20 Facts About Me!

1. I love floor care, haha, seriously though, I love new vacuums and new mops. They make me so happy. I am seriously nuts about keeping my floors clean!

2. I never thought that I wanted to be a mother. Yup, totally true! However, when I met my husband I could not see ourselves without kiddos. I knew he was the man that would make me a mother and I am thankful for that every day. I absolutely love being a mother, more than anything in this world.

3. Currently I am trying to become a teacher, I feel it is my calling. 

4. I am obsessed with my cuter than ever ugly Boston Terrier. I mean, truly obsessed. I love that ugly mug so much!

5. My sisters are included in my best friends, I am so blessed to have the sisters that I do, seriously, BLESSED!

6. My husband works harder than any man I have met. It is admirable to see how much he does to provide for his family.(This one isn't really about me but that's okay)

7. I hate eating out, I know, it sounds silly; but I truly hate paying high prices for food when I know I can cook something even better in the comfort of my own home.

8. I have become increasingly forgiving. It took me a while to grow out of my Irish ways but I can officially say that I am a VERY forgiving person.

9. I am VERY select about who I let into my little peoples lives. I feel it is my highest duty as a mother to ensure that I guard their hearts.

10. I am TERRIFIED, I mean TERRIFIED of months! I have a totally irrational fear of them, it's really sad.

11. I wish I lived closed to my bestie, she is like the other half of me. I love our time together but I wish we had more!

12. I am always cold, always. It can be 90 degrees outside and I will be reaching for a zip up hoodie.

13. I hate that we have a new frozen yogurt place right down the road, I blame them for my gain of 5 lbs! Haha!

14. I love the feeling after a good workout, I feel refreshed and motivated.

15. I contemplate getting rid of Facebook often. Is it just me or is it become more or a site about one-upping other people? Sometimes I am even guilty of this, not intentionally, but after I read some of my posts, I think to myself, " Does this sound like bragging?"  

16. I love how different my son is, Aspergers and all. Seriously, the kid is amazing!

17. My dream truck is a Toyota Tundra, maybe some day when my kiddos are grown but right now I love having the third row seating in the Expedition.

18. I love the old shows like, Full House, Step by Step and Family Matters, yup I am dork.

19. I have no idea who is cool in the music world anymore. I listen to KLOVE, I love the music and love that my kiddos are hearing encouraging songs.

20. Jesus is my Savior NOT my religion.>>>>This is huge for me.

31 Day Blog Challenge: Introduction

I am following my besties lead and giving the 31 Day Blog Challenge a shot. So here goes:


I graduated with my BA in May (Go Cougs!) I went through a very stressful few weeks deciding what was the next step for me, work? more school? I was going to become a social worker but after seeing the horrible side effects that it has had on my mom, I decided that maybe it wasn't the job for me. So with A LOT of soul searching and reflection I have decided on becoming a teacher! I hope to teach at the kindie up to third grade level. These ages are my ideal ages to teach, I love the little ones so much that I know I would enjoy this age group.

So I applied to the Masters Program and last weekend I traveled to Spokane and took my West B exam. This exam is for those in Washington State that want to be teacher, it is required that you pass all three sub tests, math, reading, and writing. Sadly I do not think I passed the writing because I ran out of time on my essays. What does this mean for me? I may have to push out starting grad school :( Total bummer! I am holding out hope that they pass me anyway...fingers crossed.

Wow, I totally did not plan on this post being entirely about my teaching plans but I guess you can see what I am passionate about.

Other than my future school plans, I spend a incredible amount of time with my children, I love it! I am not going to lie there are times where I feel as though I am losing it but I am so thankful for all the time I get to spend with my little people. My husband is my greatest support, we have married 11 years this coming Aug. We spend as much time together as possible as well, he truly loves me for who I am and who I am not, for that I am thankful.

I have sincerely calmed down over the past 2 years. I am not as much of a hot head as I once was. I have learned to see the positive in people and can honestly say that I am so much less judgmental that I once was. Let's be honest, sometimes we can all be a little judgey judgey, but I am trying really hard to acknowledge when these moments happen and stop myself. It, along with most other things is a work in progress. I can say that I have become a much more positive person since realizing that being judgmental gets you no where and seeing the good side of everyone makes your day much better!

Okay that's it, this is super long and boring I am sure haha! See you soon!

A important update....

I have stopped blogging here due to creating a new blog. Our boy was diagnosed with Aspergers a few short months ago. I have decided to focus my blog on that, because truthfully, I really need the outlet. It has been very difficult for my family at times but there have been joyous moments as well. Please join me on my new blog and follow along our journey. Hope to see you there.

Stephenie

Changes...sometimes good!

Living in Wyoming has been such a wonderful change for my family. We have become closer than I ever thought possible. Slowing down life forces you to reflect on what is important. I have learned that the small town life is so much better for us.

Ben is working a Monday thru Friday job, no weekends. This is a huge difference considering when we lived in Washington he was working every weekend, due to how much work his company had. Here he works in a shop that has a total of four people. They are family oriented and really in small town, there is no hurry.

I found a job the second week we were here but a few weeks ago I applied for a state position. I interviewed and on Tuesday I received and accepted the job offer. I will be working for Wyoming State Child Support Enforcement. It is a Monday-Friday 8-5 job so that means Hannah will be in daycare/preschool. I am nervous about that considering she has never not been in my care, but I know that this will be good for her. Half of the day is fun and the second half is strictly preschool.

I am a little nervous about my new job just for the fact that I alone have 650 cases that I have to go through each month. I suppose this will make the work day go by very quickly. Lol. I am however, so excited to start this new journey. This is the kind of work I have been seeking for some time. My education fits it perfectly. I am so humbled to have this position.

Jerimiah and Hannah are loving it here. They spend a lot of time with my sister and her husband. They have no children so they enjoy having little people around. It gives Ben and I chance to go out for dinner and have some adult time. This has brought us so much closer, I didn't realize how much we were missing out on in each other lives by hardly ever having time to just spend quality time together.

I will admit the first time they stayed there, I called every 5 minutes and when that wasn't good enough I drove my butt over there and tried to convince them to come home....haha! Now, I am doing much better, and I know that one night is not going to hurt us. I also know that my sister deserves to have that time with her niece and nephew. I figure the closer they are with my sister and her husband the better off they will be. Lets face it, the more people involved in raising a child the better off that child will be.

Life is good and we are blessed.

Stepehenie

Settled In To Small Town Life

We have been in our new home for about three weeks now. Truthfully we are happier than we have ever been. I am loving the small town life. We went to Cheyenne (40 miles away) this past weekend to go to the mall and I hated it! I have become so in love with no crowds that when we got there my anxiety increased 10 fold. Kids screaming, crying, people bumping into you...ya I don't miss these things a bit!

Ben and I went out for the first time by ourselves last weekend as well. We had a good time, walked through a few different breweries, had dinner and did some shopping. Here we are, of course this is a iPhone photo so the quality sucks but hey...aren't we so cute? ;)

Also good news I had two interviews last week and was offered both jobs. I accepted the one that has the most room for growth and more closely matches my degree. I will be starting next week and because I am working evenings we do not even have to have childcare, except once a month, that is where my totally blessing of a sister comes in.Best of all, I am working 10 hours two days a week and that is it. I love that!

The kids and I made an incredibly fun art project....melter crayons! This is Hannahs finished project, we are doing Jers tonight.

 Jerimiah was clearly in the middle of telling me something very important...haha

Hmmm...what else is new? Oh Ben and I have officially started planning our 10 year wedding anniversary. We will be renewing our vows, so my sister and I will be checking out some venues this weekend. I know that because of the distance, very little people will be able to attend but what matters most to us is that our children will be part of our ceremony. I know that with our two little ones by our sides it will be an incredible day for our family.

Okay, that is it. Life is good and we are blessed!

Stephenie

Welcome Home!

Well we are here...the great state of Wyoming!

The kids and I took an early morning flight on the 17th and Ben and his brother showed up with the moving trucks the following day. My sister and her husband live 2 miles from us so they were here to help unload the huge truck! As we were unloading I got a call from my dad, he just happened to be driving right through our town on his way back to Washington for work....Lucky us..another set of hands to help out. It was really strange seeing my dad here though lol

On that following Monday my little guy had his testing at a top school, I was so nervous. There academic program is ahead of the other public schools. In first grade they do second grade math, so while he was testing I was full of anxiety. If your child is not going into the school as a kindie they require testing to be sure they can handle the tough curriculum.


It took two days before we heard anything but I finally got the call that he had made it in. There was only one spot open so the timing could not have been better. As soon as we heard the wonderful news, I ordered his uniforms... (pictures to come) I had them shipped over night and oh...my...gosh does he look so cute! Yesterday we met with his teacher and she said he is doing wonderful! The best part....he LOVES it, he is so excited about school each morning. He even gets to go on his first ever field trip on Friday...to the Ballet :)


Hannah will start kindie there next year, she is guaranteed a spot since Jerimiah is already enrolled, we are thankful for that.

Ben starts work on Monday, his company has a total of 4 people (including him). They are a family business and Ben will be their only welder which is nice.

I just started the job search yesterday...the good news? Every where I go I am told they are hiring. This is such a contrast to where we were living before and there was no job openings. I have my eyes set on a facility for troubled youth, there my degree will be utilized...we shall see.

We are just loving it here. I thought that it would be a huge adjustment but really, I am in love with how small it is (30,000 people). Every where you go the people are so nice! I love that everything is within a mile from my house and love that my sister and brother-in-law are here. The only issue I have is that the wind is insane! We had 50 mph wind, I thought our windows were going to blow in, in fact the wind gets so bad that they close the highways! Crazy!

Well I hope everyone is doing well, I do miss my family and friends. However,we certainly made the right decision for us. We are so happy to call Wyoming home.

Our Big News!

No we are not pregnant! But we are moving! Yay!

In three short weeks my family and I will be relocating to....Wyoming! Yes, I totally just said that! Ben and I have thought long and hard about this decission. We spent months deliberating on what was the best thing for our family. So what inspried this huge move?

Small town...the town we will be moving to has a population of about 30,000 which is something that both Ben and I love. I love that everyone knows everyone, I love that no one is in a hurry (this is something I will have to work on).

Jobs...Ahhh, gosh I have already had two employers call me and I am not even in the state yet. I am hoping to land a position at the college. (I am currently under consideration!) It's a great position with good pay and great benefits. Ben will transfer his apprentiship and already has a job lined up. He will be going to Denver for his military mumbo jumbo, the good news? I will be going with him most the time! Yay! A weekend a month to just us...really?

My sister Christy.....I am so thankful that she lives there! She has made the process so much easier on us. I have sent her to look at rentals, sign contracts, make payments and even buy me a new garbage can Lol. I am so excited to live within miles of her....I cannot wait! My brother-in-laws family is great and have already embraced us and demanded that we show up at family functions. It feels wonderful to already be included before we have even arrived.

Quality of life- this is the most important reason for our move. We are ready to slow down, focus on our family and for Ben to have a normal schedule. Don't get me wrong I am incredible thankful and grateful to his employer here, he has blessed our family by giving Ben steady employment. However, he works so much that both he and I feel like he is missing out and frankly we are both exhausted. He of working non stop and me of not being able to work due to his variable schedule. We are totally outdoor people so being in the Rockies is going to be amazing! Camping, fishing, hiking, and boarding yay!

Bens family....being in Wyoming, we will be much closer to Bens family in Iowa. Visits will be much more possible and I know that it important to us and his family. I think it is important that our children know both sides of their family. 

Now the ugly.....
I have truly agonized over the fact that I am taking my children away from their grandarents and aunt. This was an incredibly difficult desission to make, knowing that sadness that this will bring  my children,my parents, my grandparents and my sister. I have spent many hours crying over this and angry at those who have put up a fight. Now, that everyone has gotten used to the idea I have been able to see past the anger and know that it really meant, "Please do not leave, I love you and will miss you and your family." I think about how it would feel if my children moved my grandchilredn so far away that I would rarely see them.....it would break my heart. The good news is, my mom recently told me that she knows we have to do this, she knows we have to give it a shot. So we have decided that we will Skype once a week so that she can stay in contact with the kiddos. My dad drives through the town we are moving to all the time for work so thankfully we will still see him often.

My sister Angie, uh.....what can I say? This has been really challenging for both of us, for various reasons. She was the one person that I had the most difficult telling, I knew it would hurt her and it did. My heart still aches over it and I hope she forgives me. There is no easy way to tell your sister..."Hey we are moving 1700 miles away." However, we will get through this and since we have always taken our family vacations with her and will continue to do so, I know we will be okay.  My relationship with her is one that I do not take lightly. It is incredibly important to me to remain close and to have her in my childrens life, and if it takes everything I have, I will make sure it happens. Loving some one so much makes telling them your moving so much more difficult. I am so thankful for everything she has done for my family, blessing us with her home and being the best darn landlord ever ;)

My best friend Lindsi.....what can I say to you to express my gratitude for everything you are and are not. Thank you first of all for being so supportive even when I know it was hard for you. Thank you for carrying my emotions through this, thank you for grounding me when I got irrational and upset and most of all thank you caring so much about my families happiness. I love you and your family like my own. I know that regardless of the distance between us, we will always share a bond that very few people experience. You are so wonderful to my family, and we are so thankful to have you guys as our best friends. 

Okay here are some photos of our new place! I love it...even though I have never see it lol. It's good size, 1600 sqft, kids have their bedrooms down stairs and there is small play room down there as well. Everything is new, updated and my sister says its beautiful. It even has a huge detached garage/shop. The owner of the house was selling his hottub, I told him if he gave me a discount on the deposit I would buy it....so We have a hot tub! Yahoo! Our landlord is wonderful, he is easy going and even called us just to wish us a Merry Christmas...once again small town folks are so nice. :)

Kitchen

 Hot tub

 View from the house..this is the detached garage and shop

 Back deck

 View from the street, there is also a attached small garage

So that is it...our big news. Thank you to everyone for your support even when it was challenging. We appreciate more than you will ever know. <3
Stephenie

Courageous

My husband finally made it home last night! Yay! I was certain that he would be stuck on the west side because of the weather but thankfully he made it home safely. It is so good to have him home, things can somewhat return to normal, at least for a little while :)

Get ready for a very...."faithfilled" post 

I rented a movie that I had wanted to see for a long time and while it was in theaters we never could make it. Its called Courageous, it is made by the same filmmakers as Fireproof. I strong suggest you see the both, they are incredibly insightful movies. I suppose I should tell you that they are "Christian" films, they have a very faith filled message.

So on to Courageous, the plot of the movie consists of a group of policemen in small Alabama town. They go through heartache, trials, love, excitement and confusion. It really puts things into perspective on the crucial role that fathers play in their child's life. My husband and I were both moved to tears (sorry babe) while watching this film. It drives home the importance of leading by example, being a honorable father, and most importantly teaching your child about the importance of trusting in the Lord.

The film made me realize how many moments I have taken for granted. The moments that I will never get back..moments that I did not embrace my children or take an extra 5 minutes to snuggle with them. This film, this amazing, wonderful film, made me realize even more that I as their mother and Ben as their father need to ensure that our children have a strong faith, a faith so strong that they will always know that they can trust in the Lord.

Neither my husband nor I grew up in a faith based home. There was no education on the subject, no introduction at a young age and I have to wonder that if we had would things have been different for us growing up. (I know everything happens for a reason) I know that there were times in my young life that I felt like I had no one to turn to and I think if I had known that I did have someone (God) that I would not have struggled to constantly find somewhere to belong as a teenager and a young adult. So this is our hope for our children, that because of their introduction into faith at a young age that they will find comfort even in the worst of times, that they will seek Him when they are in doubt,  and that they understand the unconditional love that He has promised them.

My children, are my everything, so at night I will be sure to pray now more than ever that God shows me the kind of mother that He wants me to be, that He will show Ben, the father that He wants him to be.

I really encourage everyone to watch this movie, even if you have a different faith than me, this movie has so many important messages that anyone who watches it is bound to take something positive from it.

 

RESOLUTION

I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly.

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. – Joshua 24:15

It&apos;s been good...

So it's been a week since I left Facebook. My husband put my name on his as well because there are a few people that I can only check in with on Facebook. I think I have been on there twice for maybe three minutes at a time.

I am enjoying being distant from that part of the cyber world. I'm actually talking on the phone more to my friends and family. It's been a blessing.

We have big news, but I can't share it just yet! In the next few weeks we will have a major life change!

This weekend we are heading over the mountains for my besties little girls birthday party. She is just a month younger than Hannah. Her mommy and I spent much of our pregnancies together and I love their family like my own. I cannot believe how much our little girls have grown!

We will also be visiting with my family in Seattle, and poor Jer has been begging to go to the top of the Space Needle so that is also on the agenda. I'm praying my vertigo keeps itself under control!

Alright, that is it. School started for me yesterday so it's time to dive in!

Sincerely
Momma Bechen

Our little getaway...

Ben and I went yesterday morning to The Marcus Whitman in Walla Walla. I love, love, love old buildings and we totally scored on this one. When we walked in, I was totally in love. There is so much detail in every part of the building. I spent at least a half our just looking around the lobby. The staff was the nicest I have ever encountered at a hotel. After we paid for our room, we were told about all the complimentary services that they have...there was a lot! The owner lives on site, I met him his bull terrier Katie, which totally made me miss my pups.

Ben and I went our room and were just amazed. Again completely beautiful...

 We got ready to go and went down to the lounge to have some snacks and drinks.

We then walked a few blocks to hear some live music. We were the youngest people in there which is completely fitting for us. We are not club people, we love just being in a relaxed atmosphere and chatting. We spent the next four hours there, chatting, catching up on what we have missed out on the last 12 days Ben has been working nonstop. I just love my husband, we are no where near perfect alone and we do not have the perfect relationship but we absolutely perfect together. 

We were bummed that it took us so long to discover this beautiful hotel, I wish we had found it long ago so that we could have visited it more. 

Long days and even longer nights...

My poor husband, he has been working every night since the 26th, 13 hours shifts. I guess there is a huge job at some plant that has to be done asap so they have crews working round the clock. So basically I spend about 1 hour with him a day and that is when he is getting ready to go to work. I miss him...sigh


He has been too tired to do anything, which I totally understand, so the entire house load is on me, including taking care of the children. What makes me ever more sad is that these next two weeks he is in Seattle for the military. Thankfully the kids and I will be going over for four days to visit some of my favorite Seattle people. This visit will mean so much more to me than any other but I will get into that some other time.


Truth be told I have really been enjoying being on break from school, I get to spend so much quality time with my babies. I think I have built more Lego creations in the last two weeks than I ever did as a child, and I totally love it! My son is incredibly talented with Legos and the whole "12 and older" sticker on the box means nothing to him. He just sits down with the book and starts building. Now little sister is starting to do the same, I found her in her room with a little book from her girl legos building a car. Smart little cookie! Jerimiah who just turned sever started his first chapter book! So proud of him, he loves reading and I could not be happier about it.

As for me, right now is incredibly stressful (again I'll get into that some time soon) but I am dealing with it the best that I can. I have found that when things get stressful, I totally shut others out. I guess its my way of dealing with it on my own, which I am really trying to work on! On the plus side I did finish my first semester at WSU with straight A's so obviously the stress is a good motivator.

Ben and I are spending the night in Walla Walla this weekend before he leaves. We booked a beautiful room and plan on having a nice dinner and just enjoying each other after all of this time we have spent apart. I am so excited!

Alright that is all for now...Hope everyone is doing well

Goodbye Cyberworld...well, for the most part

Well I have decided to no longer have a Facebook account. For many reasons I know that this is the right thing to do. I really want to start simplifying things in my life and this is step one. I feel that it takes my attention away from more important things, like my family, school and just having my time. I also noticed that many of my "friends" on Facebook are surface level friendships, if you can even call them that. I do not think there is anything wrong with having lots of friends on Facebook but me, personally I really just want to communicate with the people who love and support my family and I, and not just someone that I went to school with that really could care less what my two beautiful children are up to. I want to start calling people that I love and care about and personally telling them how proud of them I am, or how I support them or whatever the case may be. I think it is so simple to write one someones "wall" five words of encouragement but I think it means so much more when you actually make the effort to speak with the person. I hope this doesn't sounds rude in any way because that is not at all my intentions. I think it is great for those who enjoy having Facebook, I mean there are a lot of pros to it; you get to see pictures of friends and family,and for many it makes people feel closer to their friends, but for me personally it has made me feel more distant from people. So I will be keeping my blog and updating it weekly...for sure this time ;) I would also love to have the phone numbers of my friends so that we can actually talk to each other instead of just Facebook messages. I'll leave you with some photos of the last few months.

A Special Thank You

We all know that it is Veterans Day but how many of us really sit down to reflect what it means? It is wonderful to recognize those who have served, and those who are currently serving, I wish we, the people would do this daily. I know first hand how difficult it is to be involved in the military. It is taxing, exhausting, heartbreaking, and absolutely wonderful all at the same time. Remember what today is all about and then continue to remember it every single day. One day out of the year is not enough time to appreciate and remember what these people have done for this great country. Heres a few shots from my sons Veterans Day assembly.

Jerimiah singing and signing America the Beautiful

A special thank you to my husband, who has 10 plus years of service and counting and who was just promoted to a huge position of Task Manager!

Viva Las Vegas!!

As I sit here typing this, I am sipping on a glass of my favorite wine, thats right Lindsi you guessed it, Columbia Winery! We are only hours from our Las vegas vacation. I am having complete anxiety about leaving, of course I am excited but I am also so nervous to leave my children and puppies. The last time we were in Vegas my baby Molly Dog passed away, so naturally I am fearful about leaving. This is also my second time flying without the help of medication, yes call me a coward but I typically get Xanax before I fly to help me. I hate, hate, hate flying! Ever since out emergency takeoff on our way back from Disneyland I hate them even more! However, I am so excited to go, spend time with my husband and just be Ben and Stephenie for 5 days. Life seems to get in the way and we often lose track of the fact that beyond parents we are husband and wife and more important than that, we are partners in life. I am so grateful to have the husband that I do, and I cannot wait to devote all my attention to him! I am also so excited that my sister and her awesome boyfriend are already there waiting for us! Yay for sister time! We will be staying one night at Aria which is a new hotel that looks beautiful and the the rest of our stay was comped at the Bellagio. Included in that comp is the spa, and dinners! Yay! What makes this even more special is it will be my husband 31st birthday! Well time to go! Prayers for a safe flight are always welcomed, although I am sure we will have landed by the time you read this ;)

My babies!

So my wonderful husband bought me this amazing camera and I have so much fun with it. I have yet to shoot on the auto setting, so I feel good about that. My friend Lindsi over at SnapDragon Photography has been such a blessing for me, she has taught me what I know and I appreciate her help so much!
So here you go...my darling children and a few others that I love!!!

Climbing up on the soapbox...just for a quick sec!

Okay, I know that I cannot be the only parent out there that feels the same way as me. Have you noticed how rough the kids play with each other? For instance, I take my children to the water park that is only for kids up to 7. What do I find? Kids up to 13 years old rough housing in the kiddie pool...really? Can their parents not pay the dollar for their older kids to go right next door to the public pool?

There is also the little ones that are about 3 years old, pulling hair, bitting, kicking, slapping the other kids face, screaming...you know, the normal stuff that parents like me completely do not tolerate. When I was a child I did not enjoy seeing misery on another children faces, if I knew I was doing something that caused them discomfort, I stopped!
What is even worse is the parents that sit on their butts, playing with their cell phones or gossiping so much that they haven't even glanced their child's direction in at least a half hour!

Ugh...this stuff makes me so mad, I am asking other peoples children to leave my kids alone while their parents face is so far in their phone they don't even notice another adult is scolding their kid.

I have to wonder why on earth parents find it acceptable for children to be so rough? I do not and will not encourage any rough play. Kicking, hitting and head locking are not allowed in my house. I do not encourage that kind of aggression in my children. If your child needs an outlet, how about you find a healthy one, like karate? Something that helps them but also teaches them discipline!

What is wrong with parents anymore? Why are they so lazy? Why do they always sit on their butts and not parent their children? I guess laziness is on the rise!

Okay climbing down now...darn that felt good!

So ready for vacation.....

Well I ended school on Friday and then because of changing schools I ended up having to start my new classes on Monday. So I had two days off, which after gioing every single quarter for two and a half years straight, two days is not enough! I am finally at the school that I have had my eye on since I started. Washington State University...Go Cougs!

Anyway I received my books yesterday, all 10 of them, I am taking all 400 level classes and at first found myself really overwhelmed, but now that its been a few days I am back into the swing of it. Not to mention the books that are required are books I would love to read in my free time. Drug wars and coffee houses, Illicit, Human Trafficking, Theories of Personality, The Globalization of Crime and a few more interesting ones. I have them all sitting next to my "Anxious for Nothing" book my sister sent me, totally fitting in my opinion!

The kids are starting school soon, thank you God! Although I love having them around, both of them need time out of the house and away from each other! Not to mention I need time to get school done. This will be the first time in my college life that I will have time to myself to do schoolwork! Yay!

I just booked our Vegas trip!! We are leaving early October when the weather will be about 85 degrees! Perfect! Most of our trip was comped through the Bellagio so we paid for airfare and a extra night at Aria. We will be hitting the Spa at the Bellagio for a couples massage, and as crazy as it may sound, this will be my first massage. I can't wait! There is something wonderful about being just Ben and Stephenie, not mom and dad. I love being able to give my total attention to my husband and let's face it sometimes okay, all the time, that is impossible when there are two adorable faces demanding your attention.
My kiddos will be with my mom and dad for the first three nights and then to our family friends, who the kids call their Aunt. I know they will have a great time as well!

Okay going on and on here about well...nothing too important, lol.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

The Cab...A MUST listen

So last night one of my dearest friends and I went up to Spokane for the night to see: All Time Low, Mayday Parade, The In Crowd and my FAVORITE...The Cab!!

This was the first time that I have ever heard their music but about 10 seconds into their first song I knew that I would love anything that preformed. Something about their music is just amazing to me. I was totally bummed when Mayday Parade came out, not because they were bad but because The Cab was SO much better.

I urge you to check them out, they will have a new album out next week, which I will for sure be picking up!

The Cab MTV Music Video - One of Those Nights


The Cab MTV Music Video - I'll Run

Too much medication....not a good thing

Well I was doing a good deed and mowing my dads HUGE yard, although its pretty easy because he has a ride on mower. I finished up and went to dump the bags and must have moved the wrong way because I had the worst pain I have ever had, (thats includes having a child naturally) I saw strs, could not hear and went down to the ground and threw up. (TMI?...sorry)

Since I ws all alone I had to crawl, yes crawl all the way a cross the yard to my dads house. My children were inside watching tv and I layed on the floor convinced that I was dying. After about a a hour I was able to haul myself in the car and get home.

My dear friend Lori came and took my kids and Ben took me to the docs. After some x-rays I found out that I had a fracture on one of my lower vetebrae. He said I put too much stress on it and that created a small crack. He told me that he was not sure how I was sitting in front of him so calm, and that he would expect to see someone unable to walk or speak from the pain.

He was right but my pain tolerance is pretty high, also what is the point of screaming and crying? It would not do me any good except cause more pain in my back. He felt around in my belly to make sure that I didnt have any internal bleeding occuring. He then started talking about pain meds.

Here we go! Just a FYI I dislike hate medicine. I am not a fan or putting anything in my body that is not natural. I explained to him that I do not like pain medication because I feel ill and do not like the out of control feeling that I get. He told me there was no way he could feel good about letting me walk out of there with no pain medication. After fighting back and fourth I agreed on Tramadol for pain, a muscle relaxer and some Naproxen. I went home took them and it justified once again why I hate them so much.

I am not taking the Tramadol anymore except right before I go to bed. Tonight it didnt work, because I sit here wide awake in horrible pain and feeling loopy and sick to my stomache...FAIL. Hopefully I will fall asleep soon, this whole week was suppossed to be about celebrating the birth of my boy but I have been unable to leave the couch. I have company coming this weekend and am so far behind! Ahh!!

Okay, what a boring post right? LOL I am going to blame it on the drugs! ;)

My boys birthday week!!!!

Ahh!! My little man will be 7 on Sunday! I cannot believe it, 6 was okay for me but 7, gosh can he stop growing up!

Jerimiah Steven was born at 2:13 am on August 14th. He was 10 lbs 11.8 ounces and 21.5 inches long! He was so huge that the nurses had to go and search for some size 1 diapers because the newborn diapers were not going to fit him. I remember when I first saw him, I started crying my eyes out. He was perfect and so handsome! I had this overwhelming love for him immediately. Instantly I had a need to protect him and guide him the best way I could.

Because of military obligations is was just Jerimiah and I for the first 6 or 7 months. He and I bonded that much more seeing it was just the two of us everyday. He became my shadow and I absolutely loved it. I remember video tapping him rolling over so that his daddy could see it. I remember my dog Chance teaching him how to walk. She would let him pull up on her and while he was hanging on she would take two steps and wait while he moved his feet to catch up, she would do this for about 3 minutes at a time, it was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. I tell him all the time that his best friend Chance really did teach him to walk.

Jerimiah has developed into such a compassionate young boy. Although Hannah drives him crazy, you will often see him getting her water, or making sure her dinner plate is close enough to her. When I am not feeling well he will ask me if I need anything and then remind Hannah that she needs to be quite.

Jerimiahs favorite thing in this world is sharks. He has been obsessed with the for about year. Some of this may be related to his sensory or autism but I could care less! He knows everything there is to know about sharks, all the different kinds, what they eat, where they can be found. The only tv this guy watches is documentaries on sharks. We completely encourage his obsession, any time I am the book store I ask if they have any new shark books in (they know me by now as the shark lady lol.) We even took one of his toy sharks down to a gourmet bakery and she is going to sculpt a cake for him (We wont talk about the price of it, its worth it)

I could go on and on about how wonderful he is, I would never run out of positive things to say about him. He will forever be my baby boy, I love him more than anything in this world. I am so proud to be his mommy!!

So Happy Birthday Week to my little man!!! I cannot wait to celebrate with the family and friends that will be here this weekend, especially those from Seattle, it means so much to him (and me) to have you here!

See you soon!!