The Stanley Scoop

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Life is great!

The past few weeks have been pretty busy. BJ and I are both involved in a few callings in our ward. Yes...we do live in a "utah" ward...but it is small. We are both in charge of the young single adults in our ward, teach a sunday school class and I am also the visiting teacher coordinator. It keeps us quite busy. I really enjoy teaching our sunday school class though. We have a good class (16 & 17 year olds). I love teaching about the D&C b/c I can study church history. I taught today about Joseph Smith getting the plates and having angel Moroni visit him. I also talked about the 116 pages that were lost and the 3 and 8 witnesses. I had 2 weeks to prepare b/c we had stake conference last week. I really enjoyed reading and studying about these topics. I had so much to say to the class that it took me hours to cut it all down into one lesson. I feel like the class went well today. It seemed like they were all a little tired from their "Saturday night festivities" though.

Friday was Dallin's birthday! We were going to have a birthday dinner for him on Thurs. night but Dallin was really sick! He fainted in the bathroom that morning and woke up on the floor. He had the flu pretty bad. We rescheduled the birthday dinner for today (Sunday) but then BJ woke up really sick with a cold yesterday...so we postponed it until next Sunday. I think it will be a birthday dinner/ Valentine's Day dinner. On Dallin's birthday Drake and I went to Provo to drop off a little birthday surprise. We visited with Dallin for a while and saw Tanner for a little bit too. I sure enjoy living close to them. I don't know what I will do when we have to move. I want to cry every time I think about it!

Last weekend Dallin and his friend Jessica babysat Drake while BJ and I went to the Provo Temple. Well....actually...Dallin played basketball and his friend Jessica watched Drake. That seems like the typical way that Dallin would babysit....play basketball and have a cute girl watch Drake! It was really funny b/c I found out that Jessica is my really good friend's little sister. Jason Maughn and I were really good friends freshmen year and also after our missions we hung out a lot. It was fun to hear about Jason and how he is doing. Jessica even drove Jason's car...it brought back fond memories of my college life. After the temple, BJ and I took Dallin and Jessica to Mimi's Cafe for dinner. I love that place! I really enjoyed getting to know Jessica better and spending some time with Dallin. It is fun to meet Tanner and Dallin's friends. I enjoy being a part of their life still.

Drake is so funny! He seems to get funnier everyday. He is growing into a "little man." BJ made chocolate cupcakes tonight (dairy free) and Drake loved them! I am sure that you can tell by the pictures that he needed a bath afterwards. Drake wants to talk a lot. When he plays he just walks around and babbles all the time. I wonder what he is saying/thinking? He loves to try to eat with a spoon. I enjoy every minute with him. Lately I have been focusing my prayers on making sure that I don't "sweat the little stuff." It seems to really be working. I have a better perspective during the day and am able to step back and learn to have patience instead of getting mad. When I can "keep my cool" I enjoy my life a lot more. Life is great!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Time to ski!

I am so excited because BJ bought skis, boots, and poles for a really good price this week. He said he walked into the store looking for a basketball and came out with "sweet" ski stuff. On Tuesday when I was getting in his car in the morning ( at 5 AM - that will be explained in an up and coming blog post) I had to do a double take and make sure that I was getting in the right car! In the car window I could see skis and couldn't figure out where they had come from. When I got in the car I looked at the size of the boots and was sure they were BJ's b/c they definitely looked size 13! Was this really true...did BJ finally buy skis?! I have been telling him that I want to go skiing this season. I haven't been skiing in probably 3-4 years! I have either had TMJ struggles, nursing school, or a pregnant belly during the past few ski seasons. I can't wait to "hit the slopes" with my hubby!

Snow Time!

Drake loves the snow...well he just loves to be outside! BJ bought Drake an innertube to sled in the snow with. We bundle him all up and push him down small hills while he holds onto the handles of the innertube. He barely cracks a smile b/c he is having so much fun that he doesn't have time to smile. We call this face his "tricycle face" b/c whenever he goes to Grandma and Grandpa's house and gets pushed on their tricycle he gets a straight face and won't even smile but we know that he really is having the time of his life. We found the perfect "sledding hill" right in front of our house. The sidewalks had snow that was frozen over which made for a perfect slide. The snow was high enough on each side of the sidewalk that it created a perfect little path for Drake to slide down.
Drake is talking a little bit more now. He can say mom, dad, car, go, ball, and can almost say snack, bath, and spoon. After he says a word we get excited and say "good job Drake" and he celebrates by clapping his hands. I know I am biased...but he is so smart! He understands what I am saying. When we say it is time to put his pajamas on he goes in his room and gets his pajamas from his shelf. It is so cute to watch him learn and grow. He learns more and more each day. He is like a little sponge and likes to copy whatever BJ and I do.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Drake is a little stinker! He loves to get everything out of my drawers. He loves to throw the contents from the drawers on the ground and wait for a loud noise. He is so fast at emptying drawers and shelves that it is hard to keep up with him. It seems to take me twice as long to clean these days!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

BJ, Joni & Drake

BJ and I have been married for 5 1/2 wonderful years! We love spending time together. We enjoy being active and have competed in many races together. One of our favorite races is the Wasatch Back Relay. BJ is a pharmaceutical rep. for Procter and Gamble and finished the executive MBA program at BYU in 2007. I am a registered nurse and work in NICU, Pediatrics, and Mother/Baby. We welcomed Drake into our family last December. He just turned ONE on Dec. 13th. He fills the house with a special spirit and keeps our lives in perspective. He is a little ball of energy and keeps us laughing all the time.

Drake's Corner

10/21/09 - Drake called Grandpa Parkinson "Big Grandpa"
He said he wants to go to "Big Grandpa's" house in California.

10/21/09-I told Drake this morning that some friends were coming over that day (my visiting teachers). Then the doorbell rang and it was our construction manager/builder that came to fix our ceiling. He was a large man that was pretty dirty b/c he had been fixing up houses. He had paint all over his hands and he also had a very deep, loud voice. Drake kept talking about his dirty hands and that he needs to wash them...(of course he said all this right in front of him!). When Drake and I went into the garage to get his shoes he looked at me and said "mommy, your friend is scarey!"

10/20/09-We went to the Children's museum and I brought Drake a lunch to eat in the car on the way home to stay awake. I gave him his lunch in his carseat and then started the car- I heard him spitting and I turned around and he was spitting at the window! I asked what he was doing and he said he was "spitting at the window." I asked why he was spitting at the window and he said "Daddy do it!" Sometimes BJ will cough and then roll down the window while he is driving to spit out of it...of course Drake was watching! BJ thought that was pretty funny but was harshly reminded that "someone" is always watching!

10/16/09- We were saying breakfast prayer and Drake was holding his stuffed monkey. He folded the monkey's arms for the prayer also. He held the monkey's arms folded until the end of the prayer. It was so cute1

9/27/09- "Rock you minute"- means he wants you to rock him for one more minute. "Check on you" means he wants you to check on him after you put him down for bed. He'll say "mommy check on you?"

9/26/09-Drake knows who President Monson is. He sometimes says "Prophet Monson." Drake loves looking at pictures of temples and knows where the angel Moroni statue is. He remembered this morning that he got to see "Nanner & Allin" (Tanner & Dallin) at the temple (Tanner & Kate's wedding). While I was rocking Drake before bed Drake said "hospital- mommy help sick kids - mommy nurse." BJ tells Drake that I am a nurse and am helping sick kids when I have to go to work. I told Drake that I would rather be with him and that I couldn't wait until orientation was over so I could be with him a lot more.

9/18/09-Drake finally got to really taste chocolate. He has had a milk allergy that he is finally growing out of. When he tasted the chocolate muffin he said "yummy chocolate!" Now he always asks for "yummy chocolate" and then claps and says "yeah" when he gets it. I was putting him to bed the other night and he even said ..."mommy, I smell chocolate!" There wasn't any chocolate in site.

8/30/09- Drake calls the itsy-bitsy spider song - "Itsy-bitsy bug."

8/15/09- "Pay with you"- is what Drake says when he wants to "play with you." "Pay with you mommy!" (so cute!) When I am with Drake I will say "I am so happy to be with you!" The other day Drake came up to me and said "happy you!" I knew exactly what he was saying.

8/10/09- We read Drake's special picture Book of Mormon each night before he goes to bed. Last night we read about the Crucifixtion/Resurrection of Christ. While we were eating breakfast the next morning Drake said "Jesus night, night." I knew exactly what he meant...he was remembering about how Jesus died and that we talked about it the night before. Drake really internalizes things and will mention things that I know he has thought about. I didn't even mention Christ at breakfast that morning - he brought it up himself.

8/8/09- Drake says 2-3 words together and can count to 2.

7/31/09- BJ had an Elder's Quorum activity tonight. They helped repair Tate Cook's roof. The Cook's live around the corner from us so Drake and I walked over to say hi to them. When we got there it was an amazing site. There were about 20 men on the roof. It was humbling to see all the men helping. Drake was so excited to see "daddy on the roof" that he talked about it for the next few weeks!

7/22/09- Drake says "e-oh" instead of "uh-oh." It is so cute.

7/12/09- Drake and I have been listening to primary songs in the car. Drake's favorite song is the "popcorn song." Every time we get in the car he says "cacorn" because he wants me to play the popcorn song. We sometimes end up listening to it 10-15 times while we drive. Drake loves to give people "knuckles" and blows bubbles on everything.

7/11/09- Drake calls baseball - "b-ball," OK-"k," popcorn song-"cacorn" I was putting Drake down for a nap, I rocked him for a few minutes and we talked a little bit and then I carried him to the crib. He looked at me and said "I uh ou" (I love you). I always say "I love you" to him before I put him down to sleep. This was the first time he said it to me without me saying it first. It meant a lot to me b/c I had been orienting for work more hours than I wanted and I didn't like leaving him. I needed to hear him say that to me. I love that little guy! 6/18/09- Drake knows and recognizes the letters A, B, C, D, he knows the colors pink, blue, orange, and recognizes circles, triangles, and squares. Drake loves to swim and can blow bubbles in the water, kick his legs, and loves to even go all the way under the water! Drake practices blowing bubbles in the bathtub and in the pool. I have encouraged him to practice whenever he is in the water. The other day I caught him in the bathroom with his head in the toilet practicing in the toilet water! Well...I couldn't get too mad since I have encouraged him to practice so much! Hopefully he didn't swallow any.

6/5/09- I have to remember that Drake is always watching me. One morning while we were eating breakfast I had a little milk left in my bowl and I drank out of the bowl...of course Drake was sitting right next to me. The next morning after breakfast, I was rinsing off my bowl in the sink and I heard gulping noises....then I heard Drake say "ahhhhh, ga gone (all gone)!" I turned around and saw Drake drinking out of his bowl just like I had the day before...oops!

5/31/09- This was Drake's first time in nursery . He was a little worried and sad when I left but he attached to Sis. Guffey and enjoyed the toys and especially the snacks. Drake said his first prayer this week. He said "Heavenly Father, thank thee food, Jesus Amen." It was adorable. I am so proud of him.

5/23/09- Drake loves daddy's new riding lawn mower and loves to go for rides around our yard.

5/16/09- Drake is learning how to leave my home decorations alone. The other day I caught him holding one of my candles with both hands and then sucking on the wich like it was a straw. He thought the candle was a straw. It was pretty funny! 4/10/09 -Drake is very social and loves to say hi to everyone. When we are at a store or church etc...Drake will try to talk to anyone. People comment on how much he likes to interact with other people.

4/4/09-When we moved into our new home in Cincinnati (moved from Basement apt in Lindon, UT) Drake was so excited to have so much room to run around. Each time he would walk into a new room he would say..."wow!" Drake gets really excited when he can hear the yellow school bus pick up the kids in front of our house. He yells out "bus" or "truck" when he can hear them while we are in the house. He sure doesn't miss anything! Drake loves Elmo and has an Elmo toothbrush he likes to use. Drake tries to be reverent during prayers...he loves to say "amen!" at the end.

3/1/09-Our first "official FHE - We talked about Jesus and showed Drake a picture of Him. Now he points out pictures of Jesus whenever he sees them. We were amazed at how fast he caught on!

2/22/09 - Bedtime routine: pajamas on, brush teeth, take fluoride, get blanket and monkey, sing a primary song, family prayer, read book, read BOM & rock with mom or dad for a few minutes and talk. When we start singing Drake goes into his room and sits on the floor - ready to pray - he knows when it is bedtime.

1/25/09 - Drake says a word and then is so proud of himself he claps to celebrate.