Stockton's Big Day!!

I CAN'T believe he is 15!! Where did the time go? Brad and I were in the car and we were talking about it...it doesn't seem that he could possibly be that old! I remember the excitement and anticipation of waiting for Stockton, that first baby, to be born. We were so young and so naive. Yet we were so excited and couldn't wait to be parents. We had been married for just a few months short of 4 years. And we felt like we were ready...little did we know that you can never really be prepared for parenthood :) I mean that in a good way, of course. I went to the doctor to be checked on the 8th of December, Stockton's due date was 12/12, but of course I couldn't wait for him to come on his own, and my doctor was going out of town for the weekend, so I was induced. The labor was LONG. I was started at 1 PM then he came into the world, 14 hours later at 3 AM on Dec 9th. We had no health insurance and had to pay for the delivery and doctor bill ourselves (I don't recommend doing things that way), Brad was self employed and had started his own company just 1 year before, I was working for an insurance office. Wow things changed quickly, our perspectives changed and so many things became unimportant and other things became the most important. We were just starting to build our first home and I needed to keep working so we could qualify for a loan. I hated to work after he was born, all I wanted to do was to be a mom. I stayed home until April, then I went back to work and my best childhood friend, Kristi, babysat until Kelly was out of school and he did it for the summer. I did take him to a babysitter for a few months until we finally got into our home and I quit working. I have been home since, and I have loved it. Stockton is a joy in our family. This year for his birthday, he went to school, then I picked him up and we went and watched Bronson win his basketball game, then he went with them to the Utes game. He had a great day. He got a ski pass for his birthday, some clothes and some video games. I did manage to take a couple pictures of him.

15 Things about Stockton

1. He is a fun kid to be around.

2. He loves NOT having braces.

3. He loves his friends and wants to be around them ALL the time.

4. He has had ALL A's on his report cards this year (some have been A-'s).

5. He is a GREAT son.

6. He is a wonderful brother.

7. He has worked hard in the past year, in Scouts, in school and in sports he plays.

8. He has a testimony of his own and really lives a Christ-like life.

9. He is known as the moral compass of our family (wow, that can be exhausting)

10. He is just starting to eat us out of house and home, we have been warned for years, and now it is true!

11. He will not go to school without a bowl of cold cereal...still.

12. He will challenge anyone to a game of ping pong, and he is pretty good.

13. He can't wait to go snowboarding.

14. He has some BIG decisions to make soon..

15. We are lucky he is in our family!!