Creepy yet True

I, like many, write a blog for myself (first) and for others to keep up with our life (second). The people who publicly follow me are all family or friends. However, you don't have to follow someone to be able to read their blog. I don't know who reads this little blog and doesn't follow. I know a few family members do and from the stats page there are others from all over the world. I thought about making my blog private a while back and only allowing people I sent personal invites able to read my blog. I changed my mind and thought, nah, maybe something I've wrote has helped someone else out there that read this little blog for fun. Now, the words "private blog" have come to mind again. I was reading a blog of whom I have never met. I know her husband from junior high and high school and found her blog on facebook. I have been reading it for 2 years as she is inspiring. It is also fun to see their girls grow up. However, she was recently informed by a stranger in the U.K. that someone had stolen posts off her blog and impersonated her on a facebook page and a mommy group. This person was trying to be someone they were not and posting it in multiple places on the internet and interacting with other people too! She even was taking pictures from the blog to make it even more real.I am saddened for her and have this icky icky feeling. I grew up with this technology and knew there were hackers and people who make viruses. However, I never thought people would steal other people's lives and pretend to be that person!?! I talk about my life and share a little about my husband. As we continue to grow, and big life changes will come that I wish to talk freely about, I think it is only fair to protect him and myself. I quickly realized there are many people who have become victim to this impersonation thing and I am not going to join them. Please leave me a comment with your email address if you would like to continue following. 


until next time...

Refuge

Refuge is a monthly, mid-week, event of extended worship, prayer and communion.

We have a big prayer campaign going for the month of February. Therefore, this past Wednesday Refuge was packed! It was awesome and so moving to hear everyone sing together. At one point, we were asked to write on a giant white piece of paper taped to the wall what we are thankful for. First, was to be the relationship we have with God and then after that you were free to write with your crayon whatever came to you. I am an honorary aunt to three special children. Everett will be 9 yrs old this week. He attended refuge with us and when he went up to the wall and started writing of course Tami and I wanted to sneak a peak! We didn't but Tami's friend came over and said I just want you to know that your sons heart is in the right place. First he wrote Dad and then Mom. That just melted our hearts. After refuge, we were in the lobby and I had Abigail. She is all of 3 months old. I found it cute that the people who came up to me to see the baby were older gentlemen! Two separate men came up and asked about her and rubbed her back. It was adorable! The second guy asked which service we attended and was bummed that it wasn't the Sunday at 9am. He works in the nursery on Sunday and wanted to have her in there! How cute! I am so proud of those kids! You always wonder as a parent if you are doing a good enough job.... Tami you certainly are!

until next time...

Remember me?

Oh hello, remember me? I am back from the crazy holiday hiatus! This morning I had every intention of writing this blog about the last two months but the events of today have changed my mind! So, stay tuned for the update and read on for a good laugh that wasn't so funny to me until now....

...We have had a winter wonderland around here lately and frankly it just stresses me out. Gone are the days of wishing for snow days and sledding, I am officially a cranky adult! I will say that it was peaceful and gorgeous to look at from the warm cozy insides of my home. However, still being expected to make it in for work and back home safely does not calm my nerves in ice and snow. So, with a stressful week and finally the rain gushing from above instead of snow, I fell asleep on the couch at 7:30pm last night. Exhausted much? We woke up at 7:45 AM with the goal of going to the gym before Nic helped his brother out for the remainder of the day. Simple? Yes, we thought this would be very simple. You wake up. You brush your teeth. You put gym clothes on and walk out the door. Yes, we accomplished that much this morning. Next, walk up the newly bare driveway to "BOB," my car, and take off the chains. Yes, Bob is a beast in the snow with his chains on! Okay, chains are off and it is time to rock n roll to the gym. Hmmmm, uhhh, "Nic my windshield wipers won't go swhhhshhh swhhshhhh." (If you truly know me then you can hear me making the windshield wiper sound while waving my arms back and forth in the same motion they would had they worked.) Push the little arm lever up again....NOTHING! I think in my head, "You have to be kidding me....we live in Washington! How can my windshield wipers not work!!" My amazing husband instantly says okay where is your fuse box. "Uhhhh..... fuse box.... uhhhhh.... on your side?" He kindly tells me that usually they are on the drivers side. I found it and looked at it not knowing what I was looking for. Nic gets out my manual and finds the correct fuse but the fuse puller (yes ladies there is this thing that pulls the fuses out for you... genius I know!) is not big enough because it is the 30 fuse. We pull down the driveway and Nic gets it out with pliers. GREEEAAAAATTT... fuse is not blown. We have bigger problems. This is when we realized the gym wasn't happening this morning! I called my friend the manager at Firestone, I call him my friend because he is always there when I bring my car in but I really don't know him. I know he has the same car and ask him about it. He says that it could be a few things but probably the windshield wiper motor is dead. I thought my car had an engine and that was the only motor... who knew! I have never heard anyone have this problem before but guess what my friend Brian says this is common in the newer civic's. JOY!  "How much Brian?" $207 + tax. Okay I'll bring it in. I call Honda just to see if maybe I am under warranty. Nope, and they want $300! So, here I wait for the phone call to say that Bob is fixed and ready to ride in the rain again! 

While I was waiting at home, I thought I would try to relax a little, take a bath? Mrs. Clause packed my stocking full of new scrubs that smell delish and I  was excited to test them out! I choose coconut and pretended I was somewhere tropical. Sunscreen and coconut are my favorite smells because if I could be a beach bum I totally would! Half way through this relaxing bath, my cell rang. I was chattin it up when KERPLUNK.... mmhmmm.... best luck today....my phone went off the high dive for a quick 15 second swim. The person on the other line was still there and I said uhhh I'll call you back. Turned off the phone, got it out of the case, took the battery out, took out the sim card, took out the sd card, grabbed the towel and went to town. You are probably thinking, wow this sounds so relaxing... I thought so too! I got out and took the blow dryer to it... which I later read online is a bad idea... oops!  then I put it in rice and waited 30min. This could be tmi, but I was the only one home, so all of this running around the house to get it into rice was done so without towel or clothes on. While I am staring at my rice phone in the kitchen, the door bell rings! I instantly drop to the ground and peer around the corner to see out the front window. Darn, I can't see anyone. I waited 30 seconds before dashing up the stairs to my bedroom window where I can see that it is the mailman. Phew, nothing I have to sign for! Did I say I waited 30 min? I meant I got impatient and turned the phone back on after 10 min. The screen lit up HTC and I thought YES! That was until I tried the touch screen and it didn't work. Okay, back off and in the rice. I repeated this about 5 times before I decided to take the blow dryer to it again. And just like magic, touch screen was alive!! 

The highlight of the day was finding the package on my front porch! It was from my second mom, Mrs. Barbara Norman. She knitted me a washcloth and sent my scarf I had forgotten in Whistler! She is the best!! 

Off to get Bob and hopefully my horrible no good very bad day is OVER! 

until next time...

How many do we have?

Ah yes, we have FIVE nieces and one nephew! Welcome Abigail Lael!! She is just PRECIOUS! I met Tami in 2004 at MOPS, mothers of preschoolers, at Cornwall Church. She hired me to teach the kids and we quickly became very close friends. Everett, her son and our only nephew, was 1 1/2 at the time. In 2006, Isobel was born. I have been around these kids since they could talk and were born. Tami and Ian found it only fitting that they call me Aunt Stef, and once we were married Uncle Nic joined too! On November 10, 2010, Tami's water broke and they quickly headed to UW for delivery. After just a mere THIRTY HOURS of labor, Abigail Lael was born! She eats, sleeps, and as the kids say makes "mocha's" aka poops! We are so happy to have another niece! We took E and Bell to church with us last night and I asked both if they liked having Abigail. Of course, both said NO! E does not like when she whines and wishes she was 1 already. Errr I don't think he knows that it is only gonna get worse before it gets better! Bell told me she does NOT like being the middle child. Yes, the baby has only been here a week and she does not like being the middle child. However, she could have fooled me because she loves being mommy's big helper!

MORE BABIES!!! Congrats Nicci and Derek on your second beautiful son, Cruzlee Daniel! Cruz was born on Tuesday, November 15, 2011! Mom has HELLP syndrome. Therefore, baby Cruz was a planned delivery. He was suppose to come out the previous Tuesday but his little lungs were not developed (this was three weeks early mom was having some weird signs) But one week later, all was well and Cruz came out a healthy baby boy at 6lbs 3oz! So proud of the Troupe family for all the amazing hurdles and bumps they have overcome with grace and ease! (or at least they made it look pretty easy)

Ah yes, and a BABY SHOWER for "Cletus the Fetus!" No, they are not naming him Cletus but he does not have a name yet so therefore Megan declared it be Cletus the Fetus! We decorated onsies and hats. How funny is that hamburger hat they made out of puffy paint and a plain tan hat! Megan is due in April and I cannot wait to meet the little guy!!! 

There is one more birth coming up before this years ends and I couldn't make it to that baby shower :( I am so happy and proud for this mama. She might not think she is prepared but I think she is after reading her blogs. I know they are going to be wonderful parents!! I am super excited to meet Miss Eleanor Grace!!

CONGRATS TO ALL THE PARENTS!!! 

until next time...

Greed

Last night at church, I thought to myself, "Oh geeeeeze here we go again, Pastor Bob is talking just to me!" (really he was talking to everyone but there are those times when he nails exactly what life has been shelling out) An appetite for destruction...GREED. It is a battle for control when it comes to greed. And to be quite frank, I think my husband and I do a pretty darn good job at keeping it under control. Yes, we are human and slip up but with that said there aren't too many slip ups! We live a life of cash and envelopes. That is our control. And although some don't agree with it, and make us feel ashamed at times to bring out the envelope in public, it keeps me from being greedy! (thank you to those who don't agree and don't say anything) I am proud of us and our friends who use this same tactic. The cashier at Fred Meyer saw the "grocery" envelope and said, "doesn't that just put things into perspective of how much we spend!" Yes, yes it does and we do not need to spend all that money on frivolous stuff! There is money each month that we could add to the "fun stuff" envelope, but we don't need anymore in there. Instead, we tithe. We sponsor a child in Ethiopia so she has food, education, a better life. I don't need an extra pair of shoes or to go out to eat a few more times a month. I am not saying we don't have fun. We go out with friends to happy hour, dinner, movies, coffee, etc, but we keep it within reason. For me, living life to the fullest is not about blowing all our money on ourselves so we can have the biggest and best of everything but rather giving back. The antidote to greed is generosity.

  MAKE YOUR SACRIFICES BE INTENTIONAL!

until next time...

I like that boom boom POW

Mom's 22

I have been around guns since I was born. That giant steel box taking up room in the house safeguarded dad's prized possessions! When we lived in NY, dad had a target in the backyard that he shot the bow at. These weapons have been around me for 26 years and I have NEVER had the urge to pick one up! In fact, they scared the poo out of me! Who wouldn't jump to a giant BOOOOM noise!?!? Or hearing stories about how some guy broke open his eyebrow from the kickback???? Kickback....no thank you...I like staying upright! However, I was a little bit tomboy. I thought it was soooo cool when dad showed us the insides of a dear. I also experienced joy when dad brought home a squirrel's tail for me. Yes, somehow I thought these things were AMAZING when I was little. (I don't think those things are cool anymore...in fact that is sick that I played with squirrel tails!) I have never liked to eat venison. Eww that meat is NASTY! When I was little, my parents tried to trick me. They thought I associated venison with bambi and that was the reason I didn't like it. Mom put it in stew one night and I told her this meat didn't taste good and I didn't like it. I caught her trying to feed me venison and she finally believed me that I didn't like the taste! 

Dad recently bought two new guns and a couple weekends ago wanted to go shoot them. He thought he was telling me this information because Nic would want to go. However, I surprised him when I told him, "I wanna come too!" I thought we were going to be inside. You know, nice and warm. The place where the target has a remote that brings it back to you. I was WRONG! We were outside in the cold and it was doing the typical misty rain. Although, I cannot complain because I didn't have to go out in the rain...I was completely spoiled. Dad and Nic put my targets up for me each time. I started with the Colt M4 Carbine 22LR...yes, you guessed it, I have had to ask Nic multiple times, "what was that bigger gun called?" I admit, I was relatively frightened when we got all set up. The giant BOOM noise was right next to me! I tensed each time the guy pulled his trigger. I even had ear protection on! I sucked it up and sat down after learning how to load and shoot. I shot 10 bullets while Nic and dad set up at the far end with the 45, 22, and revolver. I was not allowed to shoot the 45 or revolver. Dad told me I would get sent on my a--. After 10 bullets, my thoughts were "this isn't really fun." I walked down to Nic and told him it was boring! That is when Michelle, works with my dad and also works at the range, made things lots of fun! She put up balloons on my target! After I got those, one of the other guys put up an IV bag for me to shoot down. Then, Michelle put up these exploding targets on the spinners! I did so good! Dad couldn't believe I could hit the spinners with an open site so far away...I showed him! I think they left me alone too long because I became really great at loading the 30 magazine (clip) and unloading it at my targets! Errr... I went through 500 rounds of amo! OOPS! I had more fun with the M4 than the 22 pistol. Probably because the pistol was harder to stay accurate on.  Mom now calls me Annie Oakley and surprisingly I would go back again! 

probably trying to pop balloons! 

March 2001 -- November 4, 2011

I miss him already!!!!

We got Larry bird in March of 2001... the no good very bad awful year. On January 2nd, 2001 our house burnt down. Yes, we lost everything including our pets. Mine was Bubba, the coolest cockatiel you had ever met! I LOVE birds. Once we were settled in our rental house, it was time to go to the pet store to see who would come home with us! In with the parakeets, was a lone lovebird. He was the "trial" lovebird. They wanted to see how he did alone... without a mate...usually they are in pairs. I knew he was the one! I named him Larry because I had these dreams he could play with a small basketball toy just like Larry Bird the real basketball player. He never did but that doesn't matter! He had lots of personality. As he got older, he didn't really care to be held. He liked to perch up on the window and look out at the other birds. He really liked sitting above the front door looking out the window and occasionally dangling from the chandelier...until we chased him back to his cage yelling LAAAARRRYYY!! He would gnaw at the front of his cage trying to get out. Once his door was opened, he would take off in flight in a giant circle to stretch out. He knew a few different whistles. He loved his treats... who doesn't! He had an unusual liking to his teddy bear...hip thrusting included...teddy had to be removed from the cage after a little bit. And most recently, he found a fond liking to the birds Dad played for him on youtube! He hated the vacuum or hands in his cage. However, he would let you poke his tummy or pet his beak... and if you are my brother then you could pet his head. I am really happy I was able to see his last weekend. He let me pet his head before I left to go back to Bham. I always said, "bye Larry" because I never knew when I wouldn't be able to say it again. My parents house is going to be quiet without him. We all walk in the door and yell, "HI LARRY whistle whistle whistle" but now he won't be there. Last night, he took a tumble to the bottom of his cage. He was stunned for about 20 min. trying to move. He attempted to climb his cage back to the top like usual but failed. Mom helped him back up but he was breathing hard. He refused his treat this morning and wasn't looking good. Matt went over right when he got off work and was going to bring him to the vet for me. Unfortunately, when he arrived it was too late. We both miss him already. I know mom will miss having her buddy to talk to when she is home during the day and dad will miss having his buddy at the computer! I know he is happy flying around and in a better place...but that doesn't make it easier.

until next time...