And of course, Brooklyn

Here she is! She is getting so stinking cute. Just growing so fast and is growing right out of her clothes. Emily and Brooklyn spent a few days in Salmon with Mom, Dad and Josh. These are just a few pictures she emailed. Enjoy!!!

A few other things.....

First off, the first day of school traditional picture. Not quite the same when mom isn't here to take it. But, I did get my first day of school crepes thanks to the recipe from mom and a powdered sugar shaker for my birthday! Mmmmm, they were delicious and made for a great and not nervous, day of school.


Sara moved down here to do her student teaching and so it has been fun to see her a lot. One thing we did was go to a movie on the Capitol Building Lawn. The last movie of the summer and we watched Blindside. It was so fun. Sara brought her friend Derek and we had a picnic on the lawn and ate free (but kind of yucky) popcorn. It was fun and a great way to close out the summer.

And lastly (is that even proper English?) I made fudge for the first time in my life. It was pretty easy actually. Tyler loves fudge so I thought I would give it a shot. And see if it would work for Christmas gifts at work. We'll see. It was easy and it tasted pretty good. I am not a huge lover of fudge. I like it but just a little and every once in awhile. But, I have some ideas brewing in my head for some other flavors....
Melting the chocolate
Letting the chocolate get solid
Putting all this gooey yucky stuff on top of it and in the middle. Cut it in half and stack it on top of one another.
And here we have....FUDGE! Thanks roommies for eating it. I know I can always count on you to eat the experiments! Still haven't decided if it was worthy of Christmas gifts so you will just have to wait and see. And be surprised!

The Joys of High School Football

I am a huge high school football fan. I don't know what it is. The feel of fall in the air, the sound of tackles and helmets or the roar of the crowd when something big happens, or the pure pride in playing for your school. There is just something about high school football that brings a smile to my face. Last year I was so dedicated to the Hunter Wolverines football team, I hardly missed a game. Well, I still love them but when it comes right down to it, I bleed black and orange. This is the year of the Savages and number 52 is in our midst!!! It is so fun to watch Josh (who is only a junior so we still have one more year to watch him) play so many different positions and to have such a huge role on the team. As starting center, he makes things happen. As starting outside linebacker on defense he just gets to hit hard, and a lot! And as PAT/field goal kicker, he tacks on those little points that tend to be crucial to a football game. He played awesome against long time rival Snake River Panthers. Though they got us in the end, it was not a game that showed how the Savages can truly play. But, Josh did great and I am excited for his continued hard work and success. Now, every Friday of course a Hunter Wolverines shirt will be worn but, I feel that the orange and black of the Savages and bearing the number 52 may just be more important!
A few weekends ago, Tyler, Sara and I made the quick trip to Blackfoot to watch Josh play Snake River. 2 extra surprises walked through the front door of the Hansen home when Emily and Brooklyn walked in! It was so fun to see them and oh so sad to see them leave again. Bozeman is too far and my niece (and sis and brother in law) are way to far away! Brooklyn is growing like a weed and is so cute and so fun.


Tyler was wonderful sporting the orange and black Savages shirt. He kept saying, "I am here to cheer for Josh" And that he did! Who would have thought that he would see quite a few people he knew and had to explain why he was wearing the orange and black rather than the purple of Snake River.

High Schoolers say the darndest thing

Here are a few quotes from my current students. Some completely blow me away and others make me laugh out loud!

* Can I have a hug?

* Miss Stokes, you are small. If I had a little sister, she would be like you!

* One day, I am going to marry Miss Stokes. She's not engaged yet so I can still marry her!

* Miss Stokes, you need to give us respect!

* You can call me Stalin (hmmm, scary!!!)

* Written by a student, " I like math. Especially with that tutor. She was hot!"

Mostly, my days are full of laughter and good times. And for that, I am so grateful for my job!

Crazy!!!

This has been a crazy few weeks. School has been crazy and busy. Yesterday, I was so busy that I missed lunch. I worked and thought that it was time for lunch but nope...it was 4th period! Things are finally coming together. Though it was still hot today, it's all starting to come together.