A Tale of Two Stevens

Funnies

2011-02-19T11:35:00.003-06:00

I know I haven't posted in a VERY long while...stay tuned for lots of updates! Meanwhile, here are a couple funnies to hold you over...

Last night we had my mom, dad, my sister and her boyfriend over for dinner. It was delicious! My husband is a great cook. I can't deny that...I got lucky. After dinner we commenced a very competitive game of Yahtzee. We LOVE Yahtzee. Yes, we are old. :)

Anyway, the hiccups decided to visit me. I could not get rid of them no matter how many times I held my breath. It was not very fun, but Jeff made it all the better when he asked, with a very straight face, "Do you need to be burped?"

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This morning I got up and started doing the laundry, and Chloe decided she wanted to help. Here is Chloe trying to 'help' me fold the clothes...

Home and Garden

2010-06-10T19:40:00.003-05:00

Well, we have been married for two years now, and have been in our house close to that. We enjoy working in the yard, and most especially in our garden. The garden began indoors this year due to the crazy weather. Our last freeze did not hit until the last weekend of March - which left us the first weekend of April to get everything in the ground. (This made for some LATE nights planting and setting things up in the dark!)

Just after the seeds were planted in their indoor greenhouse...

Two weeks later...

April 7th...

May 31st...

Our pink roses are blooming again this season as well - they are so BEAUTIFUL!

Stay tuned for a complete update... :o)

This just in!

2010-03-08T21:23:00.001-06:00

Me: What is your favorite thing about me?
Jeff: Your cute, little smile. (big grin)
Me: What else?
Jeff: That's all...
Me: THAT'S ALL?!!?!?
Jeff: Your quick wits then...I guess...

Well, at least there are one and a half things Jeff loves about me!

I would walk 500 hundred miles...

2010-02-10T16:09:00.005-06:00

Well, I would if I didn't have Ethel! She hit a milestone in her 5 1/2 year old life today. She hit 88,888 miles!! It is hard to believe I have traveled all those miles in that car... ...good memories, good times... :-)

Updates!

2010-02-07T18:28:00.006-06:00

I started school in January - my last semester. I graduate on May 15, and I, along with everyone else, cannot wait!! I have been typing papers, reading assignments, and driving to Denton for class. Some nights I just sit in the chair and fall asleep with my little pumpkin pie. I think she has been missing me...

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Garden News!

We have been collecting all our supplies for our garden this Spring. We have had so much fun planning and preparing. Here is a glimpse of what is to come...along with potatoes, strawberries, raspberries, and grapes!

Stay tuned for details on our latest project...the attic ladder installation!

Daddy's Girl

2009-12-31T12:53:00.002-06:00

Jeff fell asleep in the chair last night watching the Nebraska vs. Arizona bowl game. This is what I found when looking for Chloe...

Chloe Claus

2009-12-27T20:55:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Chloe is sad it is all over...

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

2009-12-24T12:53:00.007-06:00

This was how our Christmas Eve began...

snoow...

snooow...

snoooow...

Merry Christmas!!!

Texas Sized Sunset

2009-12-14T09:37:00.002-06:00

I rushed home from work the other day so I could snap a few shots of the gorgeous sunset. I love being away from the congestion of the city sometimes because I can marvel at the wonderful beauties we have on earth. Enjoy!

Botanic Gardens

2009-12-10T20:19:00.006-06:00

The past few weekends I have spent some time at the Botanic Gardens in Fort Worth. Here are a few of my favorite shots... Enjoy and let me know what you think!!

(P.S. Please do not copy without permission) Thanks!

Poor Chloe

2009-12-06T21:09:00.003-06:00

The Chloester had to get her annual vaccines last Friday. It was so sad. She was pathetic after the whole visit to the vet, and I was the 'bad guy' for a week! Here are a few shots of my poor pumpkin-pie-doodle-muffin-head...

Worth

2009-11-20T15:56:00.003-06:00

Jeff and I ran to Wal-Mart last night to pick up a couple of things. All the while I thought how wonderful Braum's ice cream sounded, a brownie fudge sundae, in particular. We must have been on the same wavelength as Jeff pulled in the parking lot on our way back home. He thought it sounded good too! I was SO happy! My mouth was watering, and all I could think about was brownies, hot fudge, whipped cream, and cherries. YUM!

Jeff gets his 'two scoops in a cup' before I get my sundae, and he is happily eating away when David brings me mine. Jeff says, "You only gave her one cherry?? Ain't she worth two?" David gives a half smile and returns with, not two cherries on my sundae, but FIVE!!! David thinks I am worth FIVE cherries! I was on cloud 9... :o)

Commercial Break

2009-11-18T13:45:00.004-06:00

Many of you know what a sarcastic, funny, hopeless romantic guy I married. A prime example of these traits took place last night while watching 'The Good Witch' on the Hallmark channel. An advertisement came on for a new series called 'Flower Girl.' The main character in the series goes through boyfriends like candy bars, and a women tells her "if you pick the right guy, love will bloom..." I turned to Jeff and the following conversation took place:

Stephanie: "That's what happened to me!!"

Jeff: "What?"

Stephanie: "I picked the right guy...and love bloomed."

Jeff: (tight squeeze) "And it's the best thing that ever happened to me!!"

Stephanie: "Really?!"

Jeff: (focusing on the television) "uh huh..."

Thanks for sweeping me off my feet, Jeff! You really know the way to a girl's heart! :o)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-16T16:28:00.005-06:00

Please forgive my delay in posting about our Halloween. We had a GREAT time this year at two different Halloween parties - both put on by dear friends of ours.

For the first party Jeff was a hunter and I was a motorcycle mamma! We changed it up for the second party, and Jeff was a surgeon while I was 'Flo' from the Progressive insurance commercials.

I was also 'Flo' at work on the Friday before Halloween. Here I am imitating the real Flo from a commercial!

Chloe was a bumblebee...

...but she should have been the devil :-)

It Wasn't Me!!

2009-10-29T16:17:00.002-05:00

Each night Jeff, Chloe, and I have a routine. It's not much, but it's our routine. We turn off lights and fans, let Chloe out for her last escapade in the backyard (hoping she'll use the restroom at the same time), turn on the porch light, and set the alarm.

Sunday night brought some nasty storms to our area and the power kept flickering on and off - ruining any chance at watching Sunday night football without interruptions from the National Weather Service. We decided we should head to bed, and initiated the nightly routine to make it happen. About twenty minutes after laying in bed the power went off again. Jeff decided to check the refrigerator outside to make sure it didn't lose power, and in doing so had to re-set the alarm upon re-entry of the house. Then, we fell asleep...

Monday morning brought about a new experience for each one of us in the Stevens' household. Jeff kissed me goodbye, grabbed his things, and headed for the door when the alarm went off. As he RAN into the room he screams, "IT WASN'T ME!!!" We grabbed our guns and cleared the whole house in under 30 seconds - thanks to our NCIS, CSI, and any other police show training we have received throughout our dating/married lives.

As we return to the living room I glanced around and conclude each door is still locked and intact in it's frame. The following conversation occurred:

Stephanie: "Did you set the motion on the alarm the previous night?"

Jeff: "No, remember we were walking in the living room after the football game?!"

Stephanie: (I don't comprehend much at 6:10am, but I did muster up the response of) "yes, we did that, but you also checked on the refrigerator after that."

Jeff: "Oops...(silence) this has been a test of the Stevens emergency plan. Have a nice day!"

All guns were placed back in their respective homes, another kiss goodbye, and an interesting start to our day was over. Thank goodness we can laugh about it now!

Point, Click, and WIN!!

2009-10-26T16:19:00.006-05:00

I received an e-mail early this afternoon from Medical Arts Press. I entered a photo I took last November at the Botanic Gardens in their photo contest and was chosen as runner-up!! I was SOOOOO excited!! Here's the photo:

As their way of saying 'thank you' I received a 15% coupon to buy office products. (Sarcastic "Hooray") First place received $1,000.00 and I get a 15% coupon... :o(

Oh, well - I was RUNNER-UP!!

Melons galore!

2009-09-17T20:09:00.005-05:00

Our garden has done wonderfully well this season. We are both surprised and extremely grateful at the same time. We have had tomatoes, jalepeno peppers, watermelons, and cantaloupe. It has been fun to watch the plants grow and develop into a substance we can eat and enjoy. Here are a couple shots of our recent produce...

Birthday #25

2009-09-17T20:01:00.005-05:00

A couple Saturday's ago I turned 25. It was a great day overall! Chloe got me a new Miami Dolphin t-shirt, and Jeff got me a new Miami duffle bag. Hopefully I can wear both items with pride this football season. Go Fins!

After Jeff made a wonderful breakfast of breakfast burritos I went to the mall with Mom and Katy. It's always fun when we get together! I got a new pair of jeans and a couple smokin' hot shirts. After we got back from the mall I rushed home to get ready for dinner with Jeff and his parents. We went to El Rancho Grande, and the food and company were fantastic! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, cards, and gifts!

My little helper!

2009-09-17T19:44:00.008-05:00

School started about three and a half weeks ago, and I have since spent every moment after work at the kitchen table trying to keep my head a float on assignments, posts, readings, and comments.

To be honest, it is very overwhelming and frustrating at times. Here are a few shots of what helps make it all better...

If only she could do my homework for me... :o)

Pantry size = Religious affiliation

2009-09-13T14:00:00.003-05:00

I rushed home Friday during lunch to let the bug guy, Jack, in so he could spray inside the house. I thought I was going to miss him since I ran an errand real quick, but he was just finishing the backyard! He asks if I have had any problems inside, and I quickly respond 'yes, please come in.' The following is our conversation when he walked in:

Jack: What kind of problems have you been having lately?

Stephanie: Spiders

Jack: Okay, let me spray all areas of entry, and we will see if that helps.

Stephanie: That would be great!

Jack: (coming out of the pantry...) Are you Mormon?

Stephanie: Ummm, yes. How did you know?

Jack: Your pantry size... Mormons have big pantries. All the other homes I have been in with big pantries they were all Mormon too. I would hate to foot the bill to stock it though.

Stephanie: (sarcastic laugh) Oh, that's interesting. Do you know why we have all that food? It's called food storage, ya know, for a rainy day...

Jack: Uh, huh...yeah. Okay, I'm finished. See you in a couple months!

My conclusion, with Jack's help, of course :

Pantry size = Religious affiliation

(this is not a true statement either, I am simply making a joke)

Looking Back...

2009-09-09T20:31:00.004-05:00

Two months ago today, our family was brought together unexpectedly for Dad's brain surgery. He had two subdural hematomas that needed to be removed immediately. The call I received two days prior will never be forgotten. It went something like this:

Stephanie: (phone rings) "Hey mom, is dad okay?" (long pause, silence...my stomach sank)

Mom: "(Amid sniffles) No... I am on my way to pick him up to take him to Plaza Medical. He has two subdural hematomas. They found them within 15 minutes; he has no idea."

I cannot describe the feelings I felt the rest of the day and into the night. The shock was somewhat of a numbing to the pain. I could not concentrate; I could not move. I was worried about Dad; we all were. As we all walked into the room that night we were in awe. We knew he was finally getting help, but we never expected the tubes, needles, medication, etc to be prodded through nearly every vein in Dad's tender body. It was heart wrenching. There was nothing we could do to take any of it away...

My brother and sister-in-law were able to fly down from Utah because of my sweet mother-in-law. She let them use her family passes to get here just in time for the surgery. We will forever be grateful for her generosity and love. As we were all preparing for the surgery we could feel the arms of our Heavenly Father wrap around us. We knew, deep down, all would be well. We had many family members, friends, and c0-workers all praying for Dad and his quick recovery. We are so blessed to have wonderful people in our lives who care so much. Dad did wonderful through the surgery, and for that we are all thankful.

He made a return trip to the hospital only after a week of being home due to blood clots, but yet again, he pulled through and is continuing to make progress each and every day. He looks great and is doing great. He has a long way to go, but the little milestones he has reached in the past two months are remarkable.

I am so grateful for the miracles we have seen throughout the past two months, and the blessings that have been bestowed upon our family. Dad being with us still IS a miracle. He has fought hard to recover, and we are so proud of him. Our family just would not be the same without him! We love you, DAD!!!

Lions and Tigers and Chloe, OH MY!

2009-08-31T20:31:00.002-05:00

...enough said... :o)

Fishing for Chores!

2009-08-29T21:45:00.012-05:00

The house needs to be cleaned. The list is long. Jeff wants to go fishing...

So, we go fishing... fishing for chores!

We get to Lake Benbrook and barely make it out of the marina since the lake is six feet low. Mud and water were spewing EVERYWHERE! We finally make it on to the main lake, and Jeff suggests we fish for chores. We both love competition. This seemed reasonable. Here are the chore brackets:

* Clean the guest bathroom or the master bathroom
* Clean the refrigerator or the oven
* Sweep/mop the kitchen floor or vacuum the carpet
* Dust or empty the dishwasher

So we began... we cast a few times and then the boat jerks. I thought for sure Jeff caught the first fish. I was disappointed. I knew I had the master bathroom to clean now. I tried to smile as I turned and asked, "Fish on?" His response, "Oh, you will know when I have a fish on. I will yell guest bathroom!!" We both had a good laugh and went back to fishing. It was a nice day, beautiful really. We stayed longer than we intended, mostly because we didn't find too many fish to catch, but it didn't matter because we were enjoying ourselves. The overall results were:

Stephanie - master bathroom, refrigerator, sweep/mop kitchen floor, and dishwasher

Jeff - guest bathroom, oven, vacuum the carpet, and dust

As you can tell...I lost. I caught one fish to his two, making the fourth bracket a draw. He finished all his chores before I even finished one! We had a great time being together. We couldn't look at each other all day without cracking up! We got some sun, some play and a clean house!

Pumpkin-Pie-Doodle-Muffin-Head

2009-08-01T16:47:00.002-05:00

...or, Chloe, for short... :o)

Birthday Boy!~

2009-07-30T09:38:00.006-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFFREY!!!

Well, there is a lot to blog about...but not enough time. I had to wish my wonderful husband a Happy Birthday though!

Jeff turned the big 3-5 this year! We had a nice time going shopping together so he could pick some stuff out. We celebrated with his parent's on Sunday, and will celebrate with mine in a couple of weeks... (Dad was back in the hospital so we had to shift some things around!)

Here is Jeff with the cute little cake his mom and dad got for him:

Chloe even got something for Jeff's special day...a bass fish toy! :-)

Hope your birthday was GREAT! We sure do love you, Jeff!!!

Catch-up!

2009-07-11T10:29:00.018-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been a MONTH since I've written...I was doing pretty good there for a while!

Well, I will attempt to make this concise, but I don't know how...

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Concrete Slab Addition

To start, we got a concrete slab poured the first week of June so we could park the boat in the backyard without having to worry about it sinking in the crazy Texas thunderstorms. It was quite an experience to say the least. After ruining the fence, using too flimsy a board on the curve, and not returning our stepping stones we finally have a concrete slab that the boat sits comfortably on. They had to come out and cut the curve to make it straight because I was NOT happy with it~ They made a small attempt to repair the fence, but I think we are going to have to redo the boards again...

When they were finished we decided to go ahead and clean up their mess, tidy the edges a little, and fill in some dirt where we had holes. Chloe thoroughly enjoyed helping us, however, she chose to DIG holes in the ones we already filled! Here she is enjoying herself...

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Garden Update

We have a had a little success with the garden. We have tomatoes growing and peppers. The cantelope and watermelon are spreading like crazy too!

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Conference in Austin, Texas

Every year I have to attend a Court Clerk's conference to not only brush up on my court skills, but to continue to be a certified court clerk. The conferences are always pleasant because the hotels are remarkable, the food is interesting, and the people are very friendly. This year I went to Austin. We stayed a block away from the famous '6th Street' and even ate at the Iron Cactus one night! While I was there I visited a long time friend and got to see her new baby. It was so much fun going to dinner and catching up! Thanks Alicia for letting me drop in!

Happy 1st Anniversary!

2009-06-07T17:24:00.010-05:00

Today marks the anniversary when we became husband and wife! One year ago today Jeff and I were married in Fort Worth, Texas. We decided to celebrate by going to Mineral Wells State Park and doing some camping and fishing! We had a BLAST!

We rented a covered shelter with water and electric hookup. I know that is not technically camping, but we needed the electricity to charge the boat. We saw raccoons, an armadillo, and a lot of storks! We cooked out and ate yummy smore's too!

We went bass fishing and crappie fishing as well. We had a mini tournament while we were there and ended up tying 3-3 on bass. We stopped counting all the crappie we caught! It was super exciting!

We have really had a fun first year of marriage. We have learned a lot and have done a lot of fun things! We look forward to many more...

Oh! Look what Jeff got me!

(he got it at Jared's) :-)

Happy 1st Birthday!

2009-06-04T17:29:00.009-05:00

We celebrated Chloe's first birthday on Memorial Day! She is getting SOOO big! I made a hat for her and a sign to hang on the wall. She had a 'birthday cake' made out of bananas - one of her favorites!

Here she is about to blow out her candle!

Here are some of her new toys!

Our big girl can sit, shake, and lay down too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHLOE!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Update!

2009-05-25T13:47:00.014-05:00

So, it's been a while... I have lots to catch up on!!

First of all, Jeff and I went and saw the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art on May 9th. We went to the 5:30pm exhibit and LOVED it! I am a HUGE fan of King Tut so I have been planning on going ever since I heard it was in the United States. Now I just have to go to Cairo to see the sarcophagus~

We went to the Museum with some friends of ours and ate afterwards at IHOP. I love breakfast for dinner! Here are some pics we snapped outside the exhibit:

The following weekend Jeff and I drove to Toledo Bend and participated in a big fishing tournament. There were 830 people there! It was great and we had a wonderful time!

We pre-fished on Friday, caught a couple of fish, got a couple sunburns, and then Jeff cooked an AWESOME dinner. We were so worn out from leaving at 3:30am that we hit the sack early to get up in time for the 6:00am start on Saturday. We weighed in fish on Saturday (2.83 for Jeff and 1.48 for Steph), but just couldn't get in the groove Sunday to find a big fish. We had a rapid change of weather between Saturday and Sunday. From sunburns to pouring down rain. The cool weather was nice, but the big fish just weren't biting!

We caught fish on frogs, lizards, shaky heads, rattle traps, and crank baits...for all those fishing extrodinaires out there wondering! Jeff also caught an alligator gar on a crank bait - weird!

Our room was interesting, to say the least, and so was the bathroom. They were community bathrooms, but there were only four rooms in our 'motel.' It was weird... Our TV was ancient, our light switch was taped in the 'up' position, and the man running it was shady. Enjoy these fun pics from our motel...

The day after we got back from Toledo Bend I went to Six Flags with Katy's school as a chaperone (no laughing)! Here is a picture of her and I below:

Good for a chuckle!

2009-05-04T11:21:00.002-05:00

Jeff sent the following to me this morning via e-mail:

My response: "That guy in the picture is REALLY cute! Is he available?"

Jeff: "Looks like he is taken already by the ring in the picture. I do like the hair do."

My response: I meant the fish... :-)

Garden update

2009-05-03T09:51:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from our garden...it's coming along quite nicely!

Here are the cantalope and watermelons

Here are the tomatoes and jalapeno peppers

Here are the white onions

The entire garden - it's so fun to see all the green!

Relay for Life 2009

2009-05-02T15:50:00.004-05:00

I was the City of Benbrook team captain this year for Benbrook's Relay for Life. We had a BLAST and raised $1372 for cancer research! Cancer has probably touched each and every one of our lives. I know it has mine... my friends, my family, co-workers, etc...

At Relay for Life you have a fundraiser on sight, and have a member of your team walking the track. We walk to cure cancer. We have a special presentation for those who have passed and for those who have won their battle. It is amazing to see the response from the community as we relay from 6pm - 6am. It is a wonderful night as we exercise hope, remember, and fight back!

Our fundraiser was a 2-liter bottle toss. We also grilled hot dogs and sold iced tea and lemonade. Here are some pictures from the event...

I am forever grateful for the experiences that cancer awareness events (Komen Race for the Cure, Relay for Life, etc...) have brought into my life. I am truly humbled by the hardships I have seen my friends and family go through as they fought for their life. For those who have passed on...I can't wait to be reunited again some day...

Mary Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?

2009-04-15T16:25:00.004-05:00

Well, I am finally ready to post some pictures of our garden, yard, and beautiful plants in bloom! The garden was a lot of work with all those HUGE rocks in the yard, but I think it looks FABULOUS (I'm biased though!) and I love it! :-)

Without further adieu...!!!

Our grass is also doing wonderfully, I am happy to report! Our tree is coming along quite nicely as well. If only we can get the ones in the front yard to bloom... The flower garden, on the other hand, is growing and blooming - we are so excited!

The pink rose bush plant just lights up my day. The roses are absolutely beautiful! I planted a white rose bush with HIGH hopes of the same process occurring...we shall see! Spring is SO much fun! Enjoy~

Well, that's all I have for now...time to take more pictures! Happy Spring!

Little Margaret's anniversary...!

2009-04-14T16:31:00.004-05:00

Well, it's true...it has been ONE year since my thyroid (little Margaret) was ripped from its dwelling place in the inside of my neck. It's hard to believe how time has flown by, and all that remains is a two and a half inch scar to remind me of the events of that day.

I remember it well...(I always wanted to say that!) It was a stormy Thursday morning. I had to take a shower in the dark because our power was off due to the storms. I was also FREAKING out because I had to take a test online before I left for the hospital, which was impossible with no power! Luckily, the power came on about 20 minutes before we were due to leave. The end result - I passed, but it wasn't pretty~ :o)

After an interesting morning, the arrival at the hospital was somewhat peaceful. Mind you, I don't want to go back, but the staff were extremely nice. My least favorite part - changing into the NASTY hospital gown. Those should NEVER have been invented...and they're cold! I remember the nurse putting the IV in, piling on warm blankets because I was SO cold and shaking, wheeling into the operating room, and then I was out! I woke up a couple hours later and was moved into my room...where I stayed for three days! Someone forgot to give me my calcium pills...wonder who that could've been...?!

So, in honor of little Margaret's absence - here are some pictures from my surgery...

Well, that about sums things up without all the gory details! Enjoy!

ALL the details would be nice!

2009-03-30T14:49:00.003-05:00

Internet article headline on Friday, March 27, 2009:

Feed your dog fresh fruit as a treat!

So, I go to the store after work Saturday afternoon to pick up a few things, and this particular store had grapes, apples, and bananas on sale. I'm SO excited because I love all three of those and they are fresh fruit so I could possibly feed Chloe some - Hooray!

Well, I begin washing my grapes when I get home and one drops on the floor. Of course, Chloe knows she's not allowed to have 'people' food so she sits there and looks at me...eyeing this luscious piece of magnificent purple 'grape'ness on the floor. I look at Chloe, she looks at me, we look at each other... I finally pick it up and offer it to her - she LOVES it! So, I gave her another one... :-)

Internet article headline on Sunday, March 29, 2009:

Grapes and Raisins are harmful to dogs

I'm a horrible mother...

Take Two

2009-03-29T20:28:00.005-05:00

Well, for those of you anxiously awaiting my new post... :o) Is anybody there?!?!

We FINALLY finished sodding the rest of the backyard, well, mostly I did. Jeff had to work inventory ALL weekend while I did the bulk of the work, but it's done now and we can rest until the next project! Here are a few pictures of the rest of the backyard:

We also started a little garden area on the opposite side of our backyard. Here are pictures of our garden and the three little jalapeno plants that we planted.

The bananna peppers, cantalope, tomatoes, onions, and watermelon are on their way next. We can't wait to see what happens! I think the garden is secretly Jeff's baby! :o) (But, shhhh....don't tell him I said that!)

Now, for a picture of my baby girl! She was playing in the backyard, eating the weeds, digging in the mud, and having a GREAT time while I was taking pictures. I think she takes after her dad?!

And, yes, that grass in her mouth is the grass we just planted... ugh! I hope some of it survives before she eats it all!

Busy Bees!

2009-03-10T15:26:00.003-05:00

Well, Jeff and I were busy little worker bees this past Saturday. We spent the entire morning leveling a large portion of the backyard in preparation of laying some sod down. When we bought the house we didn't have the whole backyard sodded. Since we have had Chloe, storms, and water run-off from our neighbors; we figured it was time to patch up the mud pit!

I'm sure Chloe wasn't happy with us because I believe she truly enjoyed digging in the dirt, and running through it when it was a muddy mess, despite mommy's pleas of "STAY OUT OF THE MUD!!" She had many a baths in the sink and bathtub as punishment... :o)

So, after hours of hardwork and sweat...we have a nicely sodded backyard and a beautiful new tree! I did find something I absolutely detest about Texas on this day, however...CLAY~ We had to dig a 2X2 hole about a foot and a half deep to plant that puppy!

P.S. Thanks to the in-laws for the tree!

Be Prepared...

2009-03-05T13:26:00.002-06:00

is the slogan for the scouting program. I must be taking my role as a Bear Den Assistant a little too seriously. Here's why:

Last night at Cub Scout Den Meeting we taught the boys how to tie various knots. Such knots included the square knot, the bowline, the slipknot, etc... Who wouldn't LOVE to learn how to tie knots - they are SO much fun! ...yes, I'm being facetious... :-)

So, this morning while getting dressed, I chose the chocolate brown pants with the built in "belt" that you tie to keep your pants up. It rarely works, but I go with the flow anyway! As I am tying my belt I notice I do not tie my "belt" in a bow like I usually do...it appears I subconsciously tie it in a square knot! Who does that?!?! Only a true scout...I'm convinced.

I wonder if my boys will be proud of me next week...?!

Tales of Cub Scouts

2009-02-19T10:55:00.003-06:00

Our theme this month in Cub Scouts is "The ABC's of America" so we have been discussing facts about the United States and learning all of the states. So, last night was another trivia night, and I don't think I have laughed as hard as I did last night. Here are a few funny nuggets from last night's meeting...

Me: "When did Columbus reach America?"

Scout #1: "1942!"

Me: (Chuckling) Ummm...let's try a little bit earlier...

Scout #2: "Ugh! We don't know. We give up."

Me: "Who is your favorite President?"

Scout #2: "Abraham Lincoln!"

Me: "Oooh, he's my favorite too! Do you know what his wife's name was?

Scout #2: "No, but she was ugly, mean, and rude."

Me: "What ship did the Pilgrims sail on to get to America?"

Scout #2: "The Nayflower!!"

Me: "Close...but it was the Mayflower."

Scout #2: "Yeah, whatever. When do we get our cookie?"

It is such a stuggle sometimes to get the boys to pay attention, but they are so sweet. They really get excited to learn new things and work on projects together. I enjoy the time I am able to spend with them, and the things I have learned while working with them.

Hope you got a chuckle or two like I did!

A Nasty Virus...

2009-02-11T15:49:00.003-06:00

I seemed to develop a bad case of Strep throat overnight!

Friday night we went to cheer Katy on at a Central Chargers soccer game, and we had a BLAST!! Go #18! Katy played great although the game ended in a tie. Trinity's soccer team scored in the last 15 seconds of the game tying the game 1-1. It was a GREAT game!

Had to put a plug in for Katy...anyway...throughout the night Friday and into Saturday morning my throat started swelling and I developed a fever. Not fun! So, off to the doctor I went Saturday morning to beg for some help. A couple of looks in my ears and throat and I was out the door with an antibiotic. So nice...

I ended up staying in bed until Monday. It was rough! Chloe made sure I was alive throughout the day by scratching my face just as I would fall asleep. When I opened my eyes she would continue playing with her toys on the bed. So cute! She's my little pal! Here's a picture of her taking care of me (although she is distracted by the camera at the moment):

Thank goodness I am almost over with it all! It stinks to be sick! :-p

Back into the Swing of Things!

2009-01-22T16:32:00.006-06:00

Well, we are back from the Beehive State and we have hit the ground running...

Back to work, back to school, back to the old routine. It's nice though...except for the school part! :o)

Our trip to Utah was full of fun! We spent LOTS of time with family and friends while we were there. We did miss Chloe quite a bit though--she got the most souvenirs when we got back! Here's a picture of my favorite...a Harley Davidson ball cap!

The highlight, of course, was seeing Robbie and Jamie! They had a little shindig for us with some old friends from Texas too! We played Wii Bowling, ate, talked, ate some more, and then said good-bye. :o( (Thanks to all our friends who showed up and to Robbie and Jamie for putting it on!)

We spent time with my dad and grandparents while we were there as well. Grandpa took me to the coin shop just like old times before we left! I could just drool in that place. I saw SO many things I wanted, but the prices were a little too steep for my pocket book! Thanks grandpa for my WWII commemorative D-Day coin, I love it!

We did have a sad point in our journey...we had to help Dad put his beloved dog to rest. It was extremely sad, like one of those 'Marley and Me' moments. Here's a picture of Tanza:

So, I guess that's the trip in a nutshell. Jeff and I enjoyed our time there very much. We had beautiful weather and lovely company. Here's a picture of all of us at Grandma and Grandpa's house:

We can't leave out a picture of us with Dad though, so here you are! Thanks Dad for taking us around and for spending time with us. We loved being with you and miss you very much!!

Schools Out!!

2008-12-16T16:51:00.003-06:00

It is officially time to PARTY!!! I am out of school this semester and grades came in today...

Europe Since WWII = B
Business Computer Information Systems = B
Emergency Management = A

Whoop, whoop!!! It was a VERY good semester, and I am SO glad it's over with!

I am off for four weeks and have TONS to get done, but I can't wait for it all!

On January 20th it all starts over again... :o(

The end. (yes, I stole this phrase from Rory...!)

Time Flies...

2008-12-08T18:50:00.002-06:00

It is amazing how fast time is flying by. As of yesterday Jeff and I have officially been married six months. Now, I know that may not seem like a long time for those of you who have been married for several years, but it is for us!

So...we celebrated...in a way. I made macaroni and cheese for dinner, and we ate ho-hos for dessert! Jeff cleaned the house and I typed papers for school. What a wonderful day together! :o)

We also spent the weekend watching our friend's kids. We watched movies and went to the park and played. They mauled Chloe to death too! She was definitely worn out on Sunday after they left! Jeff also hung Christmas lights and I finished decorating the tree. We are having a blast getting things ready for Christmas!

Ode to my husband...

2008-11-25T16:54:00.004-06:00

I am absolutely IN LOVE with my husband! He is SO wonderful to me. I don't know where I would be if I didn't have him in my life. He amazes me everyday and I love him with ALL of my little heart! Here's to you, Jeff...my love, my life, my friend, my husband...

Thank you for all you do! I love you, babe!

It's a Girl!!!

2008-11-03T16:38:00.002-06:00

We are proud parents of a Chihuahua!! We got Chloe on Saturday and have had SO much fun playing with her! Here are some pictures of her...

Steffrey and Jeffanie

2008-10-16T16:23:00.006-05:00

I thought it might be kind of fun to post some pictures of us from the past couple of years. We have been together almost two and a half years now, and it's been SO much fun! We enjoy spending time together and especially watching movies. We can't pass a day up on the lake fishing together either! Here's a look back into the vault:

A Tribute to My Baby Girl...

2008-09-26T14:27:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been a week since the passing of my baby girl. Sandy Cheeks has surely been missed in our house. She was two years old, and a part of our family since April 2007. Sandy enjoyed rolling around in her ball and riding her motorcycle just like mommy! Her favorite treats were strawberry yogurt bites and raviolis. Oh, how she will be missed...

A Great Night in Keller!

2008-08-31T17:43:00.004-05:00

So, last night Jeff and I went to visit our wonderful friends, the Farley's! Anna and Anthony drove in from Odessa, and Pookie drove in from Dallas. We had a BLAST!!! Although...we did miss Jeremy! Those girls are SO fun to be around, there's never a dull moment, and laughter rocks the house when all of us are there! Here are a couple pictures of us girls...and Jeff!

Barbie, Pookie, Stephanie, and Anna

Totem Pole!

Jeff and Stephanie