The Stephens Family

the hunt

2011-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

When we were in school, sometimes we would get on the MLS and check out houses for sale in the area. Just for fun. I never tired of imagining myself in this house or that. Deciding what color I was going to paint and how to arrange the furniture. We knew we wouldn't buy anything until we were out of school...but I still LOVED to look around. We have been in hot pursuit of our very own digs now for 6+ months. We have now made an offer on this house

And this house

and this house

And one other one that I don't have a picture of...
House hunting has been more of ~~a rollercoaster~~
an adventure than I anticipated! Find a house...fall in love...make an offer..decorate the entire thing in my mind..offer doesn't work out- repeat repeat repeat!
As crazy as it has been, I'm just grateful to be able to buy a house! The right house is out there...and we will find it!

The Latest...

2011-05-22T23:02:00.000-07:00

The past few months have sort of blended together for us. Sometimes I feel like I'm on vacation. We've spent most of our time doing really important stuff...

We've made a few (much needed) trips to the land of the cold (UTAH)

Birthday Mania... Berkley (1) Feb 8th * Maggie (3) April 24th * Me (23...weird) May 20th

Update-
For the first few months we were here, life seemed to go by very slowly. Which for me-it was a much needed change of pace. Things have quickly gotten busy around our house as I knew they inevitably would. We jumped right into house hunting and now have 2 offers pending on 2 different houses. Cross your fingers! We are now racing the clock to be in a house before baby #3 makes its debut in November. In January, I was called to be in the Young Women's presidency and it has kept me hopping. I love my calling and I'm grateful to work with such great girls! We don't see much of Matt these days as he has jumped right into life in the fast lane. He loves his job with Merit and we count our blessings everyday to have such a great job! Maggie and Berk are as saucy as ever. Miss Maggie is a natural born fish and has become an independent swimmer in the past few months. Berkley doesn't say much, but her fiesty personality cannot be missed. I can't believe how opinionated she can be at times. It frightens me! Even though life in Arizona has been even better than I anticipated..there are still times that I am so homesick I want to cry. This move has been an adventure and I look forward to what it has in store.....I'm just praying we survive the summer!

Spreading Our Wings

2011-02-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

We are loving Arizona.It seriously couldn't be a better fit. Our only complaint is the weather...

Brutal...I'm telling ya.

Does it get any better than this?

2010-12-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

I don't think so...

Summer Lovin' 2010

2010-10-10T22:23:00.001-07:00

Life was good in the hood

2010-08-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

I returned to our old stomping grounds tonight to visit a few friends. When we finally decided to take the plunge and move, I couldn't get out of there fast enough and I promised to never return! It was the day I had waited for 2 + years. But tonight my feelings were different. Our time spent living at and managing Cherry Hill was difficult to say the least, but also so good. We grew from a newly married couple into a family there. I brought 2 babies home from the hospital, cooked a million meals in that kitchen, spent many late night conversations with the best friends ever, beat Team Snow at Rook 923,475,293,457 times, never lost to the Curtis' in settlers, went through a million light bulbs, went to gym night with the girls, exchanged baby monitors, spent a million hours sitting on those cement steps, and made the best friends I will ever have.
My good friend and neighbor Danielle wrote:
"One day we'll look back at these good 'ole days we spent living at Cherry Hill apartments. We'll sit back on our porch, sipping lemonade while we watch our kids play in our luscious green backyard and reminisce about the time we spent here. We'll look back fondly to these days when our kids were small. We'll laugh about cramming stuff (and people) in small spaces and inventing all sorts of ways to 'make things work.' We will think of our cold winters and hot summers and all the in between. For sure we'll remember these good times and wish for the simple life again."

We'll probably never hear so many languages in one place at one time (and so late at night). We will never pay such a small amount for monthly rent or lived with one car successfully. We have fond memories with friends. We'll remember the get-togethers and parties and dinners where we've crammed 14 adults in teeny tiny living rooms and kitchens. We'll never have as great of neighbors and friends as we have now. There is nothing like knowing you have 5 reliable friends only steps away- for an emergency babysitter, much needed game night, or even just to borrow an egg. One day we'll look back. One day we'll think these things. But it won't be anytime soon...... -Danielle Porter

*Speaking of game night....remember the boys vs. girls Cranium night at the Bodines? Seth as the puppeteer and Truston as his puppet? Classic.

(Maggie and BFF Talmadge)

We are so happy in our new place! I love all of our closet space, but I miss our Cherry Hill family. Here's to growing up and moving on. In the month that I've been away, I've come to realize that life was good in the hood! We miss you all!

For you Brittney-

2010-06-13T00:17:00.000-07:00

Dear April & May-
You have kept us so busy our feet have barely touched the floor! In April we attended 2 wedding showers & a baby shower, we buried my sweet grandpa, blessed Miss B, and Magarella (thats what she goes by nowadays) turned 2! April was nothing compared to what May was about to throw our way. In May we went on a week long getaway to Mesquite/St.George (I say getaway and not vacation due to our two sidekicks that came along!) we attended 4 weddings (yes I said 4), had a mean bout of the stomach flu, I turned 22, trained for and did a triathalon and last but not least (drumroll please).....................we are MOVING!!!!!
I got a new job and we are stoked! *stay tuned for more details!

Whew! We are so glad we survived! We welcomed June with open arms. Now it's time to start packing!

XOXO- The Stephens Family

Miss Magarella turns 2!

Miss Berkley's Blessing Day

Wedding Extravaganzas!

Triathalon-Birthdays and 2 cute girls!

Mags and Berk

We will miss you….

2010-04-14T15:17:00.001-07:00

My heart hurts over the loss of my Grandpa Tuttle. What an amazing man he was. I'm terrible at this whole grieving process. I feel like there is a hole in my heart. We will miss you, Grandpa. So much.

This world lost a valiant servant of our Heavenly Father this week. William Jay Tuttle, 77, passed away on Sunday, April 11, 2010.

He was born September 16, 1932 in Springville, Utah to Francis Lamar Tuttle and Zola Otteson Tuttle. He married his high school sweetheart, Charlene Wentz, on November 17, 1950 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They spent the early years of their marriage living in Springville where they owned and operated one of the few raw milk dairies in Utah. His family re-located to Mapleton; and then in 1977, Bill moved his family to Holden where he continued to farm on a larger scale as a successful alfalfa farmer.

Bill grew up in Springville and was the last of ten children – five boys and five girls. He often joked that he had six mothers. He graduated from Springville High School where he loved playing all sports - especially basketball. His love for the game continued as he coached youth teams for 17 years.

He and Charlene thoroughly enjoyed watching their grandchildren participate in sporting events of all kinds.

He was a faithful BYU fan and proud Cougar Club Member. He loved to hunt and fish and had many cherished hunting partners. He was a talented commercial brick mason for many years and helped brick schools and homes all over the state, but farming was his true passion. He served on the Central Utah Canal Irrigation Board and was a founding member of the Utah Hay Growers' Association.

He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he served faithfully throughout his life. He had a strong testimony of the Savior and instilled in his large posterity the importance of the gospel.

He is survived by his wife, Charlene, of 60 years, two sons, and five daughters: Jay Kenton (Lori) Tuttle, Christine (the late John) Monsen, Tracie (James) Larsen, Laurie (David) Lund - all of Holden; Jill (Leslie) Birch of Springville; William Kelly (Denise) Tuttle of Idaho Falls, ID; Jayne (Robert) Taylor of Nampa, ID; thirty-two grandchildren and forty great-grandchildren. He is also survived by one sister, Theora Boulton, of Logan, Utah.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four sisters, and four brothers. He was loved by all and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Friends may call at the Holden Ward Chapel on Friday evening from 6-8 pm or on Saturday morning from 9:30-10:30 am. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 11:00 in the Holden Ward Chapel, 100 North 100 East, Holden, Utah. Interment will be in the Holden Cemetery. Online Condolence at rasmussenmortuary.com.

We will always remember his warm smile, winks, and his endless encouragement to us all: "Grandma and I are so proud of you and your family."

What a cRaZy life!

2010-03-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's what the month of March has brought to our house........ Lots and lots of growing

and wrestling

and reading

and a trip to Holden

and rocking

and smiling

and bundling

and cheezing

and hair doing

and swimming!

As you can see- we've been very busy! Having two kids is crazier than I anticipated, but it is more than worth it. Berkley is proving to be a great baby. She has started sleeping 4-6 hour stretches at night and is growing like a weed! She has almost outgrown her newborn clothes (tear), and is smiling like crazy! Maggie has made the adjustment to being a big sister beautifully. The first couple of weeks were a struggle, but now she adores Berkley. I love to watch her interact with the baby when she doesn't know I'm looking. She'll click her tongue at her and give her soft little kisses. She whispers things in her ear as if they have some secret between them. I can tell already that they will be great friends. Sometimes I feel as though they already team up. Both will cry-poop-be hungry-need attention and wake up at the same time. Whew.....hopefully I survive this stage! Even though having two under 2 is incredibly challenging, I love every minute of it. I love being the one my girls cry for when they are sad. I love the quiet moments in the middle of the night that I get to spend with my newborn. I love watching Maggie grow from a baby into an independent (at times opinionated) little girl. I can't wait for what is to come. It makes the 92,347,891,937,483,927 diapers I change in a day totally worth it!

SHE'S HERE!

2010-02-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

I love this picture- but I don't know how to flip it.

Maggie "helping" Grandma vacuum. I wouldn't have survived the first few days without my mom. Thanks a million, Mom!

She hated her baths!

Miss Berkley Ann Stephens made her debut on 2/8/10 @ 5:41pm. We made it to the hospital around 3pm and she was here a few hours labor. (They were the longest hours of my life since my epidural was a miss!) But we got her here safe and sound and we are so glad she's finally here! Maggie loves her new sister, even though it has been an adjustment for her. It pulls at my heartstrings when she cries to me "MAGGIE'S TURN!" when I'm holding the baby. It has been a busy couple of days, but we'll get it. We feel so blessed to have these two beautiful girls. Life is good. Who could ask for anything more????? Valentines Day

Hanging out with Dad

The tell tale sign of a Stephens baby. Look at those feet!

Berkley and I at the hospital.

Fall Festivities

2010-01-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

Here's what we've been up to over the past few months. Life has been crazy over the holidays and in preparation for this new baby! We (mostly me) are hoping she will make her debut any day.
We spent Thanksgiving with Matt's parents in Salt Lake. It was great to be with family and enjoy such excellent food! After spending the day in Salt Lake, we headed to Holden to cut Christmas trees with my family.

We spent Halloween with Matt's family. It was a day full of festivities. We started the day at Gardner Village to see the witches. The kids loved the scavenger hunt and the decorations. Afterwards we headed to a pumpkin patch where everyone was able to pick a pumpkin. We all went back to Matt's parents where we carved pumpkins. Everytime Matt would ask Maggie what she wanted on her pumpkin all she would say was pink. She was going through a pink phase. So being the awesome dad that he is- he made it happen! After the pumpkin fest it was time to get into costumes! We weren't able to sneak a nap in during the day, so by this point Mags was on meltdown mode. She was the MEANEST kitty around. After some trick or treating, we headed home and she slept awesome that night! It was a great day.

This is a few random pictures over the past couple of months. They include Maggie's first princess party, canning fest 2009, playing at the park with friends, sleeping in the Wal mart cart, time with dad, and my personal favorite- Matt's attempt to dress Maggie. ( Note that her shirt is on backwards) His response when I started to laugh was that all of his shirts button down the front! Love it.

We were able to take a trip to the cabin this fall. It was beautiful weather and Mags enjoyed the great outdoors!

That about covers September, October & November. I'm working on a Christmas/New Years post. Stay tuned....

By Invitation Only-

2009-11-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

I will be changing our blog to private the first part of December. If you would like to be an invited reader, please leave me a comment with your email. You can also contact me via email @ asherstephens@gmail.com . Thanks!

New Maggie Pictures

2009-09-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

We had some family pictures taken over Labor Day weekend. I had Brooke snap a few of Maggie by herself. They turned out great! Thanks Brooke- We love them! http://www.snatchandsnapphotography.blogspot.com/ My green eyed beauty....
This one is one of my favorites. I will post more later. She just gave us a few to preview.

It's a GIRL!

2009-09-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Sisters it is! Maggie(and her momma) are excited to be having a new baby girl! Matt had his heart set on a little guy, but it looks like it will have to wait till next time. I'm sure he'll be smitten with this one just like he is with Mags. I'm excited to have another little girl. It is my area of expertise! Having sisters is the best!

ITS A........

2009-09-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

Oh wait.....we don't know yet either! SORRY! That little stinker wouldn't uncross its legs during the ultrasound today! After drinking some juice, going to the bathroom, lots of wiggling, and yes- I even did a handstand at Matts request- it still had those legs death gripped together! We'll go in again on Tuesday to see if this baby is ready to play nice. I told Matt this was all his fault- this baby is already acting like him. YIKES!

Summer 2009

2009-08-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here's what we've been doing this summer. It has been crazy busy. We've done lots of camping, fishing, swimming, spending time with friends and enjoying being outside! Maggie is growing up before our eyes. She has turned into quite the chatterbox. Her vocabulary is expanding at a rapid rate. She can now say "Outside, more, NO!, cracker, cookie, cheese stick, peez!(please) thank you, NO!, no more, dub dub, tickle tickle, did I mention NO!, apple, water, milk and tons more- She is willing to try just about any word I challenge her with. Her memory is fantastic. I can't believe the things she picks up on. We think she is brilliant! :) Maggie's personality continues to blossom before our eyes. She is such a girly girl. I don't know where she gets it from. I'm pretty low key. She NEEDS her beads, purse and bows in her hair all the time. I have to pry her necklace off her everytime she is asleep. If her hair is not done yet, she pats her head and says BOW BOW. She keeps me on my toes! As for us, we are staying as busy as ever. After a short 2 week break, Matt is starting school again tomorrow. He is a trooper and is plowing through school at a rapid rate. He knocked out 24 credits this summer! We are so proud of him. I am still managing the apartments and enjoy cutting hair occasionally. I'm being reminded more everyday that I am pregnant. I forgot all of the little uncomfortable things about pregnancy, but now I remember! We are excited for our new baby to come- even if it is coming mid flu season. YIKES! I hate germs! Here are a few pictures of our summer.......

And then there were four....

2009-07-27T14:58:00.001-07:00

We are excited to announce that we will be welcoming baby #2 around January 20th. Maggie insists that she does not want either a brother or a sister. Hopefully she'll change her mind in about five months. We will be finding out what it is in the next couple of weeks. We'll keep you posted!

Puppy Love

2009-06-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Wyoming two weekends ago and spent some time in the great outdoors. Well not technically since we stay in an AWESOME cabin, but you get the idea. There is this little stone puppy statue on the fireplace of the cabin that Maggie was obsessed with! Everytime we turned around she was kissing this puppy. Our friend Grant took these cute pictures of Mags. I'll post more pictures of our trip later. Just as soon as I find that dang camera cord. Stay tuned.....

The great and terrible....

2009-06-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Lets play a game-

What does this add up to????
3 whooping coughs
3 terrible fevers
body aches
throwing up
1 full box of tissues
943,857 otter pops
2 bottles of infant motrin
298,793,465 baths in one week
one doctors visit
1 bottle of TAMIFLU
1 "Keep Away" Sign on my door :)

If you guessed Swine Flu- you are correct!

Matt started not feeling great on Sunday his symptoms were really weird because it was a cold at first and then it turned into like throw up flu symptoms. I started to get it on Tuesday. It was brutal. By Wednesday all three of us had a fever. I took Maggie to the doctor on Thursday when I couldn't get her fever to go down. They told me they were going to test her for the flu and I thought there was no way we could possibly have it! Her test results came back positive the next day for Swine Flu! I thought I was going to be on the news!!! After talking to my pediatrician, she assured me that they were seeing up to 50 cases of this a day now. She said it is everywhere! It was a terrible sickness, but not as bad as I would have thought with all the hype. So remember- if you get swine flu- you will survive! We did!

HeRes WhAt WeVe BeEn uP To....

2009-05-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty busy lately...too busy to blog I guess! Here a little glimpse of what we've been up to-

We went to the Jazz game with Matt's family. It was a really good time. We had awesome tickets in the box! They served us dinner and ice cream. Man we are spoiled. Thanks Marty and Carole for the great evening!

Here are a few pictures of our annual cow branding festivities. I didn't take pictures of our picnic afterwards. My dad is sure glad to have some boys around to do "boy stuff" with!

We have such awesome friends here at CH. We decided to have an Sunday afternoon picnic in the park. Matt taught Maggie to feed him grapes. It's her new favorite game!

Here are a few random pictures of our time spent in Holden. We have such a good time when we visit. Maggie loves to see all the animal with Grandpa.

I can't believe my Maggie girl is already a year. Time sure flies! We threw her an awesome birthday bash! We are sure lucky to have you Maggie!

I'll let the pictures do the talking.......

Matt and I competed in the Memorial Day Triathalon in Holden! It was a blast!

The End!

New Family Pictures

2009-05-13T20:17:00.001-07:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately! My camera cord is MIA, so I can't download any pictures to my computer! It's a tragedy. I'm determined to find it though. We finally got around to getting some family pictures taken. Maggie was not loving our photo shoot and scowled in most of the pictures. Luckily she smiled for at least one. Thanks you Malea for being our family photographer. You are the best!

The best 12 months of our lives

2009-04-21T13:57:00.001-07:00

One year ago tonight I was in heavy labor. *Note to self- Never be induced again. I remember grabbing the hand of the nurse with tears in my eyes asking for something to take the edge off the pain. As soon as I had that epidural, life was good. I think I even beat Matt in a game of backgammon while I was in the process of bearing his child. Man I'm a good multi-tasker. I can't believe that was a year ago. Time has flown by as we've watched this little firecracker grow into a little ball of personality. There is never a dull moment at our house anymore. Maggie has been the most incredible, amazing, unexpected & entertaining thing that life has ever thrown at me. I never knew I could love something so much. She has been more of a blessing to us than anyone will ever know. We love you Maggie girl. Happy Birthday. May next year be as amazing as the last.

Under Construction

2009-04-06T21:03:00.001-07:00

My blog is currently under construction. Please stand by................

Banana Eyes

2009-04-01T11:46:00.001-07:00

This morning I had Maggie in her highchair while I was doing the morning dishes. I looked over at her and her eyes looked kind of glossy. I could tell she was trying to blink but she was unable to do so. She was acting really weird and I couldn't tell if she was having a seizure or what was going on. My heart skipped a beat! I scooped her out of her high chair and started patting her face saying BLINK Maggie BLINK! By this point I'm panicking. As I'm patting her face I realize that her face is super sticky. I think to myself.....Wait a minute....All of the sudden I realize that Maggie had been eating bananas in her high chair and had rubbed them all over her face. The bananas had GLUED her eyelids open!! All I could do was laugh when I realized what had happened. She scared me to death, but luckily in the end she was just playing her own little April Fools prank on me. You are too funny Maggie!

Hawaii 2009

2009-03-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

2009-03-05T07:25:00.001-08:00

Perspective

2009-02-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

I read this on my cousins blog this morning and it struck a chord with me today. Thanks for the reminder Nat.

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal- is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey with delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinder, and jolts, interspersed occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."---Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

New Pictures!

2009-02-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

Life is so crazy! I can't believe that 10 months ago Maggie was a tiny helpless newborn. Now she is full of FIRE! I am amazed to see her personality blossoming more every single day. She is a hoot! We snapped a few pictures after church today. I think they turned out great. Malea is a super talented photographer. Thank you so much for doing these! Maggie has finally started to crawl. I never imagined that watching somebody grow up could be so fascinating. We just can't wait to see what you do next Maggie girl! We love you!

9 Months Old!

2009-02-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

Maggie turned 9 months old in January 24th. What happened to my tiny baby? She is so much fun now. She cracks us up every single day.

Here is a quick update on Miss M:

She can now officially roll over! Yay!

She scrunches her nose anytime she thinks something is funny

She has mastered the fake cry/cough

She is attempting to crawl

She is a HEFTY eater! She'll eat anything! I love it

She will dance anytime music is playing i.e. someone whistling, the hymns at church, music on the tv. She loves to dance!

She pulls the funniest faces!

She is fearless of the water. She'll stick her face in the water during her bath.

She thinks the two funniest people in the world are Malea and Emeri. She laughs her head off anytime they are around.

I took Mags to the doctor and she weighed in at a whopping 17.73 lbs and 27 inches long! She is growing like a weed. I am so grateful that I get to spend all day with Mags. She is a crack up. We love having her in our family! Maggie keeps pulling the funniest faces. Here is a video of her sort of dancing ( I caught the tail end of it) Watch for her awesome faces!

Our Weekend

2009-01-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

One of my New Years resolutions was to better document our lives. This blog has sort of turned into my journal/scrapbook/blog. Hopefully someday I will look back on these insignificant details and moments of our lives and be glad that I took the time to document what we did, who we were with and even what headband Maggie wore. Even if it is something as trivial as what we did on the weekend of January 17th(Happy Birthday Mom)! So heres to fulfilling one of my many resolutions!

Happy Birthday Matt!

2009-01-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

Matt turned the big 2-8 on Thursday January, 15th. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by. Last year on Matt's birthday we moved out of our house in North Ogden. (It was not fun) This year was much better. I prepared a feast! It took all day, but it turned out great. Here was our menu-
Filet Mignon, roasted red potatoes, shrimp and cocktail sauce, salad, wilted green beans with bacon, dinner rolls and bIrThDaY cAkE (and a rootbeer float for Matt)

Here are a few pictures of our night. *Thank you Spencer for your help with the steaks!

28 things I love about Matt

1. He will watch the food network with me- and he loves it!

2. The way he drinks orange juice morning noon and night.

3. The awesome dad he is to Maggie

4. He loves treats ( like me!)

5. He is so dependable- if he says he'll do something, he does

6. He loves my family- he is always up for a trip to Holden

7. He always looks so nice.

8. The way he picks out my clothes. (Yes, he shops for me and does a dang good job)

9. The way he adores our nieces and nephews

10. He is very spontaneous- "Let's go away for the weekend and leave right now!"

11. He handles all our finances and is so good at it. If we can't afford it...he won't buy it.

12. He is so handy! He can fix everything!

13. He loves to educate himself on politics

14. He pushes me to step outside of my comfort zone. ( I love and hate that one)

15. He sets goals for himself every single year

16. He has a very compassionate heart

17. He is such a hard worker

18. He comes from and excellent family. He loves and respects his parents

19.He loves to be active- basketball, football, softball, bike riding- you name it!

20. He is always trying to better himself

21. He will eat anything I cook.

22. He loves to tease me.

23. He is such good friends with my dad.

24. He loves the Lord and puts him first

25. He is a fantastic public speaker

26. He loves to play games- especially settlers, even though I always win

27. He is super competetive (like me)

28. I love that Matt is mine!

Happy Birthday Matt! We love you!

Pizza Thursday

2009-01-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

2009-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Love, The Stephens Family

Tagged!

2008-12-22T14:30:00.001-08:00

50 things tag
1.What color is your tooth brush? Clear... for now. I rotate quite frequently
2. Did you dream last night? nope..too tired
3. What is your favorite candy bar? Milky Way
4. Have you ever been to a strip club? No.
5. What is the last thing you said aloud? Do you not feel very good? How does a bath sound?
6. What is the best ice cream flavor? Vanilla
7. What is the last thing you had to drink? Lets be honest....Dr.Pepper
.8. What are you wearing right now? Jeans and a Abercrombie T. My staple outfit for hanging around the house.
9. What was the last thing you ate? Toast
10. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? Yep. For Matt for Christmas.
11. When was the last time you ran? I've been slacking lately. Three weeks ago.
12. Who was the last person to send you a message/comment on your blog? Andrea
13. Do you take vitamins daily? Yes. I still take Prenatals since I'm nursing.
14. Do you go to church every Sunday? Yes. We try.
15. Do you have a tan? I'm working on it.
16. Do you like Chinese food over pizza? No way...I'm a pizza lover.
17. Do you drink soda with a straw? At restaurants. You never know where those cups have been!!!
18. What does your last text message say? "Someone is smoking in number __.":) I love my job.
19. Are you someones best friend? I hope so!
20. What are you doing tomorrow? Packing, going to Holden and doing lots of hair.
21. Where is your dad? In the dental office working today.
22. Look to your left, what do you see? Maggie playing with turtles in the bathtub. 23. What color is your favorite pair of shoes? Brown
24. Do you use chap stick? Not often enough according to Matt :) I use Burts Beeswax.
25. Whats your favorite thing to do in your free time? Read for sure. I'm a junkie
26. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Depends. We do both.
27. Do you have a dog? Nope.
28. Last guy you talked on the phone with? Matt..."Could you bring home some tylenol? Maggie is miserable."
29. Last girl you talked on the phone with? Brittney.
30. Any fun vacation plans soon? Maybe a cruise in the spring?????
31. Do you dye your hair? Sometimes just for shine and texture. (I dye it my natural color) I am pretty boring and only do it like twice a year.
32. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Only because I know a song.
33. Do you have a maid service clean your house? I wish. I hate laundry.
34. Are you jealous of anyone? Not really. I'm pretty content. Life is good.
35. Do you love anyone? Of course. Lots of people. Especially Mags and Matt.
36. Do any of your friends have children? Yes
37. Do you use the word Hello daily? All day everyday
38. Do you like cats? Nope.
39. Have you ever been to Six Flags? No.
40. How did you get your worst scar? I attempted to jump over this stick in the ground while playing Olympics at Joni's house with Richard, Eryn and Joni when I was like 11. It cut the inside of my upper thigh.
41.What is your favorite smell? Bread baking. Rain on cement.
42. What is the last DVD you watched? August Rush....still need to finish it.
43. Have you ever been to Disney World? Nope.
44. What is your favorite number? 10.
45. Do you toast your pop tarts? I don't eat pop tarts.
46. Have you ever waited tables? No.
48. What should you be doing? Folding laundry. Instead I'm supervising my sick baby in the tub. It's the only that makes her stop crying today!
49. Do you enjoy wasting time blogging? Always!
50. How many blogs to you contribute to? 1.

We did it!

2008-12-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

On Saturday December 13th, we were able to be sealed as a family in the Manti temple. It was a BLIZZARD, but the day was perfect. We were so blessed to be able to get to this point in our lives. The past year has been filled with ups and downs as we strived to make it this far. Our first year as a family was challenging, but WE MADE IT! 2008 marks the end of our first year together....but it is merely the beginning. I am so grateful to have Matt and Maggie in my life! Life is so good. We couldn't ask for anything more. *Thank you to everyone who traveled in such hazardous conditions to be with us! We were so glad to have you there.

Catching Up

2008-12-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been a very good mother to my blog. I find myself more intrigued with other blogs than updating my own. Everyday I have this conversation with myself...."I really need to update my blog....I know I know".......and then I start making a list of all of the things to post about. But at the end of the day, my bed is more appealing than posting. This website is sort of like a journal/scrapbook, so I need to stay on it! Props to those of you who update so frequently. So this is what I like to call a bulk post. This post will include: Maggie meet's Uncle Daniel, BYU vs UTAH football party, our anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas tree hunting, Early mornings at our house and what's a good post without a few random pictures of our Maggie girl. Grab some snacks....here we go.....

Matt's youngest brother Daniel arrived home from his mission in Brazil on November 5th. Daniel got to meet Maggie (and me) for the first time. It was such a fun day! We are so proud of you Daniel!

GO UTES! We had a few friends over to watch the big game. It was a blast.

Here was the spread......

And the decorations.....

Maggie wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00. I feed her and then put her in bed with Matt while I get ready. The other day I got out of the shower and this is what I found. They are both crashed out. It was super cute. Maggie loves her Daddy!

Here is a close up. Priceless.

Maggie's hair is getting longer. I put it in pigtails again. She is growing up so fast. She's turning into a little kid instead of a baby. Here are some pictures from this morning.

She is such a ham. She just cracks herself up.

She was supposed to be asleep.....no way mom! I'm ready to play!

Maggie threw up all over Matt while we were getting family pictures taken. It was awesome! That girl can't stay clean for five minutes!

And last but not least...............This rockin hairdo in the bathtub. She reminds me of great horned owl! lOvE yOu MaGs!

November Highlights

Our anniversary was November 24th. Matt took me to The Cheesecake Factory. My favorite place in the whole world! We kept it low key. We went to dinner, did a little shopping in the mall (bought Maggie this awesome mad bomber hat) and then came home and spent some time together. It was a great day. Thank you to Travis and Malea for watching Maggie so we could go babyless!

We spent Thanksgiving in Holden at my parents. It was great to see everybody! Our weekend consisted of doing hair, Thanksgiving, visiting family, working on the dental office, pizza party, cutting a Christmas tree, root canals, Maggie's screamfest, good food, late nights, & 15 games of Settlers. Good times.

The end......whew!

Maggie's Hiatus

2008-11-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

Maggie spent her first night away from me on Thursday. My mom happened to be in town on Thursday and we planned on going to Holden Friday morning. She convinced me to let her take Maggie home late Thursday evening. After Matt and my mom convinced me it would be a good thing, I gave in. After packing her bags and writing a very detailed list of instructions, I buckled her in my mom’s car. As soon as I kissed her goodnight…..you guessed it….the tears came! I couldn’t help it! What if she missed me? What if she needed me? What if she cried the whole time? As I watched the car drive away I couldn’t help but wonder WHAT AM I DOING? Matt reassured me that I would only be away from her for no more than 18 hours (8 of which I would be sleeping.) After they left, we were busy and I knew Mags would be asleep for the rest of the night. I was able to enjoy my evening of freedom. When I woke up on Friday morning, it hit me- I missed Maggie! I was supposed to be enjoying my morning to sleep in, but I was too worried. I called my mom around seven to make sure she was alright. My mom continued to reassure me that she was surviving just fine without me. The original plan was to leave for Holden around one. I got up, got ready, packed my bags….called my mom a few hundred times to check on my baby….and then headed south at eleven. It was two hours earlier than planned, but I couldn't wait one more minute. Driving to Holden that day took longer than it ever has in my whole life. The whole time I was driving I was imagining her crying and miserable. I couldn't get there fast enough. When we pulled into my parent’s house I jumped out of the car, ran up the walk and hurdled the steps. I busted through the door ready to save Maggie only to find her perfectly content. She looked up at me and smiled and then went back to her business of playing with her toys. I was amazed. Apparently I’m the only one who suffered from separation anxiety…….

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Maggie's first Halloween was so much fun! She looked great in her wiggle worm costume. We went to Ogden and spent the evening with Matt's family. It was so fun to be with all of the kids. Mags only lasted for a half hour in her costume. We had to undo the neck on her hat because she was clausterphobic (like her mother). She was such a good sport. She loves being around all of her cousins. We love the mahem! The highlight of the night was when I gave her a sucker. She was like an old pro. She knew exactly how to do it. You are growing up too fast Maggie James!

We had an FHE Halloween party with our friends at Cherry Hill. It was amazing that we could fit 16 people in these tiny apartments! The party was a blast! We are so blessed to have such amazing friends here at Cherry Hill! It was an evening of good friends, good food and great costumes! Thanks everyone!

These pictures were taken after the costumes came off. Maggie and her cousin Joel were having a great time with treats that were still in their wrappers. Maggie kept trying to open the candybar. I swear that girl is too smart for her own good!

Maggie Fly Hunter!!!

2008-10-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Maggie laughs at the most random things lately. While we were in Holden this weekend, my mom was swatting flies and Maggie thought it was absolutely hilarious. I love this video. I laugh every time I watch it. Enjoy!

Curlers!

2008-10-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

I put curlers in Maggie's hair the other day. She loves to have her hair done. The end result was not spectacular like I had imagined. She sort of looked like one of my weekly ladies that I used to shampoo and set while in hair school. Needless to say, we will be waiting till her hair gets a little longer to try this again. Thanks for being a good sport. Love you Mags!

This picture is named MiniMatt in my folder for obvious reasons. ( Minus the curlers)

Thank you to Malea for always taking such fun pictures of our Maggie girl. You are the best! (Gotta love her hair in this picture. I can't control it!)

Rice Cereal

2008-09-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Maggie can't get enough of her rice cereal. We can't get it in her mouth fast enough. She is so funny to watch. We look forward to it every night. Matt was feeding her the other day and she was a mess! Here are a few pictures....

Note to self: Supervise the next feeding
These next two pictures are random, but I love them.

This is Maggie's new favorite position on the Boppy.

This is my favorite picture. Note Maggie's WILD afro and throw up in her mouth. Oh well! She was laughing so hard at Matt. We love her giggles

Ponytails

2008-09-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

I am having a hard time controling Maggie's WILD hair. It's getting so long and it's really fuzzy! Today I decided to try something a little different. There's not much there, but just enough for two ponytails! She held really still and just watched me do it! She looks so much older!

Maggie loves to admire herself in the mirror. She'll usually even give herself a kiss!

Time Machine

2008-09-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what you would look like if you were born in a different era? This was really fun- check it out at www.yearbookyourself.com

A day in the life of Maggie

2008-09-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Tummy Time

2008-09-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

After spending some time with a few babies that are around Maggie's age, I noticed that Mags has no desire to be mobile. My pediatrician recommended giving her "tummy time" in order to strengthen her neck and arm muscles. We have started doing this twice a day and it seems to be helping. She absolutely HATES it! I put toys on the floor and try to distract her, but she has no interest at all. I took this picture today, and the look on her face says it all. She just kept scowling at me. It was cracking me up. Sorry Mags! You can't be a vegetable forever!

A weekend at the cabin!

2008-09-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the cabin, it was a much needed getaway! The cabin is in Wyoming and it is so beautiful up there. We left Friday afternoon and got home Sunday. There was lots of fishing, riding four wheelers, movies, games, good food and great company! We had a blast! Here are a few pictures from our weekend.

Out by the campfire

Matt & Maggie

He caught a fish!

Family picture after a four wheeler ride

Maggie's first fishing lesson

In Matt's words- Baby bear and little red riding hood

Summertime Slideshow

2008-08-23T10:27:00.001-07:00

Maggie is 3 months!

2008-08-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

I took Maggie to Kiddie Kandids to get her 3 month pictures taken. Little did I know, she was coming down with a nasty cold. She wasn't her happy self. After a nap, and a stroll around Babies R Us for an hour she was camera ready and we were able to get these cute pictures.

Stephens Family Campout

2008-08-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

We were able to go camping in the Uintahs with the Stephens family. It was so beautiful and the fishing was awesome. Maggie did surprisingly well sleeping in the tent. She loves the outdoors and was so good while we were camping. Here are a few pictures of our trip!

Maggie James Stephens

2008-08-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Maggie was born on April 24th 2008 at 3:03pm. She weighed 6 lbs 2 oz and measured 20 inches long. Maggie has been such a blessing in life. She is an AWESOME baby. She is always so happy and very content most of the time. We are so grateful to have her as part of our family. We love you Maggie!

Blessing Day

2008-08-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

We blessed Maggie on July 6th. Maggie's dress was a simple knit dress. She looked beautiful in a big white bow and crocheted booties. Matt's older brother had a baby boy 4 days after Mags was born. We were able to do a combine blessing in Farr West. Afterwards we had a nice luncheon at the Stephens house. It was such a fun day and so special to be able to share it with Nate, Kristie and baby Joel!

First Post

2008-08-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed reading the blogs of my friends and family, so I decided to create my own. I figure it's a great way to document the trivial aspects of day to day living that you don't want to forget. Not to mention I have a million cute pictures of Maggie that I need to share with everyone. Enjoy!