It's a Dari-Ripple Night...

Was the cry that went throughout the house.

Growing up this joyous deceleration has always been started by my dad, and is only uttered once maybe twice a year.

Not any ordinary night can be a Dari-Ripple Night, its all in the air, maybe its the soft breeze, the warm sun, the song of the birds...I don't know, but there's something there and it speaks of summer.

Its on theses special nights that the rallying cry goes out, ringing up the stairs through the kitchen and down the hallway, as its passed from one excited person to the next. Everyone in the family knows when they hear it all is to be abandon, shoes found, and a quick dash made for the van. Its amazing how fast 9 people can be gathered from the four corners of the house.

Tonight was one of these nights, the call went out and we all answered, clamoring to the van for the five minute trip to Walworth.

There really is nothing that compares with a spontaneous trip to the local ice cream shop to herald in summer and good memories.

Happy Weekend Everyone

Ma Can We Keep 'Em?

The other day was my day off...Grant my brother/partner in crime and I were sent to the store. That store we haunt the most, the store Americans depend on, the store that is always there for us, filled with people and always low prices. And this day was no exception, it was a cold damp and rainy Tuesday and everyone who was anyone was at Walmart. Grant and I were hoping to to get in and out as quick as possible but our "small" list was growing with every text message. At last our weary feet pushed our loaded cart towards the cash register, and the process of waiting, unloading, paying and reloading began. We weren't really paying attention to all the people passing in the din of voices and bleeep bleeeep of the registers but for some reason I looked up, and when I did so saw a Mother pushing her cart loaded with white bags and a young child. She was met by 3 of the cutest little boys coming from the opposite direction (seriously they looked like they had just stepped out of a Pottery Barn catalog) As the little group approached the mother their faces beaming excitement, the middle boy who had curly blond hair shouted "Look mom, at what we found" and triumphantly held up four green X-box game cases which oddly enough appeared to be dripping wet. She replied with a very motherly "Where did you find those?" and the triumphant response of the three boys in unison was "In the bathroom toilet" You can imagine the chaos that followed in the next 5 seconds amid the squeals of their mother and the suppressed giggles of the on lookers as the boys were rushed to customer service to return their discovery and get germ-x'ed one and all.

When the excitment was over everyone went back to what had previously occupied them, now with a smile haunting the corners of their mouths.

Only at Walmart

+<|:-)

Nineteen years ago today my brother Grant made his debut in the world...making it just a little bit more interesting for all of us.

Happy Birthday lil' Bro, Thanks for being you

Wednesday Evenings Are Just Better With Chocolate Covered Strawberries

It's Wednesday already (well actually almost Thursday:) I've heard the older you get the faster time goes...you never believed it as a kid, especially when counting down the days till your next Birthday.

But here I am, on Wednesday evening sitting cross-legged on the deliciously fluffy red couch that makes its home in our family room, with my laptop and a cup of coffee near at hand...and did I mention chocolate covered strawberries? Yes that decadent treat is here with me too.

The earlier part of the evening I spent with my good friend Brooke at the tennis court, where we practiced our insane tennis skills. To put it more accurately she did and I tried. Tennis is my latest undertaking, I've always wanted to be able to play, so this year I decided to stop talking and just do it. Its one of those classic, somehow more refined sports kind of like golf, but a lot more fun. And while right now I just get excited when I hit the ball in the right direction, I fully intend to have my tennis partner dancing over the court by summers end.

As some of you probably know today is national "May the 4th Be With You" day and with my brothers sitting next to me watching Star Wars (have you ever noticed how Luke Skywalker looks like an oversized Justin Bieber) and eating my chocolate covered strawberries, I thought I should post my favorite version of Star Wars...because what could be better than organic talking food.

Life, In the Recent Past

When I was younger I thought it would be a good to chronicle the everyday events of my young and unfolding life in a Journal...well I must admit I never got far past "Dear Jornel, Today was good I did scool, and playd cant weight for tomorow we are going..." as the time past I got the idea I should start a monthly news letter entitled "The StoneHill Gazette" and fill it with interesting tid bits of randomnesses and of the latest happenings with our family, but I'm afraid to say that publication went from monthly, to bimonthly, to quarterly and then fell out of circulation altogether. Next came the age of the blog, but how much easier it is to post on Facebook "I am sitting on a chair drinking coffee, it is good lol :)" and have it repost to Twitter, MySpace, Buzz and the 20 odd other social medial sites that can all be linked together for the ease of the one posting, than it is to sit down and write a hopefully, semi entertaining, somewhat inelegant post for a blog. But this I shall attempt, as I give a quick recap of the cold,wet and dark days of November, I mean April.

Not much happened in the first half of the month, that is out of the ordinary... those doing school did, those working went, and we all waited for spring to come and stay.

Easter found all 9 of us dressed in our Sunday best, and headed off to church. After church Grandpa and Grandma Strand came over and we like I would guess many did that day, partook of a delicious ham dinner followed by the traditional Bunny cake. The rest of the day

was spent enjoying each others company or resting.

Last Tuesday Faith Christian School held a fundraiser banquet, with Gov. Mike Hukabee as the keynote. The sit down semi formal event was held at the Abbey Resort. Governor Hukabee had many good points on the issues of morals or the lack there of that seems to be permeating the culture at large especially the youth of today in America. There were a few people I knew and many more who's faces I recognized... overall it was a very enjoyable evening.

Yes for those of you who want to know I did get up dark and early in the morning of April 29 to watch the Royal Wedding. I even went a step farther and hosted a Watch party complete with tea, lemon curd and scones (thank you Powers) We had a "Guesses Kate's Dress" game and saw both royal kisses before we responsibly drug ourselves off to a Friday of work.

I think that about sums up April's happenings...it's hard to believe that May is already upon us.