HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Yes I know it has been forever, but rather than focus on the past and give excuses I'm just going to move on...and I am not promising to do better ;)

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays mainly because you get to celebrate it the whole month. We had a lot of fun going to Corn Belly's, Boo at the Zoo (along with a million other people), painting and carving pumpkins and of course getting all dressed up. This year Andrew wanted to be Bob the Builder. I think this was a result of last years' festivities. We visited his cousin Matthew in TX last year and he was Bob. Drew thought the tools and everything were great and would have liked to wear that costume. Since I didn't pack his costume he didn't get to be a dinosaur but was a dog instead...cute and he got treats, but he would have rather been Bob...and surprizingy he remembered and wanted to be Bob the Builder this year. I was happy to oblige, especially since he was satisfied with tools and a hard hat! I did work a little harder on his costume for the Stevens' family party. Our family dressed up as character from Peter Pan. Ella was Tinkerbell, I was a last minute Wendy, Jeff was captain hook (without the beard and hook...we borrowed the costume and they forgot that part), and Drew was the crocodile. I put some thought into that one and made the head and tail. We found a turtle costume that you could remove the shell so we used that for the body. Looks like next year he'll be a turtle ;)

Ella showed her true colors this Halloween especially when it came to trick-or-treating. She is little miss independent and is telling us more and more what she wants...and she usually gets it. She wanted nothing to do with picture taking and would use her new favorite word everytime she saw me with the camera: NnO! She was all about the treats though. It was cute to see her carrying her treat bag in one hand and a piece of candy in the other. She was actually a little aggressive when it came down to it...pushing her way to the door to make sure she got some candy and then she would get all excited about a treat. Looks like she is more like me than I thought! After a fun night of trick-or-treating I just need to figure out how to get rid of all this candy before I eat it all!

Best thing about Halloween this year: THE WEATHER! I wish it could stay like this forever.

Better than best friends - Brother and Sister

It is amazing to me how much Ella and Drew are drawn to each other. Ella has allows loved watching Drew and now that she is mobile she follows him around everywhere. Drew deals with it pretty well (most of the time) and occasionally wants to play with her as much as she wants to play with him! I love watching them interact together; it is just so sweet. We had to move Ella's crib a little while ago while our landlord was fixing a leak in our apartment (...one among many...yet another reason I am SO glad we don't own this place...). Jeff and I just happened to peak in on the kids at the perfect moment...I've noticed that when Ella wakes up crying she will reach for Drew. He is a good big brother; he is nice enough to push her around on the little bike/scooter thing my mom has. This is nice for me too, since it is a pain in the back to push around...literally. I know they will probably fight more as they get older, but it is fun to see them as little buddies now.

LOOK WHO'S WALKING

Ella has started walking the last few weeks; something I am not mentally ready for. She is such an independent spirit that I know my days of snuggling her are limited. With Andrew I couldn't wait for him to start walking (part of being the first child...right?) but with Ella I feel like I haven't even tried to encourage her to do it. I think a lot of her motivation comes from watching Andrew and wanting to do everything he is doing. She also gets some help from Daddy; in fact she was playing with Jeff when she took her first steps. I think it is like watching a little miracle when you see a baby take their first steps. All of a sudden they are doing something that seemed impossible just seconds ago. We called both grandparents via web-cam to show them Ella's new trick. It added to the excitement being able to share the discovery with them.
I love these pictures because they show how much she loves her newfound ability. I love watching her grow and seeing more of her personality come out. It still amazes me that you can tell so much about them right from the start. Ella is such a happy little baby full of smiles and giggles. I just can't image life without her!

DISNEYLAND!

Drew kept asking me the whole trip when we were going to see where Mickey Mouse lived; good thing we saved it for last. I was really skeptical about going to Disneyland since our kids are still so little and it isn't the cheapest place in the world. Plus Andrew is scared of just about every Disney full length feature film with anything close to a villain. He is getting better but he still prefers Chariots of Fire to Aladdin (He gets all whining and says, "I don't like this show"...at least we know he can be sensitive.) However, I failed to remember just how magical Disneyland can be. Andrew was so excited when we told him we were going and when we arrive he asked if this was were the show was. He kept thinking we were going to Disney on Ice (since that is the only other times he has seen Mickey Mouse). Drew really liked the Jungle Safari ride and told us he didn't like the guide shooting his gun because he scared away the hippos. He also kept waving at the Elephants. He did NOT like Pirates so we stuck to kiddie rides after that. He really liked the Tiki Room (which I had never been in before) and liked driving the cars for a little while but after a bit of a rough corner he decided he wasn't a very good driver. Meeting Mickey was a highlight but the parade was the real winner for Drew. We had a great spot thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, so there were plenty of high-fives and waves from the characters and even a hug from Goofy. Andrew was SO excited! I loved seeing him so happy; I think that is what the magic is all about!

Misc Pics

What's a trip to CA without a couple stops at In and Out? Fortunately we were just in time for the St. George opening Drew showing off his new look....

Such a kissy baby, and happy even though she spent a lot of time in the stroller

Drew LOVES merry-go-rounds...especially ones with cool animals like crocodiles and panthers.

Finally out of her stroller for a little chat with her buddy

Sea World

I'm finally getting around to posting some more pictures from our trip. I loved visiting Sea World and seeing the shows; the animals are so amazing. Drew also had a great time even though he wasn't feeling too well. He keeps talking about Shamu and whales. Jeff must be a fishy person because a dolphin swam right up to him in the petting pool and tried to bite his finger. It then made the little noise dolphins make at him...pretty cool that he got to pet it.

In some ways I think the beach is even more magical than Disneyland, plus less expensive and a little more relaxing. I loved watching the kids busy building sand castles and chasing the waves. The nice thing about the Pacific Ocean is it is cold enough I don't have to worry too much about Drew running out too far. Although, I didn't have to worry too much about that anyway. He seemed content to play in the sand. Ella was pretty good about getting her feet wet but I didn't want her to get too messy so I didn't let her really play in the sand...maybe next time ;)

We couldn't have picked a better day to go to the beach. The weather was great and there was hardly anyone else around; could have been due to the recent shark attack....thankfully the only sharks we saw were at Sea World.

I just love visiting the ocean, like I said there is something magical about it. It seems to ignite the inner child in me and possibilities seem as endless as the ocean!

We Made It...Just in time to see Coronado at Sunset....BEAUTIFUL!

Since I haven't been very good with my posts I figure I am going to do a bunch at once! Here is a little bit of what has been happening this month (since I am averaging about one post per month). We squeezed in a celebration for Jeff's birthday at the beginning of the month. Jeff had started a new block of classes loaded with homework and was also super busy applying/interview for internships, so we felt lucky to find time to go out to dinner!
Things have thankful slowed down a little since Jeff has an internship set for the summer. He is going to be working for a company called BD Medical (Becton Dickinson) in Sandy UT! When he applied for the position he told me where the internship was located and I told him that guaranteed that was the one he would get just because of the irony of it all. He is happy to have it and although it wasn't the adventure I had planned for the summer, I am happy about it too. Now we just need to decide if we should pack all our stuff and moved back in with my parents and save some money or stay here and not worry about the hassle of packing! Nice to know we have options :)
We have also kept busy with MBASA (MBA Spouse Association) activities. They do TONS of stuff like an Easter Egg Hunt, book club, we made I-Spy bags and I don't even go to half the stuff. Anyway, the MBASA has seriously been one of the highlights of the MBA experience for me; I feel like I've had a lot of fun things to keep me busy while Jeff has been busy with school and I've been able to make a lot of friends. Because of that I decided to run for the position of Treasurer in the MBASA Presidency. It was a little bit of a whimsical decision and I didn't put a lot of work into it, but I won and am feeling like it is going to be a great experience. I will be learning more about what I will be doing tomorrow so hopefully I will still feel the same way :) Although, after I won the girl currently holding the position told me it is the easiest job; just what I wanted to hear :)
We have also had a lot of fun trips to C-ville for birthday parties, Disney on Ice, St. Patrick's Day Bash, and of course Easter! We have really had a fun full month and it still isn't over. We still have Michael's birthday to celebrate of Sunday! So fun!
On a side note: (I write these things down so I don't forget)
Drew has really been into learning his letters and the different sounds they make and everything. When we drive around he will point out letters he knows. When we park on campus we usually park in the administrative parking (because it is after 6:00 or we are just waiting in the car for Jeff :) ) and he always tells me we can park there because the A is for Andrew. A couple weeks ago we took him to get his hair cut. On the way home I was telling Jeff I really needed to get my haircut and Drew piped up, "Why?"
"Because it is getting really really long."
"Why"
"Because hair grows so we have to cut it"
"Why"
"Because it will.."
"WHY"
At this point Jeff and I turned around to see why he was so enthusiastic. Ends up he wasn't even listening to me, he was pointing out the window at the big Y on the side of the mountain! Jeff got a good laugh out of it at least :)

Quick Trip to Zion

We headed down to Zion National Park with my family last weekend for a quick Easter trip. It was so nice to have a little break and enjoy fun with the family as well as the beautiful scenery. Zion is one of my favorite National Parks, probably in part because I spent so much time there growing up, but also because of the spectacular mountains! If you can't hike the canyons, the next best thing to do is bike through the park...which we did. We loaded Ella and Drew in a bike trailer we borrowed from some of our friends and got little helmets from the place we rented the bikes. Another great thing about Zion is the lodge has a big grass lawn so we took some frisbees and a football and soccer ball to play with; which Drew loved of course. We also had a great time swimming, playing games, and hiking. Andrew had so much fun he didn't want to leave. He kept telling me to turn the car around and that we are never ever going to leave!
FYI: One thing about biking though; if you don't have the appropriate apparel (padded shorts) which we don't/didn't you get a sore booty. So, the day after we went biking we were casually talking about how sore we were. Later that day Jeff took Drew to the bathroom and asked him if he needed to poop and he said no. After he peeped he told Jeff he was a little sore. When Jeff asked him what that ment, Andrew informed Jeff that sore is when you have poops in you. Nice to know he thinks we all sit around asking each other if we need to poop!

Our Little Easter Bunny

"No more pictures"

"Please, your boring me"

And one more smile to make me stop taking pictures

In Case You Haven't Heard...WE'RE SOLICITING DONATIONS (and it's not for school :) )

Dear family and friends,

I just wanted to let you know that I will be running the Salt Lake City Half Marathon on April 19th as part of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation’s Hometown Heroes program. A small group of my friends and I will be running in memory of my friend’s mother who passed away this last year after a twelve-year battle with cancer. I would appreciate your help in reaching our goal to raise $3,000 for cancer research, prevention and care before the deadline on April 4th.

Donations are tax deductible and will go directly to the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s mission of giving people “a reason to hope.” You can donate online at https://www.active.com/donate/huntsman08/JeffStevens. You can print out a tax receipt immediately.

It's a sad truth that there are very few people today whose lives have not been touched in some way by a friend, family member or other loved one who has had to battle with the devastating effects of cancer. It attacks without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, wealth or lifestyle. In fact, 1.37 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year alone. Men have a lifetime risk of 1 in 2 of developing cancer; for women, the risk is 1 in 3. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, where 1,500 people die from cancer each day. The numbers are staggering…but if you've had cancer touch your life in some way, you know all too well that it's not about the numbers – it's about the people. We never know when, how, or who cancer will strike next. Just before Christmas, one of my classmate’s in the MBA program found out that his three-year old has stage four neuroblastoma – a life-threatening form of cancer. As I watched that classmate and thought of my own three-year old I was reminded again of just how fragile life really is. Such situations can leave us feeling helpless and questioning why us, why now. Please join with me by making a donation – in your own name, or in the name of someone you love who has been affected by the devastating reach of cancer. And please pass this along to anyone you think may be interested in donating as well. Together we really can make a difference!

Thank you so much for your help and generosity,

Jeff Stevens

A Little Bit of What We've Been Up To...

I feel like the time is just flying by; I can't believe it is already March! Last month we suffered through whatever was going around and making everyone sick (although Jeff was lucky enough to not catch it), but we have been doing a lot of playing since! The pictures show a little bit of it: fun around the house, including Ella learning to ride Drew's bike :)
Snow tubing at Soldier Hollow thanks to the MBASA. By far the best way to go tubing, especially since one of our friends who is in the MBA program volunteered to watch Ella in the lodge instead of tubing....thanks again Catherine!
We also celebrated the Chinese New Year in style; at least the kids were in style! Jeff's family really knows how to party; all the food was SO yummy!
Drew at his pottery class making a silly face. We signed Andrew up for this class and he seems to have fun although he would probably like running around in the gym next door instead of sitting still and painting his creations. I think it has been pretty cool and he has been able to make some fun things; they even let him help on the wheel. By that I mean he stuck his fingers in the top on the clay to hollow out his bowl and helped pinch it to make a lip on the bowl. He REALLY didn't want to do it and I REALLY wanted him to so after telling him he could have a treat he did it...this kid will do just about anything for treats!
Nice pouty face...he is really into making faces these days. He will stand in front of the mirror while he is washing his hands and just make faces at himself. I tell Jeff we should put him in movies and make a little money off it :) He really is an expressive little guy; he wouldn't make a very good poker player. He is also very verbally expressive. He likes to carry on conversations with me when we are in the car about how "this traffic isn't good, there are too many cars" and gets frustrated when I don't put the phone on speaker so he can hear what is going on. We drive past Deseret Towers (the dorms where I lived my freshman year that are currently being torn down) and Drew always asks why they are tearing down the place I lived when I was a little girl. When I told them they were building new ones and maybe he would live in them. He said, "Yeah, when I get big and go to school, and I'm going to play football or maybe basketball." When I told Jeff I think he was happy enough about the fact that Drew sees sports in his future he overlooked the thought of Drew going to BYU. I think Andrew is quickly becoming a BYU fan myself :) We will see though. Speaking of tearing things down, Andrew has started noticing all the cracks in our place...little cracks in the wall...he told me that the house has cracks and we should tear it down and buy a new one. I couldn't agree more! It is fun to hear so much of what he is thinking about and it is actually kind of nice to have someone to talk to when Jeff isn't around :) Ella is also starting to do a lot of "talking" too. It probably won't be long before Jeff and I are competing with them to carry on a conversation!
Last picture - Andrew's first trip to the dentist. He kept telling me he did not want to go and it wasn't for boys like him. He stuck to it! He wasn't very cooperative (even though they had a TV in the ceiling) but Dr. Farnsworth (my cousin) was super patient and said his teeth look great. He also said only one glass of o.j. daily, which is a huge change for Drew since he LOVES orange juice. Drew reminds me that Russell said he could drink lots of white milk; thank goodness because that is the other beverage of choice.
This turned out A LOT longer than I thought...A little catching up to do :)

Jeff went to San Fran this week for school, so I decided to crash at my parent's. My mom was still in Texas helping Betsy, so Dad, Dan and my crew had some bonding time :) While I was there I borrowed my Dad's camera. Here is what I got....It really makes me want to take more; it's a good thing I don't have a nice SLR or I would overload my computer with pictures and crash my hard drive! I have to keep telling myself that... Maybe after grad school :)

It has always been difficult for me to fall asleep but not Jeff. I always tease him that as soon as we say amen after prayers he is out and snoring. I understand he is worn out but I didn't understand the level of exhaustion he is coping with until after a game of Phase 10 Dice I left the room and returned to find Jeff like this. I HAD to take a picture. It is amazing to me that he can fall asleep like this; I love how his hand is tucked into the couch cushions to prevent him from falling off his pillow.
Jeff has been super busy but he still makes time for me and the kids so I guess I should be grateful he can fall asleep so easily. Thanks, Jeff, for all your hard work and for always making me laugh...especially when you fall asleep like this.

HAPPY FAMILY DAY!

We decided to have our own little holiday: Family Day. It probably really exists but I don't know when it really is, so we decided to celebrate on Thursday the 17th. Ella turned 6 months and Drew has now been a part of the family for longer than he was not a part of it (longer than it was just Jeff and I). A little bit of stretch...but who needs a good excuse to celebrate!?!
In the morning I took the kids to an MBASA activity where they got to meet Cosmo, run around and break a pinata (Cosmo actually broke the pinata because, "he's so strong." Unfortunately I forgot my camera. I borrowed a friend's so hopefully I can post some pictures later.
Drew and I had a fun time making cupcakes and decorating them. Ella was really interested and finally got a fistful when we were trying to take picture with the self-timer (look close in the picture of her and Drew).
Jeff had a long day at school so we took him some cupcakes and put them in his locker. It ended up being quite the ordeal because parking is a nightmare! It was fun for us to visit Daddy's school even though we didn't get to see him.
We went to dinner that night at the Brick Oven because Drew had a coupon for a free kid's meal from his birthday. While they were singing to him he buried his face in the cushions but as soon as they left he got all excited about the ice-cream and sucker and told us he loved the place. It's amazing what treats do for this kid.

Another plus (outside our little family), my sister had her baby; making her a momma of 4! We're excited about the new addition and hope we get to see little JD before he's running around :)
Anyway, it ended up being a fun-filled day. I think we are going to have to make it a tradition.

HURRAY FOR FAMILY!

Silly Kids

Drew wanting to be in the picture too...

What happened to my little baby? Ella is getting so big, we broke out the 6-9 month clothes and they aren't even big on her! She is growing way too fast!

ANDREW'S ALL STAR BASH!



For his party this year, Andrew wanted all his kids (cousins) to come over and play games and have pizza and cake. Since Drew is also a fan of running laps around the house (inside) we thought it might be fun to reserve the church gym and set up an All Star camp. We had a soccer kick-out, basketball shot, football toss, baseball hit, hockey shot and they all had to run lamps. All the kids earned candy "medals". The grown-ups were good enough sports to do the same drills as a timed relay. I think we all went home worn out...although Jeff wanted to stay longer. Now we know what to do for Jeff's party too.
I need to also post a picture of Drew's cake. Grandma and Grandpa Stevens took Drew to Costco to pick out his birthday cake. They said there were cakes with balls and balloons and things like that, but Drew picked the generic office cake where there are about 50 flower topped pieces. I wonder what made him pick that one...Oh well, his party - his cake!
I wasn't very good about taking pictures so these pictures are courteous of the grandparents - thanks for capture the evening.
I can't belief Drew is getting so old on me. He is so full of life and we love him so much!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DREW!

My little Andrew turned 3 today and it was testimony meeting at church. Time ran out before I was able to get up, so I thought I would write down my thoughts!
It is hard for me to believe it has been three years since I became a mom. I never imagined just how much it would change my life. I never was big on the idea of staying home to raise a family; I felt like I would need something more to feel like I was achieving success and making something of myself. It wasn't that I didn't like kids or babies; my first niece, Laura was a joy, and visiting Jessica in the hospital with her first baby I surprised myself be getting all choked up. But it wasn't until I saw Andrew for the first time that I knew my life would forever be different. It is difficult to describe, but the first time they placed him on my stomach all gross and crying I felt so amazed and overcome by the responsibility that was being placed before me.
I still am surprised by the love I feel for Drew and Ella. As I've thought about how I have changed since Andrew was born, I am so grateful (aside from pregnancy leftover love-handles, etc.) Being a mother has given me an opportunity to practice selflessness and charity on a daily basis...not that I always capitalize on these opportunities. I know I still have a lot to learn; my kids are still so young and I'm a slow learner. But I think there is no one sweeter to serve and love than little kids. They are my greatest blessings and joys!
It is so strange to me now, that I no longer feel the need to "make something of myself" or aspire to recognition outside my home. I know there is a time and season for everything and perhaps that desire may come again later. But I know the time I have with my kids will go quickly and we still have so much to learn together.
I was telling Jeff that it is so comforting to know that the things I value the most are sealed to me for eternity dependent solely upon how I live my life; something I have absolute control over. I am so thankful for families and for our Heavenly Father's plan for us here.
Love you all!