Thursday, April 23, 2009

Arts Festival






The Oklahoma City Arts Festival is this week and it is always one of Renzi's and my favorite things to do in OKC during the year. We met up with our good friends The Peters' last night and we walked around and looked at all of the fun art, listened to music and of course, ate! 

Grant and Brooke Stone








We just returned from a fun filled weekend in Boise, Idaho at the wedding of Renzi's brother Grant and our new sister-in-law Brooke! We had such a great time hanging out with family and friends and we are so happy to have Brooke as an "official" part of the Stone family now! Here some pics and video from the events...these are just a few...will update more soon!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Rachel Virginia Grainger Bowman

My sweet husband's dearly loved Grandmother passed away yesterday. Here is something that he wrote about her.....

Grandmother Tribute:
A beautiful life ended perfectly in a hall where the prayers speed towards the heavens.
On Easter morning in the house of our Lord, nestled amongst the tall firs and tucked in the woods.

With a hearty laugh, a smile and a loving embrace,
Virginia marched through life with kindness and an admirable faith.
Why do you have to leave us so young, we ask through the tears?
To be with my Lord and Savior, the time is now and now I am here.

But we still need you. We want to talk with you. We miss you terribly already.
Oh, darling. My time on earth has passed. I am with the Lord and Tom looking down, I was ready...

For me to join them above but please do think of me,
When you see the tide coming in on a warm Florida day,
Or when the colorful oak tree leaves dance in the fall Virginia wind
Or even when you get a taste of a small mint candy – there is a little piece of me there thinking of you.

Now as I stand tall, looking down from above, I beg you to listen
I can speak clearly to you that death, although painful, is only the beginning…
Of the life everlasting, we know through Christ who died on the cross for our sins.

So what advice do you give us, Virginia, as we live out the remaining days?
To love one another. To be present in life’s special moments and to pray.
For salvation from the loving GOD is given freely. It is up to us to have faith about the cross that Christ carried away.

With that she was gone, off to a welcoming party in the stars,
You see, Tom, Jim, Daddy, Munner, Mary, and others have been planning her arrival for they knew her heart.

We are left on this earth to grieve her loss and celebrate her grace,
And when I close my eyes at night, I see her blue eyes and elegant face

So you leave us on the day where Christ rose from the grave.
We love you. We miss you. We kneel down and pray.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Congrats Renzi!



Last Friday, Renzi had a meeting with a few people from OU and found out he had been awarded one of OU's most distinguished Graduate awards...the OU Regents Alumni Award. He is so honored and we are so proud of him! He works so hard and does so much good for other people and for our community it is so fitting that he is honored in such a special way. There is a reception for him at OU following commencement May 15th in Norman and we can't wait to be there to celebrate! In fact, Jackson and I were ready to surprise him when he got home from work Friday with pictures that Jackson had colored and champagne (juice of course for Jackson and I). These pictures are from our mini celebration. Please excuse Jackson's poor left eye....he got Pink Eye from school the previous day and poor guy was a trooper! Congrats Renzi! We love you more than you know!