Where are the Stokers???

Its been a while...
Its been a long, long year....so far...I keep meaning to update the blog...and then I dont. You know how life goes. So no more excuses! Quick update: We just moved to Gainesville Florida! Rob will be doing his anesthesiology residency here for the next 4 years. We bought our first home here, and we love it so far. It is a great close-knit Resident community, and we are making new friends fast and enjoying life. Rob is putting in 14 hour days his first week, and working hard his intern year, but hoping next rotation and next year will be better!

We miss all our friends and family in Utah, and California. This is a huge adjustment for us, but a great adventure too. We feel beyond blessed to have our little family here, and look forward to what is on store the following weeks! here are some pics to update you on the past few weeks...

Our Baby Drue turned one! 

He loved his cake! 

Tommy graduated from pre-school

Rob graduated grom Medical School!!! 

We will miss our friends from School soo much!!

Our family

 

The scooter boys. This is also what Rob will be driving in residency.

Our growth wall at the Village. Sad to leave it. 

Last swim party at the Jensens.

 

Memorial Day tradition.

After 10 years in Cinderblock --we needed to take a picture of this. 

Our house was ceiling-to-floor boxes. 

We said goodbye to Beaver and Bryce Canyon with our friends, the Gales.

Some of the ladies on our last girls-night-out.

The Whites.  Oh, how we will miss them!

My flight to Fl with Drue was rough, but we drove home to this....OUR NEW HOUSE!!!!  This is a picture that is a few years old. Our grass is green now.

My Mom was a brave soul and drove with Tommy and my Nephew ACROSS the country in our Civic doing Historical sites along the way. When she got here, she helped us TRANSFORM the house to a HOME with all her hand-me-downs. We couldn't have done the move without her help. 

We are still  in the process of making this place our own.  Tommy and I are doing daily projects, like the bathroom and removing hideous wallpaper. He's a great helper, and is trying to get used to hanging with mom all day.

We celebrated with a few other Resident families in a cute town next to us and had a great day. So far we are loving the south and are trying to get used to the humidity! 

All the pressure in the New Year...

With the New Year here.... resolutions are hitting us all right in the face. Im so busy, I havent even had a second to sit down and write my resolutions out, but the hairy truth is....I dont want the guilt associated with it right now. I hate writing things down, only to feel like I am failing at ONE more thing as a mom...I know lots of people feel this way. When I talk to friends  I see us all so HARD on ourselves.  I wish I could give us all a break...but I feel that we all somehow think that if we aren't hard on ourselves, that it wont push us to be better?? At least, maybe thats just me? I always have so many thoughts, and DREAM about having the gift to write like others do in an organized funny way. I dont. But I am grateful that other woman have what it takes to put what they (and what I am feeling inside too) out in words and Share it for us all to read and feel like we are all in this together!! Take a second to read these articles I have found have given me a lift! now, in my "Kate" fashion, Im very well rounded...spiritual with my own twist...Like if you know my, Im a foul mouthed Relief Society Sister with a hard core testimony, but with a saucy sense of humor. So one article is LDS based, and one is not. Both ring true to me. Sorry if you are ever offend by anything I post.

Drops of Awesome:
http://www.daringyoungmom.com/2012/12/19/drops-of-awesome/

Why you are Never failing as a Mom:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-morrison/motherhood_b_2271349.html

Remember, we are all doing are best, and we are doing a pretty great job!

Drue at 6 months

Drue is almost 7 months now...but thought I'd do a brief photo update on him. Our sweet friend is an amazing photographer and as a gift gives us pictures for his milestones. For his 6 months, we took pictures of him, and had Tommy join him for a few. Here's a few I love. 

Drue had his 6  month evaluations on Wednesday with all the professionals working with our family. tehy all met and we talked about his progress. It resulted in a not just me in tears, but some of the other who have been working so hard with us and his progression. Drue is testing as of now, right on schedule for most everything. This is a true miracle, and we know it. there are many things we need to work on, and we know that there are hurdles ahead, but to be where we are right now, is a mothers prayer and dream come true. We will continue to work and hope for his progress, and thank you all for your love and support. 

with out cameras on our Phones, where would our pictures be?

Lets be honest...we all have little time and lots of guilt about the photo taking of our children! Maybe its just me. Thank goodness phones now have great cameras and even video cameras on them! I remember my parents lugging around briefcases with their cameras in them to capture our moments! We are lucky! Things are always crazy and good here... just hard to update. But heres a photo update...Im getting pretty good at instagram, so I guess this is kinda like that. A picture is worth a thousand words. 

Drue is doing well, and constantly improving and hitting milestones we are praying for! We have wonderful Physical therapist, occupation therapists and nurse and child development specialist who work with us weekly. Hes rolling over! He started solids! He's holding things! He's on a roll!! 

And he has blue eyes...

He loves baby Mum Mums

We love where we live... especially when it starts to get cold, and others have cabin fever. We have fun play dates. heres one with cookies and hot cocoa. 

HUGE first snow storm of the year hit...It was unlike Ive seen in 9 years. Tommy was loving it. 

Maybe my favorite picture ever...My three boys in a tubby. 

Halloween this year was fun....The boys were a pair...Tommy a knight, Drue a dragon. We had a few parties, Depending on what was appropriate  we had a pair costume as well. One where Rob was a lactation specialist, and I, a lactating mother. Based on my Depending life male lactation lactation specialist. Rob was a sumo the other times.

We went to "Thriller" where our niece was Chuckie this year 

We decorate our pumpkins with Mr Potato Head pieces cause Tommy cant handle the real pumpkin guts. Dry heaves the while time. this was our solution. 

Drue sporting his "D"

Rob got pre season Jazz game tickets and Took Tommy...in His knight costume of course!  Tommy started Soccer this year and was easily the star (Im not just saying that). Averaged 4 goals a game!! 

Robs last years with student season tickets with his med student buddies

Rob is in the thick of Residency interview season. people keep asking where we want to go or where we applied. EVERYWHERE is the answer. He is going to a new state almost weekly it seems. When hes not traveling, he's soaking up time with the boys, and trying to adjust to the downtime while it lasts. 

We kill time at McDonalds playland when its cold...his Girlfriend Maylee and jealous sister Sophie in background

We started a map for Tommy to understand where Daddy is this week by stars on the states he is flying to...

Rob was back East for a while and saw my little Brother Collin and my week old niece born during Hurricane Sandy

A fun Sunday afternoon activity. Tommy loves making wishes in anything with Water.