Bull $#%&*!!!

Jon is one of the best BS ers there is. Playing Texas holdem and BS is fun when you have an awesome bluffer in the group.
Natalie looks like sunshine in this shirt... her outside matches her inside :) John took a mound of cards thanks to me. BS is a hoot of a game and John is a GREAT sport.
This is ONE of Josh's poker faces....I wish I had one of him behind a plate with strategic holes placed for his eyes, nose, and mouth. That was the best poker face of the night.

Jana takes her playing VERY seriously. She is a safe player but a very, very good one!!!

Another first for Johnny :)

This was Johnny's first date. This couple was invited by Malory... Not to sure their names.

This is Tennyson, AKA:Tennis shoes and his very happy date A'leese.

Mallory and Johnny holding up the sugar cookies they frosted for one another. I think they had a great time...They ate white chicken chili except for Tennis shoes who ate spaghetti O's. After they went and saw the movie Coraline.

Pictures that make moments

We were up at mom and dads for the holidays and decided to do random pictures.... let the heads roll. Karolyn, Johnny, Karrie, Stephanie, and Dawnell.
Here's a moment I won't forget for a long time, all of us girls in on moms bed singing at the top of our lungs. It was soooo much fun. Simple minds for simple folk.
Here we are showing off our "look". Shaela, Me, and Stephanie.

Not such a nice waterfall!

If you can't tell this is a pipe that runs from the houses above us down over the rock retaining wall to keep the water from creating a revenge in the wall....
Because of the movement this summer on the dirt and rocks above us it isn't working correctly anymore. This gulley had the drain saging in it and the water pooled inside the drain and created a frozen block of ice so the water found a new path and created another gulley. These are our neighbors out saving us in a pouring rain. What a fantastic bunch of men!!!!

My Siblings

I have recently been thinking about my brother and sisters. How much they mean to me. The way they can make me laugh.... Dawnell who always instigates mischief, Daniel who is there in a second if I need him, and Stephanie who lifts me when I don't even know I needed to be lifted.
I get so much comfort just knowing they are a phone call away. I am truly grateful for the happiness and laughter they bring into my life.
I couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to have as a family. I love you guys!!!!!

The first day of the rest of my........year!

John took me to the Anniversary Inn on new years day. We stayed in a room called Nefertiti's Court.

We had selected the Pirates room but it had an entire flight of stairs to get to it so we got upgraded to this room:)

This bathtub was the neatest. It had colored lights in it that kept changing. The shower was the strangest shower I have ever been in. It had four shower heads, one from the ceiling, two from the wall, and one that was hand held .

This was on the left side of the room when you first walked in. On the right side was another couch and a pool of water with a small fridge full of cheesecake and sparkling cider. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the first day of the new year.

Our yearly double scoop of Christmas

This is my favorite picture of the Christmas holidays. I really love Santa Clause! I was glad he stopped long enough to let me have a picture with him. He always makes the trip to Grandma and Grandpas house on the 26th of December very memorable for everyone.
I went around the room and took pictures of the 32 people crammed in the livingroom "Stokes Christmas Day". . . I really don't know were we will all fit when great grandkids start to appear. This is Randy, Crystal, Sunshine Rainbow Sparkle AKA Sara, April and in the backbehind the chair James.
Grandma and Grandpa and that one dorky guy we call Daniel.Rebecca, Dawnell, Crystal, and Stephanie.

James, Caleb, and Stephen who are still behind the chair. It was a blast. We ate, played games like BINGO and catch phrase, and had a visit from Santa himself. It was Great....