Fall is coming! Fall is coming!

Man, I feel like Paul Revere! :) So yeah, fall is coming and I am sooo excited! You know as a kid I used to roll my eyes when my mom would talk about being so excited that fall was coming and she'd get out her red leafy wreaths and scarecrows but right now, I am totally looking forward to fall! It is going to be such a nice season and I think now that I am getting older I am appreciating it more and more! I LOVE winter, but I've never been a fan of Fall... man how things change.

Well today I woke up with pink-eye so that explains the mid-morning post. I got pink eye last year after some kids in my class got it and I naively helped clean their eye up, having NO idea what was wrong with them because I had never had pink eye. From then on it was like I'd randomly wake up with pink eye. I thought it had gone away at the end of last year but this morning there it was again. JOY. oh well... atleast I can catch up on some laundry, Gilmore Girls, and school work. Back to school tomorrow.

I have been so busy lately with school, church, and friends that I haven't been able to really post anything. This past weekend Amanda and I went to see Michael Buble in concert in Greenville -A-MAZING! We got to see him again afterwards - some call it stalking, I call it enthusiasm. It was a really fun road trip and I had a lot of fun with Amanda. Not gonna lie though... driving home until 3:00 a.m. from Greenville is NOT fun. Especially having to wake up at 6:15 to get ready for church. yep, still got the tired headache. :(

My Dad just had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. The surgery went very well but the recovery has been pretty exhausting for him. He's a real go-getter so this whole chilling out in a recliner for days and nights on end has really driven him nuts. He went back this morning for his Post-op and so hopefully they'll be able to give him more info on what he can do now.

I'm really excited about my sunday school class at the moment. We've started the Beth Moore study "Believing God" and I am pumped for so many reasons! #1: I took it 2 years ago and it's awesome. #2: My sister rejoined our class so she could take the course and #3: my Aunt Jan is going to begin coming!! That is a miracle in itself so I am just watching to see what happens!

Sorry this post was so random... just catching up I guess. Well, I guess laundry calls. "Laundry is calling! Laundry is calling!" (Ok, I'll stop.. no more Paul Revere)

~Stephanie

A Month Later....

Well, a month has gone by so I figure it's time to update the blog. Where to start? School is pretty much in full swing. I have today, tomorrow, and the weekend off but Monday starts workdays and staff development days. The kids come Thursday, the 21st. As of right now I have 18 students but I will go this afternoon and see if any kids were added to my list. 18 is already a high number so I'm hoping my list will stay the same. I'm actually very excited about school starting. I've been praying that I will have a positive attitude and that I will be the best teacher I can be so I really think that that has helped a lot. Everytime someone asks me if I"m ready to go back to school, I say "Yes! I'm really excited about getting started" or something annoyingly positive instead of "NO!!! I need atleast another month of summer" which might be what I'm feeling deep down! What's odd though is, the more positive I am on the outside, the more positive I feel on the inside. I think my brain is being tricked. I learned yesterday in a workshop that your brain can't tell between a fake smile and a real, genuine smile. So even if you're faking smiling your brain will eventually feel a little more happy and positive. So that's my strategy this year I think! What else? What else? Gosh, I feel like school is the main thing going on right now and everything has taken a backseat. Actually, I can't say that's entirely true. I was telling my friend Cara the other night that Back to School is like my New Year time. I make "Back to School resolutions." So far, I've done pretty well at keeping my apartment clean and doing my best at managing my money. Although going to the gym still hasn't been crossed off my to do list yet. Oh well, school hasn't started yet, right?

Kristen and Rusty have been doing very well! I always get in trouble if I post too much about Kristen so I'm going to just elaborate about Miles :) Miles is a safe topic, right Kris? Miles got a new haircut! Rusty and Kristen took him to a barber (or salon, I"m not quite sure how that works) on base and he got his first real big boy haircut! It looks very military style and it's so crazy to look at him now! haha, He's such a big boy! He's "talking" a lot more and can say "cat, car, duck, momma, daddy, horse," and supposedly yesterday my Mom got him to say "vacuum." Never to early to start learning "Vacuum" right?

Well my stomach is growling so I think I"m going to go eat some Apple Cinnammon cheerios :) I will hopefully be enjoying my last long weekend before the craziness starts!!! Enjoy your weekend too!

xoxo,
Stephanie

OH yeah, this weekend I am going "tubing" down the Edisto with my Mom and Dad's sunday school class. Look out for the "I almost drowned" blog update coming around the end of the weekend:)

Ending the wedding blog hopefully!

Alright well here we go again!! Let's see, where did I leave off?... oh yes! Pictures! We finished up our pictures and the photographer went upstairs to take pictures of the guys. All the girls took a last look into the mirror and we piled into the elevator. The guys were at the end of the hallway by the door and we waited what seemed like forever to get started! Kristen stayed in the hallway by the elevator and she told me later that about 6 different families came out of the elevator shocked that she was standing there! That must have been funny! We waited until Mrs. Jody gave us the heads up and then we were ready to start the ceremony! Rusty escorted his Mom and my Mom down the aisle (separately) and then the groomsmen walked out and took their place by the pastor under the arch. Then finally it was the girls' turn! Jill went first, followed by Sonia, Quenby, and then it was my turn! I got Miles from Dad (who looked SOOOO CUTE in his tuxedo!) and we began the walk to the boardwalk, down the stairs, and then down the aisle. I was so thrilled to see the decorations. The white chairs, the pink rose petals down the aisle, and the beautiful arch at the end were so beautiful!! Everyone ooohed and ahhhed over Miles but the best part was to come: my beautiful sister the BRIDE! I handed Miles over to my Mom and took my place next to the Pastor, making sure I still had my flowers and Rusty's ring on my thumb. Then the music started and I saw my Dad escorting my sister down the boardwalk and down the aisle. She was so beautiful. I actually (surprisingly) didn't cry. The ceremony was beautiful but my favorite part was when Rusty began to read his vows to Kristen. They had written their own vows to each other and they were beautiful! Rusty got about 2 sentences in and began to cry and had to pause for a few seconds to gain composure and then continue. It was precious! That's when I did begin to tear up. Everything else went off without a hitch and after about 15 minutes, they were officially Mr. and Mrs. Rusty Dean Grow!!! Pictures took a while and everyone got a little restless because we were getting hot and thirsty. A very nice waiter from the reception brought out some food to everyone taking pictures but that soon proved to be a BAD idea because almost immediately there were about 30 seagulls attacking my Mom and Rusty's Mom, Mrs. Denise!! I heard screams and then I saw the waiter run back to the reception. The reception was wonderful and I had such a wonderful time dancing and spending time with family and friends. I gave my speech (which unfortunately I did blubber through) but it was still sweet. They cut the cake (no smashing unfortunately, they were very civil!) and pretty soon it was time to see Rusty and Kristen off. We all lined up outside of the entrance to the hotel and someone pulled their car up. Everyone was having so much fun that we didn't realize that NO ONE had decorated their car! All of a sudden Stephen (Rusty's brother) was running out of the hotel with a huge roll of toilet paper that I think they got from the front desk. Everyone started to blow bubbles and out ran Kristen and Rusty! Then that was it! With a quick kiss, we said goodbye and she was off!!

I've talked to Kristen once so far and she sounds like she's having a blast! They are on a cruise to Belize and Cozumel and they will be back Sunday! I'm so excited to see them! Come Monday, they'll be knocking down the doors at the base getting a house and it will be official!

I love my sister and my brother in law!!!(eek! how crazy! I have a BROTHER IN LAW!)

~Getting Miles ready!~

~Mr. and Mrs. Rusty Grow!~

~Cutting the cake~

~I love my sister~

Wedding Whirlwind!

Wow!! Whirlwind doesn't even begin to describe the last 2 days! It has been a wonderful weekend full of lots of excitement! Let me start with where I left off - Friday during the day I went to Siesta Key beach with my Aunt. We met the Shields' and the Googe's there. It was such a beautiful beach and I had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone! Around 2:30, we came back to the hotel and began to get ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal went VERY well and I was able to meet a few more members of Rusty's family. I got to meet Rusty's Dad (Big Rusty as my family refers to him) and his wife Karen. They were who I was looking forward to meeting the most because Kristen just loves them so much! :) The rehearsal went off without a hitch and we practiced twice the whole service and then headed to Mattison's for the rehearsal dinner. The dinner was so nice and it isn't open during the off season (randomly, down here in Longboat Key, SUMMER is their "off-season." The busy months are the during the Winter - I KNOW!! CRAZY!) Anyway, Mattison's opened up for us and we were the only people in the entire restaurant! It was a beautiful evening and a great meal! I sat at the table with Quenby, and my cousins Sonia and Lee. Kristen and Rusty made a speech, passed out the bridal party gifts and then the girls were off to Civeche's! Mrs. Jody, Aunt, Mrs. Cindy, Sonia, Quenby, Kristen and I went to this Flamenco club in downtown Sarasota where there is a live Flamenco band! It was soooo fun and we had a BLAST dancing and talking. Quenby stole the show though and we laughed and laughed watching her. We got home around 1:30 a.m. and I got up around 8:45. I heard Kristen in the other room and went in to be with her. It was nice to be able to hang out with Kristen during that time because it gave us a chance to talk a little bit. I could tell she was nervous but also excited. Everyone began to stir and finally it was time to begin getting ready. We all took showers and then Kristen, myself, Mom, Aunt, Sonia and my little cousin Taylor were off to the salon to get our hair done! The salon was very nice and we had a great time watching each other get our hair done. After the salon, we came back here and hung out for a while and before we knew it, it was time to start getting ready! After that it was such a blur! We were all putting on dresses, Mom came in with Miles and he had to put on his tux. He was sooooo tired because he only took an hour nap and he was crying and being so fussy. We all were so worried that he would be TERRIBLE during the ceremony and reception. Anyway, we were all running around like crazy and then the photographer came in and started taking photos. He was a very nice man but some of the photos he wanted to take cracked me up. Like instead of having a regular "Stephanie standing beside Kristen" photo, he made me put my arms entirely around her shoulders .. awkward! We were like, "Uhhhh..." haha!

Well, I had intended on finishing this blog up tonight but my Dad wants me to come up to their room and sleep in there tonight. I could here him in the background saying "It's our last night! Just get on the elevator and come up here!" I think I'll go surprise him and actually stay in there tonight.

I'll finish this tomorrow night! Thanks for everything guys!

Love, Stephanie

Rehearsal Dinner - July 18, 2008

Thursday Night

My Aunt got here around 5:30 yesterday and I was soooo happy to see her! We got to sit and talk for a little while with her and then at around 6:45, we drove into Sarasota to eat at the Olive Garden. We had a bunch of people there which was so nice! It was the Davis', my Mimi and Papa, myself, my Aunt Kathy, the Shields', Mom, Dad, Miles, Kristen, Rusty and Quenby! Oh yeah, Kristen's best friend Quenby flew from Atlanta yesterday into Sarasota so now she's here! Yay! The dinner was nice and we had a lot of time fellowshipping with each other, sharing stories, and sharing our excitement for Saturday! After dinner, we drove back to the hotel and saw my Aunt Jan and cousin Ava. They got here late last night. Ironically, my Mimi, Papa, Aunt Jan, and Ava were randomly put across the hall from us. JOY :) haha. This should prove to be a crazy weekend! Kristen and Quenby went to the hot tub and Aunt and I played Crazy 8's for a while. Then when Kristen and Quenby got back, we chatted with them, the girls got showers, Aunt took a bath and then we hit the sack! We were all exhausted!! I woke up this morning and came in the other room to catch up on some e-mails, blogs, and facebook stuff. My aunt got up a few minutes ago and she's doing her Bible study... I probably should go and do one too! Today I think my Aunt and I are going to go meet the Shield's down at Siesta Key beach. It ranked in the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the US last year so I"m really excited to see it!! Then we have the rehearsal tonight along with the rehearsal dinner. After that, I think a bunch of us girls are going out to get dessert. That should be lots of fun! Well, I'd upload pictures but my camera is in the other room and Kristen and Quenby are still sleeping. I'll try to upload later but I think it's about to get crazy so we'll see!! Thanks for everyone who has been following the events - we wish you could be here with us! Oh, if you could also pray for my cousin Elizabeth again. She had a minor setback last night. They took out the line in her leg that was pumping her medicine in and they can't stop the bleeding. My aunt found that out at around 8:30 last night and when she talked to my Uncle this morning, they still hadn't stopped the bleeding and were going to call in a Vascular surgeon. Please pray that Elizabeth will be healed and also pray that my Aunt will have a peace about being here. Alright, that's enough for this early in the morning!! :)

Love to you all,
Stephanie

Enjoying God's blessings ~ both of them!!

Today has been suprisingly a WONDERFUL DAY!! Both of my prayer requests were answered!!! My cousin Elizabeth was taken off of the ventilator yesterday and will be moved into a regular hospital room! She was even able to whisper a little bit. WOW!! God is soooo good! On top of that, My Aunt Kathy was able to drive down here with my parent's best friend's, the Davis', so she's currently on her way!! YAY! I can't wait until she gets here!! Also, today was a beautiful sunny day!! That is amazing! Let me catch you up on what we've been doing so far! Yesterday we hung around the hotel in the morning and then around lunchtime Kristen and I went and got pedicures. Then we came back to the hotel and Mom, Dad, Kristen, Miles and I went into downtown Sarasota looking for the Men's Warehouse so Dad could pick up his tuxedo for Saturday. We stopped at one mall and walked around for a bit, found the Men's Warehouse and then decided to eat at Longhorn's in Sarasota. Imagine our surprise when while we were eating, Mr. Billy and Mrs. Cindy Shields walked in!! They are our good friends from church and are down here for the wedding. We had no idea we'd run into them! It was so funny and we hugged and laughed and were so excited to see each other. You would have thought we hadn't seen them in years when we just saw them on Sunday at church! It was really funny! Then after Longhorns we came back to the hotel and went out on the beach. Miles LOVES the water and he is so funny! There is a lot of seaweed here in the water and he hates that so he tries to avoid it. Then we went back upstairs and got ready for bed. Today Kristen and I got up and got ready. Kristen went with Mom to a Spa and Miles, Dad, and I got went out to the beach and then in the pool. We had a good time! Then we went back up to the room, had lunch and waited on Mom and Kristen to get back. Rusty came over and we all watched YouTube videos ("Charlie you bit me" is one of my favorites as well as "Kick My Ask"*my Mom LOVES that one too! haha) Rusty and Kristen left to go get his tux and Mom and I went out to the beach for a little while. It was so nice. Now I'm just sitting here with a mask on my face that will supposedly clean out my pores. I can barely open my mouth now that it's dry! Tonight I think we are going to try to go out to eat with everybody who is in town today. I can't believe it's finally here!!! Alright well here are a few pictures so far! Enjoy! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us! We are enjoying ourselves and look forward to sharing with you our pictures and stories when we get back.

~Kristen getting her pedicure~

~Kristen, Miles, and Dad~

Up Early...

Yesterday my Mom, Dad and I drove down from Charleston here to Long Boat Key, Florida for Kristen's wedding!!! It was an eventful drive and it took us longer than we expected but we made it safely here! We stopped by Publix on the way in and picked up enough groceries for 2 months it seemed like! Then we came back here to the hotel and unpacked while we waited for Rusty to drop Kristen and Miles off. Kristen got here around 6:30 and we went to "The Beach House" for dinner. We ate at the Beach House when we came in January to start looking for places for the wedding and that was the first time we met Rusty's Mom Ms. Denise, his brother Stephen, and Stephen's girlfriend Carissa! Anyway, dinner was fun but a little stressful because Miles had only taken a 10 minute nap the entire day!! So he was fussy and Dad, Mom, and I were on edge because we had been in the car the whole day! But it was still fun! After dinner we just came back to our rooms and unpacked some more, showered, watched a little TV, and then went to sleep! Miles is upstairs with Mom and Dad which is nice because that gives Kristen and I a little alone time before everyone starts coming into town! I'm about to finish this up but I wanted to mention 2 prayer requests that I have. #1 ~ That it will stop raining. The next two days look as if they will be pretty rainy with a 100% chance of rain for today, and an 80% chance for tomorrow. However Friday and Saturday only call for a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms. STILL, that doesn't seem like the best odds for an on the beach wedding! Please pray that God will steer the rain other directions at least from about 4 p.m. - 7:00p.m. on Saturday!! My 2nd prayer request is for my cousin Elizabeth. She was put in the hospital last Friday because she was having trouble with a stint they had put in her esophagus. (sp?!) She kind of crashed and her blood pressure was 40 over 17 and they couldn't get a steady pulse. That was Saturday. Since then she's improved a little but they still have her on a ventilator. She's breathing a few breaths on her own every minute but not many. They were going to take her off the ventilator yesterday but her oxygen count was low so they postponed it. Please pray for my Aunt Kathy (I just call her Aunt) because she was going to come down here with us yesterday but is delaying because of Elizabeth's health. Please pray that Elizabeth will start breathing a little better and my Aunt will be able to come down here soon. Elizabeth's husband Doug and their daughter Caitlin could also use prayers.

Alright well I'll update later on today! I'm thankful for wireless internet!
:) Praying for sunny weather,
Stephanie

Getting Ready

Well today has been a super emotional day!! I hung out with my family after church. My Mimi and Papa came over this afternoon to see Rusty and Kristen before they leave. Then Kristen, Rusty, Miles and I went to Moe's for dinner. Afterwards we came home and started getting Kristen ready for her trip tomorrow. I got a little upset when I left because tonight's Kristen's last night at my parent's house as a "single girl." This made me really sad because it just reinforced that this is really happening!! I love Rusty so much and I am so happy that he is joining our family but it made me a little sad that it wouldn't be Mom, Dad, Stephanie and Kristen anymore. I guess that changed when Miles came around too though and he didn't really take away from our family and I'm POSITIVE that's how it will be with Rusty so I don't know why I got so upset, but I did! My sister's all grown up now with her own family. CRAZY! Okay, well enough of this gooey sh-show of emotion (*Home Alone line right there for ya!) I'm off to finish up some laundry and then go to bed!! I'll try to post more this week but I"m not sure how the internet will be down in Florida. Never fear, I'll post pics as soon as I can!

Off for now,


The EE Maid of Honor (*Excited and Emotional)


p.s. Susan, Did you see the new video?? It's on both the Mom and the Dad's website! haha. I"m glad we're stalkers together! :)

~Here are a few photos~

Eating at Moe's!

Mom and Kristen going through bags trying to gather stuff to pack

Family Pic (This was taken this past November)

The Countdown is on! 1 Week!

Well let's see... there are so many things going on! The summer has been so busy! The countdown is on for Kristen's wedding!! 1 week from today! Things have been so exciting trying to get things done for that. Rusty came home a week ago Thursday. Kristen was so excited! I text messaged her that morning and congratulated her for making it 6 months and she wrote back, "When I woke up this morning, it felt like Christmas Day!" I headed home at about 3:30 because we were going to leave the house around 4:15. (Rusty was planning on getting home around 5:25.) Needless to say, airlines haven't changed much from last summer (I spent the night in an airport... twice. Once in Atlanta, once in New York under a staircase. Thank You DELTA.) Anyway, Rusty ended up being delayed over and over again and he finally got in at around 9:40 p.m. That was a big bummer because we were all hoping that we would go back to our house and have dinner and be able to just sit and talk with Rusty. Kristen and Rusty had to go to Florida the next day so they had to go to the base to pick some stuff up so we all went our separate ways after leaving the airport. Since then though, we've hung out a few times and I've enjoyed it so much! Rusty is such a blessing and I'm so glad that God has weaved their love story like he has. All of the trials and hardships Kristen went through were completely worth it because God had a bigger plan in store for her. WOW!
Alright, what else? Oh I've been doing a lot of work in my classroom! I set my room up and I'm really excited about how it turned out! I spent 3 whole days cleaning, arranging furniture, categorizing books, and am a seasoned professional at the lablemaker. YESSSS. :) Now all that's missing are eighteen six year olds! haha. (I think I can wait a few more weeks though!)
I am excited about my day today! I am going to Blakely's birthday party! Blakely was in my class this past year and I found out the first day of school that her grandfather works with my Dad, which is so neat because I kind of know her family! Her Mom was an AWESOME help to me last year and always encouraged me and brought things in when I needed it. (Apple Juice and doughnuts the last day of school....score!!) Anyway, today is Blakely's birthday and so I"m headed there this afternoon! Exciting! I love that little girl and I can't wait to see her!
Well, I guess that will be it for now! Have a wonderful Saturday!
~ Stephanie

Plan B

I stumbled upon a blog about a month ago and now I check it daily for updates. Her name is Angie Smith and her husband is in the musical group Selah. I have truly been touched by her posts and I would really encourage you to check it out. (http://www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com/) Their story is sad. A few months ago they found out they were expecting their 4th little girl but 20 weeks into the pregnancy found out that their little girl had a variety of things wrong with her and if she didn't die in the womb, would die shortly after she was born. She was born in April and lived about 2 and a half hours. They are ordinary people who serve and trust in God but had this awful tragedy occur. Now they are using their story of Audrey Caroline to spread the word about Christ and his plan for you and me. I watched a video on Youtube that a church compiled about their story called "Plan B." In it, the Smith's told their story and how they envisioned their family but how God had another plan. It was THEIR Plan B but their testimony is that this was NEVER God's Plan B. He knows exactly where you are and where you are going. He knows your thoughts, actions, and deeds. He knows how many hairs are on your head and how many breaths you have left on this Earth. He ordained Audrey's life and this situation for the Smith's and it is now a testimony for God's will and our choice to trust Him. Do I trust him like I should? Do I trust in his perfect will and plan that he has for my life or do I daily take into my own hands?? I am trying to work on this one.

I am encouraged by Philippians 3:7-11
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbis, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

The End...

Well this is it! Tomorrow is officially the last day of school! (WITH KIDS THAT IS!) I can't believe it! Today we had our awards ceremony and ice cream party! They had a blast and behaved so well for the parents (whew...relief! ya never know with 6 and 7 year olds!) I actually got pretty teary eyed during the awards ceremony! I will definitely miss my kids! I know that some of them aren't coming tomorrow so I had to say goodbye to a few today. We have a half day which means they get out at 10:30. What are we going to do for 3 hours?? Who knows! But I"m sure I"ll find something! I have a lot of work to do in my room to get it ready for the cleaners. I really got excited today thinking about next year because our grade level chair is ON THE BALL and already has so much done for next year. I went into her room and just let myself absorb the "new year" feeling! I'm excited because I know what to expect and I'll know what things to buy and what things are dumb purchases!
I have a lot of goals for the summer. My first goal is to get back into my quiet times! I have been SO SLACK with that and I really have been missing it. I have distanced myself from God and let sin come into my life that I have been BOMBARDED with lately and I'm soooooo done with it!!! So I'm smacking Satan in the face this summer and getting back in righteous standing :) My next goal for the summer is to lose some weight! I was really good about going to the gym about 3 months ago and it lasted for about 2 months but with the end of the year stuff I haven't been able to do it at all. I've missed it but now I have NO EXCUSE!!!
I"m really looking forward to this summer! I have a lot of things planned but then a lot of nothing planned! I have 3 (possibly 4!) weddings to attend this summer. My friend Tiffany from high school is getting married this Saturday! My friend Ashley is getting married on the 22nd and I"m a bridesmaid in her wedding!! THEN on July 19th my SISTER is getting married in FLORIDA and I"m the maid of honor! I can't wait for that trip! It's going to be a week of BLISS! I'm possibly going to a wedding in Chicago with my friend Mike for our friend Hunter's wedding. That will be an amazing road trip if it happens! :) So between weddings, school prep, laying by the pool, working out, and hanging out with amazing friends, I think I have my whole summer planned. I hope it is wonderful!
Ok well I think I outdid myself for the night! Happy Last Day of School to me!!

Until,

~ Stephanie

MAY

Well, here it is. MAY. That means there are only 23 more school days left :) Which means Stephanie is a happy camper. I'm so ready for the summer but when I think of not seeing my kids I'm so sad! But I know I'll see them again in the fall but it's still so sad!!! So I'm watching "27 Dresses" and it pretty much has me over the edge :) I love it!!!!!!!!!!! so anyway, graduation is this weekend. All my friends are graduating which is sooooo weird! I'll only have like 2 people I still keep in touch with at CSU. CA-RAZY!!! Everyone's moving on which makes me sad. Last year, it was me who was moving on. And I haven't really moved on. I'm still in town, still hanging out with the same people. Which is good... but now I feel like everyone's going different directions and I can't help it. I just got back from Florida on Monday. My sister and I went down to visit my aunt and tie up some wedding details in Long Boat Key. We had a BLAST!!! I love my sister so much and we just had a great time listening to music on the way and chatting about old memories. Family life is going to change dramatically come July but I'm excited about it! I love Rusty and he loves Kristen and Miles ~ we're all about the love!!! :) So I'm trying to prepare myself for all of these big changes.

It's going to be a fun summer and I can't wait... only 23 more days...

I'm always disappointed when I check a friend's blog and they haven't updated it recently. I think to myself "c'mon, give me something to read!" But now that I have my own blog, I realize that it's harder to find time to update it then I thought it would be. School is back to normal... tomorrow is my class field trip. I'm excited because my Mom's coming and I'm glad she'll be able to spend more time with my kids. This weekend I went to a friend's Bridal shower which was really fun. She's a friend from high school and it was crazy being back around old high school buds. Everyone has gone and done different things and it was great catching up with everybody. My church celebrated their 50th Anniversary as a church today and we held a big service and then lunch on the grounds afterwards. It was a great service and neat to see so many old people that were apart of the original founding of the church.
I really should be doing some school work on the computer but I am so tired I don't feel like it! I know that I should do it now and then go to bed super early so maybe that's what I'll do. Other than that, my life is pretty much the same. I'm not really sure if anyone reads these, but if you do, write me a comment so I'll know who you are :)

Until next time,
Stephanie

Winding Down

I'm realizing that Spring Break is winding down and I'm getting in that depressed state. :( I mean, I still have Friday and the weekend but I'll be at home with Kristen and Miles so I won't be home at my apartment. When I come back Sunday it will be a whirlwind trying to get things ready for Monday which I'm dreading. Oh well... I guess this was inevitable. On a lighter note, I had a great day spending time with my friend Allyson. We play clarinet together at church and we realized at practice on Wednesday night that we both have a love for the movies Elf and Enchanted! So today we made Louisiana style Gumbo and watched Elf and Enchated. It was such a blast! She helped me with my cooking skills (which my future husband will appreciate I'm sure) and I might not be able to make Gumbo from scratch right away, you can bet that I can dice an onion, green pepper and stir like a professional!!! :) I'm listening to the Enchanted soundtrack which is making me happy and I'm about to jump in the shower. Supposedly I'm hanging out with a friend later on tonight and I can't be smelling like the elbow noodles and Ragu sauce I threw together tonight for dinner! ha...

Until next time.....keep smiling :)
*Stephanie

Tuesday afternoon

So it's Tuesday of Spring Break and I'm just sitting here watching Gilmore Girls. Today I went with my sister Kristen to finalize the Bridesmaids dresses for her wedding. We ended up going for the Apple color which I like and the dress that I wanted when we first started looking so that's exciting!! It's less than 4 months away which is SOOOO exciting! I ran some of my last little errands and now I'm just waiting around to go to my friend Andy's play tonight at CSU. It's the Diary of Anne Frank so that will be fun! Spring Break has been great so far. It really does seem like a long time has gone by since I've seen my little chickadees so I know that I"ll be glad to see them come Monday. Other than that, nothing else has really changed.... now I'm off to get ready for the play!! Have a fabulous night!

Starting Out...

So I started this blog because I like reading other people's blogs and thought this could be fun. Hey, I have an interesting life, right? So why not? So its Monday of Spring Break and I'm already bored. Not really, but a little. I mean, how many episodes can you watch of America's Next Top Model? I've read a book, spent some time with the fam, cleaned up my room, cleaned out my car, and done laundry. The only thing left to do is run a few errands and I could do some school work... but I"m putting all of those things off for another day. Well lets see what else... my cat Sophie just had ear surgery. thankfully, it was the inexpensive one but it still made a significant dent in my bank account. This saving money stuff is hard work. Ok well I guess that's it for now. I'm sure I'll be back to update later! have a great day!
:)
Stephanie