LiFe

Life around the Stoker household has been pretty hectic lately, though I can't seem to find a reason why it feels that way. Nothing big or eventful has been going on-just every day life. Although my sister and 2 nieces came to visit one weekend and another weekend my brother and sister-in-law were here, so those were definitley eventful things. (I don't want any complaints about me not appreciating your visits!) Some other things we have been up to:

Watching the High School Homecomeing Parade:

One last trip to the zoo before the weather turns too cold: 

We visited my sister in the hospital after she had surgery and the boys scored some awesome 'Doctor Masks' and Kamden called us each into the computer room, had us sit down, then started asking all sorts of questions while he typed away:

Kamden and Owen play at the backdoor. Owen stays inside and Kamden 'kisses' him through the glass door. It's awesome-especially when they decide to play this game right after I've cleaned the glass. Then there are slobber marks and handprints on both sides. 

Owen LOVES spaghetti:

Actually, Owen LOVES eating...he seems to have a 6th sense as to when the fridge is about to be opened and he automatically makes a mad dash toward it, then throws a fit when the door closes before he got a chance to look inside. He likes to play with the light button and see if he can get into anything. Here he found an open yogurt and managed to get a few spoonfuls before his fun came to an end.

Ethan is still loving school and is doing well with his alphabet and letter sounds and we've been practicing sounding out words because he keeps asking when he's going to get to read. He also wants to make sure that first grade is 'longer' than Kindergarten so that he'll get to stay at school more during the day. It's been a bit of an adjustment getting myself and 3 kids out the door every morning to drop him off at school and then turn around less than 3 hours later to go get him, especially when Owen decides  he wants a nap in the morning and I have to wake him up to go pick up Ethan.
Owen and Kamden both love it when the weather is nice and we can walk to the school-there is a house that a cat usually sleeps in the window and Kamden always looks for it. If the cat isn't there, he has all kinds of questions about where the cat might be and what it could be doing.
And I must admit that I'm probably going to miss out on the 'Mother-of-the-Year' award since school has only been in session for just over a month and I already forgot my kid once...Actually, in my defense, I just forgot that Wednesdays are early release and I was planning on picking him up at the normal time but they called as I was walking out the door and he'd been waiting in the office for 15 minutes. But when I walked in to get him he was coloring with 2 other kids who's parents also forgot them and he thought it was pretty funny. He keeps asking me when I drop him off in the morning 'I wonder if you'll remember to come get me today!' So hopefully I haven't scarred him for life.
Kamden will be 4 in November and he is already planning out his party. He has informed me that he wants a "Triceratop cake that has LONG, LONg, LOng, Long, long horns that go all the way to the TV room, and upstairs to Owen's room." I'm not quite sure how I'm going to pull that one off. For Halloween they both want to be the same thing they were last year, which works out great for me. Although Ethan has mentioned wanting to be a Jedi and that would mean busting out my sewing machine, so I'm trying to get out of that...but we'll see. They are both excited to be able to do soccer and tball this spring and it will be nice for Kamden to be old enough so he doesn't feel left out.
Owen is going to be 15 months old in a few weeks and he is growiNG and getting into EVERYTHING. He has 8 teeth and is working on a few more and trying to keep up with his brothers. He loves having socks on his feet but his weird obsession is with shoes-it's weird because he puts them on his HANDS and crawls around with them on there instead of on his feet.

I'm staying busy as the 2nd counselor in the Primary (which I love!) and trying to keep things under control (or at least looking like they are) around the house. I can't imagine that life is only going to get more hectic as the boys get older, I'll need to clone myself a few times.
Jeff being in the Bishopric hasn't been too big of an adjustment and Sundays so far have gone pretty smooth. Our ward has been awesome to offer help with the boys, I haven't even had to ask for help, thankfully-because that isn't something I'm good at. He has been working hard to continue providing for our family while trying to squeeze in a few more rounds of golf before the weather puts an end to that (since I don't seem to have much success:).
So, that's a little of what we've been up to...hopefully I can keep up better with my blogging. To make it up to my devoted readers (the 3 of you know who you are) here is a little video filmed by none other than the world famous Nicodemus and stars his brother Gunther. Filmed on location in the windy but beautiful valley of Declo, the hometown of my true love...enjoy! 

5K

St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration from St. Luke's on Vimeo.

For the 2nd year I did the Women's Fitness Celebration. Last year I had just given birth to a 9 pound 3 ounce (adorable) monster named Owen so I mostly just strolled along while talking with friends. This year, however, I wanted to do better so Callie and I started training with the Couch to 5k program and I finished today just under 40 minutes. I ran all but about 1/2 mile and I'm happy with my time but looking forward to improving next year!

A Fat Lip

Yesterday Owen was crawling through the house while Ethan was playing basketball...even though he knows basketball is an outside game. He said Owen "tripped" while he was crawling and the result was a fat lip for Owen since his bottom teeth cut his top lip.

I'm sure it didn't feel very good, but the faces he was making provided some great entertainment for the evening-he looked like a little turtle or a bird with his lip-beak.

The Wedding.

Over the weekend we went to Jeff's brother's wedding where I had the opportunity to be their photographer. If you'd like to see some of their pictures, go here but I thought I'd share some of the more candid shots:

(Thanks to Jeff for taking some of these!)

Among the honored guests was Seniorita Chavez & her friend Julio:

The trampoline was enjoyed throughout the evening:

Thankfully, no one was hurt while performing these stunts: (and Jolynne didn't see)

The groom & his nephew hang out before the ceremony...

I spotted a creeper peeking out from behind the tree:

And what's a wedding without a game of basketball with Uncle Wade?

Trying to get the handsome ring bearer to pose for pictures with the pretty girls:

Wade gives a dramatic reading of a love poem by none other than Dr. Seuss:

And afterword, everyone congratulated them. Can you see how happy I am?

Cody was incredibly happy that he caught the garter...

Tyler was happy it wasn't his wedding...

Ethan & Addie were happy when the ceremony was over and when it was time to eat cake:

Brian was so happy, he licked Sierra's face. Which made her happy.

Cassey was so happy, she forgot which twin she married & posed for a picture with Brian:

Brad was so happy, he jumped for joy in the background of my shot when he was supposed to be moving the chair. I'm not sure if Sierra is happy or just tired of having her picture taken.

But, at the end of the night, Brad was NOT happy when he saw his car...

Right before this picture, Brad said

"Just cut the *&%$ cake!"

It was really funny...

Then he smeared cake all over Cassey's face & up her nose, which was also pretty funnny. Look how hard he is concentrating on shoving it in her mouth, and he also has a 2nd piece of cake still in his hands!

Then Cassey shoved it right back in his face & he got what he deserved:

MMmmm, Cake!

Luckily, everyone got to enjoy the cake:

And Brad & Cassey still decided they loved each other even after all that, so they shared some wedding pizza:

And the Original 6 shared a group hug...and Wade tried grabbing Kelly's chest:

So Kelly tickeled Cassey's feet:

The End.

Gunther & Nicodemus

Ni-CODY-mus,
Two can play at this game. Tell Gunther to watch his back.

Also-everyone should go read Cody's blog right now & leave him a comment so that he doesn't delete his blog. Because we all need stories about Devil Horse Drunk Donkies in our lives. Go here. Hurry!

Mr. E's Mystery

Mr. E,

  When did you grow so big? There is no way that it could possibly be almost 6 years since you came into this world. No. Way. It's a mystery where the time has gone.

   But it's true. Apparently people think that you are old enough to venture out into the big world on your own and fill your head full of learning, and that I am just supposed to be okay with that.

   Part of me is, I suppose, when I think about how excited you are to go to school and learn and, most especially, "play at recess". My heart has all kinds of hopes for you as you start out on this adventure that is the begining to wherever your dreams will take you. I believe you with my entire being when you tell me you are going to "be a basketball player and a bull rider" (although my nerves will thank you if you forego the latter) as well as a "fireman guy and a golfer". And when I ask you what you're going to be when you grow up, your blue eyes light up and you say "The same as Daddy."

   My head is full of all kinds of advice I want to give and hopes that you can somehow learn from my mistakes without making your own. But then I remember that you'd never learn anything for yourself if that were the case.  

   And I'm only a little discouraged that you didn't cry or even run over to me when I watched you line up with your class and march on out toward the playground. I'm sure the slides and monkey bars were calling your name so loudly it distracted you from the seperation anxiety you had to have been feeling. Then, when I told you it was time to go, you said in your most disappointed voice "Already?!" But, at least you are excited to go back...hopefully that lasts for the next 13 years.

Road Trippin'

Last week Jeff went on a hike with the Young Men from our ward so the boys and I hit the road and headed for his brother & sister-in-law's house. The boys were really excited to stay with their cousins, but I wasn't really looking forward to the drive by myself with the boys. They actually did really good and we broke up the time in the car by making several stops along the way. I showed them where I went to college and where I lived and worked while I was there.

The most impressive thing, they decided, was the huge bridge we drove across and the "green river" down below.

We had to drive through a pretty bad rainstorm but we finally made it. The boys decided to go for a swim in Grandpa's pond...

and Ethan tried fishing but he didn't have much luck.

I did, though! I caught the biggest fish and we cooked him up for dinner.

The next day we went to the fair to see Braxton's sheep and all of the other animals.

The horse barn was a good place for Kamden.

Owen was NOT impressed by the gigantic pigs.

We didn't last long at the fair out in the hot weather, so we went to the pool and cooled off-until they kicked everyone out because it was starting to thunder.

Friday night I went to a Bridal Shower for our new sister-in-law and on Saturday morning we headed home. The drive back went alright but by then Owen was done being in a carseat and cried the last hour.

We are all glad to be home and tankful that Jeff didn't get eaten by a bear or fall down a cliff while hiking in the mountains.