The Soldiers Creed

I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my Warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States of American in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER.


Today I attended an open house for a past student of mine. When I first met Dawson, he was a sophomore at Kearns High School. Was a baseball player, hockey player and a total ladies man. With all of that, I had him in my class. I was a student teacher who was not quite sure what I was doing teaching high school. My first day of class, there is Dawson.....chatting like crazy. I do what I thought any good teacher would do. I moved him right to the front. And it was just the right thing to do. Watching him play baseball and hockey was always a treat and I always ended up with a signed baseball or hockey puck! Now, Dawson is a great young man ready to tackle the world. To hear him say, "I am the person I am today because of you" brings tears to my eyes. And when he says he is willing to play the "older brother" role and make sure I am dating only good, nice guys and him saying where ever he is, he will fly home for my wedding (one day) How grateful I am to have been able to teach Dawson and to get to know him and his family. And now I know that there is so much more to teaching than history and facts. There are a lot of "Dawsons" out there and I hope they turn out to be as good the one we are very soon sending the the U.S. Army.

Good Luck Dawson!

Dear 24 Hour Fitness

Thank you 24 Hour Fitness!
How I love the smell of sweat and the sound of weights dropping and treadmills spinning.
I love the sound of the music and Marlene's ab workouts.
Chrissy's bootcamp (which makes me feel like I really am in the army) and Alison's "Twilight Ride" Pushups across the floor and the rubber band makes me sweat like a maniac.
Tricep pushups and the soccer drill are such a love-hate relationship.
So all those times when I have a hard time walking up the stairs or bending down to pick something I just want to thank 24 Hour Fitness!

Shout out to the head wrap

Confession: I am not big into following trends at all. I usually don't care and maybe think about getting into after everyone has moved onto another trend. But- I am afraid these headwraps are so cute, I may have fallen into this trend trap! Thanks Melissa for letting me "try it out". I do admit that I went and bought one just because. I am pretty sure this will be the last "trend trap" that I fall into. Well, that is the plan anyway....

Awesome deal on temple pictures

Hi friends! I don't know if this will do any good because I don't have tons of people who read my blog but here it goes. I am doing a class to make these temple pictures and if anyone in interested, please let me know ASAP.

Here is the info:
Thursday, February 18
6:30 pm ( you cannot be late)
2599 Valley View Avenue
$50 ( I will need to know who wants to do it and will need money by February 4)

for more information go to www.poppyseedprojects.com and click on temple pictures

Not only are they beautiful pictures but they are a great price and will make for a fun night

Funny moment of the day

First day of the semester and I get a big group of new kids as well as ones I already know. Let me set the scene....loud class, last period of the day and the game where you find people who ______. (example, don't own a tv, have been out of the country)

Me: Ok- how many of you speak more than two languages?

Hands shoot in the air

Me to a student I will call Fred but whose name really isn't Fred: Fred, what are they?

Fred: English, Pig Latin and double dutch

The joys and pains of single life!

So a few weeks ago, we were asked by our bishop to attend a 25 and older singles activity. My first thought: Sounds fun. My second thought: Maybe not so much. The more we continued to talk about this activity, the more I decided that they were attempting to put a group of same aged singles together and get them married off. Which is really what any singles activity is but for some reason, this one was different.

I don't want to get off on some crazy tangent about dating because it doesn't do any good. It is completely a love/hate relationship! But there is not getting around it. So- I still continue to do it and even play the "game" if necessary. Anyway, back to the 25 and older singles activity. Melissa, Mindy and me. Yes, we were a few hours late but what activity in the church is ever over in 2 hours. This one was. We get to the institute building at SLCC and see what is going on inside. It takes all of our combined energy to even get out of the car and head for the door. Some girls are leaving and we ask if it is worth it. Her response, "I'll just say I am happy to be out here" Yup- that makes us all want to rush inside. From the outside looking in, it looked painful! We turned quickly around and got back in the car.....it was still warm!

To end on a better note, we did go to the YSA Skating activity and have decided you are always safe with those. 1,000 young single adults in one big ice skating building....perfect!

Minnesota will never be the same

Our newest missionary, Sister Mary! Wednesday, January 13th Mary entered the MTC in Provo, Utah. I took the day off and met up with some of my family. It was a fun day. Very emotional but great! I was on my way to meet my family and I almost starting crying thinking about Mary leaving. It's such a fun time but also emotional.
I love Mary and she is going to be wonderful!


Go get 'em Mary!!! Minnesota will never be the same after having a Stokes there! Good luck sis! I love you!

Updates from Christmas

Quite late but here it is. Merry Christmas 2009. The last Christmas for 2 1/2 years that we will be together. It was a wonderful Christmas. We decided that for our family gifts, we would make them. We did that a long time ago and it was hard but so fun. I remember making my sister Emily a blanket for her doll. I was around the age of 9. So this year we did it again. It was great. The boys were quite crafty out in the shop making a baby cradle for the new addition in June- Em and Seth's baby! An organizer for our parents bathroom, wooden reindeer, nativity sets....it was such a fun morning. Grandpa Jolley came over and he shared with us some stories of our dear Grandma who passed away several years ago. There were laughs and tears as we enjoyed our last Christmas together for a while!
There were lots of good food, a little sledding, good movies, Sharkey hot springs. And, there was also a mission farewell. Mary gave her "going away" talk while I was home. She did wonderful! She is going to be a wonderful missionary and is so ready!

Our two missionaries, Elder Nathan Stokes (who just recieved his call to serve in the Philippines!) and Sister Mary Stokes who will be serving in the Minneapolis Minnesota Mission! I'm going to get sappy for a minute! I'm so proud of all my siblings! They are all so good and they make me want to be better!


So all in all!!! A wonderful ending to a wonderful year!

My Highlights of 2009

So I asked my class to write about their highlights of 2009 and it inspired me enough to write my own. So, here they are....my highlights of 2009

January: lots of good basketball!!

February: bought plane tickets to go back to England

March: Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork

April: Easter in Idaho- lots of fun with the family and spring break!!

May: road trip with good friends to St. George and Las Vegas
Nathan's high school graduation

June: finished my second year of teaching
turned 27 years old and had a great birthday party
Went back to England!!
Spent some time in London
Saw Stonehenge and loved every thing about it
Spent a lot of time with friends I knew on my mission
Slept on a floor with slugs
Drove 1500 miles, made some great videos and also some great memories with some of my greatest friends!

July: Ran my first 10k and became hooked
4th of July in Salmon, Idaho
Camping at Wallace Lake

August: Went to San Diego for work
Sea World and Shamu
Saw Wicked and love it
Ward boating trip
Started teaching year #3

September: Watched some great football games
Mary getting her mission call to Minnestoa

October: a win against Lonepeak in 4 overtimes
Hunter playing on the turf
An awesome Halloween party that had to be ended by the cops

November: Thanksgiving

December: Ran a 10K in Moab
Went to a work party with my roommate Melissa. Big for someone who doesn't get work parties
Had an awesome Christmas at home with my family
Ready for a great 2010

Is there such a thing as too much talking?

This week at Hunter High has been so funny. The kids are funny- it must be those 2 weeks they had off. They got their schedules for next semester the other day and of course they are all freaking out because they don't have teacher they want or they aren't with their friends or something. We are talking about it and I mention that I really don't like that they switch at semester. It's so hard because we don't have to be at a certain place in history so while I am about to start World War I in a week or so, some teachers are just finishing up immigration or the study of the West. Which means, so much review for those who had me. So I explained this and here is the rest of the conversation....

Student: What?? How can we be so far ahead?

Me: Well, I didn't do a review and all that stuff

Student: No, I mean I don't get it because you talk so much!

All 45 students laugh hysterically and then look at me to see if I am mad (which of course I am not but am laughing along with them)

Me, after I am done laughing: Me, talk too much? Never! Ok- yes I do!

Student: Wow- I am still in shock that we are so far ahead!