I'm pretty sure that my blog is number one on my list of neglected things. At least it's not, you know, one of my kids or something.

Oh how my life is busy. Shall I count the ways?

1. I have two kids and a dog. That really should be enough said. I have to break up fights, avoid floods due to my son "cleaning out the peaches in his backpack" in the bathroom sink and oversee Kayley chop a peice of cucumber into the tiniest peices and pray she doesn't lose a finger.  I nurse wounds, deal with huge knots in Kayley's hair and administer sunscreen to Hartley's belly because she sleeps outside upside down and gets sunburnt. What a weirdo. I'm the most famous for hiding kids clothes since they wear the SAME things over and over. If they can't find 'em, they can't wear 'em! Now that's just good parenting right there.

2. The kids are at camp this summer. That means a packed lunch every day (with enough food to satisfy the hungriest 7 year old boy on the planet), a full coat of sunscreen and a backpack full of swimming supplies. It also means exausted children who get angry at me when I wake them up at 7am. Can't blame 'em. I get mad at my dang phone when it wakes me up at anytime before 12 noon. I'm not a morning person. Neither are they on camp days. But I digress.

3. Kids camp at our church in Camarillo was last week and VBS is this week at South Coast. That means I pick up the kids at 5:30 and they have to be somewhere at 6:30. Cereal for dinner, anyone? While the kidlings do enjoy these evening camps, they're tiring and I'm dunzo with them.

4. New house for us. Very old house in general. Bad plumbing, possible rodents in the attic, daddy long legs thinkin' they own the place and it's hotter than blue blazes up in there pretty much always. It is taking some adjustment, that's for sure. The huge front and backyards, fruit trees, giant sun room and privacy make it all worthwile, though!

5. Donde esta Tyler? He is very busy with school and work. He has also lost close to ten pounds and is a strapping young lad, if I do say so myself. We joke that we only have time for a high five when we see each other and then we head our separate ways. As sad as it is, it's really like that most days. But I love the guy for working his butt off!

6. Mavericks. It's my new gym and I love it. Being besties with one of the managers there offers many benefits (if I told you I'd have to kill you). Working and running the kids around makes it hard for me to get to the gym but I've been managing two or three days a week and a day doing something active with the kids and Tyler. Last week we did the stairs at Ventura High and the week before we went for a hike!

7. Busting a flow. My new hobby is busting out with white girl rhymes. Think I'm kidding? I guess you'll never know. Maybe on my birthday after a few margaritas.

8. My birthday. Ok, well it actually hasn't happened yet but I'm really looking forward to it! I feel the best I've ever felt and the happiest I've ever been lately.  Besides, the closer I get to thirty the less I care about what anyone thinks of me or the choices I make. For sheezy.

9. Now I just feel obligated to make it to ten. Such pressure!

10. Work. Meh. Meh. I got another raise last week which I am thankful for. I'm also expanding my knowledge base by taking on extra tasks such as billing and reconciling bank accounts. Which is thrilling stuff I know. But I make accounting look good. Especially when I wear my glasses. Rarrr. You know, it's sexy when my eyes cross and things go blurry so I have to make a spectacle of myself. Get it? Spectacle? I kill myself! Ha!

Thou hast read the ways my life is insane. There is more, but ain't nobody got time for that. 

Ten Today

Wow! I can believe it's almost the end of March! Time flies...

1. Cole made this fabulous 100th day of school project. He had to pick 100 items and display them creatively. I think he did great!

 

2. We spent the Saturday before Valentine's Day with my friend Stephanie, her kids, Kim and her crazy kids, too! We played a little game, did a craft and, best of all, ate and decorated cookies. It was fun times!

3. Both kids recieved awards at the end of February. Kayley recieved an award for reading 4,000 minutes and Cole recieved an award for being a great scholar. I'm so proud of them both! If there was an award for dressing in the most shades of blue on any given day Kayley would win for sure. Just sayin'.

4. Noah celebrated his ninth birthday at Sky High in Camarillo. I can't believe he's so old! I remember when I was changing that kids' diapers!

 

5. Cole was in a play last week with his first grade class called Character Matters. He played Papa Bear. What a little champ. I told him to pose and he did this:

5. Hartley loves Tyler! This was her staring longingly into his eyes.

 

6. We had breakfast with Joanna, Tim and his girlfriend, Bailie, on Sunday morning (after waiting seven hundred days to eat at Allison's), then we celebrated his birthday on Sunday evening. Bailie is pretty much the most adorable human being on the planet. I sure hope Tim keeps her around!

7. Reading the comics like she always does.

8. Tyler is finished with school! I'm so proud of him and very thankful to have him home more. He has already made dinner twice this week! His graduation ceremony is coming up (on his birthday!).

9. We have already been thinking about our vacation to Idaho this summer! Now that Tyler got my windows tinted in my car we are set for the drive there. Not to mention he'll actually be seen in my car now. Apparently it's not cool to drive around in a fish bowl.

10. Something I've spent many years praying about is to have a new friend. I value all my friends and they'll always be the prettiest and most awesome. But I need a married friend who lives close by who has similar values and who thinks I'm awesome. Haha. Seriously though, I wish to have a friend who I can meet up with super last minute and just talk about whatever and share our lives. The good news is that I finally have that friend in Stephanie! Yes, it's weird that our names are the same. We met at the gym. We are kind of two peas in a pod you might say. But she's not as weird as me. And that's the gospel truth.

 



It's kind of obvious that my blogging is no longer a huge priority. But I still think about posting stuff all the time, just never get around to actually do it. That being said, here's a post. Comment and make me feel special!

 

1. I got a new car! It's funny that I just started being content with my little Corolla and this opportunity arose! It was such a good car but it was getting small for our family. I did shed a tear when I left the dealership without my Corolla. It seems silly but I'm a sentimental fool. Thankfully they gave me a fair trade in value making me feel better. My new car, a Camry, is significantly larger. But not too large, Cole says, because he "can still reach over and hit Kayley super easy." Oh the priorities of childhood.

Bye bye little Cheyanne. I now notice that your bumper wasn't the same color as the rest of the car.

 

Please note my daughter's amazing photobombing skills in the picture below. I would have done the same thing after three hours at a dealership! She swears she will never buy a car because it's "too much paperwork!"

 

2. Kayley and Cole turned 9 and 7 in January! I can't believe how much time has passed. I always thought I would remember everything about when my kids were babies. But I'm just realizing that in the scheme of things, they are only babies for such a small amount of time. It's sad and happy all at the same time!

We went out to Teppan Steakhouse (my kids' fave) for dinner and it was so yum!

Cole really liked the Mickey "oily rice." And their sparklers for birthday celebrations are awesome!

The post-dinner celebration included the worlds yummiest cake!



The special birthday kiddos!

 We got the kids (and us) season passes to Magic Mountain and Hurricaine Harbor for their presents. We were able to go on Sunday after their birthday (and last Sunday, too!) and it was a blast! X2 was the scariest ride I've ever been on and, of course, it was my kids favorite. Ha.

 

Auntie Jo Jo came too!

 

 

Cole got to meet Batman and Robin.

 

 

3. I've been doing well with my daily devotions. Well, more like every other day devotions. But still! Cole has been waking up early to read next to me. It's pretty special.

4. Our two year arragement living with my parents is going to come to an end pretty soon. Joanna will be 100% of a nurse this summer and my parents won't need their second home in Highland anymore. We will be in a new place on July 1st! Hopefully we won't have to move again for a LONG time after this.

5. After almost three months with no middle top teeth Cole is finally getting one in!

6. I'm on day three of the New Year, New You challenge at the gym. Stay tuned for super awesome results! This is one of the things I have posted at work to help remind me of my goals.

7. Sadly, 2013 has already brought a lot of heartache for some people that I know. But I feel like there has also been a lot of answered prayer for others, too. This is a good reminder for me that God is sovereign, no matter the circumstances. And I really just want to be helpful to those around me who need encouragment or a helping hand. I'm really hoping that this year God will use me. I am willing! A possible opportunity to sing on the worship team at church is on the horizon so maybe that's it! Who knows?

8. I did our tax return on my own this year! Not without my dad looking over my shoulder, of course! And this is nothing like turbo tax. No questions to answer, just forms and numbers. I think I might become a nerdy tax girl. Or maybe I'll only like doing it until I have to owe a lot in taxes. Haha.

9. Tax season is upon us! This year has brought on lots of changes in the way we do things at the office. I'm excited to get through another season. Only 61 days to go!

10. I'm very glad my Kim friend and her cool kids are in town. Here's to more fun times while they're here!



New Year, New Steph

Recently, we had a chance to share our story with new friends. From Tyler's past to the surprise teenage pregnancy to our separation, accident and unemployment situation, they know it all. And I'm not kidding when they said they were blown away. They said we have an amazing story, one filled with an example of the grace of our Father. I suppose because I'm living this life it just seems like an ordinary one. But when I reflect on the past I realize it! Whoa, our story is incredible! And I wonder, if God has taken so much crap and made it into something good, what will our marriage will be like in 20 years? I can't wait to see what God will do with who we are now and who he is shaping us to be. That being said, I looked back on my old blog posts. Some of them were real sad. One of my goals for the year 2009 was to have a stable life. Little did I know that things would get harder before they got any easier. But I think about what my life is like now and I'm so incredibly thankful for where I am. I really have no complaining to do. Tyler has been at his job a year; me, three today! The kids are healthy. My dog is awesome. My life is stable.

A stable life makes it much easier to make and stick to goals. I've been thinking about what my goals should be for 2013. Every time I sit down to think or pray I hear the word "content." So for 2013 I plan to try my best to be content with every situation. Tyler has nine weeks left of school before he gets his AS in Electronics Engineering. I will be content with the craziness between now and then. I also choose to be content with my job, my commute, my car and my home.

One thing I won't be content with is my health. 2012 was a year of big changes in my diet. I'm definitely more now aware of what I'm putting into my body and how certain foods work for or against my health. In 2013 I want to be even healthier. But not just for me, but for my family as well.

The last thing I will commit to in 2013 is to read the Bible consistently and work my way through a Bible Study. Reading and studying is something I tend to stick to for a little while and then quit.

So there you have it: contentment, health and consistent studying. Those are my goals!

 

Ten On Tuesday

**I wrote this post a few weeks ago but didn't finish it. I figure I might as well post it!**

1. The contest I've been doing at the gym ended last week. My team won! We lost a total of 34 pounds and 7.45% body fat lost between the four of us! That's pretty awesome. The team closest behind was 5.1%. Oh yeah baby!

2. I got all these items for $78 just for hosting a Pampered Chef party. I love their stuff! Yes, Kim, that is a brownie pan you see.

 

3. This little guy is Josh. Cole is very excited to have him with us. Kayley asked me why I bought it and how I put him up there. Such a realist, that kid.

4. This year I got to plan my office Christmas party. I picked the venue and decorated. I thought it turned out lovely! We dined on the best French cuisine. Yum!

5. Tyler's Christmas party was the same evening and it was a fancy affair at the Bacara hotel in Goleta. These are terrible pictures but here we are all dressed up!

And here we are at the end of the night. I danced for two hours and I'm obviously really happy about it!

After we left the party a few of us walked out to the water. The lady on the left is British so we all "took the path" following her. We pretty much mocked her British accent the entire time and she didn't care. So fun!

6. I'm taking off the entire week of Christmas. I couldn't be more thrilled!

7. We took our annual trip to the Christmas tree farm last weekend.

Cole insisted on meeting Santa!

Joanna has always found herself a boyfriend tree but since she's got herself a man I started a new tradition (and Tyler rolled his eyes).

Kayley's boyfriend and Cole's girlfriend trees

Kayley, Cole and Grandpa Matt carried the tree to the tractor! Strong kids!

Riding the camels is always a fun time. They're really sweet animals.

8. The kids performed in their musical Friday and Saturday evenings. It was fun to watch all their hard work come together!

Busy, Busy!

The last few weeks have been very full!  Here's a recap in ten on tuesday style:

 

1. October 21st was Hartley's second birthday. We baked her doggie cupcakes (edible by humans) and Kayley and Cole made her birthday hats.

 

Please note that I was a previous judger of people who did these sorts of things for their dog. But times have changed. I am now one of those people.

 

 

2. Mr. Cole lost his second top tooth!

 

3. The contest at my gym is up and running! No starchy carbs except for first thing in the morning and after a workout is really hard but it's forcing me to incorporate more protein, veggies and healthy fats into my meals. Believe it or not, the salad below was absolutely amazing and totally satisfying!

 

4. I had two ninjas in my house on Halloween. They had such a great time dressing up! We also carved pumpkins and baked the seeds but I don't have pictures.

 

5. Fun times at Trunk or Treat as usual. Weird how my kids seem to be getting a little old for it. I think we might just go trick or treating next year. Or smash pumpkins.

 

6. I stayed at Lindsay's house this weekend and came across this little gem. Nothing like a fat girl picture to keep me humble. It's also a nice reminder that it's not cool to consume an entire Marie Callendars pie in one week...by myself.



 

7. The Color Run 5k was the most fun I've had in a while! Here we are pre-mess!

 

 

Mid run!

 

 

I finished!

 

Krista and Jo finishing! Props to Jo for running this after the stomach flu the day before. Way to go champ!

 

 

The whole crew, messy as can be. Joanna's shirt was older the the rest of ours so the color stuck better.

 

Sister fun!

 

 

It's not easy being green

 

 

There's a Color Run in February of next year and I would like to do it. I would also like to do the Dirty Girl mud run next fall. We'll see!

 

8. Is anyone else glad the election is over? I'm trying to stay off Facebook because I'm sick of people whining and gloating about the results.

 

9. Tyler interviewed for his job October 31st last year and started working on December 5th. I cannot believe it's almost been an entire year! I'm so thankful for his job. He works his butt off, too. Thanks, babe!

 

10. The next couple of months are going to be even busier than the last few weeks! I love that the holidays are here and there will be lots to write about I'm sure!