Sweet As A Pea

A New Year

2012-01-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been thinking a lot about last year. I was pretty negative. Sorry you all had to endure the negativity. I really didn't realize how bad it was.
That's why this year my resolution is to be positive. I'm confident that this is the year that life will straighten out the way it's supposed to. This is the year that debts will be paid and life back on track. This is the year of fun. (I'm going to try with all my power to make this happen) This is the year of family. This is the year of change. This is going to be MY year!! I hope you have a great year and remember be positive.

"Oh this is gotta be a Good life.....this could really be a Good life, a good good life."

2011-12-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

Yes it has been a while. Well, lots and lots have been happening. Mostly changes. Justin now has a new job at Lagoon. He started November 7 and he LOVES it! He is in charge of the electrical maintanence. The kids and I have moved in with my mom so that we could pack everything up and clean the house and have it ready to sell. It's been pretty hard. Justin stays with his aunt during the week and comes home on the weekends. So that leaves me with all the packing. Well our roof started to leak so we had to get that fixed. That was a pain in the neck, but now that it's done that has taken some stress off my shoulders.
The change has taken a toll on the kids. They wake up at about 4 a.m. and they have been pushing my buttons with following the rules. Yes they are in a new environment, and yes they don't really have things that they can call their own; but I just wish that they would help me out a little bit.
We did have a lady come and look at the house who we thought was pretty interested, but we have heard nothing. Then this older couple came to look at the house but we haven't heard back from them either. So now we are at a stand still. It's a little disappointing.
I just wish that people could see all the work that we put into the house. I wish that people could see what it was like before and compare it to now! It's a beautiful home and we would still be there if it wasn't for Justin's new job. I just want people to see the work and the love that was put into our home. I love my home, and I love Nephi, but I am ready to start a new chapter in my life. I'm ready for the new adventure that is in store for me.
Why do we have to wait? Why do we have to be patient? We are a society of wanting things NOW, so why can't it happen now? Why can't I be with my husband now? Why can't we start our new adventure now? So many why's but no answers. I have wrapped my head around the fact that I am going to be leaving my hometown, my family, my mom, my AWESOME ward, and my comfort. I feel the longer that I am here the harder it will be when I go. I guess that's why I want it to happen now, because I am ready.
I love my mom and dad, and I am thankful that they have welcomed us into their home and have changed their routine. It has been good that I have been here cause I feel like I'm closer with my sister Abby. We had a hard go when my dad got into his accident. We were the best of friends before and when we had it out during the accident I didn't think that it would ever be the same. Yes, we forgave each other but it wasn't the way that it was before. Now I can say that it is now the way it was before. So I'm thankful for that chance to patch things and make them better.
So I'm ready......come on house sell! Come on homebuyers!!! Look at my beautiful home that has been filled with the sweetest memories!! My grandparents owned the home before me and I remember visiting and sleeping over there. I remember Christmases, birthdays, and just stopping by to say hello. Tyler was raised there. He made his first steps in that home, said his first words, got many injuries, and learned new things in that home. Zoey was also raised in that home. First steps were made by her there too. Dancing, playing, laughing, singing, Family Home Evenings, love, and friends. Buy my home and I know that you will fall in love with it the way that I did when I bought it!!!

Happy Birthday!!

2011-09-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Joyful, most of the time

Upbeat

Smart

Ticklish (everywhere)

Important to me

Needed

Smiling all the time

There for his family

Optomistic

Knowledgable

Exactly the man I was looking for

Respectful

I love you honey, I hope you've had an AWESOME birthday!

Justin's Jollopies

2011-07-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

So Justin made a really cute stick horse for Saige for her birthday. Ever since then he has been talking about how he wants to make stick horses and sell them. I just brushed it off thinking that it's one of his silly ideas. Well he talked about for a long time. He would bring it up for a while. He would say that he could sell them for the Ute Stampede. Well it was about 3 weeks ago and my sister Abby talked to me and told me I needed to support Justin cause it sounded like something he was really interested in. I thought about it and I told him that we should do it and I would help him. So we bought the materials and started stuffing socks and making these stick horses. We wanted to make 60 but by Friday morning when we were still making them we decided 34 was plenty. We had lots of help. My mom helped make ears and eyes and she watched the kids while we sold them at the craft show, Linsey helped stuff socks, and Abby made a sign to sell them. We got everything set up and started selling stick horses. When it was all said and done we sold all but 4, and made $280. He did very well, better than I thought. He is a good hardworker and very creative and inventive and it sure paid off! Good job HONEY!

Zoey an Artist??

2011-07-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Justin and I were downstairs playing with Lexie and talking and stuff. The kids were outside playing. Justin wanted to go out and check on them and I said no they are being good they will come in if something happens. A little while later Justin was getting nervous so he went to check on them. The next thing I heard was, "GO TO YOUR ROOMS BOTH OF YOU, NOW! YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE!!" Justin doesn't yell very much so I figured it must of been pretty bad. I asked what happened and he said, "Zoey spraypainted our car!" I was in shock! I thought no way! Then I thought, I'm gonna kill her! (I wouldn't really do that) Then I thought, what has gotten into these kids! I go out there and sure enough she painted the passenger side door PURPLE!!! Justin was almost in tears. Surprisingly, I didn't fly off the handle like I normally would do. Instead I was thinking of solutions. The first thing that came to my mind was vinegar. We didn't have vinegar. Justin called his parents and they told him to let the insurance cover it. I called my mom and she said to rub it out with a dry rag. I called Christi cause her hubby works on cars. He didn't know so he called his cousin and he said to buff it out with a buffer. Christi called her mom, and she said to use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. So I used a Magic Eraser and I got it off! No more purple car! We were lucky! Zoey on the other hand wasn't so lucky. She had to scrub the hall walls upstairs and the hall walls going downstairs. She wasn't happy but she learned her lesson.

Lexie Goo!!

2011-07-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Lexie has always been so happy ever since she was born. Really, she has been the most pleasant and the most fun. She also seems so advanced for her age. She loves to talk and play and it's the cutest thing ever! So we got her on video talking to us and being sooo cute! We love her so much and wouldn't know what we would do without her!

Bear Lake

2011-07-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July we went with Drew and Leah to Bear Lake. I've never been there so it was a lot of fun. We left Sunday night and stayed at Drew and Leah's house. Then at 10:30 the next morning we headed to the Lake. Drew and Leah were camping there and invited us to come. Justin couldn't get work off on Tuesday so we spent the day there on Monday.

The kids played in the water, looked for seashells on the beach, and Justin even made some sandcastles for them.

Justin and I also got to go in the water and play.

Lexie even had fun!

The sunset was gorgeous!

We had such a fun time, we will probably do it again!

Hats off to you.....

2011-07-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

You know the movie 27 dresses.........well Justin has 27 hats. He has all sorts of hats. Hats he has collected over the years. Ugly hats, goofy hats, cowboy hats, golfer hats, fisher hats........if you can think of it he probably has it. He does have this one hat that he blew up (cause my hubby's a pyro) I've been trying to get rid of it since we were married. Apparently, his mom tried getting rid of it when he went on his mission but it somehow found it's way home. The problem with 27 hats is that I have to pick them up. Oh well, that's my sweetheart. He loves hats I love shoes.

I Get it.......

2011-06-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I know! I get it......I'm NOT good at blogging! It's just been pretty crazy! Also why blog when Abby does it for me..... ;) Just kidding sis. So ya lots has happened.
Justin is finally graduated from college!!! YEAH! It reminds me of Tommy Boy when Tommy says, "Lots of people go to college for 8 years." Richard says, "Ya, they're called doctors." Tommy, "Shut up Richard." Yes that is my hubby! 7 years and we are FINALLY DONE!!! woot woot!
The next big thing was our trip to Idaho. That was really fun. We stayed with Justin's grandpa and grandma. It was fun to get to know them and Zoey just fell in love with Grandpa Hulse! She still talks about him!
Then it was mine and Justin's Anniversary! 7 years!! CRAZY!!! We didn't get to celebrate on our Anniversary so 2 weeks later we went to Lagoon! It was a BLAST! We were like little kids all over again. We kissed and hugged and snuggled and laughed and just had a good ole time! (I do have to admit I missed my little Lexie goo!)
Then my brother and his wife and kids came for 2 weeks from Michigan! It was sooo nice to see them and have all the kids together again. Since they were all here we decided to take family pictures.
Then when they left we decided to visit Drew and Leah this last weekend. It was nice to see them again and play. It was so funny....the kids were outside playing and they decided to make a band. Tyler had a guitar, Zoey was the singer with a pot and spoon, and Saige had and flute. Saige on her way out to "practice" said, "Tyler are you ready to rock it!" Ya it was the cutest thing!!
Lexie is now 4 months old. She weighs 14 lbs. She is the sweetest little goober! I love her so much! She always makes me smile. Tyler bless his heart, is getting bigger and so is his imagination. Justin took him to see The Green Lantern. Tyler now pretends he can fly and that he is a super hero. And his hands shoot out missles. Yup that is our Buddy! Zoey is full on girl. She squeals like a girl, she screams like a girl, and is dramatic like a girl. All day yesterday she was a princess. She was in her princess dress the entire day! It was great. She likes to make up songs and then sing them to you. That's our ZoElla.
So we are doing well, and having a fun busy summer! Hope you all are enjoying the summer as well!

Lexie Jane Stoker

2011-03-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

Lexie was born February 23, 2011. She weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19 in. long. It was such a long haul and a rough one to get her here but we are soo happy she is in our family! Let me tell ya going from 2 kids to 3 is pretty hard!

Tyler has been a really big help. When he sees that I'm busy with the baby he will just get what he needs on his own, and if Zoey needs help and I can't get to her he will help her! He is such a good brother. Zoey is a really good sister! There was one day when Tyler had like a major meltdown! It was like level 10! I was in Tyler's room trying to talk to him and calm him down and then I hear the baby screaming! So I get her and calm her down and take her downstairs and put her in the swing. Zoey followed me of course, and said she would watch the baby. I go back in Tyler's room and talk with him and Zoey comes in and says that the baby was crying but she gave her, her binki and sang her a song. Then she leaves and comes back in 5 min and said that she sang the baby to sleep! She is soo sweet and such a little mom with her!

Lexie has been the biggest blessing in our lives! We had a pretty rough year, and she brought our family together and closer to the Lord. I am completely overjoyed! I have been blessed so much so far this year! I haven't been so happy in a long time, and I know it's because of our little miracle and the Lord! I love this Gospel and my family sooo much! We have lots of fun now and laugh and smile a whole lot more. Hard stuff has come and more will come I'm sure, but I can handle it cause of my family and the right things we are doing!!! Thanks Lexie for getting us back on the right track!!!

FLOUR Power!

2011-01-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

The last couple weeks in December and the first week into January I was having really bad contractions! So I went to the Dr. and my blood pressure was high and the babies heart rate was 180. So they wanted to do a couple of test. They took a urine sample, gave me an ultra sound to see if the baby was ok, and give me an IV of fluids cause I was a little dehydrated. I was there for a total of 5 1/2 hrs! The dr finally came in to see me and he told me I had a bladder infection. He wanted me on anitbiotics for a week and to come back the following week. I was hurting and the whole weekend wasn't fun. I didn't realize how painful a bladder infection was. When Sunday came around I stayed home so I could get some rest and it hurt to bend over. I HATE missing church. Even as a kid growing up I never missed church even if I was sick. So I slept for like 2 hrs. Then I decided that I felt good enough to cook dinner. Justin forgot to get the roaster down from the pantry, I thought no problem I can get it. I stood on the flour bin and fell right through! Both feet! The bucket started to tip so I got one foot out to keep my balance but that didn't work. I hit my head on the doorframe and plopped on my butt in the hall while my other foot was jammed in the bin. I tried getting out but sitting up while you're prego on the ground is hard. I didn't have my phone by me so I couldn't call my mom, and the door blocked the clock so I didn't know what time the fam would be coming home from church. So instead of sitting I layed down. For those of you who have seen Money Pit I was reminded of the scene where Tom Hanks got stuck in the hole in floor with the rug all around him. He was there for a while so he started the "Name Game." I started to laugh to myself and was about to start playing the game too until Tyler comes running through the door. He saw me and asked if I was ok. Justin came in and saw me lying there. He thought I was joking cause he couldn't see my leg in the flour until he opened the door wide. He was concerned, so he helped me up and both the kids busted up laughing. Justin got mad and said, "This isn't a laughing matter." I looked at him and said, "Yes it is!" We all started laughing. He didn't help me out of the flour cause he had to grab the camera. So this was the result..........

The lesson I learned: Not to stand on flour buckets!

Catching Up

2011-01-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while so I'm gonna do a bit of catching up for ya for the last year.

August: Zoey's Birthday! It was a blast! Me and Zoey got dressed up in dresses and I let Zoey wear my wedding tiara and we had a tea party. Just me and her! It was so much fun! She thought she was the most special little girl ever. I made cookies, scones, and a sparkling drink. Then I pulled out these glass party trays that came with tea cups. She loved it and we had fun. Later that night we opened her presents and she got a lot of good stuff! My little 3 year old!

September: We celebrated Justin's birthday. School finally started for both of the kids which is GREAT!!!! Then we took family pictures up in the canyon with the colored leaves!

October: We celebrated Tyler's 5th birthday. We went to Pirate Island Pizza and all the kids came in their costumes. We invited My mom, Abby and fam, Sarah and Jake (my cousin and boyfriend), Brindy and Lydia, and Leah Lilly and Saige. It was a lot of fun! We ate pizza, played arcade games, and watched Tyler open his presents! He thought it was the best day ever which it was. Then we got ready the next day for trunk or treat!

November: I wish I had pictures for this part but I don't dang it!!! For my birthday Justin treated me to a vacation. I mean literally! He flew me to VA for 3 days to hang out with Nicolette and his parents. When I first got there I stayed with Nic. The next morning she did my hair, I played with Gabe, she made me a special lunch, we watched movies, ate dinner and had a blast! The next morning we had breakfast got ready and went over to Carol's house. She made me lunch, we played games, and then went out to dinner to Chilis. Nic ordered me Lava Cake...YUM!!!! Next day I had to go home. :( As I was getting in my sit I was in a hurry cause everyone was staring and the guy I sat next to was getting annoyed so in my rush I popped my knee! So I popped it back in place and took my seat! Oh man worst flight ever! In pain the whole way! I had a blast though and it was the best birthday ever!! After my b-day was Thanksgiving. Fun as usually and very tasty! So since I jacked up my knee Justin took my place in day after Thanksgiving shopping! He loved it and got all the good deals for me! Best Hubby ever huh?

December : So the kids had a Christmas program at the school but I didn't get many pics cause my camera died! It was really cute! Zoey blurted out every song even if she didn't know the words and wore the biggest smile ever! It was really cute!! Later in the month we went to Temple Square to look at the lights! Then Christmas rolled around! It was such a blast! I was soo excited this year cause they were both the perfect age and understood Santa and all that stuff! Zoey got a big dollhouse with accessories, and Tyler got a race car track called Criss Cross Crash! They got a lot of good stuff from Grandma and Grandpa Stoker and friends. I got a KitchenAid and Justin got a Mechanics toolset! Then we went to my mom's and opened presents. Zoey got a Strawberry Shortcake house, Tyler got some people and horses for his farm that actually ride the horses, Justin got TICKET TO RIDE and I got a necklace that you can put charms in it. My mom put both Tyler and Zoeys birthstones and an S for Stoker! It's very pretty and made me cry! Then we had a New Years Party at our house and rang in the New year!

So pretty eventful and a lot of fun! I will try to be better at my blog!

Just For Fun

2010-08-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

So here are some events we did that was just for fun.

Sunday we had Sundaes

Today we had a mini picnic. We had cheese, carrots, gold fish, popcorn chicken, and a mini water bottle. It was fun and the kids thought it was cute and fun.

Summer Events

2010-08-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ya Ya Ya I know it's been a long time. Sorry about that. So I'm gonna recap some of the summer events that we did this year.

1. We attended the annual 4th of July Carnival at the park. As always it was a big success and a major hit with all the kids. It was lots of fun and the kids had a blast!!

2. The kids put on a play for FHE. It was really cute. We talked about when Lehi and his family had to go in the wilderness. Tyler was Lehi and Zoey was Sariah. Zoey has a play cell phone and she had to pull it out and call grandma and tell her she was going in the wilderness. It was pretty funny.

3. July 15-17 was the annual Ute Stampede. It was lots of fun, but kind of a bummer cause my mom broke her ankle on the 4th so she didn't get to go to the rodeo and it kind of wasn't the same. Tyler loved it and had a blast. It was great.

4. July 24 we went camping for the weekend. It was fun. I hadn't been camping in a long time! It was nice to kind of get away from the world and be in nature. It was beautiful. I was in awe about how God could create such beautiful things and then thankful that I was able to enjoy the pure beauty. It was fun. Zoey had a great time and so did Tyler. It was a perfect little outing to forget about our cares.

5. July 30-31 Carol and Randal came and surprised the kids and stayed with us for the weekend. It was so much fun! Friday night we played games, and then in the morning we went for a little ride. Then we went to the park for lunch and played boccee ball! It was a blast. Later that night Brindy and Lydia came down and we bbq fish, had all kinds of fruit, and corn on the cob. Then we played croquet. Justin won the first time, and Carol won the second time. Then we played games into the night! It was a real treat to have them come and we had sooo much fun!

6. The biggest news of all.... August 3 I had my first dr. appointment and heard my baby's heartbeat. Yup that's right! We are expecting #3 FINALLY!!! I'm due March 1! The kids are excited, we are excited, and it's going great!

So in a nutshell that was our summer! Now it's time to get ready for school. Which unfortunately for Headstart doesn't start till after Labor Day. I'm super excited for school to start and Tyler is super excited to go to school. So hope you all had fun summers and that the rest of the year can be just as fun!

Zoey, Zoey, Zoey!!!

2010-07-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

So the other day when Justin got home Zoey was having a tea party with her babies upstairs and I was downstairs with Tyler relaxing on the couch watching Super Hero Squad. I hear Zoey say, "Yeah daddy!" Then I hear (as she's coming down the stairs), "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Mommy, SURPRISE it's daddy!!!" I started to laugh!! She was giving me my birthday present, daddy! It was the cutest thing ever! She is so silly and getting soo big! I can't believe that she is a little girl now, not my baby! It is so crazy how fast the time goes.

School's Out For The Summer!

2010-06-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Tyler is offically done with one year of preschool. He turns 5 in the middle of the year so he has another year of preschool before he goes to kindergarten. At his school they had a little program and it was the cutest thing ever! I wish I videoed it with our camera, but we did it with our video camera instead. You could hear Tyler sing the loudest of all his class. Justin got to leave work for a few minutes so he could come and see it. So my mom, Abby, Justin, Zoey, Bailee, Stephen, and Alison came to watch Tyler perform. I cried through the whole thing! I am such a ball baby! Especially when it comes to things like this, watching my kids, nieces, and nephews grow up! Tyler is my buddy and it's hard to see him get sooo big! Don't get me wrong I love that he is bigger, but I miss my little fat baby too! :) Tyler had such a good day and I'm so proud of his progress. His teachers said that he was a head of the class. He is really smart and they always asked him the questions cause he knew all the answers. That makes me feel really good that he is such a smart kid. I love it! I love my kids! I can't wait for next year! Sadly, Zoey is going to be old enough for preschool next year! CRAZY huh? I guess they can't stay young forever!

Congratulations Tyler, I love you!

Zoo Day!!

2010-06-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

Tyler's school gave all the families free tickets to the zoo so we caravaned up with our friends Christi and Brad Nichols and we all went to the zoo together. We love doing things with their family cause our kids play very well together. They have a son that was in school with Tyler, his name is Jayden. A little girl that is a little younger than Zoey named Breann, and a baby named Macey. It was really fun! We got there right when it opened so we got to see the animals awake and doing stuff! We packed a lunch, and then stayed until about 2:30. It was a fun day and the kids LOVED it!!

Saturday of our Trip

2010-05-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

I don't have any pictures of what we did Saturday. Sorry so you'll just have to read it.
We woke up early and started the drive home. It was a really long drive. We stopped in Barstow for lunch and then trecked on. Justin and I switched just outside of Las Vegas. He was getting kind of sleepy. We got to Cedar City at about 2. Then we went to Sheri's house and ate lunch and visited with everyone there; Brindy and Chris, Launa, Karen, Grandma Stoker, Kevin, and Sheri.
At 3:30 Justin and I met up with Linsey and Ray and took the kids to a bounce house they have there. It was a lot of fun and really cute to see the kids play and have fun together. Megan was really brave and went down the big slide all by herself. She loved it! She didn't like people behind her so she would stop everyone and tell them all no and to go away. You know Megan it's her way or the highway! :)
At 4:30 Linsey took our kids to her house and we met at Sheri's house to go to Touacan and see the BYU Folk Dancers. It was really fun. I enjoyed watching the dancing and laughing and joking with my sweetheart. It was fun to be with family and have a good night out. At 11:30 we got to Linsey's house and spent the night there.
7:00 rolled around and we headed home so we could go to church. It was nice to get home and be at our house and not driving.
But I miss Disneyland!! It was an awesome trip and we had soooo much fun! Tyler asks me everyday when we are going back. He really had a great time too. We had fun with Carol and Randal and getting to know them better and making some fun memories! We will have to do it again!

Thursday and Friday

2010-05-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

So Thursday we had an early entry and we got to go into the park before the gates opened. We went straight to Fantasyland and went on Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Mr. Toad, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, the Carousal, and Snow White. Then we decided that we would wait in line for the Princesses. Ya NEVER going to do that again!! We waited for an hour to see those Princesses. We thought we were going to see all of them, but we only got to see 3!! What a rip off! But Zoey really enjoyed it. We got to see Ariel, which Zoey loves. Then we saw Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog, another one of Zoeys favorites, and Belle. Zoey doesn't really know much about her but she still loved her.

When we left Jasmine, and Snow White came! Ya Zoey would have loved to see them!! Especially Snow White! While we were in line for the Princesses Justin got fast passes for Thundermountain. By the time we were done with the princesses we stopped for a little snack and then it was time to use our fast passes for Thundermountain. Carol didn't get to go on it so I stayed with Zoey while Carole, Randal, Justin, and Tyler went on the ride! They had fun. Then Randal got fast passes for Splash Mountain, and Justin got fast passes for Soarin and met us at Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. We wanted to eat lunch there but it was packed so we just stood and watched it. The kids were loving it! They were dancing like crazy!! It was cute. Randal and Carol decided that they would take the kids to lunch and then the hotel so Justin and I could go on some rides together. We had extra Splash Mountain fast passes so we went on that, then we stood in line for Indiana Jones since I didn't get to go on it. Then we headed over to California Adventure to watch the Aladdin Show. Carol and Randal met us there with the kids. And the kids LOVED the show! They were glued. Their favorite part was when the magic carpet flew over the crowd! It was fun. Then we went to Taste Pilots grill for dinner. After dinner Carol, Randal, Tyler, and I went on Soarin! I love that ride! Its SOOOO AMAZING!! While we were on that ride Justin got fast passes for the Grizzly Rapids. When we were done we saved seats for the Electrical Parade. While we were saving seats Tyler, Randal, and Justin went on the Grizzly Rapids. When they got back Carol and I went. It was fun! I GOT SOAKED!! Then we watched the Parade. The kids loved it! It was a blast! After the parade we gave the fast passes for Splash to Carol and Randal and told them to have fun. We took the kids to the hotel and went to bed. Expect I couldn't sleep cause I was worried about Carol and Randal. I know silly!! It was like they were my kids, lol. I was worried they would get lost but I finally kicked it at midnight. Apparently they came back at 12:30. So they had fun which is what we were aiming for.

Friday was a lazy day. We did everything in Disneyland so we slept in and got to the gates to California Adventure at 10 a.m. Then we booked it to Toy Story and went on that ride. Then we got fast passes for Screamin. The kids wanted to ride Tritans Carousal again so we rode that 2. Then we went on the Ferris Wheel. That was really fun too. Then we headed to Soarin and got fast passes for it. Then we took turns going on Screamin! Justin and I went first, and then Carol and Randal! They loved it so much we got fast passes again! Then we used our fast passes for Soarin. Then we went to Pizza A Mow Mow. Good food! Then we got fast passes for the Grizzly Rapids. After we got the fast passes we went on Monsters Inc. and waited for 45 min. We decided to go shopping and got some stuff for the kids. Then we went on Grizzly Rapids and headed to the hotel for a rest. We went swimming and layed down for a bit. After our rest we headed to Splash Mountain for fast passes. When we first got through the gates Mickey and Minnie came out so we got our pictures taken. Then we got on the Main Street Train. and rode it all the way around. Then we went to Splash Mountain and Randal and Zoey went on Winnie the Pooh. When we were done Randal and Carol wanted to ride Haunted Mansion. So Justin went to get Fast Passes for Thundermountain and the kids and I went on Winnie the Pooh. Then we got our pictures taken with Pooh and Tigger. When Carol and Randal got back we went to dinner. After dinner we went on Thunder Mountain and headed home. We were beat and we needed to get up early to go home. We had such a good time!!

Stay tuned for Saturday.

Wednesday of Disneyland

2010-05-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Wednesday we got up early and went on The Matterhorn. Zoey was surprisingly tall enough to go on this ride. And of course she HATED it! It was funny though cause on all the hilly parts she would scream and it would go with the hills like aaaAAAaaaahh. It was funny. Then we decided to go on It's A Small World. We were there early enough that there was no wait at all. Then we waited for Toon Town to open. While we were there we went on Roger Rabbits Toon Spin, Gadgets Go Coaster, Met Pluto, and played in Donalds Boat. The kids had a blast. Then we took the train around the park and Justin got us Fast Passes for Space Mountain and then met us at California Adventure.

When we got there it was 10:30 so the park was open for only a half hour. Justin got fast passes for Soarin and then I stood in line for Toy Story for 90 min!!! It was rough!! While I was in line Grandma, Grandpa, Justin, and the kids went on King Tritans Carousal 2 and then got in line with me. After Toy Story we headed back to the hotel for a rest and lunch, and got pictures with Mattor, and Lightening Mcqueen.

While we were at the hotel Justin took the opportunity to take the kids swimming. Carol, Randal, and I rested for a little bit (me longer than them, they wanted pics of the kids swimming). I got up just when they got done. Justin told me that Zoey was pretending to be Ariel (mermaid as she calls her), so I asked Zoey if she was a mermaid and she said, "Um, YES!" Like duh mom of course I am a mermaid! It was hilarious!!

After lunch we headed back to Buzz, and we finally got to go on Space Mountain! Tyler was scared. Then we went on Star Tours. After Star Tours Justin must have gotten fast passes for Indiana Jones cause they went on that while I took the kids on Tarzans house and The Jungle Cruise. The kids loved it. Then we met up with the others and saved seats for the Fireworks. I was beat and they wanted to go to the Tiki Room so they took the kids and I just sat and relaxed. Tyler fell asleep during the fireworks and after we went back to the hotel and went to bed! It was better going back for lunch and a rest!

Stay tuned for Thursday and Friday!!!

Ya It's been a while.

2010-05-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! I have totally dropped the ball on my blog. Crazy things have happened so I am here now. I bet you all are dying to see pictures and here stories of our Disneyland trip so here it is. (Sorry Abby it's not going to be hour by hour cause on account of how much I remember)

So we left Sunday night and stayed at Linseys house. Then we woke up early Monday and left for Vegas to pick up Grandma and Grandpa Stoker. After we picked them up we made our trip to Disneyland. We stopped in Barstow and had lunch. Then we drove the rest of the way to Disneyland. We checked in to our room and relaxed the rest of the day. We went swimming, and then went shopping. We went to WalMart and of course Tyler has to do something to embarass us. There was a lady that walked by and she had grey dreadlocks. Tyler looks at her and said "Daddy it's medusa!" The lady just laughed and said "Is that what it looks like?" Tyler got shy and said nothing. Justin was dying with emberassment! We got back to the hotel and went to bed.

Tuesday we got up early and waited in line at the gates. We went straight to Pirates and then Haunted Mansion. This was not Zoeys ride at all! She absolutely hated it! We decided to go that one time for her sake. Justin got fast passes to Splash and we headed to Buzz. Then we went on Star Tours while Justin took Zoey to see Tinkerbell and get fast passes to Space Mt. Tyler was glued to the robot on Star Tours and he was totally involved. When we got off he says to me,"Mom it's a good thing I went on that ride to stop the bad guys from coming to our planet!" It was classic. We met up with Justin and then headed over to California Adventure. We went on some rides in A Bugs Land and then ate lunch. We saved seats for the Pixar Play Parade and the kids liked watching it. After, we went back to Disneyland and went on Pirates and Splash Mt. Randal took Zoey on Winnie the Pooh and that instently became her favorite ride. Everytime we would walk by the Haunted Mansion she would say "No ghosts, No ghosts!" We went over to Space Mt and attempted to go on it but it was shut down!! So we ate dinner at the Pizza Port. Used our fast pass for 6 (they gave it to us for the ride being shut down) on Thundermountain Railroad. Then we decided to call it a day. We all were so tired that we decided to take breaks for lunch the rest of the trip.

So that was our first 2 days at the Happiest Place On Earth. Stay tuned for Wednesday and Thursday!

California Here I Come!!

2010-04-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

"My bags are packed and I'm ready to go. I'm standing here outside my door, I hate to wake you all up to say...................." I'M GOING TO CALIFORNIA!!!

That's right you heard me! I am going to California. (disneyland) I woke up this morning and saw a winter wonderland and I thought to myself. That's it I'm out of here! I've had enough of this weather. I am going to Disneyland. So we are off. We leave Monday to pick up Justin's parents from the airport in Vegas and then we are gone. We actually had this all planned so it wasn't the spur of the moment decision. I had you all goin though didn't I? :)

So we won't be back til Saturday! I'm on vacation. No worries, no phone calls! So don't call me!! Just kidding.

Well, Jenny is out PEACE!!!!!!

1 and 1/2 years!!

2010-03-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

Back in August of 2008 I posted about Tyler breaking his leg. My mom commented that we needed to take bets on when the next hospital visit would be. Well Tyler was about 2 1/2 then and he is 4 now so I figure it's been 1 and 1/2 years since he has been to the hospital.

Before Tyler could go to school he had to have a physical. We took him to the doctor and he asked if Tyler's testicles dropped. (They should drop by the age of 4) We didn't think anything of it and said yes but the dr told us the next time he had a bath or we got him dressed to just check. Well a couple days later Tyler was in the tub and Justin checked him. He came in the room and told me that they hadn't dropped. I was in denial and put it off for a couple months until I checked so I made an appointment. The dr checked him and then we scheduled an ultra sound. 2 weeks later he had his ultra sound and they found them way up by his bladder. Tyler was really brave and pretty cute. So we scheduled a follow up appointment and the dr said we needed to do surgery. He said we needed to see a urologist up at Primary Childrens. We called the urologist which is funny cause he is the same dr that took care of Tylers uritors when he had his first surgery. The dr checked him out and told us we needed to schedule a date for surgery. We made the date for March 19.

So March 18th we spent the night at Leah's (thank you so much by the way) and was at the hospital at 8:15 a.m. and was out of the hospital by 1 p.m. The nurses and the dr told us that he was going to be sore and in pain for a couple days and that he couldn't have anything between his legs for 2 weeks. They gave us pain killers and told us that he would want to take it easy. YEAH RIGHT!! We are talking about Tyler here. He was jumping on the tramp the very next day, riding his scooter, playing, and having a GREAT time. Nothing slows this kid down.

So ya, it took Tyler a year and half to get back to the hospital. Let's hope that this is the end of our visits for a long time!

The Blues

2010-03-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ya so I don't know what I'm going to do during the summer having Tyler home everyday without school. I really love it that Tyler's going to school. It's nice to just be with Zoey for a couple hours. She really loves the time we have too.

Well this past week Tyler has been sick. I love it when he gets sick cause all he wants to do is cuddle, but he demands ALL of my attention. I can't get up or do anything cause he wants to snuggle. Zoey's used to having mommy to herself in the mornings and she was not liking the fact that Tyler was getting all of my attention. She has acted out so much the past week and I really think it's because Tyler needed my attention.

So I've been having the blues having Tyler home all week. It's great, but it's pretty exausting as well. He's a great kid and I love him so much, but I love school too. :)

He's finally getting better, just a runny nose, and I'm looking forward to sending him off to school tomorrow. I think he's been missing it too. He likes going to school, and being home all week and now that he's starting to get better I can tell that he is bored.

School is winding down and summer is approaching! Too bad we couldn't have school all year long. ;)

Phineas and Ferb

2010-02-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

So not much goes on in my life. All I really do is just stay at home with my kids. We play and watch tv shows. I know all the songs to the opening credits and stuff like that. There's, Max and Ruby, Backyardigans, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Wonder Pets, Wow Wow Wubbzy, Olivia, Chuggington, Handy Manny, Imagination Movers, etc. The list goes on. But there is one show that my kids love and that I think is the funniest, most clever show. It's called Phineas and Ferb. It's hillarious.

For those of you who haven't heard or watched this show let me explain. It's about these 2 boys named Phineas and Ferb who make a new invention or build something new everyday. Their older sister Candace is bound and determined to bust them, but everytime she comes close to busting them their inventions magically disappear. This is on account of the boys' pet platapus named Perry. He is actually a secret agent who tries to stop the "evil Dr Doofenschmirts." The evil dr makes things to try to destroy the the Tri State Area and Perry always stops him, and destroys Phineas and Ferbs inventions while doing it. It is hillarious! And the show is always making me laugh. Justin even likes it and we even watch the show without our kids sometimes.

There are a few episodes that are our favorites. Justin's favorites are: Love Handle, and Backyard Beach. In these episodes the boys and Candace help their dad bring back the band Love Handle for their parents wedding anniversary. In the Backyard Beach the boys build a beach in the backyard and Candace joins because her sweetheart Jeremy comes. These are good episode.

Mine are the Ferbtones, Squirrles in my pants, and much more. The Ferbtones is when the boys make a band that becomes a one hit wonder. In Squirrles in my pants Candace goes on a date with Jeremy but his little sister is a long and she terrorizes Candace.

The show is good and I recommend watching it.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

For New Years I wanted to take the kids sledding so we got together with Mom, Dad, Matt, Abby, Jeremy, and Bailee. We loaded up and went to the farm (down to the meadow). They loaded up on bus hood hooked it up to the tractor and went sledding. It was fun. They were having a blast. Justin and I had a chance to go by ourselves and Matt got behind the wheel! Yes you can only imagine. He did try to get us to fall off, but we held our own. We brought our own sled and the kids went down a hill while Matt and Dad fed the cows. Later that night we went up to Spanish and rang in the New Year with Chris, Brindy, Lydia, Karen, Launa, Richard, Sheri, and Kevin. We played games and had a great time. It was a good way to start off the new year!

Christmas In Virginia

2010-01-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

So this year for Christmas we went to Virginia. It was fun once we got there. We drove and let me tell you it was a looooonnnnnggggg drive. 36 hours! Luckily my brother and his beautiful wife live in Kansas City Missouri. It takes 17 hours to get there, and 17 hours from there to Virginia. We spent the night with them and even went on a date. It was fun and really good to see them at their house. It was fun to see there little house. We got up early the next morning and we got to Virginia December 18th at midnight. We would have gotten there at 10 p.m. if it didn't start snowing. It was bad and guess who was driving......ya that's right me! The people in VA don't know how to drive in the snow and the plows don't even know how to work the plows. Which is why they shut everything down. After we got off the freeway they closed it, and just when we were about to get to Carol and Randals house they closed that road. Luckily Justin could still find his way around and at midnight we finally made it there. Saturday we just spent the day inside cause it was still snowing. We played games, and just chilled all day. It was nice to have a break. Then Sunday church was cancelled cause it was still snowing. Marcella and her family finally made it. And the kids had a ball together watching movies, running around, and playing with toys. That night of course we played games.

While we were there for the week we watched movies, played games, went shopping, Nic did my hair, the guys had a night out, the couples and Rachel had a date night, we saw the National Christmas Tree, and then Carol and Randal treated the kids to a bounce house on Christmas Eve! The kids absolutely loved it. They had the time of their lives sliding down slides and jumping around! I finally got to hear Candle Light Carol by Neal Diamond on Christmas Day. It was a good song. It was fun watching the kids open their presents. It was a good Christmas. That night we played games for the final night and got everything packed and loaded so we could leave early the next morning. We left at 5 a.m. and made the trek back to Utah. When we hit Colorado both Justin and I were excited to see mountains again! We did have a great vacation and the best Holiday. We had a wonderful time and we love and miss everyone! We hope to see you all soon!

They Are The Best

2009-12-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

So I would just like to make a little tribute to my parents. They are the best parents ever! Really they are. They are always there for me and there to support me in any decision that I make. I remember growing up and there would be times that my mom and I would fight and I would think to myself that I was never going to be like my mother. Well I am a lot like my mother. I do a lot of the same things as she used to do with us as kids. My dad is like a living lie dectecor or problem dectector. He knows just by looking at you when something is wrong. He knows when I am not having a very good day. He also knows when there is something pressing on my mind. I love talking to him, and I like to hear what counsel he has for me. He is a very perceptive man. I love him. He is kind, sweet, and caring. I don't know what I would do without my parents. They truly are the best! I'm glad that you guys are my parents and that you taught me the gospel.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!

The Twilight Saga Contiues

2009-11-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

So good ole Nephi has moved up in the world and got a 3 screen movie theater!! And I got to see one of the AWESOMEST movies in this theater:

Ya that's right NEW MOON!! I went to the midnight showing with my sweetheart Justin, Sarah and her sweetheart Jake, Madison, and McKenna Lenhart.

Abby so graciously got all of us New Moon t-shirts (thank you Abby), and we wore them while we watched the show.

We got there at like 10:15 and waited for the coveted movie to start. While we were waiting they showed a slide show of pictures from the new movie, so I took some awesome pictures. And of course some awesome pictures of our crew:

So if there are any of you that haven't seen the movie or are not going to the movie you SERIOUSLY need to go! It's a new director so there are a lot more special effects and a whole lot more action! You are pulled into the movie from the beginning until the end! No slow parts what so ever!

Thank you Abby for watching our kids!! It was one of the BEST nights EVER!!!

Gardner Village

2009-10-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

My Mom, Abby, Bailee, Zoey, and I went up to Salt Lake and visited Gardner Village. Bailee had a little scavenger hunt to find certain witches so we looked at all the witches and wrote them down. If you find all the witches then you can get a free cookie. Then we looked at the little shops that they have there. It was really fun. Zoey had a lot of fun with just her mom. It was fun to just have a day with the girls.

After Gardner Village we all went to lunch at the Pizza Factory in Provo. This made Zoey feel like such a big girl. She was so much fun the whole time, and she was pretty good considering how early we left and how long we were gone.

So it was a really fun mother daughter day!

General Conference

2009-10-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

We got the opportunity to go to Conference again this year. It was really fun, and nice. This year we did something a little different. Since Justin doesn't have to work on Fridays we decided to spend the afternoon at Temple Square and take some pictures of our little family. It was so much fun. We arrived at Temple Square at 2:30 p.m. and walked around the Conference Center.

Then we went to the top of the Church Office Building and looked down at the city. The kids thought that it was really cool. Then we took the kids picture on the wedding block looking at the Salt Lake Temple. After that we went on the grounds and the kids got to touch the doors. They were soo excited that they got to actually touch the Temple. Every door we came to they had to touch the doors. Next we went in the Visitors Center and looked at the statue of Jesus. Tyler was so cute he went up to the statue and started to talk to him. He told him about the temple, how much fun he was having, and that he loved him. It was really sweet. When we left Zoey waved goodbye and said "Bye Jesus!" Then we rode tracks to the Gateway to eat dinner at the food court. They thought that it was really cool to ride a "train." Our last stop was Wal-Mart so we could get some food to eat for the weekend. It was 7:30 p.m. when we headed to the hotel. By the end of the night we were sooo tired we said hello to my family at the hotel and then crashed. It was a busy day, but I think a great way to start off the spiritual weekend. It was a good conference this year and everyone seemed to be talking directly to me. We had a rough afternoon on Saturday, and the ride home on Sunday was pretty eventful too. Linsey's car broke down so we crammed them into our car along with the 4 kids we already had. (Jeremy and Bailee added to our 2) Maybe some changes will have to be made for the next one. So despite all the road blocks it was a great conference.

First Day of School!!

2009-09-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that my little boy is in preschool?!?!?! He was soo excited to go to school. Tyler's in headstart so he gets to ride the bus everyday. The bus picks him up, and drops him off at our house. I love it.

I actually got to go to school with him. The first week of school was just to get the kids used to it. The teacher took the kids on a tour and told them about each little area. She showed them the bathroom and showed them how to wash their hands, and how much paper to use to dry them off.

Each day they play, do a craft, play outside, storytime, dance to get the wiggles out, eat lunch, brush their teeth, and then go home. This week they have been learning about manners and rules. I haven't been to class with him so I'm sure they have lessons and things. He comes running home to me everyday and tells what a good day he has had and how he was good and listened. I love it!

Everyday he tells me how he wants to go to school. I love how much he loves school it makes me happy. I love waiting for the bus with him in the morning, and waiting for him to come home. He is a good boy, and I love my little preschooler!!

How The Time Flies

2009-09-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

August 20, 2009 my baby, Zoey turned 2!! I can't believe how fast she has grown! The time really does fly! We had a birthday party for her at my mom's house.

We set up a little pool,

decorated the house for a luau,

had a barbaque, a pinata,

opened presents, and had birthday cake.

Every year for every one of my kids birthdays Brindy and Chris has been there. I'm glad that they live close enough so atleast someone from Justin's family can represent. We love having them close.

It was a great birthday. She got a lot of cute things. She loves all of it, and she loved all of the attention. She is getting bigger and bigger everyday and more fun the older she gets. I love my little angel. Happy Birthday Zoey!!

An Ode To Linsey

2009-08-17T09:53:00.001-07:00

I love my family. I love both of my sisters. I love my brother. They all have had an impact on my life one way or another. Today though I would like to make a special tribute to my sister Linsey.

Linsey and I are close in age. In school she was 2 grades ahead of me so we went to High School together. Her friends were my friends, and my friends were her friends. So we were always together. She would tell me things that she wouldn't tell anyone else. We would be so silly that we would drive my mom nuts! She would get upset at us because we would just giggle. We would giggle for no reason. We both had rooms downstairs. They were right next to each other. I remember one night, it was the last night of summer, and the next day we would have to get up and go to school. So we were listening to music in her room and we were laughing and being silly. We decided that we wanted to have a sleepover so I went upstairs and asked my mom if I could sleep in Linsey's room for a sleepover. She looked at me like I was nuts but said yes. We had a great night. We had to share a bathroom downstairs, but there would be times when I was all ready for the day and she wanted me to sit with her and talk with her while she would do her hair and get ready. It was little things like that, that we did together all the time. She was my best friend.

She protected me from dangers and was there for me when boys were being jerks, or when my friends decided that they didn't like me anymore. We were like twins. I love her. I wish she lived closer so we can be silly together. So we can watch movies, and play games. I miss her.

This week for some reason I have been thinking about her a lot and that is why I made this Tribute. Linsey I love you, and I'm glad that you are my sister. Thank you for all the things you have done for me, and for the better person you make me.

Best Buds

2009-08-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

So Tyler and his cousin Kyle go together like "peas and carrots." Everytime my sister comes up for the weekend Tyler wants to have a sleepover. He wants to do everything with Kyle. The last time they came up Tyler and Kyle spent the whole day together. Justin was doing yard work and they were playing together.

Well they started to get bored so we put the sprinkler under the tramp and they played in the water for like an hour. Justin thought it looked like fun so he joined in. I love it when my sister Linsey comes to visit. So Tyler and Kyle are best buds, and they kind of look alike too. It's always a treat when Kyle comes to play.

"Zoey, I'm Sorry"

2009-08-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

So I have to say I've got some pretty cute kids. Yes at times they both drive me crazy! (I'm surprised I haven't turned gray yet) This is just one story that I think makes them both pretty cute.

Well, we all know how wild Tyler can be. He loves to have fun but he can go overboard sometimes. So he is always saying, "Zoey, I'm sorry." Then they both go about playing and 5 minutes later he's saying the same thing.

You can only imagine what is going through Zoey's mind at this point. (Zoey, I'm sorry, Zoey I'm sorry..........) The poor thing took it literally. To Zoey Tyler's name is Sorry.

She will walk around the house "Where's Sorry?" We say our prayers and she says, "Bless Sorry." For the longest time I didn't know what she was talking about until we were sitting at the table and she was naming everyone around the table. "Daddy, Mommy, Zoey, Sorry." I pointed at Tyler and said, "Who's this?" She says, "Sorry." We all laughed for the longest time. Then I realized this whole time she thinks Tyler's name is Sorry. What would you think if someone kept saying I'm Sorry? (like an introduction)

Kids sure do say the darndest things!!

75 years of the Ute Stampede

2009-07-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

So another tradition that is in good old Nephi is the Ute Stampede Rodeo. It's a lot of fun and goes on for 3 days. The first day is the horse parade. And we watch all of the horses go down main street. Sometimes they throw candy but not all the time. Then after the parade is the rodeo. We went to the rodeo that day. My sister watched Zoey and we got to enjoy the rodeo with Tyler. He was really cute. He would laugh, dance, and hoop and holler for the guys to do a good job. Tyler liked the Wild Child. It's this guy that does stunts on a motorcycle. It was cool.

The second day is the Mammoth Parade and this is the big parade that they throw LOTS of candy and it goes on for like 2 hours! The kids loved this one of course. I like watching the drill team dance and the bands come through. It's fun. Then it's the rodeo. We stayed home and watched Linsey's little girl Megan.

The last day is the bathing beauty parade. We never go to this one. I think it's stupid watching girls in their bathing suits. No thank you. It's dumb. Then it's the rodeo. We went to the rodeo this night too with just Tyler again. We only stayed for half of it cause I wasn't feeling to well.

So that's that. I love Nephi and all the summer traditions they have going on! It's a good little town. Everyone is friendly and says hello even if they don't know who you are. It's a fun place to live.

July 4th

2009-07-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

So as a tradition for the fourth we go to the city park and enjoy all of the festivities it has to offer. The kids played in these blow up jumping things and they loved it!

Then we took them on the swings. Zoey of course would have nothing to do with this, but Tyler sure did enjoy it. Then of course they played games to earn tickets to redeem for prizes. They had a lot of fun. Brindy and Lydia met us at the park and we got to enjoy the rest of the day with them! It was lots of fun!

Most of all I think the kids enjoyed playing in the water and the mud the best!! Out of all the things there this was their favorite. Later that night we went to my mom's house for dinner and waited for the fireworks unfortunately the weather had other ideas and we got rained out! But the lightning was good and Gary's fireworks (the neighbors) were just as good as the ones would have been at the school. So I would have to say that our Independence Day was a pretty good one!

Idaho Trip!

2009-06-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ya this summer so far has been CRAZY!!! It seems like we've been gone every weekend since the beginning of June! So to continue with the crazy summer we went to Idaho so I could finally meet the rest of Justin's family.

We left Thursday and got there that night and stayed at Marcella's house. The kids crashed cause we were in the car for a while. Friday we went to Idaho Falls. I was shocked at how many waterfalls there are in Idaho! It was AMAZING! So beautiful to.

After that waterfall we went to another one. I can't remember what it was called but it was just as pretty. Afterwards we went to Marcella's for lunch.

Then we went to another waterfall that you could actually walk behind! It was sooo cool!! Really cold because you would get wet but fun. Then we went to see the alligators. It was like this alligator farm. They were doing tests on the water or something so they brought in these alligators. There was like 10 of them. It was pretty cool. Then we went for a ride and saw the farm that Randal grew up on, and then the house that Justin grew up in. Then we went to Grandma Anderson's house for dinner and there I met some of Justin's family. It was nice to meet them and they were pretty funny. They told me a bunch of stories about Justin and how they would tease him. It was nice. Later that night we went home and played a few games and went to bed.

Saturday we went over to Justin's uncle Kenny's house for a big picnic/reunion. It was fun. We played crochet, and the kids went on a treasure hunt, some adults played horse tails, and then we played a game of farckle. It was a good time. We got some good pictures of the family and some of the kids. We also got a family picture taken. We went home and played games with Carol and Randal before they left to go back home that Sunday morning.

Sunday, we went to church, ate dinner, played a few games, and packed up and went home. It was a fun trip! The kids played really well together and it was great meeting the rest of the fam, and seeing the other family again as well. It was a well deserved trip.

5 Years And Counting!!

2009-06-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

June 4th was our Anniversary and we have been married for 5 years!! CRAZY huh! I love Justin! He is so great! Well, for our anniversary we went to Las Vegas. Justin's parents and Becky drove out from Virginia to watch the kids for us. We left Wednesday and didn't get back until Saturday for a Stoker Reunion.
We didn't get there until like 3 a.m. so once we checked in we just crashed. We stayed at the Imperial Palace next to Harrah's and the Mirage. It was a really nice hotel. We got the suite so there was this HUGE bath tub right in the middle of the room, and we had a balcony and it overlooked the pool! It was a huge pool and REALLY nice.

So Thursday we got up in time for lunch. (It felt soooo good to sleep in) We ate at the Emperor's Buffet! It was HORRIBLE!!! I got sick and we spent like 50 bucks! It was totally not worth it. So after lunch we headed over to Sam's Town and watched a movie. We saw Ghost's of Girlfriends Past. It was hilarious and cute! I loved it! Then we went bowling, and then to dinner at Panda Express. After dinner we watched this little water show they had inside the hotel at Sam's called Mystic River. It was really good. After the show we hit the streets of Vegas, and rode on the Gondola's! It was AMAZING!! They serenaded you while they pushed you around! It was great. After, we walked over by Treasure Island, and the Mirage. Then we stopped at a place called Serendipity 3. It was so cool cause it felt like we were eating at Serendipity in New York. (We've never been to the one in NY, but it still felt cool) We got ice cream and then went back to the hotel for a little shut eye.

Friday we got up and went to Alberston's to buy some breakfast and lunch. We got back to the hotel and ate our lunch (cause once again we slept in) and then went down to the pool. We swam and then layed out for like an hour! It was a blast. After that we got ready to hit the streets of Vegas once again. We ate lunch at a place called Chipotle Grill. It was really good. Then we walked all the way down to the M&M Factory and bought the kids some m&m's and a cup. Then we went over to the New York Hotel and rode the roller coaster. It was a blast! Then we watched the Bellagio water show and then went on the Eiffel Tower overlook and watched the show from up there! It was fun and amazing! By the time we made it all the way down there and back it was pretty late so we bought some cards and went to the room and played some games.

Saturday we woke up early and drove back to Nephi, picked up some things, and then went up to Salt Lake for the Stoker reunion. Carol and Randal said the kids were great and Zoey even slept through the night!! How rude huh?! She won't even do that for me!

I was so excited to see the kids. It was a great trip and I'm glad that I have eternity to spend with Justin!! I love you HUN!

Our Last Day At Disneyland!! :(

2009-06-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

So Saturday was our last day in the park. :( We got at the gates right when they opened and headed to Critter Country where Splash Mountain was. There was no wait at all so we took the older kids, (Tyler included because of the "paper in his shoes") and they let us go on it 2 times because there was no one there. Meanwhile, mom took the younger kids on Winnie The Pooh. They let them stay on that 2 times and they loved it. When we got off we all went on Winnie The Pooh and we got to do it 2 times as well. Then Abby and Matt got there after they dropped Sheridy and her kids off at the Airport. They went on Splash, and after we headed over to Haunted Mansion. Of course Zoey had her gun and she was safe and happy. After the Mansion we went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Buzz ride, and Space Mountain. We tried again to get Tyler on the ride but once again they wouldn't let him. He was broken hearted again. After Space we went to a 3-D show called Honey I shrunk the Audience. It was cute Zoey got freaked out a couple of times, but it was fun.

After that we split up and we went on the Storybook Boats. I've never been on it, and I thought it was cute and fun. The kids loved it. After the boats we went on the Jungle Cruise! I LOVE the Jungle Cruise. I know it's fake and all that stuff but the kids were loving it. Zoey's favorite part was the piranha's! She loved the fish!

Then we met up with the group and decided to eat at Cafe Orleans. It was really good!! Tyler ordered Salmon. He really wanted to eat fish so we thought we would try it out. We hid his paper in his shoes and he was sad that he wasn't going to be tall enough to ride the rides, so we told him if he ate his fish all gone he would be tall enough to go on the rides. Sure enough he ate it all gone. We headed over to Splash Mountain and "magically" he was tall enough. He told the guy that he ate his fish all gone and it made him grow! (The plan worked hehehe!!)

After Splash Zoey was in desperate need of a nap! It was going to be an explosion!! So we went to the hotel and Tyler went swimming while Zoey and I took a nap. We ate dinner and then headed over the Disneyland. We told Tyler that he was going to go on Space Mountain. (Justin put more paper in his shoes so that he would definitely be tall enough.) Well on our way over there he crashed and was out for the rest of the night. We went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. While we were on Splash Mountain it broke down. So we got to see the inner workings of Splash Mountain. They said they would give us a fast pass for any ride but we've been on them all. After Splash we went with Linsey and her family over to Space Mountain. After the ride we all went shopping and headed back to the hotel.

The next morning we got up and left at 9 a.m. and got home at 8 p.m. It was sad. I wasn't ready to leave! I wanted to be there longer!! Especially when Tyler woke up the next morning crying hysterically cause he didn't get to go on Space Mountain!! But it was fun and the kids had a ball!!

So this ends our magical journey to Disneyland!!

The End

"I've Got Paper In My Shoes" Disneyland part 2

2009-06-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

So to continue with Day 2 of our Disneyland Trip, we woke up early and went to Goofy's Kitchen for breakfast! It was so much fun! We got our picture taken with Pluto, and then we were shown to our seats.

It was an all you can eat breakfast. It was AMAZING!!! Expensive but soooo worth it. We saw a lot of characters. Balloo, Dale, Cinderella, and Goofy was all there. Goofy came to our table a couple of times. Zoey would smile and say hi and then bye quickly. It was cute.

After Goofy's Kitchen we met Abby's family at the gates and got in the park at 8:15. Then we took some pictures while we waited for everyone else to get there.

When they arrived we went on the rides there at Fantasyland. We rode Peter Pan, tea cups, and Alice in Wonderland. Me and my mom rode with Zoey on the teacups and she was wigging. I guess it was because we was making the cup spin fast and she was not liking it. Then we decided to stop when she was screaming whoa!! It was fun!! We did discover a secret so Zoey wouldn't freak out on the rides anymore. So we bought Tyler this buzz gun. It lights up and makes noises. We convinced Tyler to let her hold it while we went on some rides, and everytime she got scared she would shoot the gun! It was great! She didn't freak after that.

After that we got a group picture taken in front of the castle then we went our seperate ways. We went back to Fantasyland and rode on Mr. Toads Wild Ride, and Pinicchio. Then we met the gang over at Pirates of the Caribbiean. While we were in line Justin bought Zoey a miniature buzz gun so both the kids could hold their guns. We was about to board when they said the ride was having some problems. So we waited about 15 min and they let us on. As we were coming back they were shutting down the ride. Atleast we got to ride it. After Pirates we headed over to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! Tyler absolutely LOVED this ride!! I was happy that he was tall enough to ride it. Justin took him on it and he said that he was saying "choo choo" the whole time! They even let them ride it again because there wasn't a line.

After that we got a group picture taken at the front gates of Disneyland and then headed back to the hotel for a nap. When we were done with a nap we met the others at California Adventure and rode on Monsters Inc. Justin, and I took the kids and saved a place for the Pixar Parade while the others went on Tower of Terror!

I loved the Pixar Parade! It was soooo cute! All the kids loved it too! I got the best video of the kids dancing! It was AWESOME!!! After the parade we headed back to Disneyland and rode on The Buzz Ride.

After the Buzz ride we went on Space Mountain! I was so upset. The guy cleared Tyler down below to go on the ride, but before we were boarding the girl like parted his hair and could barely fit her pinky under the line. So she wouldn't let him go on! He was so upset!! He wanted to ride a "Space Ship." It was getting late so we took turns saving a place for the fireworks (which they ended up canceling! So lame). So we took Tyler on Splash Mountain. He had to go to the bathroom so Justin took him and put some paper towels in his shoes so that he would for sure be able to ride the ride.
So this is what was said starting from leaving the bathroom. Justin: "Tyler now you don't tell anybody that there is paper in your shoes ok. It's a secret." Tyler: "Ok." The guy at the ride: "Step up to the line buddy. Stand really straight and tall. Good job you are clear to go. I need your ticket." Tyler: "I've got paper in my shoes!!" (as he was jumping around) Jenny cuts him off before he could finish: "Here's your ticket thank you!" (as she pushes Tyler out of the way) CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!! It was great! I was laughing my head off! Poor Tyler was crying because mommy wouldn't let him finish!! We later changed that idea and stuck it under the padding in his shoes so he wouldn't know.

After Splash Abby watched the kids while Justin, Matt, and I went on Indiana Jones. We had fast passes so we thought it would be 20 mins, but 50 mins later the ride was over!! CRAZY!!! After that ride we bought a few souvieners and went back to the hotel for some shut eye!! It was a fun day!

And that's the end of day 2.

DISNEYLAND!!! THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH

2009-05-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

(Ya I know it's been a while!)

The Stokers also went to Disneyland with the rest of the family! It was GREAT!!! We left on Wednesday at noon and drove to the state line and stayed at Buffalo Bills. Totally GHETTO, but what can you expect for an $8 hotel room? Tyler was pumped that we were at a hotel so he got in his swimsuit, we got to the pool, and it was NASTY!!!! There were leaves all over in it and to top it off there was a packet of cigarettes in it as well!! Poor Tyler was devasted, but we reassured him that when we get to Disneyland that he can go swimming there! That got him excited and ready for the early long drive.

So we got up at 3 a.m. and headed to Disneyland. When we finally got there (cause we decided to see the ghetto side of Anaheim not by choice either) it was great!! Tyler was loving every moment! He was in heaven I swear the whole time! Zoey on the other hand hated every ride we went on. She was not liking it at all! She would smile in some pictures but it was a worried kind of smile. We meet everyone at the Alice in Wonderland ride and then we went over to California Adventure to ride Toy Story. I liked it but of course Zoey did not.

Then we went over to the Tower of Terror! (Thank goodness Tyler wasn't tall enough) While we were heading over to Tower of Terror Goofy showed up! So of course we had to get a picture taken! Tyler loved Goofy, Zoey however did not. (go figure)

After the Tower of Terror we went to Playhouse Disney. It's a show that they put on with some of the characters from the Disney channel. It was so cute! All of the kids loved it! Even Zoey!!! After Playhouse Disney we went to Taste Pilots grill and had lunch then we went on Soarin over California! Tyler was tall enough for this ride and he loved it!! It was like you were flying or hang gliding. It was great! Then we decided to head to the hotel for a nap! It was well deserved cause we all crashed!

Then we meet everyone back at Disneyland for the parade! I loved it!! Zoey was loving the parade too! Some of the characters would come up to her and shake her hand and give her a hug! She had a good time. Tyler enjoyed it too! He saw all of his favorite characters.

After the parade we went to see the man of the hour MICKEY MOUSE!!! Tyler would not take his eyes off him!! And when we got our group picture taken of course he had to be right in front of Mickey!! It totally made his day!

Then we went back to the hotel and that was the end of

day 1

Happy Easter

2009-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our Easter was fun. The night before Easter we colored some eggs. Both of the kids loved it. We bought a kit that had stickers in them and after we colored the eggs the kids decorated them with stickers. It was cute.

Since we had church in the morning we waited until after church to give the kids their baskets, but we decided to start our own tradition. Justin's family would hide their baskets, and mine would just set them out in the living room. Well, we took Tyler on a Easter basket hunt. We drew pictures and put the pictures in plastic eggs and then hide the eggs at those spots. Then he would open each egg and go to the next picture. The hunt would end when he got to his bed and there he would find his basket. We got it on video! It's really cute!

So the kids really liked their Easter stuff and Tyler had to show off his cool sunglasses. I love watching my kids get excited about the littlest things, and watching them through the holidays. This is definetly what being a mom is all about!! I love it!!!

"No More Naughty Words"

2009-04-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

So since Justin has school on Mondays and every other day is busy for him we decided to have our Family Home Evenings on Fridays. Justin doesn't have to work and it works out the best for us. For FHE we had a lesson on burying our naughty words. I got the idea from Justin. He said when he was about 7 or 8 he remembers that's what they did for FHE.

So we talked about what nice words are, and what naughty words are. Then we talked about how Heavenly Father and Jesus wants us to be nice and say nice things. Then we talked about how Heavenly Father and Jesus wants us to listen to our parents, and how we are children of God. Then we read a few scriptures. After that we sat at the table and wrote down naughty words and naughty actions and put them in a box.

We took the kids outside, Justin dug a hole, Tyler put the box in the hole, he helped Justin bury the box, and then they stomped on the hole and said "No more naughty words!" It was really cute.

For our treat we had "dirt." I even buried some worms in there. It was great. After each bite Zoey would say yum!

It was fun and I think Tyler had a good time with it. Hopefully it will sink in a little bit better now.

Holy Temple Homes

2009-04-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was General Conference. I love conference. It seems to fill me up spiritually and make me want to be better. One talk that really struck home for me and one that I really enjoyed was the talk by Gary E. Stevensen of the Seventy. He talked about how to make our homes scared like the Temple. He said that we should set standards for our home, and to make it a place where the Savior can abide.

This talk made me think. Can the Savior abide in my home? Is there peace? Is there happiness? Is there love? Is there learning? Can I feel the spirit in my home? I knew there were a lot of things that needed improvement and I knew about it for a while, but after hearing this talk really put into motion. I need to make some changes in my home.

So the goal is to make a happier, peaceful, loving, and Holy Temple Home.

What is your goal?

A DREAM COME TRUE!!!!

2009-03-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ever since I think about 2002 when Celine Dion was in Vegas doing shows there I have always wanted to go! I love Celine Dion! She has a very unique voice that no other singer could possibly have. Well February 22, 2009 she came to Salt Lake and, I got to see Celine Dion in concert!!! It was the best concert I have EVER been to! She is a true entertainer. That's what her concert was, entertainment. It wasn't like all the other concerts where you would stand up and jump around and dance. You sat in your seat, cheer, clap, sing, and let her entertain you. It was awesome! We stood up as she came out and then sat back down. We stood up for 2 standing ovations, and sat back down when she would sing. It was AMAZING!!

We took some pictures and even took some video of her singing. We probably weren't supposed to but hey this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. She had the awesomest stage. It lit up and the center would go down. The corners of the stage would go down too. Then she had 2 catwalks on each side that she could go right up to the crowd. Then she had a screen like a box but it was see through so it would show pictures on the outside, but you would still be able to see her too. It was like the pictures were around her while she was singing! She had movable walk ways on 2 sides that would move by themselves kind of like at the airport! I didn't want the night to end! It was the best experience ever!!

Ever since I met Justin he has made my dreams come true. I have always wanted to fly on a plane, go to New York, go to Italy, and see Celine Dion in concert. Well, all I have left to do is see Italy.

That night was A Dream Come True!! Thank you Justin!

I came to earth as part of a family

2009-02-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

So this year Tyler is in the Sunbeam class in primary. The first time I took him he just folded his arms and sat down and said "See ya mom!" Ya I started to cry! He didn't even miss me! He didn't even cry cause he was going somewhere different with lots of people. Well to make it worse, Tyler gave his first talk in Primary last week! He was so pumped and excited. I was a nervous wreck! I wanted his talk to be perfect, and I wanted it to sound intelligent. I know he is only 3 and a sunbeam, but still I wanted him to be smart! So Justin took the camera and we took a video of him. The theme is I came to earth as part of a family.

Better Late Than Never!!!!

2009-01-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

I know its been a while, but here are our pictures of the Christmas Holidays!

We took the kids to see Santa

In Nephi at the Old Mill Park on Main Street is filled with lights! We took the kids to the lighting ceremony! It was fun!

Our Christmas Trees

I took the kids sleding around on the yard

We went to Temple Square and looked at the lights

Tyler's presents

Zoey's presents

That was our holidays! We had lots of fun being with family! These are some traditions that we do every year and that the kids look forward to. I love my kids and it was fun to see how much fun they were having with their cousins and with us their parents! We love all of you guys!!

A Christmas Tradition

2008-12-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

In our family it is tradition to make all sorts of Christmas cookies for the week until Christmas. I love to do it! It's one of my favorite parts of the season. All of us girls wake up early in the morning and make cookies all day. It's lots of fun, just the girls in the kitchen cooking, laughing, and reminising. (ya I probablly didn't spell that right) We made Cherry winks,

Oreo Cookies

Sugar cookies

Waffle cookies

And I attempted to make peanut brittle!! Justin insisted on peanut brittle and I have never made it before! It was very interesting. I am going to try again on Monday, but this is probablly the only year he will get it! So this years tradition was fun, and very memorable!!

Merry Christmas!!

Black Friday!!

2008-12-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

Ya my Black Friday experience was a good one. I can't disclose what it was that I was waiting for to get because I don't know if Justin would be looking at this or not so all you know is that it's for Justin.

Well we get at Wal-Mart at like 4:00. I am waiting by the pallets that has the mystery gift in it. I was waiting there until 5:00 when the store opens. I was even standing right in front of it, leaning on it if you will. So it turns 5 and all heck breaks loose!! Literally!! All the people behind me pushed me so I was up against the pallet! The corner of the box was jabbing me in the ribs. So I yell, "I can't breathe!!" and I push them back. So what do they do? Shove me even harder into the box! So I finish opening the box (ya they didn't even let me get the box completely open) and what happens.....I slice my fingers on the box!! I even drew blood!!! I will never forget this years Black Friday that's for sure!! Oh the things we do for the ones we love!!!

Ya it totally looked worse when it happened. This was the next day.

Cub Scout Activity

2008-11-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

Yes I am in Cub Scouts. I'm not a scouter so I don't know why they had to call me to be the Webelos Leader. The Webelos are the boys that are 11 years old. So just before they go to boy scouts. So we had an acitivity where we took them to the Young Living Farms in Mona. It was a lot of fun. There was a pony ride, a rock wall, games, paddle boats, and marshmellow roasting. It was lots of fun. Tyler and Justin came with us too. Tyler loved it!! He thought he was the biggest kid because he was hanging out with the older boys! (no girls, like Zoey) The scouts loved Tyler too. He was making all the boys laugh. It was a really fun activity.

Kooky Spooky Halloween!!!!

2008-11-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

Ya I know it's been a while!! I'm sorry about that!! I am such a slacker!! So this was our Kooky Spooky Halloween! Tyler has been so stoked for Halloween! He was ready for it since September!! Tyler decided that he wanted to be a ghost for halloween. So my crafty, handy, homemaker husband made his costume for him! For the whole month of October Tyler would tell everybody what he was going to be for Halloween. He said Justin and I had to be monsters, he told Sheri that she had to be a wizard, and then Zoey was a bumblebee! (which she was) Justin was good and was kind of a monster. he bought a mask and wore it with his robe. I was a cat instead of a monster. It was really funny, after we were all in our costumes we were no longer mom or dad we were wizard and cat. Then when we took our costumes off we were mom and dad again! It was cute. We went to the infamous trunk or treat. Tyler got TONS of candy, even Zoey got a lot of candy!! Everyone was afraid of Justin. They didn't know who he was. He was even scarying the kids. Zoey wouldn't even go to him, and Zoey LOVES her daddy!! It was a fun Halloween.

My Baby is a Boy Now!!!

2008-11-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

I can not believe it!! My first born is now 3 years old!! I thought Zoey turning 1 was horrible, but I really think that this is worse. He is understanding more, and he knows now exactly what buttons to push! The other day he told me he didn't like me for the first time! I thought I was going to cry. I know it won't be the first time. Atleast he hasn't told me he hated me yet! So Saturday we had his birthday. We took the kids on a treasure hunt and they got a little goody bag with prizes and candy in it. It was fun. Tyler loves all of his presents.

He got tools from us, a big dinosaur set from my mom, a spiderman motorcycle from Linsey, and a gun that makes shooting noises when you pull the trigger from Abby. He also got a package from Grandma and Grandpa Stoker!! He got 3 pairs of clothes and 3 books!! He loves the books! Last night Justin read him the Little Bear story about him going to sleep, and Tyler actually fell asleep listening to it. It was cute! Then we had cake!! MAN, making a homemade cake is so hard. He demanded that he had a basketball cake! I couldn't find a cute basketball cake at any of the stores so I made one from scratch!! If Linsey didn't help me I probablly would have gone gray with stress!!

It turned out cute and Tyler absolutely loved it! All in all I think Tyler had a great birthday party that any 3 year old could ask for! It was fun doing it for him too! It's crazy how the years sneak up on you. Too bad it can't stop!

TRIBUTE!!!

2008-09-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

This post is a tribute to my one and only, my other half, Justin Randal Stoker! Justin was born in Twin Falls Idaho to his parents Carol and Randal Stoker. He was a cute round rolly polly baby, and I hear he just kept getting bigger and bigger. Justin told me he kept doubling in size. He was an adventurous little boy! (who does that sound like?) He loved getting into everything. He loved to climb trees! He still does. When he was about 3 his dad got after him about something and he was so mad that when he was walking away he turned around and made a gun with his fingers and said "bang bang bang!!" Randal felt bad after that, but what can you do? As he got older he recieved his Eagle Scout! He loved being outdoors so it was no surprise that he got it!

Later on down the road he got married to his sweetpea, Jenny, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple!! It was a glorious day!! He was beaming from ear to ear!! Later he had a son, his buddy, Tyler!! These two are like "peas and carrots." If there was anyone that could be Tyler's hero it would have to be Justin! He looks up to him, and tries to do the things his daddy does. Next he had a daughter, his princess, Zoey!! He is like Mr. Protective when it comes to Zoey! Zoey is his angel and she can do no wrong in his eyes! Many birthdays have come and gone, but this, I would like to say, is a special one. 1. He is going to be 27. 2. I can post it on my blog. 3. Because he means a lot to me, and I would be lost without him!! So on this special day I would like to say that he has a good 27 years, and there is still more to come!! I love you Justin Randal Stoker, and I hope that we, your family, has made this an unforgetable birthday!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

2008-08-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

It's official!! I no longer have a baby!! My baby had her 1 year birthday August 20!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT!!

We celebrated her birthday at my mom's house August 23. It was a lot of fun! She got lots of good and fun gifts!! The people that came were Abby and her family, Carla and Sarah, Ann, my Mom and Dad, and Chris and Brindy. From Tyler she got a shirt that when you move it lights up!! It's really cute. When I first put it on her she watched the light for like 20 min. It was really cute. My mom got her twin babies, and a pinkie pie pony. It's a My Little Pony but it talks and dances. She really likes it. She will dance and push the buttons and listen to her sing. In fact it's pretty annoying!! But oh well! Abby gave her a carebear. It's so soft, and she loves it. She will carry it around with her. Last night she even slept with it!! It was really cute!! Linsey gave her a Tinkerbell purse, books, and Tinkerbell keys. She loves them all. She would put the purse on her shoulder and just walk around with it. She thought she was the biggest girl!! My aunt Carla and cousin Sarah gave her an outfit. It's brown with different colored polka dots on it!! It was really cute!! Unfortunately my Aunt Ann gave her the same outfit so Carla is going to get her something else. Ann also gave her a dog that you can pull behind you. Then we gave her a stroller, a doll, a toy that lights up, and a bathtime book that you can take in the tub. She enjoyed all of her presents. Then it was time for cake. At first she would just grab little pieces and eat them, but then she got into it!

When it was all over we put her in her carseat and she just sat there and danced. There wasn't even any music on. She was just so happy that all she could do to express it was dance!!

Overall she had a really good birthday, and boy is she spoiled!!

All Boy, and Expensive!!

2008-08-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a story about a boy and a girl, how they fell in love, and what has happened because they fell in love. They met in an english class in college. She instantly was drawn to him the second he walked in the room. He looked like a jock, to her, and that she didn't stand a chance(his butt was exceptionally nice though). He was drawn to her as well because of a conversation he over heard about her with all of these guys in her group for one of her other classes. This news intrigued him, so he secretly pursued her. He got her email and they started writing messages to each other. Just like that they were friends.

The friendship eventually turned into love. So June 4, 2004 they made it official. They got married!! 7 months later she found out she was pregnant!! Oh the joy they felt!! Right off they both wanted to have a boy. They wanted a boy first because they wanted their other kids to have a big brother. Someone who would look after his siblings. Well, when the time came to find out what the baby was going to be, they were nervous!! Of course the nurse beat around the bush, but she eventually told them that they were blessed to have a little boy!! They were ecstatic!!! Then the catch......the babies kidney's had black spotting on them. It could be because he was holding his urine and that it would go away once he was born, nothing to worry about right? Wrong. 6 months after he was born the spotting was still there. They found out that he had Urinary Reflux. His Uritors were clogged and they needed to do surgery to fix the problem.

In the middle of December 2006 their son, Tyler, underwent surgery!! The worst thing ever!!! He was only 14 months old and he was having surgery! They fixed the problem and all was better! Little did they know that their son was a very active boy, and that he would probablly have frequent visits to the hospital.

When the little guy was about 18-20 months he was playing downstairs at her mothers house. He was running, he tripped over something, fell, and hit his head on the rocks around the wood burning stove. Abby, her sister, was carrying him upstairs running and freaking out!! Then Tyler's mother saw the blood! He cut his head open and had to have about 4 stiches in his head! It was sad!! Was that all, oh no!!

When he was 2 1/2 they were eating dinner at the table. He had a chair that attached to the table, and he was standing in it. He was holding his glass, which was glass, and he dropped it as he was going to sit down. He tried to catch the glass, lost his balance, and his hand landed on a piece of the glass!! He had to have about 7 stiches in his hand!

So all was quiet at the house of Stoker for maybe about 4 months. He was with his uncle Louis and Grandpa riding horses. Tyler got bucked off and the horse stepped on Tyler's shin and broke his leg!! So to sum it all up in about 2 1/2 years of their son, Tyler's, life he has had surgery, 2 sets of stiches, and a broken leg. Will the sega of hospitals go on? Only time will tell.

THE END

Pioneer Day at Newcastle??

2008-08-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

So for the Pioneer weekend we went to my sister Linsey's house. It was lots of fun!! We stayed there for about 4 days. In Newcastle they have a parade, program, lunch, and water fun at the church! It was neat that a little town like Newcastle could have such a big shindig like that! The kids had lots of fun. Tyler would not go down the waterslide at all! Which totally surprised me cause he is like a daredevil!! Oh boy, not when it came to this waterslide! He was really cranky for some reason! Kyle on the other hand had a ball!! He just kept going down that slide smiling and laughing the whole time!! It was cute!! Rachel was anxious to get in her swimsuit and play in the water, but when it came down to it she wouldn't do it either! I guess they all needed naps! Oh well, we had lots of fun!! We made a lot of good memories that weekend!

74 YEARS OF TRADITION

2008-07-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

In Nephi there is a huge celebration that happens the second weekend in July. It is called the UTE STAMPEDE!! It has been a family tradition since I was a little girl. I love this time of year!! It's like a little vacation! Something to look forward to. You don't have to worry about anything! I just love it! Thursday is the Horse Parade then the Rodeo, Friday is the big Mammoth Parade then the Rodeo, and Saturday is the Bathing Beauty Parade and the Rodeo. Thursday we took the kids to the Horse Parade and they watched all the horses walk down Mainstreet. Alot of the people threw candy and Tyler filled up his hat full!! Kyle was the cutest because he loved watching all the horses. He would jump up and down and squeel!! It was really cute. Friday we took the kids to the Mammoth Parade! They loved it just because of the candy but it was GREAT! Saturday we had a big party at my sister Abby's house. Her inlaws were coming to the Rodeo so we thought we would make a big water party out of it. We rented a waterslide and had a blast!! Like 10 min into the thing Abby had to take the kids down the slide and by the time she was done she had all the kids crying!! It was Hilarious!!! (She's just getting me back for all the times I tortured her kids!! Like kiss them until they cry!! I loved it!!)

Then all sunburned, tired, and sore Justin Tyler and I went to the Rodeo. At the beginning they have a skydiver jump from an airplane holding an American Flag, and then he lands in the arena!! It's my favorite part of the Rodeo!! Justin likes the Steer Wrestling. He says he could do it!! I think it would be fun to see him try! Tyler's favorite part was the Steer Wrestling too! He wanted to have a turn. He said he wanted to bam them to the ground!! It was cute!! Then for the bull riding they set off fireworks!! It was awesome! Tyler said he wanted the lights to go out again. He was getting a little tired of just sitting there so Justin went walking with him and he fell asleep!! Overall the Rodeo was a blast!!

The Fourth Of July!

2008-07-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

In Nephi at the Park there is a huge 4th of July celebration!! When I say huge I mean HUGE!! There are games, prizes, food, and even rides!! So we took Tyler and Zoey to it. Tyler rode on the tire swing and the swan ride. Then we took him to play some games. He played frog pond, plinko, and the sucker game. Those were his favorites!! He came home with a loot!! Then we went to the football field and watched the fireworks!! It was a lot of fun! Abby and Mom bought glow sticks so the kids had fun playing with those!! Overall the 4th of July was BLAST!!!!

Silly Kids

2008-07-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yes my kids love to be the center of attention. When the camera is out Tyler just strikes all kinds of poses. Zoey doesn't have to do much she is cute no matter what. There is not much more to say than, "Silly Kids!!"

Zoey Bedoey!!!

2008-06-09T19:53:00.001-07:00

I had to put these pictures on because she looked so cute!! We were just messing around on the bed and I put her tights on her head. At first she didn't like it because they were too close to her eyes, but then I moved them further on her head and she liked it a lot!! She would laugh, and of course pose for the camera!!! She is so dramatic. Hum I wonder where she got that from? Beats me?

Jump Jump Jump!!!!!

2008-05-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

I know, I know I'm a little late. Better late than never though. For Memorial Day we went to a place in Springville called Jumpin Jacks. It's got a bunch of blow up slides and blowup things that you can jump in. All of the kids had a blast! Tyler is not afraid of anything!! It's amazing!! He went down this slide that only kids 6 and older could go down. He said he wanted to go down it. I thought he was going to cry but he loved it!! He wanted to do it again and again!!

Zoey was enjoying crawling around all over the place!! It was cute. So we thought that we would try putting her in one of the little jumper things. Holy Cow did she throw a fit!! She did not like the fact that the ground wasn't stable!!

Kyle would go down the big slide only with his daddy, and it took Rachel a little bit to get the hang of it. She wouldn't go down the slides. She would just stay in the ones that you can jump on.

Jeremy and Bailee had a great time too. They were all over the place and getting all of their energy out. For lunch we went to Fat Jack's Pizza. It was good of course. Then Mom, Dad, Abby, Matt, and their kids went to Ironman. Linsey, Ray, their kids, Justin, our kids, and I went shopping. Overall it was a really good Memorial Day!

Wednesday: Time To Go Home!!!

2008-05-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

So most of the day we just gathered things up and packed. Justin went through some stuff and found a hat!! Tyler had to put it on and he modeled off his clothes that his Grandma bought him!! He looked cute.

We played one last game. We played Life Twists and Turns! It was fun. They have never played so we bought it for Carol for Mother's Day and played with them. It was a blast. Tyler made some friends with the neighbors. And he played with them on last time. They played Peter Pan and Hook. Then we ate at a place called 5 Guys. It's a burger joint. It's like In and Out but on steriods!! It tasted sooo good. Then we got a a plane and flew home!!

We had so much fun!! I sure do miss them, and we will always remember the memories that we made!!

Tuesday: Yeah the Park!!!!

2008-05-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Before Brindy and Chris had to leave we decided to go to the Park. It's called the Wood Park. There's a sandbox, and a bunch of things to play on. Tyler loved it!! He was all over the place. He played with Grandma on this plank thing that would move back and forth. It was great to get out and just let him loose!!

Later we went to a different park and had lunch and played on the slides and stuff. He played with Becky, and his daddy. It was fun too. Oh he found this bench, and next to it was a table and he insisted on eating his lunch there. It was cute.

Monday: The Sink Hole

2008-05-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

It was raining so much the whole time we were there. It wasn't like hardcore raining it was just drizzly all day!! It was raining so much that the road sank in on both sides of traffic!! So we walked down there and checked it out!! It was pretty crazy!!

After that we pulled out the icecream roll and played some games!! We played Outburst Remix, Taboo and Guesstures. It was lots of fun. Im not good at guesstures. Especially when you get hard words. Luckily I had a good team that could understand my crazy actions!! I love playing games!!!

Sunday: Gabe's Blessing!

2008-05-19T12:53:00.001-07:00

Sunday was Gabe's blessing. It was a good blessing. Ryan is such a good daddy, and Nic is such a good mommy!! After church we came home and took some family pictures for grandma and grandpa.

Since it was Mother's Day we all cooked instead of Carol. It was fun all of us in there pitching in and letting Carol have a break. We set the fancy dishes out, and goblets for Mother's Day, and ate spaghetti!! It was amazing!! Chett and Bobbysue are Chris and Brindy's friends and they are selling pest control. So they came to church and ate dinner with us!! It was a lot of fun!! Of course that night we played games!! We played ticket to ride!! It was a really fun board game. It was a good Sabbath.

Saturday: Ultimate games

2008-05-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a pretty good day. We went for a ride and visited this little town called . It was amazing to see how huge all of those houses were!! It makes me wonder what kind of jobs those people have to be able to afford houses like that. When we got back to the house there was a ladybug on the ceiling. It flew down and landed on Tyler. He held it on his finger. He thought that was pretty cool.

That night we all went to the church and played ultimate frisbee. Carol, Randal, and I just sat on the sidelines and watched!! It was pretty intense. So intense that Nic dove for the frisbee and fell. It was pretty impressive. I don't know who ended up winning but I can imagine it was a close game. (I don't know though cause I didn't stay for the whole game)

Then we went inside and played basketball, and dodgeball. Once again I sat on the sidelines and cheered. It was a pretty wicked game of dodgeball. Brindy got hit in the ear and was kind of deaf the rest of the night. They all had fun and so did the cheerleaders!!!

Friday: Girls Night, Father and Sons

2008-05-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Friday the boys went to father and sons, and the girls stayed home and watched movies. We watched "27 shoes." (Carol the night before messed up and called 27 dresses 27 shoes. So it's our inside joke about it) It was fun. We all enjoyed our little girls night. Justin took Tyler so it was officially a girls night. Tyler had so much fun being with the boys!! He loves being outside, and he loves campfires so he was in heaven!!! Grandpa, Justin, and Chris took him for a ride on the canoe!! Oh boy did he love that!!

Later that night he caught a frog. He kept it in a cup. He was pretty excited about that frog. He wasn't too happy when he couldn't keep it though. There was a swingset there too so of course he enjoyed that. What kid doesn't like swings!!

When they got back Brindy, Chris, Becky, and I played Sequence. Becky and I won the first game, and Brindy and Chris won the second. It was fun!!

Thursday: Zoo Day!!!

2008-05-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

So Thursday we all went to the Zoo!! It was kind of a drizzly day, but it was warm and a blast! We saw the Seals and they were swimming around and splashing! Tyler really liked it!! Zoey was just all smiles!! Probably because she was being pushed around in a stroller all day!! After the seals we saw the Reptiles and stuff!! That was Tyler's favorite exhibit. He would look at the picture on the plaque and then find it in the exhibit. He would even tell Justin, and Grandpa where they were! It was so cute!

We looked at the elephants, and he was telling Nic what sound they would make. He would tell her everything they were doing. We saw the lions and the big lion came out and was roaring and Tyler would roar back!! It was so cute!! We saw the Hippos!! Holy Cow!! They were HUGE!! It was great!

Later we went to Monkey building. There was this Orangatang that had a blanket on him. He was the Yoda of the Monkeys. It was hilarious!! I was taking a picture of the Gorillas eating and right when I took the picture he looked at me. He got redeyes from the camera and everything!! It looks kind of freaky!

Tyler was held by almost everyone. Even two people at one time!

I would even say that Grandpa had fun!! He rode the cart of food down the hill. He had that much fun.

Gabe was the cutest and the dryest!! He had this plastic cover that covered him and the stroller. You know Bubble Boy, he was Bubble Baby!! It was cute!! Overall I think everyone had a good time!

Later that night we had a tornado warning. It was really scary. The tornado was like 20 mins away and we were told to stay in the basement!! That would have to be the scariest thing ever! It never did hit, but just knowing that we had a warning was scary!! Despite the weather we all had a great day!!

Wednesday of our Vacation

2008-05-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

It took us forever to get here but we made it!! I don't think I will ever fly redeye again!! That was really rough! We left Tuesday at 6:15 from Las Vegas. We had a layover in Long Beach, and left there at 9:50. We arrived here Wednesday morning at 6:00!! The kids did good on the plane. They slept almost the whole time, but I didn't get much sleep.
So as soon as we got here Grandpa wanted to set up the tramp. So Tyler, Becky, Justin, and even Grandpa jumped on the tramp. It was so fun!

Then we left at 2:30 to pick up Brindy and Chris!! Tyler loves Brindy and Chris, and he was really excited to see that they were here too.
Later that night we played games. That is one thing that we do almost every night is play games. I love it!! We play new games, and games that require teams. It's just a blast!! It's like my favorite part. I look forward to the games everytime we come. We don't just play, but we whip out all the goodies, and snacks. It's almost like we make a party out of it!! Justin got a little excited about the candy!!

Then we all went to bed! Wednesday was a great day!!

Weekend With Lins!!!

2008-05-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

We also had a great time with Linsey!! It was fun seeing her after her procedure!! She was so drugged!! It was hilarious!! She would say that she was glad I was her friend, that she was the doctors special patient, and she felt like her head weighed a lot!! It was GREAT!!! But as you can see she recovered well!! We rented a movie and I wanted to see if I could take a picture in the dark. It worked!!

Tyler also enjoyed flying his buzz kite! He did it himself a couple times then he would just let it go so Justin had to be by him so he could supervise.

Zoey enjoyed the first 2 days we were there. She was moving all over the place! It's like she can tell that she's not at her house. She will be fine for 2 days then whine all day the next! We had to leave early cause I just couldn't deal with the whining. Of course as soon as we got home she was fine! She is such a girl!! I'm not used to it. Tyler didn't whine nearly as much as Zoey!! It's funny how each kid has their own personality!

We will be doing it again soon!! You're in trouble now you have a house Lins!! So prepare yourself for the Stokers!!!! Here's to a great weekend!!

Up In The Mountains!!!

2008-04-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening we decided to up the canyon and let Tyler throw rocks in the pond by Pole Canyon, and then roast hotdogs. Tyler had so much fun throwing rocks. He would pick up big ones and watch the big splash they would make. Then we grabbed sticks and played "pooh sticks." He liked watching them come out the other side.

Then we roasted hotdogs. It tooks us forever to find a spot so when we found one the sun was going down and it was getting cold. Tyler liked to help daddy make the fire. Then his hands got cold so he would hold them out to the fire.

It was time to roast the hotdogs, and of course Tyler had to help daddy. He knew he couldn't do it himself cause the fire was dangerous. He reminded us about that the whole night.

Zoey loved being outside. She was so mezmorized by the fire. It was funny. She would reach out like she wanted to touch it. She just couldn't figure out what it was.

Tyler got cold right when we were about to eat and he wouldn't eat his hotdog, so we had to load everything up and take him home. Then when we got home he had to get in the tub before he would eat. It was a fun night. Next time we need to go earlier.

Daddy's Big Helper!!

2008-04-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Tyler loves to be in the thick of it all!! Whenever Justin has his tools out, he has to be there helping. Now he is in the stage where he has to do it himself! No one can help. He learned how to turn the screwdriver from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He says "turn, turn, turn" when he is turning the screwdriver.

We were turning Zoey's crib into a day bed because she hates her crib, and loves sleeping on a bed. Tyler had to help of course. So Zoey and I decided to go through some bins of clothes, and we found lots of hats!! I had to put them on her!! She hated it of course, but I had to.

Tyler saw I had the camera out and that I was taking pictures of Zoey so he had to put a hat on and give me the cheesiest grin ever!! We had lots of fun that night!!

I'm Feeling Good!!!!

2008-04-17T14:10:00.001-07:00

I'm feeling good today!! The sun is shining, and things just seem to be working out the way I want them to. Tyler I think has got the hang of going to the potty!! YEAH NO MORE DIAPERS!!!! Tyler is so full of energy and life! I wish I had that much energy!! He just takes everyday as it comes!! I love him!! Zoey is growing big everyday!! She is so mobile. She scoots herself under the couch, she rolls all over the place. She doesn't really crawl she just scoots backwards. She squeals and giggles. She loves her walker. She likes to tip the garbage over!! She also is a bottomless pit!! She could eat all day!! I love my kids!! Even though they can be pains, I still love them!! Today is a great day!

Gardening Day!!!!

2008-04-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yesturday for Family Home Evening we all decided to help mom straighten up her yard. Mom started by weeding her flowerbed. She started at 1 and didn't finish until 5. Her hands and fingers are sore. In fact her whole body is sore (she is 60 you know).

When the men got home they did the hard stuff. Justin put a dripper system in her flowerbed. That way mom won't have to remember to turn the water on and off and flood the basement like she does about every year (she is 60 you know).

Matthew did the lawnmowing and the weedeating. He is very good at that. He does a perfect job every time he does it. It's his favorite thing to do, and he does it with a smile as you can see by the photo.

Tyler and Kyle helped by driving the blue car around in the shed!! Believe me it really did help.

And of course the job would never be done right without professional supervisors. I must say the yard looks absolutely perfect because of the professional supervisors. So ends a great Family Home Evening.

Boy we worked hard!!

It's A Beautiful Day...."

2008-04-14T12:04:00.001-07:00

So yesturday was Sunday and after our meetings we had dinner at my mom's!! It was such a beautiful day that we at dinner outside!! After dinner we all played games. We played horse tails(I won of course) and bocce ball(I won at that one too).

The kids had fun too!! Tyler and Justin climbed the tree, and Zoey hung out with Grandma on a blanket!! It truely was a beautiful day!!!

YEAH!!! Spring is finally here!!!!

I'm Letting the Hospital Control Me

2008-04-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

This past month, I have been to the ER 4 times. Yes, that's right, 4 times. Zoey is responsible for three of those visits. Tyler decided to slice his hand open so he could get some attention too. Needless to say, I am on a first name basis with all of the nurses and lab techs (and even the janitorial staff) at the hospital. I don't know why I bought a house, I am living at the hospital. Anyone want to join me?