Hanging with the Stones

Seeking Forgiveness

2011-01-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Poor Milo. On Saturday, he went to the vet to endure what no male ever wants to endure – neutering. Now, on top of the pain from that procedure, he has to sport this plastic cone of humiliation. It makes me sad to see him in this state. I poor out love and attention to ensure that his memory of this event will be erased and he will once again love me despite putting him through this. What a brave boy. Thankfully, all that outpouring of love pay be working. Milo licked my hand only moments ago. Oh it could be because I gave him his favorite treat, but I want to believe it's because he forgives me. Please don't burst my bubble. I'm very vulnerable.

The End of the Holiday Season is Here.

2011-01-06T17:50:00.002-07:00

I spent 3 hours volunteering down at the Bishop's Storehouse, stocking shelves this morning. Sarah came along to help and it was really fun having her there. Then I promptly fell asleep in the chair afterward. Where is my energy going? I think I may have a leak somewhere.

Today is the last of the holiday celebrations for Dave and I. This is the Italian Christmas which is called the Epiphany. This holiday celebrates families as the Good Witch Beatrice brings gifts that celebrate the families ancestry. I have celebrated this holiday since I went to New York to live in the Italian section of the city. I wish I were celebrating it with my brother Scott and his family, but I didn't get the word out in time. Hopefully next year, I'll do things better.

The Epiphany is great fun though. The thing I enjoy most is being able to cook my Great Grandma Saviozzi's lasagna for dinner. Right now, the aroma of lasagna is wafting throughout the house and my mouth is watering. But Stacy, what about your diet? ( I know you're wondering) Well, I have included extra spinach into the mix and less pasta in order to at least stay fairly close to the caloric intake that I can have today. The hard part is going to be trying to keep Dave from eating what is left after I take my single serving out.

I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season and that this new year brings you great joy.
Enjoy your families today and have pasta if at all possible.

Guess Who Came to Dinner?

2011-01-05T13:01:00.002-07:00

At 4:35 yesterday afternoon, Miss Sarah A. touched down at the Salt Lake airport for 4 full days with Dave and I. I can't tell you how happy we are to have her all to ourselves for a few days. It will be so good to have her here and we may even spoil her just a tad bit. We just can't help ourselves.

Sarah lives in northern California near Sacramento with her sister Michelle and her parents Scott and Betty. Since Dave and I have been married this family has been the joy of joys. Dave and I have spent the most time with them and what a great time it has been. Is it because Scott is Italian and so am I? Is it because they make me laugh more than anyone else in the family? Perhaps it's because they are all just as crazy and spontaneous as I am. Whatever the reason, we love the time we spend with them and always look for ways to get together.

I hope we'll be able to give Sarah all that she needs right now. Dave and I want to make sure that this little break-y break will be uber fierce and give her just what she needs to finish up her senior year on a high note. We love you Sarah and are so glad you're here.

LESSON #1: Don't Let Yourself Go.

2011-01-04T06:30:00.002-07:00

This morning at 4:00 am the alarm went off. It is day 2 of our exercise routine. Problem is...... I can't move. The very thought of moving tenses the muscles in my body and causes me pain. I'm surprised I'm not bleeding or in traction on some floor of the local hospital. Could I have been hit by a mac truck while sleeping? Did I tumble and fall off a 20 story building while sleep walking? There has to be some reason for this amount of pain other than a simple workout of stretching. Everything hurts!! Would Zumba have caused me this much discomfort?

I have to laugh at myself. What have I been thinking all these years? I heard the phrase “Use it or Loose it” and I did use it. I've always been a walker. I get out and walk a couple of miles a day and feel good about it. Although it's been a year since I've been at Curves – could I have really lost that much flexibility? The word is YES....

I'm also angry with myself. It seems really unfair that I spent 3 months on chemo therapy, throwing up everything I put in my mouth not to have lost any weight. How cruel is that? I lost my hair, my eye brows, my eye lashes, the hair all over my body actually – but I can't loose any weight? What is up with that? Does God just love me fluffy? I'm not sure what the answer is here, but the anger is propelling me forward in taking control and that is a good thing.

The lesson I have learned this morning as I finally crawl out of bed and struggle to lift my arms above my head to put on my work out shirt....... Don't let yourself go. Don't give in to the excuses. I may be hurting right now, but I won't be hurting like this for long. Soon I'll be working out like the girls on channel 2 news this morning doing the Zumba workout. I'll be smiling and clapping and moving like a gazelle. Energy will be dripping from every pore and I'll be looking all glowy and dewy and I may even loose some weight. For now – I need to go lay down. Tomorrow is another day and I need the heating pad. My parting thoughts are – Good luck to us all!!

New Year - New Beginnings

2011-01-03T07:35:00.001-07:00

Thankfully, 2010 is in the record books. For us, it was a difficult year. You won't find many postings for 2010 on our blog because we were overwhelmed with life. In retrospect, we dealt with only 3 major issues. January found Dave living and working in Phoenix, Arizona at his new job with Integra Telcom which he started in October 2009. By the end of January 2010, I was undergoing chemo therapy and had lost my hair.

By March, Dave was blessed with a transfer from Phoenix to Salt Lake with Integra and I finished my chemo therapy. By May, my hair started to grow back in and by September, I became ill since my immune system was nearly non-existent. In October, I lost my job and found myself worried, upset and depressed.

2010 was not our best year, but we were blessed! We were blessed with help from friends, family and neighbors. I can't begin to tell you how people rallied around us from everywhere. Without the support of so many, we would not have been able to survive the difficulties we faced. I'm now convinced that I can handle anything life throws at me because of the support I have from the people around me. Dave and I learned a lot about each other this year. Those lessons are sure to be a gift of unmeasurable wealth in 2011.

Dave and I look forward to this new year. We are excited about the possibilities and anticipate great things to be achieved in 2011. We quietly sat down on New Years Day and discussed our goals and what we wanted to achieve this year. We came up with 3 goals this year. Since a goal isn't a goal until it's written down and shared, we are posting our goals. We hope this will help us remain focused throughout the year.

Our first goal is a Financial goal. We intend to reduce our debt this year. By the end of 2011, we intend to only have our mortgage and the remainder of one additional loan to pay off. Not only will this help us achieve the freedom that we want from our creditors, but it may show us that I don't need to work. We may be able to be foster parents or finally get the opportunity to adopt a child that we have been wanting to do for so long.

Our second goal is a Physical one. We have committed ourselves to working out 6 days a week and improving our diet. With much research and discussion, we have come up with a diet we feel will help us and an exercise regime that we hope will be varied enough to keep us focused throughout the year. We have not included any weight loss numbers in order to reduce the pressure, but we are certain weight loss will be achieved as we maintain the diet and exercise routine that we have committed to.

Our third goal is a Spiritual one. We have committed ourselves to attending the temple at least once a month and having daily prayer together. To many of you, this goal may sound silly, but it will be a stretch for us. With my cancer treatments in 2010 and my poor immune system, I have spent much of 2010 at home on Sunday's. On top of that, I didn't go visiting teaching once during 2010. 2011 will be a year of rebuilding good habits in the spiritual department. It will be easy for us not to go to church and not to attend the temple and not to magnify our callings. We desperately need to rebuild those good spiritual habits so that we can feel stronger and more balanced.

Happy new year everyone. We hope you are just as excited as we are for this new year and all its possibilities.

Isaac David "Dude Jr Jr" Bori

2010-02-22T19:45:00.002-07:00

My Favorite Flower

2010-01-19T09:40:00.005-07:00

I’ve always had a love for tulips and have often felt that they were my favorite flower. The tulip is so beautiful and full of color. They come into full bloom in April, which is my birth month, and once they are planted, they come back every year without fail. Somehow I’ve always loved that about tulips and perhaps that is why they are so near and dear to my heart.

Recently though, I’ve become obsessed with another flower and for totally different reasons. The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface, moving towards the light. Once it breaks the surface of the water the lotus begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower. I can’t help but see the connection between life in general and this flower. Just as the lotus grows from the mud into an object of great beauty, people also grow and change into something more beautiful.

This last year has brought me through some difficult times. Perhaps I’m so obsessed with this flower because I have gone through so much and I’m coming out of it. I have been at the bottom, in the muddy, yucky, dirty pond and am rising above to a new life. I’m not quite there yet, but I know it’s going to be glorious once I’ve broken that surface.

Manners 101

2010-01-18T11:47:00.002-07:00

I grew up with the adage "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all". I’m not sure if I should thank Thumper and Bambi or my parents for that little gem but I've used these words of wisdom my whole life. They have been a positive influence in my day to day happenings because I hate hurting other people’s feelings. However, it seems that manners have gone by the way side these days. Are they no longer taught? Have we all forgotten what we were taught when we were young?

When I was younger, I thought most people had manners and it was the minority that did not. I still believe that most people say "Please", "Thank you", "Have a Nice Day" and "Excuse me". But there is more to having manners than that. How often do you see gentlemen holding the door for ladies or helping them out of the car? Do you see people in crowded buses or trains giving up their coveted seats to the elderly or the mother carrying a baby or the guy in the cast? When someone trips and falls, is there someone coming over to help them up instead of standing back and laughing? As I think about this, it’s been awhile since I’ve witnessed any of these acts of kindness and good manners. How about you?

What brought this up? Well, it started last week when I was asked if it bothered me that I was getting older and loosing my hair. It was such a strange beginning to a conversation that I was taken by surprise. I answered politely no, and said that there were reasons behind the hair loss and I was hoping to have it return very soon. Unfortunately age happens to all of us and there is no stopping that or turning it around. Plastic surgery is an option for some, but not for me.

Then today, some pictures were seen of me, taken 10 years ago as engagement pictures. I heard "oh, you're so different now. You looked so skinny and happy then". Wow. How did these two people think that was going to sound when they said what they said? Did they think I had lost my eye sight and was unaware that I had lost a lot of hair volume and gained some weight? Was I really that miserable that it needed to be brought to my attention because obviously I must be in some kind of denial? I guess what may be at the root of this is that it bothers me that these two people felt these issues needed to be brought to my attention at all.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to be over this quickly, but I feel I have to say PEOPLE, THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK! Now go out there and make it a better day. I’ll be able to laugh about this later, I’m sure.

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T12:09:00.004-07:00

It seems crazy that the new year is here. Dave and I brought 2010 in over the phone, the only way we could. Was it fun? No, not really. But it was what it was. There was no cold night air, walking around at First Night like we usually do. There was no fireworks or shouting or hugging. No dancing or watching crazy people dance as in years past. No holding hands, no laughing and no hot cocoa to warm you up. Most importantly, there wasn't any kissing, which is always my favorite part.

The new year came, dispite it not being perfect. 2009 was not the perfect year for our little family, but we are bound and determined to make 2010 the best we've ever had. We look forward to the things we will accomplish this year and have set many goals that will help stretch us and help us to grow. There are a lot of changes coming and we hope you will make this journey with us.

Thanks to all our friends and family who have supported and helped us through 2009. We are most grateful and blessed to have had you there through our toughest of times. We will be there for you as well. May we all have a wonderful 2010 is my new year wish. Come back again soon and see what we are up to. Come hang with us a while. We promise you'll laugh and enjoy some good times.

A YEAR LATER

2009-12-03T15:49:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the delay in the posts and on this blog. A lot has happened in the last year and I thought I would do a quick recap since December 2008: Right after the holidays last year, I was laid off from my job at Qwest Communications in Salt Lake City, Utah. A few weeks later I was picked up by a Data Security Company called Security Metrics in Orem, Utah. I love this company and it's people and they took me in and treated me well. I was working for less than half of what I made at Qwest and I continued to look for work that would be more beneficial financially. Stacy continued to work at Wing Enterprises where they make the best ladder the world has ever seen. The day I was laid off, Lalo and his girl came back home as well. We all lived together in our yellow submarine, so to speak! Lalo and Sarah got hitched and moved into a place of their own and then a few short months later spilt and went their separate ways. We were very sad at getting this news. Later on in the year I got picked up at Integra telecom in Phoenix, Arizona. So right now I live in Phoenix and Stacy and the gang are keeping the home fires burning for my return, hopefully around April of 2010. Our freind Lrae moved into the basement of our home and she continues to work and go to school as well. Stacy has had a few issues with her esophagus and we continue to work with her doctors to get it under control and healed up. I miss my family, but we had a great Thanksgiving in Las Vegas and I really look forward to Christmas at home this year. Joshie and Lalo are with their Mom in Augusta, Georgia and are spending the holidays there and will continue to go to school and get their undergraduate degrees at Agusta State University. That's about it. Check out the Bori's blog....that's where I'm at right now.

Dave.

Big Cities According To Dave

2008-12-14T12:01:00.024-07:00

Having posted the blog on no vacation for this year, I started looking back at to some of the places I have been too personally. I have been to some really big cities in my life...Here are some of my favorites:

Sao Paulo, Brazil 1984-1986
Average Population over 10 million.
Endless skyscrapers for miles. For Mega-cities, Sao Paulo is the one of the biggest cities that I have lived and worked in:

Seoul, Korea 1994-1995
Average Population 10.2 Million
Also Endless skyscrapers. For a Mega-City, I think it actually beats Sao Paulo, Brazil in population numbers. Cool city with lots of good...and bad memories.

New York City, New York
Born just north of this city
Again, endless skyscapers-but feels like like home...Gotta love Gotham.
Average Population 8 Million...Get outta here!

Those are the biggest cities I have ever been in...Here are some of my other favorite "Big Cities"..:

Dallas, Texas
Just East of Lubbock and a whole hell of a lot funner.

Honolulu, Hawaii
Just West of Dallas and a lot funner than anywhere in Texas.

New Orleans, Louisiana
Just South East of Dallas, and I can't remember what happened there. Ask Dannelly, he might know something.

Nuremberg, Germany
My home away from home in Europe, along with Frankfurt where PX and Petra live. Great food, great Gluvien, a great place to spent a wintery Christmas.

Osaka, Japan
Dad took me here when I was 7 years old. I have never forgotten Osakajo Castle to this day.

Rio De Janiero, Brazil
Pit stop city on the way home from Sao Paulo. Great beaches with greater sceenery.

Salzburg, Austria
Went here back in 1991. Beautiful city and home to Mozart, one of my favorite composers.

Seattle, Washington
Home of my cousin April and great seafood.

I would add Modesto, California, home to another one of my favorite peeps, but Modesto needs to grow up a little to be added to this blog on big cities...Sorry Scott and Betty!

And to Samantha Brown...

Don't worry Blondie...Stacy and I will catch up to you in the world one of these days........

Ciao...Dave

No Vacation This Year

2008-12-14T11:01:00.021-07:00

Stacy and I have been so busy this year with babies being born (little Faith), kids going back and forth between families (Josh and Lalo), same two kids getting ready for college winter semester, Stacy hurting her arm and both of us working sometimes up to 12 hrs a day...it seems that we are always tired and never have any time for ourselves. That is when we take a long deserved vacation. But not this year! We are on a spending freeze to get all the little annoying things out of the way so that we can start out next year looking better financially. So I thought that since we really didn't have a vacation this year like we normally do, that I would post some cool pics of some of our favorite cities that we have both been to together over the last 8 years....These pics are from a collection of night pics of our favorite cities that we have been to on vacation....Here goes........

Austin, Texas 2002

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 2000

Ensenada, Mexico 2000, 2003, 2006

Las Vegas, Nevada 2000-2007

Los Angeles, California 2000, 2003

Mazatlan, Mexico 2000

Puerta Vallarta, Mexico 2000

San Antonio, Texas

Last but not least...Our home town of Salt Lake City, Utah

Hope you like the pics...we have had a lot of fun on our vacations

ciao...Dave

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-12-14T10:49:00.009-07:00

This is a little late....but better late than never. This year we spent Thanksgiving with Stacy's family. We headed over to Stacy's brothers place, Steve and Belinda, where Belinda poured in on with some great food! We had a great time and after we had a great Thanksgiving dinner we played games until we started to get sleepy.........

If that was not enough...Dave ran over and hung out a little with "his other Mom"...Sara, and his best freind Jim who came down to visit from SLC with his family.......

It was a nice Holiday and we hope that everyone else out there had a great Thanksgiving Holiday as well.

Now to get ready for Christmas.........

Ciao..Dave

OUR BABY'S ALL GROWED UP!!

2008-11-25T08:15:00.008-07:00

When Dave and I got home from our visit with Faith at the hospital, we received a phone call from Georgia. Lalo called to let us know that he proposed to Sarah and she accepted! I’m sure you can imagine how shocked we were to hear that our baby, all 6’4” of him, had decided that it was time for him to become a husband. Although we have not met Sarah, we know she must be something wonderful for Lalo to want to spend the rest of his life with her. We are anxious to meet Sarah and our arms are opened wide. No date has been set yet, but we will keep you posted as we get information. Lalo and Sarah are planning to go to Agusta State to get their associate degrees and then come to Utah for awhile to continue their education. They are talking about getting married in Vegas with all their family and friends surrounding them. Lalo has always loved Vegas and it would be fun for him to be married there. We are so proud of him and Sarah and the plan they have to spend their life together.

UPDATE ON FAITH

2008-11-25T07:55:00.002-07:00

Our little Pollywog is such a trooper. She is weighing in at 1 pound 10 ounces now and she is growing hair like you can’t believe. We watched as mommy gave her a bath last night and the nurses turned her on her tummy for awhile. Although she has a little infection at the moment, we know she is in good hands and she gets a little better every day. After mom and dad left, Dave and I stayed and talked to Faith for awhile. She knows we love her and we are there for her. Faith also knows that we are so proud of her and how much she is growing. Faith is surrounded by people who love her and that’s better than any kind of medicine I can think of.

FUN WITH CHANCE....

2008-11-25T07:51:00.006-07:00

On Saturday, while his mom and dad were at the hospital with his little sister Faith, we got to spend the day with Chance. You can not imagine all that you can do when Chance is with you until you experience the magic.

We picked Chance up at the hospital and set off for adventures unknown. We drove up to Draper to the Ikea store because Dave and I wanted to pick up some glasses. Never in my wildest imagination could I have known how much fun it would be to try out every bed they had in their children’s section. There were animal beds, and beds that looked like they should be in Whoville. Some had netting on them like princess beds and some had tents over them. There were bunk beds and day beds and captain beds and chairs that made into beds. There were red beds and blue beds and beds with really bright covers on them. Who needs a playground when you have a room full of this? I don’t think Chance had a bigger smile on his face.

We found an alligator that we just had to have and a tent that was perfect for even more adventures and perhaps a hiding place where Chance could be alone. But that wasn’t the end of all the fun. When you exit Ikea, you pass through rows upon rows of stocked shelves where you pick up your treasures as you make your way to the check out stands. To a boy like Chance and his uncle Dave – it’s the perfect place to play “hide and seek”. People stopped and watched this 6’6” man, running down isles, searching for a place to hide from this little boy and when Chance would catch him, off Chance would go to find some tiny little spot to make his escape from all who were searching for him. At one point, I couldn’t even find him where I thought he had gone. Chance had actually wiggled his way further up the isle behind boxes and through empty spaces he had found. It was magic!

On our way home, we cheered on BYU in their game against UofU, but it wasn’t meant to be for BYU. It didn’t stop us from cheering on our team though. We got home and had corn dogs with Chance because he loves them and we settled in to watch “Kung Fu Panda”. We laughed and thought it was the greatest thing. Then Chance had to show us his Kung Fu and Dave had to let the poodies show us their Puppy Fu. Our imaginations were on overload.

Finally after 10:00, we set up the tent at the foot of our bed and filled it with blankets and pillows and Chance settled in to sleep with Molly and Milo at his side. Our little adventurer needed some rest and we did too. It is time for sweet dreams of pirate ships and cars, animals and flying. How lucky we have been to have this day with Chance.

GETTING READY FOR THANKSGIVING

2008-11-25T07:47:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning, we got up and took the puppies to Rub-A-Dub Doggie in Provo. They needed sprucing up for the holiday when family and friends where going to be around. It was time to cut off their long locks of tangled-ness and remember how cute they can be with short hair. Although it took 5 hours for them to get done, it was worth it. Look at how nice they look now!! Aren’t they precious? And they smell good too!!

MILO IS A BAD POODIE

2008-11-20T08:16:00.021-07:00

My name is Molly and everything that Milo says is a lie! I am smarter and faster and prettier than Milo. I am a Principeza. I even got the best scores in poodie training with Daddy.

Milo is wierd and does strange things, like when he tried to radio Moscow from Mommies bedroom...weird...

Milo is also a bully and likes to pick on other Poodies, here he is trying to pick a fight with my new friend Cuba...

Milo is so dumb that he got locked in the bathroom all day yesterday and Mommie had to rescue him. I could have let him out but I don't have any thumbs.

I like to lick and jump on Mommie, she's my favorite. Daddie is okay and he likes to play rough with me...but Mommie is my favorite.

THE ADVENTURES OF MOLLY AND MILO!

2008-11-19T14:44:00.012-07:00

Although Molly is listed here, it’s really the adventures of me, I’m Milo. My full name is Milo Gunther and I’m the oldest. Molly just tags along with everything I do and I get really irritated with her. See her in the background of my picture. She looks funny. She’s always trying to run in front of me. I don’t stop though, I just run right over her. She gets all the credit for everything because she is smaller and she’s a girl. To tell you the truth, she has weird ears. Have you seen them? One sticks up really weird like and it looks silly.

Molly is fun to hang out with though when mom and dad aren’t around. It gives me something to play with. Sometimes I have to let her win just so she feels better about herself. It’s a good thing really. I wouldn’t want her to feel bad about herself and get depressed and stuff.

Barking is my favorite. It makes my feet go off the ground, like I’m jumping, but I’m not. It’s really cool. I bark at all kinds of things. Dad gives me treats when I bark. Dad even promoted me to Sergeant cuz I'm a good listener. I listen really hard and if I hear anything, I BARK. It’s because it’s my job. I get to take care of Mommy and keep her safe. I bark to let her know that there is something or someone coming that I’m not sure about and I want her and Daddy to know about it and be ready. Molly tries to copy me all the time. If I start barking, she does too. Why can’t I be the only barker? I bark louder than her and stuff. Molly is only a Private. She never did get more training cuz she's dumb. Sometimes I want to bite her.

2008-11-18T10:37:00.005-07:00

It's been a great day. I went on line and found a few pictures that I've been looking for. Dave and I have been asking Lalo for a picture of him and Sarah, but never got one until now. Sorry - drastic times call for drastic measures.

I also thought it was a good idea for you all to meet Dallas. I've known Dallas since he was in Jr. High. His mother was a good friend of my niece Shelley's and then before we knew it, Dallas became friends with Lalo and Josh. Now we are a happy, extended family. As stated before, Dallas is staying with us. We are proud of him and all he's accomplished and we look forward to what he's going to do in his future. I hope he realizes how much joy he brings into the house.

We spent the evening last night with Dave's family at Golden Coral. I can't remember the last time we all got together for dinner. It was very nice. It's always a good thing when family gets together. Bobbie and Gary got us caught up on Pollywog's progress. She had some tummy time today and Bobbie says she loves it! Again, she was very active and she is doing great.

Another successful day! I love those kind.

Day With Dave At Work

2008-11-16T09:05:00.002-07:00

I spent the day with Dave up at work. Once a month, he has to work a weekend and this was his weekend to work. Because we have had so much going on in our little family, it’s been difficult to spend time together. I have to say, I had fun. I downloaded pictures and got things posted on the blog while Dave worked. We had lunch together, which is such an oddity and our dear friend Ron took us over to the French Bakery for a treat. They had everything there…. Cheese cake, baklava, tiramisu, croissants, bread pudding, tartlets….. Everything our diet rich bodies aren’t supposed to have.

We stopped off at the American Fork Cinimark and saw ”Quantum of Solace” and then headed over to the hospital to visit with our little Pollywog. Her mom and dad were there along with her Grandma and Grandpa Dickey and Aunt Jeanie. Dave and I stayed for a few hours and enjoyed talking with the nurses, Gary and Bobbie and of course, seeing Faith. Dave and I sang to her our little Honey Bunny song and took more pictures. We were able to see her feet and hands so much better today and she was so active. The nurses had even removed her little tooks so we could see her head and all her features. While we were there, her Daddy was able to change her oh so tiny diaper (I didn’t know you could make them that small.) and he was able to help weigh her and change her bedding, while mom was off pumping for Faith’s dinner. It was amazing to see how much the parents can be involved with their tiny baby’s care. How wonderful it must be for them to have that ability when it’s so difficult for them to go home each day and leave their precious one at the hospital. Faith weighted in at 1lb 6oz tonight, but she’s a tough cookie. I’m sure she will be gaining weight soon. I hope that you will be able to see how tiny she is now that we have hands in the pictures. Thank goodness Mom and Dad can touch her and have that connection with her.

Scott and Elise's Wedding Day

2008-11-16T08:38:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post pictures of Elise and Scott’s wedding. It took place at a bed and breakfast in Lindon, UT on September 12th. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon and the grounds were spectacular.

Elise was escorted by her Father, down from the balcony, onto the lawn where family and close friends gathered to watch the event.

Scott and Elise were married just inside the gazebo which was simply beautiful. She wore a beautiful gown and carried a deep red flower bouquet. The fall colors were beautiful. Her bridesmaids were in black skirts with deep maroon tops and her flower girl was in a very lovely maroon dress. She was very careful to only drop one petal at a time down the isle which made all watching, fall in love with this little dark, haired angle. I believe her name was Autumn and she is Scott’s niece. She was as darling as could be. I wish I had a picture of her.

Shana, Elise’s mom, was telling me that they were hoping that the ivy that was so propionate on the gazebo would have turned colors by the time of the wedding, but alas, not everything goes according to plans sometimes.

After the ceremony, pictures were taken and we went up to the main building and waited for the reception to begin. There were finger sandwiches, cookies, juice, relish trays and all kinds of things to fill our tummies along with people to talk to and friends to catch up with. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

My niece Candice and I talked for quite awhile as we waited for people to start arriving.

Here is the first of the grandparents. My Dad, George Robinson.

Steve and Linda Clark are pictured here. These are Shana’s parents, the other grandparents.

Here are the parents of the bride – Scott and Shana Robinson.

And we can’t forget the parents of the groom with Scott and Elise.

This is Elise and Scott’s wedding cake. It really is beautiful.

And here are other members of the family. Sam, Brianna, Micheal and his wife Shanell and one of my favorite shots of me and my brother Scott.

Faith Ana-Marie Stone

2008-11-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of the Stone family. Faith was born on November 12, 2008. Her parents are Gary and Bobbie Stone and her older brother is Chance. Faith, who Dave and I affectionately call Pollywog, was so excited about getting here that she came a bit early. She was only 24 weeks along when she decided she couldn’t wait any longer. Pollywog’s Mom, Bobbie, tried very hard to keep her inside, but Faith seems to have a mind of her own. She was born at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah and currently resides in the NIC (newborn intensive care) unit at the hospital and will remain there until probably the end of February or the first part of March when she was actually supposed to arrive.

Pollywog has many fine nurses and physicians taking care of her during the day and we get to catch up with her after we get off work and see how she’s doing. She is our little miracle girl and we are so proud of how well she is doing. She’s a fighter and she has captured our thoughts and hearts.

2008-11-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Our Nephew Chance came by on the 12th of November and told us he wanted to cook us some pancakes....so we let him. They turned out great!!! Then he said he wanted to "hang with the fellas" (Dave was doing a church food drive and service project)..so he went with Dave and "hung with the fellas"....It's always fun when "Spike" comes and makes ya breakfast.

TOXICKIKI UPDATE # 1

2008-11-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Dave and I have been terrible at keeping things up to date. A lot has happened since our last entry when Elise and Scott got engaged. We hope to fill you in quickly and then stay on top of things better.

Josh returned home to go to school. He’s been doing all he can to be ready for winter semester at Utah Valley University. I can hardly believe all the tests, all the forms and all the time it takes to get this going for him. Josh is on top of things though and that’s a blessing. We wish he would get a job while he waits for, school to start, but now that the new expansion pack has come out for World of Warcraft, WOW is his priority. Before you know it, he’ll be leveled up and ready for school to start.

Dallas moved in with us. He is waiting to get into UVU also, but it’s so nice to have him here. The two boys keep busy with Beto runs, movies and girls. They’ve been going to clubs, hanging out with friends and keeping the basement properly messed up. Come on now – you know single men….. There’s not a clean spot to be found.

Dallas just got a job at American Eagle in the local mall. He’s working hard and making the bucks necessary to keep him in the lifestyle he enjoys. Maybe his example will rub off on Josh. I know I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Lalo is still in Georgia. We miss him, but he’s thankfully with his Mom and Alan. Lalo had a job at a fast food place, but it drove him crazy. Now he’s getting ready for college himself. The paperwork is getting done for Augusta State now that he got his GED out of the way. We’re so proud of him. He has stuck to his plan of getting the GED done and now he’s moving on. Dave and I hope that Augusta State will be good for him.

Sara is a wonderful part of Lalo’s life. She has been making him happy for a while now and we are thrilled with that. We wish that we could meet her, but that will come in time. The two of them will be going to school together and possibly moving in with a friend of Lalo’s who is stationed at Fort Gordon. We love them both and hope for the best.

Elise is Engaged

2008-07-01T15:04:00.001-06:00

Elise got engaged to Scott last week. We had a wonderful visit with them last night and they shared some of their plans with us. They plan to wed on September 10th and they are looking for a venue. They will have a reception following their wedding and then they will have a second reception in Salt Lake on the 11th. We are very excited about the wedding. We think Scott is wonderful and we know he will take good care of our precious girl. Dave didnt' even recognise who Elise was when she came to the door. How sad is that?
Congratulations you two. Know that we support you and will do whatever we can to help you as you begin your new life together!!

ELISE IS ENGAGED!!

2008-06-26T10:12:00.001-06:00

I don't have all the details yet, but my niece Elise got engaged last night. As soon as I get all the information, I'll post it so everyone can celebrate along with her. Scott and Shanna may have a BBQ to celebrate on July 5th. We're very happy about the news! Weddings are our favorite. Congratulations Elise and Scott!!

Childhood Memories........

2008-06-24T12:02:00.000-06:00

Island girl Cassi had an interesting blog on childhood memories and requested that her friends either post theirs on her comment block or post their own on their personal blogs...so here is mine-Dave

I have a lot of memories as a child, and like Cassi's, mine are located on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The first thing that comes to mind is Haunama Bay. Haunama bay is one of the sweetest spots to learn to snorkel and scuba. The water is crystal clear and calm. The natural reef breaks up the waves and makes this an ideal spot.

Let's not forget the "Toilet Bowl" also located at Haunama Bay...This is a bowl that has a underground tube where it allows water from the ocean to fill it up and down...hence the name..

My next memory comes in the form of a evil-fighting cyborg wreaking machine call Kikaida! I'm sure everyone has heard of "The Mighty Morphing Power Rangers"...but they got nothing on Jiro and his ability to totally drain entire power stations and totaly kick the crap out of evil beings trying to take over the planet!...

That brings me to the reason why I loved this kids show...Haole Day....or the day you stay home from school cause the locals will pound you. So I would skip school and watch Kikaida at another "haole's" house and brush up on my karate moves, so as to be able to save myself from the bus stop ambush that would be waiting for me the next day. Then I saw this program of this amazing guy that could crush you with his thumb....

This guy could move so fast that I actually thought he could destroy Kikaida in 2 moves...and he probably could. His name was Ed Parker, a native Hawaiian who passed away in 1990. He developed a martial art called American Kenpo Karate. I was so impressed as a child that later as an adult, when I had the opportunity to take this martial art, I started learning it at a rapid pace. In a year and a half I had attained the ranking of Green Belt. I still have to get my Black Belt, and it remains as one of my personal goals. Here is Ed Parker in action as well as some other Kenpo pics:

Let's not forget SPAM

And Reeses Peanut Butter Cups...sometimes eaten at the same time!

And OP Board Shorts, a tank top and flip-flops, standard everyday wear, sometimes even to church!

Trips to Waikiki and North Shore.....

And the world famous PPC (Polynesian Cultural Center)

And we can't forget the Hawaiian Ice!

I also have memories of other trips we took to Pali pass, Kaui, the Big Island...but the best memories were with Dad at Haunama, our favorite weekend hangout...

So many more memories, but these are the ones that really stick out for me. I 'll repost some more Hawaii pics as soon as I can get Dad to reprint them from his 5,000 slides that he has horded away in his basement somewhere...Mahalo for dropping by, and Aloha!

Shaka!

Dave

Poodies and the Salt Flats

2008-06-24T08:50:00.002-06:00

Here is a few more pics of Dave and the Poodies on the Salt Flats at Bonneville Flats where they do Speed Week and all the speed records. This pic was taken on Memorial Day 2008.

Mollys Graduation From Basic Training

2008-06-24T08:50:00.001-06:00

Molly Graduated from her Basic Training, Or Puppy Basic as they call it in May 2008. She did very well and made top marks. She expressed her distain for two of her classmates, a border collie that loved to show off how freaking cool and talented she was and a bully German Shepard that almost bit her face off the day of graduation. As you can see in these photos, she was a little stressed out and wanted Daddy to hold her until she got home. She then promptely told her brother Milo about the two other dogs. Milo said he would take care of business for her, cause you see, Milo is scared of nothing. Milo actually took on a Great Dane in his Intermediate class....and probably would have won!

Here is a pics of Milo after finding out that Molly was being picked on by others...Fearless!

KEVIN AND AMBER DAY-O-FUN!

2008-06-23T21:38:00.000-06:00

Kevin, Amber, Ava and Eric come over to spend the day this last weekend! Yea for us! We had a great time making sushi and fondue, watching Tom and Jerry with Ava, going to the park with the Poodies and watching Mary Poppins. It's always fun when we find the time to get together. Kevin and Amber both work at Qwest communictions with Dave and it's been fun watching their little family grow. Stacy and I are blessed to have some great people in our lives.

This is little Eric, He's sleeping. He was practicing his Kung Fu with Uncle Dave and got a little worn out. You should see the bruises on Uncle Dave!

Dave Stone-July 1964

2008-06-20T08:56:00.000-06:00

Okay...Okay...My OIC (Officer in Command)...Or as others know her...Stacy...gave me a direct order to post the "Original baby pic" from 1964. So here is is without the additional accoutrements that I added to the other one...(IE the sunglasses). Here is David James Stone, Born July 31, 1964 at Physicians Hospital in Plattsburg, New York. Solid looking 10 pound baby boy...Strapping!

I'm surprised he didn't try to add a goatee to the picture as well as the sunglasses. This picture is better. All Natural! Just the way I like it!! (Stacy's thoughts)

Cool Bald Babies!

2008-06-19T09:08:00.000-06:00

My Dad found this picture. It's 43 years old. Pretty cool looking kid in my opinion. The kid looks confident and has the whole world in front of him. There's a possibility that this kid will be a soldier, willing to give it all for God and Country. There's also a possibility that this kid will have kids of his own, a beautiful wife, a nice home and a great corporate job somewhere. There is also the possibility that this kid will have some cool friends to hang out with for many years. There is also the possibility that this kid will grow up and hang out with Ozzy Osbourne.......Oh yeah, that kid is me......

And those cool friends?...Here they are hanging out with that cool little kid in Vegas at a Bowl Game...Go Cougs!

Celebrating Father's Day with our Dad's

2008-06-14T19:14:00.000-06:00

It's been such a busy day, I don't know where to begin. We got up at 9:00 am and took Dave's Dad John out for breakfast. Ihop is always a good idea - especially for a Stone. I broke my diet by eating carrot cake pancakes, but what the heck - we were celebrating Father's Day. Terina (Dave's sister) joined us and we had a great time.

After breakfast, we went over to Dad's house and spent the next 4 hours hooking up a printer/scanner/copier for Dad and teaching him how to use it. We left there at 3:10 and scrambled to meet up with Stacy's Dad, George, at Macaroni Grill for dinner. When the Robinson's get together, there is always laughter and a lot of food. Belinda and Steve joined in the fun and we had a great time. Dave and I aren't sure if Dad enjoyed his gift, but we sure hope so. We hope you enjoy the pictures from the day.

THE POODIES

2008-06-13T22:11:00.000-06:00

Let us introduce you to "The Poodies". This is Milo Gunther and Molly Gretchen...our tiny dancers who are two spoiled rotten Mini-Schnauzers. Milo has been promoted to Sergeant after completing his Intermediate training at Pet-Smart. He is smart as a whip and always getting into trouble. Molly has recently been promoted to Private after completing Basic Training. She is mischievous and can often be found chewing on shoes. They enjoy being outside. It's their favorite, along with barking, begging for foods they shouldn't eat and chasing one another around the house. We love our Poodies. They make us laugh quite a bit and they bring us a lot of joy!