Jordyn's Birthday (The Princess Turns 5)

Jordyn had her birthday on January 28 and turned 5 years old. It's hard to believe that my little bonus baby is five!! We all remember the day she entered the world like it was yesterday. Jordyn is a little spitfire and isn't shy about sharing her opinions. She perfectly embodies the childrens poem about the little girl with the curl, but we all love her and she has everyone wrapped around her little finger. She brings something to our family that could never be replaced, something we never knew we needed until she came along.


Because of work schedules and such, Jordyn got to celebrate for two days! I think the best part of making her cake was when Dennis asked me if I made it or bought it, and then Jenn asked how I got Macey's to make a Littlest Pet Shop Cake. Thanks Mom for teaching me to decorate cakes! The whole family was here, including the cousins. It wouldn't be a birthday without them!

















The next day, we went to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch, Build-A-Bear, and Toys R Us. Jordyn loves making a stuffed animal for her birthday. Little did I realize the annual tradition I was creating the first time I took her there for her birthday!! She chose to get more Littlest Pet Shop toys with her birthday money from Grandpa. That is her current favorite thing.


While we were at Chuck E Cheese, Jordyn got to see Chuck E, and played games until she was tired and asked to leave. Can you believe it?

The biggest problem we face now is waiting until fall so she can start kindergarten. She doesn't quite understand why she can't go to school now that she's 5, but I think I'll miss her next year.

Happy Birthday, We Love you Jordyn!!!

Jennifer & Adam's Big Day!!

When Jennifer was 15 she attended our stake youth conference, which was a pioneer trek. In her "family" she met the man of her dreams. He was tall and had amazing blue eyes. She was smitten immediately, him, not so much. Fast forward a few years, Adam had returned from his mission to Spain and Jenn had just graduated from high school. She was living in Provo, attending BYU, and went to another friends mission homecoming. Well, Adam didn't even recognize Jenn, and she didn't want to embarass him, so they didn't speak. Next thing we knew, they were together pretty much all the time.

After they'd been dating for over a year, it was pretty much a forgone conclusion that they would be getting married, it was just a question of when. They kept talking about May, after school was out for the summer, so that was what we all had in our heads. Then, in October, Jenn asked me what we would think about them getting married in January. Are you kidding me?? Three months to plan a wedding with the holidays right in the middle of that? Ok, I'm wonder woman, we can do this.

Jenn and Adam were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on January 15. As we were driving to Salt Lake that morning, the sky was really hazy and overcast with lots of fog. It was so cold that the trees were covered in frost. We went inside and I helped Jenn get ready, then we went outside for pictures before the ceremony. It was still freezing but the sky had cleared some, and the sun was starting to peek out.


They took pictures until it was time to go back inside and get ready. The temple workers took us all up to the sealing room to wait for the bride and groom. While we were sitting there, I kept hoping that I would somehow know that my mom was there. The sealer was quite elderly, and because of some things he said, like calling Adam Brother Angie, it was pretty hard to feel anything spiritual. However, as they knelt at the alter to exchange their vows, I had such a strong feeling that my mom was sitting right next to me. I felt that if I had turned my head I would see her. I am so grateful that I was allowed to know she was there with us on that special day.

After the sealing ceremony, we went outside to join the others and wait for the presentation of Mr. & Mrs. Ainge and more pictures. Jennifer's bridesmaides were Jayme, Ashley Kay and McKell Miner. Adam's groomsmen were Weston Ainge, Clay Bingham and Jared Oldham. By the time they were finished with pictures, we barely had time to rush home for the reception.

Their reception was held at our church building. I had wonderful friends who helped with the food, and we had hired decorators. That was money well spent!! The hall was beautiful, and everything went perfectly, it was such a wonderful day. You could just see the joy on Jenn and Adam's faces, they were so, so happy, and we are happy for them.

I often thought how hard it would be to see my daughter get married and not be my little girl anymore. I wondered how we could ever accept someone into our family and love him like a son. How could we grow to love him the way our daughter did, and trust him to take care of her? Well, I guess this one was meant to be, because it was much easier than I ever thought it would be. Adam has truly become part of our family, and it was completely natural for them to get married. I still have flashes of not wanting to let go, but it's getting easier each day. When I see how happy they are and how good they are together, I know it's a good thing. I really have learned to love Adam as part of our family, and I'm glad to have him in it.

Ammon's Birthday

Ammon's 14th birthday was December 27, and as usual, it kind of gets mixed in with all of the holiday celebrating. It's kind of a bummer for Ammon and I feel bad about that, but with it being right after Christmas, no one really wants birthday cake.

Ammon is a great kid and we love him. He is sweet and kind to his little sister, Jordyn, and a big tease to everyone else. Especially his little brother, Matthew. He is kind of like an overgrown puppy dog. Sometimes it's hard to remember he's still only 14.

Happy Birthday Ammon, I love you!!

Christmas 2009

Last year I posted about dreading Christmas and hating it. This year I have made a real effort to be positive and relaxed and enjoy the holiday. I am happy to report success!! We had a great holiday with everyone home, and I managed to keep sane and smiling.

On Christmas eve, the kids all sleep in the same room together. They started doing this when there were only the 3 oldest. The girls were already in the same room, and Michael wanted to be with them. It has become one of their favorite traditions. I'm not quite sure how it will work next year after Jennifer is married. Adam isn't quite sold on the idea yet. Here they are sliding a mattress to the basement for the big sleepover.



When Jayme was no older than 1 or 2, we got a pop-up book of "The Night Before Christmas" That first year, Dennis read it to Jayme every night for several weeks before Christmas. She actually had it memorized and "read" along with him. The book has survived and so has the tradition of Dennis reading the book on Christmas eve. This was after we had our nice dinner with Dad and Scott and having Dad read from the Bible.


Several years ago, the kids were all posing in their new pj's and taking pictures. This pose quickly became their favorite, and they re-enact it every year. Again, not too sure how it will go next year...


When the kids were little, they always got matching Christmasy pajamas. As they've gotten older, their jammie requests have changed to sweats, shorts, t-shirts, etc. I guess that's ok, but the pictures aren't nearly as cute.


Christmas day was spent basically just hanging out, playing with toys and eating. Oh yeah, and napping was pretty high on the list too. I'm so glad we made the switch from Christmas dinner to Christmas Eve dinner. It has made Christmas day so much more relaxing and enjoyable. This year was the last Christmas we will have all of our children living at home for the holiday. Jenn will be getting married in two weeks, and next year Michael will likely be on his mission. Our family is growing and changing, and I'm not sure I like it. I know change is inevitable, and I love to see the kids maturing and becoming adults, but I don't do change well. It's sure a mixed bag of emotions.

This is Sunday after Christmas. We didn't do Christmas dresses this year, so I caught the kids off guard, but I still think they look great!!

Michael's Senior Football Season

From the very first moment Michael knew how to play, football has been his absolute favorite sport. He absolutely loves to play football. Michael has never been the biggest kid on the field or the fastest kid on the field, but he has the most desire and determination. He is in the weight room every single morning, working hard to get stronger and bigger. Michael has never gotten any breaks for favors from anyone. He has worked his butt off for everything that he has ever gotten.

He decided a long time ago that he much preferred playing defense. He said it was much better to hit someone else than to get hit. Michael was a varsity starter at strong side linebacker this year. It didn't take the other teams long to figure out that they needed to stay away from #12, but that didn't stop Michael. He ended up leading the team in tackles, was 2nd in region and 18th in state (4A) with 75 tackles, 3 sacks, and one interception. They don't keep track of tackles for loss or hurries, but Michael was in the backfield nearly every time.

We had a couple of scary weeks though. Michael had been complaining of his shoulder hurting, and one week after the game, he was sobbing. He couldn't lift his arm. He was so afraid that he wouldn't be able to finish the season. We got him some good physical therapy, and he healed remarkably well. He didn't miss a single game.

I am so proud of Michael and the great leader and young man that he is. It was sad to see the season end for him. It was a shoulda, coulda, woulda year for his team. They should have beaten Sprinville and gotten 1st in region, then they could have been in the other half of the bracket for state play-offs, and they would have played in the state final at Rice Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah. Oh well. They still had a great season, took second in region, and were eliminated by the 4 time state championship team in the state quarterfinals. Not too shabby.






This picture shows Michael and Travis Still helping the kid up that they just sacked. Great job boys!
Here are his stats from the Deseret News.

Michael Stone

Spanish Fork

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190 lbs.

• Football

• Defense

2009 – Spanish Fork – Pos:RB/LB – #12	Tackles		Sacks	Interceptions
Nov. 6, 2009 – at Timpview	10
Oct. 30, 2009 – Pine View	8		1
Oct. 22, 2009 – at Maple Mountain	13		1
Oct. 14, 2009 – at Uintah	2
Oct. 9, 2009 – Springville	4
Oct. 2, 2009 – Payson	12
Sept. 25, 2009 – at Salem Hills	4		1
Sept. 11, 2009 – Box Elder	9
Sept. 4, 2009 – Orem	3
Aug. 28, 2009 – at Bountiful	5
Aug. 21, 2009 – Mountain View	5			1
	Tackles	TPG	Sacks	Interceptions
2009 Total (11 games)	75	6.8	3	1
	Tackles	TPG	Sacks	Interceptions
Career Total (11 games)	75	6.8	3	1

Record: 8-3

Date	Game	Time/result
Fri. Aug. 21, 2009	Spanish Fork 49, Mountain View 28 Final	W
Fri. Aug. 28, 2009	Bountiful 34, Spanish Fork 7 Final	L
Fri. Sept. 4, 2009	Spanish Fork 49, Orem 14 Final	W
Fri. Sept. 11, 2009	Spanish Fork 48, Box Elder 14 Final	W
Fri. Sept. 25, 2009	Spanish Fork 61, Salem Hills 34 Final	W
Fri. Oct. 2, 2009	Spanish Fork 47, Payson 31 Final	W
Fri. Oct. 9, 2009	Springville 33, Spanish Fork 27 Final	L
Wed. Oct. 14, 2009	Spanish Fork 42, Uintah 7 Final	W
Thu. Oct. 22, 2009	Spanish Fork 56, Maple Mountain 12 Final	W
Fri. Oct. 30, 2009	4A FIRST ROUND Spanish Fork 33, Pine View 25 Final	W
Fri. Nov. 6, 2009	4A QUARTERFINAL Timpview 57, Spanish Fork 22 Final	L

Stone Family Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

It's that time of year when we sit down to review the past year's activities, and share Christmas wishes with those we love. It's been a good year for the Stone family. Busy as usual, but good. Our family is at a point where there is constant change, and we just enjoy each day as it comes, because we don't know what will happen next. As the children grow up and move on with their lives, it is a bittersweet joy. We are happy for them, and love to see the people they are becoming, but it is hard as parents to let go of our babies.

Beth took her dad and the kids to Disneyland in March. It was a great week filled with fun! We were able to enjoy the parks without crowds, visit with friends and family, and eat LOTS of In 'N Out. Dennis also took the week off (sort of) and enjoyed peace and quiet at home. In June, Dennis, Beth, her dad and brother were able to take a cruise to Alaska. It was breathtaking! We couldn't have had better weather, and we were able to see lots of beautiful scenery and wildlife. We also took a couple of shorter trips to Zion National Park and Arches National Park.

Jayme is studying dance and English (Integrated Studies) at UVU. She moved out in August (again!) to an apartment in Provo. She works as a server at Cracker Barrel most nights and weekends, so she stays pretty busy. She is choreographer for the junior high musical production for the second year. She loves dance and she loves teaching so it's a match made in heaven!

Jennifer is living in Provo and attending BYU where she plans to apply to the Business school this year. She is working at Pinnacle Security as an auditor. She will be marrying her sweetheart, Adam Ainge, on January 15 in the Salt Lake Temple. They will be living in our 3-plex in Provo. We are excited for them, and already love having Adam as part of our family. He is attending UVU and majoring in chemical engineering. If you want to read more of their story, visit their blog: www.jennandadamainge.blogspot.com

Michael is a senior this year and will graduate in May. He was very involved on his football team and led the team in tackles this year. His team placed second in region and were eliminated in the state quarterfinals. He has been busy filling out college applications so he will have things in place when he gets home from his mission. He is serving as 1st assistant to the Bishop in our ward, and is preparing to serve a full-time mission next year.

Ammon is 13 going on 17 and loves life. He played football and is now in the middle of wrestling. This year he placed first in the state jr high tournament and is hoping for a repeat next year. He also ran track this year, but it was much more social than athletic for him. Ammon loves to play and hang out with his friends, it's hard to keep track of him sometimes!!

Matthew is 11 and in the 5th grade. He played soccer in both the spring and fall seasons and is getting ready for basketball. This year will be interesting because his coaches are Dennis and Adam. He also started piano this fall and has shown a real talent for it. He has done well, and likes it alot!

Jordyn is 4. She loves her big brothers and sisters and can't wait to go to school next fall. Neither can her mom! She is dancing like her sisters, and she loves going to storytime at the library.

Dennis is still in house counsel for Liberty Press and Digital Technology in Springville. He is serving as a youth Sunday School teacher at church. He goes running and bike riding as often as he can, which isn't much because we keep him pretty busy. He is also working on finishing the basement in our house as well as constantly maintaining rental properties and all of our cars.

Beth is at home with the kids, which is a huge blessing. She keeps busy with the children's activities, and now she has a wedding to occupy her time!

We hope that you are all doing well, and would love to see you whenever possible. May we all take time this Christmas season to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday which is our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the blessings we have in our lives because of Him.

We love you!!
The Stone Family
Dennis, Beth,
Jayme, Jennifer, Michael, Ammon, Matthew and Jordyn

Jayme, beautiful as always

Jennifer & Adam

Michael, all dressed up for prom. Isn't he cute?

Matthew playing great defense for his basketball team.

Jordyn, ready for her dance recital.

Beth, Michael, Jordyn, Jayme, Ammon, Jenn, Matthew and Grandpa J. at California Adventures.

Jenn, Jayme, Jordyn, Matt, Michael & Ammon with Chip or is it Dale?

Beth, Matt and Dennis in Moab

Matthew playing soccer

Michael (#12) making a great tackle

Ammon (#20), carrying the ball

My 3 beautiful girls at Zion National Park, hiking the Narrows

Scott, Dennis, Beth and Dad in Alaska

Ammon winning 1st place at the state wrestling tournament

Catching Up and Catching My Breath

Ok, my kids (Jayme) have informed me that I am woefully slackerish in my blogging and terribly behind. So, here we go with a brief re-cap of everything I've neglected:

Jayme's Birthday -- Jayme turned 22 on August 18. Jayme is a great daughter and a wonderful big sister. She's a great example to her brothers and sisters, and we love her alot!

The Girls Move Out -- At the end of August, both Jayme and Jenn moved into apartments in Provo. It was a little difficult having them both leave at the same time. They've both been gone before, but never at the same time. The house felt a little empty for a while. It's a weird feeling knowing that your children are adults and moving on with their lives without you. It's an exciting time for them, but a bit melancholy for me. All I can do now is hope I taught them well enough.

Jenn and Adam Get Engaged -- While we were in Moab for Fall Break (see previous post), hiking to Delicate Arch, in the dark, coughing up a lung, I got a text from Jenn asking what we'd think if they moved the wedding from May to January. Are you kidding me?!? Obviously not. Jenn and Adam are getting married January 15 in the Salt Lake Temple. We are furiously trying to get wedding plans done so that I can move on to Christmas plans...

Wedding Anniversary -- Last Monday was our 24th wedding anniversary. Little did we know when planning our wedding what a busy time November is. We rarely have time to do anything, and this year was no exception. How lucky I am to have a wonderful man that has put up with me for so long!!

Matthew's 1st Piano Recital -- I admit it, I am a total loser mom. I waited until my child was 11 years old before starting him in piano. What a slacker!! Matthew started the first week of September and had his first recital last week. He is taking from Marilyn Morgan, and he loves it!! He's done really well, and taken to it like a natural. Hooray for Matthew!!