Favorite Shopping Places

As most folks who know me, I love to shop.  I actually love to shop for anything.  I do have my favorite shops, so I thought I would share a few with you.

Belk at Hanes Mall - The best deals around.  I love the New Directions clothing line.  I also like their Lilly Pulizter line

Macy's at Friendly Center, Greensboro - This is the best Macy's in the Triad.  This Macy's has the best selection and best prices.  I don't have a favorite brand at Macy's.

Hobby Lobby - High Point - Best Craft store ever and Home goods. 

Hip Chics - Clemmons - I love this store for all the unusual gifts. 

Got to run for now, but stay tune for updates.

March Happenings

Hello everyone - March is half over and we have been very busy in the Istock house.  We have been working on the yard and our efforts have paid off.  The grass is very green and growing like a crazy.  We have been decluttering the house.  We have made multiple trips to the goodwill.  I think Maggie maybe a little worried because her house is moving to the garage.  She really has nothing to worry about because she has a queen size bed she sleeps on, ( she only lets mommy and daddy share it.  We will let you guys know how the decluttering is going.  We have had beautiful weather here.  It's really been a bit too hot.  I know Kenzie is loving it.   I miss her a great deal.  She is doing great at State.  She sends us pictures from the library to let us know she is studying really hard.  She is busy also.  She and Lee will attend the Carolina Cup on April 2nd, April 10th, she is running a 1/2 marathon , ( Tim and I want to go and cheer her on), and she has her ADPI fund raiser in April.   She just got back from Spring break.  She and Lee and friends went to a beach house owned by one of Lee's friends.  They had to take a ferry over to the house.  Cars are not allowed on the island, only golf carts.  She would like to have a pink one.  She also went to visit her friend Brit at UNC-Wilmington for the second half of the week.  BJ, Nichole, Mary, and Sydney are doing great but busy with work and school.  Mary and Sydney are doing great in school.  Tim and I ran a 5k on March 12th in King, " Feed the Stokes 5k,".  My brother, Gerald help organize the run.  This year, there were over 200 runners.  Well more to come. 

Kenzie

Kenzie & friends at a party

Kenzie and Mrs. Wolf - Last State game -

Kenzie and Lee -  

Kenzie and Emma - Biker Ball

I wanted to share photos of Kenzie and some of her ADPI events.  We are so proud of her and extremely proud that she belongs to the ADPI sorority.  These girls are beautiful and bright young women.

Emma, Kenzie's roommate is on the left and Kenzie as the Grimace ( Kenzie volunteered to wear the outfit.)  Her sorority were selling tickets in the brickyard for their fundraiser event.

February Notes

Wow February is almost over.  I can't believe it !!!!!  Its also a sad month, because our favorite sport football is over.  Yes, we watched it as "the cheese" melted the "steel."  We had gone out to eat with my brothers the week before the Super Bowl, and my brother Dean is a die hard Steelers fan.  He was trying to convince the rest of us, the Steelers had a tough defense.  Well there is always, next year.  We celebrated love week and home and with Kenzie,  Emma and BJ, Nichole, Sydney, and Mary.  Mary's birthday is also on February 11th, so she really had a good week.  Its a joy to do love week.  We are loving the warm weather and knowing Spring is just around the corner.  We have been busy with cleaning out flower beds, getting ready for spring.   We saw the movie "The King's Speech", and I have to say it was one of the best movies ever.  Colin Firth should win an academy award for King George.  It's definitely a movie we will buy.  We also attended a surprise birthday for my sister-in-law, LeAnn.  She turned 50 years old.  We had a great time with family and friends.   We also attended a tennis match of a friend ( he is actually young enough to be our son).  He is rank # 2 in the state.  He did a wonderful job and felt bless to be able to watch him play.  We are truly bless with a wonderful family and friends. 

Happy New Year

I can't believe 2010 is over.  The year went by so quickly.  I was looking over my calendar for 2010 and I realized how much our family was blessed over the year.  We had our bathroom remodeled in January and it is so pretty.  A dear friend of mine had successful hip surgery in February.  Kenzie went to the beach during her spring break in March.  She went with her ADPI sisters.  Tim and I had our floors re-done and Maggie is slipping and sliding like Bambi on ice as she tries to adapt to the non carpeted surface.  Spring is coming.    In April, Tim, Kelly, and I, ran and walked the ADPI Relay for Life at NC State.  May, I went to State to pick up Kenz.  She is coming home for the summer. BJ, Nichole, Sydney, and Mary moved into their new house.  I had a wonderful and blessed Mother's Day. We hosted a family get together with my brothers, wives, and nieces.    The summer goes by quickly and it was as hot as the prior winter was cold.  Kenzie leaves for college on August 9th.   Tim and I did manage to get away for a week.  We went to Tenneesee and visited many differnt towns, including Knoxville and Nashville, neither of which truly overwhelm us.  Our best friends, Jan and Dan celebrated their 25th wedding anniversay.   I also got to participate in a mock rush for Kenzie's sorority.  I had a blast.  I got to meet and talk to many of Kenzie's friends.  September, I can smell fall in the air.  Monday Night Football, starting to have some cool days.  Tim and I went to State again and I help serve refreshments for Kenzie's sorority during rush week.  Tim and I got together with dear friends for dinner and a play.  October, fall is here.  The leaves are beautiful and falling.  ( which means we are working in our yard about every weekend, but wonderful).  My babies turn 20 years old at the end of October and football is in full force.  Wow its November, and I am thinking about Thanksgiving. Tim and I attended the ADPI family weekend and we had a blast.  The Friday night function was absolutely wonderful.  We had a sitdown dinner, and we danced all night.  We attended the ADPI tailgate function,and the football game on Saturday.  State hammered Wake Forest. It was great to see all of the parents.  Thanksgiving was wonderful.  BJ, Nichole, and my grandbabies came.  We had a blast.  I love the holidays and family. December was a beautiful month.  We had an early snow again.  Christmas was beautiful.  I love my family and friends.  Tim and I are truly blessed.  We have jobs, Tim is still playing his music, and I am still gardening and doing my scrapbooking.  Maggie amuses us everyday.  There is never a dull moment in our home.  We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family, and great friends.  As I complete this writing, I am excited about 2011.

Moo at Christmas

Istock News

The Istocks had a wonderful Christmas.  We spent a lot of time with family and friends.  New Years Eve was a blast also.  Tim, Kenzie, and I ran the 5.5k  Running of the Lights held at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, NC.  The race begins precisely at midnight as runners watch the dropping of the ball from Times Square on a big screen located at the starting line. The run winds through the park amongst thousands of lighted Christmas displays while fireworks explode high in the cold night sky. Temperature at race time was 36 degrees, but skies were clear and most runners warmed up shortly after take off. Tim came in 3rd in the Masters group, Kenzie came in 8th in her age group, well I will not discuss what number I was for my age group.  It was a lot of fun and we started our New Years off with exercise rather than what we usually do which is trying to see if we can hang in there and not fall asleep on the couch before the new year rings in. This is the second time Tim and I have participated and the first for Kenzie. We hope to make it an annual event.