Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Our lives at a glance...







Emma is in Kindergarten this year. She has wanted to go to school since she was born it seems. She loves to learn and absorbs things like a sponge. She is always prepared and is totally responsible for all her own homework and anything that is needed for school. She always has her back pack ready the night before. She gets that from Jesse. She also has many of his other personality traits. She will break into song and dance at any moment and she writes all of her own "material". One of her songs goes like this: (Imagine this being sung by Jack Black in ACDC style.)

"When your bum bum sits the ground
It don't know where it's goin'
'Cuz it don't got no eyes
It's just cheeks, It's just cheeks"

This is always accompanied with an air guitar and yes, she is aware that this is incorrect English, but that's the way Jack would write it in "School of Rock"!

Riley is in 3rd grade this year. She has discovered that she is really good at Math and always passes the first spelling test given for the week. Riley likes to write books. Some of her titles include "Riley the Wrestler", "A Ponies Life", "My Family Tree", and "The Clubhouse". The books are all illustrated by her as well. They are so cute and I will keep them forever! Riley was baptized this summer at Jared and Heather Martin's pool. It was a small family/friend gathering and was just the setting we had hoped for. She was beaming! She is a fun mixture of contradictions. Stubborn and sweet, tomboy yet girly, obsessive but unable to focus. Sometimes I fear the future with her, but it will be an adventure.

Casey is in 6th grade. I often tell him to just freeze right at this age. I know he has to grow up but I hate the thought of the distance that comes with the teenage years. He is a good boy, a sweet brother and just a happy kid. He has some funny quirks. At night we have to follow the same exact routine or he cannot sleep. Just as I leave his room he always says "Hey Mom" and then one last comment before I say goodnight again and I love you one last time. He is a voracious reader. He speeds through books sometimes in a matter of a few hours. We got him a book that has six of the "Lord of the Rings" books in one. That has held him for a couple of months and when he is bored of it he will pick up a smaller book that he can read in a day. He is also goofy like his dad and when the mood strikes will break out in dance...accompanied by a silly grin.

Beaux is a senior this year. I can't believe it. He goes to school in La Crosse and so he lives with Jared and Heather during the school year. I miss him and my heart aches with the thought of him being off on his own. He is having a good year. He played football and the team won the State B Championship. It was a very exiting, nail biting game to the very last moment. They also had an undefeated season. He is playing basketball and though the season is not going as well as football it is always fun to watch him play. He is high scorer for most of the games and fouls out of most of them too. That is the curse of the tall guy on the team... their fouls are more visible. Or so I think.


Jesse and I celebrated our 12th anniversary on January 4th. I am still crazy about him and miss him every moment we are apart. Jess stays busy with work, fixing the house and serving in the Bishopric as 2nd Counselor. He feels humbled by this calling, but is learning so much from the men he serves with. He is getting to know the ward well and has a greater appreciation and love for the members. I keep busy doing vinyl projects, house projects and just doing what moms do. I am currently in the nursery at church and love it. It is my favorite calling though sometimes we are forgotten up there and feel disconnected from the adult members. Still there is nothing like sweet little children.
Well, that is it for now. We look forward to this new year that will bring two new additions to the Stoner family (so far).

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Such sweet little girls!


Riley and Emma were upstairs playing in their room. They came downstairs and said that the curtain on their closet looked like someone was breathing behind it. I went upstairs to show them that no one was in their room and told them that it was probably from them walking by it. They were satisfied and went back to playing and I went back downstairs. About half an hour went by when the girls came back down. They announced that they knew what to do if there was a bad guy.

Okay... What?

Emma hopped off the bottom stair while doing a Karate kick and said "I'll kick him in the nuts!"

Riley said "Ya, and I'll break his nose like this." while demonstrating the heel of her hand moving upward to accomplish the feat

Oh my! Bad guys BEWARE!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Who's on first?


Last night for family home evening we discussed paying tithing. The kids clean house for my mom once a week and get paid $5. Emma does not like to part with her money so I anticipated this being a difficult concept for her to grasp. After the explanation Jesse gave using a lot of words and ideas I knew wouldn't sink in with her I took the lead. I talked about where our tithing goes and how it helps others and it helped to make our church building bigger recently. Tangible things I hoped she would understand. Heavenly Father gives us everything and he lets us keep 90% and all he wants is 10%. The kids jumped in with fractions and examples... if you have $10 you pay $1 for tithing. Emma just wanted to know the bottom line, but with so many people talking she just didn't understand.

She kept asking...so I have to give $2 for tithing?

No, when you make $5 you give two quarters.

So...that's not $2?

No, it is coins...50 cents. We go to the bank and give them your $5 and they give us $4 and 4 quarters and that equals your $5 then you give two quarters for tithing and you keep $4.50.

So I have to give them $2?

No, two quarters...50 cents.

Are the two quarters dollar bills?

No, they are coins. Only 50 cents.

Okay, but why does Heavenly Father only want that much when he gives us everything.

Because he loves us.

Okay so we give him $2 dollars, but how do we get it there? Do we just throw it up in the air and he catches it?

Yes, we make little air planes out of the $2 and we throw it as high as we can and the finger of God comes down and catches it.

Who's on first, What's on second, I don't know is on third...

Friday, January 2, 2009



Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!