Barnes and Noble Performance

Jacob, Ryan and their good sport dad performed on their guitars at Barnes and Noble on Saturday. I wish I had known what was going to happen because Jacob had written a whole routine and I missed recording most of it. I guess, maybe, I should let them out of the bedroom when they are practicing, but I just don't think I can handle the noise! Jacob introduced each of them (He was the lead guitarist, of course!) and then started in on challenging Kelly to play different scales on his guitar. Here is what I did record:

Ryan loves to play his bongos. He hasn't quite gotten the idea of a steady beat down, but that doesn't stop him from playing his little heart out! Even though he gets nervous, Ryan told me that the key to performing in front of an audience is to just keep your head down and pretend like no one is watching. I am so impressed that both Jacob and Ryan will perform in front of an audience, I could NEVER do that!

Ryan had a bongo solo in this song (notice their hair- they did their own hair "rocker" style for the performance!):

Laynie is 18 months old!

Laynie's newest talent, winking!

Laynie is 18 months old. She now weighs 21 pounds, a big accomplishment for her considering her diet consists mostly of milk and Goldfish crackers! The most exciting part about Laynie turning 18 months old is that she can now go to the Nursery while we are at church. And, she has gone to Nursery two weeks in a row! I asked one of the Nursery Leaders how she was doing and he said she is fine as long as someone gives her a little attention. Oh really? Welcome to our life! Laynie follows me around with her step stool in hand so that she doesn't have to miss a moment of what I am up to. Cooking, teaching preschool, reading a book, or helping with homework, she is right there! She is a really smart, funny girl and we love having her in our home.

A Snow Day and A Karaoke Queen

Last week we had our first official snow day! On Thursday school was cancelled due to an unbelievable amount of snow. This is what it looked like out our front door in the morning:

The boys couldn't stand the thought of being shut inside all day with that much snow on the ground so they braved the weather to play outside and enjoy the snow. They really are amazing when it comes to being outside. They would truly play outdoors in the rain, snow, sleet or shine! But . . . Who has to ask their child not to put their head in the snow? Well, we did. Many times!

They also earned some money shoveling the driveways of our neighbors:

And guess how Laynie spent her snow day? Karaoke-ing, of course!

Monster Mash

Each year our elementary school does a Monster Mash to celebrate Halloween. The kids look forward to it for months! There is lots of loud (really loud!) music, food and games. The boys love having the opportunity to see all of their friends and of course, getting dressed up in their costumes. This year Jacob went as a Punk Rocker:

Ryan went as a Pirate:

And Laynie started the night as a princess fairy,

and ended it as one tired, grumpy girl!

Primary Program

The boys participated in our ward's Primary Program a few weeks ago. Jacob gave a talk about why he loves his dad. He wrote the talk himself and did a great job. We thought we had better record it so that when he forgets we can remind him that he really does love us.

First, Ryan:

Now, Jacob:

Jacob for Secretary!

Jacob is running for Secretary of his school's Student Council. He made the following posters to display at school:

I told him not to worry about winning or losing. After all, every student at his school will vote. Even the kindergartners circle a name, and with 800 students at his school it is hard to know how things will go. He is very excited about the whole thing and has had a fun time campaigning.

Today he passed out stickers with this picture on them:

His slogan was, "If you want a wild ride, vote Jake Stohl for Secretary!"

Pretty clever, don't you think?!

Our Track Off

We had a fun and busy Track Off. Here are a few of the highlights:

We went on a great hike. The weather was perfect. We saw the ruins of a pioneer home and a small waterfall. Jacob takes hiking very seriously. We had to take many breaks so that he could add to his list of sights and sounds on our hike.

We went to the park many, many times.

The boys helped at preschool. The kids absolutely loved them, although there were moments when I could have done without the extra "help"!

Kelly took the boys to a Rockies day game. Laynie and I were uninvited. Apparently we are not much fun!

Ryan got new glasses. Super cute!

We also went to Utah for a week. It was a very short trip, but we managed to fill it with lots of fun!

We went to Jump On It. The kids had the best time. I didn't think Jacob was nervous on the Bungee Jump, but his face tells a different story. Laynie thought it was the funniest thing ever!

We went to one of our favorite places, my parent's cabin. It is always so beautiful there and the boys especially love the 4-wheelers.

All in all, a very fun Track Off!

Laynie is 16 months old!

I promise she didn't wear the high tops to church, she just wanted them on as soon as we got home!

Laynie is now 16 months old and full of life (Kelly said it would be mean of me to call her a holy terror). She loves to be outside and is always bringing us her shoes and then running to the door. She stands by the window and watches for her brothers to come home from school. When she sees them she gets so excited! She does well at preschool, most of the time. She does have her moments of pretend choking and standing on her head in the middle of all the kids, but I guess that is to be expected from a one year old!

Ryan's cousin had wanted to see a picture of his cast and I forgot to post it. He had the cast removed last week and was so brave. He didn't even react to the saw. He is so glad to be able to ride his scooter and bath himself again and so are we!

Cammi's Transplant

I know I have been a horrible blogger lately, but this news is definitely blog worthy! Kelly's sister Cammi is in surgery today for her double lung transplant! She has been in Pittsburgh with her family since last October just waiting and waiting! We couldn't be more happy/nervous/scared/thrilled for her! So far all has gone well. She has a long recovery ahead of her and we just wanted her to know that she is in our thoughts and prayers. We hope she will be in your as well! We can't wait for her to be well enough to come visit us in Denver. After all, she has only spent 3 days with her name sake. Not nearly enough time if you ask me!

Primary Talent Show

I know my kids are talented, but sometimes the things they come up with are crazy!! For the Primary Talent Show the boys decided that Jacob would play the guitar while Ryan played the bongos. They chose Book of Mormon Stories. After hearing them practice a few times I suggested that maybe Kelly should sing along (so that others would know what song they were playing). When they practiced at home Jacob and Ryan were so loud that you really could not hear Kelly. Well, poor Kelly! At the Talent Show Jacob played so quietly that you could really only hear Kelly singing. And man, did Ryan get into playing the bongos!

This video does not do their performance justice. Trust me, it was HILARIOUS!

What We've Been Up To . . .

We've had a busy couple of months. Kelly and I have been preparing for my preschool which is starting next week. I am so excited! It has been fun to go through all of my First Grade files to see what will work for preschoolers. I am also amazed by all of the great ideas on the Internet. So many fun things!

Kelly made a table around the edge of the room. He also framed a chalkboard and hung boards for an art display area. He even had to put a box around our playground so we could fill it with bark (part of the licensing requirements). It has been a lot of work, but I think well worth it. I can't wait to get started!

The kids and I also made a visit to the zoo while Kelly was in Utah. Laynie was an angel (very unexpected!). She stayed in her stroller the whole time and even fell asleep in it. Jacob told me I had to take a picture of her because it was a once in a lifetime event!

On Saturday, we went swimming and bike riding. The swimming was a lot of fun, but unfortunately, Jacob and Ryan crashed into one another while riding their bikes. Ryan landed on his wrist and broke it! This is what it looks like today:

As soon as the swelling goes down he will have a cast put on it. He is not having much fun trying to keep it elevated. He is constantly saying, "I forgot!" and apologizing (sooo Ryan!). Hopefully it will heal quickly. Poor Guy!

Old Friends

In our 12 (almost 13!) years of marriage we have lived in so many different places, including 4 different states. One of our most favorite spots is Price, Utah. We loved living close to my grandparents, and my parents were only an hour and a half away. Kelly's work was less than 5 minutes from our home and there was so much outdoor fun. We especially loved the people in Price. Truly some of the kindest people we have ever met! One such family is the Heaps. They were the first family we met when we moved to Price. They are always ready to have fun and took such good care of us.

They came to Denver last weekend and we had the chance to meet them for a fun night of swimming and dining (in style!). The kids were comfortable with each other right away which gave us the chance to spend a few hours visiting and catching up. It was such a fun night! Thanks Heaps!

{I just thought this was so funny! We went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. Jacob's friend chose sunflower seeds, pickles and egg from the salad bar and Jacob chose eggs, sunflower seeds and peas. YUMMY! YUMMY!}

First Day of School

Jacob and Ryan started a new school year on Tuesday. Ryan is now in 2nd Grade and Jacob is a 4th Grader! They made me laugh on Tuesday morning when they expressed their concern for me. They were worried about what I would do all day by myself. I told them not to worry, that I was sure I could come up with a few things to keep busy (and I do have Laynie to take care of!)!

Laynie's Walking!

YEAH! We are so happy! She loves being able to keep up with the boys.

While we were in Utah, my sister took the cutest pictures of Laynie. Here are a few more: