Looking Back on 2008

What a Year....This year has Flown By and I am left wondering where it has gone!?!!? a lot has happened in my life and the family stone household!

1. This time last year I was 5 months Pregnant with a Baby Boy Who I had On May 7Th 2008 Hayden Colt Stone...This by far was the biggest thing that has happened to me and our family and one of the greatest if not the greatest of all :)!

Can't wait to see Him grow in the next year and become a Lil man :)

2. Our Family Business Rp Field Services Took off in May...Shane has finally found some cool office space for the business and it is affordable...Took his first business trip to L.A. (love my business man LOL) and he actually LOVES the chase business after all WHO KNEW LOL! HEHEHEHEHE He has chased for almost 8 years so all that driving and crazy pay schedules have paid off :)
Excited about the new office for the business and GLAD to be separating business from church :) FINALLY...Want to go to L.A. with Shane in 09 :)

3. Had another year in our church plant which makes 2 years total....Launched with 245 in Aug, but in all the excitement Realized How Hard Church Planting REALLY is! HAHAHAHAH no seriously REALLY Hard and it can seriously super SUCK, but can be worth it! You "True" Church Planters out there know what I mean WOW! Shane and I have learned a lot of do's and MORE don'ts in church planting...so a lot of church planting experience on our ministry belt this year..."ROLLING EYES" LOL
Got a lot of praying for the church this year...Shane and I have a lot of decisions to make....Either way i am looking forward to 09
4. Got a New House! LOVE IT and the Neighborhood :)
Can't wait to hang out with the neighbor's more and look forward to my girls making amazing friendships and seriously want my hot tub fixed :)

5. Celebrated 10 years of Marriage and a 30th Birthday....Can't believe it has been 10 years! shane is an amazing husband and father i love him more today then ever before....On the Topic of turning 30, i feel so young and so old all at the same time...That is weird i know, but that is my take on 30

6. Saw My Baby Girls Turn 9 and 5....

Hannah has gotten so tall in is turning into a little lady faster than i would like she is officially a big kid who considers herself to be a "pre adolescent" LOL in her own words of course... she is all about some limited too clothes and has to have the right body wash, deodorant, accessories and perfume; such a typical girl, but loves to ride horses and feel the wind on her face :).
Hannah will be turning 10 this summer and will start 5th grade this year WHAT? ewwww it makes me cringe thinking about it !!!!
....Gracie is my little fancy Nancy ooh la la girlie who is still a little kid and reminds me and her daddy everyday that she is in fact still the little kid...she is still the one in our family who says "SEE ME" "HEAR ME" "I'm HERE"she has lost 3 teeth this year and it makes me so sad to see her little gap gone : ( She is the tallest in her class, but makes friends so easily...She starts Kindergarten next year and will officially be in big girl school! Where has the time gone!



7. Me, well i have learned a lot about myself this year...I have learned not to care what others think! Life is too short...I have learned 3 is a crowd LOL heheheheh, I have learned that i have a very harsh cold side to myself which is good and bad! I am learning to shake off hurt and move on and that bitterness and resentment really does eat at you, but does no good in the long run! That I am a freakin amazing and super strong woman because most pw's would be on meds by this point in their ministry...Not me LOL i just scream and hit a wall LOL it is much better and doesn't have a lasting affect on my mind and body! LOL...HEHEHEHEHEHE so be careful not to be between me and the wall or you might get messed up now :) LOL

All in all 2008 has been great....so YIPPIE 2009 is here another year has past and behold a new year has come LOL

Oh Happy Day :) LOL

Today was very pleasant! I enjoyed Church, Had a blast with the Kids today! We all (even Me) learned about Jesus being our friend who sticks closer than a brother :) and He is with us always :)!

I missed hearing Shane Teach this morning :( but He Told me all about it over lunch and I was blessed :)! I love him LOL!

Had a blast with Him watching the Panthers Game...He and I both were jumping up and down in excitement, anger LOL and we also caught ourselves biting our nails LOL it was a nail biter! But WE (Panthers) are awesome and Headed to the Playoffs! Wish I could work something out for Shane for his birthday for tickets to the game in a couple of weeks :)

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Been cleaning and doing laundry plus dealing with a fussy gussy baby :) Candice B knows this for sure :) from this mornings melt down Hayden had WOW :)!

Headed out to ATL to see some of my family! :) Excited to be going to GA in the morning! : )


I am thankful for:
Our Church and the Vision Shane has for it...It has been a hard journey and I have given up on it a lot (so glad God doesn't give up on me as easily as I give up), but I am encouraged today and looking forward to what God is going to do at the Church and Through the church and what he is teaching me in this learning process of being a church planter's wife...Church Planting Can seriously suck LOL but it can be super fun and rewarding at the same time :)!

Baby Motrin for my Little Man to feel better from his runny nose :)

Panthers winning :) I love NFL Football...So awesome :) especially watching with my man :)....I have a lot to learn still about the game, but I know enough about it to know it is the best game to watch on T.V. :)

My Girls Being out of School for a week....(i will be grateful for school in a week :) LOL )

McDonald's Chicken Wraps YUMMY :)

More PIcs Of Christmas Day 2008

Christmas Day @ The Stone House

Our Christmas Eve

The Kids Opening Gifts From Meme and Popee :)




Gracie is not only going to be visited by Santa but the Tooth Fairy :) she lost her 4th tooth tonight on chritstmas eve...I will miss her little gap between her two front teeth :(


After the kids went to bed Meme and I had fun with my new camera and got comfy and watched a movie...we cried and laughed :)




Now everything is quite and all is done for the night...So nite nite and Merry Christmas :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas on this wonderful Christmas eve day...I am so blessed and thankful this beautiful morning!

I am merry today because I am

-feeling much better after being so sick....I literally thought about all of those children and adults alike who are sick like i was, but who stay sick from chemo and other meds for a major illness and i began to pray for those people while sick myself because that could be me...I would rather have some stomach virus that only last a few hours and i feel so fortunate to be healthy! May God's loving hand of healing, mercy, grace and peace touch the lives of those who are sick and dying and the families who are suffering also all around the world!

-Thankful For My sweet Jesus For being born in a manger and coming to this cruel place to save a loser like myself! I was driving about a week ago and heard Away in a manger...I began to cry, because My saviour came to this wretched place and when he did he saw me all these years later...He saw my family, He saw me right where I am! But He still came, gave himself...the perfect gift :)

- Glad to see the joy in my girls eyes and the expectancy..oh to be a child again! Child Like Faith!

-Full of Hope, Faith, Love, Works(Giving) Christmas in a Nutshell and the Main Ingredients

-i am proud of My amazing husband who has really and truly learned the meaning of giving to others and his heart is truly beautiful behind each gift and he encourages me to want to do better at it myself...It is truly a Joy to share with others :)

-So grateful for friends who still love me even though i am not the greatest of friends to them sometimes...those who care still and those who continue to pray for me! i love you dearly


-So excited about giving and seeing others turn into audacious givers themselves :)

( Listen it isn't what you give or how much you give to others, but it is the Heart behind the gift! I know a lot of folks, some of which are family who give in offerings or to others and do it with a cold heart or think silently of what they could be doing with the gift they are giving or even thinking I need this gift or blessing myself (btw HoW selfish)...If you do that don't give because again it is the heart and motive behind the gift that matters so much more than the actual gift itself...Stop and think about that this Christmas...Have you blessed someone today or this Christmas season...helped out or even given back to God by using your time and talents? With a Cheerful Heart mind you :)!?!?! something to think about! When you give cheerfully you will be blessed not just financially but in every way! Giving not only includes finances or tangible gifts but it also includes forgiveness, love, those types of things....you you want to be forgiven you must forgive....give and it shall be given...and so on :))


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Forgot to give thanks! My Last Post I PROMISE for the Night

I am Thankful For:

-Shane's Message Today I needed it :) I have a lot of work to do on myself :)

-RP Field Services (Our Family Business) this has been our main source of income for almost eight years.....I am so thankful for the business taking off and for God Blessing it as He has... we don't deserve it, but I am so grateful and appreciative for the work and the ton of workers who drive all over 6 states! Thank You Jesus for your blessings...What is here today might be gone tomorrow but I give you thanks anyways :) for ever and always :) You can't out Give God Never

-Our Precious Friends/Family Pastor Jimmie and Dana and Trey! We love you guys...You are one of the most amazing, talented pastor's families We know and you are for sure the most kind, humble and loving people We have ever ever known and We are honored to call you family but even more so friends :)Again We LOVE you guys :) and We appreciate our friendship and pray for nothing but blessing over your family and church......All of us Crazy Stones Love YOU!

- My awesome house! I LOVE IT and feel so blessed to be in it! It is perfect for us stones :) HEHEHEHEHE and no it isnt the biggest house on the block, but it is just right for us :) God knows what we need :) when we need it!

- Jesus and the Honor to Worship him with my family today not only once but twice.....

GO PANTHERS :)

OK so I was headed to bed, but my darling shane is still watching the game which has been over for a while now :) we recorded on our dvr...anyway...I know that not so good out come of this game :( but i am still cheering for our panthers!!!!! They are amazing this year!!!!


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The Stone Weekend

I must say I am tired, but I have enjoyed this weekend very much...A month ago our friends Jimmie and Dana asked us if i would let hayden play baby jesus in their christmas production...I said yes of course :) a few weeks ago they asked me to sing one of the songs in the production and of course i said yes :)....So Friday we headed to the Practice and Had a blast hanging out with our buddies until 1:30 am :) soo much fun :)...Saturday I did some shopping and we had our first performance that night..Meme and Popee came and We enjoyed being together with everyone....Today was church...I enjoyed shane's message this morning...It was on 3 gifts to give: Love, Forgiveness ( HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THIS ONE ) and Faith ( another hard one HUGE for me ) guess i have a lot of work to do on myself! and The band was so amazing had a blast with them singing rockin around the christmas tree, Hark the Hearld Angels ( ROCKIN and Never heard it so cool before) and silent night! Shane had all of the kids to sing some christmas songs on stage and he read them the christmas story after the short message....The children were too cute.....Tonight was the Play again so we headed over to Piedmont to Help out one more time and Hayden did amazing as baby Jesus again...He didn't cry at all!! I was so proud :) LOL he was the sweetest baby jesus :)! I enjoyed being a part of their production called "Joseph's Letter" Jimmie and Malcom wrote all of it and Dana and the Guys worked so hard getting it together :)...They did amazing :) I was honored to be a part of it :)!!!!

Here is a pic of Hayden and His Cousin Trey Before the Performance Tonight!

My Sweet Boy as Baby Jesus

Enjoying The Warm Weather Sorta !??!

I really don't enjoy warm weather in December, But it was nice today to be able to shop and not freeze my butt off ;) not that it is going anywhere anytime soon, but :) in the great words of Lori C..."I'm Just sayin" LOL (I LOVE LORI'S SAYINGS) anyway...Got all the Christmas shopping done and enjoyed my time with shane :) He is going 150 mph right now so that alone time means a lot :)!

When I got home Me, Hayden and the Girls headed out for a walk....We enjoyed being outside and the unseasonable warm weather just for today :)...Hayden had his first time being outside as a "Big Boy" HEHEHEHE and I enjoyed watching the girls burn up some energy from all the cookies we have been eating :) HEHEHEHEHEHE...
Here is Hannah and Gracie scareing a poor neighbor cat

Hayden Enjoying the Fresh air

Hannah and Gracie riding scooters! Loving the Outdoors

Christmas 2008 Slideshow

Finally Got the Christmas Cookies Yummy

Yummy Made from Scratch Sugar Christmas Cookies with Icing on the Top :)





Hayden Enjoyed the Muppets with Daddy while the Stone Girls Finished up in the Bakery

Tonight was so much fun with my girls...If you don't know already...I am a horrible baker! I would love to know how to bake well, but I seem lack the know how to successfully pull off a "made from scratch" baked good, at least so for.... Unless it is however Betty Crocker or frozen :)...So i decided this year was the year to make sugar cookies from scratch LOL....I had all my ingredient's, or so i thought....Until i got them all out read the directions again and realized "DUH" i didn't have baking powder..See, to you pros out there you KNOW that baking powder is one of if not the most important part of the sugar cookie...LOL so after calling some talented friends and family i decided to put my sugar cookie adventure on hold and try Katie's Famous Peanut Butter EASY cookies (YEAH RIGHT)....The girls pitched in and did most of the work



BUT i forgot to add one ingredient on the recipe sheet and just decided to fill in the blank myself LOL...I have done this before and come out with strawberry beef stroganoff ;) so i tried to stay away from anything crazy and just stuck with the basics....I might have got a little carried away :)!!!! Needless to say...I burnt the first batch, but we made the second batch look very good
...NOW the taste is another story....All that aside, I had fun with my girls..hayden napped and we danced, sang Christmas carols got flour, peanut butter and eggs everywhere...it was a blast.
..I look forward to baking again with the sugar cookies and hopefully this practice run with the peanut butter cookies will bring forth some yummy cookies ;)!!!!

The Girls also made a Gingerbread House and Train.....

Thanks for The Past Two Days

Friday
-the simply fact that is was friday
-shopping :)
-meme and popee for watching my kids
-seeing a movie with shane at the movies
-dinner with the johnsons and brevards to celebrate katie
-our big comfy bed and awesome t.v. to watch bourne ultimatum

Saturday
-Brunch...We do the often at our house...either at home our out....but brunch is huge for the stone clan on saturday
-Shake and Pour Pancakes LOL I can actually get those right
-a day of organizing and cleaning house
-our ginger bread house we are going to make
-hayden's awesome mid morning naps
-my chicken casserole that is in the crock pot right now cooking for dinner :)
-family time

Gracie's Art

Thankful for:

The Rain
Lunch with Lori at One of my favorite Places Kingstree is so good
My awesome clemson sweatshirt I LOVE IT it's a few years old and still does the job
Gracie's Art Show
Rocking Baby Hayden to Sleep in his cute room!
my girls ready scary stories to me :) they make me laugh...
shane being home finally

Santa Pics and Earring's For Gracie Pics

Tonight was great...We headed to Haywood Mall for our annual pictures with santa...Hannah has done it every year since her first christmas...This is her 10th Christmas :)...SO we keep up the tradition...

Gracie has been after us for 2 weeks to let her have her ears pierced I would have rather had nails put in my head then take her because I KNEW she would scream...AND she did...She was so brave and then that bravery turned into terror...I told her she didn't have to do it, but then she screamed to get it done! OH LORD :) LOL HEHEHEHEHEHEHE so we fought with her and she was so happy afterward....DRAMA MAMA :) LOL
Some Doubt Prior Too

Right Before The Meltdown

She REALLY wanted the pierced LOL :)



Thankful Thoughts
*My very small window of chill time this afternoon
*A garage to get in and out of in the rain...How wonderful!
*Our 10th Year of Santa PIcs So precious...
*Hayden's First Christmas Pic with Santa :)
*Gracie surviving her ear's being pierced...
*Us surviving Gracie's Screams LOL
*The Mall Officers for not Hauling Gracie to Jail LOL

More Pics from Hannah's Recital :)

Gracie and Hayden Getting ready for Hannah to come out

Meme and Hayden...You can see Gracie isn't in a very good mood in the background :) LOL

Hannah After Her Performance

Me and Hayden