The Times of our Lives

By the look of things I have got a little behind with my blogging. Many, many events have happened since then. That is the way our lives go around here. Thank heavens I bring my camara and capture some of these events or I would never remember to blog them!

And the battle was on! The tractor was coming. Jarrit didn't understand that they got to take their pumpkins home. So he was telling Karder to put it down. Notice how Karder is holding the pumpkin away from him. Jarrit was yelling at him saying, Put it down! Put it down! And Karder was yelling back saying, No! This is my pumpkin!

Karder picked up a rotten pumpkin. He just threw it down and was saying, "yuck!"
In search for the perfect pumpkin
Karder the Scarcrow and Jarrit the Cowardly Lion from Wizard of Oz
Tanner
Heidi
Braxton, Tanner, Heidi, Karder and Jarrit at the pumpkin patch
Cassandra and Zayne going to Ontario's Homecoming Dance.
Tristan #15 at the State tournament. Their team got 6th place. They played great!




Tristans team at the State Soccer Tournament
Tristan and his team after they won their Weiser game. Making it into the state tournament. This is the first time in the history of the school that the boys soccer team has ever gone to state. Check out Tristans white head band!
Tanner played lineman, quarterback, and center. He made 4 touch downs this year. Great job Tanner!
Tanner was one of the team captains

Tanners Football
Cassandra 11 grade, Tristan 10 grade, Braxton 7 grade, Tanner 4 grade and Heidi 1 grade
Heidi's first day of 1st grade

My weight loss journey

As many of you know I went through a terrible depression. This depression lasted for 2 years. During this time I gained alot of weight. My top weight was in 2009 I was at 220 pounds. I decided in January of 2010 to put that time of my life behind me. To focus in on my mind and my body again. To make myself a priority. That is not an easy thing for a mother of 8 children to do. But in order for me to be the kind of mother that I needed to be I had to do this for myself. More than anything I needed to feel alive again. I was tired of hiding behind all my weight. So I started to eat healthy. I started to exercise more. My goal is 90 pounds. As of today I have lost 62 pounds! I know that I am not there yet. But I have a goal. I am taking it one day at a time. And one choice at a time. Little by little it is coming off. This makes me happy!

Pete's Lake

Bill, Kerry, Shalisa, Braxton and Tanners trip to Pete's Lake.

Stokes Family Reunion 2011

Our Family
Amberly made up a Movie Trivia Game. Everyone enjoyed that while Bill and I made dinner. It was our night to cook. We had pulled pork sandwiches, bbq tritip steak and salads. Yum!
The guys took out the guns.



Tanner, Austin and Eaan playing on the beach
IT'S COLD!!!
Bill, Kerry and Tristan
Fun in McCall
Braxton helping Heidi with Bingo
BINGO!
Heidi making a necklace.

My brothers, Jeron and Kaleb, dared Tristan to eat 11 hamburgers on night. They told him they would pay him 40 dollars if he did it. He was really excited about the bet. Until 6 hamburgers in and he had to give up. He got 12 dollars out of the deal any way. He earned it though. Later that night he lost all of his hamburgers.
Karder and Jarrit. Our grandbabies. They are the cutest little guys! Best of buddies






The Boys caught a water snake
Amberly made up a music trivia game on her ipod. We played name that tune and artist. It was lots of fun!