Merry Christmas to All

This season has been great for me in many ways. First my neighborhood decided that instead of exchanging neighbor gifts that we would get together and donate to the local food bank instead. Can I say that I have the best neighbors to think of this? So not only did we not have to waste time and money to get all of the neighbors things, we also did not have to be tempted with all sorts of treats this year. Second, the leader of our local church encouraged those who attend to focus on service this year and set a congregation goal of 8,000 acts of service. Each member was asked to do 40 acts individually. So not only did I not have to buy gifts for people (I admit I did not even to cards this year but took all of that money and donated it) but it was a service-centric season as well.

This really is what this season is about. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. Hanukkah is the celebration of a miracle of light. Kwanzaa is the celebration of family, community and culture. I am noticing that none of these is a celebration of food and presents. While these are important cultural elements of these holidays, the real meanings can sometimes get lost in the shopping and baking. This year our family did not put up a Christmas Tree, but rather put up all of the nativity sets we have (this was a health decision because of Mom's treatments not to a hum bug) and it has been nice to be able to focus the story and meaning of Christmas. Christmas has long been a family favorite holiday and it is nice to remember why.

And so though its been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to you!

A blog post with 3 possible titles

This blog post had three possible titles, so I chose none of them. However they were going be to: "Hey guys, Chad fell down" OR "My boggart would be ice" OR "Hello, I'm Stephanie and I am a faller (Hi Stephanie)"

Alright I really am not super clumsy, however I seem to fall in the winter. Two years ago my visiting teaching companion and I were walking to visit teach one of our ladies and I hit a patch of black ice and went down. I hit my knee and cracked my knee cap which was fixed by surgery. A few weeks of physical therapy and I was as good as new.

Last night I was walking out of my office and had my hands full of things I was taking home when I hit a slick spot on our sidewalk and went down on the same knee ... might I mention my boss saw it happen? Mike came out and collected me, brought me back in and helped me get cleaned up, then walked me out to my car as if I were a grandmother so I would not fall again. I really am fine but I woke up this morning feeling like someone beat me up. I am so paranoid of falling now, more so than I was before. So I went home and my sweet mom took care of me: brought me dinner, brought me water, brought me pain meds, watched Freaky Friday with me (the old one with Jodie Foster, ah good times!) and laughed at all of the right times.

So Hi, my name is Stephanie, and I am a faller.

Deep Thoughts ... by Starbuck

If you want to know why your hair does interesting things shave it off and watch it grow back.

Too Organized?!?!

I never thought I would say this (and my planner is weeping in the corner) but this morning I decided I am too organized sometimes. I am not talking about my room, mind you (my mother chuckles) but my life over all. So here is the deal. I love to be organized, to be in charge, and to be informed of what is going on at all times; I do not like surprises. This week I received news that some early information I was given about school and my graduation dates were wrong. Sad sad me. When things like this happen I get into hyper organization mode and my desk and office usually thank me for it. So this week I have had to come up with a new game plan to finish 21 elective credits in school to complete in time to graduate in June as planned. Well this morning I was in the shower ... wait before I go on, do not me alarmed, I shall not be too graphic, I laugh now at how amusing I feel this is ... and I typically soap my body and rinse, then wash my hair, then wash my face and rinse again. Well as I was rinsing off my hair I actually had this thought: "If you wash your hair first, then wash your body, and lastly wash your face you will only have to rinse off one time thus alleviating the cross contamination washing your hair might have on your already clean body and you can probably save time in the shower." Shame on me!! I love a good hot shower and I was actually trying to organize how I can be more effective in the shower and cut time. That being said, events of this day have required me to shower 3 times (don't ask) and the last time I just stood under the hot water and wasted as much time as I could!

Dear shower I will never try to organize you again!

Two videos of ONE

Two videos from the party. Also I rediscovered that my phone will talk things that I type into a note. So since I had laryngitis I typed the happy birthday song to Ains and she loved it! She is so advanced...

One One One

My niece Ains turned ONE last Friday. The party was awesome!! Here is the birthday girl all pretty in Aunt Stephanie's favorite color: pink. It was a pink princess party!!I did not get the memo of the pink, so I wore black, which is the new pink now that green is so last season! (sorry Jules)

Ains with Mom and Dad.

The princess party decorations. Kate took a cup for each person and wrote our name on it so we had Princess Stephanie, Princess Brad, Princess Colleen, Princess Mom, Princess Pat (LOL) etc... Also Barry decorated the cake, we are so proud!

How cute is this kid?

Ains has started to tickle people. Here she is getting Mom's head.

Also she started walking a few weeks ago, and now she just runs everywhere she goes.

Getting ready for cake. Colleen brought a portable booster chair and they just put Ains up on the counter...
Gave her a slice of cake, a little ice cream, and then the fun happened.
Seriously, this is the face of a princess!
Right right, I know proud auntie. I cannot wait for Lottie's first birthday. It is right around the time when Kate and Pat are expecting little William Kyle (Liam for short) but I will call him Bud. Kate is due May 14, and L's bday is May 5.

Watch for the vidoes tomorrow of her eating cake!!

A Taste of Chicago ... in Utah

A post from a sister missionary I met in Chicago made me realize I had not posted publicly two places I have found in Utah that I love!!!

First for a GREAT Chicago Dog visit Johnny Beefs in the Fort Union shopping center by Wal-Mart. The Chicago Dog is kosher beef with all the fixins. I have had a good one at the Bee's ball park too. This is the only thing I like mustard on.

Second is Chicago Pizza. Sweet Home Chicago Pizzeria is in Draper. They have the best stuffed pizza I have had in a long time. Stuffed pizza done right is layered with the cheese on the bottom, the toppings, and then the sauce on top. Yum! Thin crust pizza is done there too and cut like in Chicago... in squares. The salads are great, even the Chicago Dog is good. The pizzas are BIG and so yummy!

The next place I am going to try is Big Apple Pizza in Midvale in hopes that it mimics the pizza in New York!

All I am saying is

For a person who loves to talk laryngitis is a nightmare; speaking of nightmares I had one last night that someone broke into my house; speaking of my house there will be a first birthday party here tonight and I cannot sing to my niece; speaking of my niece Happy Birthday; speaking of birthdays my nephew is due May 14.

Cute Cute Cute

Alright so I have been saying it for a year now (since tomorrow is A's 1st Birthday) I have the cutest nieces!! The other day they were both over playing at our house. When Co was taking L home, A leaned over to give L a kiss goodbye. So cute!! Well Aunt Kate being the great photographer she is grabbed her camera and snapped this shot. It is rediculous how cute it is!! It makes me smile like this...

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

I love you!!

Remember when you had hair? Good times.

Looking forward to another year but with less cancer!!

T-day pics

My sister was the only one smart enough to bring the camera to Thanksgiving Dinner and she has posted some pictures... some are great, some are just nasty even now... oh the thought. Check it out if you want. The first picture was a reenactment of a previous face I made... but still rather effective of how I felt with my hand inside a turkey.

#22 - Thanksgiving Dinner

#22 on my list of 101 things to do was to cook a Thanksgiving Dinner. It has happened and ended with SWAT storming the front yard... is your interest peaked?

My sister Colleen and I made Thanksgiving Dinner this year because we were not going to be with the big extended family this year as usual. We started Wednesday night with rolls and pie (homemade, thanks to Colleen’s desire to teach me to be a domestic goddess.) Then came the brining of the turkey. I am not a fan of touching dead things. Let me put that right out there. I also am not the world’s best cook… until now! The rolls ended up dry and I killed the pecan pie, but the pumpkin pie was awesome!!

Then Thursday Colleen arrived nice and early and we started cooking. The turkey went in, the stuffing was mixed, the potatoes were mashed, etc. If I do say so myself, it was a really good dinner. Oh the gravy, so because we brined the turkey there were not many drippings, but there were some!! So we made a red wine gravy with some red wine that my brother had bought that had the alcohol removed (I wonder why they did not just call it grape juice, but I digress.) I thought it was the best part because it was a little sweet, which I like with turkey, so I was very happy!

After dinner Colleen and I were really tired, so we laid down for a nap while the boys did the dishes... well most of the dishes. I had Colleen’s daughter on my shoulder sleeping with me and woke up when Pat said that there was a police officer with an assault rifle using his car for a shield. (What?!?!) I could not get up, so this is all second hand information. Someone had broken into the house across the street from us and the neighbor next to us saw it and called the cops. The police later told us that they have been seeing this MO: The house is occupied by a recent widow who had just left. (Special place in hell for the person who is breaking into the nice old widow’s homes.) So this guy went to the back yard and kicked in the back door. The neighbor who saw it said she was watching for the guy to come back out and when he did not they walked over to see what had happened, and called the police right away. The guy somehow got spooked inside before the police got there and had left. But not knowing this the police brought out the assault rifles just in case. They took a dog unit in and went room to room but could not find anyone. The police on the outside were really using my brother’s car as a shield, not really sure why they did not pull their cars around and use their cars, but again I digress. The whole thing was scary for a little while but ended well. We always have the most exciting family gatherings!

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving too!