Life is Fragile

Today was a sad day for many in the Boise area when 5 children were killed on their way to school. Our family was good friends with the Walker family. My younger sister and Megan were close friends, and my younger brother was friends with the younger boy. It makes you realize just how fragile life really is, and not to take for granted the lives of your children and family.



UPDATE: FIVE CHILDREN DIE WHEN CAR CRASHES INTO POND

http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-feb2707-car_plunge.b5d3ea.html

Cleaning & Pageants

This is a post from Saturday. Saturday just gets busy... :)

So this morning (Saturday) we had an early start. Well, it kind of started with last night. Jeff and I were lucky enough to be able to go out together. Jeff’s Mom volunteered to watch the boys for us. So sweet! (Both grandparents are trying to get extra time in with the boys before they’re gone for 3 years. Jeff and I don’t mind!) Anyway, we were able to go to the temple with our ward. We picked up a couple things at the store afterwards, then went out to eat. Somehow we ended up at Applebees again, and had a fun time. Anyway the boys hadn’t wanted to go to sleep, apparently they thought it was much more fun to stay up and play with Grandma. So they were up when we got back at 11:30. Then Jeff’s dad needed some help from Jeff, Jonny & Mark to help put up the moose head (that would be the giant moose that Jeff’s Mom shot!) Anyway, to make a long story short, the boys were awake the whole time and we didn’t get home until 1:30.

It was also our week to clean the church at 9:00 am. Jeff worked at the ER, so it was me on my own. Oh well, no problem. Needless to say, I pretty much had to pull the boys out of bed, get them dressed and fed in 10 minutes. I wanted them to get as much sleep as possible. Poor little guys were tired, but they’re great. We got to the church and had a lot of fun working together. There was one other family and individual which made the cleaning fairly quick. It was my job to vacuum and the boys just followed me around. Caleb would get rides on the vacuum between the rooms, and both boys enjoyed playing “Run Away From the Vacuum.” We all had a good time. We got home at around 11:15 and after a quick snack; everyone was ready for a well-deserved nap! It took a little coaxing for Jacob, but we all ended up getting some good sleep time in! I love these days.

Tonight I had got a special treat! My mom and I went to the Boise Valley Junior Miss Program. It’s kind of like a pageant, only it focuses more on other things. (20% scholastic achievement, 25% talent, 25% interview, 15% fitness, and 15% poise.) Back in 2001, I won the competition, so it’s always fun to be able to watch it again. The girls did a great job and it was fun to watch. My mom and I had a great time and stopped to get something to eat afterwards. The boys had fun at Gma & Gpa’s house with Grandpa, uncle Cole, and Jeff. I’ve sure had fun with these girl’s night outs! I feel spoiled.

(Photo of Mom & Me Coming Soon..)

Girls Get Together

Today again was our weekly girls lunch/scrapbooking day at Mom and Dad Stevens house. It was a fun afternoon filled with yummy food, (I tried a new Ham & Spinach Crescent Roll Sandwich recipe that turned out great) delightful conversations and discussions, and just overall fun. The kids enjoyed playing with each other and we worked on our projects. I'm definitely going to miss our weekly-get togethers when it comes time to move.

Birthday Lunch

Today Aunt Terri and I took Mom out to eat for her birthday. Her birthday was actually on the 10^th, but this was the first time we were all able to get together. Jeff had the day off and watched the boys while we went. We met downtown at Mom & Dad’s office, and then headed to Café Ole just a 5 minute walk away. It’s such a fun little restaurant with an authentic Mexican feel to it. It was fun having a girl’s lunch together. We don’t get to spend time together by ourselves too often, but when we do, it’s a blast. Mom and Terri are so much fun. We enjoyed the lunch and visiting together. While we were headed back we had a nice little storm cloud break so we all got a little wet, but had a great time nonetheless!

Snow...

Today we woke up to a bit of an unexpected surprise. There was snow on the ground and it snowed on and off throughout the day. Now I know that I live in Idaho, where seasons do exist, and it's still February so technically it is still winter time. But I must admit I wasn’t as excited as Jacob & Caleb. The past few weeks we’ve had beautiful weather! Most days have been in the high 50’s and we’ve even had a nice string of days in the 60’s. I was ready to pack up all the winter clothes. Yes, I’m sure it’s not “normal” but I sure enjoy it. Hopefully this cold front will move on quickly and we’ll get back to Spring! I can’t wait for t-shirt and shorts weather. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much, we’ll be in Philadelphia for the next three years, and then we really will have cold winters!

Stevens Family Night

Last night we had Family Home Evening with the extended Stevens family (6 of the 8 children with families). It’s always fun to get the whole family together. The grandkids (all 14 of them) love to get together and play; and the adults of course, enjoy time to visit with one another.

We had a great dinner followed by a special lesson on missionary work. Each of the brothers and brother-in-laws that were present shared stories, experiences and lessons learned from their missions. The lesson was directed towards Jonny, Jeff’s youngest brother who will be leaving on his mission to Argentina in April. It was a great night and so fun to hear all the experiences. Some of my favorite spiritual experiences are those with family.

We finished off the night with cake and ice cream celebrating Eliza and Kyle’s birthdays from the previous week. It was a great night.

Talent Show

Last night the boys and I went to my parent’s ward talent show. (Jeff worked the 10am-7pm shift). It was a nice break after our Saturday cleaning. The talent show was a lot of fun. My favorites were, of course, those of my family members.

Cole did a great rendition of Napoleon Dynamite’s famous dance. He doesn’t get embarrassed at all and is so funny to watch. He had the entire audience just roaring. I especially loved the authentic costume! Jacob and Caleb loved watching him as well.

My mom had her tumbling kids come out and show some of their gymnastics skills. She also kept up the tradition of walking across the stage on her hands. Yep, that’s my mom. Who would ever guess she’s a grandmother of two?

My Dad also had some fun acts. In one, the bishopric did a new version of “Your Mama don’t dance, and your Daddy don’t rock ‘n roll.” They just changed the words into some relating to the bishopric. “It’s all because your Bishop don’t dance, and his counselors don’t rock ‘n roll.” and so on. They started out serious in their suits. Halfway through the song, they ran offstage and changed into their rock ‘n roll attire. That would be my dad right in the middle with the giant wig. They did a great job and once again had the entire audience laughing.

To finish the program off, my dad sang Frank Sinatra’s, “I Did It My Way” I love to hear him sing, he’s got a beautiful voice. I think there was a little deeper meaning to the song though. He’s been the bishop for almost 6 years now and will probably be released pretty soon; so the song was both funny and bittersweet. He’s been so wonderful; and is going to be greatly missed. I say that not only from what I know myself, but what countless people tell me.

Anyway, it was a great night and the boys and I had a great time. We missed having Jeff there, but we’re just grateful he had Sunday off instead.

Good Friday

Today was definitely a “Good Friday.” The boys and I hit the gym this morning, and ran a few errands afterwards. The boys enjoy the day care at the gym, and it's always nice to have some time to work out. And errands are great when the boys are in good moods. Later on this afternoon my mom called to see what we had planned for tonight. After learning we didn’t have set plans we figured we’d spend the evening together. Jeff worked the 6am-2pm shift today, so he was home early (and brought me some beautiful flowers! How sweet!) My parents work downtown pretty near our home. They took Lacey and Cole with them to do some things this afternoon, and then came back to our house. I made pizza for dinner for all the kids, and then Lacey and Cole were the babysitters while Mom, Dad, Jeff and I went out to dinner and the temple. It’s so nice to have an evening out, especially when it’s an uplifting one. I love having the time to spend with Mom and Dad, and Jacob and Caleb absolutely adore having Aunt Lacey & Uncle Cole come to play with them.

Our Valentine's Date

We had such a fun Valentine's date last night. My Mom was so sweet, she volunteered to watch the boys tonight while we went out. Mom & Dad’s ward had mutual that they both had to be to. The boys had a great time as always, and Jeff and I had a great Valentine’s night out together.

We thought about catching a movie, but we went to PoJo’s instead. It’s a fun little game/arcade place and we had a blast playing games with and against each other. Jeff usually won the games, but once in a while I'd get lucky and win something. We just laughed and had a great time. We have so much fun together, I love being with Jeff! Afterwards, Jeff had made reservations at this nice little restaurant/café downtown, but some things came up along the way and we ended up just going to Applebees, it was great though. Even with a few unexpected events this Valentine’s Day was probably my favorite one we’ve had together. It’s the first one we’ve actually gone out on a date for. I even kind of enjoyed the unexpected, it makes for some funny memories! More than anything, just being with Jeff makes for a perfect evening! He really is my best friend!

We headed up to Mom and Dad’s to pick up the boys afterwards. We ended up staying a while visiting, and had a fun time. They were so sweet to watch the boys for us. I love Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is so much fun! In our family, we have a tradition of decorating the kitchen/dining area for Valentine’s Day. In fact, it started the first year Jeff and I were married and has continued through the years. I’ve even used the same hearts every year, so it’s kind of fun. This year was no different. I decorated the dining area the night before so it looked all cute for Valentine’s Day. We also like to do little gifts for each other. The boys got a new DVD, and mechanical toothbrushes (if anything, just for cleaning their teeth after all the Valentine’s candy!) They're pretty easy pleasers and were excited about their new toothbrushes. Jeff and I had gifts for each other too.
At10:30 I took the boys to a little Valentine’s party at Tami’s. It ended up being held at a neighbor’s instead, and was still so was fun. They made little Valentine bags, and had a fun time exchanging Valentine’s with the other little kids. We ran a couple errands afterwards and stopped by Scott and Mandy’s to drop off Eliza & Kyle’s presents as well as the Valentines we made them. It was a fun morning!

Sweet Moments

I know I'm behind on my posting dates, but the past couple days have been busy so I'm just going to do a little catching up.

Jeff got home early today (Tuesday the 13th) and we decided to have Family Home Evening since we were a little late last night. Jeff did the lesson on how Jesus loves little children. It was such a great lesson. At one point both boys were sitting between us and listening so intently, Jeff was talking about how much Jesus loved the children; and how He blessed them during the Old Testament times, as well as when he visited the Nephites in America. The spirit was so strong, I couldn’t help but thinking that really must be how Heaven feels. I love those sweet moments.

Nursery for Two

Today was Caleb’s 1^st day in nursery at church. I can't believe he's already almost 18 months old. We had pretty high expectations since he’s run in before and refused to come out. Jeff and I were excited, this would be the first time in a very long time that we could actually go alone together to Sunday School and it was Jeff’s week off for teaching Gospel Doctrine so we were even able to sit together! Everything went fairly well. I think it helps that Jacob is still in nursery too. (He missed the deadline by just a month) Caleb was a little sad about 45 minutes into nursery, and came and sat with us for a little while. So much for “couple time” but he was good and just sat on my lap. I’m sure he figured as long as he was good I wouldn’t take him back. When I taught the Young Women, Jeff took him to priesthood for a little while, and then took him back to nursery for about the last 25 minutes or so, and he had a great time. Hopefully he’ll adjust quickly and learn to love it! Jacob is sure excited to have Caleb with him. I love it when they're best buddies!

just trying...

Okay, I've just been trying to get a profile done. The only way I can figure out how to get a picture into the profile section is to post one first. I'm not a huge fan of single shots of me all over the blog, but I can't figure out how else to do it.

Beauty and the Beast

I just love Fridays! Today was a pretty busy and fun day. This morning Jeff and Dad Stevens measured for new windows, yea, I can’t wait. Jacob enjoyed watching them!

This afternoon was lunch and scrapbooking day with the girls. So fun. It was at Tami’s and she had a wonderful lunch prepared; a mandarin chicken salad with all the extras and homemade breadsticks. Yum. The scrapbooking part was fun too. I usually don’t get as much done because of all the distractions from visiting, kids, etc; but we have a great time.

I also picked up Cole today (my brother). He’s going to spend the night with us. I’m excited. He’s so fun to have around and the boys love him. I better enjoy the time we have with him before he’s all grown up.

Tonight the 5 of us (Jeff, Cole, Jacob, Caleb and I) went to the “Beauty & the Beast.” That was the name of the Boise State University gymnastics/wrestling match tonight. Gymnastics was on half of the floor, and the wrestling was on the other. It was great, and you can’t beat the cost. A little candy bar for $1.99 that has two tickets inside. Not bad, a night for all of us plus a treat for under $5. Other than Jacob and Caleb getting a little restless at the end, we had a great time and Boise State beat Stanford and Southern Utah. Go Boise State! Fun times.

Me & the Boys

Today was the first day of Jeff’s string of 4 days off in a row. Wow, how often does that happen? This ER rotation hasn’t been too bad! We didn’t do anything too special, mostly just work around the house. At 10:30 I took the boys to the library for the Music & Motion class. It’s usually pretty good, but today the class was huge! I guess when it’s a rainy day people are looking for something else to do. It was still fun although most of the class consists of me trying to encourage Jacob and Caleb to participate. They’re such people-watchers that they would almost just rather sit and watch everyone else sing and dance. That is until the toys, puzzles and bubbles are pulled out at the end, and then they’re right in the middle of everything! It’s fun to get out and meet new people. In the two weeks I’ve been, I’ve met some ladies that are really nice and would like to get together sometime.
We also ran a couple errands this afternoon. We returned a movie to Blockbuster, picked up another one at Albertson’s, and hit the dollar store afterwards to find some fun Valentine candy for the cousins. No luck there though, I guess I’ll wait until the day before Valentine’s Day when it goes on sale and get the good kind!

Tent Adventures

Today has been a pretty normal day. Jeff didn't have to go into work until 12 (He works the 12-8pm shift today, which isn't my favorite) Anyway, we all went to the gym this morning which was nice.
The rest of the day has been a cleaning day for me. Jacob & Caleb love to take part in anything I do, but sometimes it makes things take much longer than they should. As fun as it might be, washing the kitchen floor is best when you don't have two little helpers getting all wet and spreading bubbles all over.
Luckily Great Grandma and Grandpa Tanner sent us a fun toy for Christmas, a nice little tent that is perfect for little boys. They love playing in it, pretending that they are hiding from hungry lions that are lurking about. It's especially great when Mom is trying to clean the floor!

3rd Time's a Charm...

I think this is the 3rd blog I've created in 3 months, due to the fact that I can't remember the login information of my previous ones. (Which didn't contain any posts anyway) This is *hopefully* the last one I'll have to create! Here's to posting!