Living a Blessed Life

Happy Half Birthday, Toby

2012-01-28T15:05:00.002-06:00

All I can say is Thank You, God for an amazing 6 months with Tobiah. He is a true joy, and we are very blessed to have him in our lives!!

There is so much I could say about Tobiah because each day is a fun new adventure, but for the sake of time I will highlight the key points instead.

Toby is still a little chatterbox. He's always talking, singing or telling stories. (I wonder who he gets that from...)
He is rolling a lot, but still doesn't prefer rolling from his back to his tummy. Aside from the rolling, he is a squirmer and can get around nicely while rolling from side to side or pushing with his legs.
Toby loves reading stories and reciting nursery rhymes.
He is counting with Grandpa Dana every day. I think he will have 1-5 down by the time he starts saying real words.
Rice cereal and Oatmeal cereal have become part of the daily routine now. He eats his 'solid' foods twice/day. We will be introducing vegetables tomorrow!! I must admit that I am excited to see his reaction. Nobody told me how often I would be washing dishes, but it is all worth it.

Tobiah has two bottom teeth now! If you look closely at his smile you will see them. :-) He has been a marvelous teether! We had one day where he was a little clingy, but he did not fuss or cry hardly at all. He is a real trooper. I thank God that Toby has been so easy through this phase.

Toby sits up all on his own now. He may lean to the side if he is tired of sitting, but he can do it for any length of time now, so that is very exciting. He enjoys sitting on the floor and playing with his toys or reading stories.

Here is a short clip from his 6 month birthday http://youtu.be/oDtw8XaHfs4

We will have his professional 6 month pictures taken next weekend (which I can hardly wait for) so I will post some of them when we receive them back. YAY!

This is Toby's first time typing... So, here is what he has to say:

bjkhgghmbmnvb

Enjoy the final few days in January! Spring is coming!! :-)
~Steph

Houston - We Have a Tooth

2012-01-10T21:12:00.000-06:00

You guessed it!! 

Tobiah's first tooth is breaking through! 

This presents some very interesting thoughts and questions. I wonder if he will have a few teeth come through right away, and then wait a little bit before the next ones make their appearance. I wonder if they will continue to continuously pop through. I wonder how he will respond. I am praying that he will have little to no pain and that he will not have a bothersome fever. He is such a happy baby that I do not want his teeth to alter his fun-loving personality.

He is growing and changing so quickly that it's almost hard to keep up. I am diligently working on documenting every part of his first year that I can.

This past month has been a lot of fun! Tobiah is growing into his personality and becoming more and more fun every day. He is sitting up most of the time, and is almost able to sit unassisted. He LOVES jumping in his jumper chair! The seat turns around so he can look out the window or anywhere in the room so he is never bored. :-) He also loves scooting around the kitchen and dining room in his walker. He is just tall enough to reach the floor, and look out if he has shoes on. He can really move in the walker.
Toby is also trying very hard to roll from back to tummy, and get his tushy in the air like he wants to crawl. This prompted me to put the outlet plugs in our exposed outlets.

Speaking of outlets, my dad changed out all of our old outlets and cover plates, and also put some new light switches in our living and dining room. He put new lights on the front of our garage, and also replaced a few floor vents in our living room and fireplace room. He has been busy with projects; helping us upgrade some basic things in our home. It's nice having these tasks complete. Thanks, Dad!

Toby opening his stocking

Back to the Tobiah update:
We have been feeding him rice cereal in his bottles during the day to help keep the food down in his tummy. His reflux is nearly non-existent due to this change. I'm thankful for that tip. It has been a bit of a change and challenge for me to keep up with pumping, bottles, dishes, etc. but it's all worth it.
Last week we entered the world of cereal in a bowl. Toby eats one meal each day with a bowl of rice cereal. He seems to enjoy it, and definitely has a messy time eating! Next week we will look at starting him on some other 'solid' foods. I'm planning to start him on Avocado next. We will see how he likes that.

Toby has also started forming many different sounds. I am enjoying watching him shape his mouth to form words and carry on conversations.He makes the sounds of mama and dada (along with many others). He is a chatterbox!!


Uncle Mark loving Hunny while I feed Toby

Christmas was wonderful with a lot of family here. We were missing my mom, as she was in California with Ricky & Soraya. Hopefully next year we can plan a holiday trip to AZ with Dad & Mom.

Ok - that's the update for now. The dryer just buzzed... Duty calls...

So Blessed!

~Steph

Time for an Update

2011-12-11T14:10:00.001-06:00

For the past month or so I have been telling myself almost daily that I really need to update this blog. Well, I finally have a few uninterrupted minutes to work on this so here we go!

Tobiah is now 4.5 months old!! It's so much fun seeing his personality develop every single day.

Four Month Stats:

13 Pounds

25 Inches Long

I love that I am able to spend 4 days each week with him, but I really do look forward to the day that I can spend every single day with him. He is such a joy! I have learned A LOT about life, balance and motherhood over the past 4.5 months. It's truly amazing how someone so small can steal your heart, and change your life in ways you never thought imaginable. He laughs and giggles all of the time, and is really happy when he wakes up from naps or night time sleeping. His smiles are amazing and melt my heart.

Toby is rolling over a lot, primarily from tummy to back. It's funny to watch him, because he has made tummy time into a rolling game. He does a great job on his tummy, with books and toys propped up near him, but when he is done he will usually just roll over with a big smile on his face. He loves story time, and tries to read the books back to us (in his own little baby language). It sounds like he is trying to say Mama sometimes, even though I don't think he really knows what it means. Grandpa Dana is teaching him all kinds of things, including how to count to 5 with his fingers, ABC's, and how to sing and play guitar. He is captivated by all of this, and loves learning. He has a great attention span. Recently Toby discovered that he can sit up and he prefers this to laying back, which means that he does not enjoy his bouncy chair as much anymore. He loves jumping in his jumper and sitting in his new walker. He also enjoys looking at his feet and I am certain that they will soon find their way into his mouth (just as everything else does).


Tobiah & Zeke

We are working on more regular nap times, and longer sleeping patterns through the night. I think we are on a good track now, as he slept from 10:00 last night until 5:00 this morning with only one short fussy spell in the middle of the night. He worked through it and it ended up being no big deal. Hopefully this continues and he keeps sleeping longer through the night. We are also feeding him more in each bottle so I think this helps him remain full enough to make it through the nights. We have started to overcome some of the major reflux issues we were having by putting rice cereal (per recommendation of his pediatrician) in the bottle of breastmilk to help weigh it down. This has made a HUGE difference, and he rarely spits up when he has a bottle now. He is much happier and so are we. I always feel sad for him when he has spit-up spells. We are looking forward to starting him on solid foods when he reaches 6 months. I know he is going to love it!

Uncle Mark, Tobiah & Darek watching Thanksgiving Day football.


Collin, Madi, Tyler & Tobiah


Evan & Tobiah

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with Thanksgiving Day at Zeke's house, and the Friday after at Collin, Tyler, Evan, & Madi's house. He loves his cousins, and it is clear that they love him!!! :-) My dad and I picked up a Christmas Tree that Friday and put it up when we got home. Toby enjoyed the truck ride to IA and back, and was a trooper with the long drive. He is a great rider, and usually falls asleep on the long trips.


Hunny, Jaxon Bear, & Brodie waiting for their Thanksgiving treat.

We are looking forward to hosting Christmas this year. Hopefully we all have good weather for the traveling folks. We have a lot of presents under the tree for Toby. He definitely has no lack in his life. I am not sure if I will update this again before Christmas arrives, so if not, have a Very Merry Christmas!

Celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Yours Truly,

Steph

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

2011-10-30T12:42:00.002-05:00

This is exactly what Tobiah has been up to lately! Rolling around. He can go from front to back very easily, and from back to front with a little more effort. He appreciates knowing how to roll onto his back, as tummy time is really not his favorite thing. He is getting better, though, and will stay on his tummy without crying for decent lengths of time. It's been a lot of fun watching him learn and grow!

Tobiah is now 3 months old!! He is growing up so fast that we are just trying to make sure we take it all in. It's hard to remember what life was like before we had our perfect little addition. We are filled with joy every single day when we look at him and watch him discover new things. On Toby's 3 month birthday he discovered his hands. He would hold them out and stare at them, and turn them. Now he will still stare at them and open and close his hands. It's SO cute!! He has also discovered that he can use them to put things (fingers and toys) into his mouth for a good chew. :-) He has been having a lot of fun with that, and as always is able to entertain himself for many periods of time.

He is a very good sleeper and usually eats right on schedule (every 3 hours). Sometimes that does vary during the occasional growth spurt, but usually he is like 'clockwork'.

Toby is long and lean, and is having trouble fitting into his footie pajamas due to his length. His little feet are also long, so they don't fit into the foot part. We are going to graduate into 3/6 month jammies just so he fits in length. Otherwise he is just perfect in his 3 month outfits.

The weather is turning pretty cold here and the leaves are almost all gone from the trees. A HUGE thank to Grandpa Dana (and Toby) for raking up the leaves and hauling them away. I must admit that it's nice having that extra help around the yard. It's definitely a bit more challenging to always schedule our home maintenance into our days now, when we used to just do what needed to be done whenever we wanted. It all works out, though, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Toby loves his time with his grandpa, and we can tell that he is not only being loved on but he is learning a LOT every day. We are thankful every single day that he is in great hands. He was also really excited to spend a long weekend with his Grandma K-K while we were in Kentucky at a business function. His cousin, Zeke was here as well as Jaxon Bear. They kept Grandpa and Grandma busy the entire time, and I know Grandma was exhausted, but we sure did appreciate it. Maybe as the boys get older, babysitting will become a bit easier... ;)

I LOVE being a mother! Tobiah amazes me daily. He is currently talking up a storm while I write this blog post. I think he is trying to contribute his two cents. :-)

Toby has stolen our hearts and the lime light, but here is a quick snip-it into my personal life... A LOT of my friends have recently had or are going to have babies soon! It's such a blessing to have best friends for Toby that are raised by people we love and respect. We are excited for them to all grow up together in Christian homes with Christian friends that will speak positive and encouraging truths into each others' lives.

Starting on Monday, I will officially take over all aspects of the billing for the Physical Therapy office that I work at. SO, my life will temporarily become a little more busy while I learn and become efficient doing those aspects of my job. I am excited to finally have this opportunity. I know it will be a win-win situation for my bosses and for me personally. This has been a long time coming, and I am looking forward to the change. I am now officially the Office Manager / Billing Specialist which pretty much means I do it all. I'm blessed to have this opportunity, which allows me to work from home part time so I am only in the office 3 days/week.

Praise God for the good and perfect gifts in my life!
Remember - Daylight savings time ends next Sunday! Set your clocks back 1 hour (except you, Mom). :-)

Lovin Life,
~Steph

AnyTober

2011-10-12T23:06:00.002-05:00

If you have seen the most recent Subway commercial, you will know exactly what AnyTober means. If you haven't seen it, you will want to watch for it now...
In the Schwarz home it has become a fun, new nickname for our favorite little guy. :-)
Our little AnyTober is still growing by leaps and bounds, and continues to amaze us daily. He smiles and talks a LOT now! He is very responsive to sounds and will look at people when they are talking to him. He is starting to do a lot more tummy time, as I recently discovered that we were not doing it nearly often enough. I might be a little over-mothering on that, but I want him to develop into a very strong, healthy boy, and I know that tummy time is a very very very important step in that process.

Tonight we spent a little extra time on the Boppy pillow, and then on the new blanket that Grandma Margie quilted for him. He was NOT happy with this mama, but I know it was important for him to work on his core strength. I have been instructed that at this point, the only time he really needs to be laying on his back is when he is asleep. Otherwise, he can be sitting up or laying on his tummy. He does a great job with sitting, but cannot hold himself up quite yet. He is still a little too small for that. We have a fun, red chair that we like to put him in, and he really seems to enjoy it. Here is our first family picture with Toby sitting up on his own. ;)

That's a wrap for now.

G'Night!
~Steph

Flying Time!

2011-09-28T17:29:00.002-05:00

My, Oh My!! How time flies!!

Daddy & his children

This finger is DELICIOUS!!! Nom, Nom, Nom

Tobiah William Schwarz - 2 Months!

Tobiah had his 2 month check-up today (which was just great)!
It's hard to believe that my little pumpkin has been part of our family for 2 whole months already!

Here are his stats:

Height: 22.75in.

Weight: 11lbs. .5oz

Head: 37.9cm.

He is growing strong, LONG, and healthy!!

I must say that I have never felt more JOY in my life, than I have in being a mother. Tobiah is such a tremendous blessing, and I praise God every single day that He chose me to care for and nurture this little miracle. We have been blessed beyond measure!

Tobiah is a very happy baby, and rarely fusses. Of course, he will let you know if he is hungry, or has a big burp stuck, but otherwise he is very easy-going. (Much like his father).

Darek and I recently took Toby to the Apple Orchard for a fun afternoon. He was really excited to go see the animals and guide us through the corn maze! He even got to pet a llama! He did just great the entire time we were there! Here are a few pictures of his adorable self. (He allowed some of us in the pictures with him too)! :-)

Mr. Tobes & Mommy!

Jaxon Bear, Zeke, Emily, Toby, Steph

I don't think my attempt to shade his eyes was helping much...

Family Photo op on the hay mound

Grandparents with grandchildren

Grandpa Bear & Tobster

Happy little caterpillar going through the corn maze!

Darek found a 'dead end'

Making our way through the corn maze

He truly is the Apple of our Eye!

There is so much more the say, but that will have to wait for another day! Thank you to all of our friends and family for loving on our little Toby. Each and every one of you are precious to us and we are grateful for you!

Until we meet again,

Steph

Has it already been 7 weeks?

2011-09-15T21:15:00.001-05:00

Tobiah is THE happiest baby ever! He smiles a lot now, and loves having conversations during his awake time. I have a feeling he will rival his mom with his talking once he learns words. :-) He is SO cute!! I can't help but sit and stare at him when I'm home. (I stare at his pictures when I'm at work).

Tobiah meeting Great Grandma Margie

Last weekend we took our first 'road trip' to Albert Lea for our friend, Jaycie's 2nd birthday party. We had a great time and Tobiah slept a good portion of the time. The rest of the time he pretty much hung out and cuddled with David and Laura. It was great spending time with some of our closest friends, and all of the adorable kids there! After watching them all interact, I really look forward to watching Toby grow and develop. He is a very smart boy, and will continue to learn all sorts of new things as Grandpa Dana continues to teach him something fun and new every day.

Jack Turner (Laura Davis & David Turner's son)

Jaycie in her Patriot's Sweatshirt! Happy Birthday, Jaycie!

Tobiah must be thinking about something really important!

Laura, Julie & Ribii

Things Tobiah Enjoys:

Eating :-) (What boy doesn't)?

Talking (He is nicknamed The Great Communicator)

Singing

Listening to grandpa play the guitar

Reading Books

Bath time

Taking Walks

Car Rides

Playing on his activity mat

Swinging

Sleeping

On the home front:
Work is going well for me. It's nice being in the office 3 days/week, and home the other 2. Grandpa daycare puts my mind at ease while I'm away, so that has been great! It has been a little challenging with Darek working so much lately. He gets home pretty late sometimes so he hasn't been able to spend as much time with 'To-Buddy' as he would like. Hopefully that changes soon as Target.com begins to operate properly. For the most part, our schedule has been pretty predictable as well. Toby generally sleeps 7-8 hours each night, so that is wonderful! Now, if I could only go to bed when he does so I can capitalize on the sleeping opportunity! :-)

Daddy & Toby

Missoni craze swept through our home for a brief second when Darek took me to target and bought some really cute suede zig-zag pumps for me. They are a lot of fun and I wore them last night. The heel is so tall that I need to learn how to walk in them. I'm such a 'flats' gal that I have forgotten how to walk in heels! I also have a cute tote bag that was given out at the Target corporate meeting yesterday. It's really cute! I'm always happy to benefit from those meetings! They never give away anything masculine, so Darek always brings his fun gifts to me. ;-)

Darek just got home a little bit ago and while I was making some supper he and Tobiah were singing "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story, and "You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like Me" from Alladin. It was SO cute! They were having a great time together. I look forward to those special moments every day!

I LOVE being a mom! It's God's greatest gift!!

Until we meet again,
~Steph

5 Weeks Strong, and growing...

2011-09-02T11:59:00.002-05:00

I can hardly believe that Tobiah is already 5 weeks old!! I catch myself thinking of some things we were told about newborns, and then telling myself "he's not a newborn anymore" so that no longer applies. It's a bittersweet process as our little miracle continues to grow and develop. We are SO happy that he is growing into a strong, healthy little boy but we keep reminding him not to grow up too fast!


(Not a 5 week picture, but I love this one and HAD to add it)

What's New:

Toby is outgrowing his reflux issues, which means he's doing a much better job keeping his milk down, and has very few extreme gas issues. PRAISE THE LORD!! We purchased a bottle of Colic Calm, which is a homeopathic treatment for gas, reflux and colic. I have only had to use it a handful of times, and lately just once / week (if that). It helps settle his tummy, and get rid of the gas bubbles to relieve the pain. I have heard that a little water will do the same thing, and help move the gas through. I might just try a little water next time and see if that helps just as much. My mom told me that in the beginning, but I was told by our pediatrician not to feed him water as he was already well hydrated... Well, in my ignorance, I wasn't really thinking that a tiny dropper of water is not the same as a bottle of water... Sorry, Mom. I should have tried that sooner. :)
Speaking of outgrowing... Toby is outgrowing his newborn sleepers. He still fits into some of the onesies, and for sure the pants, but he is simply too long for the footie sleepers now. I know babies grow fast, but jeepers!!! I'm already starting his box of outgrown clothes for storage.
On that same note, I did the whole 'step on the scale and weigh myself, and then hold Tobiah and weigh the two of us' thing to see how much he weighs. My approximate guess based on that (very accurate) method is 10 lbs!! WOAH! What happened to that little peanut? He's still a peanut, but a heavier peanut than he used to be. I can really tell when I'm toting him around in the car seat. That thing is so cumbersome and weighty by itself. I was really feeling it in my back the other day when we had a lot of in and out of the car going on. Can someone please invent an easy car seat to buckle the babies into so I can just take him in and out, and not the entire contraption?? (You would be an instant millionaire). I mean, if cars can now park themselves and close their own doors, why can't car seats buckle and unbuckle themselves? :-)
Finally, I have achieved the small milestone of fitting back into my pre-pregnancy jeans!! YAY! I must attribute some of that to the SHRINKX Hip belt that Emily gave me for a shower gift. I wear it a few times a week, and it has really helped my hips move back into place. Ok, so there are still a couple of pairs that are a bit snug, but at least I know it's promising that some of them fit already. I have also lost most of my 'baby weight' but I still have about 7 lbs to go. I am not quite allowed to work out yet, but my abs are coming back together so I can most likely start doing a few crunches or sit-up's soon. It sure does feel great being able to wear my old clothes again!

Today is my final day of maternity leave. I am SO VERY THANKFUL that I was able to take 6 weeks to spend with my little sweetheart! Yes, I would have loved to be home longer, but unfortunately that just wasn't in the cards for us. I will start back to work on Tuesday, but my schedule will be a bit easier than before. I will work 3 days/week in the office, so hopefully it won't be too difficult to leave our little bundle behind. Also, it's very reassuring that Grandpa Dana will be watching him while we are at work. We won't have to leave the house, or worry about using a daycare center (not that there is anything wrong with that). Most of all, we know he will be loved while we are not with him, and that's the best feeling possible when we have to leave our little Tobiah. I hope to stay home with him in the very near future, but until that time comes, he is in great hands! (Now, to get grandma K-K {like your new nickname, mom?} to come visit a lot...)
We have the privilege of having Darek's family all very close as well, so we are in no lack of grandparents or auntie & uncle babysitters. We do have a few other babysitter offers from trusted friends as well, so I am feeling very blessed on that front.

Signing off! Happy Friday and enjoy the Great MN Get-Together for all who have yet to go! :-) Hopefully we will have a post-fair update for you soon!

~Steph

Tobiah is 1 Month Old

2011-08-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

Happy 1 Month Birthday, Tobiah!!

8/26/2011

Happy Birthday, Dad... Happy almost 1 Month, Tobiah!

2011-08-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

Where does the time go?? I know that it flies, especially when there is so much going on in life, but really it could slow down just a tad!

Today marks my father's 53rd birthday! He's always proud of his birthday's so I thought I would give him (part of) the lime light on my blog today. :-) I hope you have a great day and I love you, Dad!

On Friday, Tobiah will be officially 1 Month old!! WOW!!!!! That's hard to wrap my mind around. It seems like yesterday that my mom was here and we were walking, walking, walking, getting toes done, massaging feet & ankles, walking, walking, walking... You get the point. Now here we are and it's already been almost an entire month! Tobiah is a happy, healthy baby. He is a very good eater and sleeper! :-) Praise the Lord!! We are working through some minor reflux issues, but other than that things are just great on the home front.

Of course I will post a 1 month picture on Friday, but until then here is the most recent picture from our trip to his first Twins game.

Love it!! I couldn't be happier with our family! :-)
Until next time
~Steph

Birth Story and much more

2011-08-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a few weeks since my last significant post. I apologize for the delay, but I have been a little bit occupied. :-) So much has changed and I really want to put it into words so I don't forget. These are pages I'll add to Tobiah's baby book as I get these thoughts into print.

On Monday, July 25th I had an appointment with my midwife, as I was 1 full week overdue at that point. She checked me to see if my body was progressing toward the birth process. Everything was looking great, except that I was not dialating at all. I was given a couple of options at that point. I was informed that I would not be allowed to go beyond 2 weeks overdue, so by the following Monday I would have to be induced if the baby hadn't made his appearance yet. I was also told that if I didn't go into labor before that coming Wednesday, I would have to come in for an Ultrasound to see how my amniotic fluid levels were, and if they were low (which we later found out that they were low) then I would have to be induced. My third option was to schedule a time to come to the hospital for a dose of Cytotec (sp?) which helps with the dialation process. As the body works, then the contractions are supposed to start as well....

Well, I was really torn about what to do. I had always wanted and prayed for a natural labor and delivery. This seemed kind of like cheating the system, however I was very against going the route of Pitocin to start the contractions, so I prayed about it a lot that afternoon and scheduled my time to go into the hospital at 9:00PM Monday night. I was starting to have more contractions at home that afternoon and in the car on the way to the hospital. This is significant, because the contractions that I had been having previously would always stop when I sat down and rested. These kept going, and when I got checked into the hospital they hooked me to the monitors and noticed that I was having regular contractions as well. (I wasn't stuck in prodromal labor anymore)! However, I still was not dialating, so I received my first dose of the Cytotec around 10:00 PM. Now, the plan for the hospital staff (and the 'normal' process) is that they administer four doses of this medication through a 6-8 hour period, and then start Pitocin if contractions do not start on their own. Well, Praise God that I only needed that first does, because everything was starting to happen very fast.

The midwives were planning to deliver my baby the afternoon of 7/26, but God and I had other plans! :-) Through the next few hours, everything started to progress just as it was supposed to naturally, and I was able to make it through the entire process without any pain medications. The nurses were shocked, as was the midwife on call, who thought I would not go until the following afternoon.
I'm really happy about this, and SO VERY THANKFUL for the book, Supernatural Childbirth, that gave me the right perspective on this process. I was in active labor for approximately 4 hours and pushed for just under 1 hour - and our little Tobiah William was born at 5:21 AM. (Darek has recounted all of this on his blog as well in greater detail if you are interested.)

This was an amazing experience!! It is still surreal as I sit here writing and look over to see my baby boy in his little chair next to me, discovering his hands and staring at the ceiling fan. The thought of being parents and being responsible for this precious life is sometimes overwhelming.

Tobiah is perfect! He's healthy and grew from 7lbs when we left the hospital to 7lbs 11.5oz at his 2 week appointment!! I guess he's getting plenty to eat. ;) On that note, we have had a little learning to do regarding the whole eating / burping / sleeping experience. Tobiah is overcoming some minor reflux type issues, and needs to be held upright and burped for about 15-20 minutes after eating before we can lay him on his back. It does take patience, but I think we finally have a good rhythm down. I can tell when he's gassy or just trying to fill his diaper. This has taken a lot of trial, error and patience through screaming bouts. Darek doesn't handle the screaming well, but it usually only lasts a few minutes and we are able to get him settled down. I always feel really bad when that happens, but I have to remind myself that Toby's only way of communicating it through his coos, and cries. It's up to us to observe and learn what the different body language and noises mean. I have also learned the hard way that the breezes we so enjoy from outside are not good for a newborn, as they swallow that air and it creates extra gas in their system. - Sorry Tobiah - We learned that one the hard way. (Thank goodness for my parents and their tips on these simple things. I have already learned a lot from them.)

Tobiah has so many precious expressions that speak volumes. We lovingly refer to them as 'The Many Faces of Darek' as he does resemble his father! It's fun to look at him and guess what he is saying based on Darek's expressions that look the same.

One of my favorite things is listening to him talk himself to sleep. He's just so adorable!!

A few firsts to mention:
A visit to meet the neighbors on his second day home. He met G.J., Tim & Sue, and Dave... Then Karen, Jon and Jacque from next door came over a couple of days later. They were itching to meet the little guy!

We had quite the gathering his first Saturday home with Uncle Mark, Grandma and Grandpa Schwarz, Grandma Kayla, Mike, Emily & Zeke, and Jeff & Julie Eaton. It was a busy day, and he slept well that night.

Our first walk was through the neighborhood and past the elementary school. We didn't go far, as Mommy was really tired, but it was still fun. We were sporting the Jeep stroller!! :-) We have taken a few walks since, to the post office, and with Hunny around the neighborhood. He seems to enjoy it, but we are more careful about the breeze now.

We have had many trips to Target by now, but he did go to Target his first day home with Grandma Kayla and I. We had just a few more things to pick up while we were out. He slept the entire time!

My first day home alone with him was the Monday, his 6th day of life! :-) We did really well together. I just figured that millions of people do this every day so I can figure it out. And I did!

A few days later I developed Mastitis and was feeling like I got hit by a truck. Darek and my Dad were great taking care of me, and then LuAnn came up that Friday to help out, as Darek needed to be at work that day. She ironed our clothes, made me waffles and left us with a dish of Mexican Lasagna which we ate over the next few days for lunch and supper. (It's nice not always having to cook and plan meals right now). I was placed on 48 hour bed-est, which was like torture to me. I don't know how some people are on bed-rest for months. I just can't seem to sit still even when ordered to. We were supposed to join Darek's family at the Twins game that night, but unfortunately I was not allowed to, even though I was feeling much better by then. We are planning to have that experience this next Monday, Aug. 22.

It was great having my mom here for a few days after we got home with Tobiah, and then my dad stayed a few days longer. (Bummer it couldn't have been longer). Their help was much appreciated! I do wish we lived closer so they could come see him more often. We will have Skype soon! Thank goodness for technology! ;-)

We had our first restaurant meal out at Axel's (very yummy) this past Saturday with Great Grandpa & Grandma Rasmussen! They wanted to come meet Tobiah and we were SO glad to introduce him to them. :-) They came over for a little while afterward and Grandma held him for a while (until he started fussing).

Tobiah had his first 'real' bath in his bathtub last night. It started out well, but he ended up getting too cold and then became mad. I don't blame him, and I did feel terrible. I need to practice that a little more so he doesn't hate bath time. We will get it down soon!

One last thing... The week Tobiah was born was very hot and humid, and wouldn't you know that our A/C went out. (Sorry Mom!) Well, we were totally blessed through that. My dad acquired an A/C unit for free from a neighbor of my sister-in-law, Suzy. It is an older, used unit, but our neighbor, Dave, was willing to install it and fix the very minor issue with it. It's up and running and working well! We were able to avoid the $2500 it would have taken to buy a new one, and simply pay Dave for his labor for the install. What a HUGE blessing!! Thank you, Jesus for watching out for us like you always do!

Alright, I best get back to work. I know this is long, but I wanted to get these thoughts down while they were still semi-fresh in my memory.

Introducing...

2011-08-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

Tobiah William Schwarz

(Tobiah: God is Good!)

7 lbs. 5 oz.

19 in. long

7/26/2011

Darek & I are SO very blessed to have this amazing miracle in our lives, and we look forward to sharing him with all of our friends and family so he can meet the wonderful people that have helped shape us into who we are today. There is so much that I would like to write and share about our journey thus far, but it will have to wait just a little longer as time allows. I'm including a collage of pictures including some of Tobiah's first visitors, and family. Enjoy!

Kisses From Hunny

Grandma & Grandpa Schwarz with Zeke & Tobiah

Grandma & Grandpa Ford with Tobiah & Hunny

Cousins - Best Buds

Uncle Mike, Auntie Emily & Ezekiel


Laura & Jack

Katie DiLoreto

Cole & Christine

Hmmm... What's that thing up there squriming around??

To Be Continued...

~Steph

A Welcome Visit from Grandpa & Grandma

2011-07-23T22:33:00.000-05:00

I know! 2 blog posts in 1 day!!! I didn't want to neglect the fact that we had a very nice visit with my grandparents today. They drove up from Burt, IA and took Darek, my mom and I out for a very delicious and filling lunch at Axel's. YUM! I always enjoy eating there. :-) Thank you Grandpa & Grandma for a wonderful lunch!!

After lunch we headed back to our house (the entire 1.5 minute drive) to relax and chat. Grandma always makes a quilt for the babies, so even though he hasn't arrived yet we received some very nice gifts.


100 Bible Verses to Bless Your Baby Boy

Handmade Quilt from Grandma

Quilts are such a treasure and we know that Baby Schwarz will cherish this one!

Hunny Snuggling up with Grandpa


Hunny trying to get some lap time with Grandma

We enjoyed their visit and look forward to having a new great-grandchild for them to visit next time!

Later that afternoon we enjoyed watching the Twins win against the Detroit Tigers (on TV this time). Then, we had supper plans with one of Darek's co-workers and her husband. We met up with Quattro and Mr. Quattro (A.K.A. Beth & Austin) in Wayzata at Maggies for some DELICIOUS pizza. This is our favorite pizza place, and we enjoy sharing it with our friends. It was their first time at Maggies, so we are always a little cautious when we talk it up so much. They did enjoy the pizza (thank goodness) so it was a successful mission! :-) Afterwards we decided to head down the street to Ben & Jerry's for a little ice cream treat. Pizza & ice cream are such a great combination!! That was another great decision!! We enjoyed our ice cream and our time chatting while walking to the beach and back. Friends, Food, & Fellowship... Life is good!

Overall, it was a wonderful day! Possibly enough to help progress things?!?!? Time will tell...

OK, really, until we have the baby... Signing off!
~Steph

Prodromal Labor - and we continue to wait...

2011-07-23T17:51:00.000-05:00

I have been asked SO many times recently "So... any news on the baby?" or "Do you have an update for us?" or "What's the status?"

The current answer is: No, we have not had our baby yet. We promise to let all of our caring friends and family know just as soon as we do, though. Trust me, I would LOVE to be able to share that good news ASAP, but until the timing is right we will wait.

I figured maybe I can cure some of your curiosity with what has been taking place. As I wrote about recently, I have been experiencing symptoms of 'false labor.' Apparently, the true term for what has been taking place is Prodromal Labor. <- Click there if you would like to read about it. It's very frustrating, but on the bright side of things my body should be very well prepared for true labor (when that time comes).

At my appointment last week, my midwife was very encouraging, and told me that everything is moving along nicely, the baby is in a great position, and I should be blessed with a fast, 'easy' (she didn't use that particular word) labor. I am well aware that labor is very different for everyone, and that 'easy' is probably not the best term to use, but I will say that at least it gives me something to look forward to. I know there will be a lot of hard work involved, but all things considered, I'm okay going through this pre-labor phase to have the blessings we will receive once it is all finished.

My final pregnancy picture (taken today):
There is a whole LOT of baby going on there...


41 Weeks

(Maybe it's not the greatest picture but you get the point).

Until we have some fabulously, wonderful news to share,
~Steph

And We Wait

2011-07-18T08:35:00.000-05:00

Here we are! July 18th - Baby Schwarz's due date. I am certain he is well prepared for this day, and once again we wait, and hope that today will be the day. I'm would love to call Darek today and say "IT's TIME!"

I picked my mom up from the airport Saturday night, as she is here to help out for a couple of weeks. I'm so glad she's here, but really wishing the baby would also arrive very soon so she can make the most of her time spent with us. We did have a very nice mother-daughter bonding day yesterday. Of course that included pedicures, lunch and a little (grocery) shopping. She baked one of her homemade pizza's for supper and we had a very relaxing day and evening. (Despite the 110 heat index).

On a semi-random note - our A/C stopped working Friday night, and it was getting really warm in the house. So, thankfully our amazing neighbor, Dave, (who works with heating and A/C) was willing and happy to come over and fix it up for us. He is really SO generous with his time and has done this for us before. We know we will need a new unit next year, but he's going to help us nurse it along through this summer so we don't have to make that large purchase right away. How generous!!! I will be baking some cookies for their family today. :-)

Back to the baby topic....
I had a good friend, Jessica, send me a really sweet message last night that served as a great reminder... She has three children already and her fourth on the way next month. Her oldest daughter told her that the baby will come when God whispers to him (or her - in their case). :-) That really melted my heart, and I almost cried reading it. Sometimes kids have the wise advice when we, adults are looking for the logical answers. Thank you so much for sharing that, Jess!!

Now, I am waiting and praying that today will be the day that God whispers to this baby... "It's your time"... :-)

Excited to share a picture of our new baby with my next post! ;)
~Steph

False Labor

2011-07-12T18:28:00.001-05:00

Well, here we are... Due Date 7/18/11

Waiting (semi-patiently) for our little baby boy to enter this world, and make us a family of 3! Darek and I are both very ready for this addition to our family, and it has been a tough couple of days so far. Sunday night I started experiencing some strong contractions, and we thought maybe it would turn into something significant. The only problem was that any time I sat down and rested, they would stop. I figured that if this was the night for his arrival, then the contractions would continue and increase regardless of my active or resting state. How right I was. I had a very difficult time sleeping Sunday not only due to discomfort, but also due to the severe storms. I was not scared of the weather, but rather disturbed by all of the loud rain and wind... I didn't get much sleep, and decided that it would be best for me to sleep in that next morning as I would definitely have been useless at work. Darek and I both stayed home that day (Darek was able to work from home) in hopes that the baby progress would continue.

Well, contractions were off and on all day. We took an early morning walk, which Hunny loved, and then later in the day took a VERY long walk (otherwise known as a 'death march') to Lake Ann and back. Hunny was totally exhausted by this point, as was I! She is such a princess though that her Daddy carried her for a couple of blocks so she could rest. :-) OH, Hunny! I must say that she is quite the trooper, as it was very warm and sunny. I even got a little bit of a burn on the back of my neck. It was nice being out in the sun for a while. Again, contractions were coming and going into the evening, but nothing stayed consistent. The nurse at my OB office discussed what was happening with me and gave me some symptoms to keep an eye out for. I took her advice, and am now in the patiently (or not so patiently) waiting mode.

Here's to hoping that our baby will join us soon, soon, soon!
*He even has a name now!! (No, we are not sharing before he's born) :-)

I have to give props to my amazing husband for all of his help around the house, and his patience with me. I have been a bit irritable lately, and he always knows just how to cheer me up, or calm me down. I Love that about him!! I could not ask for a better husband for me or father for our son!

Keep us in your prayers as the time quickly approaches. I praise God that this pregnancy has been healthy and wonderful. I look forward to sharing the same through our labor & delivery story!

Until then,
~Steph

Wedding & Holiday & Baby Update, Oh My...

2011-07-06T20:53:00.000-05:00

The most recent and very fun event of the summer consisted of the Long Awaited, and Much Anticipated wedding of Dani Carlson to Scotty Draheim! We were very blessed to be part of this event, and are SO happy for the newlyweds! It was a perfect day for a wedding.

7/1/11


Darek sporting his Tux w/ Converse Shoes

A little mustache action for Baby...

In case you wondered what I would look like with a mustache....


Dani & the Guys


Waseca Guys Reunite!


Mr. & Mrs. Draheim's 1st Dance

Next came the 4th of July! Happy Independence Day, America!! I am truly grateful for all of the men and women that serve in our armed forces to keep us safe and free. Thank you to all who serve, and all of the family members of those serving. I know I don't express that often enough, but I appreciate the sacrifices you make so that we can live in a free country! May God Bless each one of you, and God Bless America!

Now for the baby update. Well, we are still here... baby in belly! :-) I have been feeling great, but I must admit that I am ready for this baby to come any time now. Darek and I have everything on the home front as ready as it can get (I think) so we are just waiting in anxious anticipation for what's to come. We have our car seats installed in the cars, video baby monitor all set up, and the cradle ready in our bedroom for his arrival. Almost all of the clothes are washed and put away according to size (minus the few that we continue to receive as gifts along the way). We also completed our purchasing of items that were still on our registry, but that we knew we would be needing shortly after the arrival of this baby.

I had an appointment with one of the midwives today and received good news on my strep B results. Negative!! That's good news to me, because I am hoping to go through this process without an IV, and that's the first step. She checked me and I will spare you the details, but the good news is that things are progressing as they should be. It could be any day now, or in a few weeks... but my body is doing a great job preparing! I had a little talk with God, my baby & body so I believe that we are all in agreement that this birth can take place any time now. :-)

Spring??? / Early Father's Day

2011-06-19T00:10:00.000-05:00

It's hard to know where the time has gone. I know my parents always told me that the older I got, the faster time would go. Well, I definitely know what they mean. By the way, where was spring?? I'm pretty sure I haven't seen Spring's presence yet... Hmmm...

Once again, I have been a little tardy in my blog updates. I will tell you that all is well on the baby front. He's moving all over the place, and keeping me running to the restroom often. :-) A Happy, Healthy baby is growing and preparing to greet us very soon!

We are pretty well prepared for his arrival. I know I mentioned this previously, but we just picked up our car seat today from Babies 'r' Us. We are extremely grateful to my parents for this gift. Baby Schwarz will be very happy as well, as this is a great car seat!!

We are looking forward to having it all checked out by the safety experts at City Hall, so we know the baby will be safe when we travel home from the hospital. We were also very blessed to find a brand new extra base for 50% off at Target recently. We will be set with transportation not only inside the car, but outside as well.

Darek's co-workers at Target threw us an amazing baby shower this past Friday! THANK YOU to all who planned and attended this event!! We had a great time, and received many wonderful gifts from some very generous people. Baby 'S' will be traveling in style in his new Jeep Wrangler stroller. :-) (We were told that you just flip a switch and the all wheel drive kicks in... haha)

The nursery is pretty well set up. We received two cribs; One that belonged to my parents (& was loaned to a friend for a few years), and another from one of Darek's co-workers. We received both of them recently, and decided to set up the one from Darek's co-worker because it will easily convert into a toddler bed once the actual crib is no longer needed. The other crib will be blessing another friend of ours who is having their fourth child in August. We have been SO blessed and are glad to pass that on to our friends!

You may have noticed that we have not shared our baby's name yet. That is simply due to the fact that we do not have a name for him yet. We do need to agree on a few so we can at least have a starting point when we get to the hospital to deliver him. (I think he will appreciate having a name). Darek mentions 'Darek Jr.' quite often, but that has never been agreed upon. I am determined to find a name that we can Both agree on. (Aside from our lack of deciding, we will not be sharing the name before he is born. So, for those of you that really want to know the name ahead of time, sorry! We will not be sharing...)

We have been to a few Twins games recently, which is always fun. Target Field is just a great atmosphere for a relaxing date night. :-) Darek was at the game tonight with some friends for a bachelor party on behalf of Scotty. Such a great idea!! A few short years ago, my good friend Julie had her bachelorette party at a Twins game, however it was at the Metrodome. (You know - that stadium that the Vikings still play at... as long as the roof is fixed). ;) Such a fun experience, though. You can't beat Twins baseball for any event.

On that note, today I surprised Darek with a pre-Father's Day gift. We took a guided tour of Target Field!! It was a lot of fun, and we both learned a lot of little pieces of history about the Twins, Target Field, and some former and current players. Finally, I was able to not only surprise him, but I gave him a gift that he actually liked!! :-) That's a feat for me!

What's a great day without some delicious food? We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon downtown and we ate at the famous Key's cafe & Bakery. We shared a delicious caramel roll, and a steak sandwich. I must add that we both thought the fries were phenomenal! The cole slaw was also delicious - oh, and so was the steak!! We really enjoyed ourselves, and it made for a very fun pre-Father's Day outing.

I love you very much, Darek! You are going to be an amazing father!!!

I must get a little shut-eye now. I hear my pillow calling my name!

Until we meet again,

Steph

Projects: Refreshed & Almost Relieved

2011-06-03T23:44:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, we returned from Arizona to a very busy schedule once again. We were blessed with the company of my mom for the long Memorial Day weekend, and my dad for much of the remainder of the week. While we were away Darek's dad was at our house working on some small projects, and waiting for the delivery of some very fun new things.

WE HAVE CARPET ...

& FURNITURE!!

Hunny was starting to wonder if she was going to live in a house with plywood floors and no living room furniture. We moved our love-seat from the fireplace room into the kitchen in the mean time, and she was quite comfy there. We had to inform her that the love-seat was going to move back into the fireplace room once the carpet was installed. :-)

We are really enjoying our new purchases! The carpet is extremely soft; Soft enough to take a nap on... So, I'm sure our baby will be very happy playing on it. It's funny how the way we make decisions has already started to revolved around what will be best for baby (and Hunny). ;) The furniture is also very comfortable, and we have these neat little ottoman - stools that fit underneath the round coffee table. It's a great way to keep the living room clean and neat, but also a fun and easy way to keep our feet propped up. :-) Jerry is in the process of building a TV stand for us (based on some plans I found online). It will look great with our new furniture. It's a nice feeling to have new, matching furnishings for our home. It is finally feeling put together. (After 7 years of marriage, and nearly 2 years in our house). What can I say? We have been patient. :-)

We also have the final two new windows installed in the front of our house. Praise the Lord! They look great, and it's nice to know that our house is sealed up! My dad is here with us, and graciously offered to power wash, prime, and paint the front of our house. (Thank goodness the power washer didn't push him off the ladder...) The house was in desperate need of a fresh coat (and was in the plans for a June project), but the timing was just perfect to have it completed while my dad was here. THANK YOU, DAD! (He reminded me yesterday that "it's what dad's do" and he was happy to help). Once again, we are SO blessed!

Our final project-before-baby will be completed in the very near future... A new driveway! YAY! Our current blacktop is being replaced with concrete!!! WooHoo!!! It will be a nice, maintenance free slab, and I will be thrilled to get rid of the bumpy, sinking asphalt. Our baby will be happy to draw on it with sidewalk chalk too - when that time comes. :-) (Future thinking) :-)

Aside from the typical yearly 'homeowner' projects, our yard is filling in nicely, and the backyard has finally drained and is mostly dry. (I hear a bonfire calling!) My garden is growing, and the plants look happy. I still have some flowers that I would like to plant, but aside from that all is well.

Now for the Baby update: All is well on the mommy front. I have still been feeling great, and the slight swelling I had while we were in Arizona has almost completely subsided. I haven't had any other issues with fluid retention unless it's a very hot day and I'm not drinking enough water. (Sometimes I don't think it's possible to drink more water, but I do it anyway). :-) My midwife is not concerned, however. I am completing an online childbirth course offered through our hospital. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to take this course, but figured that it definitely couldn't hurt (considering that this is my first experience with all of this and I really don't think one can be overly prepared for what's to come). It is very comprehensive and I am glad that I signed up for it. The information is available for 90 days from the date of purchase, so I can continue to go back and review it as often as I would like. Very handy if I do say so myself!

Last Saturday I had a wonderful time at my first baby shower with friends and family, hosted by Emily and Suzy (my sister's in law). They did a fabulous job, and made this a very special event!

My Beautiful niece, Madeline

It was wonderful having so many special people that I don't get to see very often, all in one place. They definitely showered me with many wonderful gifts and their presence. :-)
I was feeling very Loved! THANK YOU to everyone that was able to make the journey. I know it was not convenient for most of you.

Baby 'S' will be set with clothes and new baby things once he makes his entrance to the world. Another HUGE Thank You to my mom for helping me organize the nursery and wash / fold / hang the tiny clothes in order of size. Also, Thank you to Joanna for the adorable Mn Twins theme cupcake toppers!

What a talented and creative decorator she is! (She also makes a mean meatball sandwich!!) :-)

I purchased a few books that have been recommended reading by multiple people. They should arrive today, so I'm excited to get started. (I was advised that reading now is important, because I just may not have time later when I actually need the information.) Here they are:

I am still waiting on our crib, but in the mean time we are prepared with an antique, refinished and re-covered cradle that will be in our bedroom to start with. The pack & play will head to the main floor for a convenient sleeping and changing location. We also moved the swing to our living room, as that seems like a good location for it. We will have our car seat in about a week, as my parents have graciously chosen to purchase it as a gift to us. Again, blessed beyond words. I will feel more prepared once we have these two necessities. I have another shower with some great friends on Monday, and then a couple of small shower gatherings with co-workers.

I am very much looking forward to these fun events, and the wedding of our dear friend, Scotty on July 1st!!
*I know this is a novel, so you should win a prize if you made it this far! :-) I will try to be a bit more consistent so I can avoid the super duper long blog posts in the future.

Happy Weekend!
~Steph

Showers; Not the kind that rain on you

2011-05-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

Where do I begin to catch up on my recent lack of blogging? May is always a busy month for us, and this May has been no exception.

Here is the brief list of events (that I can recall at the moment):
May 2 - Darek's Birthday
May 8 - Mother's Day
May 15 - Smith family combined baby shower for Emily and I
May 17 - My birthday
May 19 - 25 - Vacation to Arizona
May 22 - Darek & My 7th Anniversary


7th Wedding Anniversary - 32 Weeks pregnant

May 28 - (Today) My family & friends baby shower
May 30 - Memorial Day (always including some sort of fun gathering of friends, etc.)

So, needless to say, we have had a lot going on so far this month... And I LOVE it!! This is my favorite time of the year, despite the particularly disgusting weather we have had up to this point.

Being in Arizona for a week was a wonderful reprieve from the rain, storms, and general lack of sun. I thoroughly enjoyed being in the sun for 6 full days! We had a fantastic time visiting my parents and attending a couple of Twins games. Darek surprised me for our anniversary with tickets 2 rows behind the Twins duggout!!!!!!!!! It was not the best game for the Twins, but we still had a wonderful time (and took a load of great pictures)! My parents surprised us with some wonderful birthday gifts, and quite a load of baby supplies for our upcoming bundle of joy. :-) We are SO grateful!

Rewind a little bit... Before we left for vacation, I mentioned that Emily's family threw a baby shower for the two of us at Lois Stevens' home. It was a great day for a shower, and we were both blessed with many wonderful gifts. It's fun receiving things for the baby that we will need in the near future. Everything is becoming more and more real!

Amongst all of these fun events, I have been attending my bi-weekly appointments with the Midwife group at my clinic and everything is right on track. Our little baby has been very active lately. I am still trying to determine if I can differentiate whether I am being kicked by a foot, or have an elbow or knee trying to escape through my side. Haha! He is definitely stretching and growing. We still have not agreed on a name, so right now he is lovingly referred to as 'Baby', just as our four-legged friend is often times called 'Beagle.' I know we will decide on something more creative (and normal) by the time he is born, though.
Baby gets the hiccups at least once daily. I'm not sure if that means it will continue after he is born too, or if it is just a phase. It definitely depends on what I'm eating or drinking. If I want to feel some action in there, I just need a little juice or something sugary and he gets right back to kicking, rolling and stretching.
I have been experiencing braxton hicks contractions for about a month now, on and off. My midwife told me to make sure I am taking in a lot of water, and if they become as frequent as 4 or more in an hour, to put my feet up and rest for a while to make sure they stop.
My first experience with major ankle swelling started when we were in Arizona. I don't think they liked the heat and all of the walking we did. I am still recovering from this. It's difficult for me to sit and put my feet up because if you know my personality at all, I am a 'doer' of things. I like to have things in order and projects completed. I struggle to know that there might be a task needing completion, and here I am sitting around. I try to make this time productive either by reading or just resting to help my body and baby.

I could probably go on and on with details about this month and my current status, but there are things to do. I have a shower to get ready for now! :-) My Mom flew in for the weekend, and my Dad is driving up with his 'Beverly Hillbillies' load of stuff to drop off at various locations. :-)I cannot wait to see more of my friends and family!! :-)

Off to a Twins game tonight (hoping for a 'W'),
~Steph

Oh, what a wonderful Birthday...

2011-05-18T17:52:00.000-05:00

Yep, you guessed it! Yesterday was my final birthday in my 20's. YIKES! It's still hard to really say that I'm 29, and I'm sure it's even more difficult for my parents to think that their baby is 29. Wowzers!
All in all it was a great day, though. This year I decided not to take the day off of work (which I generally don't do, but have done the past 2 years). I stopped by Caribou Coffee on my way in to work to pick up a Mint (milk chocolate) Snow Drift with my free Happy Bou-Day coupon.

This was a most delicious way to start my morning!

Where I work, we always have a 'birthday lunch' for the birthday person, and they are allowed to choose any restaurant they would like. :-) Yes, I said ANY! Naturally, I chose Bacio! It's a delicious Italian restaurant, specializing in local and fresh ingredients. I ordered a Parmesan, mushroom flatbread with truffle sauce. Um.. Again, YUM! I also ordered strawberry and salted caramel gelato for everyone to share for dessert. This, too, was delicious. (Disclaimer: I only ate 2 pieces of my flatbread, and had 1 piece of my friend, Toni's Avacado / tomato flatbread. I did not over-indulge). :-)

Shortly through lunch, a delivery person came from Edible Arrangements! I knew instantly I was going to be happy but was thoroughly surprised by this. The arrangement was a gift from Mike, Emily, Jaxon Bear, Brodie and Baby Bemis!! How thoughtful! I shared with my co-workers, but we were all so full that there is a TON left. :-) I will be enjoying that again tonight.

It looked just like this, but in an orange basket and it had chocolate covered strawberries.

Once I got home, we prepared for more eating! (Why not?) We headed out after a while to P.F. Chang's in Edina. I had been craving MuShu Chicken, and this is the one place that has my favorite! So, off we went to eat a delicious supper!

All in all it was a delicious sort of day! :-)

Now it's time to get packing for our Arizona vacation. 7 days of relaxation (1 day of work for Darek) and fun in the sun!

I'm leaving... on a jet plane... don't know when I'll be back again... (Oh, wait I do know)

~Until we return~

Steph

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:16:00.000-05:00

This morning was the start of my first (pre) Mother's Day celebration. I decided to sleep in, after being up late last night and being exhausted from planting my garden and doing some yard work yesterday.

SO - I was awakened to the sound of 'the world's best husband' coming into our bedroom with breakfast. Of course, he always does a great job going out of his way to surprise me and make me feel special.


Don't worry - I shared one... :-)

Yes, I was spoiled by this delicious box of donuts and a big glass of milk! Yum!!!

After breakfast, Darek and I watched a really interesting documentary, after which I promptly went back to sleep. What a nice treat it was to sleep in.

We took a nice walk downtown to look at some hanging flower baskets, and headed home just as it was starting to sprinkle out. The timing couldn't have been better!!

A little later, Darek's parents came up and we headed out to an early supper. We ended up going to the 5-8 Club, and had some Juicy Lucy's. We also each had our share of something fried and delicious. You can see the pile of onion straws that came with our supper. :-)

And that is one FULL belly afterward...

All in all, it was a very nice day! We enjoyed our time as a family, and look forward to celebrating Mother's Day next year with our little boy in tow. :-)

If you are a mother, or long to be a mother I hope you had a great day with the ones you love!

~Steph

I'm Tardy - Happy Birthday Darek (5/2/11)

2011-05-04T15:33:00.000-05:00

May 2nd

Happy Birthday to you...

The Best Cheese Curds EVER (even better than the state fair)!

Happy Birthday to you...


A White Trash burger creation at Burger Jones

Happy Birthday dear, Darek...

Delish!

Happy Birthday to you!


A Larry Winters Photo of Target Field from Mike & Emily

I HOPE YOU HAD A VERY HAPPY DAY! I LOVE YOU!!

Yours Truly!
~Steppynoodle

*Photos courtesy of my cell phone - sorry for the poor quality!

A Few More Updates - 29 weeks

2011-05-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

The Twins will make a come-back. I just know it!! So far every home game that we have been to, the Twins have won!! That's a total of 3, so maybe we should just go to every game. I wish!! Unfortunately, the weather has not been great this spring, but I see that changing as well. It has to! Here are a few pics from our trips to Target field:

And... I had to include my Godiva Chocolate Bunny!! Still 1/2 of the bunny remaining. Not for long.... :-)

My bi-weekly appointments have begun. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the visits being so frequent, but I am really enjoying it. I feel like I am able to develop an even better relationship with my midwife group, and go over some questions and labor / birth preparations with them. I have been reading a lot lately. I'm trying to get a good handle on what to expect as we approach this baby's birthday.
We are still in the name debate, but if I can just fine a good one that Darek will agree with, we will be good to go. I am looking forward to some upcoming baby showers. I'm really excited to see some family and friends that I haven't seen in a very long time.

Here is a picture from April 6th:


Preparing for a friend's retirement party.

I'm attaching a bump picture, which also includes my friend Jenika (with her barely-there bump)! She's adorable!


Don't mind our mouths full of food... Pizza and Oreo's. Yum!

Everything else is going well. Spring is trying hard to make an appearance, and I'm looking forward to the warm, popcicle & ice-cream eating weather. We have tulips and daffodils blooming around the yard, as well as Hastas and other ground cover coming up. I LOVE this time of year!

Until next time!
`Steph

Resurrection Sunday... and Easter Eggs

2011-04-27T11:44:00.002-05:00

First of all, praise the Lord that we have been given eternal life through a personal relationship with Jesus! He is RISEN!!

This year, just like last year, we spent Easter in Waseca. Suzy and the kids were able to come up again as well, so it was fun seeing them and having an Easter egg hunt, along with baskets of goodies and lunch, of course. Although it was a really short visit with them, we still enjoyed our time together. Ok - I promise that I will attach pictures as soon as I have the opportunity to upload them.

Here is a picture that I can include from our walk around the neighborhood... (Thanks to facebook uploads)


Easter Sunday in Waseca

It turned out to be a very nice day, so at least we didn't need coats! :-)

Again, I will update with more pictures of the kids and fun times we shared... Stay tuned...

~Steph

Ok - Here you go!


Easter Egg Hunt


Little Mommy Robin keeping her eggs warm


Suzy, Collin, Tyler, Evan & Madeline

...With Flying Colors

2011-04-25T15:16:00.000-05:00

Last week was my 28 week appointment and it also happened to be my turn for the glucose tolerance test. YAY for me! My clinic requires every pregnant woman to take a 1 hour test as a standard protocol now, so it was nothing to be worried about. I had my option of the high fructose syrup flavors to choose from, and I chose lemon-lime. It was actually refreshing and not disgusting at all. I know some people have had some pretty awful opinions regarding that drink, but I honestly did not mind it at all. I drank it down and headed to my appointment which was exactly 1 hour later. The nice thing about this appointment is that they have to be on time in order to record accurate test results. A quick finger prick and all was well. I PASSED! PSHEW! I was not worried because I keep a fairly 'normal' diet and when I do indulge in high sugar foods, I indulge in moderation. I still haven't eaten a 'single serve' ice cream (pint) all in one sitting. It usually takes 4 or 5 for me to finish, which is the recommended serving amount, I believe. I usually stick to the recommendations, because not only do I want to stay healthy during this pregnancy, but I want our baby to be health as well.

My weight was right on track. I am at 28 weeks and have gained 20 lbs. so far and my BMI is 23. I am measuring right on for my due date, and the baby is in a good, head down position. (Well, at least he was for this appointment.) The Nurse Practitioner that I saw said that he could still flip around a bit because he is small and has room, but eventually he will stay in one position. She said at my next appointment he should be in a position that he will stay in. This baby has always been pretty low, so I definitely have gotten used to visiting public restrooms. I keep extra hand sanitizer in my purse just in case the restroom is frightening. (Many are!!)

This little baby has been very active lately. He kicks, pushes, and rolls around frequently. Darek finally felt him moving yesterday. I think he has been a little nervous about touching my belly or something, and this is honestly the first time he has been patient enough to let the baby kick him. It was pretty cute! It may never happen again, but I'm glad that he at least got to have this one experience.

The only glitch in our visit was that my hemoglobin was a little low. Nothing too worrisome, but I have to increase my iron intake. I already supplement my iron (which I have for as long as I can remember, due to having borderline low iron my whole life). Now I get to increase that, and for those of you who know the joys of pregnancy, this is not a fun time in life to increase iron intake. :-p

No crazy cravings yet, but I did get a little emotionally attached to the Godiva Chocolate bunny from Target. I almost cried when I thought they were sold out and I didn't have one yet... (pathetic, I know) Yes, I have one now, and his ears and head have mysteriously disappeared. ;) (It's the little things sometimes that bring so much joy!!) :-)

I am really feeling the need to nest now. I cannot stand having a cluttered house, and I REALLY want to get my nursery set up! Last night I put together the changing table! It's quite adorable, and I feel like I've accomplished something - however it's still being stored in our guest room... in the middle of the room... AHHH! I have some of the clothes and toys that we have purchased or have been given to us as gifts on the shelves beneath the changing table. It's pretty fun.

I apologize once again for not attaching any pictures to this post, but unfortunately we left our camera in Waseca yesterday and will not have it back until Tuesday night. That, AND our Mediacom is still winning negative points with the slowest internet speed known to mankind! So, I will be uploading pictures as soon as I have the opportunity with our memory card and internet service working together. ;)

Until then, I hope you enjoyed this long-winded update. (I still feel like there is more to share, but it will wait until a later date).

I hope you all had a blessed Easter!
~Steph

Crafty / It's Shower time!

2011-04-17T23:48:00.001-05:00

I was inspired by another friend's blog to make something as a keepsake for my child. I am not overly crafty, and I have limited creativity and skill when it comes to this sort of thing, so I was having an internal conflict on what I could make. I learned to knit, crochet, cross stitch and sew at a young age, but did not develop any long term skills. However, I am still able to sew a little bit. There was a really cute onesie on a website recently that I thought I could certainly replicate. This is a classic 'Darek outfit' so I knew right away that it would be the perfect idea. I stopped by JoAnn Fabric's and bought some elastic and cute striped fabric! Here is the end result:


Darek modeling the Tuxedo Onesie

We also had Emily's 1st baby shower this weekend. It was a very successful event!! Family, Friends, Fun, and lots of baby goodies to welcome baby 'ducky' into this world! Emily is now Squeaky Clean! :-) (I was hoping to include many other pictures to this post, but thank's to our lovely Mediacom we have a very poor signal until sometime in May, and uploading pics is painfully slow! My apologies.)


2 Baby Mama's and a Grandma

Cupcake Toppers - thanks to the creative design of Joanna!!


Playing a competitive game of Bridal Bingo

New, New, New

2011-04-11T11:27:00.001-05:00

I'm sorry that my blogging has fallen by the wayside recently. There has been so much going on that I just haven't had the opportunity to sit at the computer and let my thoughts flow.

So many recent changes have opened the door to some new purchases. Here are a few fun things to have in place before the baby arrives:


Our Newest addition to the family...


One More view :-)

The Lumina had to go, and is now in a much better place. That car served us well for the time we had it, and we are very happy to have two reliable, long-lasting vehicles!

Another few other fun purchases include new carpet for our living room and furniture. We will be filling in that space with our very first furniture purchase!! It's amazing to think that we have been married almost 7 years, and we are finally making our first furniture purchase. I guess it's time! :-) We are excited to have it delivered, however it will not be until the end of May, so we are patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting the delivery!

On another note - I'm overjoyed that Spring has Sprung. Here are a couple of representations of this wonderful time of year:


Tulips / Daffodils & Crocus' making their debut!

And finally, another bump picture. I figured it was about time to update the bump postings.


26 Weeks!

Oh My Goodness: I almost failed to mention our first Twins game of the season!!! Where is my brain?? Friday 4/8 was the Mn Twins Home Opener!! SO MUCH FUN! And, we won!! Who would have thought that it would be a battle to win against the A's at home? The Twins are having a little trouble at the plate, but we have every confidence that they will get those bats swinging and hitting again. It is going to be a great season! We had some great eats and it was a good feeling to be back outside enjoying baseball once again. Here are a few pictures representative of Opening Day at Target Field:


Honoring our Country during the National Anthem

Kosher Hot Dog! YUM!


Cuban Sandwich... Mmmm...


Mike, Scotty, & Darek

All pictures are courtesy of our new camera! I am enjoying learning how to use it, and what the different settings can do. It's pretty amazing. Maybe someday I will have the skill of great photography. Until then, it sure is fun!

Enjoying the sunshine!

~Steph

A few weeks behind...

2011-04-03T08:53:00.000-05:00

23 Weeks

This is the quick updated picture. I need to take another one today to catch up! Time sure does fly!!

Say Cheeeeeeese!

2011-03-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

You Guessed it!!

This is my 4-in-1 present: Birthday, Anniversary, Mother's Day, & Push Present :o)

Yesterday after my return from a quick road-trip to Nashville for a Ladies Leadership, my wonderful husband took me out shopping. He had been looking at purchasing a new camera (which we really needed, as our former camera was a basic inexpensive digital, and has been well used) and he researched this one that is on sale this week. We were just going grocery shopping (or so I thought) and he started looking at the cameras. To my surprise, he asked if I wanted this camera which looked great, but I didn't really know much about it either. We had been keeping an eye out for cameras recently, so I did have some basic knowledge on what to look for. One of the coolest features that this camera has is 1080p HD video recording!!! We are SO excited to record our life / family events going forward, and this camera will definitely do the trick. (Twins season starts soon too! YAY for great baseball pictures!) Hopefully this will also help us post more pictures going forward! :-) We took a few of Hunny & Jaxon Bear, and they turned out GREAT!

Details:

Megapixels: 14.2 Megapixels
Camera Features: Automatic Image Sensor Cleaning, Auto Scene Selector, 1080p HD Movie Recording, D-Lighting, Vibration Reduction Technology, Live View, Full Manual Operation
Display Features: Color TFT LCD Screen, Brightness Adjustment
Display Size: 3.0 "
Zoom: 3.0 X Optical , 0. X Digital
Operational Modes: Live View, Manual Override, Scene Selection Modes, Shutter Priority AE, Movie Mode
Playback Modes: Rotated Image Playback, Slide-Show, Single Image Playback, Thumbnail Display, Zoom Playback
Still Shot Modes: Landscape, Child, Auto, Portrait, Night Portrait, Sports Photography, Macro

Here are some pictures and details (for all of you camera savvy people) to browse through:

We also purchased a lens that goes with the camera. It has many great features:

Versatile and compact 3.6x Zoom-NIKKOR brings the action to the photographer. Ideal for portraiture, family, sports, nature and wildlife. Nikon VR (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization
Vibration Reduction, engineered specifically for each VR NIKKOR lens, enables handheld shooting at up to 3 shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, assuring dramatically sharper still images and video capture.

I am now in the process of reading through the User Manual so I know a little bit about using these little technology beauties. I am also going to look for a community ed. class that might teach me a little bit about photography and proper shooting methods. FUN!

My husband really is very thoughtful. He's preparing for our future, and I love that about him.

A reading I will go... :-)
Until next time,
~Steph

Bump

2011-03-25T11:57:00.001-05:00

I have a very clear and pronounced 'baby bump' going on... I look in the mirror and it just seems surreal. (I do have a photo, however I have failed to upload it from my camera for a week now and I will be gone all weekend. Bummer!) I'll get the updated picture on here ASAP! Promise!! :-)

Now for the updates:
I have been told to check out The Clothes Mentor for maternity clothes. Especially special occasion clothes that I really don't want to spend a fortune on if I am going to wear them once. Well, I finally remembered to do that this past Sunday, and much to my delight, I found a nice pair of Old Navy Khaki pants for $6.40 that will work nicely in the coming months!! YAY for good finds! That is not the only find, however...

Those of you that know me, know I am all about practical and functional, as well as quality.
I have been looking for a diaper bag that would meet the practical needs of toting around all of the things a baby needs, but that would also have some sort of style so I could use is as a purse too. Let me tell you; This has been NO easy task! All of the bags that seem to fit this description are either very expensive or only available online, so the only way to know if it is a good purchase is to trust the reviews posted. Well, you might see where this is going... While at The Clothes Mentor, I spotted a wall with a number of designer handbags on it. I ventured over to take a peek at the selection and the prices, and much to my surprise, I found a nice, black Coach diaper tote!!! I have never purchased an authentic Coach product, as I was waiting until the timing was right. After discussing this with Darek, the price on the bag was less than the cost of some of the diaper bags I had on my registry, and it is in perfect condition. (Including the changing pad, etc.) So, he gave me the go-ahead to purchase it!

I took this photo while in my car, so the quality is not stellar. BUT- I am really happy with this purchase, and look forward to using it!! It can also double as a laptop bag / tote. This is a quality piece of merchandise that will prove to be a great investment, I'm sure!

I have not made any other purchases in the mean time. I think now it is time to wait for baby showers and hopefully start setting up the nursery very soon. I am more than anxious! :-)

On a baby note - all is well! We are both happy and healthy. I had an appointment with my Midwife on Wednesday, and everything was just perfect. Now I get the thrill of looking forward to my glucose test. I'm sure it will be just fine. Thank goodness it's not for a few more weeks!!

24 Weeks (tomorrow) and counting! :-) I love being pregnant!!

Signing off!

~Steph

Speechless

2011-03-21T16:35:00.001-05:00

What more is there to say, after savoring each delectable bite of banana pudding from Magnolia bakery in New York? (insert sounds of lips being licked clean.)

Thank you to my friends Cole & Christine for making this very special and much appreciated stop while in the Big Apple last week!! I truly am speechless!

Nutrition and Vitamins

2011-03-16T14:06:00.002-05:00

After reading a facebook post from Emily on anti-oxidants, I got to thinking today that I take a good number of vitamin / mineral supplements. I have given a fair amount of recognition to the junk foods that I enjoy, but have failed to mention that I really do eat some healthy foods each day, as well as supplements. I figured it might be beneficial to let others know what they are, as they are safe during pregnancy and VERY good for health before and after pregnancy! These supplements are all from Nutrilite, and are grown on their certified organic farms. No additives or artificial ingredients in this body! I won't go into all of the details and benefits of each one, as that might overwhelm some people... ;)

PS You may suggest that there is a lot of money invested in these products, and I will tell you Yes there certainly is. But, my health and the health of my child is completely worth it. I believe that you either pay now, or you pay in medical bills later. I prefer the option of healthy, preventative care.

If you find yourself interested in any of them, feel free to contact me. (Yes, I sell them.) I will also include my website at the end of this post if you would like to peruse some of the other fun products I sell.

1st and most important: Double X (multimineral / multivitamin) 2x/day

2nd, but not less important: Fruits & Vegetables

3rd on the list is Ocean Essential Omega 3's

4th is the mighty Tri-Iron Folic (Yep, the all important Iron and folic acid for pregnant women, or women in their child-bearing years)

5th Probiotics - The 'good' bacteria keeping my colon healthy, and my baby's colon too!! This keeps us protected from chronic ailments and allows our bodies to absorb the good nutrients from our food.

6th Vitamin D3 with K2 - Keeping the flu away and adding calcium and happy moods through cloudy months

Finally, last - but certainly not least is Coenzyme Q10 - Keeping my circularatory health in tip top shape.

We are going to have one Happy, Healthy, Strong baby boy!!

Thank you Nutrilite for keeping us on the path to good health! :-)

www.amway.com/schwarz
Have a happy, healthy day!
~Steph

Pregnancy: A Beautiful Thing

2011-03-10T17:25:00.000-06:00

I was reflecting a few days ago on my pregnancy and the process of being pregnant, to being a mother, and someday a grandmother. Deep subject, I know! Read on - if you are feeling brave!

I was remembering how I have always thought pregnant women were amazing and beautiful in a way no other person could be. I was thinking about how I have longed to be a wife and mother for as long as I could recall! The thought that God gives us the opportunity to carry and care for an amazing little life for 40 weeks, and then we are given the opportunity & responsibility to raise this small child with the Bible & our previous life experiences as our instruction manual; It is truly amazing. The nine months leading up to the birth of a child are, in my opinion, our chance to mentally, physically and emotionally prepare for the proper care of this little miracle. We must be mindful of the foods we eat, and how much we consume each day. We must maintain the proper intake of water and vitamins, no matter how we feel. We must exercise and remain as flexible as possible, while strengthening muscles we didn't even know we had! We must allow ourselves to rest when tired, but also stay productive, knowing that as a woman, wife, and mother, there are tasks to take care of. We will not be able to neglect the daily routine when our new baby arrives, so now is a great time to dive in and prepare for the daily tasks as well as the busy schedule that we will soon manage.

I have decided that someone should write a book about all of the things people just don't tell you about pregnancy before you become pregnant. There are many non-glamorous aspects to pregnancy (which I will avoid listing, in order to remain somewhat modest and spare you the gross details) that are apparently the un-spoken facts that every pregnant woman understands and everyone else that has not been through the process has no idea exist. I have learned some of these facts the hard way, but am glad I have the online baby -center posts to reassure me that all is well and 'normal' (as if that even exists). Haha!

I must also include how much I LOVE the feeling of carrying a baby. His little squiggles and squirms inside of me are priceless. The occasional punches and kicks are a reassuring sign of his health and strength, even when they are right over my bladder and send me dashing to the restroom every chance I get. I'm still not sure why we have the crazy emotions which can send us spiraling into a crying frenzy for no apparent reason. Those darn Disney World commercials really get to me. I don't know what it is exactly about the commercials, but even the thought makes me tear up. I heard a story today about some parents that surprised their children with a trip to Disney World and I couldn't contain my emotions!! Maybe I just really want to go, and take my children someday. What a basket case I am! ;-) I cannot explain it...

Another really fun, yet exhausting aspect to pregnancy is the shopping. Maternity clothes, baby gear, Nursery supplies, and all of the other fun things that are baby necessities are enough to make a sane person crazy. Reading reviews and finding that one thing that will work best for YOUR baby and lifestyle is nearly impossible without a little trial and error. I am hoping that based on the recommendations that we have received, we made good decisions on the items we have purchased. Time will tell...

As you may have noticed, I have become consumed by pregnancy and all that it entails, and am loving (almost) every minute of it. I am SO grateful for my husband, Darek, and his patience and loving kindness he shows me even when I really don't deserve it. I can only pray that I will be the patient, kind, loving mommy that my child needs, and continue to be the loving, caring, respectful wife that my husband needs and deserves.

Mommyhood is coming, and I'm thrilled!! This is truly my heart's desire!!

Time to eat - again... :-)
~Steph

21 Weeks!

2011-03-06T11:31:00.000-06:00

Cocoa puffs donut & more!

2011-03-06T11:22:00.006-06:00

Once again my perfect husband surprised me, only this time it required him to get up early and drive to Eden Prairie to this cute little donut shop. It's called Yo Yo donuts & coffee bar. I heard about it from a patient at work, because they have the really gourmet donuts there such as the pictured long-john with maple frosting and bacon on top. OR the cake donut with cocoa puffs (which was the first one I had!)

I did not eat the whole box, mind you... We shared with Mike and Emily. :)
What a wonderful way to start the day, and kudos to the worlds best husband!

-Off to devour the final donut hole...
Steph

Baby Name Wizard - I am not...

2011-03-02T11:05:00.001-06:00

I never thought it would be overly difficult to choose a name for my children. WOW! Was I wrong! I am most certainly NOT the baby name wizard!
Choosing a name for your child, one that they will have for their entire life, is definitely a larger challenge than I ever imagined it would be. There are so many things to consider:

What will the initials be? (We don't want something like G.A.S, or even worse)

What kinds of nicknames will people come up with? (Kids are so ruthless sometimes)
What would this name sound like when he is an adult introducing himself to someone he really respects?
Will he have trouble learning to spell it? Will others have trouble spelling / pronouncing it? (Some trendy names are so impossible with extra 'y's and such. OR, they are just plain not spelled like the name is meant to sound. Very Frustrating!!)
Will he be able to pronounce it? (You may laugh, but there are a lot of small children unable to pronounce their own names for many years. How embarrassing.)
Does it flow when I need to yell out the window to have him come in for lunch or supper? (HERMANOPOLOUS (lol) It's TIME for LUNCH!!)
How about when he is being scolded, will the first, middle and last names all flow easily?(MARCUS SAMARIAS SCHWARZ! sssssss.... like a snake. lol. Not good!)

Does the name have a good meaning? (meanings: near a winding creek... or Noble, Brave, Honest, etc. It matters.)

Jeepers!! We have actually discussed this and narrowed our name list down to a top three. I will not be sharing those names, but I am happy with the progress we have made thus far. I have included a link to the babynamewizard, which is a fun, interactive tool that shows name popularity across the years. Type in your name and see how it has fluctuated over time.

Enjoy! I know I have!
Click on the title of this post and it will take you there.

Team Blue

2011-02-25T12:29:00.000-06:00

You guessed it!

We are thrilled to announce that we will be joining team BLUE with little baby boy Schwarz!!!


I still cannot figure out how to rotate the picture after uploading. Argh!

We had the ultrasound tech circle the baby's sex on this piece of paper (and she also included a very detailed picture with her confirmation) and placed it in an envelope to open after we left the office. (I figured I would spare you the detailed picture and just include our little note instead.)

The excitement and anticipation were too much, and we HAD to open it once we got home. We decided to open it up in the room that will be the nursery, to make that a special memory. How special it was! We are both overjoyed, and excited to welcome our little baby boy into this world.

I was hoping to keep this a secret until the baby was born, but after we opened the envelope, I just couldn't see how we could both keep quiet that long. I know a lot of people also wanted to hear the news, and I knew that the pressure of people asking and guessing would eventually get to me... so I gave in.

Now we have to get serious about names. I have a feeling this could be a long process. Thank goodness we still have 4 months to figure it out! :-)

We know we are completely blessed to have a perfectly healthy baby, created in the image of God. We are forever grateful for this miracle! God does keep his promises, and blessings happen in His perfect timing.

For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him

1 Samuel 1:27

*Remembering 2 angel babies that have gone before

Just as we thought. It's a BABY!

2011-02-24T20:12:00.001-06:00

We had our ' big' ultrasound today. It was such a fun appointment, & the ultrasound tech was extremely nice. I thoroughly enjoyed this appointment & the ability to see our little baby! I have included a picture so you can enjoy our baby too. :) We did find out the gender, but you will have to be patient until we tell some of our family. Stay tuned...

YUM!

2011-02-24T09:11:00.000-06:00

I have the BEST husband in the world!! He really can read my mind (even if he says he can't) most of the time. Tonight he came home with a wonderful surprise...

Cupcakes from YUM! bakery.

The adorable box the cupcakes were delivered in


The top one is red velvet, and the bottom is the signature YUM! cupcake (with marshmallow creme filling)

I quickly devoured the YUM! cupcake before my supper because there is an unspoken rule that we should always eat dessert first, right?? :-) It was delicious, and I look forward to gobbling up the red velvet one tonight!!!

Thanks, Darek! You're the best!!

Call me Elastagirl!

2011-02-23T09:09:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I changed my mind once again. (Shocking, I know!) I suppose this proves that I really can be flexible even when I think I have my mind set on something. So, the story goes...

I was really set on not wasting money on a changing table for the baby's room, as it is something that will be outgrown and really not necessary after a year or two. My plan was to find a nice dresser and just place a changing pad on top, and then use the dresser as a dresser is meant to be used until this child someday graduates and leaves the nest. I am a very practical person, and thought this was a great plan. Well, it was a great plan, but it meant purchasing a piece of furniture that we were unsure we really wanted to purchase right now because we will probably just want to buy a nice bedroom set for our child that all matches when that need arises.
Until this point we have not purchased one single piece of furniture for our home other than our mattress set. Everything we have has been generously gifted or passed down to us from our families and we are SO thankful for that! We are very proud of this, and had no desire to break that tradition.
However, when we were out browsing through Target last night, we just happened upon this mysterious piece of furniture that we decided to purchase. The only reason we purchased it is because it was on clearance, and with our other discounts the grand total came to... Are you ready??? A Whopping $25!!!

I know, I know! What a great deal!!! It's basic, but cute, and will serve a purpose. We will have to purchase some cute bins for those open shelves, but I'm certain we will easily be able to store the baby supplies and some clothes on these shelves. Otherwise we have a closet and hangers for everything else, so we are set. Once again, we are completely blessed. It pays to be patient and rely on God to meet your needs; Big or Small.
(Oh, and let's not forget that I can easily re-sell this on Craigslist for $25 when we are through with it. Good thought process, if you ask me.)

I must admit that I'm getting quite anxious to set up the nursery! Hopefully soon!

Tomorrow is our BIG ultrasound day! Darek and I are excited and a little anxious for this. We thank God daily for our healthy, growing, miracle-baby. Can't wait to semi-meet him or her!!!

Until next time...
~Steph

Snow, Snow & More Snow!!

2011-02-20T19:36:00.000-06:00

After a really nice week of sunshine and melting snow, we have been blessed to once again get blasted by another snow storm. I must admit that I was enjoying the warmer temperatures and I really got a hankering for spring! I know it's a bit early, but I am all for an early spring regardless of what the calendar says. Darek has been doing a great job keeping the driveway clear, and I thought I'd give him credit by including a picture of his hard work in action.

This is after Darek blew the driveway out so we could get groceries, and we were gone for less than an hour. Sad. I hear that we are supposed to have a total of 15-18 inches by tomorrow noon. (I can hardly wait for the commute to and from work!!) :s

Aside from the snow, this is an exciting week for us, as we have our anatomical Ultrasound. We are both really looking forward to this and hope to have the option of recording the ultrasound on a DVD. I don't even know if our office offers that, but I am going to bring a disc along just in case. In the mean time, this is the most current picture I have:


19 Weeks

(Sorry, I missed last week's picture. I guess I just got caught up in doing too many other things)

This baby is growing and I'm REALLY showing!! Maternity pants are a must now. I know some people wear their regular pants unbuttoned with a belly band, but I find that extremely uncomfortable compared to maternity pants. SO... a shopping I have gone, and will continue to go (not that I need an excuse). :-)

Waiting out the blizzard in the warmth of our home.
~Steph

A great weekend for so many reasons!

2011-02-14T11:19:00.000-06:00

This weekend was really fun, yet full of things to do. On Saturday morning Darek, Mike, Emily and I all headed down to Mason City, IA to help out with Suzy's new home construction. Don't worry - Emily and I did more supervising and encouraging than physical working, but it was great spending a good chunk of time helping out. I did cut a couple of outlet openings in the sheet rock, and trace a few others... :-) I also pretended to hold the sheet rock on the walls while other people attached it... :-) The house is coming along nicely and we are really excited to come back and do some bedroom decorating in the near future. This is very exciting for Suzy and the kids!! We cannot wait until they actually get to move into their new home!

On our way home we made stop in Medford at the outlet center. They have a pretty nice variety of baby / kids clothing stores so we decided that it was a good time to see if we could find anything we might need. We stopped in the Carters and Gymboree stores for baby stuff, and then off to Van Heusen and Old Navy for adult stuff. :-) Everyone bought something, so I would say it was a successful event. Emily even found a Colts tee shirt for me at Old Navy, so that was a super bonus! :-)

Sunday started with a fantastic breakfast in bed made by my wonderful husband! I woke up to a smiley face omelet with salsa and toast with peanut butter and raisins. YUMMY! This is a terrific way to wake up if I do say so myself. :-) I have the best husband in the world!!
A little later on we went grocery shopping and spent some time at The Home Depot discussing our upcoming spring projects. I'm excited for the completion of a few projects that really need finishing. Now, we just need an early spring and we can get to work before baby arrives. :p
When we got home I proceeded to make a Red Velvet Cake for Darek. It's his favorite, and although I skimped on the frosting between layers, it was still pretty yummy. Next time I will not skimp. Lesson learned!
Homemade pizza was on the menu for supper, so we both worked on that one, and by the time we were through eating, I was stuffed!!

What a great evening and great weekend!
Looking forward to more warm weather and a gradual thaw into spring! Bring on the sunshine!

~Steph

You Asked. I Delivered.

2011-02-11T19:22:00.000-06:00

Here are the best bump pictures I have from the previous 4 weeks. I will have another one for my 18 week picture tomorrow, but you'll have to wait a little longer before that one is posted. Honestly, it's kinda of tough to follow the progression because I am only posting fully clothed pics, and most of them are taken shortly after I have woken up on a weekend. (Don't mind the half-sleeping smile)

Ok - Here you go...


14 Weeks


15 Weeks


16 Weeks


17 Weeks

There you have it. I definitely have a bump, and I think this week it really made an appearance! Stay tuned for future bump updates. :-)

Looking forward to our February 'mini' thaw this weekend!!

~Steph

Score!!! Craigslist Rocks!!!

2011-02-08T10:21:00.003-06:00

Every few days I rummage through the postings on Craigslist to see if there is anything of value posted that we need for this baby. Well, I saw a posting for a really nice swing that is identical to the one we registered for. It was such a great price, I had to inquire! The long and short of it is this... There is a family about 10 miles from our house that is moving in June, and they have 3 young boys. They stored all of their baby supplies in case they would need them again, only to decide they will not. SCORE for us!! Everything they had was in perfect / new condition with a couple of items only having been used once or twice. It's always nice to find a good 'find' on Craigslist because we all know that some people can be dishonest or have dirty / very used things that just are not what anyone would want to buy (even if it is used).

This was a beautiful, clean home and the nice lady selling even put batteries in everything to demonstrate and show how the equipment worked. We were SO happy to find the assortment of goodies. I will post some pictures, but please don't mind the quality. I found some of the products online and used those pictures. (Are you hanging in enough suspense yet?)

Rainforest Bouncer Seat

Cradle Swing (Side to Side and Back to Front)

Rainforest Jumparoo

Baby Bjorn (air)

Boppy Pillow + 2 Covers

Sorry it's sideways

Animals Floor Activity / Tummy Time Mat

So, there you have it! She also threw in a swaddle blanket for an older baby. She said she swears by them, and thought we should have one. This lady and her kids were wonderful, and we had a fun time shopping. I think I am done for a while now. (Darek thanks me!!) :-)

It may seem strange but I feel a bit more prepared, knowing we have some things that will be very useful. Let the rest of the good times roll.

Feeling SO very blessed!

~Steph

A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like a Medicine

2011-02-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

I found this website via a babycenter post that I was reading through today.
http://www.cafepress.com/+funny+womens-maternity?page=2

So Funny! I have to share a few of them that I really enjoy. I definitely plan on purchasing a couple of funny pregnancy tee's. :-)

Ok, so those are good for a little chuckle, and laughter is good for the soul. It seems that everything we do now revolves around baby or baby planning. I LOVE it, though. I'm excited and ready to be a mommy.

This weekend we got together with the 'quad' which has grown into a much larger group. Darek, Myself, April, Laura, David, Jack, Julie, Jeff, & Jaycie all met in Albert Lea (our old stomping ground) for some lunch and chat time. It's always nice getting back together. It's like we haven't missed a beat. I love having friends that I can always depend on. It was a really special occasion because I finally had the opportunity to tell April that we are expecting. I have been waiting to post anything on facebook or make it too public, because I wanted to tell her myself, so that was nice. Now, it's April's turn to join the baby group. It will be fun when we are all families of 3, and so on... :-) I'm appreciative of the advice and input from my dear friends regarding babies, etc. What a blessing they are in my life!

Belly pics! Are you wondering? Yes, I'm definitely showing and I have some belly pics from the past 4 weeks. I will post the progression soon.
Stay tuned...

~Steph

Excited about a new Washing Machine. Does that make me old?

2011-01-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

Darek and I are the proud new owners of a LG, he, energy star, *coldwash washing machine! YAY! It will be delivered and hooked up on Tuesday and I am actually excited to use it. (It even has a 'baby wash' setting so it will be perfect for our growing family. I can't help but wonder, however, if that makes me 'old'!! When I was little, I was always so excited to grow up and have a home and family of my own. Now I sometimes wish I could just go back a few years in age and stay there for a while (but still have my family). :-)

Darek and I were out with a large group of his high school friends last night (and their wives) and the topics of conversation consisted of home repairs. Haha! We were all laughing, because those are now the exciting things to discuss in life. I suppose that's better than some un-intelligent conversation that probably take place by people our age who still haven't moved beyond their high school 'glory days'. Still, it was eye-opening!

On another note, I have taken a liking to our Netflix Instant Cue Yoga Mama workout. It's a really nice yoga program specific to pregnant women. I am glad to have a form of exercise I can do in my own home. It's so good for the body and I am hoping that will help prepare my body for the work of labor.

Ok- I just finished my strawberry pancakes and orange juice that I made for breakfast. Delicious - If I do say so myself!

It is now snowing out, again, and we are heading out soon to one of the most 'looked-forward-to' events of the winter, Twins Fest!! GO TWINS We are excited to see our friends, Jeff, Julie & Jaycie there!! Oh, and of course our MN Twins! One step closer to the start of baseball season. (I bought a Twins maternity shirt for this season, so I'm excited to sport that very soon)!

Signing Off!
~Steph

Pack-n-Play and so much more!

2011-01-24T10:45:00.000-06:00

This weekend, much like every weekend, Darek and I went shopping and browsing through the baby aisles and stores. We were at Target and scored a GREAT deal on a Pack - n- Play that we know we will get a lot of use out of. We quickly did a google search and found the reviews on that particular model to make sure it was going to be a worthwhile purchase. Of course it was! (I really should have taken a picture to post here. Maybe next time.) When we got home we proceeded to set it up and make sure all of the pieces worked. Everything was great, and it looked really cute! I'm excited to have this for traveling as well. We can easily collapse it and haul it down to Waseca or check it on the airplane. Look out, Arizona, we are getting prepared for baby/airline travel! :-)
We also took a couple of trips to Babies R Us to check out a few more necessities and make sure we knew what we wanted to register for. There is a whole lot of learning to be done regarding baby supplies! Darek is soaking it all in as well. It's funny when we go into this store how many men in there have the same lost expression on their faces. They all say the same things: "Whatever you want" or "Sure, that will be great" or "Of course I can hold your purse and jacket while you go use the bathroom." :-) We have already met some really fun people, all in the same situation as us.
I knew babies required 'stuff', but I didn't realized just how much stuff they really need. Maybe part of this lesson will be learning exactly what they do not really need as well. ;)
On Sunday afternoon we headed over to the Mall of America. It's been a long while since we had been there, so we decided it might be fun to see what has changed, and also see if there was anything there that we just had to buy! Finding maternity clothes has been a bit of a challenge for me, so I knew there were stores here that would pull through with a better selection. Darek suggested that we go to Old Navy. Much to my surprise, they were having a 50% off their clearance sale, so we headed over to the maternity section and were able to find 6 shirts for $30!! I was pleased and have some nice variety to my ever changing wardrobe now. WOOHOO! It always feels great to find a good deal like that, especially when it's been a challenge to find anything up until this point.

We will continue to slowly acquire supplies to avoid the shock of it all at once, and hopefully we will be somewhat prepared when the baby arrives. :-)

Blessings to all!
~Steph

Baby Business

2011-01-20T11:27:00.002-06:00

Well, The title of this post should be an obvious give-away. Darek and I are expecting our little miracle on July 18th 2011!! We are very excited, to say the least! We have an appointment on Feb. 24th to have our '20 week' ultrasound. It is at that appointment that we can find out the gender of the baby. We are planning to find out, but not sure yet if we will share the news with anyone when we do find out. I really like surprises!! :-)
The name game has been an interesting one. We are fairly set on a few names that we like, but I am still not keen on the idea of Darek Jr. We still have some time, so it will be interesting to see what happens from here. :-) Also, probably not sharing until the baby is born. There is a lot in a name, and it might just help to see the baby before naming him/her.

Short post, but that's all for now. Happy Day!

Last Day in New York - Tues, May 18th

2010-05-19T21:55:00.005-05:00

Sad, but true...
This is our last day in NYC. :-( We woke up to the ting of rain hitting our window air conditioner in the hotel room. It was grey and cool outside. I suppose that means that our trip is finished. We are leaving on the perfect day! After packing our belongings and great ‘finds’ into our luggage, we headed out for one last meal in the Big Apple. The hotel desk staff recommended a little diner called The Red Flame. It was about 1 block from our hotel, so we headed out with our umbrella’s (that matched the lining of our purses) held high.

I know. The Red Flame… Sounds like a mix of Japanese & Asian cuisine. BUT, let me tell you that it was a very busy, quaint little diner with delicious home cooked foods. Between the six of us, we had omelets, waffles, French toast, eggs, and pancakes. Delish! The aroma of coffee and breakfast was quite appealing. Love it!!

Time to head back to the hotel and check out. Darek and I looked up some more travel options to the airport that would not cost a fortune, and we were able to find a route through the subway and bus system that we could use our Metro Pass on. (Whoever told us to purchase the 7 day unlimited ride pass was a genius!!!) This pass came in very handy, and we more than got the $27 value out of it. Just in the ride back to the airport we recouped that cost, not to mention the many, many subway rides we took. This was also a lifesaver, as Jerry had a ‘flat tire’ on one foot. (He stubbed his pinkie toe and tore the nail off! OUCH!!)

The #1 train took us to 110th Street near Columbia University. Then we walked across the street and boarded the M60 bus. This bus ride took a little while (nearly an hour), but it dropped us off right in front of the Delta terminal. We proceeded inside and got our baggage checked and through security just in time to board the plane when we walked up to our gate. Everything we did during this trip happened in just the right timing. We definitely had God’s favor all over us!! It was a smooth vacation, and we took in every sight that we had planned to see.

Next time we can do more shopping and see some of the other touristy things that may not be as famous and busy. We had a fabulous time, and I’m already looking forward to my next trip back the great City of New York. (Even Darek had a great time!!)

Double Bonus: Nobody got stabbed or witnessed any stabbings! LOL! We did hear a LOT of emergency sirens, and noticed hundreds of NYPD everywhere. That gave me a secure feeling, and I’m definitely not afraid to go back.
Time to sail the friendly skies…. Home (&Hunny) – here we come! :-)

They Say it's MY Birthday....dadadadadah

2010-05-18T08:48:00.006-05:00

Once again I am writing today about the previous day. :-) Yes indeed it was my 21st birthday, again! Crazy how that works. ;-) No, really, it was my 28th birthday. YIKES!!! That's pretty darn close to 30! What a wonderful birthday celebration I had, being in NYC.

First things first. I had to get my morning breakfast cupcake from Magnolia bakery!! Haha!! It was delicious, as I knew it would be. They even sold candles and cupcake toppers for birthdays, so Emily bought one of each and we found a smoker with some matches to light the candle. It was a fun, quick birthday morning celebration. :-)

Next, we headed to the #1 subway and went all the way to the last stop 'South Ferry'. This is where we checked in for the Statue of Liberty cruise and climb into her crown. It sure was a good thing that we bought our tickets a few months ago, because they were sold out for the day - AND the wait in line just to get to the island was going on 3 hours. WOAH, baby! We went to the 'reserved' line and pretty much got right through security and onto the boat. Off we went to see our Lady Liberty! On the island, we checked in for the crown access wrist bands, and headed over to the museum store where we had to place all of our belongings into a locker. This was really cool. The locking mechanism for the locker was a fingerprint scanner. SO Cool!

We proceeded to the park ranger outside and headed into the statue's base. Once inside we had to wait about 10 minutes, and then we were off. Climbing the stairs all of the way up to the crown!! It's something like 354 steps to the top, and the staircase becomes spiral and tight as you get closer to the top. It was a lot of fun. Darek made it in 6 minutes, and I took 9 minutes. I had to take a little break part of the way up... :-) On the way down it only took 2 minutes. Funny. We had fun looking out at the city and all of the sights from the crown windows. It's a small space up there and a bit crampy, so we didn't stay long. Oh, and it was HOT. Ugh! We had fun taking pictures, though. Great experience to check off the list.

Next on the agenda - Ellis Island. This was pretty cool. Darek found his great grandfather's name Hermann Schwarz from Germany. We took an hour tour of the main building and learned about the immigrants and their journey through Ellis Island. Very interesting!!

We departed and took the train back to our hotel to get changed and ready for Mary Poppins. FUN! This was an amazing show!! It was so well done!! The acting, sets and flying people were amazing!!!!!! I must say that I loved it!! After the show, we jetted outta there so we could catch the subway to Rockefeller Center. One more trip to Magnolia Bakery for an evening birthday cupcake. I guess we just couldn't get enough of these cupcakes, cake, and Banana Pudding! (I know we ate really healthy here). :-) We took our desserts to go and headed back to the subway to catch a ride to Carnegie Deli.

Carnegie Deli has HUGE sandwiches! Meat, Meat, Meat!!! WOW! We shared our sandwiches and it was a delicious supper. We even had company at our table... a nice lady from San Francisco - originally from London - in NYC for a little break after her grad school semester ended. She was quite interesting and we had a great conversation.

This was our last stop before we headed back to Times Square to buy some souvenirs and then to the hotel to get some shut eye. Jeepers - I was T-I-R-E-D by this point. Good night!

*A few side notes - Our hotel was next to an office building and we had a great view of our neighbor 'two-screens'. We lovingly named him that because he had two computer screens. We got to know his children (through the pictures on his desk) over the weekend. ;)

We became experts at the subway system... Haha!

There was an Elmo in costume at our street corner every night... random

The garbage gets stacked out on the city street for the garbage men to come throw in the back of the truck... And our city trash people think they have it rough... jeez!

We had to get the hot water knob replaced in our hotel shower after the first day because it was leaking water out and all over the floor. :-)

Ok - that's all for now! Pshew, I'm outta breath!

Ground Zero, Little Italy, Chinatown, Cruise, Top of the Rock

2010-05-17T16:40:00.004-05:00

Sunday was a VERY productive day of fun and sight-seeing adventures. It was so much fun, in fact, that I didn't have time to blog. We were up so late that I could barely keep my eyelids up by the time we got back to the hotel room.
Let the adventures begin!

We slept in a little longer this morning, and took the 'R' train to Ground Zero. We were able to get a glimpse of the memorial site, and the current building projects. They are in the process of building 2 new 'freedom' towers (even though the current name of them is supposed to be something different). There will be 1 main tower for the World Trade Center, and another for residential living, as far as I understood. Mike, Emily, Jerry & LuAnn took a tour while Darek and I decided just to hang out. We ended up finding a fun, HUGE store that Emily C told us about called Century 21. I thought it might be a real estate store, but it was nothing like that. It was great fun!! Tons of designer things at great discount prices. It was crazy busy, especially in the purse section!!

After the Ground Zero tour was over, we all met up and headed to little Italy. We checked out some of the shops and took note of what the restaurants had to offer. The 3 of us ladies were in search of knock-off (real) purses... We walked quite a ways, but couldn't seem to find the right places, so I decided to ask the nice girl that sold Mike a chocolate Cannoli (which was apparently delicious). She told us right where to go, and what to listen for so we could find our purchases... This is a shady business. There are little asian people and big black men walking around the sidewalks saying things like: rolex, rolex, rolex, rolex, handbag, handbag, handbag, louis, louis, louis, coach, prada, chanel, etc. They were EVERYWHERE!! If you heard a name of something you were interested in you would ask if they had the brand you were looking for. Then they would proceed to either bring the item to you and pass it off in your hand for you to look at while walking by, or they would lead you to a back room somewhere behind a storefront or through an alley / tunnel way of a building. It was CRAZY FUN! The only thing is that this is apparently illegal, so you have to be very careful. There were cops everywhere as well!! This was seriously a fun, unique experience. Not for the timid! :-)

Once we had our purchases under wraps, it was about time for food. 4:30PM and we hadn't even had lunch. I guess we just got too caught up in the events and fun of bartering with the merchandise people. We went back to the Italian restaurant where the nice girl gave us the buying tips from. They had DELICIOUS food! We even had the privilege of meeting the owner. He has had the restaurant since 1964! WOW! Darek and I shared the special: Lobster stuffed ravioli, in a pink sauce with seafood and asparagus on top, served with a lobster tail and pincer.
Oh, Yum! What a wonderful experience. Jerry was hoping we would get glass pop bottles again, like we did at the pizza place the night before, but they actually had fountain soda.

From here we decided that it would be a great night for the circle line cruise around the harbor. This meant that we had to hustle back to the hotel. Darek and Jerry went straight to the boat to get tickets and get in line. Mike, Emily, LuAnn & I ran (literally) back to the hotel, changed into jeans and grabbed jackets & dropped our purchases off. Then we ran (literally again) almost the entire way to the cruise boat. It was funny that we ran so much, but we made it in time for the cruise, and got great seats on the top of the boat. This allowed us spectacular pictures of the city and the other sites around New York. It was clear and we saw a magnificent sunset!! So much fun, and well worth rushing for!!

That's not all folks. After the cruise we decided that since it was such a perfect, clear night, we should go to the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) to view the city lights. This was based on the recommendation of multiple friends, as opposed to going to the top of the Empire State Building. It was beautiful, and easy to get our tickets and up to the top. We stayed up there until they pretty much told us we needed to finish up because they were closing. This means that it was almost midnight - my birthday! YAY! Oh, and I forgot to mention that we tried to go to Magnolia Bakery for a late night birthday cupcake, but they closed at 10:00 and we got there at 10:05. Sadness. Oh well, there was always tomorrow! ;) ;)

After the Top of the Rock was completed, we walked back to Times Square and took in some more of the NYC nightlife. (A lot of random, crazy people - and a lot of nice tourists). We got a chocolate shake from McDonald's (the biggest one known to man) and french fries for dipping. What a fun snack! There was an amazing spray paint artist outside of the restaurant and we watched him for about a half hour. This was one of the coolest art forms I have ever seen!! I'm going to try it when I get home. Haha!! He was really, really good.

Time for some sleep at this point. G'Night! I'll have more fun adventures to report on tomorrow. :-)

Yankees, Brooklyn Bridge & Pizza

2010-05-15T23:43:00.004-05:00

Saturday turned out to be a fantastic day, despite the Twins loss. This day was particularly devoted to the Yankee's / Twins game, and anything that had time to follow. Here is the day in a big nutshell. :)

9:30 - Breakfast at the Cranberry Cafe' again. It's such a great place, and I really love how close it is to the hotel. I guess you can't get much closer to 'next door'.

Once we were finished eating, we headed to Grand Central Station to catch the #4 bus to the Bronx - Yankee Stadium. We were really proud of ourselves for knowing where we were going and how to get through the station with our 7 day unlimited ride passes. We were starting to feel like 'regulars'. Haha! That being said, we waited for our train for about 15 minutes, only to learn that our train was not coming. That track was closed for weekend maintenance, so we were switched to another train that was running the #4 route. We had a great ride to the stadium, and we talked to Twins fans from St. Cloud and a Yankees fan from FL (who currently lives in NYC). We had high hopes going into this game. Once we got to the ballpark, we headed through the security checks (be prepared to show your cell phone, as there are people bringing flasks into the park that look like a cell phone. Strange I know!).
We started out by exploring the ballpark and decided to watch as the Twins took Batting Practice. We stood against the wall down the 3rd base line, and after a while were able to get the attention of Delmon Young. He was very nice, and threw a ball our direction. Of course Darek caught it, so that was REALLY fun!! We were all really happy and excited about it.

We walked around for a while and found some delicious food. Wholly Guacamole had a stand that we ordered super nachos from. They were pretty much amazing!! Darek had a foot long hot dog, which I'm sure he really enjoyed.

We found our seats in section 234, near the bleachers in left field. They were nice seats under the overhang, so we didn't get sun burned. YES! The game did not go as planned. We lost 7-1 (including a stellar outing by Jesse Crain). Oh well. It was still fun to go have this experience. We took the subway back to our hotel and nobody even got stabbed. Subway Success!

Once we got changed into some decent evening clothes we headed back out on the town. This time we took the train to the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked across the bridge and took a million and one pictures along the way. LuAnn almost got ran over by a car in the bike lane. LOL! I really mean a bike, but it could have been a car based on the speed at which it was travelling. Funny Stuff!! We attempted to eat at Grimaldi's, but the line was so long we wouldn't have made it in before they closed. SO... we ate at the place around the corner. Don't remember the name other than 'The Pizza'. Haha! It was yummy, but an interesting experience all around. We sat 6 people at a 4 person table. Funny to start with, and then our server couldn't remember how many of us there were to bring the waters out for. She had a rough night. We started ordering only to find out that one of the 3 types of dough was all sold out.... So, we ordered two of the same. Then we got our drinks in cute glass pop bottles. (That was fun, and we kept the bottles as a little momento). Our pizza came out, but one of them wasn't really ours. So, our server took it back and found our correct pizza. So silly. We had NO room on our table to eat and my plate was teetering over the edge. Funny! It was delicious, however!! By the time we were done eating, our server had not been back to our table one time to check on us. She brought the bill, but did not charge us for the drinks or for the 20% gratuity that is supposed to be automatically included. She knew it was a bit of a disaster. It was still delicious and we would still go back despite the poor service. Oh, Brooklyn... I Heart You!

Pizza was gone in 9.2 seconds, and we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge Creamery for an ice cream treat. YUMMY! It was just what we needed to top off the evening. The line was out the door, even at 10:45 at night. Crazy!

Once we finished that, we made the trek back across the bridge, and back to the subway. Let me just say that the crowd on the subway at that time of night on a Saturday is very different from the day-time crowd. A little shadier and drunker. We were entertained to say the least. Again, we made it back safely.

Last stop of the night - the local pharmacy. We needed to buy some blister pads for our tired walking feet. So silly, but at least we won't be limping along with flat tires as we head through Little Italy and SoHo tomorrow. :-)

Darek is sleeping, so I'm going to do the same. G'Night from the Big Apple!

MUAH!

Sun-Kissed Shoulders in NYC

2010-05-14T22:58:00.004-05:00

Day II adventures in NYC!

We started the morning out with breakfast at this adorable cafe' type bakery establishment called the Cranberry cafe'. They have a wonderful variety of fresh foods, including made to order breakfasts. I chose to eat from the self serve (buffet style) fruit bar. Mangoes, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, & oranges filled my plate with a touch of yogurt. YUMMY! Darek chose not to eat breakfast, as usual. He watched and patiently waited for us to finish, so we could begin our adventures for the day.

First stop - a US Post Office. I purchased a few postcards yesterday to send off to some of my friends & family, and needed postage so I could send them off right away. I asked a nice man in one of the gift shops yesterday if he could sell me 3 postcard stamps and his reply... "$4.50" WHAT?!?!??! I quickly declined his generous offer and proceeded to look up the nearest post office. It was about 4 blocks from our hotel. Score!! It took a little searching to find the entrance, but we did find it eventually. Mission Accomplished! And, we missed the quick downpour while we were inside, so we were completely blessed to be out of the rain. There was a 91% chance of thunderstorms today, but the weather turned out PERFECT!!! Sunny and 78 degrees!

YES, please & thank you!!!

Next stop - Grand Central Station.
This building was HUGE and magnificent. It's an amazing structure and really too beautiful for words. We took a lot of pictures to try and capture the magnitude of the building, but nothing we did could really show how enormous this building is. We proceeded to purchase 7 day passes so we could have unlimited rides while we are here. $27 per ticket later and we were set. Train 5 to 86th street (Central Park near the MET). We safely made it on and off of the subway without witnessing and stabbings or being stabbed. (Darek was relieved). ;)

Central Park was amazing! HUGE! Everything in New York is super-sized. We walked part of the way around the reservoir and then proceeded the opposite direction toward the Bethesda Fountain. Unfortunately this fountain was under restoration and was covered with scaffolding, etc. Oh well, it was still neat. We continued walking until we reached the horse drawn carriages.
YES!!!!!!!!!! We took a ride through Central Park on a horse drawn carriage. Our horse was named Ernie and the driver was from Dublin. He gave us a lot of interesting facts about the park, and about the surrounding buildings. We learned that Donald Trump has a 30 year lease on 1/4 of Central Park, including the skating rink and amusement park. Yep, he's raking in some serious dough on that one! Way to be an entrepreneur, Donald! ($80,000/day approx. in the winter for ice skating profit.) He was sponsoring a fashion show that was being set up while we were strolling through.

From here we visited FAO Schwarz, and played the Giant Piano! I played a little and even had an audience. Haha! It was a lot of fun!! That is a child's dream store. Toys and candy galore!! We continued down 5th avenue and took lots and lots of pictures along the way of high end stores. Some day I will conquer this street! Some day!!! We did visit Tiffany & Co. This was a great experience. There were very busy, but didn't mind having us walk around and admire the 'pretties'. We most certainly did visit the 2nd floor and admire the large, sparkly diamonds. There was one in particular that I have to mention. 11.2 carats and the cost is.... drum roll please........... $1.8 million!!!! Yes, you read that right! $1.8 million!!!! YIPES!

We took a self guided tour through St. Patrick's Cathedral. WOW! That is an impressive building, and beautiful for sure! 1 thing is certain - the Catholic church has a LOT of $$. We enjoyed being there and admiring the beauty. Great experience!! From here we moved over to Rockefeller center. Amazing building and a great etched stone 'saying' in front. (Not sure what it's really called). Took some picture of Radio City Music Hall... Ate a Gyro and Darek had a Philly Cheese steak from a street vendor. This naturally led us to Magnolia Bakery. What a great find! It was only 3 blocks from our hotel. It's like a diamond in the rough. We did have to wait a few minutes to get in, but we got there just in the nick of time. When we left there was a line around the corner of the building. SO worth it!

We continued to walk, only to find that we were 2 block away from our hotel. Yep, we walked the entire way back from Central Park without even knowing it. Funny, huh? We got back just in time to take a quick rest and get changed for our evening show - Pagagnini at the Victory theatre. (Pah-ga'g-neenee) It was a wonderful show with the most amazing violinists and cellist I have ever heard! They were hilarious and Emily's contagious laugh made it even funnier. I was laughing so hard I was crying. They even came out after the show for questions from the audience. There were a lot of children there, so it was fun hearing them ask questions and learn from these fantastic musicians! Music is FUN!

Once this show was complete, we decided to find a sports bar or restaurant to watch what was left of the Twins/Yankees game. We ended up at the Times Square Applebee's. The game was fun until the Yankee's hit a grand slam and brought the score to 7-4. That pretty much deflated the Twins and we watched our beloved team loose. That story should be different tomorrow, as we will be at the game. Looking forward to seeing Yankee stadium and a Twins victory.

While walking back toward our hotel through Times Square, we encountered some street vendors. That was where the fun started. They had large pouches of handbag knock-off's from all kinds of designer labels. We had a fun time looking at them and testing out our bartering skills. Just preparing for our trip to Little Italy. ;);) Mike looked at some 'rolex' and 'breitling' watches, but decided not to buy just yet. We still have 4 days here, so I'm sure we will find just the right thing.

We decided to call it a night so we can get some rest and prepare for our big day at Yankee stadium tomorrow.

Highlights in a nut shell:
Subway ride
Carriage ride in Central Park
Cupcake / banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery
Sunburn
Show
Haggling with illegal purse vendors

Until tomorrow -

PS Darek LOVES the street vendors, and I must admit I'm pretty much loving them too! lol!

Let's hear it for New York!

2010-05-13T21:01:00.005-05:00

11:25AM - Flight Departed from MSP to LaGuardia in New York.
Our flight was great, despite the turbulant take-off and landing. :-) Either our pilot was new, or really needed to retire! We had aisle seats, so we were across from each other instead of being next to one another. It only became a nuisance a couple of times when we were talking or trying to share music / games with each other. We enjoyed the company of our row-mates, though.

3:10PM - Flight landed at LaGuardia!!! The views of the city from the plane (from what I could see) were spectacular! The buildings are huge, and never ending! We picked up our baggage, and were kindly greeted by a ride service, offering to take us (and the other 4) to our hotel for $75. Our driver's name was Carlos, and he had a Lincoln Navigator to haul the 6 of us across the city. It only took about 30 minutes to get to the hotel. Traffic was surprisingly light, considering that President Obama was coming in today. (Yippee! I hope you can sense my sarcasm)

We arrived at the Hotel St. James on 45th and The Avenue of the America's. 1 block from Times Square!! We were greeted by very friendly front desk staff (Joey) and his co-worker... and they were glad to help us check in and give us our water that we had shipped to the hotel. Thank you Jesus for Perfect Water!! It is great to have something good to drink and have with us, without spending a million $$ on water. The hotel is VERY old and historic. Let's just say that it has a lot of 'charm.' The elevators hold a max of 6 people each, and there are only 12 floors. The room is very basic, and I'm glad we brought our own sheets to put between the existing bed sheets / blankets. You just never know who or what may have been on these sheets and beds... I must say that the front desk staff does a great job with security. They ask for your room # and verify your name before giving out the key. OH - the key! Let me explain that. There is 1 key for each room. They are REAL keys and they must be turned in to the desk when you leave, and picked up when you return. They do a great job being efficient with this, but it is a little different than any other hotel I have stayed in. It meets our needs, though. Just a place to sleep and keep our things during the day. I would stay here again.

Ok - Now the fun part!
We unpacked our things and headed out on the town! We decided to stay around Time's Square and take in all that it had to offer.
First things first - We had to get a 'hot dog' from the street vendor. YUM! This is unlike any hot dog I have ever had!! Spicy hot dog, spicy brown mustard, and onions in thier own tomato sauce. DELICIOUS! I never thought I could be impressed by a hot dog, especially from a street vendor!! Yes, I was happy with that purchase. I believe the rest of us were as well. We continued down the street to find the Amsterdam theatre and the Victory theatre where our upcoming shows will take place. They are literally across the street from each other, and only 3 blocks from our hotel! WONDERFUL!! Tomorrow is our first show - Pagagnini. I'll update on that tomorrow night.

We continued wandering around, and visiting almost every tourist shop along the way. I bought a few postcards, but that's all for now. I have to find my Christmas ornament (as is tradition) before we head home on Tuesday. I don't think I'll have a problem with that.

After walking for a while we decided to check out the Hershey's store and then headed across the street to the M&M's show. Chocolate!! YUM! You can never go wrong with that. We were hungry again at that point, so decided to walk to Carnegie Deli. Along our way, we found Ray's Pizza, and decided to stop in and grab a slice. Carnegie Deli will have to wait. The pizza was tremendous! HUGE slices, and so many great and interesting flavors to choose from. We all enjoyed it!

We headed back out to Times Square to take in the bright lights and the craziness of NY nightlife. It's simply amazing how there are constantly people EVERYWHERE! I was impressed by the number of police officers as well. I actually feel quite safe here, seeing the NYPD on foot, bike, horse, van, truck, sky box, etc. They are all over the place and very friendly. (Back up a few hours - I even got to pet a police horse. ;) The animal lover in me came out for a minute.) We took some fun picture on the red, illuminated stairs in Times Square. That was a lot of fun!!

Dessert started calling, so we stopped into Roxy's Deli for some real New York Cheesecake. DELISH! This was honestly the BEST cheesecake I have ever had!! I ordered the chocolate brownie cheesecake. Emily had oreo cheesecake. Mike had blueberry. Darek & Jerry had strawberry, and LuAnn had a whipped White Chocolate Raspberry. We spent $65 on cheesecake and we couldn't even finish it! Haha! It was very worth it!

After we rolled oursleves out of Roxy's, we decided to head back to the hotel. It was still a bit early (9:00) or so, but we want to get rested up for tomorrow and all of the fun we plan to have. Here I am, updating my blog with our fun adventures. Tune in tomorrow for a continuation of this fun NYC experience.
Signing Off!

~Steph

2010

2010-02-08T13:54:00.005-06:00

Well, Hello Everyone!
Where, oh where, does the time go? I can hardly believe that it has been two months since I blogged last, but it is completely true. I guess life can get busy and things like blogging do not take priority in my life. (Although I do really enjoy it). ;-)

The update:
Christmas was wonderful. We had our first major snowstorm of the winter over the Christmas weekend, so we had my in-laws stay for a few days. It was nice having a Christmas in our new home. No traveling, and no packing / un-packing. I must say that I prefer that from now on. :-) Don't get me wrong; I LOVE traveling, but I also love not having to travel when I don't want to. (Is that selfish?) I would host every holiday if it meant staying in the comfort of my own home. I just LOVE being home!

On that note, we have complete all of our renovation projects that we started when we bought our new house last July. YAY! Yesterday we started a new list of projects, set to start in the next month or so. YIKES! I guess the people that told me 'the projects never end' were right. :-) We have a list for this year and future years already started. I am really excited about one in particular. A garden! We are going to have our first vegetable / fruit garden in the backyard. I am very excited to grow some foods and make some meals out of our own garden. It may seem strange, but I feel like there will be a sense of satisfaction when we can use the foods that we have grown on our own.

Oops, I forgot to mention New Year's. We had a great New Year's celebration with friends!! We went to Maple Grove and hung out with a bunch of friends - ate yummy foods - and played Pictionary Man! Fun Fun Fun!!! We rang in the new year with a lot of goals for 2010. Personal and business goals. We have them posted in our bedroom with achievement dates so we can see them every day. It helps keep us accountable.

So, A strange thought - but I was telling Darek yesterday that I had a strong feeling that we would win the HGTV dream home this year.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-dream-home-2010-giveaway/package/index.html
I know some people may think that it's a far fetched reality, but I really believe that it can happen. What Darek suggested, and I am right on board with him, is that we donate it to Mercy Ministries. http://www.mercyministries.org/ They have a wonderful ministry, which we support each year, but wish we could do more. How wonderful to donate a place they could use as a retreat center or something great. These are the things that make me excited to grow personally and abundantly in the blessings of God. The more we are blessed, the more we can bless others. That thought makes my heart smile! :)

Thought for the day / week / year:

You must take a LEAP of Faith before your Miracle will happen.

Later!

I've got a feeling... That tonight's gonna be a good night...

2009-12-04T10:51:00.004-06:00

Tonight's gonna be a good -good night!!

We are going to the Toby Mac concert, and I am completely STOKED! I Love Toby Mac's music! Simply amazing!! And, I'm hoping that he will bless us with some Christmas rap considering the season. My dearest friend, and sister-in-law, Emily, and her husband The Michael bought us tix and we are pumped!! Leaving directly from work, and heading to the great state of Iowa!! (Go Hawkeyes) I'm ready for the road trip and some of the best White-Guy rap in the world!

It is finally snowing outside, and beginning to look much more like winter. (It sure feels like it anyhow)!! I am feeling like a bit more has been accomplished around the house. We have a couple of our Christmas trees up and twinkling, and some garland on the railings. I will have to take some pictures when we are finished decorating (which will be by Saturday). We are hosting a very fun Christmas Gift Extravaganza. I'm really excited to host this event!! We will have a lot of people through our home, enjoying the sounds and smells of the season, as well as finding the perfect Christmas gifts for their loved ones. Our business is growing by leaps and bounds, and this is going to be a fun event to boost that growth once again!

Tomorrow will consist of the final decorating along with baking cookies. Some standard cookies, and some new. I love trying out new, delicious recipes! Watch out Kitchenaid mixer - here I come!

Our Christmas shopping is complete, so now we just have to wrap 'em up and put 'em under the tree. AND get the Christmas letter written and mailed out. It will happen soon! I promise!

Happy Christmastime!

Bring on the Holidays!

2009-11-18T09:11:00.002-06:00

Although it's not really beginning to 'Look a lot like Christmas' I am starting to get that Christmas spirit built up within me. I LOVE Christmas! Not only do we have the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, but we also have the wonderful privilege of hosting and attending parties and gatherings. There is so much Joy in the air, and the love that is shown to others is simply amazing. It's interesting how a 'season' can make that kind of impact on the world. I guess it's really a great example of God's great love for his people. He has given us so many reasons to celebrate, of which Christmas is just one.

Why and What I LOVE about the Holidays...

The Smell of Fall
The Change of colors
Leaves gently falling and floating in the breeze
Family Gatherings
Giving Gifts
Christmas Music
Comfort Foods
Desserts & Cookies
Hot Apple Cider
Warm Fires
Snow twinkling and sparkling on the trees and rooftops
Ice Skating
Shoveling / Snow Blowing the driveway :)
Decorating
Christmas Music
Christmas Trees
The Smell of pine and winter
Peppermint
Snow Angels
Christmas Music
Staying cozy inside while it's bitter cold outside
Blizzards (When I'm stuck at home)
Christmas Eve Services
Did I mention that I LOVE Christmas Music??

There's the list - I'm sure I have forgotten something, but that's what has come to mind as I write this. I hope all is well in your lives.
~Blessings

Been A While

2009-10-29T10:39:00.003-05:00

Where to begin?

Jeepers! So much to do, and the time just keeps moving. We all have the same number of minutes in a day, it's just how we choose to use them that makes us productive / successful or not. I must constantly remind myself of this, as I often feel that being lazy would be a better option. I have a running list of the daily tasks needing completion, which never seems to dwindle.

On Monday I decided I would rake the front lawn. There were so many leaves that I couldn't stand looking at it anymore. So, I brought out the rake with the intention of raking half on Monday and finishing on Tuesday. Well, I just couldn't stop in the middle, so I have multiple piles of leaves hanging out and rotting in my front yard. On Tuesday I started bagging the leaves, only to have a neighbor stop over and inform us of our other neighbor across the street's passing. His name is Dick Cook, and he and his wife, G.J. are amazingly nice people. He will be missed even though we did not know him for a more than a few months. It's amazing how much impact one person can make on a life in such a short period of time. It makes me realize that every day I am making some sort of impact on the people I encounter. I better be on my best behavior!! :-) Nonetheless, I had to run to Seedlings (my new fav. book/gift store) and pick up a sympathy card, and then bake cookies to take over to G.J.

(I still have multiple piles of leaves rotting in the front yard - and now it is raining out. I guess I might be bagging wet leaves tonight... Bummer!)

Aside from that, I have as much done as I can do right now for house projects. I'm just awating the completion of our master and downstairs bathrooms so our house will finally be fully functioning. I really can hardly wait. Then I can CLEAN and feel better about the condition of our house. :-) Maybe I can start doing a little more decorating, instead of just putting things up here and there - not knowing how to really set things up how I want them. (Do you sense my frustration?) We are going to lay laminate in our dining room and kitchen. I'm really hoping it's a speedy process because I do NOT want my floors halfway complete for weeks on end.

Ok, Enough complaining.
Stay healthy - feed your soul - take your supplements - eat well - exercise - be happy

Lata!

American CarpetMaster

2009-10-16T10:30:00.003-05:00

After a long bout of trying to rectify a situation with American CarpetMaster, they have been completely unwilling to work with us, and downright untrustworthy. I write this in hopes that when other people search for a Carpet Cleaning company or Carpet Repair / Restoration company, they will find a bit of helpful advice.
This company was hired and paid to patch two areas of carpet, only to leave the job unfinished and looking much worse in one area than before. They were unwilling to fix this problem and after filing a complaint with the BBB, they lied about the situation and were not willing to come to a decent resolution. This is very unfortunate, as I prefer to support small business and local companies, but I cannot recommend them, and would advise anyone looking for local repair or cleaning services to avoid American CarpetMaster at all costs. They may have the lowest price, but clearly, you get what you pay for.

Hello? Is anyone out there?

2009-10-15T15:23:00.003-05:00

Here I am - all alone at work today. It's a semi-strange feeling, and I am trying to think of things to do, but really, I'm pretty well caught up. So, I decided to update my blog since it's been about a week now. TIME FLIES!

House Update:
We are almost finished with the major projects we had going on. We still have some minor touches to work on, but the big stuff is complete. My mom called yesterday and told me that she purchased some nice curtains for our living room - What a wonderful surprise!! I am really looking forward to hanging them. :-) We have yet to prime the basement bathroom and paint it up. Once that is complete, we will have the biggest projects out of the way. The next large one will be the living room and dining room flooring. I think we are going to lay laminate in the the dining and kitchen, and repair the living room carpet. I'm not sure when that will happen, however. We have all new windows in the upstairs, back of the house. What a relief that we did that while it was still nice outside. We also have gutters, so we should not end up with any water seepage into our foundation. There wasn't any to start with, but we are just being future focused. I would like to re-paint the kitchen cabinets sometime as well, but that will wait. I've about had it with painting for a while. I should say, I would like to have my kitchen cabinets painted - not that I would like to do it. HAHA!

It has been so cold and snowy lately, it's almost depressing. I would just like some SUN, thank you! The weather has gotten me into the holiday spirit, and I need to find my thanksgiving decorations. It will be here before we know it! I am also missing a box of boots from our move. I have absolutely NO idea where there are hiding, and I would like to have my snow boots simply for the warmth they provide. Even if there is not snow on the ground. :-)

Darek and I have an incredible circle of friends and family, and I just want to send a shout out to them right now! We are soooo blessed to have you all in our lives! I don't know what we would do without you all! Thanks for being who you are!

We have a fabulous business team as well - always growing! I feel very blessed as well to have a home that we can host people in, and share with our team. It's nice to have space and the freedom to do with it what we want. I would like to get a few more uses out of the fire-pit that Darek and Jerry made, but from the looks of things, it will wait until the spring.

Well, that's the update for today. I am going to the grocery store to find the ingredients to bake something yummy tonight!! I am in a baking mood - look out world! :-)

Sianara!

Game #163

2009-10-05T11:14:00.002-05:00

Oh My Goodness!! I am SOOOO Excited!!! (Can you tell)?

The MN Twins baseball team has tied for 1st place in their division, and we will be attending the tie-breaker tomorrow! Woo Hoo! Yesterday we had the privilege of attending the 'last regular season game' in the Metrodome. Now we can look forward to outdoor baseball next year. The program after the game was great, as we saw many former players and re-lived some of Baseball's greatest moments in the metrodome. Now, we can look forward to possibly play-off games...

Cheer Loud! Win Twins!!

Victory

2009-09-30T17:43:00.003-05:00

Ok, Say it with me now: "Purses & Shoes" RULES!! At least when it comes to our first victory week in fantasy football. Honestly, I don't know if we will continue to win, but my goal is to win the remainder of the weeks and make it to the Superbowl!! :-)

On another note, the Twins won their first game yesterday against Detriot!! YAY. Unfortunately, they lost the second (it was a double header) but that kept them in the same place, 2 games out of first. They must win the remaining two against Detroit, and I believe they will! Then they face KC, which should not be a contest. We will be at the game on Sunday - the final game of the regular season! It will be an awesome experience. The last regular season game in the Metrodome. Then it's off to outdoor baseball next season. The way baseball was meant to be played!!!! :-) (OK, I must admit that I, too, would like a retractable roof, but it was not my decision and I did not have the multi-millions that it would take to make that happen. Apparently nobody else came to the plate on that one either so people should stop whining unless they decide to do something generous!) That's all I have to say about that.

I must say that I fully intend to be victorious in every area of my life. It's that desire that continues to drive me toward success. Every day new victories become apparent to me. It may not all happen in my timing, but God's timing is ALWAYS perfect!

That's a wrap for today. Short and sweet.

Until we meet again...

Good Kind of Crazy

2009-09-23T10:46:00.002-05:00

It's almost hard to believe that today is the 23rd of September! As the saying goes - "time flies when you're having fun!" I guess I could say that if you average out the days in a year, 99% are good ones. :-)

I was really looking forward to, and hoping for a nice relaxing weekend with no company - and nobody to entertain. It seems that this may happen, minus a possible visit from Darek's uncle Mark (which we would totally love, by the way.) We have had 'company' every weekend it seems since we moved to our new home in July. Don't get me wrong; I really appreciate the help with fixing up our new home, but I could use a little R&R for a weekend.

I completely enjoy the parade of homes tours, and hope that I can make that a reality this weekend, as well as church on Saturday!! We will see, though. We do have plenty of projects yet to complete, but as I have been told by the older and wiser folk; You will ALWAYS have projects to complete. Just when you think you have finished and can relax, you will think of something else to work on - or update. Welcome to home ownership! :-)

Also, we have multiple trips quickly approaching:
Kansas City 10/9-10/11
Wisconsin Dells 11/20-11/22
Phoenix 11/26-12/1
I think Hunny might begin to miss us. Thank goodness we will be home (hosting) Christmas this year! I am looking forward to a holiday at our own house. What a fun way to bless our families!!

Even though we have a lot going on, it is a good kind of crazy!!
~Signing Off

Good Grief!

2009-09-21T09:12:00.004-05:00

Pardon the pun, but I had to choose a title that would bring some humor to the day. I now wonder, is it ever easy to grieve?

My Grandpa Ford (Dad's dad) passed away on Friday night. Yes, he was in a nursing home, and yes he has been struggling with his health for a while, but does that mean it's supposed to be easier when the news of his death comes? Does that mean that there is no need to grieve this loss of a life? Should we just continue about our ways with no thought or need for peace or condolence? Should we write off a life once they forget who we are? Should we grieve at that point, and stop caring waiting for the inevitable to happen? It seems that this world can be so cold sometimes, and there is little regard for the subtle suffering of survivors. Do I know that he is "in a better place?" No, I don't. Maybe that's why this time is a little more difficult than other times. Maybe it is because I place such a high value on life that this does not digest as easily for me as for others. My thought is that life is life, and people have value even when they no longer remember my name, or recognize my face. May I never discount the feelings of others when they are dealing with a loss.

(I am not angry - just a little sad)

My grandpa was a very strong man, with a lot of hurt and anger in his life. To be perfectly honest, I was afraid of him until I was in middle school - when he sobered up. He was violent and difficult to love, but through it all I believe I was pretty resilient and able to learn to love him as any child should love their grandpa. I certainly don't harbor any anger or bitterness toward him, and am proud of him for serving in the great United States Navy. I am proud of the love that he showed for my grandma in her final days here on earth. I am honored to possess and wear his Pea Coat with pride! I remember my grandpa as a painter, and a hard worker. I am certain that my own father learned his work ethic from my grandpa. It's best to learn from the difficult or 'bad' times and remember the fun and good times.

I was sitting at a traffic light on Friday (while it was red) and it was as if life was happening, while I was pondering, thinking, reflecting, daydreaming. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but the little things just don't seem to matter as much when you start to reflect on life, family and how precious each day really is. Maybe it's just that I'm getting older, and beginning to understand the value and impact that each person has on the world, and how the way we live our lives can leave a lasting impression on people. I was thinking how hard this must be for my own father, loosing his father (having lost his mother 14 or so years ago) and being home alone for the weekend. It was not intentional that things worked out this way, but it's just the way it happened. Maybe it gave him time to grieve in peace and solace.

Sometimes I just don't want to be strong...

Then, I read this in my daily devotion this morning:

"So, when the pressures of life seem unbearable, have faith in God. He loves you. He sent His Son to die for you. He raised Him from the dead so you could have eternal life with Him. He will never leave you. If it seems like God is not with you, remember this. God is not the one who moved."

And through it all I know that ultimately God will heal our hearts, and bring joy to our lives!! Thank you God for the peace that passes all understanding!

~Until Next Time

Proud

2009-09-17T11:24:00.005-05:00

There are too many topics weighing on my mind, so I am going to do my best here to get some of them out.

I am so proud of so many people and things, and I want to give the credit to the ones that deserve it. I must begin by saying that I am personally proud to be a free American. I do not, and will not take that freedom for granted! I am proud to have family and friends in our great military protecting us every day.

I am proud of my amazing husband! He is an incredibly hard worker, and has a drive and determination to make things happen no matter what obstacle might come his way. He dreams big, and is the best encourager / motivator I could ask for. He has a skill to see things from a very neutral perspective, and make an unbiased judgment - which I believe takes tremendous patience. Darek NEVER complains about his current situation, regardless of how many ridiculous things or people he has to encounter each day. He is a positive and powerful force in my life and the lives of those around him. He is certainly a rock for me and our family. I really can't brag enough about how wonderful he really is. He will be a great example for our children when that day comes. (And no, I'm not hinting at anything).

I am proud of my upbringing and my parents!! I had a great childhood, and feel very passionately that your future is simply what you make of it. I become infuriated when people place blame on someone else for their current situation or circumstances! It is absolutely your decision to become who you want to become, and overcome any obstacle that may come your way. Now, I am not saying that past events don't shape who you are because I know that is true, but once you are able to reason and make decisions for yourself, the ball is in your court. My parents are wonderful examples of loving, generosity, and focus. They both have continued to pursue their dreams, and now have something great to show for it! If anyone needs an example of overcoming financial and educational obstacles, they are the ones to look to. I am proud of the determination and work ethic that was instilled in me. I know I can do and become anything I set my mind to! Now, it's up to me.

I am proud of my sister-in-law, Suzy!!!
She has been through more in the past 9 months than any one person should have to go through in a lifetime. I know she found her strength and refuge in her relationship with God, and am thrilled for the progress she has made. She is going to make a difference in many lives, as she has an amazing story to share. Go Suzy!!

OK, That's the update for today. I have so many other people and areas of life to be proud of, but not enough time to list them today.

Signing Off for now...

Babies are Beautiful

2009-09-14T09:55:00.004-05:00

I guess I have reached that point in my life where many (if not most) of my friends are starting their families. I always had this idea that I would begin my motherhood journey at the age of 22, but that has come and is now Long gone (despite the fact that Darek and I were married at the age of 22.) I really don't know why that age was in my head, but for some reason it was, and that is where I began my desire for motherhood. We were the first of our friends to take that step in marriage, but are taking our time on the baby step. :-)
I must say that I LOVE kids, hence the reason I chose Child Psychology as my major in college, and babysat as much as I did during junior high and high school. I definitely have that 'itch', but I think the timing will be right when Darek and I have that 'itch' together.

All of that is the pre-cursor to my bragging about the babies and children that I currently have the privilege to love on.
First, I will begin by mentioning my 3 nephews and 1 niece. Collin is now 6 years old and was born on July 4. What a great party he will have each year, ending the evening with fireworks!! :-) He is a little firecracker with his red hair and never-ending energy. Tyler is 4, but will be 5 on October 4th. He is the Blondie of the family, and is quite the little comedian. Always being goofy and testing the boundaries. Evan is 3, and will be 4 on October 4th. This year he gets to celebrate his golden birthday! He is quite the little charmer - a little reserved at first, but his smile will melt your heart! Last, but certainly not least, is Madeline. She is 3 (just turned in August) and will let you know that she is may be the youngest, but she can hold her own against her brothers. She is the princess of the family, for sure!!

Now, for the babies...
My dear friends Julie and Laura both had babies within the past week and a half.

Little Jack Davis Turner was born to Laura and David on 9/2/09. He is certainly a peanut, weighing somewhere between 5-6 lbs.
Jaycie Ann Eaton was born to Julie and Jeff on 9/9/09. Not only was this a fun day to have a birthday (will be very easy to remember), but it was also Jeff's birthday! What a wonderful gift!! She is such a darling baby girl!

I love being an auntie!

Someday we will add to this crew. Until then, visiting and babysitting are A-OKAY with me. :-)

Until next time~

Go Colts!

2009-09-13T09:55:00.005-05:00

Over the past 3 years I have become a football fan, particularly rooting for the Indianapolis Colts. I think my love of football began when we moved into a home with a fireplace in the same room we used as a T.V. room, and by default I watched (or fell asleep to) many football games. As the season continued, however, I started asking questions and learning how the game worked, and who the players were. I must say that I am certainly no expert, but I now understand why Darek and 'the guys' are so into watching the games. In reality, it's a great way to spend time together, rooting for victory or amazing comebacks in the teams we love. That being said, I am thrilled that it is the first football Sunday in 2009!! We will watch the Vikings game, of course - considering that they are our home team - but I will be following my Colts online. :-) Who knows, maybe someday my love for the Colts will be that strong for the Vikings as well.
It's really Tony Dungy that made the difference in who I root for. It was a sad day for me when he announced his retirement from coaching football, but I know he is dedicated to great work in this great nation, and I commend him for that. I love that he could bring his Christian perspective and influence to the lives of many professional athletes and their families. God knows we need 'real' heroes and good examples in the sports community.

Alrighty - now it's time to get a few things taken care of around the house before kickoff. My Emily (Darek's sister, and my closest friend) and I have a fantasy football league this year (for the first time ever) and we play Darek this week. Sorry Darek, but I think we are going to win this week. ;) Our team name is Purses & Shoes!! Fitting, right?? It was going to be Burberry Purses & Loubouiton Shoes, but that name didn't quite fit into the 'Name Field' on ESPN. So, we decided that Purses & Shoes was perfect for us. (And yes, our QB is Peyton Manning!) Go team Girls!

I have failed to mention my love of baseball thus far, but will save that for another post.

More to come at a later date!
Signing Off - StephyFaye

A little slice of life

2009-09-10T09:49:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am finally entering into the realm of blogging. Initially I was not overly keen on the idea of posting my personal thoughts or feelings on a website, allowing myself to be a bit vulnerable to the opinions of others, but have recently realized my passion for writing. I enjoy journaling, but find that I do not give myself the time necessary to sit and write on a regular basis. SO... I thought I would give this a try, considering that I sit at a computer during a large portion of my days - and tend to have some periodic downtime. (wink, wink)

Now that I have justified my desire to blog, let's delve into my little slice of life...

I have been married for almost 5 and a half fantastic years to the love of my life, Darek. (May 22, 2004.) Many couples speak of the up's and down's of married life, particularly in the first years, but I do not feel that we have had that rollercoaster experience. We dated for nearly 4 years before we were married, and knew each other well enough to know that we wanted to spend the rest our lives together! (Thank goodness, or marriage would have been a terrible idea!! :-) ) Darek and I spend a lot of our time together (even commuting to and from work together when it's not really on our way.) Why get married if you would rather spend your time elsewhere? That being said, maybe we both have personalities that allow for patience and quick forgiveness. I know that major keys to our success as a married couple have been the mentors we surround ourselves with, the books we read, and the desire to unconditionally love - as Christ loves us.

I will say that I am not an expert on marriage and relationships, however I know that with persistent effort in this area, I can be a great friend to others and loving friend, respectful wife, etc. to my incredible husband! It is only fair that we give each other room to be ourselves. I truly believe that empathy is key to successful relationships. Until you have been in someone else's shoes, you cannot fully understand their situation. Try it - you will surely agree, and may even begin viewing life in an entirely different light.

Ok, to complete this post, I will unveil some of my current facts:
I am a Bible believing follower of Jesus (Christian)
I strive to be a helpmeet to my husband
It is my heart's desire to have children and stay home to raise them
My current child is a 3 yr. old Beagle named Hunny :-)
I love my friends and family dearly
I miss my parents all of the time (they live in Phoenix) and love visiting them
I tend to live up to the Miss Fix-It title so lovingly given to me by friends(I am fairly handy.)

I love my little slice of life on this HUGE planet, and although my slice is small, I hope to make a noticable difference in this world.

Signing Off for now...