STOKER FAMILY

 

Halloween is always fun for the kids and that is what is important to me, but this year

Halloween just made me tired.

 

 

 

 

Sidney decided to be dead Elsa at the last minute, which made me happy,

created more work.

 

Brynn went through three different costumes before settling on a pirate.

 

Poor Ethan got a tattoo, Mohawk and wife beater. He was a biker baby because

I just did not want to buy another costume. He got candy so he really did not care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin has wanted to be Wolverine for the last few Halloweens and I finally bought

the costumes before they were all gone.

Gavin was so funny this year because if anyone asked "What his trick was?" He

would do something strange. He lifted one mans chair over his head to show

how strong he was and then displayed his double jointed fingers to another. One

thing Gavin is not afraid of is performing.

 

 

Brynn was a trooper. She refused to ride in the stroller and would not let anyone

help carry her bag. This means it took an hour and half to go 2 blocks.

 

 

 

See, he was happy.

 

 

 

Brynn turned three last week and most may think that three is not a big number. But when you are talking about packing so much sweetness, goofiness, cuteness, and attitude into that number, it becomes pretty big.

 

 

 

 

 

We had Brynn's party at a park with her friends and she loved being the center of attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brynn and I have a good time while the older kids are at school and one of

Brynn's favorite things to do is makeup time. But she really does not want

her makeup to look like moms. She wants a superhero mask on.

 

 

 

Brynn also loves to have her picture taken and make silly faces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She loves to snuggle with dad and watch TV or read books.

 

 

 

 

I finally took some new family pictures that include Ethan. But of course it takes me so long to put them together that the kids seem to be older already. So this will have to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin is an amazing little boy. He always tries his best in everything he does and he wants

to do everything. Paul and I are at the point that we have to tell him he can't do everything

because then he would have no time to play with friends. Gavin still loves doing karate and

he is now in his schools chorus. I love that he his willing to try any activity at least once.

 

 

I love this girl. Sidney is our free spirit girl. She just wants to play and laugh all the time. Sometimes she says the craziest things so I have to include a few. We recently switched the boys rooms and while we were doing that, Sidney had been making plans of her own. Because she said to me, "Mom, when you die, I get your room." I was glad to hear she was thinking ahead.

 

There was also a moment when she was sitting with Paul and I and said to me, "Mom, when will I get married?" I said, "A long time from now." But then Paul quickly told her, "Nope you can never get married." I laughed and told Sidney, "I guess you have to be daddies little girl forever." I could see Sidney was thinking about this and after a minute she said to Paul, "Dad, you cant live forever."

 

Paul and I didn't know what to say to that so we just laughed. She makes us laugh, a lot. Sidney can always bring a smile to your face.

 

 

 

 

 

Brynn has now left the hard stage of constant fits, crying and fighting. She has become such a

sweet little girl that has her dad wrapped around her finger. She can often get to stay up late just by telling Paul in her little mousey voice that she loves him and wants to snuggle.

 

Brynn loves hugs and kisses and demands both every morning from everyone before they leave for school and work. We love our little Brynn girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethan is just getting into the hard stage of fits, crying and fighting. But he is also showing his personality now by trying to run around with the older kids and loving to be chased by anyone. He already is showing how "boy" he is by almost always having a truck or train in hand to roll across the TV stand.

 

We love this little tank and all the sweet smiles we can get out of him.

 

 

 

 

 

I know I have said it before. But I'm saying it again. My kids should be little models. They are so good looking. I cant hardly stand it. But I'm only a little bias.

 

 

 

 

This was a long hard week for me, my family and my extended family in Arizona.

 

I received a text message from my dad on July 15th, asking me if anyone had told me what was going on with my grandpa. I had no idea what he was talking about.

 

A few days later I found myself holding my grandfathers hand and listening as the doctor told my mom that the treatments were not working and that it was time to call the family together to say goodbye.

 

It was all very unreal and still feels that way. How can one of the strongest people I have ever known be gone? When my grandmother passed away when I was seventeen, we all knew it was coming we had a lot of time to prepare. But my grandpa slipped away so fast I felt a bit cheated.

 

I will continue to remember this great man, though. He lived an amazing life and did some amazing things. He was a cowboy (one of the last true ones), rancher, firefighter, husband, father and a good friend.

 

I will remember riding to the mountains with him, while listening to him tell stories from his childhood and sing his old cowboy songs. I will remember eating ice cream at his home on Sunday evenings. I will remember how he loved to tell me about me being his fathers birthday present and how amazed we were when I had a child on the same day.

 

I love you and will miss you Grandpa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love our Ethan boy. He was a big surprise, but we would not

trade him for anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was given the cupcake with the candle. All was well.

 

 

 

 

Then it was taken away so the candle could be removed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was returned to him and all was right with

the universe again.

 

 

 

 

 

I came to the realization last night that Gavin has made the transition

from little boy to big kid.

 

 

 

 

This is a dog that Paul and I gave Gavin when he was 1 years old. He has slept

with this dog every night since. We use to have to take it everywhere with us. Then we just had to make sure we always had it when he went to sleep. Last night we realized that although the dog

has been on Gavin's bed, he has not been really sleeping with it or hugging it like he use to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May seemed busy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I caught Ethan (not that he cares) drinking Brynn's milk and once he had that first glorious taste of

chocolate milk, it was all over. He now attacks Brynn whenever she is drinking her milk

and since he weighs as much as she does, he can knock her over without much trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethan is already a big fan of cars, trucks and trains. he spends most of his playtime

pushing anything on wheels around the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethan found a love for pickles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picking strawberries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin had a really good end of the school and sports season.

He again was able to get a hit and on base almost every

time up to bat in baseball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went to Gavin's award ceremony and I had just had a talk with him the night before that it was ok if he didn't get any awards because most kids didn't get anything and that he still had a good year. Well wasn't I surprised when he ended up getting two awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin also got 2nd place in his karate tournament this year.

 

 

 

 

 

We went to a lake near by and unlike Arizona lakes, this lake had a sandy beach so Sidney

was able to get buried.

 

 

 

Ethan kept thinking he could just crawl right in and be just fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin and his friend Rhett. We basically never saw them out

of the water except for lunch.

 

 

 

Brynn was also deceptive in her love of the lake. I cant get her to

jump on the trampoline with the sprinkler, but she will

walk into the water at the lake right up to her neck

and not even blink.

 

 

 

 

 

Brynn and her friend Rowen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is our friends 13 year old daughter Loody (that's a nickname). She is amazing with

the girls and will play with them for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brynn got into my makeup and went to town. She made herself look like she had a

couple of black eyes.

 

 

 

If you tell Brynn to make a happy face, this is what you get. This is the age

I am finding that kids will start saying things that make you think, "Where did you get

that from." Last night I told Brynn for the 10th time to get in bed. She could tell that I meant it

this time cause I had given her the countdown for a spanking. So she stomped off and just

as she got to the hall way, she turned and said, "I'm outa here." She then crossed her arms and whipped her hair around and took off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know he has his walker here, but Ethan started walking more than crawling

this last week. Just a little bitter sweet.