Zeke Ellis Stanger

The Stanger Family

Our family has just been blessed to have a miracle. Zeke Ellis Stanger was able to be born into our family Friday the 26th of March, he was 4 pound 15 0unces. Zeke was a trisomie 18 baby. Which means the 18th chromosome was mutated. His mother and father,Kip and Leejean, found this out when they went in to get an ultrasound at about 4 or 5 months. They chose to keep the baby and let him develop as much as he could. They prayed that he would be able to live long enough to be born and receive a body, even though he had many development problems. His brain was not developing, his intestines were on the outside, he had a hole in his heart, and many other deformities that would have prevented him from living.
On Leejean's last appointment before Zeke's birth she was told that he was head down. Which gave Leejean some great relief. She had been praying that he would be able to go head down. Because movement was so hard for him it was not certain that he would. Right before he was born he miraculously turned breech, and was born that way. Zeke lived for only a moment.
That was long enough for him to wink at his dad before his spirit left his body. He was able to tell his dad that he was here and the he lived!!!
Later the doctor told Leejean that if he had not turned breech he probably would not have lived, as long as he did, because it would have been to much trauma to his head. Zeke was and obedient and loving little boy.
Even though moving was so hard for him he obeyed his mother and and moved down so that she would not worry and have peace of mind. Then so that he could live and receive his body, he painfully moved back.
There is no dought in my mind that the Lord had special work for him to do and could not spare him for any longer than he did.These things were said at the funeral: Zeke was a warrior in heaven and did not need to prove himself hear on this earth. He fought to live and his birthday was a celebration. Maddie, the youngest daughter of Kip and Leejean, said it the best when she told her mommy, "Jesus died. Zeke died. Zeke said help help. Jesus came and got Zeke." Maddie is 2 years old.
The way to describe Zeke's existence in in 3 Nephi 17:16, "The eye hath not seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things." It can not be spoken what great things that Zeke did in the preexistence that makes him eligible for exaltation, it can't be written. But he has more work to do. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZEKE! He even had a birhtday cake at the funeral:)

The Viewing

Grave Side Service
Here we got all the little boys born this year together and their mommies.

Dad, Mom, and Zeke

Tristen, Lance, Jared, and Zeke. One day they will all play together, and they will all be great missionaries.

Pictures once forgotten!! A trip down memory lane! Summer 2009

I have decided to post the pictures and events that I never had the chance to post all the way back to the beginning of last summer, because I don't want the memories to be lost.

This was when we had sisters day at my house. We were living in Grandma and Grandpa Ellis's house while they were in Island Park. I was trying really hard to keep the yard pretty but I was proego and sick, so everyone came to help me weed the straberry patch which had been overrun with weeds. Julianne did all of the girls hair and it was so cute.

Than Whitney messed up her hair wrestleing with the boys.

These are pictures of Mom's Birthday party. July 1st, Gracie, Joseph, and Maddie.


Zoe and Whitney.

Happy B-day Mom.

Wesley and Dad.

We took care of David and Julianne's kittens and Whitney loved it.




Jessica Brauburger's Birthday party at Applebees. I was a few months Pregnant in this picture.




Jessica Brauburger's Birthday Party: Johanna and Jessica.

Wendell Dairy Days; Whitney watching the little dancers.

This looks really bad, but I promise I am not letting my kid play in the street. It is the Wendell Dairy Days Parade. She is out pick up the candy. At least I taught her to use th cross walk. :)

Parade Float

Someone just took the piece of candy that Whitney was going to pick up and she doesn't quite know what to do with herself.

Wendell Dairy Days Parade. Whitney got right in there and started picking up candy with the big kids.

This is a funny story: We had the family reunion in Wendell last year and I was a few months pregnant. Right at the sick part of the whole thing and I was not feeling good at all, so mom had me lay down and she rubbed my head. Well Whitney did not want to be left out so she climbed up on the bed and layed down right on my bum.

Sisters day: I had been trying all day to keep Whitney's dress clean. So much for that. I guess it is ok to be dirty sometimes.

Lili and Johanna

Kids playing in the water.

A while ago we decided since all of us sisters and sister in laws live so close we should be getting together once a months with the kids. The nice thing is when we do there is always things that need to be done. This sisters day was at Julianne's house and the kids played in the water and we helped weed the garden. This is snack time they had otter pops. Whitney loves otter pops, but only if they are not frozen.

Group Photo


Maddie (Leejean's Youngest daughter), and Johanna had the same swim suit it was really cute.

Johanna and I went to visist Mollie in Bosie and we went to Roaring Springs water park.

Whitney is jumping into the water at Roaring Springs Water Park in Boise.

Mom and Whitney

Zoe Mae, Mollie's little girl.

Preston (Mollie's Boy) Mom, and Whitney.

Witty Whitney Moment!!

So it was our second week of church at our new ward and I was asked to teach the lesson in Relief Society. We were running later than I would like to be, so I just dropped Whitney off at the nursery and forgot to introduce her to the workers. For not knowing any of the Adults she did very well. I was told by a man who sat behind us in sacrament meeting that she helped his little boy in nursery. His son was really having a hard time with his dad leaving him in there with other people, and Whitney went up to the little boy pointed to a picture of Jesus that was on the wall, gave him her "I'm a big girl look" and said "ok... Jesus!!" It helped the little boy and the dad thanked me for it. Yahoo!!! Its good to know that good things stick too. Considering that during Stake Conference she was hitting her doll up against the bench really violently, and when I asked her what she was doing she yelled, so even the speaker coulds hear, " I spank a BUTT!!!!". Ya, that one made me feel like mother of the year. We do the best we can and the Lord makes up for what we cant :)

Yes I had my baby!!!

So my life has been turned up side down!! In a good way! I finally had my little baby boy. And we finally closed on our house in Jerome. So I got a new baby and a new house for Christmas, I am so lucky!! Berny Lance Marquez was born on December 21st. He weighed 6pounds 13 ounces and was 20 in long. It was a really great experience, I went to church on Sunday and was having contractions all through sacrament meeting. Then during Sunday school we had a special Christmas lesson where we watched a movie about the birth of Jesus Christ, and I just cried as I watched poor Mary riding that donkey while she must have been in labor. I guess a pew is a lot better than a beast of burden to begin labor. The great thing is one of the lady's in my ward noticed that I was miserable at church and came to my house that afternoon with her daughter and pampered me. They rubbed and soaked my feet and hands, they even painted my nails. I will never forget them, it was exactly what I needed. These pictures are taken by Berny right before we left to the birth center, (I went with my Sunday dress on and everything) My husband is so sweet.