Sunday, December 1, 2013

Mountain Fun

We have been the king and queen of last minute vacations this year. Or just vacations in general. We have never traveled as much as we have this year. Last week we decided to head to the mountains for Thanksgiving. We invited all my loser cousins but of course no one could go :(
We missed them but had a good time anyway!

We drove up Thursday afternoon after lunch and got there late that night. We just stayed in a hotel right on the main strip. That was fun because we didn't have to get in all that crazy traffic.

Friday morning we were up early to go ziplining. I was nervous that the kids were going to be cold therefore making the experience miserable. They weren't though! We bundled them up really good with lots of layers and they had a blast! By far the best part of our whole trip. They LOVED it!!! It was so fun ziplining through the mountains in the early morning. It had snowed the day before so there was still snow everywhere.









After that we headed to the aquarium and grabbed some Mexican at No Way Jose.

That afternoon we just hung around downtown until it was time to head to Pigeon Forge for the Dixie Stampede. Ryleigh and I talked Ryan into going to the outlets on the way though. We had to get at least a little Black Friday shopping in!


Saturday morning we got up and headed to Ober Gatlinburg. We went snow tubing that morning.





We debated back and forth about going skiing but we don't want them to hate it the first time they try it and they probably would there. Since it's all fake snow right now it's like crunched up ice. You fall on that and you won't want to get back up.

I see a trip to Colorado in our near future, hint hint Ryan! Who am
I kidding, he looks for reasons to spend money. I need to talk myself into it! We have a Presidents Club trip with work every year and I suggested Colorado this year. Maybe they'll take my hint and we can go for free!! :)

















They loved playing in the snow! It was absolutely gorgeous the whole time we were there!


I didn't ice skate. The last thing I need to do is break my leg in December, my busiest time of the year with work.






I forgot to take pictures but Saturday afternoon we went to a friend of ours cabin and watched Bama lose in their theater room. It was fun to hang out with friends and all their kids but not fun to lose. I think total there were 8 kids there. So the kids had a blast.

That night we took the kids to their first Melting Pot experience. The restaurant was right by our hotel and we had been telling them we would take them. I'll let you guess which one of them absolutely loved it! Hint-it was our die hard sweet eater who someone manages to only weigh 36 pounds, even though her favorite food group is sweets.

Now we are headed home and it feels like we will never arrive!

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!! Today I'm thankful for Faith, Family, Friends and Food!



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Thursday, November 7, 2013

My sweet boy

Last night Tanner's teacher (who we absolutely adore!) texted me these pictures of writing assignments she was grading. I'm posting from my phone so I'm not sure if you'll be able to read it so I'll put what it says underneath.






I am thankful for many things. First I am thankful for Jesus because he died for my sins. Next I am thankful for angels because they watch over me. Last I am thankful for God because he started us. These are the things I am thankful for.

I'm assuming the assignment was to write what you are thankful for. I love the fact that even in a school that is forbidden to speak about God my boy finds a way to do it! I love his sweet tender heart!

I'm thankful that he loves Jesus so much this early in his life!

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Sunday, November 3, 2013

Halloween 2013

Oh how I miss the days of matching costumes. Can we all just pause and sigh...

This year we had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Supergirl! We did decide next year to all dress up as a superhero. Ryleigh was excited about that. She wanted her and Tanner to match this year but he wouldn't do it. She wanted to be Jasmine and him to be Aladdin. He vetoed that real quick!



We went to some friends of ours house to eat and trick or treat. We had the best time! There were kids everywhere!!





Our group of trick or treaters.





I'm so thankful for these girls and the friendships they have.





My friend Bridget texted me the next morning around 8:30 and said they had the hardest time getting up and getting to school on time. I sent her this picture of us and said we didn't even try. Because of course the Stokley kids are going to be late the day after Halloween. I'm surprised we even went at all :)


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Monday, October 14, 2013

Money

Well we know who is who in our marriage! :)


Ryan sent me this this morning. Guess I can't hold it against him. I always knew we made a good team! I always joke with Ryan that there isn't a minimum amount of times you have to swipe your card a day. They won't turn it off if you don't use it 10 times a day, lol!

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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Church

Every since we moved back to our "home" church we have been really busy!

Ryan and I were team captains for Son Games. It was a 8 week competition and of course our team won! Our children's pastors are some of our good friends so I'm not sure why they thought we'd be good captains. They know how competitive I am!

Our team won a trip to Waterville! Well unfortunately it closed that day due to weather. So we made the best of it anyway.


We headed to play some laser tag and bazooka ball.


This guy and lady below are 2 of our favorite people in the world. They invest so much in our kids and have no idea how much we appreciate them. Thank you guys for everything you do for our kids!!





How many kids can fit in one booth at Dairy Queen??



Over Labor Day weekend we went to Gatlinburg with the youth group. We haven't been helping with them but are friends with a lot of the kids. Freddy, the children's pastor needed a girl chaperone to go so Ryan and I volunteered. We had a blast!


All the kids think Ryan's so cool. It kinda hurts my feelings!


We drove go carts like a million times, seriously.


And of course had to walk around Downtown Gatlinburg.






The other night we had a girls slumber party at church. There were over 40 girls there! Only like 4 moms stayed but I was excited that my girl thought I was cool enough to stay! They stayed up until like 3 am! I'm too old for that!! I slept until like 11 the next day!


We sure do love our church!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

90 miles a hour

Fall is in full swing at the Stokley house. We went from easy sweet summertime to busy busy fall!

I love fall, I love the weather and the fair, pumpkin patch, corn maize, Halloween, thanksgiving and Black Friday. I'm sure missing summer today though. I'm missing lazy afternoons swimming with no homework to do or practices to go to.

Ryleigh is in soccer again this fall. She really likes the competitiveness of it but not the heat. Bless her heart, she's her mothers daughter. She is also taking cheerleading/gymnastics/tumbling classes as Cheer Force One. She wants to learn to do back handsprings and things like that. I'm thankful she isn't taking dance this year. These moms are a lot less stressful than "dance moms!" I don't think I could have handled another year of dance.

Tanner sat out of fall tball and opted to take guitar and golf lessons. Guitar lessons are in full swing and he is really liking it! He's musically inclined, he gets that from Ryan's family! Definitely not mine :) Ryan's dad was a professional gospel singer. I don't know if professional is the right word for a singer but he had CDs and was on the radio.

Golf won't start for a couple more weeks. He's always liked golf but we didn't think he was old enough to warrant spending the money on private lessons. Golf isn't cheap. AT ALL!

So that's what's going on around here. Hope everyone is having a great start to their fall!!


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