some delicious homemade bread. It was a fun day playing with the girls and being homemaker-y!

This is the dirty sink after watching the apples- yuck!!

24th Birthday Celebrations

I had a wonderful Birthday party Sunday (Sept 19) with my family with Taco Soup and “any topping you want” Brownie Sundaes (Ben got a special treat in his brownies- Avocado)!!

On Tuesday (Sept 21) I spent a night with some friends, also having Sept. Birthdays, having dessert and talking. Then on Wednesday we went out to breakfast with our good friend Amy. It was delicious (I had fried French Toast- yum!) I spent the day being lazy and doing nothing (I had work off). And we had pizza for dinner and fruit pizza for dessert.

Ben told me he had a big project and had to work so we couldn’t do anything the night of my Birthday! So I was hanging out downstairs and Rachel called me up to ask me something and…all my friends were upstairs for a surprise party Ben had planned!! I was SO SURPRISED!! We had food and played games and it was a great fun night and Birthday!!!

Thanks everyone for a wonderful birthday and for celebrating with me!

Inspirational Images of Southern California

The Many Faces of S,B,E

Our camera has a front screen; the kids thought it was the coolest thing since popcorn.

This is the result!