The Dockstaders

Bahamas

2013-06-06T11:01:00.001-07:00

The end the January Dean and I went on vacation. It was so nice. We have done weekend getaways but it has been a long time since we took a real vacation.

We flew to Orlando Florida on a Sunday to board our cruise on Monday morning. We had an interesting drive with our "Physicist/Chemist" Egyptian driver from Orlando to Port Canaveral. He guy talked so much, I didn't get to talk to Dean for the whole 45 minute drive.

We got on the ship around 11:00 and immediately began eating. After lunch we were able to get into our room. We decided to get a room with a balcony this time and we loved it. We left Florida late that afternoon.

Our first stop was the island of Coco Cay in the Bahamas.

This was our favorite place. The morning was beautiful.

Barefoot Beach

We reserved a little spot to be lazy.

But first our adventure.

PARASAILING!

After getting off the ship in the morning we walked around the island to find the little Cabanaette we reserved. We then headed off to our Parasail adventure. We got on a little ski boat with three other couples and the two parasail workers and rode out into the ocean.

It was so beautiful! We were the 2nd couple to go up. We strapped on a harness, sat on the back deck of the boat and the parasail took us up. It was a little scary for me. Dean had done it once before. He also thought it would be fun to scare me and started to swing us. I will not record the string of threats that escaped my mouth to get him to stop. They told us we went 200 ft up. While on our ride I saw a sting ray. One of the other couples saw a shark.

The Next day we spent in Nassau. We decided to to a tour of the Atlantis resort.

Baby Manta Ray

After Nassau we had a day out at Sea. Dean climbed the rock wall and we did some reading by the pool. It was a very relaxing day.

Friday we got off the ship and headed to Universal Orlando.

Hogwarts

The Incredible Hulk roller coaster

Dean and his favorite superhero.

Easter

2013-03-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

2013-03-20T14:26:00.001-07:00

On the Move

2013-02-19T11:21:00.001-08:00

February, 15th Ms. Charlotte Marie started crawling. She had been scooting and army crawling for a while. She enjoys getting into things. She has yet to go too far. She is excited to find a newspaper or the TV console left open so she can then pull everything out of it.

She also will pull herself up to whatever is close by; couches, chairs, play table. Some of her skills also include clapping, signing "more" and shaking her head "no."

Charlotte is 9 months and weighs 17lbs and might be the cutest baby on the planet.

Christmas

2012-12-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

Great Grand kids with Dock & Coleen

Decorating cookies for Santa

New pajamas on Christmas Eve

Carter said his favorite gift is his ninja suit

Made by Grandma Dori

Dean wants his next play car to be a VW

New ipad for Grandma

Birthday Catch Up

2012-11-08T15:24:00.000-08:00

Abby turned 8 this year. We had her party at Skywalk. We had a blast.

Carter's birthday

I was feeling like a really bad mom. I was searching my pictures to try and remember what we did for Carter's birthday. Then I remembered. May 20, 2012 I was in the ER passing kidney stones. Sorry Carter, I'll make up for it next year.

Grant is 3!

2012-11-08T14:56:00.002-08:00

So I have done a pretty good job of neglecting my blog. I have been so busy! So I am going to do my best to get somewhat up to date.

I had these pictures taken when Charlotte was two weeks old. I love my beautiful girls.

My Miracle

2012-07-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ten days after having Charlotte I woke up with some back pain. It was uncomfortable but not too bad. I took some Advil and got back in bed. I woke up later and the pain was getting worse. I continued to get worse through the morning. Finally it was too much and I went in to the emergency room.

After a CT scan the doctor informed me that I was passing a fairly large kidney stone (4mm), my kidneys were swollen and I had a couple of small stones in my left kidney and a large (1/2 inch) stone in my right kidney. He pulled the images up on the computer in my room and showed me. I was in shock. I am a champion water drinker and steer clear of soda so I thought this would not be something I would deal with.

I was sent home with some hard core pain medication, a strainer and best wishes for passing the stone.

I was told by the urologist that if the stone did not pass on its own I would have to have it surgically removed.

The night I came home from the emergency room I had Dean and Maclynn give me a priesthood blessing. I was blessed that I would recover and be able to get back to my normal self.

Last week I had an x-ray and ultrasound to see what was going on with the stones.

My urologist called and told me that the stone had passed and the swelling in my kidneys was gone so everything looked resolved. I was still worried about the other stones hanging around in my kidneys. She said, "I am looking at your CT scan from the emergency room and I see the stones but the x-ray and ultrasound from last week shows two healthy stone-free kidneys."

I don't know what to say except that I am so grateful for that priesthood blessing. It may not be the parting of the Red Sea but I consider this my own miracle. I feel so blessed that I will not have to have surgery, or deal with the pain more stones.

Charlotte's Blessing

2012-07-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 1st, we blessed Charlotte. It was so nice to have our family there for this special time.

She has Arrived

2012-05-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

So Monday night I went to bed having contractions and I was sure I was going into labor but nothing happened.

So, Tuesday morning my sister Rachel came over and we walked and I had NO contraction. So that afternoon I was sure nothing was going to happen but then they started.

Around seven Dean and I went to the hospital. My contractions were not that bad but I was afraid to wait too long and then not have time to get an epidural. Luckily when they checked me I was dilated to a four and was having contractions every 2-3 minutes.

It wasn't long before I was able to get my epidural and things were more comfortable. Labor went on longer than I thought. The epidrual wasn't working a great and I was feeling a lot of pressure. Finally just after 2am they checked me and told me they would have me start pushing soon.

I pushed for just under an hour and out came an 8lb, 20inch screaming baby girl with a ton of hair.

Ms. Charlotte Marie Dockstader was born 4:08a.m. on May 9th.

She was also not happy to be taken from her warm happy home. She screamed for almost an hour but was much happier after a bath and getting swaddled.

So far she is a good baby. She has a very loud cry but luckily doesn't use it unless she is hungry. She is good at nursing but will also take a bottle. She will sleep through the kids screaming and Dean snoring. So far it seems like she looks like my side of the family but we will see with time. If you ask me she is pretty dang cute.

The kids are good with her. Abyy just loves her. Carter wants to help change diapers and hold her. Grant doesn't seem to notice she is around, which for now is a good thing.

Welcome to the family Charlottle. Love Mom, Dad, Abby, Carter and Grant.

Grant

2012-05-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

So Grant is now taking his turn being the wild, cranky, non-human, belligerent boy in the house. If the kid wasn't so dang cute I would have sold him to the Gypsies already. He is happy if he gets what he wants but as soon as things don't go his way it is all out war. He does not negotiate. I have fought with this kid for seven hours straight because all he wanted to eat one day was junk food.

Other than being the devil he is very smart and has a great vocabulary. He is also very coordinated. He loves riding Carter's bike and two wheeled scooter. His pure obsession with Thomas the train seems to be dying out a little. He now likes the characters from Cars.

Grant is still a big boy. He will be three in June and is already in 4T clothes and around 35 pounds. He is a solid kid. I threw out my back for the second time last week carrying him.

Carter

2012-05-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Carter has been progressing very well. He is in preschool twice a week and really enjoys himself. He also started T-ball in April and is really having fun. He really hasn't show any interest in sports but as soon as we got to T-ball and he saw all the other kids he really got into it. It is very fun to watch. His first time up to bat he hit the ball and was so excited that he ran the wrong way even though Dean was right there running with him.

Carter has also really mellowed out. The rage and fits he used to display have almost completely disappeared. Two years ago I would not believe that the Carter I have now is the same kid he was. He is sweet and helpful. He is always willing to give hugs and kisses. He is also really good at sharing. Carter will give almost anything to his brother to make peace.

Although now mellow he still does and says crazy thing. Some of my favorites are:

1. Carter told me he has dots (freckles) on his nose because Jesus wants him to be cool.
2. Ironman (Carter's toy) said the prayer at lunch
3. Carter came in from the garage asking for a drink of water to get the hair out of his mouth. I asked why he had so much hair in his mouth and the told me it was because he had just licked the cat.

Carter also recently had his kindergarten checkup. He was 95% for his height and only 50% for his weight. Tall and thin but otherwise healthy.

We also had Carter evaluated by the special ed team at Woods. They told me he is within the normal range for his age. His preschool teacher has told me that he is behind his peers in some areas. We are working on the alphabet at home and hopefully he will catch up. He will be reevaluated after is first quarter in Kindergarten and we will see if there is anything we need to do to help with his academics.

Abby

2012-05-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

So it's update time. Miss Abby is now 8 years old! She had a really fun birthday week. She took goodies to class. We went out to dinner on her birthday and she had her ears pierced. Then Friday night she had her best friend/cousin Heidi over for a sleep over. Then woke up Saturday for her birthday party at Skywalk!

Abby is a really good girl. She does well in school. She never complains about going and every day when I walk down to pick her up she has a smile on her face. She is really helpful around the house and plays well with her brothers.

Abby is also really good at talking. When just the two of us go out I think she asks me about 1000 questions. And, she told me, "Mom, its just because I am curious."

My children crack me up on a daily basis. On Monday I was getting everything out to make lunches and noticed I only had enough turkey for one sandwich. So, I asked Abby if she would be willing to be hot lunch. She asked what was on the menu that day and I told her it was supervisors choice. She then looked at me and said, "Mom that is just too risky."

Abby has also started piano lessons and seems to be enjoying that and she is anxious to start going to achievement day activities.

Thinking Pink

2012-01-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Last week I went in for another ultrasound. It took all of 15 seconds for the ultrasound tech to tell us the baby is a GIRL.

Carter was pretty upset. He said, "I want a new brother." I told him he already has a brother. He replied, "Yeah, but Grant's naughty."

Abby is so excited to have a sister to share a room with. I am excited to do some shopping. I saved a lot of Abby's stuff but it has been picked through over the years.

As for boys clothes/paraphernalia, if anyone is in need of or knows someone who could use some boy stuff up to size 2 let me know, it's free for the taking.

Baby number four is a . . .

2011-12-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

We went for our gender check ultrasound just over a week ago and we found out the baby is a BOY. I cried a little, Abby was disappointed, Carter was happy, Dean had no preference and Grant had no idea what was going on.
I know the Lord send us the spirits that are supposed to come to our family and I came to terms with having one girl and three boys.

UNTIL. . .

Today I went in for my mid-pregnancy ultrasound at Kaiser. The lady doing our ultrasound asked if we wanted to know the gender of the baby and we told her that we went in for a gender check and already knew it was a boy.

So, she started the ultrasound and she asked, "You said boy?" "I am sorry but they were wrong, this baby is a GIRL." I was in shock. Just yesterday I was looking at boy names online. I just stared at the screen then Dean came over and shook my leg and said, "We are having a girl."

She proceeded with the ultrasound then said she wanted to check one more time. I told her I was getting ready to give away all of Abby's clothes I have been saving for all of these years and she said don't give them away. She said that she has been doing this a very long time and she was confident enough to tell us to paint the room pink.

So, now that I am completely unsure one way or the other I am going to check with my doctor and see if it would be okay to have one more ultrasound because I don't feel certain one way or the other. Although if I were betting it would be girl.

Grant Has Some News

2011-12-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

Grant has some exciting news. He is going to be a big brother! Two weeks after we moved into the new house I found out I was pregnant.

I am now 16 weeks along and feeling good and I have some of my energy back. I had a while in the beginning that I was pretty sick but things are going well now.

We are pretty excited to find out the gender of the baby. Abby really wants a sister and I am tired of crazy, wild, dirty, stinky boys so I would like another girl too.

We are also wondering if we will even the Dockstader/Ortiz score. Right now Dean and his clone Carter are outnumbered by brown eyed Ortiz's. Will baby number four be another blue eyed Dockstader?

Well, we will be able to answer one of our questions soon. We have an appointment this Saturday to find out pink or blue and I can't wait.

What do you think baby #4 will be? Take the poll! --------->

We Moved Again

2011-11-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

During the spring Dean and I were doing some work on the house. We bought new bedroom furniture and I was getting ready to decorate our room when Dean shared some news. He casually mentioned that he was looking a houses online. This was a surprise to me because we had not been living in that house for two years yet.

So after some prayer we talked to Abby about the possibility of moving and she thought it was great.

We looked for a couple of months and had a couple of offers rejected. There were also a couple we were put on the "if this offer falls though, you'll be next" list.

Well, at the end of July, a house we had put an offer on almost four months earlier had accepted our offer and wanted us to close in 3 weeks. During that time a lot of things happened that made it seem we would not get the house but we just knew that everything would work out the way it was supposed to and it did!

We moved in the weekend after school started. We did tons of work on the house. We hired my brother Savino to work on the yard for us. It was completely a mess and it took him two weeks working full-time and a Saturday of all our brothers/brother-in-laws laying sod it get it looking good.

Before

A couple of days after we moved in the selling agent came to the house to talk to us. She told us that the house and been empty for three years and had several offers that had fallen through so it must be that we were meant to live in this house and I agree.

First Day of School

2011-11-06T18:21:00.000-08:00

This year Abby started the 2nd grade at Woods elementary. She was so brave to start at a new school. She never expressed any concerns just excitement.

Carter started his first day of preschool at Century Elementary. He did great and was not worried at all when I left. It helps that there was play dough.

The Death of My Youth

2011-10-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

So, it is true, today I turned 30. At my birthday last year I was sure that turning 30 meant the death of my youth. I figured everything basically was downhill from there.

Silly 29 year old girl. Today I am 30 and I am happy with every part of my life. My 20s were great I had a lot of experiences that have made me the woman I am today. So, if my 20s were amazing I am sure that my 30s will be awesome.

During my 20s I learned a crap load of stuff. I learned that marriage is awesome and that I married basically the best person I know.

I learned that my body can do amazing things. I birthed and fed three children and that I am way stronger than I look.

I learned that I can have the kind of relationships I want to have with people. It is okay to let some people go if it makes my life easier and less painful.

I learned to listen and not say everything that comes into my mind, even if it’s the truth.

I learned to let people be who they want to be and not try to change them because if they were going to change they would have done it already so love them for who they are and use my “crazy shield” for the stuff I can’t handle.

I learned that I really love the gospel. It is not just something I do but part of who I am. The opportunities I have had to serve and people I have served with have changed me in a profound way. I learned to recognize the Lord’s hand in my life.

Well, 30s here I am.

Summer Lake Trips

2011-10-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

This summer we didn't go up to the lake quite as often as last summer and when we did we took up the jet skis instead of the boat.

Grant driving the jet ski

Carter, Dean and Cousin Heidi

Carter rowing Dean around the lake.

Throwing rocks with Dad

Most days we would take off in the early afternoon. Dean would ride on one jet ski with Carter and Abby and I would ride on the other with Grant. Grant would try to push my hands off the handle bars so he could drive or he would tell me, "Go fast Mom."

We would ride to a good spot and swim, throw rocks and one time we even took the tube. The kids always had a great time and we loved having the fun family time together.

Swim Lessons

2011-10-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

This summer the kids did swim lessons at Jan Thomas Swim School. I was not planning on swim lessons but after seeing Carter's complete disregard for safety around the water (almost drowning at the pool at the gym) I decided swim lesson would be a good idea.

The kids all did very well. Abby already had basic swimming skills and was able to learn some new strokes.

Carter really liked his swim teacher. One of the days we arrived at our lesson he said, "Where is my Sami lady?" The swim coaches were so amazing and we really had a great experience.

Carter and Grant learned how to jump in and swim to the side of the pool and how to float on their backs. The kids had a lot of fun.

Grant's Birthday

2011-07-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you Aunt Sami for the cute cake.

Grant's birthday gift was a kitten we named Hunter.

After losing 3 cats in 3 years I was not wanting to get another pet but Grant loves animals. All of the kids love Hunter. He is a sweet cat and very gentle with the kids. The cat is smart enough to hide when the kids are getting wild.

Grant is doing well. At his two year check up he was right where he should be with his development. He is speaking simple sentences and has good large and small motor skills. He gets along well with other kids. (Unless I try to hold another child, then that child becomes the enemy.)

Grant weighed 30lbs (just over 75%)

He was just over 3 feet tall (95%)

Grant is out of his crib and no longer has a passy. Just onto potty training then he will be a big boy.

Carter is 4!

2011-07-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Obsessed may not be a strong enough word to describe how Carter feels about super heroes.

Daddy likes them too

Maybe its a family thing

Carter is doing well. He finished a year of preschool. He is really good at and loves to play computer games. He still has a speech delay but we are hoping to get some help for that. Carter is also still struggling with going to primary. He still wants to go to his "small class" a.k.a. nursery.

At his four year old checkup he measured 95% for his height and 50% for his weight.

Easter

2011-07-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny came!

Carter loves his super heroes

Lookin' cute

Time for the hunt

Ready, set. . .

GO!

"I am running. I'm not sure why but I'm running."

Time to dye eggs

Yosemite

2011-07-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Over spring break we took a day trip to Yosemite. It was beautiful!