The Patterson Clan

A "No Drama Mama"

2012-02-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

So when I found out I was pregnant I promised myself that I wouldn't freak out over EVERY little thing. I would be a "NO DRAMA MAMA!" Well my precious little Lily has had quite a rocky start to life. Let me elaborate, she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck twice and once around her shoulder, she went completely blue after she was born because she swallowed some of the amniotic fluid, she is allergic to milk, she got para-influenza before she was 3 months old (which she means had to do a full body workup, including a spinal tap), she had a severe allergic reaction to rice cereal, she is allergic to peaches, her lips, arms, and legs go blue sometimes which brings me to my final reason for being a completely drama full mama. Her last doctor appointment started with a "I think she has an ear infection" and ended with a "I need to set up an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist." AHHHHH! As tired as I might be from all the stress and worry of a never ending battle between what went wrong, what could go wrong, and what will go wrong, I wouldn't trade a single day of it for something different. I love my Lily.

Lily's Favorite Toy

2011-12-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

Nathan and I decided a long time ago that we were going to be frugal when it comes to toys for our children. We hope to teach our children how to be happy without a mound of "things." However, that being said, we did break down and buy her a stuffed animal and this is her reaction to it every single time she see's it. This type of a reaction makes it hard to not run out to the store and buy everything in sight! It's so fun to see her so happy.

The many adventures of Lily's first 3 months of Life

2011-11-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well three months have come and are slowing going so I should probably update the world on whats been happening. Nathan has interviewed at two different med schools already and we are still waiting to hear what they have to say (PLEASE say we got in!!!!) One of the schools was in Washington state and Nathan decided it was cheaper to drive than fly so I got to go with him. I loved it! We drove a total of 22 hours, stayed in a hotel, toured the campus after his interview, and then ate some really good local cuisine. Over all we loved the school. The next place he interviewed at was in Tennessee and I demanded that I go! Actually, I felt impressed I needed to. I thought it was because I never see my family that is on that side of the country, however now I know it was much more than that. I do have family in Tennessee and oh how I love them!!! I was reminded of the precious relationship I have with my oldest brother Cory. I was able to bond with my sister Melissa in a way I have never been able too because we have babies that are only 3 weeks apart in age. This was seriously one of the most amazing experience of my life. (Although it made me realize one baby is hard in its own way but TWO?! No thanks. :) I was able to listen to my 8 year old niece sing the same rhyme over and over and over which made me think about how I use to sing "Mrs. Mary Mack" over and over and over. And I saw a side of my 6 year old niece that let me know she really was suppose to be named after me. Then there's my sweet 2 year old niece who climbs and gets into everything on her own that reminded me how hard I use to strive to be independent and yet it comes so easily to her. And finally my niece who came to this earth around the same time my daughter did and I know she came so that my Lily would never be alone. (There is more behind that but I'll save that for another day) While in Tennessee my parents came down for the weekend and that was awesome... except my mother bought this new, amazing food slicer and well I also got my first set of stitches in Tennessee. THANKS MOM!!!! :)

From Tennessee we flew to Texas. A place where I was desperate to have Lily visit. I love Texas. It's my home away from home. I would go back in a heart beat if I could convince Nathan. I was so ready to hit all the major sites; Braum's, Marble Slab, and see some old friends. Well, that did not happen. about half way into our trip Lily started acting funny and then came the fever, cough, and vomiting. So I took her to the ER but they couldn't find the source of the fever so the sent us to the Childrens' hospital in Dallas (Because Lily wasn't over 3 months old they are required to do tests until they find the source of the fever). So we did blood tests, urine tests, swabs from her nose and even a spinal tap. Seriously?! Can you say panic?!!!!!!! She came back positive for the Para-influenza virus but they kept her for observation until the cultures came back negative for Meningitis. Thank heavens it was only a nasty nasty case of the flue. We spent the rest of our Texas vacation in the hospital and only got released in time to pack, sleep for a couple of hours and then get back on a plane to come home to Utah. (Dad has already sworn we are never traveling again without him.)

Once back in Utah I had to run around like a crazy person trying to find a Halloween costume because I was going to do that in Texas but didn't have time and after spending 15 bucks on a stupid candy corn looking jumper and nothing for me, I decided to wear scrubs and put Lily in pajama's that have cow spots on them and call it good. Which is what I did. I painted Lily's face which was a lot harder than I thought it would be and we went to a Halloween party. Now normally I wouldn't have gone but we were assigned drinks and I had invited some friends that if we didn't go they wouldn't have known anyone. I also felt really bad about our costumes when I saw my husbands. See he didn't want to dress up and I threatened his life because this was his daughters first Halloween and it was going to be special! Poor guy, he went all out as Jiminy Cricket and I didn't hardly do anything. We had a lot of fun though and it was worth it. I loved that my friends Katie and Jason came. It made things so much more fun for me.

After that we did a follow up visit with Lily's normal pediatrician and now things are getting back to normal. Thank heavens. This adventure as a mother is incredible but oh what I would give to be sick in place of my child. It really pulls on your heart strings to say the least.

Oh and a few last minute things, Lily has rolled from her back to her front a few times on her own and she's mobile. She scoots with her legs while on her back. I know it's not like shes crawling or that she does it all the time but still, CRAZY!!!! I can't leave her on the bed anymore or sit her in a chair without her being strapped in. Life as we know it is changing. BRING IT ON!

No Longer a newborn?

2011-09-26T13:07:00.000-06:00

When does a child become a baby rather than a newborn?! I still think of Lily as a newborn but last night I had to put her in her first non-newborn jammies!!!!!! Can she be that old already? It was such a crazy feeling. I nearly cried as I put all her newborn pajamas in a box to be stored. STORED! As you can tell I'm not handling this well. :) Here are some pictures of this momentous occasion:

Lily's first photo shoot

2011-09-02T22:47:00.000-06:00

Most of these are on facebook but I thought I would share it just in case someone missed them.

Another year down

2011-08-21T22:53:00.000-06:00

Nathan and I have recently celebrated our two year anniversary. What did we do to celebrate? We spent the day ooh-ing and ahh-ing over our baby girl. We took the day easy and just enjoyed the newest stage of our lives together. Looking back, Nathan and I have done so much in two years. I know that Nathan and I have worked hard on our relationship to make sure that we grow, improve, and better each other. I love Nathan so much and I have cherished each and every moment we have shared together. I look at him and see the man of my dreams and an incredible father. As I watch him rock Lily when she's fussy and change her bum when it's dirty and sing to her just because I thank my father in heaven for allowing me to have such a beautiful life!!! I can't believe how much I have and it's only been two years, I cannot wait to see what the years down the road bring.

The day our lives changed forever...

2011-08-16T09:24:00.000-06:00

August 3 started at about 4 in the morning. I woke up feeling a little stomach cramping and I thought after I had gone to the restroom it would stop, like normal. However as I laid in bed trying to go back to sleep the cramping continued and eventually got worse. By 4:45 I thought, this could be it, should we go to the hospital?, I'm supposed to be induced tomorrow, my mom and sister are driving up today, this is just pretend, and then crap! this really doesn't feel like anything I've ever felt before. So I woke Nate up and said I think we should get to the hospital. Well by the time we got there and they checked me at 5:30 I was dilated to a 5 (I had been sitting at a 2 for almost a month) so we hurried and made all the phone calls to our parents. My mom thought we were joking at first but trust me, we weren't. I had to decide pretty quickly if I wanted an epidural or not because the doc was getting ready to go in for a planned c-section so I decided not to risk it and got it. (I had been hoping to go as long as I could without one and then using it as a relief so getting it right off the bat was not ideal for me.) By the time the got it hooked up and checked me again, I was just beginning to feel the numbness rush over me, I was at an 8. In less than an hour I had made it to an 8! So the nurse threatened everyone's life not to touch me because I needed atleast another 3 hours for the medicines to kick in (stupid strep b!!!). At this point it was kicks and giggles. We just bought our time until the meds were all in my system. From here the doctor came in, broke my water, and said okay you are going to be pushing for the next little while. And 20 minutes later the nurse stopped me in the middle of pushing, ran and got the doc, and two more pushes she was out. A grand total of 5 hours. The doctor said if it weren't for the medication, I could have had her in 3. Here I was ready for a 12, 18, 24, 36 hour ordeal and I was in and out in 5!

At 10:12 am Nathan and I had our world turned upside down in the best way imaginable. This 7 lb 2 oz, 21 inches long beauty had us wrapped around her long gorgeous fingers before she even took her first breath. She was beyond perfect and I could not have asked for a more perfect start to that day. Lily Weston Patterson was named after beauty, strength, and honor. She carries the name of Nathans' youngest brother who died and we know that she is here to bring peace and healing to those she comes in contact with.

We blessed her on the 14th of August and it was life changing to hear the things she was blessed with. I know that from this day forward Nate and I may not always get things right but we will try our very best to keep safe the sacred gift that was given to us from the Lord. We will strive to bring her up with faith, love, and an understanding of who she is, a daughter of our Heavenly Father. We thank the Lord each day for her smiling face and her sweet tender spirit. We love her with all of our hearts and more.

Lessons I hope to teach my children

2011-07-22T15:36:00.000-06:00

Last night Nate and I watched a bunch of Mormon messages and one of them really struck me. I mean several of them brought tears to my eyes and even answered a couple of my prayers. However as I watched this certain one all I could think about was, how do I teach my children to be like the older boy in this video? As a pending mother (that's right, my baby hasn't come yet) I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to find a way to teach my children to be noble and kind, just like in this video. My prayer these days is to be able to teach these principles to our children and hopefully they get an opportunity to bless someone's life.

Here's the video and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did.
http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages-gallery?lang=eng&query=Lessons+learned+boy#lessons-i-learned-as-a-boy

Baby Lily Patterson

2011-07-14T20:41:00.000-06:00

Is not here yet. However I wish she was. I mean I know that I really need to enjoy this time by myself because I will never go back to this stage of my life but....... I REALLY WANT TO MEET HER!!!!!! :)
Anyways, I have two weeks until my due date and I'm dilated to a 2, 80% thinned out, and the baby is at a positive 2 station. So I'm hoping that I keep progressing and that I don't stay like this for four more weeks. (A girl can hope)

Baby updates.

2011-07-05T16:54:00.000-06:00

So I know in my last post I promised to be better about posting but lets be honest... THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN! Sorry... Anyways I am due at the end of this month and the baby is doing great. She is growing like crazy and has the hiccups all day, every day. She gets that from her daddy. :) I have another appointment tomorrow where they will check me (wahoo!) and see how things are going and if this baby is planning on coming anytime soon. Anyways Nate has started receiving secondary application requests from med schools and things are really starting to happen for us. We are living in Ogden for the time being and probably until fall hits us, then who knows where we'll be (except in the land of no sleep and a brand new baby!!!!)

I'm a bum

2011-04-29T16:40:00.000-06:00

I have not updated this thing in for ever! Hence the title, I am a bum. SORRY! We have had a lot happen since I last wrote on here. We found out we are having a girl!!! YAY!!! We chose a first name (still decided on the middle). We made it through finals week. We made it through graduation and we had a baby shower. Life is great! Busy but so good. I will post pictures soon of everything that has happened recently, I promise!! :)

Saint Valentines

2011-02-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

I know its late but Happy Valentines!!!! Nate and I decided that this year we would do something super special since its likely our last Valentines in Provo. So we made reservations at The Chef's Table. It was so perfect. It was a lot of fun being fancy for one evening. Although I need to brush up on fine dining etiquette. :) The food was AMAZING and the evening was perfect.

Fun little fact, Nate and I have an ultrasound on Tuesday. We could potentially find out the sex baby!!!!!

Birthday dinner

2011-02-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

My grandma and grandpa have been trying to take me out for my birthday dinner since Dec. and last night we finally made it happen. YAY! It was a lot of fun. We went to Texas Roadhouse and I ate my weight in food. It's probably because I haven't had a real meal since I've been sick but either way, salmon and a baked potato hit the spot last night.

Today we tried to go to the Byu basketball game but there were no seats!!!! Which was really funny because BYU sent out an email telling people not to stress, they haven't had to turn students away in years. SO NOT TRUE TONIGHT! Luckily we recorded the game so we got to watch the whole thing. We won but Jimmer was kind of off his game tonight. GO COUGARS!

The gosh darn flu!

2011-02-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Nate and I have been living on cloud nine since the last time I posted something on here. And then all the sudden, I didn't feel very good. I just felt tired and almost like I had been run over by a bus. So I rested and slept most of my weekend away. Then came Sunday night and I a fever that was sitting close to 102 all evening, and a couch that felt dry and annoying, and then the stuffy nose came. So we called the on-call doc who told us a bunch of stuff that merely covered up the symptoms for about an hour or two. Monday morning rolled around and I couldn't keep anything down. So I called my family doc and the found a spot for me to come in that day. I am so glad I did. I had the flu and it was awful.Iwas dehydrated so I had to get a liter of fluids and I got some good meds. NOT! Tylenol is the only thing I can take. She did offer some other medicine but it was 90 bucks which we would have gladly paid but its a medicine you are suppose to take the first day you get symptoms not the 3rd, so she wasn't even sure if it would work. I'm not paying 90 bucks for something that won't work. Sorry! So instead I called for a priesthood blessing and we all know that those are the best kind of medicine you can get. My fever finally broke, I didn't feel like two semi's had run me over and I was getting decent sleep. Then Nathan started to get it. so our house is pretty pathetic and lame right now. But we are watching a lot of old AMC movies together which has been fun. I am starting to feel like myself but I usually need a nap midway through the day. Nate is off and on so I'm praying it doesn't hit him as hard as it hit me. In conclusion, the gosh darn flu has taken over our house!!!!

Our little one

2011-01-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well the doctors appointment went GREAT! Other than the invasion of personal space that is. :) I guess I am going to have to get used to that. But everything looked great and the baby is super healthy and active. The ultrasound tech actually told the baby to stop moving so she could get a good picture. When I told my dad this he was quick to say "oh, just like his parents. You tell him to do one thing and he does the complete opposite." I guess that lets you know how independent and stubborn we are. Hearing the heart beat was... the most amazing thing ever. I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. I never realized just how amazing having a baby is. How can anybody experience that and not know instantly that there is a God? Anyways, Nathan and I had one of the best days ever yesterday and I could not imagine sharing that experience with any other person. I am so blessed to have him as my other half. Here is a profile shot of our little one at 13 weeks!

Doctors Appointment

2011-01-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I finally have a doctor appointment set up for Wednesday the 19th. I know its way late, hello I am past twelve weeks! Can you believe it? I can't. Anyways after all the insurance fiasco I have insurance and a doctor and I am hoping this first visit goes well. We will get to see the baby, hear its heart beat, and get to the really good stuff of being pregnant. I am so flipping excited!!!!

Bursting at the Pipes?

2011-01-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

So our landlady is replacing all the pipes in the neighborhood and our house decided to be the only house to cause problems. The pipes busted! We were without water for 24 hours which wasn't too bad... except I had dishes that needed to do, luckily only a few plates and cups, and I throw up once every morning. That is not the funnest activity to do without WATER! (It's really not a fun a activity period.)But to be honest I am just glad nothing was ruined. They had to remove our entire sink/counter and cut a huge hole in our kitchen floor. BUT everything is fixed and dandy. We now have the best water pressure in the neighborhood. :) Oh the power of positive thinking.

School, work, and baby updates

2011-01-08T10:50:00.001-07:00

So a new semester has started and things are great. Classes seem manageable and some what fun! Always a good sign right? This is Nate's last semester of school. Well undergrad that is. Next we move on to med school which I must say is a super exciting thought. I am so proud of him, he has worked his bum off trying to do the best for his family. I only have a year and a half left if I stay in the major I am in. The problem is, I want my interpreting license and byu doesn't offer that. I had an experience the other day that made me realize how much I love ASL. I was at work and they pulled me off what I normally do to help with something else and a guy comes in but no one could understand him. Finally I looked up and saw him sign that he was deaf. He was apologizing to us because he was so hard to understand. I walked over and signed back to him that it's okay, I could help if he was patient with my bad signing. The look of relief and joy on his face was unbelievable. I was able to have a full on conversation with the gentleman and get him the information he needed which had nothing to do with my job. I am so grateful for all the things in my life that have led to this, even if he's the only one I ever help. It brought me joy to know I was in the right place at the right time.

Work is great. I just got promoted which is huge because I have only been working there for 2 months. I have taken over all the new hires and trainings for my work. I really love my job. It's not what I want to do with the rest of my life but it's been a great learning experience and a lot of fun.

As for baby updates, he/she is the size of a lime now and that makes me have to pee all the time. :) I only had about a week and a half of real morning sickness around week 7. Now I just get up, throw up once in the morning and then I am great the rest of the day. Ha ha. That sounds bad but it's just the way it is. I haven't put on any weight yet, thank heavens! However my body is changing. As do my eating habits. Bagels are about the only thing I like to eat right now so I have to limit myself to one in the morning for breakfast. I have reached 11 weeks and on thursday I will be at 12. Then I enter the relm of trimester number 2! Crazy!!!!

We are now a Patterson Trio...

2010-12-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well guys, it's official: I am preggers. I think after 3 positive pregnancy tests it is safe to say that. Not exactly planned but none less SUPER excited. Nathan and I could NOT be happier. I mean after all we are having a baby!!! I am due around July 28th so I'm not super far along but I am along. :) Spread the word I have joined the pregnant crowd. Yay!!!!!

Nate's Bday, Halloween, and a weekend in Ogden

2010-11-04T08:29:00.000-06:00

So for Nate's birthday I made him some fajita trio for dinner and a key lime pie for dessert. How boring am I? But in my defense that's all that Nate would let me do!!! So as an extra little something, we went to the pro soccer game in Salt Lake City the next night. That was SO much fun (so much fun that we are going to another game this weekend). The atmosphere is what really made it. We (RE-al Salt Lake) played against Azul(a team from Mexico City) and surprisingly the stadium was about half and half with fans. After going to this game I can now see why soccer is so big in the hispanic cultures. There were children of ALL ages there and they were yelling just as hard as their parents! It's like soccer is breed into them from the start. Well whatever the reasons, the game was awesome.

So for Halloween I had planned a huge movie-fest however that... did not happen. We went to Ogden instead. We spent Halloween at Amanda and Jeff's house doing laundry. Believe it or not, we are poor college kids with no washer and dryer BUT we like the excuse to see family. So while we were doing laundry, our nieces and nephews got a hold of the face paint I brought up (I KNOW! I am the best aunt EVER). It was hilarious. All the adults had crazy drawings on their faces and the kids were so happy. Thankfully I didn't have to re-wash any clothes because of it.

So lastly, we had a weekend in Ogden, which consisted of a baby blessing (which we missed by 4 minutes), a good scare, and what would be a family weekend without a hissyfit?!!! So I'll start with the baby blessing... I thought we left with enough time to make it but we were just shy because when we walked into the sacrament room, they had JUST started the sacrament hymn, and I mean just started. So during the rest of the meeting I thought I would be a good aunt and find pictures of Jesus and church things that my nephew could look at, which ended up being the adults laughing at mormon ads (you know the cheesey ads about being honest and stuff?!) Well I came to one and I thought "oh! how appropriate for hs kids these days" only to have it pointed out that I was doing the EXACT same thing as the ad. Well ya live and ya learn right?!

So my good scare was when Nate and I walked over to Grant and Shelley's for the night it was dark and as we try to come in the gate Tink is growling and walking away from us. I totally thought something had happened. My stomach DROPPED! Fortunately it wasn't Tink, it was a friends dog that looked like Tink in the dark. I was so scared that we had scared her or ruined her by putting a bark collar on her (don't judge me, you have NO idea how bad she barks when we are at new places). Needless to say I no longer believe that bark collars/shock collars are the answer and I will just have to be more dedicated in training her properly.

The hissyfit you ask? Well I lost my nerve when I saw Tink react that way to us and it wasn't a pretty sight. I mean to me I saw a dog that was terrified of me and I knew the collar had ruined her personality and behavior. And believe you me, I let Nathan know that I wasn't happy and that my original concerns were valid. Alas it was not my dog so I apologized profusely and learned that I should always get ALL the details before I freak out. Lesson learned, right?!

Well thanks for reading and here is a copy of the mormon ad I learned from so much.

AHH! Life is crazy!

2010-10-21T08:53:00.000-06:00

So I am an awful blogger these days. But in my defense... I never was a good one. :) Okay, no really in my defense life is crazy. Between school, work, and everyday musts I am always to tired to blog! DON'T JUDGE ME! I know my days aren't as crazy packed as some peoples (haven bless them) but my days are still tiring.

I got a job working at a company called doTERRA. It is so awesome. To be honest my job isn't that fancy, I just work in a call center but the people I work with make it that best place to work every. Not to mention the company it's self has great morals and standards. I have to get up and be there at the crack of dawn but its worth it knowing that I get to spend the time with people who are awesome.

Between Nate and I's school schedules there is always a test or quiz or research hours or class or homework that get in the way of us seeing each other. It's so hard! I mean we study at the same time and usually in the same room so we can be together but it's not the same. It's crazy to think I miss my husband so much even though I see him everyday. School just isn't fun and we still have med school to go through. Sad day. However my husband has been great about planning dates that make up for lost time. We went to a Real(its not real, its RE-AL: spanish for royal) Salt Lake soccer game. That's the pro team for SLC. Seriously, SO MUCH FUN.

You know even though life is crazy right now, I wouldn't change it for anything. It's perfect. It's the way it should be right now. We have to put in our time and eventually we'll slow down in some respects and speed up in others. I'm just trying to enjoy the ride.

One year down and an eternity of more to come.

2010-08-22T10:27:00.000-06:00

Nathan and I have been married for more than a year now!!! At times I think "I can't believe its been a year already, time has just flown by." Then at other moments I'll think "Wait, it's only been a year?" Now when I say that last part I don't mean it in a "ONLY" a year kind of way but rather a, I feel like we have been together for forever and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend forever kind of way.

Seriously, this year has been amazing. We have gotten a puppy, finished a year of school, worked a summer together, taken the MCAT, bought a car, and loved each other more and more everyday. I feel that although we had our spats, like all couples, those rough and tough experiences have brought us closer together as a couple and strengthened us as individuals.

Well happy anniversary baby. I could not have picked a better man or husband. I love you more than yesterday but not nearly as much as tomorrow!

Love,

~Your one and only, Stefi

Baby lets go to Vegas

2010-07-24T17:14:00.000-06:00

I am flying out to Vegas tomorrow and I am so excited!!! I cannot wait to be with family again. The more you go and see them the harder it is not to be there all the time. Not to mention my nieces make me feel like I am the most special person in the world. Not to mention it is great to serve the one person who has everything. Amber seriously is the great sibling ever. She is honest and faithful. She makes you a better person whether or not you want her to. She requires greatness because she believes in each person having the ability. I love her so much and I am so grateful to call her my sister. And I know she loves it when I come because who has a sister who actually says "I will change the diapers around here for the next week"???!!!!
Let's go to Vegas!!!!

We were feeling a little Italian....

2010-07-13T16:54:00.000-06:00

So Nate and I were cooking lunch and we often do this thing where I will do something, like stir the food and then Nate will do the same thing while I am doing what he just finished doing. We never really mean to do this but we do do it. Anyways we decided to make Alfredo and after I shook the sauce jar I started stirring the spaghetti. After Nate stirred the spaghetti he shook the sauce jar. Only I had forgotten to mention that I also ... OPENED the sauce jar. So after about three or four shakes.........

What you can't see is that it is also ALL over Tinks back...

I smiled profusely and laughed histarically. Life in our house is never dull.

We are fin-eat-o...

2010-07-12T21:04:00.000-06:00

Or in other words we are DONE with the mcat.Nate and I got up at 6 that morning, ate breakfast in a sort of silent fashion, and then Tink and I escorted Nate to the car where we said our final good lucks and goodbyes. Fast-forward 6 hours and Nate got home with a smile on his face and a heavy burden lifted from his shoulders. We unfortunately had to go straight to work but that night we ordered the good pizza, Papa John's, and played games all night with our best bud Mikol Dudley. When we finally went to bed we both rested beautifully for the first time in a long time. Seriously best nights sleep in like 2 months!

So how did Nate do?! He did great! We won't know how great for about 2-4 weeks but hey we were thrilled that he didn't run out of time and that he made it through the test alive. He felt great about what he did and I have never been prouder.

M-C-A-T

2010-07-07T20:50:00.000-06:00

Nathan takes the MCAT tomorrow at stinking 8 in the morning!!!! We are so excited and.... REALLY NERVOUS!! Can you tell? Well I know he is going to do amazing and here are a few reasons why...

M-astermind, Nathan studies harder and more diligently than anyone I know. For the past 7 months Nate has gotten up at 6 am and studied until 8am. He even kept it up on our cruise vacation. He knows this test like the back of his hand.

C-ourage, Nathan has so much courage. The fact that he chose a major and life choice that is one of the most respected fields shows that he doesn't settle for the easy. He chooses to go above and beyond what society sets as acceptable(He doesn't want to be just a doctor. He wants to be a pediatric cardiologist. A specialist inside of a specialist). He pushes himself beyond the normal limits and tackles any challenge set at his feet.

A-bsolute, Nathan is certain in who he is and what he stands for. He will not accept less than his best and he will not allow for something that can be done correctly to be done wrong. He does not allow for others and their opinions to sway what he knows to be right. He stands steady and true.

T-rue, Nathan is reliable, unfailing, honest,and honorable. He deserves happiness and greatness. He never goes back on his word. He always puts the needs of others before his own. He is a man worth having on your side. He is the man I want beside mine.

My husband is a great man and I feel beyond blessed to be his wife. I could think of few things that make me happier. (One day starting a family with him and meeting our Savior.) I know Nate appreciates all the love and support from his friends and family. Thank you. Thank you for believing in us and thank you for cheering us on in this life long endeavor. We love you all.

Suedo 4th of July

2010-07-06T16:38:00.000-06:00

This year since the 4th was on a Sunday we decided to celebrate on Saturday... However that did not happen because jobs kept rolling in for Nate so he didn't get off work until 10:30. So we went out to Outback, came home and played some games. So then on Sunday we were going to set off all our fireworks but it rained all day. Instead we waited until Nate got off of work on Monday night and set them off then. There is a cute little park and lake behind our apartments were we lit our fireworks. It was so fun. Mike, Nate and I shot some roman candles into the lake and they actually went off IN the water. We weer so nervous the cops were going to come shut us down because sirens were going off all over. Anyways we had a blast and hopefully next year we will be able to do some BBQ and family stuff.

Tink in her younger days

2010-07-02T16:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was looking for a picture for my mom and instead I found video's and pictures of Tink as a baby. I was tried to post some videos of Tink but it wouldn't let me. So here are some pictures from the first week after we got her. She was so small and chubby. I wish she could have stayed that small. However if she had she never would have become my wonderful guard dog that she is now. Enjoy...

Life as we know it.

2010-06-23T22:20:00.000-06:00

Nate and I are doing great. We are loving Colorado and the office has picked up so we have been way busier. I went to vegas for a week and had so much fun seeing family, holding a 2 week old baby, and teaching swim lessons. I did really good with not being burnt until the last day. I got FRIED! And now I am peeling like crazy. It's so gross. Thank heavens lotion is helping. Tink hates being cooped up in the apartment all day but other than that she is doing great. We taught her a new trick, to roll over. Only she does it before I even tell her to because she knows she gets a treat after she does it. It's been so fun! Well that's all that new with us. I'll try and post some pictures later.

A summary of the past while.

2010-05-15T17:40:00.000-06:00

Nathan and I have moved our family to Denver since the last time I updated my blog. We are here for the summer working for the security company Platinum. My husband is working as a technician and I am working as the inventory manager. I am also teaching swim lessons!!! (That is if the weather ever clears up.) We are living in the office so pretty much we never get alone time and I am constantly cleaning. I feel like I have 24 sons and they don't realize a clean kitchen doesn't just happen! But overall it is worth the money we are saving because we don't have to pay for rent.

Tinkerbell is 7 months old and getting huge. The other day I caught her on my kitchen counter-top!!!! (I thought her bone would stay safe up there, apparently 4 feet high is not high enough.) Although she is getting big, she still thinks she is TINY! In fact when we go on walks, she walks me. She loves humans but hates other dogs. When we go to the dog park she hides from the other dogs by jumping on the picnic tables and sits behind Nathan until they leave. Getting her exposed to lots of people daily has really calmed her down. She hardly jumps anymore.

Nate is one semester away from graduating and takes the MCAT in 2 months. SCARY! He gets up at 7 every morning to study for two hours. Bless his heart. He is such a good man. Depending on how he does on the MCAT will determine if we start applying this year or next year for med schools. I know he'll do great so we will probably start applications this fall.

I am about 2 years away from graduating and I am loving my ASL classes. In fact I am probably changing my major so I can become an interpreter. I can't wait to teach my little ones one day. However that day is far off. I love where we are living just not the weather. I hope it warms up soon because I am starting swim lessons in 2 weeks! I am so not ready for the horrible tan lines that brings but I love watching kids learn how to swim and learn to be confident. My life right now is perfect.,

Dinner w/ the Allphin's

2010-02-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

I am so excited/nervous to have dinner with the Allphin's tonight. We are making homemade guac, alfredo, salad, and cookies. Oddly I am pretty sure that alfredo is Katie's favorite (Katie is my old friend from childhood. Also, she is Melissa's little sister.) I remember that at Melissa and Cory's dinner rehearsal she ordered it and I did too. It was my first time I had ever had alfredo. I hope it is still one of her favorites. I also hope that they like Tink because her and her husband have agreed to babysit my Tinkerbell. I am pretty sure that Tink will be perfect while we are gone but I REALLY hope she is good at their house. She is potty trained and full of tricks. I REALLY hope she does well. I also hope Katie and Jason enjoy having her. I hope they love her (not that I doubt them in the slightest.) I just hope it turns out to be worth their time. I so appreciate them and the peace and comfort they have brought me. Hope this evening turns out GREAT!!!! Maybe I shoudl give Tink a sedative....

I tried to be nice...

2010-02-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

So my cousin is 38 weeks pregnant and she wrote on her facebook that she was sad because she couldn't paint her own toes. I took that as my chance to shine! I called my aunt and told her what I was planning and made sure that my cousin was home(after all where can a 38 week pregnant woman go?). I packed all my good foot scrubs, lotions, and polish in the car and drove over to her house. However when I get there, I find out my aunt was wrong and my cousin was not home and she wouldn't be for a few hours. I was so bummed! I wanted to do something nice for her before she got consumed by her new baby boy. Anyways as I drove home I pondered why I was so bummed. I had been so proud of myself for getting up and going to serve someone in need. However I realized that my emotions of sadness was because I didn't get to serve her, not that she didn't get a surprise mani/pedi. I felt so bad and ashamed that I was doing it more for the ability to say I served someone than to meet their needs. So I am made a commitment to change my attitude and hopefully I can improve myself.

Rodizios or Tucanos?

2010-01-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight Platinum, the company Nate works for, took us out to dinner. They took us to Rodizios but I have to say both Nathan and I like Tucanos WAY better. The meat was good but not as flavorful as at Tucanos and the grilled pineapple is WAY WAY WAY better at Tucanos. Plus Tucanos has a better atmosphere and salad bar. It's just all around better! (Oh for those who don't know these are Brazilian BBQ joints) So for those who have tasted one or even both joints, what is your opinion?

Bahamas are coming

2010-01-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

In about a month, Nate and I are headed to the Bahama's for a week long cruise paid for by Platinum. We are so excited!!! Especially since, did I mention Platinum paid for everything! We only had to buy our passports. So a 200 dollar cruise, I can handle that! Although I have no idea what to expect. What I should pack, what I should wear, what the entertainment is like, oh so many questions!!!! So those of you who have been on a cruise, let me in on your secrets!!! What's it like?

PUPPY, PUPPY, PUPPY!!!!!

2009-10-18T21:23:00.000-06:00

I love my life!!!!!!!!!!!!! We finally got our puppy! Even before Nathan and I got married we wanted a puppy. We thought it would be a long time until we got one however with where we are living we can afford to have one. So a few weeks after we got settled and in to the swing of things we started looking and researching our options. (In case you don't know, my husband will spend an hour picking out headphones at Best Buy[not even joking, an hour] so I thought a puppy would take months!) We research types of puppies, their temperaments, how big they would get, should we got a purebred, what difference does it make who their parents were, and so much more!!!! Finally after we decided on what we wanted we started looking online for her. We wanted a Golden Retriever Labrador mix female runt. We really wanted a whiter puppy but yellow gold would do too. So we looked and looked and looked and looked. Finally I found a breeder in Idaho that had exactly what we wanted for a price we could afford. Seriously I was so excited. In fact I called Nate and said, more yelled, I FOUND HER!!!! So he told me to wait he would be home in like ten minutes and we could call and ask about her. However I was so excited and determined to call right that instant that Nate told me questions he wanted answered, so I called without him there. We worked out details and finally, we bought her! She wasn't going to be ready for two weeks, and let me tell you they were the longest two weeks of my life. So two days ago we picked up Tink(short for Tinkerbell) and I have loved life even more than I thought I could. She is perfect! She takes herself to bed, she doesn't bark, she only whines to tell us she needs to go potty, she only requires us to get up every three hours during the night, and she is so stinking CUTE!!!!!! In fact she has only had one accident in our house and that's because I was paying attention to the signs that she needed to go again. (Well that's not true she had another one but I don't count it because we were on our way outside but she couldn't hold it all the way so she let a little out before we made it out the door all the way.) Seriously I was prepared to have my life turned upside down and in a few ways it has but she has been a huge blessing to our family. She is so well behaved and a perfect princess. And believe me, Momma (me) treats her like it too. She is so spoiled in the sense that I lay by her crate at night and sing to her(I know so pathetic right?!) and other small "mommy" things like that. However Nate and I are crate training her, house training her, and she isn't allowed on our furniture at all. Okay so this post is WAY longer than I ever meant for it to be. Thanks for reading it!!! lol Now here are some pictures/videos as your reward!

Sprite and Saltines

2009-10-13T23:45:00.000-06:00

Starting like a month ago Nate got really sick while we were down in Las Vegas. Well I thought I was free because I didn't catch it during the next 3 days. However I was not so lucky because just as Nate kicked it, I caught it. Whatever "it" is, we certainly don't welcome it in our home. Okay so you would think once we both got it, we would be done for the season right?! Wrong!! Nate got it again!!!! So it made it's rounds through our house twice because wouldn't you know it, I got it again as well. So right now I have a box of saltines and sprite hooked to my side. Hopefully the nausea goes away! And NO I AM NOT PREGNANT! I'm pretty sure it's the birth control that is causing the nausea so sprite and I are best friends. Hopefully the sickness will pass for good this time. I don't think I could handle deep cleaning our house a 5th time. lol

Wedding Pictures Galore!!!!

2009-10-11T23:01:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of my pictures, if you want to see more just leave a comment with your email and I will send you to our skydrive with all of them! I hope you enjoy them!!!

Our home, a place of happiness

2009-10-11T22:43:00.000-06:00

Nathan and I have an actual house, not an apartment, and it has been amazing. We kind of set the standard in our "neighborhood". (We live in old polygamy quarters, can you call the other houses a neighborhood?) For example, we laid sod in our backyard and when our neighbors saw how good it looked they did it too. When we did upgrades to our front yard, they did too. Well anyways the point is we love our house. We love doing upgrades and fix-up jobs. We love the fact that our back yard is fenced in. We love having a house without the huge house payment; just monthly rent! lol We have a one bedroom, one story home and we could not be happier! It's pretty cute, quaint, and it has a lot of character. Old character but still character none the less. I will get pictures up soon. Right now our main focus in life is each other and school work. Pretty soon though we will have a baby (a puppy people, not a real baby) of our own. Her name is Tink (short for Tinkerbell, the nickname Nathan has for me) and she is a Golden Lab mix. She is the runt of the litter and hopefully with her being a mixed breed she will be a little more on the docile side. We get to pick her up on October 18th, Nathans' birthday! We can't wait! We have been researching and researching and researching everything there is to know about puppies. We have spent the last month and a half reading and watching everything we can find on puppies. Hopefully we are ready! As soon as we get her I will post tons of pictures!!!!

Bundled in Hawaii

2009-10-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

Nate and I are married!!! In three days we will have reached 2 whole months!!! We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon and it was to say the least, amazing. We went to the temple, we kayaked, we snorkeled, we went on a helicopter ride and those are just the starts of our list of adventures.
There was one of our adventures that I will cherish most. (This is not including our trip to the temple there. That tops anything) It was an evening filled with just each other and the wonderful creations of our heavenly father! We drove to the top of Mauna Kea. It is the highest point on the entire Big Island. We drove up the 14,000-foot summit of Mauna Kea to view the domes of the main observatory and the sunset. It was quite the drive but totally worth it. We had to stop at 9,00 feet to acclimate for about half an hour and then we continued on to catch the sunset. It was a whopping 42 degrees at the top and it only got colder after the sun was gone. Who would have thought you would need to bundle up in the summer in Hawaii! We drove back to the acclimating spot and enjoyed the stars and hot cocoa. It was a perfect evening.

We seriously had so much fun that we had a hard time leaving Hawaii. Alas we were excited to start real life and a married couple. (oh and school was starting so we had to leave.) Here are just a few pictures of our trip! Oh and dont judge my husband, he was bound to forget something... Church clothes!

Itunes...

2009-05-07T12:13:00.000-06:00

For the past little while my grandma has had one of the SMALLEST phones in the world. Well since I have been living with her I have been trying to talk her into getting an Iphone. So for Mother's Day, she got one!!! YAY!!!! So I have been trying to set her up an Itunes account but something is wrong with their server. I had to sit on hold forever as well as tell my story to like five different people. But in the end I did it and now my grandma is,as Amber would say, "in the know". lol

No luck

2009-05-05T00:57:00.000-06:00

So for the VERY first time in my life, I have not gotten something I applied for. I have never not made a team, gotten a job, or failed when I have put my mind to it. But today, I received my very first let down. I didn't get a job at Ikea. This stinks!!! But at the same time, I know it's what is right for me. I know the Lord will bless me. He already has. Several times, in fact he blesses me daily.

I have updates!!!

2009-05-03T19:03:00.000-06:00

Ok so since I have last posted I have turned a year older, gotten engaged, planned most of my wedding, finished up school, finished up my job as an RA, moved in with my grandparent for the summer, applied for a summer job and planned a trip out to NC for Mother's Day. So for those who might not know but are wondering who I got engaged too his name is Nathan Patterson and we are getting sealed in the Mount Timpanogos Temple on August 15th, 2009!!! YAY!!!!!!

I applied for a job at Ikea and I am really excited to work there. The lady said I did a great interview and that I would definitely be hearing from them. I'm so excited!!! Although Ikea wouldn't be a permanent fit, it would be nice to have a discount on furniture when Nate and I start buying things for our apartment.

I am so excited to go out to NC I haven't seen my Mom and Dad in a long time. However I will admit I am kinda nervous about flying out there. Mainly because I am flying out with my sister Amber and her two little girls. Now Brooklynn will be a peach on the plane but Callie seems to have a low tolerance for pain so hopefully the change in air pressure won't be too much for her. Plus I can't find any health masks for the all of us to wear because of this swine flu that's spreading.

Shopping

2008-12-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

Why is it that you go into the store for ONE thing and always come out with more? Nate and I went to go get a thermos for hot cocoa and came out with a thermos, a delicious smelling candle, batteries and hand warmers. How is that possible?!!!! Then we went to the grocery store to pick up one thing for chili and came out with 12 other items! Although we did get to see an actual Ferrari parked out front. It was a gorgeous, sleek black! Oh what a beautiful beast. Anyways back to the point. Why is it you can never go shopping for one thing and only get that ONE thing?

A song commonly sang during finals week at BYU.

2008-12-04T18:30:00.001-07:00

The Twelve Days of Stress Management

On the 1st Day of Finals my parents said to me: “Grades don’t matter in eternity.”
On the 2nd Day of Finals I faced reality: “Just do your best.”
On the 3rd Day of Finals my best friend said to me: “Think of Christmas break.”
On the 4th Day of Finals my RA said to me: “Don’t forget to breathe.”
On the 5th Day of Finals I murmured frequently: “This too shall pass.”
On the 6th Day of Finals on research paper three: “Six more pages. . .”
On the 7th Day of Finals my roommate said to me: “Let’s do some Yoga.”
On the 8th Day of finals my poor brain said to me: “One thing at a time, please”
On the 9th Day of finals St. Nicholas said to me: “Relax to some music”
On the 10th Day of finals my professor said to me: “You’re going to make it.”
On the 11th Day of finals the clock reminded me: “24 hours and counting. . .”
On the Last Day of finals I finally felt relief: “One last question!”
“24 hours and counting. . .”
“You’re going to make it.”
“Relax to some music”
“One thing at a time, please”
“Let’s do some Yoga.”
“Six more pages. . .”
“This too shall pass.”
“Don’t forget to breathe.”
“Think of Christmas break.”
“Just do your best.”
“Grades don’t matter in eternity.”

Birthdays

2008-12-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

I forgot what it was like to have a Mother to plan out your birthdays for you. Mine snuck up on me!!! When I lived at home, I always had my best friend ( AKA my mother!) to be excited about my birthday with... Now alone at college, I didn't hardly remember that my birthday is in a week. I guess that's just one more reason to be grateful for mothers. I wish I could spend my birthday with her this year, her and my father. Thanks Mom for always being there to brighten my moods, teach me the importance of sharing, giving me hope and happiness, and most of all thanks for being my best friend!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T00:12:00.001-07:00

So my mother left me an annoyingly funny voice-mail today and during part of it she listed things she was grateful for. I want to do the same!
1. Amazing parents
2. Incredible siblings that care (and their children)
3. The love of my life, Nathan
4. The gospel in general
5. The Atonement specifically
6. The friends I have that support me
7. The job that provides money for me to go to a wondrous university
8. The tithing that allows BYU to be so affordable
9. The work ethics my parents taught me
10. The example of righteous behavior that reminds me to stand as a witness at all times, in all places, and in all things.
11. Hymns and beautiful music
12. The holiday's that help remind us to be more Christlike
13. The lack of snow in Utah!!!!!!!
14. The warmth of my home
15. The monies that provided for my clothing
16. The trials that have taught me gratitude, patience, love, charity, endurance, and compassion
17. The comfort that comes when going to my knees in prayer, to speak with a Father in Heaven who always hears me
18. Temples!!!! They allow families who are worthy to be together forever
19. Technology that enables me to communicate with loved ones, near and far
20. The spirit that walks beside me and guides me when I remember I am not alone!

I could go on with a list for I don't even know how long, but I won't. But I will thanks my family for all they do and all they have taught me. I want to be with them forever. I hope that as this holiday comes to an end that we will have learned a deeper meaning of the attitude of gratitude and that from there we will strive to understand and recognize the magnitude of gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I love y'all

Twilight!

2008-11-22T22:57:00.001-07:00

I saw the new movie Twilight a few nights ago and I liked it a lot! However I wished that the night could have ended with more of a bang but what do ya do?! I would probably go see twilight again...

Waiting

2008-11-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Why is it so hard to wait for things? Why is it so hard even when you know you want to wait?! Waiting makes life miserable. Seriously, remember all those Christmas mornings where you couldn't open the a single present because Dad hadn't set up the video camera yet. Or even the Easter egg hunts, right before they started you could see a bunch of eggs and the parents wouldn't let you go yet because the younger kids needed a turn. It was torture too because the little kids took all the eggs you could see! Or what about at the doctors office? You sit in the waiting room while you impatiently sit for you nam to be called, all the while constructing images of how the visit will go and afterwards it wasn't nearly as bad as you had thought it was going to be! I hate waiting!

A Time to Reflect

2008-11-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

As the days come and go I realize that time is more valuable then we realize or remember. I sat talking with Nathan's mother and sister-in-law about photography and our conversation lead to how important pictures are to their family. The Christmas before their family lost their youngest sibling, everyone dreaded going to take family pictures. But Linda was vigilant and made sure everyone was there and smiling for the picture. Months later, they lost Sean. After that they weren't hesitant to take pictures together. They realized time was a gift given to them by our Father in Heaven. I thought about that and how significant that really is. So I made an evaluation of what I was doing in my life. Essentially, how am I using the time that Heavenly Father privileged me with? I saw so many things I was wasting time on, like TV, Facebook and a few others. So I am making a goal to change that. I don't want to have to explain to my maker that I used all the time he gave me for idol activities. I challenge you to do the same!

One of "those" days!

2008-11-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

So, I am really sad about how the elections turned out. I personally wanted to cry for our world. But anyways, because of our elections I decided to take a minute to think about my life and in a way "re-evaluate" it. I came to this conclusion: I know my Heavenly Father lives and is aware of all of us!! Before I left my room the other morning I looked out the window and saw the sun a-blazin'! I got dressed accordingly with excitement and then paused to look at the weather forecast tab on my computer and saw that it read 36 degrees! As I changed I was thinking "This stupid Utah weather!!! It's trying to trick me, not gonna work!"As I pondered the connection between this scenario and the gospel, I made a connection that I'm sure we all have made at some time in life. I thought about how Satan does the same thing that this "Utah weather" does. He makes it seem like its nice and sunny outside and with the idea of it being sunny, you gather those happy, warm feelings that are associated with the sun. He makes it seem like the grass is always greener on the other side! (That tricky Satan!) But then there is always Heavenly Father who saves the day by being honest. He gives us enough information to let us govern ourselves. He warns us of the actual temperature and lets us decide if we are going to trust in what he says and change or find out for ourselves that the sun doesn't shine as warmly as we had thought. I have always known that Satan does these things and that Heavenly Father does too. However I just had a reaffirming moment in how wonderful it is to know my Father in Heaven will never lie to me.

Someone to talk to me....?

2008-11-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Ok so over Halloween weekend me cell phone died. Literally!!! I can no longer turn it on nor charge it! Not anything! So I just thought I would share with you how I feel & tell you what I miss the most... my mother! here's the email I recently wrote her! :

MOMMY!!!!!!,

Ok me say this first, I ALWAYS want to talk to you! Got that...? ALWAYS...

However, being without a working phone... it's killing me! I just want to talk to my mommy... I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever and it makes me really sad...! You know how they say you never realize what you had until you loss it? Well amen to that because I never realized how much i love talking with you until these past 4 days (is that all its really been?) I mean it! It's so hard going through a day where I depend on someone else to let me use their phone so I can talk to my mother! I have never screamed the phrase "I want my Mommy!!!!!!" so much! Mommy, I love you so much and never want to go a day without you. I always want you in my life, even if it is to give me the scolding I need but don't want to hear. I am a almost 19 yr old college girl who still heavily depends on her mother! I miss you so much! and I love you even more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oops!

2008-10-12T12:32:00.000-06:00

So lately I have been having an issue with one of my really good friends. He has taken a liking to me, a big one. He is the guy who proposed to me. He really is an amazing kid, just not who I want to spend the rest og my life with. Anyways he got wind of some information about Nathan and I and he sent in resignation. We work together and I guess he just couldn't take it anymore. I guess he had invested a lot more into me than I had thought. I feel so bad! He is a great kid and a wonderful person. I never realized how he truly felt. I mean I know he proposed but I thought it was a way for him to buy himself more time or something. I have learned a great deal about how important it is to rely on the spirit when making decisions. Thank you Heavely Father!

How do you make yourself happy?

2008-10-01T17:22:00.001-06:00

How do you TRULY make YOU happy when serving others makes you the happiest you have ever known? I want two amazing things but can't fully decide between them because then I feel like I am being selfish! What do I do?

I AM NOT ENGAGED but being Proposed to is nerve-wrecking!

2008-10-01T17:16:00.000-06:00

Ok so I have a guy who use to be my best friend during spring and summer term but recently we haven't been on the best of terms because he wanted to be more than best friends. Anyways long story short, he asked me to marry him... (P.S. This person is NOT Nathan). So anyways my life has been really interesting lately! I couldn't believe what was happening. Thankfully he didn't have a ring! He more or less just expressed his feelings and said those few scary words... "Stefani, will you marry me for time and all eternity?!" It was crazy! Nice kid, love him to death but I guess he just can't let go... What's a girl to do?

Almost got kicked out

2008-10-01T17:11:00.000-06:00

I went on a double date with some buddies that I work with. great kids! So much fun! Anyways we went and did some broom stick ice hockey at the local rink! It was so much fun! I don't have pictures because my camera is broke but don't worry my friend took some! So anyways, afterward we finished bruising each other, we went to Denny's to get ice cream. We ordered our food and while we waited we nearly got thrown out! We were only doing headstands when no one was trying to walk past and we really went that loud! Ok!, so I may have snorted once or twice but does that really constitute us getting kicked out? Mainly, we just had way more fun that anyone else in that joint!

New stuff

2008-09-17T13:17:00.000-06:00

So college is great and classes are ok. My Environmental Biology class.. is boring!!! But my American heritage is proving to be kind of interesting. Of course my FAVORITE class is my ASL class. I love learning ASL and being able to use it in my everyday life! It is so fantastic.

As far as my dating scene goes.. It's the same as always! I'm dating Nathan. I have had a friend that tried to make things between us more... "serious" but I just don't like him like that! I do still want to be his friend though. Anyways, Nate and I are just dating up a storm trying to make up for lost time. We'll see where it leads us. Lol.

Anyways, I have to get ready to go to another class relatively soon so I'm going to sign off. Much Love, Stefani

Another Update

2008-07-09T23:12:00.000-06:00

So I was playing tackle football for FHE on Monday and I ended up tearing the ligaments in my ankle and now I have to be on crutches for 3 weeks and no sport for an additional 3 weeks after that! I don't know if I'll make it! I'm going crazy already and its only been two days! But all is well and I will be stronger for it; well my right leg and my triceps! This is crazy! There goes my summer!

For those who still check!

2008-06-30T23:37:00.001-06:00

HEY! I have been so busy I forgot about blogspot1 How sad!! I'm at college and doing well. I'm dating around and I'm loving the freedom of being on my own. I'm super busy and can hardly remember to take the time to breathe but occasionally i get that in. lol Well this is a start to getting back into blogging!

A long time...

2007-09-20T14:09:00.001-06:00

Wow its been a long time since I last wrote but I have been swamped! My life really hasn't changed except I have now come to hate math! Well, calculus atleast. Its a completely different language!! I swear the meanings of the same thing changes daily! I have had so much fun being a senior though and yestersday was the first day that I really felt like a senior, I was able to use the senoir privilages-- like going to lunch 3 minutes ealr and getting out of school 3 minutes early! Although the getting out of school early does nothing for me becasue the girls that I give a ride to aren't seniors so I have to wait for them! But all is well and yes I'm still alive! (And Kicking)

Graduation picture material?

2007-07-30T07:14:00.000-06:00

I love these photos!! I think my family and I are going to go back and take my gradutation pictures here!! (at sliding rock) The second photo (i'm sitting down in it) is my most favorite!

Sliding Rock

2007-07-30T07:01:00.000-06:00

My family and I all went to float tubes down the river and decided to go do sliding rock instead. The water was so cold!! You have NO idea. It was 50 degrees but outside it was rainy and such. Afterwards we went to a campsite and fixed dinner over a small grill. Dad and Cory built us girls a fire! It was awesome to be in the outdoors!

Asheville!!

2007-07-30T06:42:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend my parents and I went to Asheville, N.C. for my niece Katelund's, birthday. We had a blast. It was so good to see every one again and to spend time with them! These pictures were taken in their new condo!

hair dying proccess part two!!

2007-07-24T23:10:00.000-06:00

i enjoy the dark hair better!! and i love the color!!!

Round two for party girls

2007-07-24T22:59:00.001-06:00

girls just want to have fun!

2007-07-20T10:22:00.001-06:00

Ok someone try to tell me that I dont have one of the cutest nieces ever!!!!!!!!!!!

Party girls!

2007-07-19T07:35:00.000-06:00

Ok a history lesson first... The last night at girls camp was so much fun! All of us stayed up until almost 3 and we had to get up for a 5 o'clock testimony meeting. We were yelled at by our leader, threatened by our leaders and yet we still did all that we could do to be completely annoying and loud and crazy. ok now fastforward to the present day. Some girls wanted to do a.... "re-enactment" so here are some photos of some crazy partying... I wonder where all the golf courses flags went to?

2007-07-16T17:33:00.000-06:00

Okey dokey smokey ;) So I finally got fed up with my hair color and high-lights so I called up an expert and she came over and dyed my hair for me! Sarah Lambert and Hannah Lambert both accompanied myself to the store, picked up the dye, and then took pictures and dyed my hair! This is the first step to my hair and then we go darker in about two weeks to get my original dark hair color! SO enjoy and I'll post more lata!

Lake powell...

2007-07-12T07:17:00.000-06:00

I wish I could have been there at Lake Powell with them but I was blessed in other ways. Here is a picture of Vaughn, Amber and my @ 2 and 1/2 year old neice. She just learned how to swim!!! All by herself. She goes with Amber when Amber teaches swim lessons but other then that she did it on her own! That Brooklynn so precious I miss her terribly. I miss 'em all!

Updates...

2007-07-12T07:12:00.000-06:00

Urgh. Finding a job is NO fun but I do have a few interviews lined-up so that's exciting. In all of this its been a lot harder than I thought it would be but I have learned that I have a few things to offer the world. My dad made a funny the other day in reference to me finding a job and complaining about how hard it was. (The worst part is that I think he truly meant his comment) "Well gee Stef... What did you expect them to do when you walked in, run up and just offer you a job? 'Oh Stefani you're JUST what we've been looking for, someone just like you! We'd be honored if you worked here!!!'" and then he proceeded to laugh. Ouch dad what do you take me for a spoiled little girl? ;)

Fireworks in ALL directions...

2007-07-09T07:57:00.000-06:00

So for the Fourth of July my family and I went up to Washington D.C.! It was awesome. I had such a great time spending a few days with Nate. He has truly been a blessing in my life and I'm so grateful for all that he has offered me. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful... friend to help me be a better me!

Army Men

2007-07-09T07:41:00.000-06:00

Okay so a little side note... we got a little rambunctious and cement glued little grey army men EVERYWHERE in our cabin... I guess you can say they were placed there to protect us through the night. Look closely on the cross beam and you'll see 'em!

2007-07-09T07:31:00.000-06:00

Gosh Darn It Aint She SO Cute!?!

She is givin love to her baby! The story is great behind this picture:

She put her baby in time out and afterwards (this picture) she gives her baby loves. This is a testimony of how well taught she is. Her parents are doing a great job in teaching her that although she has done something wrong their love for her will never falter!!! I love my little Noel!!

2007-07-09T07:04:00.000-06:00

Girls Camp~
Oh it was wonderful! ...
I don't know. This year was my last girls camp and as much fun as I had it wasn't like all the other ones I have gone to but it was good for something. Lol. It was difficult to really feel needed and that's part of what makes girls camp feel worth while. I am use to being over an age group of girls and this year I was over the music. I personally believe that I wasn't at girls camp for any particular reason for me. I believe I was there to help some of the girls from my ward know of the importance of being where you're suppose to be even if you don't want to be there. I really had a chance to grow close to one particular young woman that I have been struggling with for the past three years. I was able, with the help of the Lord, to convince her to go to youth conference and since then she hasn't missed a Sunday at church and she is coming to more and more activities! I'm so excited for her! I'm so grateful the lord has given me the chance to serve these young woman.

2007-07-09T06:59:00.000-06:00

~Okey Dokey Smokey~
(As a certain someone would say ;) )
I got my SAT and ACT scores back... I did okay on the SAT, not great but okay. My ACT score was better and I ended up at a 25! Now mind you that's with no studying! I have until September to study as hard as I can and raise my ACT score about 4 points. IF I do that then I can get a scholarship to BYU!!!! Which I need desperately because I am falling short of this crazy little thing called a JOB! lol. SO pray with me would ya?! But Anyways I'm not so stupid after all! Oh how I love the joy-a-ties of preparing for college!

THE SECRET IS OUT!!!

2007-06-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Finally! I CUT MY HAIR! Crazy, You ask? Why yes I am. But here is the whole story behind it! Read, Enjoy. My sister Amber had cancer. She is remission and everything looks good. her birthday was this month and a couple of years ago I donated my hair to Locks of Love. This year for her birthday I wanted to do something really big for her. I decided to cut my hair and then realized that my appointment was the day of her birthday. I then took matters into my own hands and called a very close friend of mine to see if she was ready to cut off all her hair as well (mind you she is 8 and I am 17) So together we cut our hair and donated it to the Locks of Love Foundation in behalf of my amazing sister, Amber!!!! I love You Amber!

Lost time

2007-06-22T06:34:00.000-06:00

Well hello my long lost readers! I have been so incredibly busy lately. Last weekend I went to youth conference and had a blast. Two days of fun with my friends. We played water balloon volleyball... A LOT harder than I ever thought it would be! We finally gave up and turned it into a water balloon war. We made up our chant in like two minutes. It was fantastic. This week I came up (and over) to Asheville to babysit my nieces. They are SOOO cute. It made me realize how much I miss them. We went to the park, the pool, the blue ridge parkway, the mall and so much more! I love them. I'll write more later!

Books and their teachings

2007-06-14T07:34:00.000-06:00

I started reading this book, To Draw Closer To God, by Henry B. Eyring and it is truly amazing. I love the feeling I get when I read it. I know without a doubt what he is testifying of is true! I am so grateful for our latter day prophets and their teachings!

Thunder Storms

2007-06-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday when I was driving one my young woman home from my house, there was a HUGE thunder storm. I had to pull over because I couldn't see. I was so much fun watching the lightning and listening to the rain through my sun-roof. I love rain storms!!! All I needed was some popcorn and a friend to share it with!!

Happenings....

2007-06-13T07:32:00.000-06:00

So yesterday Nate and Mike stopped by and it was pretty much amazing. Lol. No seriously though I had a blast until we had to say goodbye. Isn't that always the hardest part? I walked him to his car, just because I had to go to young woman's lol, and he made a comment like "What do you want a goodbye or something?" And all I could think was NO! As I drove to church I thought about that and took it a step further and made a personal application to my life and maybe yours as well. Nate is becoming one of my best friends but as hard as I am trying to build such a relationship with him, I should be striving just as hard to do the same with the Savior. I should be making wise decisions every moment of my life that will help cultivate my end of the relationship, because I know the lord will always be there. Any time I make a poor decision I am ASKING him to leave my side. I am asking for a goodbye. Why would I ever want that? Why would I intentionally depart from the guidance of the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ and God?

~I love suprises~

2007-06-11T20:39:00.000-06:00

YEAH so guess what guys!?! Nate is moving from Florida to DC and instead of seeing him in less than two weeks I get to see him tomorrow for lunch or something but how stoked am I!!!!!??????!!!!!!!! OH I LOVE SUDDEN SURPRISES!! I'll keep you posted on the happenings! :-)

3 Monkeys

2007-06-10T20:35:00.000-06:00

Hear no, See no, Speak no Evil!!!!

ATTENTION!!

2007-06-10T20:25:00.000-06:00

To all ye fellow citizens of the planet earth (name that movie!),
I here by declare my blogs' official name is Lucy! During young woman's today we talked about the importance of keeping a journal. My young woman's leader who was teaching the lesson shared a story about a girl who named her journal Lucy because she couldn't talk to a blank page but she could talk to her best friend Lucy. Sister Walbruch proceeded to make a comment about how if any of us named our journals that we needed counseling. SO in Sister Walbruch's behalf I proudly knight my journal "Lucy"! I love you Sis. Walbruch you crazy lady!! Rock on!

Baptism!

2007-06-10T20:13:00.000-06:00

In the past two days I have been able to witness two baptisms and it just made me realize again the Lord's ability to change lives for the better! The spirit was so strong for both baptisms, it truly was amazing! At the first one, one of the little boys sitting next to me had the cushioning of the back of his chair fall of because his brother, behind him, unscrewed the bolts that were holding it in place! It was so hard to keep composer and I felt even worse because the bishop was talking about recognizing the spirit and here I was nearly bursting at the seams! During the second one, the little boy I was holding (he always refers to me as "Buddy") kept laughing during the prayers and the more I shushed him the louder he laughed! What can I say?

What all you can do in ONE sunday!

2007-06-10T20:06:00.001-06:00

So today has been amazing but VERY long! lol. It all started with:

Arriving to church early for a meeting about youth conference (Its this weekend! I'm so excited!)
Going to church and those regular meetings!
Being called up at random by your father to share your testimony about seminary (Because I haven't missed a day in 3 years!! Booyah!!!) in sacrament
Going to my mom's setting apart (She is the new relief society president for our ward... seminary will never be the same!)
To a baptism right after that
Going home where we had company over for dinner and I sat in while my dad gave the man a priesthood blessing
You would think finally but no, seminary graduation
And to end it all, over to the old relief society presidents home so my mom and she could talk things out!

I loved every minute of today!

Round 2 @ the Beach!

2007-06-08T17:34:00.001-06:00

Mom and I camped, literally camped, over night at the beach and we had a blast! her are the pictures to prove it! (I will say that I AM wearing a modest one piece bathing suit under my beach dress. We found a really sute one at Wings that ties around the neck and back but my stomach IS covered! Hahaha)

A constant reminder

2007-06-08T16:51:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago my Young Woman's leaders' husband, who is a dentist mind you, was issued a command to be deployed for the first time EVER for six or so months. Recently Sis. McFarland took her 5 year old daughter to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a disease that enables her hips to grow correctly. Her husband was shipped home, a blessing, and they have spent the past few nights in the hospital. I was able to relieve some of their pressure by spending the night in the hospital with Olivia. As much as they have thanked me, I was thankful for the opportunity to serve them. I was reminded of a time when I was in a similar situation and received a helping hand from a nearby friend. That night I relived sitting in the hospital not knowing why my niece wasn't getting over her sudden severe case of croup. My mother and I were watching Brooklynn while her parents went on their first vacation with out her (Hawaii!!!). I had been out on a date with a young man that I now am more seriously dating (partly because of this event). He walked me into the hospital and after a moment he offered to give her a priesthood blessing. I sat there watching in amazement as he laid his hands on my niece's head, not even having to hesitate because he had lived his life worthy enough to use his priesthood on demand. Afterwards, as I said goodbye for the night, I prayed and thanked my Heavenly Father for the blessing of being with a young man who held the power to bless my sick niece. He will never understand what great respect he earned from me that night! I also know that my niece is grateful. A few weeks after i had returned home her mom was asking Brooklynn about all the people she had met in Utah. She asked if Brooklynn had met my "boyfriend" (a casual term for Nathan, my date). Brooklynn didn't quite remember who Amber was talking about until she heard his name. She then proceeded to say "Oh Nathan! Mommy, Nathan said my prayers!!" She was so sick that night and no one had even told her she had received a priesthood blessing and yet my nearly two year old niece could recognize the power of God healing her through prayer. What a constant reminder to always pray, to live worthy enough for his blessings, and to show our gratitude for those blessings!!

A Day in the Sun!

2007-06-05T14:07:00.000-06:00

Well just last week for Memorial Day my Mom and I went to Fort Fisher beach! It was a BLAST! I loved every minute of it... Duh its the beach who wouldn't love every minute of it! So because of Melissa's request here are a few snap shots. Enjoy!

The Wonders of The Gospel

2007-06-04T19:08:00.000-06:00

Tonight for family night we watched a movie that reminded me of the importance of being married in the temple and having a family that last far beyond the ends of this earth! A family that will last throughout eternities. I love my family more than anything. I can't even imagine not being with them in the life to come. I never would want to be with out them. The gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to partake in so many blessings. I know that there is nothing but truth behind the words of our prophets of old and our latter day ones. I am so grateful for the examples that have been set in my family to be married in a temple for time and all eternity! Cory and Melissa, you two will never know the amount of respect that I hold for you. Both of you taught me so much in the short amount of time that you spent in my home. As parents you are raising some of the most beautiful girls I know. I am so proud of them. I love and miss you all so very much. Sean and Brittany, I am so very proud of you two. Together you will build a home with laughter and love. You both are truly two peas in a pod. Thank you for the advice and love you send my way. Amber and Vaughn, I am never not learning from you both. You guys have helped my testimony grow tremendously. Amber your strength through your trials amazes me. I am so grateful for your never ending love and guiding hand. Vaughn the love you show my sister is incredible. You help set the standards for how I know I want to be treated. Thank you for loving my sister so much and letting it show for the world to see! Finally Logan, you will never know what you have done for me! I felt for the longest time that I had no one in the family I could be attached to. You showed me nothing but love. You cared for me in more than just words but actions as well. I will forever love you more than you know. And to my future family, I love you. I pray every morning and night that I am preparing myself in every way possible to be the best wife and mother I can be. I love the lord and in him I put my trust. Through Christ I can do all things!

The Start of Many....

2007-06-04T10:58:00.000-06:00

Well Hello Everyone!

My name is Stefani Mann and I am headed out to Brigham Young University in May of 2008. I am so looking forward to partaking in the wonderful events, experiences, and chances that BYU provides! I have grown so close to my Heavenly Father in the past year that I know without a doubt, with every fiber of my being that BYU is the only place I need to be. It's the only place I WANT to be. There are so many prospects of my life that can take place there on that wonderful campus.
Summer for me is just beginning and I am JOBLESS!!!!! SCARY!! I think i have found a job life guarding on Fort Bragg. Not the greatest job but it seems like the water is my calling! I have few plans for the summer outside of youth conference, a visit from a good friend, and then girls camp! My life is pretty boring but filled with time consuming events. I love my life!
Speaking of things I love, I love my family. I love and cherish the gospel of Jesus Christ and continually pray to be the best example I can be! I have so many wonderful leaders for examples, how could i go wrong? I have a testimony of our living prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, and of his teachings. I know our Father lives. I know that Christ gave his life so that we can return to him. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that I want to live life the way I should and that requires prayer, scripture study, and living with faith.