tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55150694736673619692011-12-29T02:34:44.767-08:00Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-71873303998751618742011-07-09T14:22:00.000-07:002011-07-09T19:35:23.750-07:00

Madeline turned three this past week. Three years of more love and joy than I can put into words. She is such a bright, beautiful, silly, spunky, sweet, loving, large person in that little three year old body. I really adore her. She is very interested in animals, from kittens, to elephants, to hyenas. For the past several months, she has claimed that pigs are her favorite, because they are pink

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-7489593971532494362011-05-05T10:23:00.000-07:002011-05-05T12:56:52.882-07:00

Becca and i sat and waited.I wanted to throw up.But there was nothing in my stomach.I wanted to run.But there was no where to go. I wanted to scream. But knew that wouldn't help.So, we waited.We talked about the fear. The fear of what we already knew. The fear that time was short. That time was no longer on our side. we waited some more. It's hard to describe what it feels like to wait, when you

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-67667350210068821962010-11-12T14:21:00.000-08:002010-11-16T20:33:25.805-08:00

Since Madeline turned two in July, it has been fun, challenging, and wonderful to watch her changing from a toddler to a little person, right before our eyes. ( I know she's still a toddler...and I know toddlers are people, but you know what I mean.)I look at pictures of her as a baby and feel like that was an eternity ago, and yet just yesterday. Time is a funny thing. I still look at her every

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-54182736914871012542010-10-10T14:52:00.000-07:002010-10-10T15:07:18.280-07:00

I LOVE fall. I used to be a summer girl, but since I've gotten older, I have come to appreciate the things of fall more and more. I love the cooler temperatures, the holidays and festivities, the apple cider and pumpkin pie...I love it all. So, even though it is still 85 degrees here in sunny So Cal, I am enjoying the knowledge that fall is here, and it is a new season. This fall is bittersweet,

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-49037219878476755952010-08-14T15:13:00.000-07:002010-08-14T15:15:37.067-07:00

Life is very fun and very busy with a two year old!Madeline has definitely kept us on our toes this summer as she has become a busy, talkative little toddler. I thought I would take some time to write down a few of my favorite phrases she says so that I don't forget. She mostly talks in two or three word sentences, and she repeats everything we say, too. Some of my favorite phrases she says are:"

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-62151382987531326862010-07-23T16:16:00.000-07:002010-07-24T14:53:48.068-07:00

Dear Madeline,It is hard to find the words to express all that I feel for you...impossible actually. But, I want to try. So that years from now you can look back and read this, and maybe somehow, you will know how deeply loved you have always been.You are two years old now, and I can't believe what an amazing little person you already are. Every day, you learn new things. Every day, you surprise

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-44405189690625463522010-06-03T16:42:00.000-07:002010-06-04T16:07:55.565-07:00

My dad passed away almost a month ago. It is so strange to write that. My dad is gone. I will not see him again in this lifetime, on this earth. I know it...but I don't believe it. Well, I believe it, but I can't get my head around it. And, I really, really, really don't want it to be true. It feels weird blogging about it, but I don't think many people read my blog, and I like the idea of

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-15130173140803824432010-03-16T16:43:00.001-07:002010-03-16T17:34:10.215-07:00

As you may have read on facebook, I killed my thyroid. Now you may be wondering "why? why stephanie? what has your thyroid ever done to hurt you?". So, let me explain...It all started back in September. First, it was shaking hands, then a strangely high heart rate(130-150 resting!),then major hot flashes, no period, dark bags/circles under my eyes, the big D, and losing 10 pounds without trying(

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-60509619984887525492010-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:002010-03-02T16:29:28.758-08:00

I thought this was kind of fun...Instructions:Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends. I also added my own touch and put stars by the ones I REALLY want to do.1. Started your own blog2. Slept under the stars- Mexico, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and probably more...3. Played in a band4. Visited Hawaii-once with some girlfriends. but you don't want to

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-74542157431258192872010-02-11T00:11:00.001-08:002010-02-11T13:39:08.375-08:00

We went up to a cabin in Big Bear a few weeks ago, and it was so nice. Madeline had a great time playing in the woods, which made her daddy proud. He doesn't want her to be a total city girl...even if we do live in orange county.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-38136753265769719412010-02-07T23:14:00.001-08:002010-02-08T00:09:22.717-08:00

10 Things I Love About Living in the Dorms at Hope..10. I don't have to go far to take a walk down "memory lane." 9. Concrete walls- they must be good for something..I just don't know what.8. Two words: FIRE DRILL7. Sliding glass doors in EVERY room. Can you say convenient?6. The sound of boys peeing above me never gets old.5. There is something comforting about knowing that someone will yell "

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-80986628819112525252009-10-26T11:44:00.001-07:002009-10-26T12:26:16.453-07:00

We have been pretty busy doing fun, fallish things this month. Most of these pictures are already on facebook, so I'm dong this blog more for memories sake. We went to Disneyland for their Halloween-Fest. There were so many cute costumes, and Madeline had a great time. I am really happy with the way her costume turned out. I bought the tutu online, and had my mom make the shirt. Madeline did NOT

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-66721320610713716382009-10-02T13:05:00.000-07:002009-10-02T14:23:26.011-07:00

You may already know, but it has been a rough few weeks for us. We found out that my dad has cancer. again. It's something we knew could happen. But prayed that it wouldn't. It's something we have thought about, but not talked about. Almost as though we feared that talking about it might somehow cause it to come back. Three years ago was one of the darkest seasons of my life. Three months after

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-82502366558928396022009-08-24T11:12:00.000-07:002009-08-24T11:56:56.639-07:00

I said I was going to give Madeline only healthy snacks like fruit and cheese and organic yogurt. But then I made these chocolate chip cookies, and I thought about how much she would like them, and how cute she would look with cookie all over her face. So, I gave her the cookie, and I was right. She did like it. And she did look cute. that was good. I said I wouldn't buy her a

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-64316580338781382972009-08-19T18:20:00.001-07:002009-08-19T18:30:36.775-07:00

words can notexpressthe love I feelfor this girl.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-16275141202900578042009-08-11T13:19:00.001-07:002009-08-11T17:54:19.835-07:00

We spent a week in beautiful Colorado with some of our closest friends before they moved to North Carolina. Their grandparents have a ranch in the mountains, and it was even more beautiful than these pictures(Jon took) portray.We hiked, laughed, rode horses, laughed, fished, laughed, had campfires, and yes, laughed some more. It was fantastic. But, about the goodbye. I. hate. saying.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-38357019661785258982009-06-19T11:53:00.000-07:002009-06-19T12:10:11.980-07:00

Madeline is turning one in two weeks...I really can't believe it! It has been the best year of my life. But. I'll write more about that later.We are having luau at the same park where we were married. I'm not much of a planner, but I am wanted to do something big and fun for her first birthday, and I'm excited! My mom has a friend from Hawaii who gave her this grass skirt outfit when Madeline was

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-7845350496935103582009-06-13T21:09:00.000-07:002009-06-13T21:34:23.995-07:00

This video was taken a few months ago, when Madeline was about 8 months old I think. She is now almost a year old, and weighs almost 27 pounds. She's huge. And we still swaddle her. We have been hesitant to stop, because she is SUCH a good sleeper. She has been sleeping 12 hours a night since she was about 5 months old, and she takes two 2 hour naps a day. And she goes down with no problems.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-66316782214107444672009-06-11T16:53:00.000-07:002009-06-11T17:58:29.445-07:00

We just got home today from a REALLY nice vacation. We went to Palm Springs with my family and stayed at a very nice Marriot timeshare resort. We got a great price on it, so my family was able to get a suite right next to ours. We spent the week swimming, eating, talking, reading, and of course, having a blast playing with Madeline. It is unbelievable how much joy she brings to all of us, and I

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-48853998139266446582009-06-05T17:05:00.000-07:002009-06-05T17:28:02.345-07:00

Yesterday morning,I had a last minute idea, and I decided to try it out. Jon and I were hanging out with Madeline in our pajamas, and I told him I needed to go to Target before we left for Palm Springs in the afternoon. I went into the bathroom, and that's when I decided to try a little experiment. I was wearing pajama shorts and a tank top, no make-up, no bra, no shoes, no brush through my hair

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-10814153209547433992009-04-06T11:21:00.000-07:002009-04-06T15:28:17.093-07:00

Jon and I have been married three years this Wednesday. It's really hard to put into words how thankful I am for him, but I'd like to try. I didn't expect to meet Jon when I did, but I'm so glad I did. It was a really weird time in my life. I was in the process of getting out of an unhealthy relationship, and for the first time in my life, questioning everything I had

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-86521378131459360742009-04-03T06:56:00.001-07:002009-04-03T11:03:46.400-07:00

Jon took the day off yesterday and we went to Disneyland. It was the first time just the three of us have gone since we got our passes, and it was really nice! We didn't do much because it was pretty busy, but we took Madeline on the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm not sure if she was tired, or if it was too scary for her, but she wasn't too happy on the Pirates ride. After that

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-80234975365855414642009-04-01T18:08:00.000-07:002009-04-01T18:32:48.971-07:00

I woke up the other morning and had a sudden desire to take care of my poor garden that I have neglected for the past year and half. When I say neglected, I mean it was full of weeds and dead plants, so I had to pull everything up . I am very excited to start gardening again. Madeline came outside with me and sat on a blanket. She loved being outside in the sun and watching me. She did not like

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-72415346108920234472009-02-23T21:30:00.000-08:002009-02-23T22:26:31.514-08:00

Madeline is seven and a half months old now, and pretty much the sweetest thing ever. I am more in love with her every day. I think she's just about perfect and I love everything about her, but the words that other people usually use to describe her when they meet her are happy and alert. She is so smiley and easy going, and she loves to look at people and make THEM smile. She has started doing

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-61179549872876394032008-12-26T08:59:00.000-08:002008-12-26T09:52:35.902-08:00

So, I uploaded the pictures in order, but it flips them around. (Does it do that for everyone?) So, instead of taking the time to switch it all, I'm just going to tell you about our day in reverse order!We ended the night at Melissa's for a lovely time of desserts and singing carols. She has hosted this the past few years, and it has become a really nice tradition. I love ending the day by

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-10213194437662413072008-12-09T09:33:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:42:09.282-08:00

We went on a date night last night, and it was really nice. We went to ESPN Zone at Downtown Disney to eat, and then walked around and enjoyed the Christmas hustle and bustle. It was a fun night, except for one little thing. Jon was in a particularly cheery mood because:1. His Bucs were playing MOnday Night Football. (They are rarely shown on regular tv.)2. We were watching the game on a HUGE

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-60523995895240314162008-12-07T08:24:00.000-08:002008-12-07T13:46:45.848-08:00

Someone sent this to me on Facebook, and I thought it was really cute! I think everyone can relate to this in one way or another, whether you are a mom or have a mom. Enjoy!

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-82186874975985737962008-12-04T10:02:00.000-08:002008-12-04T11:22:51.912-08:00

Last night I spent the afternoon/night with a very special family. I have only known them for about two years, but they have become very dear to me, and they really are family now. Priscilla Tyree is an incredible woman who I am blessed to call my friend. Her husband George passed away just over one year ago, and she is now raising their four, beautiful children, without her high school

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-35051457666288102082008-12-02T20:23:00.000-08:002008-12-02T20:34:08.548-08:00

Just call me Martha Stewart!Today I decorated the Christmas tree, made brownies and cookies(Jon's favorite recipe passed down to me from his grandma) for the Hope dorms Christmas party, made chicken tortilla soup for my husband and parents, and kept Madeline happy(for the most part). I'm pretty impressed with myself. Now, Madeline is alseep, Jon is at the Christmas party, and the kitchen is FULL

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-64670084767988389912008-11-29T09:25:00.000-08:002008-11-29T10:12:09.938-08:00

Madeline's hair is out of control. It's cute, but it definitely has a mind of its own. I am always trying to figure out what to do with it, and lately I've come up with a few new looks.This one is the "I just woke up and I don't care what my hair looks like" style. It's very easy to achieve. Basically, she wakes up, and we go. I think she pulls it off really well. And I love that it looks like it

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-91012577506433480952008-11-12T09:12:00.000-08:002008-11-12T10:26:00.060-08:00

   Madeline has just started eating rice cereal. Here are some shots, in NO particular order, of one of her first times tasting anything but milk/formula. I'm still not sure how she feels about it.  In other news, I wrote a few months ago about not wanting to go back to work full time.  As it got closer, I felt more and more strongly about that. We(I) looked things over and realized we can make

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-53613453628332808152008-11-07T22:40:00.001-08:002008-11-08T09:04:03.579-08:00

Dear Purse Thief, I would like to thank you for stealing my purse off the back of my chair while I was on vacation this past week in Palm Springs. That was very sweet of you and I truly appreciated it. I don't know if  you realized how much you were helping me by doing this, so I wanted to write you this letter to let you know.  First of all, I bought that purse and wallet at LEAST two weeks

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-9410253438907275332008-10-31T13:16:00.000-07:002008-10-31T13:51:54.475-07:00

Madeline is reading. I know, it's hard to believe, considering she is only four months old. It's only one book so far, and it's pretty short, but she has read it several times now. No one even taught her, but I guess "brains" do kind of run in the family. (My little sister skipped first grade actually!) If your baby isn't reading yet, don't worry. I'm pretty sure she's advanced for her age. I've

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-67022592812198501752008-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:002008-10-28T15:16:00.737-07:00

Confession #1- I am pro-life.Confession #2- I am voting for McCain. Confession #3-One of the main reasons that I'm voting for McCain is because he is prolife. Yes, it's true. I am basing my vote not completely but largely on a "single issue." But this does not make me uneducated, naive, or judgemental. I am none of those things. I'm actually pretty educated and accepting of others and open to

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-63870905493452703112008-10-26T21:52:00.001-07:002008-10-26T22:03:00.822-07:00

Madeline got to wear her Halloween costume early because the theme for GYRAD this year(Get Your Roommate a Date) was Noah's Ark. So, I made Jon and myself sheep costumes out of sweatshirts and Madeline was a lamb. Jon and I looked too silly to post. Just picture big, fat, fluffy sheep, among about 100 college students wearing animal costumes in which they still managed to look good, like black

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-1618049907704345962008-10-23T18:47:00.001-07:002008-10-23T19:51:11.614-07:00

I just couldn't resist...I thought of this name a few weeks ago, and thought I couldn't change my blog name again, but I'm going to anyway.  It's just too perfect! So, I'm keeping my blog address the same, just changing the title. And in honor of having my blog named after her, Madeline insisted I post some recent pictures to go with it. Enjoy!

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-49362545556717765932008-10-21T00:11:00.000-07:002008-10-21T12:45:46.918-07:00

My aunt and uncle invited us to participate in a fundraiser for cancer research this past weekend in Santa Barbara. We had a really nice time. It was just a 5K, and you could walk or job, so I walked the first two miles with my aunt, then jogged the last mile by myself. The past mile was a lot of hills, and kind of difficult, and I found myself thinking about the people in my life who have been

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-57129031010505096462008-10-08T20:56:00.000-07:002008-10-08T21:45:12.451-07:00

Not only did we go to Sadie Hawkins this year, but I "asked" Jon, like we were still in college. Yes, I've come a long way since we got married a few years ago and I didn't really want to do anything that had to do with the college that we didn't have to.  It was a last minute idea, and I recruited Ember to do it with me and ask Chris too, so I wouldn't feel like as much of a dork. So, when

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-4159717709710513662008-09-30T14:51:00.001-07:002008-09-30T15:28:01.094-07:00

I worked out this morning-hard. An amazing woman at my church leads an intense core conditioning class from her garage on Tuesday and Thursday morning. I'm talking intense. Last week, after going for the first time, I could hardly walk for two days. This morning, it was a bit better, but still very difficult. The lunges up and down the driveway were a high point, if that tells you anything.  I

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-77850699532555606762008-09-17T23:00:00.000-07:002008-09-17T23:09:00.517-07:00

Bath time is one of our favorite times of the day. I play music and sing to Madeline. She smiles and just sits back and enjoys herself.Check out those rolls! She's a chubby little thing...14 pounds and only 11 weeks old. SO cute!

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-23397293780669656392008-09-16T10:28:00.000-07:002008-09-16T11:24:36.657-07:00

I hadn't seen the dog, Coby, for a few minutes. That's always a bad sign. So, I called him, and he came slowly into the living room a few seconds later, with his head down and his tail between his legs. His face around his mouth was covered with a sticky white substance. As I wondered what he had gotten into now, hoping it wasn't something dangerous like cleaning supplies, I walked around the

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5515069473667361969.post-29528871937540512362008-09-11T09:28:00.000-07:002008-09-11T10:25:53.700-07:00

I am ALREADY dreading going back to work. I took an extra three months off using the Family Leave Act. It gave me 12 weeks of unpaid leave, so I have to go back in the end of November. It's only September, but this week I began to dread it.  I didn't expect to feel this way. I had no idea how this little person would change my life so much, so quickly. It makes me cry just writing that. I can't

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280573567225857573noreply@blogger.com7