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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

What we've been up to lately. . .

It has been AGES since I have done a post! My camera is full of pictures, I just have been lazy as can be about getting things updated on here. Thanks to my awesome husband for doing a new post and buying me even a few more days! I actually have an appointment this morning and had to get a substitute so I am blissfully home right now with nothing better to do (well, I could be folding laundry. . .) than peek on blogs and get mine caught up! So, here's what we have been up to lately. . .behind the scenes!

Quick Trip Up North to meet with a couple about adoption. Sweetest kids EVER. What a trial they are facing. They are definitely in our prayers and we are turning this one over to the man upstairs. We will see what will be. While we were up that way, we visited with Sandi, Steve's youngest sister and her family and went out to eat for my birthday. It was a RELAXING and fun weekend and a good break away from our crazy lives. These are the only pictures I took on this trip. The boys were being so cute. We were at Cafe Rio and they had finished their meals and the adults were still talking and eating. Instead of being little pests, they cozied up together by the window and kept themselves entertained just talking and people watching I guess. I thought they looked so sweet, I snapped this picture-of course, it is blurry-Conner trying to get away before I could snap the pic). I tried to get another one (Lewis trying to keep Conner contained-love it) but the moment had passed. Oh well, these pictures will trigger the memory of their cuteness!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I have a pretty cute mom. She and I have birthdays within days of each other. It has always been fun to have close birthdays. This year we went out to dinner at Iggy's and then went to her house for cake after. She had a great birthday, spoiled by her coworkers and husband and as I was leaving, her visiting teacher dropped off a huge bouquet of balloons AND flowers! I thought that was sooo nice! I've never gone that ALL out for my V.T. ladies! It was inspirational! Seriously. Makes me want to be better at remembering and acknowledging people's birthdays. As a side note, thanks to all my awesome friends, family, neighbors, ward members, co workers, blogging pals- SO many of you who wished me a HB too! It really is so nice! Especially as you get older and really don't want to celebrate that fact!~ Anyway. . .HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a great mom! You are the best!


CORN MAZE 2008! Laura started this tradition clear back in 2001, I think! I did not attend the first few, but we have been to as many as we have been able to. This year it was Laura and her boys and Tiffany and her family plus ours. Every year the Staheli family adds something new and fun to their farm festivities. We had fun doing the usual, playing in the corn and sliding down the slides, riding the fun little farm swings, practicing our roping skills and petting the animals. Then we loaded up on the truck and headed out to the maze. This year we made it through in record time! Of course, the highlight for me is the food. I enjoyed the corn chowder, caramel dipped apples and hot chocolate. This is a favorite fall tradition and nobody seems to tire of it!


GIRL'S WEEKEND!!!! I actually was able to break away and make it this year. Every year, a bunch of gals from high school and college days start emailing about plans for the girl's weekend! It is exciting the planning and scheming, knowing we will have some time away to relax and catch up. We have been to various places but Vegas is always a winner! This year, I could only make it for one day since Steve's high school reunion conflicted with the whole weekend plans. Luckily, another friend was in the same boat so we just rode back together and it was fun. However, I don't EVEN want to hear about all the fun that was had after we left! This year, it was all about relaxing and eating! We have learned from trips past that we really don't need to plan a whole lot. Just chilling in the hotel room or hanging out around a big noisy dinner table is all we need! We shopped at the cute new Town Square and hung out in the "V.I.P." lounge at the hotel (thanks Kenny for the sweet hook up!) after several restaurant stops- P.F. Changs, California Pizza Kitchen and Cheesecake Factory. We chatted well into the night and relaxed our little fannies off. Some might look at our "Vegas" get away as a little dull, but getting together with all these great gals is never a dull moment!


The shopping. . .


The "lounging". . .


The eating and NON STOP fun. . .

(K girlfriends, I obviously didn't get the best girls weekend photos. Please share the love through emailing all you got!)

FLAG FOOTBALL SEASON in full swing! I'm really proud of our boys this year. They are both smokin' up the fields each week. Conner is the amazing touchdown king and Lewis is a flag pulling maniac! I tried to snap some photos at Conner's last game. I could never get him when he was actually making the touch downs. One week, we were sitting right at the end zone and he came running along victoriously-it would have been the PERFECT picture! Of course, I didn't have my camera that time. Oh well, I am not worried. He is amazingly fast and I'm sure I'll get the photo op again! I really want to catch the memory of him turning to us, after he's made the touch down, and give us the thumbs up! It is awesome! I need to bring my camera to Lewis' game this week too. I don't have any pictures of him in uniform yet. They both just look so cute with their huge jerseys and those flags! Anyway, we have been getting quite a bit of football in lately. Good times!


SO. . .That is where we have been lately. Hopefully, once Halloween is over (um carnival etc.) I can get back to my regular blogging regimen!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Happy Birthday Stephanie

So far I have been the silent partner in this whole blog game, but I wanted to take the reigns this once and wish Stephanie a Happy Birthday and list 5 things that I love about her (not in any order) and tell the world why she is such an awesome wife! Just so you blogging professionals know, this is completely out of my comfort zone and I don't have a very good idea how to do this.
#1 Stephanie is the absolute best mom in the whole world. She stopped teaching to be home with our boys and taught them preschool along with other kids in our basement, which was custom built to allow her to do this. As a result, both of our boys are fabulous readers, and have done really great their first few years of school. When I first met Stephanie she was teaching at my mom's preschool. All of the kids there absolutely loved her and I knew right away that she would be awesome! She has lived up to my every expectation and has exceeded my expectations in the mom category.
#2 She is a blast to be around and laugh with. It is so fun every night to watch something funny together on T.V. or play games or read something and just laugh.This is pretty much a nightly tradition. It is a great way to unwind and put an end to the crazy days that we have as educators.
#3 Stephanie is super supportive. Stephanie is so awesome. She left the confines of her own home and a thriving business to travel 25 miles every day across state lines to bail out her husband who wasn't able to find a kindergarten teacher at Beaver Dam Elementary. Every day she wakes up early, gets our kids ready ,and jumps into our car, eats breakfast and puts on her make-up on the way to school. She has not even complained once about doing this. She is a great teacher and works her little tail off to do everything she can to make the school thrive. In addition to what she does now, she supported me the whole time I got my masters degree and my administrators certificate, both of which took me away from home for long periods of time. She cheered me on as I delivered pizza for Papa John's in the evenings, worked summers doing tile, worked for Beacon Home Medical, and the many times I taught summer school. She was never embarrassed or disappointed that she didn't marry someone rich or famous. I could have never accomplished everything that I have accomplished without Stephanie and her support.
#4 Stephanie is beautiful. I don't know what to say about this one without sounding cheesy or weird. So I will just say that Stephanie is gorgeous and a lot of people who see us together are probably wondering how did he get her?
#5 Stephanie is non-judgmental and very forgiving. This is such an awesome characteristic. She never holds grudges. She forgives me and anyone else quickly when she could very easily be mad or offended. She just lets things roll of her back, smiles or laughs and moves on.

Wow! I think I did it? Blogging is pretty hard work. Not that it was difficult at all to choose 5 out of the many things that makes Stephanie great. But, it just took me a while and was hard. Kudos to Mindy (AKA: "Word to Your Mother" blogging queen) and to all others who take the time to post things for everyone to enjoy. And Happy Birthday to the coolest girl ever!

P.S. I have no clue how to put pictures on a post, so you will just have to look back into the archives!:)

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

I KNEW I was forgetting something. . .

Ya know how I just did a post about "Stuff I keep Forgetting to Post"??? Well, my sister just reminded me of the OTHER thing that I was forgetting! I was supposed to do a tag for her awhile back. I am a HUGE believer that if a tag is sent my way, I need to do it! So here goes. . . (and sorry I forgot):)

GREAT EIGHT!!!

8 TV shows I love to watch...
1. The Office
2. Mad Men
3. Flip This House
4. Designed to Sell
5. Um. . .we are never around a T.V.
6. We only get like ten channels. . .
7. America's Next Top Model (I know. . .guilty pleasure-so intriguing the life of a model!)
8. What Not to Wear

8 favorite places I love to eat...
1. Cafe Rio
2. Pasta Factory
3. Chili's
4. Applebee's
5. Olive Garden
6. Texas Road House
7. Taco Time (I love their veggi burritos with the sunflower nuts)
8. Bajio

8 things that happened yesterday...
1. I told a child in my class that if I saw her with the tape dispenser in her mouth again, I would have to send her home. This kid eats EVERYTHING!!!! Oh the germs!!!!!!!!
2. I died my hair purple (um, the purple was not intentional):(
3. I changed a flat tire (or at least got it started) on the side of the freeway. Luckily Steve was just minutes behind me and came to my rescue. He was towing our kids and two teachers and they volunteered to change cars with me so I wouldn't be late for my purple hair appointment (I should have just canceled the appointment).
4. I read a book to my class, part way in English and part way in Spanish, and those kindergartners (all of them speak Spanish fluently) thought I was hilarious! They were laughing SO HARD at me (with me)!
5. I ate a Pizza Factory salad-yum!
6. I read with my boys and helped them do their homework.
7. I watched Lewis play football.
8. I planned and prepared for today's school day.

8 things I most look forward to...
1. Having another child.
2. The last day of school!
3. The holidays!
4. LAS VEGAS with girlfriends!
5. Tranquil moments of pure free time and no guilt!
6. Spending time with my two boys and their dad
7. 2:45 every afternoon
8. Seeing those kindergartners read and speak English all on their own!

8 things I love about fall...
1. The changing leaves
2. School
3. Halloween
4. Thanksgiving
5. Cool, fresh breezes
6. Seeing family and friends
7. Wearing "warm weather" clothes
8. Burning spicy scented candles

8 things on my wish list...
1. A garage full of cabinets and storage units-NO visible clutter!
2. A completely FINISHED yard that actually looks good and functions
3. A baby
4. No visible lines or wrinkles on my face
5. A mani and pedi
6. To live in a world where everyone sees eye to eye
7. More space!!!
8. To be content with all I have and how I look.

8 People I am tagging...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Anyone else who wants to.
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