Stockton has three loves right now as a 17-year-old boy. First, baseball. Playing ball and watching MLB. Nothing new here. He has enjoyed playing with a new coach at the new high school this summer and is looking forward to starting up in earnest this fall. He was able to attend a college recruitment camp a few weeks ago and really liked that. If possible, he would seriously consider playing ball at a junior college. He keeps an close eye on Major League Baseball, all teams but particularly the Braves. He knows players and stats and all the things. He will get home from wherever he has been and immediately ask if dad is home and where so he can share some random bit of sports news. I love it.
Stockton loves sports cars. He has been collecting little sports-car Legos for a while now and notices cars when we are driving anywhere. It is now to the point that I find myself noticing sports cars when I am driving around as well...something I have never done before! He loves driving his truck.
Stockton has been dating Bryn Danley since the end of October. They started talking after she came to our ward last summer for a family baby blessing-she noticed Stockton who was blessing the sacrament and asked another girl from our ward who he was. That got around to Stockton, who got her number from Hallie and texted her...and the rest is history. We have always told our kids to date different people in high school but that is not how he is choosing to do it. It's fine, we talked about it together and set some boundaries and expectations and it has been all good. She is so nice and supportive and she really takes care of him. Her family has been so good to him as well. We like her a lot and like her for him. It will be interesting to see where this relationship goes.
Stockton got a job this summer working for Jason Grant, our good friend who is a contractor. Everyday for the month of June, he went off to work at 8 in the morning and worked until 4:30 in the afternoon. And it was hard work. It was wonderful for him and I was so happy he was learning some skills! He didn't have as much for Stockton to do in July so that was a bummer but it was great while it lasted and Stockton really seemed to enjoy working with his hands.
Stockton might almost be grown-up but I still make him clean his room if he wants to go anywhere with friends. He is pretty good at keeping this rule...good thing, because I don't think it would get clean if I didn't hold him to it! (This is the case for all my kids.) He does do his own laundry.
When he is not hanging out with Bryn, he is with Kelton and Grahm. Their number one activity is to play basketball at the church. They are practicing for church ball this winter, which is a big deal! They occasionally drive down to Orem or go the the outlets in Park City.
Stockton is currently serving as the first assistant in the priest's quorum. I am so grateful, for both him and Justin, that they get to work so closely together. He serves faithfully and does an awesome job magnifying his calling. It is great preparation for his mission, which is coming ever nearer.
I've enjoyed watching Stockton's relationships with each of his sisters develop. He looks up to and admires Molly and I know he feels comfortable talking to her about whatever is on his mind. He teases Ivy endlessly but in way that makes it undeniable that he loves her and will protect her always. He makes up all sorts of nicknames for her, the most prominent one being "Buster" or "Biscuit" and she hates it but he will not stop. He and Brynn are pretty different so it's to be determined what their relationship will be, but he is always supportive of her.
We are just one day from the start of Stockton's senior year of high school. He is going to be the first graduating class of Deer Creek High School, which will be pretty cool for him. This is what his schedule is for the first term: Biology 1010 (college course), Seminary, US Government, Spanish (hoping to do this online so he's not with a bunch of freshmen), Jewelry (signed up for this so he could take it with Bryn), Woods 3, Economics (concurrent enrollment), and he has a couple of free periods as well. He's considering Math 1050 and he wants to do a weights class with the baseball coach. So we'll see how those go! Buckle up, I have a feeling this year is going to go by way too fast!
I can always tell when Stockton gets bored because that's when he emerges from his room to play with Ivy. A lot of times it's basketball with his mini hoop but they'll jump on the tramp or he'll set up something with cars.
Stockton's birthday interview:
Favorite song: Tooth and Claw (not a song or an artist but a podcast)
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