Grateful

I want to express my gratitude for all those who have served or are currently serving our country in the military. I am extremely grateful for the freedoms and opportunities I have because of the armed forces. Thank you, from the bottom of my red, white a blue heart.

p.s- I love you, Dad

hoooottt

My friends and I did a skit for a talent show on Friday Night... don't I look fabulous?!?! Click here to see the original.

visitors from the garden state

I love it when family visits! It was fun to see how Nora & Rachel have grown. I can't wait until the next time we get to see Natalie and her family.

Good decision

We usually have the missionaries come for dinner twice a month. This month, the only two days we were available was yesterday and today. Crazy??? No way! I only have to clean the house for them once! I think this is brilliance in the making...

My dream house

I'm not sure if it's a good thing that "Say Yes to the Dress" is on Netflix instant streaming...

For the sake of successful scrapbooking...

I need to post these pictures:
New necklace for my birthday!

Our hotel room... so cozy- except for the creepy porcelain dolls.

Giant strawberry and giant pile of vintage candy

ahhh....

I don't usually like to post experiences like this on my blog. I like to keep it light and fun... but I lost my journal. I can't find it anywhere and I need to write this down because it was such a sweet experience for me and I want to remember it.

I worked hard all day on a huge catering event. My feet hurt. I look terrible. But we are going out of town tomorrow and I needed gas. I was debating on whether or not to get gas tonight or tomorrow morning. After working so hard, I thought that Heavenly Father would understand if I went home to bed instead and bought gas on the Sabbath. You see, as part of our religion, we choose to be with family, study scriptures and not shop on Sundays, to keep the Sabbath day holy. In some circumstances, I feel that God understands that we tried our best. Example?: medicine or emergency room, during travel and things of similar nature.

I was well on my way to drive the easy way home (small amount of signals, lots of highway), when I felt a small twinge that I should just bite the bullet and go through town to get gas. In the back of my mind, I felt like it was good to be obedient even when you're exhausted. After getting gas, I took some time to wash my windows. As I was just finishing the rear window, when a car with two young women pulled up to ask for directions after being unsuccessful with two other customers at the gas station. I happily gave them directions and was ready to go home. When I turned away from their car, I noticed that they seemed a little confused by my directions. I was thinking, 'it's so easy... just take a left and a left and you're well on your way. Heck, it's on my way home!' hmm... duh! I offered for the girls to follow me onto the long road up valley since it was on my way home anyway. They seemed grateful and follwed me on their journey. Hopefully they got to where they were going safely.

Now, I know that this experience is simple. But for me it was profound. The car literally felt filled with a strong spirit of peace while I was driving home. I felt that those girls could have prayed to find help- but even if they didn't, a loving God helped them find their way. I feel like in life, we sometimes get a little off the path and need help getting pointed in the right direction. In some instances, we are prayerful in finding our way back, but in others, He just leads us. He puts people in our path to get us heading in the right direction. I have so many dear friends and family that are like little lights on my path (picture the aisle lights in a movie theater). How grateful I am to a loving Heavenly father that grants me small moments that seem so nearly insignificant, but really punch a hole in my heart and make it soft. I love it when I am blessed for being obedient. I love it when the Lord uses me to help and serve others. My favorite thing to do is serve- food, cleaning, teaching- you name it. I get such abundant joy from helping and doing. I know that I am not the best at everything (terrible at writing thank you cards- terr-i-ble!). But I have such gratitude for the talents I have been blessed with.

How wonderful it feels to have small moments in time that are pivotal to a facet of my testimony. I love them and I love to remember them! Gosh, now I am kind of grateful I didn't find my journal, because this would have been terrible to write out long hand, huh?

Fieldtrip

Now if she could just make that into some cheese,

we'd be in business.

p.s.- I'm really not trying to look like Mr. T in this pic...

I pity da fool

Happy Birthday, Jimmy!

It is Jimmy's birthday today (as the title states) and I wanted to say a few things about Jimmy that will make him want to hide under the table. However, Mr. Graham does not read my blog unless I'm lording over him to read the funniest post ever. I guarantee you that he never agrees. It will be your job, dear readers, to tell him all about what you read on this here blog the next time you see him. That way, all these praises that make him blush will not be in vain.

Anyway, Jimmy my sweet darling husband of nearly nine years has been a stellar example of patience (with me) and hard work. He puts up with my many antics. Most of which are my own fault. That man still has major skill in keeping a straight face when I insist that, "it wasn't my fault!"
I cannot get over the way he amazes me everyday with his strength of character.
I am so proud of all that he has accomplished. My darling has a youtube station that been very successful- I am so proud! Jimmy has always been such a hard worker that I am grateful it is really paying off. And, he's doing what he loves. Because of his persistence, Jimmy has been able to test video games, go to gaming conferences and get some great connections in the industry. It used to be that I was embarrassed to say Jimmy wanted to work in the video game industry, but now I couldn't be happier. I have really looked up to him going after his dreams.

I love that Jimmy's testimony of the gospel strengthens our family. That to write a talk, all I need is Jimmy in the room because he knows every reference and cross reference in the scriptures. It makes me so happy that he shares all the scripture stories with Kaitlin and has given her a love of the scriptures.

My poor husband also suffers through severe poison oak every time he mows the lawn. But he still does it.

That man has also suffered through the numerous pranks I play. It takes a real man to have an ice cold glass of water poured on them in the shower and not scream like a girl.

I am so grateful to being going through this life journey with my best friend. He's kept me laughing the whole time. What's life if you can't laugh, right?

Mother's Day Gift Checklist

The most amazing bollywood movie soundtrack- check
Kaitlin singing the sweetest song ever- check
Special cards from around the nation- check
Reoccurring bout of strep throat- check

Yeah... I must need to be humbled in some way. Because I got strep on my birthday and now on Mother's day. Literally the day after I finished antibiotics, the symptoms started again. I had a phone appointment with the doctor on Friday evening. He told me to get a prescription before the pharmacy closed on Friday evening so that I could start antibiotics over the weekend and not have to wait until Monday for the clinic to open. Jimmy drove like the dickens down there to get my medication. The doctor's other instructions were to wait until the symptoms got worse and to call an advice nurse before starting the medicine. Well folks, the symptoms got worse. I called the advice nurse. He insinuated through his lisp that I am an antibiotic fiend and refused to let me start taking anything to curb these symptoms. Because it is Sunday, our clinic in Napa is not open, so we have to drive to Vallejo for any treatment. Question: why in the world would I continue calling for an antibiotic that's side effects are yeast infections, diarrhea and stomach cramping? So, I will be spending the day (the national breakfast-in-bed, homemade card, sloppy kid kisses day) driving to Vallejo waiting in a very full urgent care room to get a throat culture- just so they can tell me to take the medication I have been sitting on since Friday. Niiiice...

* Update: Crisis averted! I talked to a doctor right before going into church (and then on to urgent care) and he basically called out the advice nurse for giving bad advice. The dear doc told me to take the antibiotics and hop my way into church to have a wonderful mother's day. Yay! You should never trust anyone with a lisp that thinks you're an antibiotic junkie.

I'll have it for FIVE years!

My license expired this year on my birthday, so I had to renew it before then.
Upon arrival to the DMV, I learned that I would need a new picture. (I am sure you can tell where it's going from here...) I just received my license in the mail. Ouch.
Funny thing: I specifically asked the man taking my picture, "How's my hair?"
He grunted.
My mistake? I assumed that a grunt was a positive thing.

Somebody get a firehose

I was reading to Kaitlin one night when my shirt came up a little and a sliver of my stomach was visible.
Kaitlin made mention and I pulled it down saying, "That's right, Kaitlin, modest is hottest."
She responded, "No mom, hottest is when a boy doesn't have a shirt on."
ARGH!!! Help! She is six!years!old!

All I want for Christmas...

What's your score?

A few years ago, I came up with a game that makes me happy. Because, I nearly always win. Scratch that, I always win.

Here's the game: Dork Snort

Rules: For each time a player does something that qualifies as 'dorky', the other players must award points, ranging from 1 to 3. You know, like how many snorts you would cough up for level of dorkiness. For example- If you stumble while walking along a level surface, that's 1 point. If you stumble while walking on a level surface, have an exaggerated large trip, but regain your senses, that's 2 points. If you are walking and fall flat on your face, that's an easy 3 points.

Then the person receiving points would snort the appropriate number of times.

It's not an 'everyone take turns' game, just a running tally of daily events.
Every year at girls' camp we play. In fact, I am usually playing (with myself) everyday. That explains a lot, huh?

The good news?

I'm not dead.
The bad news?
I have strep...

and apparently for over a month. I was scolded by the doctor for not complaining enough- she's never been to our house. At one point during the appointment she actually took a mirror off the wall to point out how I shouldn't be able to breathe. Niiiice... if I'm going to kill myself slowly, I choose to go by a food induced coma.


p.s.- I love my doctor sooo much. I always feel validated and unrushed. Plus, her scarf was super cute today. If you have Kaiser, you should ask to be Dr. Carol Besana's patient, she's rad.

A smatter of pictures

easter.muse.milestone.beach.

Hello Karma,

we meet again.

So, remember the post about me giving Jimmy the silent treatment? Yeah, so do I.
Why: After numerous reminders, starting in January, that I wanted to do something fabulous for my birthday weekend, I find out less than a week before my birthday that nothing has been planned.
How: I threw a 'it's my party and I'll cry if I want' hissy fit and launched into the silent treatment, including the full head turn when husband zooms in for a kiss.
Repercussions: Jimmy went into full planning mode and pulled an event schedule out of thin air. I was very pleased with the results. Stephanie started talking to her poor husband again.

However, my good friend Karma, had other plans. On the morning of my birthday, I woke up with the most excruciating pain in my throat. That's how any sickness starts for me. I was really not feeling the day. Crawling back into bed was the ideal, but Jimmy was not letting his plans go by the wayside. So, off we went to Denny's for free breakfast. FREE! Then, I wanted to get the car washed. Off we went to Classic Car Wash. It was FREE! Gosh, I had really gotten used to this whole whip out your id for free stuff day. Also on the list of free stuff on your birthday: a flower at Beau Fleurs, dessert at Applebee's, $30 at Benihahna's (sign up and they'll send your a gc), steak dinner at Black Angus, sombrero at Chevy's, ice cream at Coldstone, personal pizza at Roundtable and many, many more... Seriously, you can have an amazing birthday for free if you just jump from one place to another with your license flashing.
But I digress...
We drove to Sonoma and had a great time going to all the shops. Highlight? Tiddle E Winks- the best little vintage candy shop ever! I got some pretty sweet candy (that pun was intended) and a couple of vintage charms to go on a necklace. Oh yeah, and some FREE candy because it was my birthday! Plus, the very best gift I could have asked for: The sales clerk was very friendly and noticed I was singing along with Beatles album she had playing. We struck up a conversation about the Beatles and I mentioned how my six year old daughter's favorite album is the Abbey Road album. The clerk looked quizzical and said, "You have a six year old daughter?"
"Yes," I responded.
Then she said (bless her heart), "I thought you two were newlyweds. Just the way he looks at you with such adoration, I was sure you were here on your honeymoon." Awww... I probably shouldn't mention the silent treatment just recently administered, huh?

As the day continues, the chills set in and I got a pretty high fever. What we ended up missing: dinner reservations, hotel check-in (that's an embarrassing story where the concierge called repeatedly looking for us until giving up and leaving our key under the mat) and good night's sleep. We ditched the hotel a night early and left at 7:30am, swung by Bouchon Bakery for some takeout pastries and went home to sleep.

So the final result: Stephanie, the silent treatment administrator, ends up in bed missing more than half of the activities planned for 'the most fabulous birthday weekend ever'. And Jimmy, the silent treatment sufferer, gets to play videos games for the majority of the weekend while wife is silent as the dead and daughter is at Nana's.
Karma, such a fair weather friend.

breaking the mold

Netflix is my buddy.
I love watching the instant streaming movies and shows, especially the ones they predict I'll love. Well, I recently watched Bonneville, a movie that was suggested to me by my buddy.
It wasn't terrible, but there was one thing in particular that bothered me.
There was a character that was the 'stuffy Mormon'.
The movie writers got the technical parts of Mormonism right... but man, oh, man!!! I am glad I don't fit in to the stereotype that was presented on the big screen.
First of all, the character seemed to be acting in such a way that she resented what she was choosing to do. That she was sorry she couldn't drink coffee, gamble or get drunk. This woman seemed to be the weak link of the friendship. The worry wart. The boring one. Ha!

I want to say right now that the only women I have met that practice their religion (any religion) in that manner- are not happy. The convictions are nearly nonexistent and there's nothing to keep you satisfied in the relationship with your church or deity.
There is a sense of strength that comes from choosing what you know to be right and sticking with it.
With faith comes the desire to do much good in the world, and usually not in an abrasive way that is demeaning to others. I admire all those that readily discuss their beliefs, no matter what sect. I take great comfort in being surrounded by wonderful examples of what a woman should be.
Every religious friend I have is a force to be reckoned with. I love them all. I look up to the beacon they reveal. There is no wishy washy temperament that meanders its way through their choices. And they are definitely not boring...

Can I get an amen?!

Poor guy

I haven't done it in years... but Jimmy is getting the silent treatment.
Have not stooped this low in a long time.
I feel so immature- and smug.
But I will win...


*I'll update when I start talking again.

Stuff...

It's been awhile.

I miss blogging.

Here's what's been going on recently:
I was damned to hell by some evangelists on my way into a Muse concert. These religious zealots handed out 'tickets' to hell... yeah, I'm pretty sure that's not the way to win anyone over. Couldn't you just see it? An attendee of the concert on their way into, quite possibly, the best concert ever say, "You know, you're right. I will not go in there! I will save my soul this very minute!" Haha. I did not bite.

Jimmy and I have been doing P90X (a rigorous exercise and nutrition program) and we love it! Maybe not so much the stand on your head part of the yoga dvd...

Kaitlin went on her first field trip of the year. Her class went to the library and fire station. Let me just say this- any field trip with beautiful and buff men (in uniform, no less) will be chaperoned by yours truly.

Easter was very special. I loved hearing the wonderful words of inspiration and hope from the leaders of our church.

Ycl sleepover= awesome! We had a ton of girls over. The best part? They all went to bed around 12:30.

The strawberry stand is open and I have contributed much to their commerce already.

The weather has been like a girl lately... cannot make up it's mind. "Do I want to rain? Should I be sunny? Do these clouds make me look fat?"

I will post pictures when the freakin' slow internet stops wheezing out my most recent request.