SUPERBOWL XLIX

At the end of January we had two of our favorite vistors come to town. Aunt Sarah and Uncle Steve came into town to meet baby Will. But the best part is the Seahawks were in the Superbowl. We spent the week partying HAWK style and attending all the football events. 

 While the kids were in school Christian, Sarah, Steve, William, and I headed down to Scottsdale. We found lots of vendors and freebees, watched the ESPN broadcasts, and sought out to find some great Hawk gear. There was a man dressed up like a statue covered in white. The kids were able to paint and make their mark on the man. Christian was hilarious. He was so unsure about going up to paint him. It was like he knew that what he was doing was suppose to be bad, but we were urging him to do it. Once he warmed up to the statue he had a lot of fun.

 A look at the new ESPN cast, now that's a good looking group.

Later that week we headed to the NFL experience in downtown Phoenix. This was the experience of a lifetime. The kids got decked out in their HAWK gear thanks to Sarah and Steve. Christian was the best yelling "GO HAWKS" everywhere he went. He totally got into the football zone.

 The kids dressed up like pro players, participated in drills, met players, and collected lots of free NFL gear. It was a blast. They even jumped into a foam pit and caught a ball along the way.

Our last stop was Hawk Fest the Saturday before the big game. Thousands of Seahawk fans gathered together in Phoenix to celebrate our Superbowl repeat team. It was awesome to see all that navy and green. We waited in line for an hour to get into the party and we were worried we wouldn't even get in. So we decided to head out and check out the rest of the area when we noticed the line was considerably shorter on the other side, WHOOPS. We went right in and had a great time hanging with the 12's. The kids even met baby Blitz. Then on our way back home we noticed the Beast Bus parked on the side of the street in a parking lot. We made a quick turn and pulled in just wanted to get a picture in front of the bus. Instead they welcomed us with open arms. We all boarded the bus, chatted with the people, had a few snacks and the the kids even got to honk the horn (which was REALLY LOAD). It was awesome!!! Best part of the day by far. 

 

 Finally it was the day of the big game. We made all the great football food, Sarah decked out my house in Hawk colors, and we enjoyed a great game. Unfortunately we lost on the stupidest play in the history of the Superbowl. It was a heartbreaker. We were all sad for about a week after the game. Good news is we were able to take in all the festivities before hand and it was definitely a time we will all never forget.

A Day Off, Lets Get Out of Here

Having 4 kids doesn't keep us at home. It's funny because after I had Jackson I was a little stir crazy staying home every day so I started going out with my mom friends to museums, plays, the park, etc. Then I had Lizzy and it was a little harder to get out. Add two more kids and it seems to get easier. Just load everybody up in the Suburban and off we go. Make sure you have a nice stroller for the road. I have to give Jack and Liz credit though, they are very helpful big brother and sister. I feel like now that they are in school I need to take advantage of every day off and do something fun. 

For MLK Jr. Day we headed to the I.D.E.A. museum in Mesa. This is a regular stop for us. They change the display every 3 months and the kids have free range on all the activities and crafts they love. Plus I don't have to clean up any mess, so bonus for me. We met our friends Lincoln and Elijah from Albuquerque there. There was an inset display and the kids discovered new types of insects and dressed up like bees. It was so cute to watch them discover and learn new things. 

 Then we headed to the Princess Park by our house. We love this park because it is clean and there is a farm right next to the park with horses, goats, and chickens. The horses are really nice and love people. Christian always runs straight for the horses.

 William is growing up so much. I can't believe how much he looks like his dad.

 He is 3 weeks old and shared his first smile with me. He hates tummy time but I think he was having a particularly happy day so I got a hint of his sweet, wide open smile.

 I love this picture of him sleeping. He is pensive and loves snuggling up on my bed. And I can't stop kissing his sweet cheeks.

Early Days with William

I love January in Mesa. The cool weather, Christmas is over, kids are back in school, and it gave Grandma and I some time to recover and love on baby Will. He is growing so much and changing every day. I think being the 4th baby I am so busy I don't notice how much he changes. He is so sweet. He sleeps 3-4 hours at night and loves any attention that he gets. I love spoiling little newborns with lots of love, snuggles, and sleeping in my arms, but honestly I feel like the one who is spoiled to be blessed with such a good baby.

My mom came and stayed with us for a whole month. It was such a blessing to have the extra hands. Someone to hold the baby for me while I help the other kids and spend time with them. I am doing my best to make sure each child feels special and knows that I love them. Going from 3 to 4 isn't much harder, there is just no downtime. I am up with Will at night, up with the kids to get to school, playing with Christian and Will during the day, laundry, cleaning house, etc, then kids come home and we head to activities, homework, dinner, reading, bedtime, and bed. My day never stops. It is a crazy life but I love it. 

 Christian also loves mommy time while baby Will is sleeping. He has been so considerate of baby Will and his needs. Letting me know whenever he is crying or hungry, and never throwing tantrums when I am tending to Will. He is an amazing big brother.

Christmas 2014

We were given many blessings this Christmas. A new healthy baby, Grandma Miller visiting, and a beautiful growing family; I felt very close to the savior this year. As our family grows I hope we are setting a good example and standards especially for spiritual holidays. The kids loved having Grandma visit and using baby Will in our annual nativity play. It is so wonderful to see them grow and share their little testimonies of the birth of the savior and his part in their lives. 

Even with a week old baby we still managed to uphold some of our favorite Christmas time traditions. Making chocolates, visiting the temple lights, the nativity play, and a trip to the playground on Christmas day. It was a wonderful time of year. 

Elizabeth takes her role as the angel very seriously. She even told me that she was glad William is a boy so that she won't have to compete with another girl for the role.

We told Christian we had to put on our costumes. He insisted on being Iron Man instead of a shepherd. It was a Christmas miracle.

Our little nativity family.

 We made and ate Christmas cookies.

A Christmas in the Stoker house is not complete without a few Superheroes around. 

 And we opened a few presents. Lizzy received a new pink and purple bike from Santa complete with a basket and a seat for her doll on the back. 

Her goal this year is to learn how to ride without training wheels. 

 Jackson received a new karate uniform.

baby daddy snuggles are the best

1 week old, sporting his Christmas gear.

 Baby and Grandma on Christmas morning.

 Christian loves being a big brother.

 Elizabeth and Jackson making some cookies with Lizzy's Easy-Bake-Oven

 We love the temple, especially during temple lights. It is a chance for the kids to go to the temple and learn more about the birth of Christ with a fun twist. Plus most of the time it is the only chance we have to get bundled up for an outside adventure. Christian passed out by the end, so sweet.