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Lawrence KS home videos

Nebraska home videos. Behold your beautiful creations.

I haven't watched these videos in a long time. The first thing that hit me when I did was the beauty of these little children. I watched my young mother self ordering everyone around. Mercifully, I remember working very hard to be a good mother and feeling overwhelmed and inadequate most of the time, but I want to say "Behold your beautiful creations. Don't you want to just stop and kiss their little cheeks and hold them tight and never let go?" I know that's easy for me to say now. I can go to the bathroom without anyone coming in with me, and I get to sleep through the night, and I don't change any diapers or smell like spit up, but for real. These babies are delicious and need to be adored.

So, for the viewing pleasure of my posterity, I present "Nebraska."

Home Videos 2002-2018

I love a long story so today I'm going to tell you why I'm creating this post. I have had many conversations with family members where we start reminiscing about this musical number or that performance or some video or other and then I can't find it. So today I'm going to put all my favorites that I can find right here. I won't have to blow up facebook and annoy the casual acquaintance or dear friend that has no interest in viewing hours of Stoker sharing. It will be safely hidden and preserved for posterity as long as the internet shall live.

Nathan, Jacob, Aaron, and Trevor "Short Skirt and Long Jacket" Miller reunion 2002

Miller reunion 2002 Ninja Andrew, Adorable Rebecca and rockin' Gabe

"Who Let the Dog's Out?"

Minnesota Talent Show

3 Little Pig Rap

Music Man-The Train

You've Got a Friend in Me

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

Lids

Gabe and Nathan dancing 2008

3 Little Pig Rap Alabama

Rebecca and Eliza silly "Sleep Tight" 7-2012

Aaron and Rebecca "Devil went Down to Georgia" Dec. 2012

Andrew's original song "We are just good friends" performed at the July 2013 family reunion talent show

                                     Nathan and Jacob performing "Lids" at the same talent show:

Girl's skit 7-13

                                                       Eliza and Joseph country dancing:

Brandon and Daniel Goober peas 7-13

                       Group "Livin' on a prayer "                          

Rebecca fiddling at Pioneer day 7-2013

Rebecca's Concert

Dec. 2013 Rebecca's violin

Trimming the Tree 2013

Winter Wonderland with the Jones12-2013

Cute Aaron and Clarissa 12-2013

Newsie groomsmen at Jacob's wedding 12-13

Johnson/Stoker dance party Jan 2014

Rebecca all county orchestra Jan, 2014

Rebecca strings attached May 2014

Sweet "Happy Mother's Day" from Andrew 2014

"Take me Home Country Roads" June 2014

Dooley June 2014

Happy Birthday Aaron

Rebecca Happy Father's Day 2014

"Bring Him Home" Becca and Jefferson Downs 2014

Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel

Happy Birthday Daniel Sept. 2014

Happy Birthday Andrew 2014

There's No Business Like Show Business

Man Has a Dream 2014

Christmas 2014 Alexa and Rebecca

Jingle Bells

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

GABE-the song Rebecca wrote for Gabe Spring 2015

Cup Song practice in FL 2015

Lids July 2019

More Holiness Give Me Aug. 2015

Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes Sep. 2015

Stoker Snowball 2015

Man has a dream 2016 Grandpa and Emmaline

Reunion 2016 video "The Manly Program"

FR 2016 Dance Party

FR 2016 Eliza Tap Dance

FR 2016 All For Love

FR 2016 Say Something I'm giving up on you

"I Love to See the Temple" accompanied by Hyrum

FR 2016 Amazing Nathan and Ariane

Stoker Reunion 2016

New Year's Eve 2016

Feb. 2017

Gabe Mother's Day 2017

Caleb Mother's Day 2017

Landon Mother's Day 2017

Brandon and Annabelle

Happy Father's Day 2017

Dooley Dec. 2017

Christmas Eve 2017

Deck the Halls 2017

Jingle Bells 2017

Santa Clause is Coming to town 2017

2017 Stoker Christmas

2018

2018 Stoker Family Feature

Christmas Eve 2018

That's a wrap, and Happy Birthday to me.

Well it happened. I launched my 9th and final child into the world. I'm sad and happy and excited and anxious and thankful.

 My mom is living with me right now. My sister, Carrie, invited Mom to come and stay with her while I was out of town. Wednesday, I put her on the plane. Thursday, Gabe and I put ourselves on the plane. I was really looking forward to flying with a ticket instead of a standby seat request. Traveling is all about flexibility, however, even when you pay a lot of money for your seat. Our flight out of Atlanta was delayed and we did not make our connection in SLC.  We were put on standby for the next flight 3.5 hrs. later. I didn't love that, but I recognized the value in modeling for my son the principles of asking for help, being persistent in solving problems, and not killing anyone.

We made it to Idaho Falls and were elated to see that our luggage did too. I had rented an economy car so pulled out the old flexibility one more time when I was informed that all that was left was a big red pickup truck. When in Idaho, right? Although I'm pretty sure there was no time in any parking lot that I wasn't the only red pickup. I got a free tank of gas for my inconvenience, so I wasn't mad.

I was blessed to be staying with my sister and her awesome family. That gave me a home base in Ammon for my operations in Rexburg.

 Friday we moved Gabe into his first college apartment. (sniff) I had been encouraging him to save his quarters and take a lot of clothes because in college you spend some miserable hours in the laundromat fighting over washers and dropping a lot of money into dryers that don't work. I lost some college-life cred when we walked into Gabe's apartment and were met by a gleaming washer and dryer right outside his bedroom. Spoiled. After dropping his stuff we grabbed our complimentary doughnuts and fruit and started orientation. I was impressed with the organization and efforts of the school to help the students be successful. I felt confident that Gabe has a good chance for success, and this is the right school for him. I was further reassured when his cousins surrounded him with support and encouragement.

This kid is not a cooperative photo op model.

The beautiful art in Gabe's living room

window view

Cousins and sister giving Gabe the tour

With Gabe off to seek his fortune it was time for me to party. Rebecca came to town, but left quickly for I-night with the I-kids. I-night is the kick-off campus carnival. I chatted with my sis and her fam and had a marvelous time. 

Monday morning, Rebecca headed back to Provo. I went to Rexburg for one last trip to Wal-Mart with Gabe. He had had an incident on Friday. He was coming out of his orientation class and lost the nose pad to his glasses we had just taken in for a tune-up. He had the thought to retrace his steps to see if he could find it. That sounded like an impossibility to me, but he was back in about 30 seconds with the tiny little clear piece in hand. I'm counting that as a miracle. He tried to take the Wal-Mart bus on the weekend to visit the optical shop and stood right by the sign that said, "5:00" for about an hour. I was proud of him for having the courage to do something new. He can try that again soon. Anyway, we hopped into the red truck and solved the glasses problem and picked up the items on the list that 3 days on his own taught him he needed: a big bowl for popcorn, measuring spoons, butter, milk, pencil sharpener, pillow with a gusset, and a trash can. I dropped my brave guy off at his welding class and drove away. I love you Gabe. Go. Fight. Win.

In the meantime, it was my BD weekend. Rebecca presented me with this lovely gift of memories contributed by dear friends and family. It really was the best gift ever :) 

And then my Sissy took me to see "The Other Side of Heaven 2" I had wanted to see it so bad, but it had not come to a theater near me. Luckily, it was at Mary's dollar theater. I could tell it was a celebration, because we got popcorn and -wait for it- apple beer soda. The apple beer was special because when I was in High School my Dad drove me to youth night every week. Sometimes he stopped to get gas at the 7-11, and every once in a while he came out with a can of apple beer for us to share. I don't believe I've seen it anywhere since then. 

This spectacular event was followed by dinner with my sweet niece, Abigail, and her adorable family. We had delicious burnt sugar cake with browned butter frosting made by Annalisa. You know anything with burnt sugar and browned butter is going to be delectable, and it was. It was just a joyful day.

Then I woke up on my actual birthday at 4:45 am. I'm bragging, but it was 6:45 in GA so not that amazing. My goal was to attend the Idaho Falls temple at 6 am. I was trying to be so stealthy as I slipped out of the house into the rainy, cold, darkness. I clicked the fob to unlock the truck and actually started the engine. (These newfangled contraptions) I guess I was trying to turn it off, but inadvertently beeped the horn no less than 3 times. Rise and shine neighbors! I finally got into the cab but failed in getting the windshield wipers operational. I thought I knew what I was doing because I had turned on the wipers instead of the lights on the first night, but au contraire. Turns out, the ignition turns on with the fob, but the key needs to be inserted for anything to really work. It only took about 7 minutes for me to figure that out. I didn't have 7 minutes to spare, so I became that annoying late person at the temple. I was feeling the guilt and was much obliged to the woman who came in after me to remove the stain on my day from inconveniencing 40 people. (Happy Birthday to me.) Then after one last lunch with my sister and her sweet husband, return of my redneck red truck, and 4 minutes through security (woot), it was up, up and away. I watched "Gone With the Wind" for my in-flight BD movie. I like it better, now that I understand the south, but is there anyone more annoying on the planet than Scarlet O'hara?  I digress. I had a wonderful weekend and arrived safely home. I threatened to remodel Gabe's room, but I think I'll keep it just the way it is for now. I won't even make the bed. <3

Life is like a garden...still.

So here we are in 2019; garden #30, give or take. I love gardening. I believe in gardening. I actually stink a little bit at gardening. But I recognize that the lessons from the fails are where the true value lies. (Unless it's from being self sufficient and living off the land in which I've totally not been successful.)

I've told you about the deer gangs, right? There are little groups of deer that run the neighborhood aggressively searching and destroying the tastiest crops. The group with the 2 point buck is the boldest. He walks up the stairs and eats the potted flowers on the porch :( I've been fighting with these neighborhood devourers since moving to GA 9 years ago. I've tried milk, organic granules, stinky liquid spray (expensive), Irish Spring soap, (cheap) human hair, you name it. This year my sweet son in law put in this awesome electric fence.

It works perfectly. First lets talk about the analogy of the electric fence. We leave it on at all times, unless we're weeding, trimming the grass etc. In that case we unplug it when we start and plug it in again when we finish...unless we don't. Once we didn't and those darned deer went right in and ate my roses, flowers, blueberries, etc. Demolished them. Not only did that make me hoppin mad, it taught me something. One of those deer is testing every night to see if the defense is in place...every night. Even if the defense is in place for 30 nights, they will test again. This reminded me of a principle.
 1. Satan is tempting us and trying to destroy us every day. We have to make sure our defense is always in place. We might have been strong and acting in faith every day, but on the day we decide it isn't important that one day won't matter the destroyer will be waiting to breach the safeguard.

Yesterday I gained another little understanding. I had planted tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, peppers and wild flowers. In the first place there's probably not quite enough sun in that spot, but it's the best I have. More threateningly, somebody likes to eat tomatoes and cucumbers even more than I do. I almost solved the deer problem, but I still have rabbits, squirrels, birds, bugs and horn worms. Add that to sweltering temps and high humidity, frankly, I feel like I'm losing. I continue to water and try to care, but I'll admit I was feeling discouraged as I looked at my half eaten, withered,  bug infested crop absent of any tomatoes other than little green ones that I knew would soon disappear the minute they became palatable. As we have gotten into September, with shorter days, slightly lower temps and if not cooler at least less humidity, the flowers have experienced a renewal. That fact brought hope, so I poked around a little bit to see if anything else had managed to grow. There, under the foliage, was a ripe cucumber and five red grape tomatoes. I was thrilled, thankful for the good luck and miraculous harvest. Then I realized a simple truth. If I hadn't planted the seeds, I wouldn't have the harvest. Believe in the future, plant the seeds, make the plans, work to solve the problems, (you're gonna have them), and watch for the miracles.

A sweet little payday.

We all know we aren't in this parenting thing for the money, or really any reward other than to have people we love to hang out with in this world and the next. I know that "When you're helping, you're happy" so I  go along washing clothes, making food, cleaning stuff--the normal party every day.

But last week I got the sweetest thank you that just melted my heart. My #4 son was visiting and just being an all around gem-- He was helping me move cars around as we had them parked all over the cul-de-saq to aid in the removal of some trees. After moving  #9 son's car he said, "I looked down at a scrap of paper in the passenger seat and saw a 'Mom map.' I got sentimental as I remembered the 'Mom maps' that got me all around town in high school. Those were good maps."

When that child remembered with gratitude a small thing I had done for him, I thought I would burst with love and happiness. I guess it's because it was a little evidence that my Mom life made a difference.

That's all. I just wanted everyone to know that being a mom is a really important job.