Fun-filled week

This week we had a great time spending it together as a family. Thursday was the last day of school for our kids. Jerry had a kick ball tournament that morning and I got to see Jerry and Raelene at recess. They had a fun time playing with Brayden. I was even asked if I was Raelene's friends bigger sister! That made my day! That afternoon we all went to the Zoo. It was soo hot that day! We got there just after 4 and they closed at 5. We were able to see the lions but missed my favorite part, the Tigers! I guess at 4:30 they put all the big cats inside due to the heat. It was fun to see the monkeys, lions, penguins, prairie dogs, kamodo dragon, hyeena and the rest of them.

Then on Friday my sister gave birth to a beautiful boy. I took the kids that morning to go see him and the family. On the way there I stopped by Albertsons to pick up some flowers. There I found a dozen, beautiful roses for 99 cents! I picked up 3 dozen and brought her some to say congrats! Then that afternoon Ross and Jerry left with friends to Baker City, OR to volunteer at a hunt test. They ended up forgetting things and took the wrong tent! It rained this weekend and the tent doesn't have a rain fly. So we said some prayers here that they would be able to stay dry and Heavenly Father answered our prayers! That night, Raelene, Brayden and I watched a couple of movies and enjoyed the evening together.

Saturday we got the house cleaned and we packed a lunch to go to the water park. On the way there I noticed a non-profit yardsale and saw what I have been looking for for the past 3 weeks... a cot! It was a brand new, green cot and they asked just $3 for it! That was another answer to prayers! Afterwards, we went to Albertson's to pick up a prescription for Brayden and there I ran into Ross' cousin that runs the Emmett Pool. She said that that day was a free day from 1-6pm. Change of plans, we went swimming in Emmett yesterday and we had a great time! Then my parents came by and we had a bbq together. They had picked up some clothes for Brayden and came by to bring them to us.

It was fun to have some pictures taken with my mom and step dad

This is my Mom with Brayden. She is doing so much better since she has been going to physical therapy. She is feeling better and getting around so much better than she was. Now she is leg pressing 400lbs! She is in better shape than me! I am so proud of her accomplishments.

This is grandpa teasing Brayden..he had a fun time!

I miss my husband and son and can't wait until they get home tonight. I am so thankful for my family and for Ross' family. I know that families are forever and am grateful for my testimony of this knowledge.

I'm an Aunt again.. pics coming soon

As of 1:05 this morning, my sister gave birth to a beautiful boy, their second child. I am thankful she had him for she was in a lot of pain for quite a long time. His name is Nathan Wyatt. He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and 21" long. Has beautiful black, wavy hair and a beautiful complexion. This is her first VBAC and she did great after she opted for the epideral. (Never had the pleasure of having one of those...). She looks great, just tired... only a couple of hours a sleep she is going on so I hope she is able to get the rest she needs. Dad is the same, and a proud pappa he is. Rightfully so, this is the first boy on his side of the family!

She is a great mother and it is quite the wonderful experience for me to see my little and only sibling grow up into a beautiful wife and mother who loves her children and husband.

I remembered to bring my camera, I just forgot to take it out of the van! So I am waiting for my sister to email them to me. As soon as I get them I will post them. Guess I need to remember to do more of the super brain yoga!

Cowboys/girl at heart

Dad, Mom, Ross, Shane, Jerry, Amber, Hailey, Raelene and Brayden

Dad, Ross, Shane with Hailey, Corrine, Jerry, Me, Raelene and Brayden

Last Monday, Ross, Shane, the kids and I all went up to Mom and Dad's in Cascade so Ross and Shane could help Corrine and Dad vaccinate the cows. Corrine and her little girl were up from Tennessee. This was the first time I had been back home since last July. It was so wonderful to go back even if it was only for a few hours. Time goes by so differently there. Its as if it almost stands still at times. We enjoyed a delicious meal provided by Corrine when we arrived.

Then it was off to do what they do best (be true cowboys/girl) and vaccinate the calves/cows and I believe Dad branded the calves. I have to admit that was not a pretty smell by any means. I came in the house and told mom it sure smelled better in there than it did out in the corral! Jerry got to help as well and they all did an amazing job. Like Dad said when he retired from his job..."I don't know how I ever had time to work at a job!" He is more busy now then he was when he worked his employment. I admire Mom and Dad so much. You wouldn't think that they are in their early 60's and they are still quite young! Most people wouldn't be doing half as much as they do. They are great examples of the words "hard work" for any of us who are half their age to follow! I appreciate them with all my heart and the values that they have passed down to their children. Corrine who is almost 6 mo pregnant was out there getting dirty and helping Dad as well! I admire all of Ross' family more than words could ever express. They are a very special family indeed.

I hope to return soon, a lot sooner than almost a year! I love my children to have the opportunities to invest time being around them and the environment and the priceless memories and attributes that will be passed down by their loving examples. And I know that all of Ross' family would agree. Thank you for everything, Mom and Dad. Thank you, to all of Ross' family for accepting me into your family and for providing an environment that our children love to be around. Thank you for calling me one of your own. I am truly blessed to have married into this extraordinary family! I love each of you with all my heart.

Going gray at 2!

Have you ever thought you might go gray at the age of 2? I am sure like most of us we really don’t give it a second thought. I sure never did until the other night while at Ross’ parents house when Brayden was sitting on my lap, I was playing with his hair… I love to do that! I noticed a white hair. Yes, a single, white hair on his very head! I had Ross look to make sure that I wasn’t imagining things(I don’t ever do that!) and sure enough, he saw it too!

Now you are probably thinking to yourself at this very moment… how could such a young boy have a white hair so young? The answer to that would be… I DON’T KNOW!! Maybe it is the stress that mom is causing on him… or that it might be genetics… after all his dad started going gray at 19! I don’t know how or why, but I do think it is cute!! Maybe this will be the only white hair he ever has. One can think positively! Anyway I thought this was too interesting to not share!

How to blow a dandelion:

Didn't you know that there is a correct way to blow a dandelion? I never knew there was until I watched Brayden do it the other night! It was so cute to watch him be so in to the dandelions!

First, you need to make sure that you pick just the right one or else it won't blow away like you want it to!

Second, once you have just the right one, then you must puff up your cheeks just so.

That way you can make sure you blow the seeds all over the lawn so your dad will be pleased to see new ones next year!

Third, after you have tried blowing several times and they don't all blow away, then you must do whatever it takes to accomplish your task. And that would be to spit on it! That's right, I said spit. Nothing works like good old fashioned saliva! Brayden did that several times and it worked amazingly!!

If after trying the above steps you don't have the results you are looking for, Brayden is willing to give classes on how to properly blow a dandelion! As you can see, he takes this very seriously!

Have fun, and watch for signs of hyperventalating... don't over blow or you might find yourself on the ground joining the dandelions!! j/k!

Small and simple things have great meaning in our lives

When I think about the blessings in my life, I have come to realize that it isn't always the big things that add value and worth to my life and every day well being. It isn't always the grand things that we should look for in order to feel that our Heavenly Father is blessing us.

For example, just the other day Jerry was to go on a 10mile bike ride with the scouts. Since he had just blown out the tire in his bike a day or two before... that left him with out a bike to ride. Ross's bike had a flat tire so he took it into the hardware store to get it fixed. He was told he was number 11 on the list that day and he was needing it the next day for Jerry to use. When I called the day of the ride, he still was 11 on that waiting list. And the repair guy wasn't going to get there until that afternoon. So I said a little prayer asking that somehow it might get done so that Jerry could pass this off for his Scouts. And you know what?? Heavenly Father answered my small request and Ross came home with his bike just 2 hours after I had called the store! Not a coincidence for sure!

Whenever I have needed to go to the store, lately I have been asking and thanking Heavenly Father for either a parking space close to the front or one that is close to the carts so that I can put Brayden in one. Almost every time since, I have found one or the other! Definately not a coincidence, but a great blessing from Heavenly Father!

Over the last couple of weeks a close friend of ours and Ross had taken out our old steps by the back doors and built me a new set. A very nice, new set of stairs! The old ones were quite unstable and we could get hurt by them at any time. It may seem small and simple to you, but to me it is a great blessing and shows the love that my husband has for me.

Ross got our swamp cooler hooked up today and made it to where there would be nothing showing around the sliding glass door by cutting wood to fit the spaces under and on top of the cooler. Now it won't get to be 100 degrees in my house this summer!! Small and simple, yet sweet blessings will be reaped from this service!

Or when your sweetheart cooks you your favorite meal and then dishes it up and serves it to you!

Or when your children come up to you and put their arms around you and squeeze you with all their might and tell you that they love you and that you are the best mom in the world ( and you know that you probably could do a lot better!)!

I have found that by thanking my Heavenly Father in advance for the blessings that I might need that day shows Him a grateful heart for those things instead of always asking for what I need. I read that in a book not long ago by Steven Covey. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who doesn't think that anything is of too little importance to bless us with. I know that he answers our prayers through other people. He loves us so much and knows just exactly what we are needing. I once heard a statement that said"Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous". I pray that I will always be in tune to the Spirit so that I might be a conduit which Heavenly Father can work through to bless His children and act upon those promptings. I am most grateful to all of you who have been close to the Spirit and allowed yourselves to be a blessing in mine and my families life! May you know how special you are! I love each of you and pray for you to be blessed beyond measure!

Just Chillin' at the Pool

Yesterday was a perfect day to go to the pool. My sister invited Brayden and I to go swimming with her and her little girl yesterday. With my sister being about 9 mo preggo, she of course couldn't swim so I had the pleasure of taking her little one and mine in the pool. It was a beautiful day yesterday and was already almost 80 degrees when we went at around 10:30 in the morning! The kids had a fun time and I had a blast playing with them in the water! My sister was at least able to put her feet in the water to try and keep cool. Enjoy the pictures and the beautiful weather we are being blessed with!

Flying fish...the cutest flying fish I have ever seen!

Look, I found another cute flying fish!! There must be a school of them hanging around!

Get ready... I have a great arm!

Now this is what they mean by Keeping your head above water!

Toddler's version of water polo!

This is my sister, who is about to have a baby any day now! At least she could keep cool this way!

Baby left at walmart video

For those who haven't seen this, this is quite funny. Hope this gives you a good laugh!

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/195021/

Out of the mouths of babes...

That old saying definately holds true...especially for my niece. Since my little guy doesn't usually speak what is on his mind and I can't tell on him, I get the privilege of talking about his cousin who is 2 months younger.

She is so fun to watch and be around. Of course, I asked her mother permission to do this.

Not very long ago, Jon, my sister and Katelin were in the car headed somewhere... I know very specific... and while she was asleep, Jon told my sister in a voice that was supposed to be Katelin's "Jon, Jon, giminy Christmas Jon! You got issues!" Oh I laughed so hard when I heard that!

Then my sister and her were at a store and a little girl was riding a toy horse, she politely asked Katelin if she wanted to ride and Katelin replied"I can't, I got poops!"

One day while at the dinner table a noise suddenly came from near Katelin. My sister asked her what that was and she so calmly replied"that was my bum." lol!

To her and everyone around her she is princess Katelin, if you ask her who she is, that is what she will tell you...however, if you ask her if she wants to do something and she doesn't want to, she will tell you that she is "just Katelin".

I just love to hear little ones speak what is on their mind... it is cute at this age. Not when they repeat the bad things that we say, which you didn't realize was that bad until your little 2 yr old repeats it!

How well do you know your daughter/mother?

Last Saturday, the 9th of this month, was an Activity Day for the girls combined with their moms. It was beautifully set up and we appreciate all the work that went into it. We had a fun time there and to start off the activities was a questionaire, one for the girls to fill out about their moms and vice versa.

As I was looking at the sheet, more like staring at it wondering how well do I really know my daughter!.. I wasn't sure if I knew her as well as I thought I would. We got to listen to the first team kick it off. They were so fun to watch and listen to the answers! Next up was us. Here we go, everyone will know if we really know one another... Raelene's first question about me was my shoe size. She guessed it right.. how could she not? Her and I share the same shoes! She guessed the year I was born, in fact she got almost everything right about me! You go girl!

Now it's my turn...So I ask the first question and...I got it right! Phew! In fact I got several right and then... the question for me was "what would she do if she had a day off from school?" Awe, this one was easy! She always talks about how she just wants a day to spend with me, doing fun things together. So naturally that was my answer. WRONG! She said that she would play the gamecube or play outside with her CATS all day!! Ouch... I know where I stand! The cats, all day...! Oh well, at least she was honest! Of course I HAD to tease her about it for awhile... that is what good mothers do isn't it???! We had fun, we ended up winning that activity, although there were others who were really close to us..( actually, I think that other teams knew each other better than us... when you are put on the spot it is hard to come up with those correct answers!) So kudos to all who participated! It was fun to get to know more about the sisters and their daughters!

My Husband, My best friend

I found this quote that I thought summed it up quite well...

"I know it is hard for you young mothers to believe that almost before you can turn around the children will be gone and you will be alone with your husband. You had better be sure you are developing the kind of love and friendship that will be delightful and enduring. Let the children learn from your attitude that he is important. Encourage him. Be kind. It is a rough world, and he, like everyone else, is fighting to survive. Be cheerful. Don't be a whiner." — Marjorie Pay Hinckley (Small and Simple Things)

My husband has many names to me, Confidant, Counselor, Best friend, Beloved Son of God, Advisor, Help-mate and many more. I know that I can trust him with my heart, my words, my thoughts and feelings and my concerns. I know that I never have to worry about him judging me. He always understands my thoughts and feelings, better than I do! He can tell me exactly how I am feeling without me saying a word. Scary, I know! But it is nice to know that he understands me. I can confide in him with my worries, doubts, frustrations, dreams and my deepest secrets. He listens to me with real intent. He can repeat every word I said to him. He never, ever yells, degrades, criticizes, complains, or controls me. He only says uplifting words to and about me. He gives of himself unselfishly. He will do anything for me or for anyone at anytime without any thought of reward or being tuned into the station WIIFM...(what's in it for me)! He honors his priesthood, loves his Saviour, loves his parents and his family more than life itself. He is a near perfect as they come. He is the epitemy of Charity. He has a strong self image but not out of line with Christ. He knows who he is and accepts himself and knows what he needs to work on.

He never backs down on what he knows to be right and true. He is an amazing father who develops his relationships with each of his children on a daily basis. He is a very hard worker who never quits until the job is done right. He loves to work hard and play equally as hard. He loves me and works each day to build me up so that I may see myself as he and Heavenly Father sees me. He is patient, kind, loving, giving, selfless, humble, meek and will give his life if the Savior asked him to. I love my husband with all my heart. I feel blessed and honored to be married to him. The good Lord knew what type of man I needed in my life and I desire to work hard each day to continue to be worthy of his love. I am so grateful to Ross' parents for raising such a special son who holds these attributes. I love you Ross. You are my hero. You are a great blessing in my life and I am so thankful for accidentally running into you that day on March 9 1996!

Possessed Van??

Ok... so this has pretty much nothing to do with my story, however I did find it to be pretty funny! I did experience some car trouble... who knows maybe I just need my hearing checked!!

While I was driving home today, I noticed that the radio was just a little too loud and I didn't want to wake up my little boy. So I go to turn down the radio and you will never guess what happened next... the horn went off! I wasn't expecting that one so naturally I jumped! Ross would have gotten a kick out of it if he were there! It scared me for a second, then my heart finally calmed down. A couple seconds later I needed to put on my turn signal but was a little hesitant to do so, wasn't sure what was in store next but luckily nothing out of the ordinary happened!

I love life's little adventures.. they keep me on the edge of my seat, or in this case coming off the seat!!

Gardening 101!

We take our gardening VERY seriously! No fooling around now! As you can plainly see we are pretty serious gardeners.

Before getting started in planting your garden you will need the following supplies:

1. Make sure you have your measuring stick that is at least 12 inches long but no longer than 15. If you can't find one, ask around for someone who has a dog, for they more than likely would have a stick laying around...they work very nicely...especially if it has teeth marks in it, then it would be ergonomic!

2. You will need to have a good watering system in place. We were able to find a couple of good watering boys around the vacinity...

They came in very handy and if you need your own, they just might be willing to fill out an application!

3. You will need to find children willing to look like they are having fun. Now it might take some convincing, but in the end you will see that they are really good actors and didn't need too much bribery!! (Actually I really think they enjoyed every minute of it!)

So as you can see from the above pictures, we all had a great time planting the potatoes. Stay tuned for further gardening lessons from the professionals. And remember, kids, don't try this without supervision!

Father and Sons/Girls Night!

Last Friday, the 8th of this month, Ross took Jerry and Brayden up to the Father and Sons Campout at WillowCreek here in Emmett. It was Brayden's first time up there. They had a great time, Brayden loved it, of course he loves the water and the dirt... put them together and it is a perfect recipe for fun in the mud! Ross said that Brayden slept great that night, but Ross woke up every hour covering him up so he would stay warm. What a sweetie! I am so grateful for my boys! All 3 of them!

While the boys were camping out that night, Raelene and I had a girls night at home. We ate pizza and watched a movie and did a little bit of scrapbooking. We enjoyed ourselves and actually got to bed early that night.

I am so thankful for my family. I love them so much. I hope to continue creating these fun

memories that will last a lifetime and more!

Fish Whisperer

Those who know Ross well, usually call him the fish whisperer. He almost never goes fishing with out catching something, if not many. A while ago, Ross, me, a good buddie of Ross', and the kids went to his sisters place and went bass fishing. Naturally Ross and his good friend caught alot that day, catch and release... if I remember correctly, Ross caught between 8 and 11 nice bass that day! Of course the only thing that I could catch was... not a single thing! But that is ok, the best thing I ever caught in my life was my Husband!! Of course, I wouldn't release him though! Too cute and sweet to let this one go! I sure love him with all my heart. Fish smell and all!

Do you know how far slime travels?

The other day Jerry came in the house with a look that said"I am in trouble" and asked me to go with him to see something. So I followed him out to the van, only to find that his bike tire had exploded with slime. That was not all... I quickly found out just how far and fast slime can travel!

It shot all over the back of the van, made its way across the whole ceiling, on to the seats, clear up to the front of the van, on papers, the dashboard... you name it, it was covered! I was not too thrilled to see our van slimed... and I wish that I would have taken a picture! I found humor in it quicker than I thought I would... just don't want to go thru that again. Although I am sure that there will be similar stories to follow. After all, this is the Stevens Chronicles, not the one time story that never continues! lol...

A worthy goal

This card was attatched to our Mother's Day gift yesterday in Church. I would like to think of it as a worthy goal to be able to work at each day so I may possess these Christ-like attributes.

" A beautiful, modest, gracious woman is creation's masterpiece. When to these virtues a woman possesses as guiding stars in her life righteousness and godliness and irresistible impluse and desire to make others happy, no one will question if she be classed among those who are truly great." David O. McKay

There are many women in my life and in Church History who possess these attributes, and someday I would like to be numbered among them. My Mother in law, My Sister's in laws, Mary (The Mother of Jesus), Emma Smith, Ruth, Esther, Naomi, Sariah, my dear friends ( I am afraid if I start naming you, I would end up leaving someone out and I don't want to do that). Thank you all for your examples for me to follow. I appreciate and love each of you!

Back on line and happy mother's day

We got our computer back and now I feel like I am back in touch with the world... so to speak.

I just want my family to know how much I appreciate and love them. Even though I have never really gotten a traditional gift for mother's day... I have had more meaningful and thoughtful gifts from the one's that I love. This morning my children brought me breakfast in bed... with the helpful nudges from their father...

We enjoyed the spiritual upliftings at church. The women of the ages 18 and older received very delicious chocolates. Raelene made me a flower out of cookies and spice drops that were placed in a pot. Of which I shared with my kids. Brayden was very excited to bring me a beautifully wrapped( saran wrap with a pretty pink ribbon on it) chocolate filled eclair, of which he ended up enjoying himself once we got home~! I did get a couple of small bites out if it, but I am glad he enjoyed it! Then we spent a couple of hours over at our neighbors for a delicious bbq and re kindled some friendships and fellowshipping with them. She is an in active member in our ward. We had a great time there. Next we went and saw Ross' grandma. This will probably be the last time we would see her. Her health is failing and she is quickly headed down that road. We love her dearly and was grateful to spend some precious time with her! When we got back home, the kids and Ross gave me such sweet mother's day cards and I finally got my birthday card from my sweetheart! I love them soo much and feel so blessed to be a part of this family. I need to work harder at being more patient and kind. I hope all had a special day today with their loved ones!

Virus from the planet Obnoxious...

Not sure if this is going to show up or not... it has happened. A nasty, mean virus is trying to take over our computer! It is from the planet called Obnoxious and it has come to take over the Stevens computer.

The symptoms are not pleasurable. First, your desktop background will be wiped away, replaced with a lovely, black screen that says "Warning" all over it. Next, when you try to look up something on google you will be directed to a page of unknown sources. Followed by the intermittance of things pulling up on your computer you are not sure where they came from! And on there own, I might add! So, now, this virus is trying to take over and it is winning at the moment, however... we know a specialist that can come in and send it back to where it came from!

For someone who is used to being on the computer....I think it is a way of saying"moderation in all things!" So this... might... be.. the.. last... posting.. for awhile until we can get this foreign UFO out of our system.

Some of life's unsolved mysteries

I was thinking about some of the things that happen in life that somehow, sometimes just can't be explained.

For instance, why is it that when you are enjoying your nice warm shower, that your two year old feels like it is necessary to flush the toilet? Then it is no longer a warm shower, but a temperature that tests your tolerance level to see if you can handle how hot it gets!

Or how when you just changed your little one's diaper and for some reason they feel the need to dirty a new one with in minutes of being cleaned!?

How is it that a watched pot never boils, yet when you leave for just a few minutes it boils over?

Has anyone figured out yet where exactly all the socks go??

Or when you have placed the nice steak dinner on the counter to call in your family for supper, only to come back to get it and find the dog enjoying your meal?

I still haven't figured out why dogs have to smell other dog's behinds... I guess they say that that is how they get to know one another but could you imagine people doing that to others to get to know them?? "Excuse me sir.. may I sniff your backside to see if I want to get to know you or not?" That is just too weird and yucky for me!

For those who have kids... never leave bandaids where they can be seen. I am not sure what the connection is between having a small yet unseeable wound and being comforted by putting a bandaid on it... what ever makes them feel better is I guess not a bad thing!

How about the time that you are looking forward to eating that one slice of pizza you saved for lunch the next day, only to find out that one of your kids"or hubby" got up in the middle of the night to have a snack and just had to have that slice of pizza!!

Or when you go to get ice out of the freezer and find that there is nothing but empty trays in there...

Anyway.. this is just my mind thinking in too many directions, but I have often wondered about some of these things... however, I wouldn't trade any of these fun experiences that have come with raising my children for anything!

A Mother/Daughter Creation

The other night Raelene helped me to make our first Diaper cake for my sister's baby shower yesterday. We had so much fun doing it and we got lots of compliments on it.

It was a wonderful feeling to know that we could take ordinary items and put them together to create something of worth and beauty. I enjoyed the time with my daughter more than making the cake!

Blood, Sweat and Passing out

I will be so thankful when my husband is done building the pigeon loft! He has had the help of his close friend and our kids the last two weeks, but still is unfinished.

So far in the process he has managed to hurt his thumb pretty good, twice and just tonight he came in saying that he is tired of hurting himself while trying to finish it. As he came into the kitchen to rinse of his wound on his finger, he told me that he didn't feel good and sat hurriedly in the chair. As soon as he sat down he turned white and passed out! I have never seen anyone pass out before, especially my husband. He gave us a scare and it took him a while to get moving again... now he is back outside and I pray we have no more injuries while building it!

So he literally has put his blood, sweat and not tears, but passing out into building this pigeon loft!