Easter

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Its so low key and not that much preparation has to go into it. I love the meaning of Easter and getting to celebrate it with the kids. We don't make a big deal about the Easter Bunny but we do like dying eggs and getting Easter baskets. 

Easter Sunday everyone went to church with us and then afterwards we all went to moms to eat and have an Easter Egg hunt. 

I know these pictures are a week late and I didn't write much about them but well, I'm tired and at the beach so this is all you get! :)

Ryleigh's Slumber Party

I know I'm very behind on the picture posting. But with all the birthdays we insist on celebrating 1 or 100 times, well, I've been busy! Last Friday night Ryleigh insisted having a slumber party. So we invited all the girls in our family and a few of our friends from church. She had a great time and I have to say the little bit of money and effort that was put into didn't compare to how much she loved it!!

This is her and her friends at the "restaurant." She wanted us to be the waitress and they ordered and paid and everything. It was pretty funny. 
This is Maddie, my friend Tina's daughter. She NEVER wear bows (I know, it's crazy) and we put Ryleigh's headband on her. Tina thought it was to big, I thought is was the perfect size! You are suppose to be able to see the bow in the back pew in you were sitting in the choir loft! 

Miss Priss and her brownie cake!

Madison and Katrina

I mean, enough with the presents already! I feel like that's all we've done lately!

Some people decided to set up shop in our backyard!

This is completely safe! 

Linda Lou and the fabulous headband!

Playing Red Rover Red Rover, Ryleigh's new favorite game. That's all she wanted to play!

London Bridge is falling down was also a big hit!

She had a great time and thanks to everyone who came! Next year we are going to try to scale it back on the number of birthday parties we have!!

And on a side note...Did you know 4 year olds wash their own hair!

Tuesday night (the night of her actual birthday) I went to go wash her hair and she informed me that she wasn't 3 anymore mom, and 4 year olds wash their own hair!

Well, ok then!

 

Happy Birthday Tiffany!

Tiffany,
I know what you are thinking right now and no we didn't forget your birthday. We have a special surprise for you. I just wanted to tell you Happy Birthday! I think God everyday for you and our two beautiful healthy children. You mean so much to us and we are so lucky to have a mom and wife as hot and awesome as you! The more time I get to spend with Ryleigh and Tanner since I am off during the week now the more I see us in them and I know we are doing things the right way. If your dad could see you today he would be so proud of the beautiful, accomplished, determined woman you have become. I know I don't tell you nearly enough but I want to thank you for every single thing you do for this family and I am so proud of you in so many ways. After so many years together I still think you are the most beautiful girl in the world and there is no one else who I would rather spend the rest of my life with!
Happy Birthday!
Love,
Ryan

Happy Birthday Ryleigh!

Ryleigh,

You are 4 years old today!! I cannot believe it! You are growing up way to fast. I remember the day you were born it was so exciting and just the thing our family needed. You are such a blessing and we love you so much!
You are so smart and make us laugh all the time. Just yesterday you told Tanner if he didn't ask Jesus to come into his heart then when he died he would go to the hot place with fire called Hotel. He said he didn't care. Then you started quizzing him on whether or not he understood how hot it would be! It was hilarious!

Just lately you have begun to talk just like an adult. Yesterday morning when I was getting you out at school I was trying to get you to hurry. You responded with "Mom, just hold on it's not that big of a deal if we are a few seconds late. Calm down!" I also have heard you say a lot lately "That's exactly what I was trying to say, glad you understand!
You have an imagination to big for me to keep up with. You come up with the craziest stories and scenarios to play out. Tanner loves this since his imagination hasn't quite caught up with yours. He likes to play off of what you say and by the time you guys are done you've been to the moon and back to save a purple cat that was shot to outer space by David and Goliath before Goliath was hit with the stone!

You love to dress up and are very conscious of your appearance. (I don't know if that is a good or bad thing.) You have just recently entered into this stage that I love! You are so sweet to everyone everywhere we go without me having to bribe you or make you like I used to have to. I think you figured out if you are nice to everyone all the time then you get what you want a lot more often.

You love to color and draw pictures. One of your favorite things to do is to draw on paper then wrap it up for me and dad to unwrap when we get home. You are doing so will in school and can write your name and also can recognize and write a few other letters.

I am so thankful for you and the wonderful joy you brong to our family. You are the perfect mix of prissy and tomboy; sassy and smart;beautiful and caring. Even though it stresses me out more often than not I am thankful that you don't take the world at face value. Even at 4 years olds you aren't afraid to ask questions and not believe what people tell you just because they told you. You made the point the other day that even sometimes even grown ups can be wrong. I hope you alwasy keep your wonderful outlook on life! Don't be afraid to take challenges and question things. I pray you will always question things you don't believe to be right or true.

Your daddy and I love you so much!!

Happy Birthday Ryleigh!!

Happy Easter!

I wish I had a cute little Easter picture from our picture perfect Easter morning...but reality is no morning at out house is ever perfect and this is the only picture I could get!

Happy Easter!! Love, The Stokley Family


Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...
1 Peter 1:3

Two 3yr olds

I have two 3year olds.

I’ve really enjoyed saying that lately. I love when I’m at work and someone asks me about my kids, how old are they? I respond with 3. They in turn say Oh! Wow Twins! Then I get the joy of saying nope we are just crazy. But are we really crazy?

People always ask us one of 2 questions. When are you going to have more kids? And How do you deal with 2 kids so close in age?

I respond with we aren’t having anymore and I couldn’t imagine not having them so close together.

It may be because I’ve never had them any other way than back to back but I really couldn’t imagine it any other way. They are on the same schedules and like to do the same things. They play well together (most days) and have the same friends. They go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time. They eat the same foods and watch the same TV shows. If you ask me that sounds easier than a 3 yr old and a newborn.
They would be on completely opposite schedules, your 3yr old would go to bed early but the newborn would be up at all hours. Your 3yr old would wake up semi early leaving you to get up even if your newborn just went back down to sleep. You’re preparing two separate meals at every mealtime because they can’t eat the same food. You would have Dora on one TV and Baby Einstein on the other. And forget your 3yr old having legos or my little ponies because they aren’t responsible enough to pick them all up leaving them for your newborn to pick up.

So I know some people think we are crazy and don’t see how I don’t lose my mind some days but I love having two 3yr olds and wouldn’t have it any other way!

And an FYI on the 2nd question we get asked: “No, we aren’t planning on having any more kids. I can’t imagine giving up the freedom that we have come to know and love with having two 3yr olds. Newborns are too needy and I’m obviously not a newborn person. Is there any way to just have 3yr old without having to go through the baby stage?”

Insanity!

My husband is insane.

Seriously, he's lost his mind.

My family still celebrates every single persons birthday. So we end up having a party at least twice a month. Well my birthday is Wednesday and with everything going on and everyone leaving for Spring Break it worked out that the only time to have my party would be on Easter. Which is fine with me because everyone would already be together.

I told mom that I would get Ryan to get the cake. I told him to get the smallest cake that Wal Mart has. I think it's an 1/8 of a sheet cake and it's like $10. We are going to have TONS of other deserts so there isn't any point in having a huge birthday cake with a lot leftover afterwards.

So, of course he doesn't listen to me. He takes Ryleigh and Tanner today to Butter Cream Dreams to pick out a cake for me. He tells me this on the phone after they had left. I asked him how much it was and he wouldn't tell me. I asked a hundred more times and he kept saying don't worry about it you didn't pay for it so it doesn't matter. (A little side note, all of our money goes into one account that I control except the money he gets from cutting grass. He uses that for whatever he wants and I never see any of it. It usually works out pretty good b/c he can buy things I would never spend money on and I have no right to get mad about it for example the Vera Bradley purse for a 4 year old!)

Once he wouldn't tell me how much it was I knew it was a lot. I was thinking like $40. So when we hung up I called Butter Cream Dreams. Guess how much the cake was.....$70.80!!!!!!!!!!

FOR A BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!!!!

I told you he was INSANE!!!!

I immediately cancelled the order and told them I would come back on my lunch for a refund. They thought I was crazy but agreed. I then called mom and asked her to get me the small cake from Wal Mart. It's not that this cake was really that big, it served 16-24 people. It was all the crazy stuff they got on it like fondant decorations and my monogram??? Crazy stuff!

Maybe, just maybe if it was a big birthday like 30 or maybe even 25 I would want a cake like that but I'm turning 24! Not a big deal!

So I went in and got the money back, the good thing is they credited the money back to my debit card and not his separate account.

So it worked out. I'll be sure to tell him thank you for the Pedicure, new Old Navy Cardigan and bathing suit I'm buying with his $70!