Cade on Rails!

Cade and I just finished our Tuesday snowboarding trips. It was a great chance for us to spend time together. He loved it because he got to miss school and I loved it because I got to spend one on one time with my only son. I did notice that the one day his school class came up he didn't really want me hanging around. That only lasted a couple hours and then he came and found me and was ready to torture me so more by challenging me to do jumps, rails, and boxes.

How would it be to be a kid with good knees and no fear?

I like this pic because Cade is in the background cheering me on! I am a definite newbie but having fun at it!

Let's just say I was the oldest one in our class including our instructor. Our instructor was 1 year younger than me but acted 17. Cade loved him because of his tricks. I liked it when we were able to go through the trees in the fresh powder!


This jump is actually bigger than it looks! I know because I crashed a few times and had a hard time getting out of bed the next morning.

PANIC!

Steph and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Thursday started out as it usually does, too early. My internet had been down for a few days. I thought it was my modem but soon learned I had been cut off! Instead of going to the gym, (I was all dressed) I called Qwest. TWO hours later plus a million transfers I finally hung up the phone with my bill knocked down from 300 dollars a month to what it should be and a promise my internet would be back up and running.

This experience already caused me to be near tears but then I got a phone call from work. I had been having a problem with my schedule and now I heard it was final that if I was going to continue working I would have to work 12 hour shifts. For the past 8 years, I have been lucky enough to split shifts making it possible for me to still carry out all my motherly responsibilities in a day and go to work 1 day a week.

I told Dave when he came home for lunch it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He said, "what? it is only noon!"

Well, things did get worse, way WORSE!

I was watching my friends 2 kids in my home and I LOST the 3 year old. I still have anxiety thinking about it and could start crying at any moment. I was changing my clothes (since I still had my work out clothes on even though I was unable to go work out) and I heard the door open and close. I threw on some pj bottoms and ran out the door looking for the boy. He must have ran one way and I another because I couldn't find him. In fact, I never did find him, the POLICE did! We had the whole neighborhood searching. He was lost for 20 minutes. Those were the longest 20 minutes of my life! Talk about hysterical! That is the worst feeling ever! He was found on a busy road running and happy as ever. I spent the rest of the day crying and thankful. The 2 good things I can take out of this experience was 1)He was found and safe and 2)I do know that Heavenly Father answers my prayers.

A couple hours later, one of my daughter's accidently locked Valerie in the car while it was running. After borrowing a neighbors car to go track down Dave and get keys, I was able to get her out safe. In fact, she didn't even know because she took a nap. I decided I needed to go home and go to bed so this day would end!

And that is my story of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! (I guess it was actually good though because nobody got hurt)

He Loves Me

I came home from work Wednesday to find a dozen roses from my sweetie! I love getting flowers when there is no specific occassion! After all, it was 3 days before Valentines. Maybe it had something to do with Dave planning on being gone on a snowmobiling trip with the Young Men for 3 days and not returning until Valentine's day? Whatever the reason I was excited. Dave, I love you and think you are the greatest!

A New Year!

Sometimes I have those moments where I feel inspired. Sometimes I wish those moments would happen more often. I know we are a month into the new year but I have been thinking of something I wanted our family to focus on this year. While reading through the Ensign I came across President Monson's Christmas talk about making room for Christ in our homes. After reading this talk, ideas just started to come (thanks to help from up above). For FHE I had planned a big Valentine's dinner to reveal my plan. Our family was able to come up with different topics we can focus on each month in order to bring Christ into our home. I had already chosen the first month which was service, hence the picture of me taking their dinner orders and serving them food.

Bring Christ into our lives and homes

I had Dave take the kids with him so that they would be surprised when they came home. They loved walking into the house and seeing the path lined with candles and candy.

The Menu (I don't know why I can't turn the pic)

Berrylicious Strawberry Smoothie

Me taking orders - what's new?

Ipod valentine - made out of candy sweethearts and peanutbutter cups for earphones.

Lovin' life

My other crafty attempt - made with real strawberries. It was actually berry delicious.