Troyettes at Drill Camp

The girls are at drill camp this week. Last night parents were invited to watch the drill teams perform a routine they brought with them. The Troyettes performed hip hop, which is their 1st performance for the 2010-2011 year. The dance had some fun tricks in it, and the Troyettes looked pretty darn good.

Pre-Performance

Amanda & Jayd...peas in a pod.

Karlee. (Much thanks to Lisa - Erika's Mom - for braiding Karlee's hair yesterday morning!)

Natalie spraying some finishing touches.

The Performance

Karlee - left.

Karlee - middle.

Karlee & Mikaela ROCK this trick! (Karlee is on top.)

Scuba Diving

These pics are from a few weeks ago when Garet got scuba certified. Garet has really taken to scuba diving & B&B say that he is a natural. B&B had their underwater camera for some great pool shots.

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Garet is taking his BC & oxygen tank off underwater and then putting it back on. All a part of the training.

He did it!

Self portraits.

Notice that he took his regulator (air supply) out of his mouth so he could smile for the photo.

B lounging on the bottom of the pool.

B "working it"

Open water dive at Seabase.

Checking their equipment.

Romaine lettuce to feed the fish. The fish musta been hungry, because they were swarmed by fish.

Mom

Warning: Long post ahead!

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Mom,

Did you notice the date? Can you believe it's already been a year since we've said good bye? As this anniversary has drawn closer, I have been thinking of you and I want to dedicate this blog post to you. This post gets long and sappy, but it comes from my heart. I love you and miss you, Mom.

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~ Do You Know? ~

Do you know how many times I've wanted to pick up the phone to call you?

Do you know how many times I knew you'd know the answer and what I should do?

Do you know how many times a day I think about you?

Do you know that I still open your perfume?

Do you know it's been a year since I bid you adieu?

And do you know that every now and then I still shed a tear or two?

But...

I know that I am who I am because of you!

I know that I used to be embarrassed of the quirky things I do,

But I know that I'm grateful to be like you!

I know that you're safe and happy and with Daddy too!

And I know that I will see you again - it's true!

And most importantly, I know that you know that I love you!

* * * * * * * * * *

Do you know that at your beside, one year ago today, B & I made some promises? We promised each other that we would get together regularly. We promised that we would not fall out of touch just because you wouldn't be here to bring us together. You probably won't believe this, but B even made me promise that we'd learn needlepoint - because you loved it so. We've kept all the promises. We are taking needlepoint classes every other week and we're having a great time. (Then of course we go to lunch at our favorite Normandy cafe - remember how we loved going there?)

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Patty, our needlepoint instructor, and Marilyn.

B working on Starry Night at needlepoint class. (It is just amazing that she's doing needlepoint, isn't it Mom!) And she's done a beautiful job!

I'm finishing Spring that you started for me last June. (Notice that it's sitting on the table at the empty chair on the right.) I really wanted you to complete it for me, but I am enjoying learning how to needlepoint and I should have it finished probably sometime this summer or fall. And I do think it's pretty neat that both you and I have stitched on it. Together our stitches will blend together to complete the project. Just like life. Our lives are blended together to complete our project of mortality. Once our project is complete, then we move on to our next project, and whatever that may be, I plan on being there with you, so save me a seat!

* * * * * * * * * *

Mom, I have so much gratitude in my heart that I just want to thank you for a few things. This doesn't even come close to the tip of the iceberg of my love and gratitude for you, but it's a start:

Thank you, Mom, for so much and for so many things. Thank you for my brothers and my sister, I love them all so very much - and I know they love me too. Thank you for having me even though I wasn't in the plans. :D Thank you for loving Daddy and teaching me the importance of families. Thank you for helping Daddy through his cancer and death. Thank you for being so strong and independent without Daddy. Thank you for putting up with me during my teenage years (and if you can help me from above as I deal with my teens, that would be great!). Thank you for the car when I was 16 and then for fixing the car after each and every wreck & dent :D. Thank you for being so cool - all my friends were jealous because I had the coolest mom. Thank you for my beautiful wedding. Thank you for listening to me complain about Jeff as we tried to figure out how to be married ... and thank you for loving him regardless! Thank you for loving my Gway & Pa too. Thank you for the baby showers. Thank you for helping me with my new babies and adoring them as much as, if not more than, I do. Thank you for the fun trips to Lagoon and the Zoo and Toys R Us with my children. Thank you for loving me even when I became a Mormon! :D (And thank you for coming to church with me sometimes too.) Thank you for all the balloons and presents on our birthdays. Thank you for the cards in the mail for each holiday and birthday. Thank you for spending Christmas with us every year. Thank you for being there for me during my cancer - and thank you for apologizing to me because you thought my cancer was your fault...you silly girl! Thank you for being in my life. Thank you for all the advice and thank you for just plain listening to me. Thank you for always being on my side, for never criticizing me, and for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for being a great example to me. Thank you for being the greatest mom! Thank you, Mom, thank you!

A Certified Scuba Diver

Garet is officially the newest certified scuba diver in the family. (Karlee gets certified next month.) B&B are our family's official scuba instructors, and they said Garet is a natural at diving, a real fish. He even kissed a shark in the Habitat at Seabase. Hawaii, here we come!

Garet studying & taking the final exam in B's back yard the morning of his final dives.

Inside Seabase - pre dive

Thing 1 & Thing 2

Happy Father's Day

Here are a few pics of my favorite fathers. I have thought about each of you today, and I want you to know that you are important to me. I am so grateful to have you in my life. I love you all so much!

Josh, Jon, Daddy, & Grandpa - 1980.

David

Pa

Jeff

Father's Day & Garet's B-day Celebration

Tonight was full of partyin' at the Stokes Folks. We celebrated both Father's Day & Garet's 13th Birthday. It was beautiful weather; we couldn't have asked for a better day!

Aiden LOVED Garet's swimming goggles. It's impossible to find them when we head to the pool. I wonder where they are now. Midway, perhaps?

Car Wash

The Troyettes latest fund raiser was a car wash right in the middle of town. We took the beater cars up for them to wash cause they were definately in need of some scrubbin'. The girls had a line of cars to wash, and I am sure they made some great money. It was a rather unique car wash, because you also got a hot dog, chips, drink, and cookie included in the price of the wash. Go Troyettes!

Happy Birthday, Garet!

Wow! It's so hard to believe that my baby boy is officially a teenager now. The time has absolutely flown by. I was warned not to blink because before you know it, your children are grown. I guess I didn't listen. I blinked, and now my baby is 13 - Holy Cow!

Garet Trivia: Garet has a lot of interests and passions and talents. Basketball being on the top of his list, tied with airplanes, fighter jets, flying, and his newest adventure: scuba diving. He enjoys soccer, scouts, shooting, motorcycles, camping, skiing, swimming, snorkeling, traveling, animals, music, movies, the computer, reading, hanging out with friends, and even though he really doesn't like taking piano lessons, he is actually really good at playing the piano. Garet loves being with his family, including his Gway & Pa and cousins, and Aunt & Uncles. One of his most practiced and perfected skills is irritating his sister - he's really good at it.

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It has been so fun viewing pics to post for Garet's birthday, but so very hard to narrow them down. I wanted to show so many of them so you could see how much fun he has had and how much fun he has been over the years. I hope you enjoy viewing the pics of my little boy that I miss so very much. (And let me just say sorry that this is a long post...I just couldn't help it!)

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Happy Birthday Garet!

also known as:

Jeffrey Jr

Turk

Chipmonk-Turkey-Bear

Bud

I love you!

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~ 1997 ~

~ 1998 ~

~ 1999 ~

~ 2000 ~

~ 2004 ~

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~ 2005 ~

Lake Powell

BYU Father's & Sons Camp

~ 2006~

Snow Basin

Bear Lake

~ 2008 ~

Monte Cristo

~ 2009 ~

U.S.S. Intrepid, New York

~ 2010 ~

Goblin Valley

I LOVE THIS KID!