3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Another year gone by…

We’ve got a job and worked.

We’ve graduated.

We’ve served.

We’ve celebrated.

We’ve got laid off.

We’ve worked.

We’ve mourned and cried.

We’ve grown.

We’ve loved!

We celebrated at Cheesecake Factory- YUM!

50 Things You May Not Know About Me

(Inspired by Andrea…and Dad)

1. I got busted in High School for cheating in my Calculus class.
2. I always brag and elaborate stories to make myself sound much better then I am.
3. I am irrationally mortified of spiders.
4. I love watching the Disney Channel movies.
5. I eat the chocolate off of the outside of the candy bars before I eat the bar.
6. I want to skydive but I am afraid of heights.
7. I want to do international travel but I have only been to Canada.
8. My DREAM is to ‘teach poor kids to brush their teeth’; translation I want to do humanitarian service. 
9. I love to organize things- pantries, office supplies, ect.
10. I love to dance and wish I were better and more versatile.
11. I talk to myself when I am alone.
12. I think of morbid 911 stories or do interior design in my mind to help me fall asleep at night.
13. I am a ‘social’ person but I am secretly really shy and insecure.
14. I am not a neat freak but I am a clean freak (things must be deep down clean).
15. I love pasta.
16. I love my husband more today than I did the day we got married.
17. I have run down the Southern California beaches in my underwear.
18. I have never tasted alcohol, smoked a cigarette or drank coffee.
19. I was sucked into an underground water drain as a child-it was mortifying and I thought I was going to die.
20. I think I am slightly OCD- closed cabinet doors, toilet paper rolling the right direction, ect.
21. I have never had a job longer than 5 months.
22. I love the smell of a camp fire.
23. I got out of a Spanish Final in HS by throwing my teacher a surprise birthday fiesta.  I knew it wasn’t her birthday!
24. I have the best barfing stories- but I almost never throw up.
25. I have never read a Jane Austen book- but I claim to be one of her biggest fans.
26. I have a list of “CAN’T” goals I am trying to overcome; so far I have not checked off any of them.
27. My FAMILY is the single most important thing to me in the world.
28. I have dissected a human cadaver.
29. I like Tai food.
30. I have worked on a beef farm.
31. I am constantly listening to music- but I never know the artist or the song.
32. I have so many creative ideas and no way to express them.
33. My favorite season is autumn; I would love to see Boston in the fall.
34. I have driven into fences, through parks and through corn fields- all without involving the police.
35. I have eaten a meal worm- fried!
36. I have ridden in an ambulance twice- I don’t remember either time.
37. I have lived both on the east coast and the west coast.
38. My favorite animal is a moose- I have never seen one in the wild.
39. I am told I am too practical.
40. I do not like seafood- but I a trying to be open minded.
41. I like scary movies (not R rates).
42. I actually enjoy watching college sports with my husband; not golf and not on Sunday.
43. I love the outdoors- I could camp for days.
44. I am big on traditions and I am a nester.
45. I have been to Sacrament Meeting in Chinese.
46. I had braces for almost 7 years. I didn’t wear my retainers and now my lower teeth are crooked again.
47. I like the old 1940’s glam (Aubrey Hepburn) and love wearing pearls.
48. I love horseback riding but I don’t go as often as I’d like.
49. I don’t like hand washing dishes- the dishwasher is my favorite invention.
50. I love donuts. Really gooey fried apple fritters are my favorite.

Called Upon to Change

I have been serving in the Young Women’s organization in our ward for the last year and a half and this last week I was released. Combined with the stress of the rest of my month this feels like I am getting fired. I have been very upset and very downtrodden. I love these Young Women. When we moved here and I knew know one- I got to know them. When I had no job and no purpose- I had a call to serve and lead them. I planned projects for them. I organized activities for them. I taught lessons to them. All of which are things that helped ME as a person grow and in the process I was able to work with a great a great Presidency of sisters. I am sad, to say the least- but the new presidency sounds spectacular.


I have been called to teach the CTR 7-8 class in Primary. I have not taught a Primary class since I was 18 and I have not been in Primary since we lived in NYC. Yesterday was my first day I was nervous, still a little upset and honestly didn’t put the energy into it that I would have been proud of. But even in one day, I found that I loved those children. They were a little wild and talkative but attentive and sometimes interested. It was a new experience but one that I enjoyed and I am now getting more excited for this new era in my life.

(One other perk with Primary is I can 'hide' from most of the adults and I don't feel as overwhelmed all day  This was my first positive Sunday in weeks!)

Memories

Since Aaron’s death I’ve been thinking a lot about memories. Memories of him. Memories of me. Memories of my other siblings. I realized that I don’t remember a lot about Aaron. He was 4 years older than me- so we never really played together (Unless he was picking on me in some cruel way) and by the time we were older and could have been close… I was bitter, judgmental and we were “estranged.” But I loved him- oh so much.

Here are some things I do remember.

I remember sitting upstairs in Mom and Dad’s peach room on the water bed with Michael on one side of Aaron and me on the other (I was probably 4-5 yrs old). He was ‘reading us’ a Where’s Waldo (actually I think it was Where’s Nephi). I think Mom and Dad were downstairs ‘reprimanding’ a troubled teen (1 guess who that was), when all of a sudden our fire alarms went off. We were mortified; we thought we were going to die. Aaron was calm, told us to stay calm and stay there. He ran downstairs to find out what was wrong and then quickly came back.

“The fireplace was broken and caught the roof on fire- Dad was fixing it- don’t worry.” He then sat back down and continued to read to us. He was the calm in that potentially scary time. He took care of us when no one else was there!

When I was in 2nd grade I got mono and missed about 2 months of school. I missed the eyeball section of science and therefore missed getting to dissect a cows eye- something I had been looking forward to since Aaron got to do it four years earlier. I was SUPER bummed. I remember Aaron sitting with me on the couch in the family room and helping me with my eyeball homework and then describing to me a cows eye and how cool it is to dissect an eyeball. He told me all about it, so that I wouldn’t feel like I was missing anything.

Aaron used to have pet lizards (when he was in elementary school), geckos to be exact. He could let them crawl all over his body- on his shoulder, face, neck, arms, ect. They would get loose in his messy room and we wouldn’t be able to find them (those things are small) and then we would find them in the weirdest places. Once we lost one… permanently and then later found the smelly carcass.

More later…Dad’s harassing me to go get tacos!

Aaron Lawrence Stones

My big brother passed away. This is his obituary:

Aaron Lawrence Stones, our kind, loving, gentle and wonderful son, brother, uncle and friend died Monday in his home in Denver . He was 28.

Aaron was born in Prescott , Arizona to Larry and Margaret (Baker) Stones. He was a happy and precocious child. He loved He-Man and wearing capes of all colors.

His family settled in Longmont when he was six. He attended Niwot High School where he excelled in drama and was known for his delightful sense of humor. He received his Eagle Scout award and his Duty to God award. He also graduated from LDS Seminary with four years of perfect attendance.

Aaron always loved music and played the guitar, banjo and kazoo. He was a talented artist and enjoyed painting and drawing whenever he could.

In 2007 he married Kiyoka Tamasue. They lived happily in Denver with their dogs, Petri Dish and Charlotte.
He loved all animals and found great happiness working with them.

He found a second family in his close circle of friends, who will miss his quick wit and tender ways.

Aaron was loved by his family and was adored by his nieces and nephews. Lovingly referred to as “Uncle Geek”, he spent hours coloring with crayons, building sand castles, chasing balls, stacking blocks and toting small children around on his shoulders.

Aaron will be deeply missed by his parents and five brothers and sisters
Andrea Dawson (Ben), San Clemente CA.
Mathew Stones (Andrea), Aurora
Erica Lundgreen (Richard), Aurora
Breanne Newson (Ben), Lafayette
Michael Stones (Taylor ), Longmont
As well as his 9 nieces and nephews

Funeral services were held Monday, July 5, 2010 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 11th Ave. Bldg., Longmont, CO. at 2:00 PM

New Family Reunion- 2010

The entire Newson Family came out for a fun filled week of REUNION!! It was so wonderful seeing everyone and being able to make new memories. The kids are all getting so big and so there were all new things to do. We spent our nights playing t-ball, soccer or catch in the backyard or roasting marshmallows by the fire pit. After the kids went to bed the adults (and teens) spent hours roaring with laughter or playing games and reminiscing. The days were spent at parks, playing legos, canoeing, hiking, swimming or lounging inside (away from the hot sun). We had a special fiesta with games, dance, music, food and a surprise thunder and lightening storm. We had a talent show, sing-a long parties and a Newson Family Olympics. And we can’t forget to give a shout out to the food- cooking for 25 people and it was still DELICOUS. In all it was so great seeing everyone and such a fun week. Thanks everyone for coming. We love you!

The Entire Newson Family- 2010

Taking the younger kids on a scavenger hunt for fiesta treasure!

Ben passed out from all the good fiesta food.

The Newson Men racing for the gold at the Family Olympics! Yes- they were sore!

Dunes Days 2010

Ben went with about 21 Young Men from our Ward on a High Adventure to the Southern Colorado Sand Dunes. They hikes, camped, snowboarded down the dunes, toured through a ghost town, went to a gator farm, swam in a mountain lake and had a week of pure manliness. Ben had a ton of fun with the boys and really enjoyed it!

Ben hanging out with some of the leaders in the ghost town.

Beautiful view!

Picture at the Summit

Morning Mouse Snatch

We are in the midst of the Newson Family Reunion (pictures to come) and I still have to go to work (bummer); so yesterday morning I was sitting at the kitchen table choking down my breakfast and talking to Hannah, the only other surfaced soul in the house.  When Hannah (14) jumped and exclaimed, “I think I just saw a mouse!”  I had almost no reaction and kept eating while assuring her that she did not see a mouse and she was still to sleepy.  Then she saw it again, this time I saw it too, and it scurried behind a cooler on the kitchen floor. So we decided to act.  I handed her a broom and I grabbed two grocery bags… this is how it played out.

I moved the cooler, forcing the mouse to run straight for Hannah.  She then attacked hitting it directly with the broom and pinning it to the floor. I wrapped the bags around my hands and then cupped my hands around the broom bottom. As she lifted it up I grabbed the still very live mouse and engulfed it in the bags, holding tight! All without a scream or yelp- it was early and we didn’t want to wake anyone up! We then both looked at the wiggling lump of mouse we had caught; in aww that we had done it and then in wonder at what we were going to do with a live mouse. The answer…lets go get Ron!

We scrambled down to his room, over sleeping bodies and tapped lightly at his door. As he answered the door and found Hannah and I staring at him, wide eyed at 6:45 in the morning his eyes went wide and then I held up the bag. “We caught a mouse!”  He still just stared, so I poked the bag and it started to squirm and again his eyes went wide, “And it’s still alive.” Needless to say, Ron ‘disposed’ of the problem (although it was really cute) and Hannah and I are super hero mouse catchers!

What an adventure… and all before 7:00 am!

Wyatt's First Birthday

For Wyatt’s first birthday we had a huge family get together at the ‘Stones Family Pool.’

First of all, I can NOT believe that Wyatt is already one!! I remember when he was born. I saw him when he was 15 minutes old and now he is one and WALKING. Also, he doesn’t like me very much. I don’t know what it is (because I usually have a way with children) but Wyatt looks at me in a deep untrusting way- like he is looking deep into my soul. Either way- he is adorable and he is ONE!

Secondly, the majority of my family lives within an hour (maybe 1 ½ hours- depending on traffic) from each other and…. We only see each other about once every couple of months- THAT’S SAD!! So this was as exciting as an official family reunion (minus the Dawson’s- sad) and there is so much chitting and chatting going on that…not much else happens (not that I am complaining). We also had good friends there (aka Charlotte and Taylor) who are practically family and made it that much more fun!

Third, this is an Andi party, which for those of you who don’t know means great entertainment and even better food. She always says that we tease her with this fact but, honestly…it’s true! Great food and Ben’s favorite part…chips! Andi is the best party planner, best food maker, best hostess… there is really not much she is not the best at!

So it was a great day and we had tons of fun!

Bolder Boulder

The Bolder Boulder is an annual 10-K road race and the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race in the world.  The race weaves through the town of Boulder, CO with street performers, bands, and people cheering and supporting all the way. The many runners are dressed in costumes and crazy outfits and there are so many different eclectic people. Each year they end the Bolder Boulder with a Memorial Day Tribute to the men and women who served and are serving our country. 

This year there were over 54,000 racers (runners, walkers, ect) and Ben and I were two of them!! I originally signed up with the YW of our ward and then signed Ben up with us, thinking it would be a great thing for us to do together.   Ben had run the race before (as a youth) but I had never done it before.  It was such an amazing experience and was so cool to see the street performances and all the people.  It was truly inspirational.

Ben's Time:

Brea's Time:

On Guard!!

This weekend while walking up and down the Boulder Creek Festival Michael and I got to do free fencing lessons.  It took some persuading to get Michael to do it, then he realized he go to hit me with a sword without getting in trouble and he was all in.  They dressed us up and taught us a few steps and then let us at it. 

Michael was ultimately better; I think this is because his arms are about 3 feet longer than mine. Except each time he would get me he would raise his arms in excitement and I would strike (a little tricky but it worked). So in the end we were pretty close but he still won- he was very proud.

It was very fun and I felt like one of the three musketeers!

Memorial Day Service

I love Memorial Day- not only because I get the day off work or because there are some great BBQ’s and spring celebrations; but because it is a day to celebrate and remember the men and women who served and are serving our country for our freedom.
This Memorial Day weekend we had the opportunity to help a young man with his Eagle Scout Project at a local cemetery put up American flags at the graves of all the Veterans. Then we stood at the entrance and waited as loved ones came to the cemetery and if we missed a veteran we would walk with the loved one to the grave and put up a flag. During these times we got to hear the heroic stories of these soldiers from their loved ones about how they died and how they lived. It was such an inspirational thing to spend my time in service of those who gave their lives for our country!

Picky Eaters

I grew up with the idea that you eat everything in front of you- no matter what. Growing up I didn’t like fish! I remember, on multiple occasions, my entire family finishing dinner and me sitting alone and miserable at the dinner table in front of a plate of fish- not to leave the table till it was gone. I remember one instance when my Mom was making a wedding cake and there were tubs of delicious frosting surrounding my pitiful predicament. I thought, in my young mind, “Frosting makes EVERYTHING taste better!” So I stole a glob of freshly wiped white frosting and spread it over my fish, well… I was wrong but I had to eat it anyway!

Since those young years I have learned to try new foods and not to be a picky eater (although I do not prefer sea food). Then I married Ben, who was taught if he didn’t want to eat it he didn’t have to eat it. He has a list of things he ‘Doesn’t like’ merely because he hasn’t had to eat them in his life. This bugged me! And has continued to bother me as our marriage aged, common Ben be FOOD- ADVENTUROUS!! One day as I was hounding on him (a little) he said, “But Brea, you don’t eat sea food!” That stopped me in my tracks, he was right. Did I have any right to ridicule him when I myself had my small picky inkling? NO! That’s the answer- NO! So I made a goal to try it, gag less and be more open to the world of sea food. Maybe I wouldn’t order a meal at a restaurant. Maybe it would take me some time to cook it in my own home- but I would eat it!

This weekend this goal was put to the test! We went to visit some friends visiting from out of town (Danny and Amy Gibson). Their family had cooked some great ethnic food and invited us to stay and taste it. There was lamb curry, purple roots in coconut milk and raw fish. I was really nervous but I hunkered down and I tried everything and it was good. There were some unusual flavors, textures and colors but in the end- it was GOOD!! I ate raw fish and I liked it!!

It just proves that you can step out of your picky food zone and it works!!

I am OFFICIAL!

I walked in Graduation in December 2008 but I had some pending internships so I did not get my diploma. I have been unemployed since then, and everyone used to tell me that I would be able to get a job once I ‘officially’ graduated- like a blessing. Well, I got my job at Comfort Dental and then I got home my first day of work and… MY DIPLOMA WAS HERE!! I am so excited, I officially graduated!

I GOT A JOB!!

There is a man in our ward who is a Dentist at Comfort Dental and he referred me to a different office as a Front Office/Receptionist. I interviewed and was offered the job- YAY! I started last week and have been learning the ropes ever since. It is kind of hard to learn the Dentist lingo and to learn all the in and outs of the office but the other girls that work in the Front Office have been very helpful and have taught me a lot. The hours are kind of crazy- I either have 6 or 12 hour shifts and it gets exhausting, but I am learning and I am so grateful that I have a job!!