This year, all of the Stones got together to celebrate Christmas at StoneHaven. It was the first time all of us, including spouses and children had been together since before Reed's mission. It was super crowded but tons of fun.
Before heading up to Northstar, we did our traditional Christmas caroling.
I know this picture is not quite in focus, but I just had to post it anyway, so you can know what to look forward to if you ever have the privilege of being caroled to by the Stone Family. While we were driving from house to house, I told my kids about how when I was growing up, Aunt Natalie always used to surprise me by pinching my bum when I sat down in the van. Even though I'd check to make sure her hand wasn't there before sitting down, she'd slip it under before I'd made contact with the seat and GOOSE ME! good times.
At the Cabin:
Jenny was genius and brought up stuff for the kids (and adults too) to make homemade ornaments to decorate the tree that we brought up to the cabin.
Melanie working on her Masterpiece,
and Jade drinking capri sun, and looking very excited about her work.
The kids working on some of their ornaments
Daphne made these cool ornaments with her cousin Jemma while staying at her Aunt Jenny's house the week before Christmas on a home-school exchange program.
Below, some more ornaments:
The beautiful tree! I love how it turned out!
Other cabin activities included coloring giant coloring pages, movies, games, snacks, building forts, and there was some puking happening as well. We had a lovely Christmas bug go through the family which, thank goodness, wasn't as violent as last year's bug.
Mom and Jenny brought up their sewing machines and all the materials for each of us to make these darling Valentine's table runners using a quilting technique that's new to me called stippling. (I think that's what it's called.) It was really fun, and, glimpsing the endless possibilities in the world of stippling, Julianne and I have already gone out to purchase our "free motion" quilting feet for our machines.
And this is me . . . finishing my table runner.
The guys headin' out for their ski/board day.
goobers.
More skiing
I think Hayden is adorable carrying his little skis!
Not bad for his 2nd time on skis.
Okay, Jenny's gonna kill me, but I love this picture of her. When I saw her wearing these goggles, I thought she'd put them on to humor her 3-year-old son.
But no.
She was wearing them because she was cutting an onion. :)
