Christmas and stuff

We had a wonderful Christmas, and I hope you all did as well.  We received a special gift from a "Secret Santa" that helped us to make Christmas special.  I made each of the kids a quillow and they really seemed to like them.  My dad made the kids treasure boxes out of wood.  They are beautiful.  He also put a little bit of money in each of their boxes. 

Today, is Craig's birthday.  Isabel (our five year old) came running to give him a birthday hug.  She gave him one of her dollar bills from her treasure box for his birthday present.  She is so cute.

I am so grateful for the kindness of others, the love of my family, and especially Our Savior Jesus Christ.  May, each of you know His love and goodness in your life.

Rizabell turns 5.

It's hard to believe but my baby is 5.  Rizabell, the nick name that arose from a 4 year old little brother who couldn't pronouce his new sisters name, is a very fiesty, bossy, energetic, social butterfly.  I know hwat you are thinking... geeze I wonder where she gets that from.  But I honestly have no idea, she certainly didn't get it from me...  I still have mine.

So the little one turned 5 today and she thought that she got to start kindergarten today.  When she got up this morning she had a back pack ready to go.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to try to explain the concept of a school year to a very upset 5 year old.

Happy Birthday baby! 

Where it all began

I'm not sure when or where the Stephie Stories started. I'm sure I've been telling stories since I was a kid. However, most of the Stephie Stories include my children. So I think this is the perfect Stephie Story jumping off point.

Kids are a trip. They always make me laugh and often make me have to think on my toes. When my oldest daughter was about 3 years old (she's almost 15 now so it's been a while) she was "primping" in the bathroom mirror.

So, try to get the picture. I'm curling my hair or doing my make up or whatever and she is standing on the counter top fluffing her hair and checking herself out in the mirror. Suddenly she says to me...

"Mom, I know I'm cute, but why didn't God paint me like Oprah?"

So after I collected myself enough to not laugh out loud I recognized a teaching opportunity. I asked her to go get her coloring book. When she came back I pointed to a picture and asked, "Who is that?"

"Simba!" (I wish I could express the amount of annoyance this little girl said the one little word. I mean, obviously it was Simba, the Lion in the Lion King, I mean HELLLLOO.)

I tried not to laugh as a pointed to another picture and asked, "Who is this?"

Again, with the aggravation, "Simba."

I asked the same question for a third time and received, yet again an eye roll and the answer, "Simba".

"If all of these pictures is Simba, why did you color them all a different color?"

"I don't know, I like color." She answered, still not quite seeing my point.

I smiled and said, "So does God, baby."
She laughed and said, "Oh, I get it." And off she went to play. I shut the bathroom door and laughed 'till my tummy ached.

As requested - sorta

For years people have been requesting that I write a book and fill it will all the crazy stories I enjoy telling.  I figured a blog would be the closest thing to a book I can manage right now.  I'm not sure how this is going to work.  I think part of the fun of my stories is watching me tell them.  I'm very, shall we say, expresive. 

The name Stephie Stories came from my friends at work.  They would come to me and say, "any new Stephie stories today."  Then when I moved or changed jobs they would email me with requests for Stephie Stories.

I am a mother of four wonderful children who always keep the stories coming.  I have also been married for nearly 16 years so again, plenty of story content. I work full time at a Nuclear power plant (insert glowing comments here).  And because I don't have enough on my plate I am a full time college student. 

So, I hope a blog, while not the requested book, will keep you entertained.

Steph:)