Country Life in the Ozarks

Really it's half over?

2011-07-06T15:00:00.003-05:00

Again, I'm blogging about the year being half over already. I can't believe it, but sure enough the calendar tells me that today is July 7, thus making 2011 half way through. We are on the downhill slide of the year.

So of course I'm working on my Christmas shopping! LOL I actually have bought some things and went through my gift and holiday closet while I was home to catalog exactly what I have. Candles, to cute gift bags, to snowmen to children's books. Found it all in there, and now I have a list of what there is. Each year and I give stuff from the "closet" I forget to update the list. So at least once a year, I go through it to check again.

So that was one time consuming but fun project I completed on my "vacation." I also had some drawers in a three drawer dresser that needed to be reviewed. I'm a collector of paper. I find sticky notes that are cute or stationary or note pads that I think I can't live without. But when I get them home, they are so cute, I feel bad for using them and they pile up! Well not anymore. I'm going through and using stuff. Writing one little note on a piece of paper and when I'm done, I'm throwing it away! I'm using all those cool sticky notes and I'm not going to feel guilty about it!

My goal for about two years was not to buy anymore shower soaps, gels and lotions (especially from Bath and Body Works). When I moved in 2008 and again in 2010, I realized how much of this stuff I truly have. So I've been trying to get it all used up! Just recently I smelled a new fragrance and ended up in the store buying some, but I'm now back to my boycott of their products until I get some more of the stuff I have used!

Well, I'm doing that for my paper and note products too! Hopefully I'll start using it and it will go faster than I think. I've even brought some to work and my co-worker asked for sticky notes today. Going to try to do the same about pens, but just don't know if that will work or not. Wish me luck.

Hope everyone is having a great day and enjoy the downhill side of the year!

Stephanie

Is anybody still out there?

2011-06-20T16:47:00.003-05:00

So sorry that I've been gone for so long! Things have been crazy and I am just getting back in the routine of stuff. Six weeks ago I had surgery and have been recouping from that doing GREAT!

I go back to work a week from Tuesday. Got to get ready for that... hopefully it will be fine. Might be ready to get back into a routine. We'll see how it goes.

Just wanted to say hello! Good bye for now!
Stephanie

Spring... is that you?

2011-03-14T15:58:00.002-05:00

I think I saw it this weekend. It was there for most of Saturday. Blowing around the front yard, swinging on the sunshine... and even floating out from the birds. And then Sunday... BAM... it was gone. Replaced by much cooler temps, rain and clouds all day and even cold enough to snow overnight!

I also lost power last night. Around 6 p.m. it went out. So I went out to mom's for the evening and was going to go home once I could verify that it was back on. I kept calling my house, but no one was home (and the answering machine didn't pick up) so I knew it would still be dark.

I finally gave up and went to bed at mom's house and set the alarm early to get up and go home to get ready. Boy 6 a.m. this morning was way earlier than it seemed to be a few days ago! And it was COLD and rainy... water everywhere. I believe the entire town of Mountain View is on a flood plain. My yard is gone and been replaced by a shallow creek.

My life has been a little complicated and keeping me on my toes lately. More to come at a later time, but my little head has been about to explode with all the info I've had to think about and make decisions on. I'll post more about all that later.

Hope everyone is doing well. Drop me a line or leave a comment sometime. Love to hear from my friends and family!

Steph

Almost month three

2011-02-28T11:02:00.002-06:00

Can anyone else believe that tomorrow is March 1? Crazy how fast my life is going... and every now and then, I think I miss the bus. (No Jerry not the short bus!)

We've had snow and then 60 plus temps in the following days, back to snow and vice versa. It's been a roller coaster this winter. However, I think I am actually already looking forward to spring. I don't like the mud and wind that generally comes with Spring, but the green grass, fresh air and all that sounds nice.

I've been working on some Freelance projects and the big one is about done. I've been helping the Rotary Group Study Exchange (GSE) team with printed items, presentation docs and any writing I can provide them. They leave Wednesday, so it's ready or it won't go with them! LOL

I'm still working at Air Evac Lifeteam and things have picked up a little. They always seem to with spring. I'm also still writing as a freelancer for Ozarks Farm and Neighbor (ozarksfn.com). That's been a wonderful thing. I love staying in touch with agriculture and those involved with it through this. And making a little bit of money at the same time! It's not all bad.

Matthew turned 11 in January and is growing like a week. He's in 5th grade and will be getting ready for baseball in the next couple of months. I know he's looking forward to it. I just hope he continues to enjoy it.

Not too much else going on in life HA! There's always too much going on. I have some health issues I'm dealing with; lawyers, courts and a "not soon enough ex" husband; things are starting to cost a lot more again lately (gasoline) and I'm still commuting 65 miles daily to and from work!

Anyway, life has its ups and downs. If I hang on, just a few more minutes in the realm of everything, I'll be headed up again soon! I just know it.

Halfway through January

2011-01-14T15:13:00.004-06:00

So has everyone gotten used to writing 2011 for the date yet? If not, get with it.. January is almost half over. Well almost anyway. Tomorrow around noon will be the halfway point! Jan. 15 at noon x 2 = 31 days in January!

My baby, cute little Matty, turned 11 this past week. That's right I said 11! I know I can't believe it either. He's growing so quickly and turning into a young man before my eyes. It's scary how fast they grow up these days. I have to download some pictures, but I'll get some on here soon. Honestly you won't believe it!

I'm working with Rotary 6080 to create information for the outbound Group Study Exchange group and so far I'm having a blast. It's a lot of information to compile, but I enjoy a challenge and so far so good. PowerPoint, brochure and postcard -- all with a deadline of sooner rather than later! The group leaves March 3, 2011. So I've got about six weeks until they leave!

Well, just wanted to update for 2011. Time sure does seem to fly when you're having fun. If you're not having fun, with at least one aspect of your life, then you need to work on a new life. Until you can honestly say it's all good! That's what I'm doing...

Have a great weekend! Stephanie

Merry Christmas

2010-12-20T08:47:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone is ready for the holiday and the family gatherings.... because they are ready for you. It's one of my favorite times of the year. Family will be gathering, friends having parties, wrapping presents (thanks Mike), making candies and desserts... it's a great time!

Here in the Ozarks we had our first little taste of bad winter weather. Last Wednesday, it hit fast and got bad. It had been predicted but we all tried to stay optimistic that it wouldn't happen. But it did. I left West Plains at 3:50 p.m. and it was getting so bad that it took me 1-1/2 hours to get home. However this was lucky... many ended up in the ditch, and others were blocked because of the accidents and icy conditions. Some took 3 hours plus to get to Mountain View from West Plains. Luckily those I know and love all made it home safely from wherever they were traveling that day.

Last month I got a new camera. That was my Christmas present to myself I guess, but I've been having a blast with it. I went ahead and got the Canon Rebel XT1i. Still learning all about it, but have some wonderful MU Football and Basketball pictures, as well as Matthew's basketball pictures. Made it to Silver Dollar City 2 times this Christmas already and the pictures have been wonderful!!! I'll try to get some loaded on the blog. Don't have them with me right now, but trust me, I love them!

Christmas Eve is Friday and Jason and family will be home for the Christmas celebration. I'm really looking forward to that. Wrapped presents this weekend and think I remembered everybody! LOL

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and even though we get caught up in the gifts, remember the reason for this season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! It's an amazing story and if you haven't read it recently, Luke 2:1-20.... here I'll just post it for you!

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

God Bless you! Stephanie

Here comes the holidays

2010-11-02T10:49:00.004-05:00

Well, here comes my favorite time of the year. The holidays are getting close and I'm working on my Christmas shopping and holiday plans. Have some great ideas for both, but nothing figured out just yet.

Things have been going well and now that Matthew's football season is over, it might slow down a little, right? MVBT Liberty Eagles are in the state playoffs and play Wednesday night against Hollister. Hope it's a good game and great victory. We'll be waiting to see who we play if we win. Will be Strafford there or Cuba at home!

It's finally gotten cool this week. Actually it's going to be cold by Friday morning. Lows in the upper 20s! That's what I'm talking about. A reason to snuggle up in a blanket with a movie and popcorn. Or for my house, snuggle up in the Mizzou snuggie and watch MU Basketball. Exhibition play starts this Friday night! Go TIGERS! And the football tigers are ranked in the top 25 and BCS 25 and they've been playing on ABC lately. They will play again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Texas Tech! GO MIZZOU!

Had been reminded that this was out of date again, so here's the update. Have a great November.
Stephanie

FOOTBALL!!!!!!

2010-09-24T09:26:00.005-05:00

Yes, that's right, it's finally Football season. College, High School and Mighty Mites! Go Teams! Matthew is playing in Mountain View this year and he had a good game individually last week. As a team, they lost, but he still played great. Some good hard hits and two interceptions! It was awesome. He's #31 and plays wide receiver on offense and corner back on defense... which is his favorite! He likes to HIT someone!

Liberty High School has been doing well. Tonight they play in East Prairie, Mo. (BTW I'm not sure where that's at either.. somewhere in the boot heel!) so we'll be listening on the radio. Mizzou Tigers play tomorrow afternoon in Columbia and we'll be listening to that too.. after Matthew's football game at noon.

I love this time of year. I woke up to rain showers and cooler temperatures today. This is the time of year I live for. Matthew said it sure seemed awful "fallish" today! I couldn't agree more. It's supposed to get cool this weekend and maybe rainy again Sunday, so my plans include football and food! Yep, my favorite time of year.

I can't believe September is almost over. Seems like it just got started. At this rate, Matthew's going to be in college. Kinda scary isn't it? He's growing up folks. He's in 5th grade this year and things seem to be going well for him. He's supposed to bring home a progress report from school today, but I believe he's doing well. From what I've seen so far, it's all good.

Pioneer days in Mountain View this weekend. So I'm sure we'll spend some time downtown Saturday, Matthew's game is at the softball fields at noon and then we'll see where things go from there! Have a great weekend and enjoy this wonderful FOOTBALL weather.

Steph

A little bit of nothing....

2010-08-05T09:15:00.002-05:00

Wellm this is for you J.R. I haven't posted anything in a while and got called on it... so here's something. Not too much going on other than the usuall stuff. Work, farm, family... all the important things in life!

At work we are planning and preparing for the Annual Awards Event we call Homecoming. It's in about three weeks and all those things are cropping up to get done. So it's been kinda busy at work lately. And that's good.

Gpa George has been in the hospital again, but he came home yesterday after about a week. He is getting IV antibiotics daily at St. Francis for three weeks to continue to make sure the infection is cleared up and gone! He's pretty wiped out, but he is back home now, so that's good!

Matthew starts school in a couple of weeks. He says he's not excited about it, but I think he probably is. He's going into 5th grade, so he's at that drama age where he doesn't talk to girls, but had other girls talk to the girls he likes.... it should be an interesting year!

Hope all is well with the world. Stay in touch... I'll try to!

Now it's July

2010-07-07T09:50:00.003-05:00

So, how many days until Christmas? I just checked and it's 170! Yes, I've started my shopping, while sparse so far, there are some things in my Christmas shelf.

Hmmm what's happening? We had a family yard sale last weekend (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). I never remember getting rid of that much stuff, but we almost sold out. It was great! Total we made more than $550.... I was very excited. I got about $225 for stuff that was laying in storage or shrinking in my closet... so I felt great. The rest of it got boxed for the Thrift Store and there was some stuff we just threw out!

After the sale, and with Monday being a holiday, Matthew, Mom and I went to Branson and Silver Dollar City on Sunday night and Monday. It wasn't too crowded and it was really nice. We did a little shopping around Branson too, so that's always good. It was a nice night away from home.

Now it's back to the work week, but the great thing... it's already Wednesday! So only two more days until the weekend again! Wonder what it will hold for us... hopefully some rain!

Have a great week and summer. Steph

Already June?

2010-06-10T16:08:00.002-05:00

Wow, time sure does fly when you're having fun! Seems like it was just a week ago that I was updating you all with my last post. Looking back, it was over a month ago.

As I said, we got moved back to Mountain View and seem to have just about gotten all settled in. Jason, Jill and Jase were in Mountain View during the Memorial Weekend and that was wonderful. I've been floating twice already this year and have a weekend on the river planned again this coming weekend. Saturday I'm going with friends and then on Sunday, I'm going to take Fred out on the river! I'm looking forward to it!

Relay For Life was last weekend and we raised more than $80,000 for the fight against cancer. I personally raised around $1100 and want to thank all my friends and family who supported me again this year! You are truly the best...

The summer is here and the concern on the farm is the hay. Is it gonna rain? Can we get it down and put up before it sprinkles? Will we find time next week if we wait? The big guessing game in on. And with the Ozarks weather, you never know when a cloud is gonna blow over the field and rain, just right there!

Just thought I would say hello. Hope everyone's summer is going well! It's trucking right along... almost the second weekend in June already! Well have a great one and I'll write again soon!

Love Steph

Changes... for the good!

2010-05-03T10:47:00.002-05:00

It's been over a month since I've updated this and boy how things can change in that amount of time. It's been a stressful and changing month to say the least.

Most of my family and friends know now, but Scott and I have split up and I have moved back to Mountain View. I've been there a week so far and things are going great. Still have some things to unpack, put away and get up on the walls, but it's really coming together.

I've gotten a wonderful reception back in MV and am happy to be back. Matthew is doing well in school and I know he's going to enjoy the summer too.

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update. In the future, I'll be going back to the last name Beltz-Price.

Have a wonderful week!

Steph

Fishing on the White

2010-03-29T10:46:00.003-05:00

I got to go on a guided fishing trip last weekend with Scott. His aunt had gotten him a gift certificate and we put it to use this weekend. It was great. We fished for 1-1/2 days and I caught a big rainbow trout. They have a trophy pin catch and release system going on. It was 4 lbs. 14 oz and by releasing it, I got an Arkansas pin for my fishing hat. It was pretty excited.

From what I can tell, that was a big rainbow trout. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed being out on the water. Hope I can go back and do it again sometime. That is James our fishing guide in the picture with me... he was gonna hold the fish and I told him I didn't mind touching the fish and he was impressed.

We fished on the White River near Flippin, Ark., from a resort called Stetson's on the White. It is a nice resort with cabins and they'll cook a special meal for you if you ask. They even fried the fish on Saturday night that we caught that day. It was pretty cool.

Well, just wanted to brag about my big fish. Scott didn't get any big camera worthy fish, but we both had a good time together, on the peaceful river. God Bless! Stephanie

Moving on....

2010-03-16T14:16:00.002-05:00

Well, we keep moving forward and are trying not to look back! Scott is healing slowly but surely and is really tired of people telling him to be patient, but that's really all that can be done now. Some days he feels great and probably does too much and then pays for it in the next few days. Overall, his xrays look good and he's plugging along.

My elbow is getting better with occupational therapy (I fell over the stump in the driveway back in October). I finally talked to the orthopedic doctor about it in December after two months of pain. He prescribed therapy and then took an xray in January. Come to find out, I did have a fracture of the radial head (in my elbow!) It's still sore and some days are worse than others, but overall, it's getting a lot better.

Colmore's Sale is this coming weekend. Scott and I aren't going, but Matthew is going down with Papa and Grandma. He's going to leave Thursday and is pretty stoked about it! He and papa are going to buy some animals this year. Matthew has some savings, one of my last old cow checks and some money he has from a steer. So, he should be able to get the one he wants.

I am planning a shopping day to Branson/Springfield on Saturday and am really looking forward to it. I have a pretty good list of stuff to look for and errands to run. It should be a fun day. It's supposed to rain, but I guess I'll wear a rain jacket. I might melt, but the shopping will be fun anyway.

Have a great spring and don't forget to wear GREEN tomorrow... It's St. Patrick's day! Steph

Spring Fever?

2010-03-08T11:17:00.002-06:00

Well, I think I officially got spring fever this weekend. The weather was wonderful and I spent a good part of the day Saturday and Sunday outside. I did do some housework inside, but tried to get out as much as I could.

I got a new car last Friday. Well, it's new to me. It's a 2006 Ford Fusion with only 47,000 miles on it. That's a nice change from my 1998 Nissan. And it's got all the perks I like... leather, sunroof and 6 CD changer. It is getting better mileage than my other car and it's nice and new (to me)! So I'm really excited. Have to get all the license stuff changed this week and I'll be rolling.

Already starting to plan all the stuff for the next few months. Seems like we have something every weekend through sometimes in April! And then of course it will fill up with ball practice and games for Matthew. Looking forward to it though. I'm ready to get outside a little more and his practice and games will make me do that.

Jason's sale is coming up in a couple of weeks and we still haven't decided if we are going down for it or now. Matthew is going down with Mom and Dad, but Scott and I may go too... just don't know yet. And if he doesn't want to have to ride in a car that long, I might go by myself.... we haven't figured it all out yet!

Just thought I'd jump on here and add a little more. Scott's surgery and doctor's appointments went well. His leg looks like a leg again on the X-ray so hopefully it's all ready to heal. We have an appointment again the first part of April, so we'll see how it's going then.

Hope everyone is having a great spring and enjoying the nice weather we've been given. Better enjoy because it's the Ozarks and it might change in a few hours! LOL

Steph

About to March into March

2010-02-24T11:51:00.003-06:00

We are about to finish up February and march into March. I can't believe another month is almost over.

Scott had surgery on the 12th and we went back to the doctor yesterday. The X-rays look just like the doctor wants them to look and everything is in place for healing to begin again. It still needs to grow, but it's all in place now to do that. He told Scott to keep using crutches and keep taking the pain meds if he hurts (which he does) and he's going back in six weeks.

Scott says it hurts now more than it did right after the accident and the doctor explained that they had to cut tissue and muscles this time to get in there and do what they wanted. Last time it was all just bone work. So now Scott has muscles and tissues that are sore and of course a larger incision spot too. He got the staples out Monday. He had about 30 in his leg and hip from this surgery. They were the smaller staples, but they were there!

According to the doctor all looks well. He's still looking at about three more months off work, but I'm glad the doc is being cautious!

Matthew is doing well in school and I think he's looking forward to baseball season. We have sign-ups on Sunday for him and then in a couple of weeks they'll be calling about practice. I know he's looking forward to it. He didn't play basketball and is missing the sport thing.

It's cold again today, but had been warm lately and that has us all thinking about spring. Of course with the spring bring mud, but eventually it will dry out. The warm weather will be nice. I don't mind cold weather, but if it's going to warm up, I just want it to do it already. Quit teasing us!

Well just wanted to say hello and let everyone know we're doing good. Have a great week and enjoy the beginning of March! Stephanie

Missin' me?

2010-01-27T08:37:00.002-06:00

Hey there everyone... no I did not fall off the face of the earth! I've been busy at the house with the holidays, the weather and the farm. We had a great Christmas holiday with family and I hope everyone out there did too!

I can't believe that January is almost over. We've survived 27 days of 2010 and it just keeps flying by. Matthew celebrated his birthday on Jan. 11 with a small family party and papa and grandmas. He didn't have to go back to school until Jan. 12 because of the weather, so we celebrated with him in Mountain View.

Scott is supposed to have a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon for another follow-up. He's still on crutches and not back to work, but I'm not sure he's ready. He still gets pretty tired after a long day of therapy and farm work, so I'm not sure how he'd handle a full day in the helicopter. We'll just have to see what they say tomorrow (if we get to go!)

They are predicting a major winter storm for our area. We are in an area that might get up to 12 inches of snow in the next few days. They have changed the forecast a little and have taken most of the freezing rain and ice out, but in its place they added more snow. We'll just have to wait it out and see what happens. I have tomorrow off for the doctor's appointment and we'll have to see what Friday brings.

I just had a few minutes here at the computer and I thought I'd add a new post and change up the background (since Christmas is now past!) Hope everything is well with everyone and you enjoy life to it's fullest! Happy Wednesday!!!

Steph

It's December!!!!

2009-12-08T14:58:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! We've made it to December. I can't believe how fast this year seemed to move along. Well, now it's Dec. 8 and the holidays are right around the corner. Of course I'm talking about Christmas, New Years and oh yeah, MY ANNIVERSARY. On Dec. 14 Scott and I will celebrate our 2nd anniversary.

The other day Matthew said, "Two years? Seems like forever!" From the mouths of children... but he is right. It does seem like I've known Scott forever, and I mean in a good way. We just seem to fit and compliment each other.

He's doing good after his accident. He's still on crutches and probably won't be back to work as early as he'd like, but he's not doing too bad. He has a doctor's appointment again next week and they'll take a look and see what they think about how he's healing.

I have really worked on my patience with Scott's accident. He is moving slower and I have to be patient and in general, I think I'm being a little more patient overall. Even though I know my family is reading this and thinking... yeah right? Who's she kidding....

We went to Pigeon Forge, TN for Thanksgiving and had a cabin with Jason, Jill and Jase and Mom and Dad. It was a wonderful trip and we had a good time visiting and enjoying Thanksgiving. It was a really long ways out there which calculated to a long trip home too, but it was fun. We were there for three full days and spent two on the road. The cabin was wonderful and having the space for us all to be in the same cabin but still separate when we needed to be was nice!

Last weekend I got most of my Christmas decorations out. We put up the Christmas tree and decorated it on Sunday afternoon. Brice even came over and helped out so that was really nice. We had fun that evening! Too bad it can't happen more often!

Just wanted to get back on here and say hello all. I'm looking forward to the holidays and they'll be here before we know it! God Bless everyone... stephanie

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T14:34:00.000-06:00

Hello there... just a quick note to say Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family. It's been a busy month around here lately and I'm sorry I haven't written anything in a while.

Scott is doing well, though he's still on the road to full recovery. Matthew did well in football and is playing intramural basketball and I'm holding my own.

As I said it's been busy and I'm looking forward to this holiday time for some rest and relaxation.

God Bless!
Stephanie

God is Good!

2009-10-12T14:38:00.002-05:00

Well as most of my family and friends already know, Scott was involved in a 2-vehicle crash on Friday, Sept. 25 at around 2:45 p.m. He had some lacerations to his head and arm and a broken left femur. He was flown by Air Evac to St. John's in Springfield where they checked him out in the ER and then sent him to ortho surgery for a nail and pins in his leg.

He had 18 staples in his head; 24 staples in his arm and small staples where they made the incision to put the nail in. Total he is supposed to be non weight bearing for 6 weeks (still have 4 to go!) and then they say recovery will take about six weeks after that. All in all, he's going to be fine.

I'm going to post some pictures of the truck and I think when you look at them you'll understand that someone was riding with him... meaning Jesus. He survived and the driver of the other car, who veered over the center line, wasn't so lucky. So I try to remind myself daily how lucky he was and that God must not be done with him here on Earth yet.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and keep them coming. We still have a long recovery. He has his good days and his bad days, so we never know for sure how things are going. But again, overall he's still with us here on Earth and for that we are thankful.

September is almost gone?

2009-09-23T10:42:00.002-05:00

Wow, where has this month gone? And what about this year? It's going to be 2010 before we know it... I can't believe how time flies. Whether you are having fun or not...

Trying to get ready for all sorts of events this fall. We are having a garage sale this weekend -- wish us luck! And then the next weekend I have to work. It's Air Evac Lifeteam's Homecoming event and awards dinner. Then the next weekend is the PH show at Arkansas State Fair and then we have the anniversary party for Grandma and Grandpa Barr. It's a busy month ahead!

First off I'm hoping to have a successful garage/yard sale this weekend. I'm going to try to sell stuff and after that, it's going away. So one way or the other, I'll be getting rid of and cleaning some stuff out! That's nice. Brice's fireman bed is going to go away soon too. He's too big for it now, so we're giving it back to the people who gave it to Scott. Once that's done, I hope to be able to clean and organize that room a little more.

Matthew is in the heart of Football Season. It was a miserable day last week and they lost their game. It rained ahead of time and as the 4th grade started it poured again. They lost, but they did score one touchdown and guess who made that run in? Correct... it was Matthew! It was pretty cool. Just too bad the whole team didn't do as well.

Sunday night last week, we traveled to Springfield and went to the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) event at JQH arena. It was awesome. By going on the final night, we got to see the BEST bulls in the short go. There were even a couple of 90+ point rides. Anyway, it was pretty cool. They are going to be back in Springfield next year and I'm sure we'll go again.

Well, I've got some other things to work on, so I guess I'll say have a great day! It's already Wednesday this week. WOW!
Steph

Salem 4th Mighty Mites beat Thayer!

2009-09-14T12:51:00.004-05:00

Well, Matthew's fourth grade Mighty Mite football team beat Thayer on Saturday 12-0. It was a good victory to start the season, and it was against Thayer. That was really nice.

Of course before we could go to the game, I made Matthew pose in the front yard for some now traditional football pictures. They got new jerseys this year and I am very proud of them. The team looked sharp on Saturday. On this post are some of my favorites.

He plays again next Saturday in Salem around 11:30 a.m. They play Melbourne next week.... everyone is welcome to come cheer the Greyhounds on!

Have a great week!

Steph

Did you survive 9-9-09?

2009-09-10T14:31:00.002-05:00

That's right... yesterday was 09-09-09.... kinda cool huh? When I wrote a check on Tuesday, I realized that Wednesday would be one of those cool days, kinda like 07-07-07. I wonder if anyone got married at 09:09 in the morning. Anyway, I ramble....

Matthew got stung by a red wasp on Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon his ankle was swollen three times its normal size. It was still swollen terribly yesterday morning, so I got him a doctor's appointment. They gave him some allergy medication, told him to be careful and told him that he would live. He got to spend the rest of yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa Barr, so I think he was pretty happy.

Today, he ankle was better. Still swollen, but not nearly as bad and he wasn't complaining of it itching nearly as much. He seemed more his old self and got up and got ready for school and even took the trash out without too much complaint! LOL

So, now here it is a Thursday already. He has football practice again tomorrow and then the first game is Saturday against Thayer, which is the only team they lost to last year. They split the games with them -- won one and lost one... so it will be a tough game. They've really been practicing a lot of defense and I hope it pays off.

Just wanted to give everyone an update on Matthew (aka Fred-- in case I ever call him that and you wonder!) Have a great upcoming weekend and Go Salem Greyhounds!
Steph

PS The Tigers play this weekend too... go MIZZOU!

Settling in

2009-09-02T12:53:00.002-05:00

To a routine that is... now it's back to school and back to football practice and games. We're starting to get a little bit of a routine down, but with Scott's schedule it sometimes changes. Overall we're settling in and doing well.

The weather has been WONDERFUL! It's been cool at night and last night Matthew thought it almost got too cool! It was great sleeping weather. And while it is supposed to get a little warmer, they are still not talking about the really hot weather. It's just been great. Makes me ready for fall.

Speaking of that, Mizzou football starts this Saturday. They play Illinois on Saturday in St. Louis. I'm staying home and planning to watch the game. It's an afternoon game, so we'll be in Mizzou wear by noon probably! I'm excited to see how the team looks this year.

Matthew starts football on Sept,. 12. Then they play every Saturday through October. They've been practicing hard and I wish him all the luck. They had a good season last year so they have a lot to defend.

Scott and Brice celebrated birthdays last week. Scott turned 37 and Brice turned 6. We had a dinner for them on Friday night and Scott and the boys worked on Brice's birthday present. He got him a bike (with training wheels) so hopefully he'll be able to come over and practice riding some time soon.

Well, just thought I'd better add some more info since it is now September. Wow, how time sure seems to fly! Have a good week! God bless.

Stephanie

School's started... back to the grindstone

2009-08-20T10:34:00.004-05:00

Well, Matthew officially started 4th grade yesterday. I can't believe how big he's gotten. He had a good day, but said it was boring... just the handbook stuff and all that jazz. They didn't really get to do anything. He thinks they might today. I'm sure he'll do well. We took the traditional front porch pictures yesterday morning. Here's one of Matthew. Like I said, he sure is grown up!

He brought home a recorder (the little flute instrument). He sure had fun "practicing" that last night.... he did go to the garage and practice though.

Scott had dental work yesterday and was highly medicated most of the night. He was doing a little better this morning, but he wasn't up to saying much when I left the house. Hope he's doing okay today... I'll see him tonight and we'll see what's shakin!

I just hadn't written much lately so I thought I'd say hello. It's a cool, damp, dark day here in the Ozarks and I really wish I could be home napping, but until 5 p.m. tonight, I'm at work. Hope everyone has a good week. I'm looking forward to the weekend already!

Later! Steph

Restful weekend

2009-08-03T09:42:00.002-05:00

Do you ever have one of those days, or maybe a few, when you just can't get motivated to do much? Well that was my weekend. Friday evening Matthew was at Grandma Nancy's and Papa Joe's (actually through Monday) so I took my time in West Plains. I visited with Grandma Barr about the anniversary party for a few hours, went to the Air Evac base to visit my husband for a little while and then of course had to spend some time in Walmart. I didn't get home Friday night until after 9 p.m. and then stayed up too late putting things away, watching TV and doing laundry.

So Scott worked and didn't get off work until Saturday morning. They did two flights on Friday and one over night, so he didn't get up too early! By the time he got his errands run and made it home, it was almost 11:30 a.m. and I was just getting up. We ate some lunch together and then started watching one of our favorite shows on USA. They were having a "marathon!" So we watched a couple of hours of TV and before I knew it, he had fallen asleep. So I wasted no time in doing the same.

I woke up about 4 p.m. in a panic that we hadn't done anything on the farm all day. When I woke him up, he said it was okay, so who was I to push. At that point I got up and did some things on the computer, did some more laundry and fixed myself some supper. By 5:30 that night, Scott moved to bed and slept there until about 3 a.m.

Meanwhile, later in the night, I woke up and watched the PBR on Versus and got up and did some things. I was up for about four hours and didn't got to bed until midnight. Well, then Scott went to work Sunday morning and I again slept in until 10:30 or 11. When I finally got up, I had a pretty productive day, but didn't push myself too much. I would work until one project was finished (for example, I cleaned up our bedroom, putting away all the clothes and getting a storage box emptied from the foot of the bed!) and then I would find a show I liked and rest. Then I would move on to the next project (cleaning the top of the oven under the drip pans!) and then bull riding was coming on again....

So all in all, Sunday was productive and Saturday was productive in it's own way. I guess Scott and I both needed the rest or we wouldn't have been able to sleep that much. Probably just been going too much. It was nice to have a weekend we could be lazy and not have to feel too guilty about it! Hope everyone gets one of those weekends (or weekdays) when they need it!

Have a great week. It's AUGUST!!!! Steph

Made it through!

2009-07-28T08:43:00.002-05:00

Whew! I made it through the weekend and didn't worry about Matthew too much. I went to the camp on Friday night and checked the place out. That really eased my mind. He was already there, having fun. Then on Sunday afternoon Anthony's mom and aunt wanted to go visit him, and they asked me to go along... so I went back on Sunday afternoon. We got to camp in time to see the boys and go to the river to watch them swim. They had a blast!!!

He came home yesterday and the only bad thing seemed to be that he was exhausted! They got up around 7 each day, but didn't go to sleep until WAY PAST BEDTIME. Lights out was 11 and Matthew said they usually didn't go to sleep until about an hour after that! So, needless to say, he is tired. He fell asleep on the couch at 8:15 last night and tonight we've already talked about going to bed early. Tomorrow afternoon we're going to Branson.

Scott, Matthew and I are going to Branson and we think we're going to Silver Dollar City on Thursday. Right now there is a strong chance of rain, so we'll have to see. We might get to town early enough on Wednesday to go to SDC Wednesday afternoon. The park is staying open late.... at least most rides will be open until 10 p.m. So, we'll just have to see. These are the tickets that I won from the radio station, so we're not paying for them, but I still want to feel like I get my money's worth. We'll just see.

Hope everyone is having a good week. It's a short one for me. Survive today and I have two days off! YIIIPPPEEE! Later...... Steph

Off to camp!

2009-07-24T14:40:00.001-05:00

Okay, so today I got prepared to send Matthew off to camp this weekend. He's going to Hammond Mill Church Camp out of West Plains and I know he'll have a good time. But I didn't have a lot of time to process this and am still having a little trouble.

He's going with his friend Anthony and he'll have a great time, but at the same time, I'm a mom and worried about him. I'm going out to the camp this afternoon, just to look around and reassure myself that he's going to be fine. He'll be there through Monday afternoon, so it's another weekend off. Wasn't planning this, but Anthony's mom mentioned it last night and of course Matthew really wanted to go! So, off he went. Anthony's grandpa was picking him up today from daycare and taking him to meet the group that is going from Salem.

Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know I sent my baby off to church camp today. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers... I must be crazy! HA

Have a great weekend. Steph

Tell 'em you love 'em!

2009-07-14T16:35:00.003-05:00

Okay, we've all heard how things can change in a moments notice. Things that are one way now, might be different tomorrow. That has been pushed to the forefront of my thoughts since last weekend.

A long-time friend was involved in a farm accident last Friday and in the end he lost his right arm. He was working on the hay baler on the farm, doing what I'm sure our guys have done a thousand times and this time it went wrong. It pulled his arm in and he thought he was going completely into the baler. Needless to say, at this point he's happy to be alive and we're all happy he's alive, but it shows us that thing can always change.

He is a 38 year old man with a wife and two kids. He grew up on a farm, showed cattle all his life and this one moment has changed his life forever. It brought me to the thoughts and fears of what can happen to my family and my husband. How many times has he done something he knows in his heart might not be safe, but hey, I've always done this? It just made me realize how we need to pray for our loved ones safety, even if what they are doing is something they've always done.

And always, always make sure they know how you feel about them. If God were to come back to Earth this hour, have you told your family that you love them? Are you sure they know God and will meet you in heaven? It's a tough family discussion to bring up sometimes, but we have to do it from time to time to make sure our family and friends are taken care of! Remember, things can change in an instant.... how you come through that change depends on your attitude and your faith.

Please keep my friend and his family in your prayers as they move forward with the change that has come to them. Things are going to be different for them, but with our love, support and prayers, they'll make the best of this situation.

God Bless!
Stephanie

okay, okay, okay!

2009-06-30T09:15:00.003-05:00

Alright already! I had a great weekend and met with all the "Coble Girls" in Branson and boy did I get an earful. They all wondered why I hadn't updated my blog. I hadn't done it in a while, because I didn't want to bore anyone... they said it wasn't boring, so here goes again!

The Coble Girls celebrated our 8th Annual Event in Branson, Mo. We stayed at the Cabins at Grand Mountain and had a wonderful visit. We shopped and ate. People arrived Friday night and we ordered pizza and talked until the next day. It was after midnight before we went to bed.

Then Saturday we started off with breakfast of course and then we ironed on t-shirt designs so we all had matching shirts.... (picture to come shortly!) After that, a group of us went shopping and just about shopped until we dropped. It was close to 100 again and boy did it make us tired.

That evening we went to a nice dinner at the Moon River Grill and the food was great. We decided to save our energy (and money) and not go to a show this year. We went back to the cabin and played some games.

Honestly, this seemed to be one of the most relaxing gatherings we've had. We didn't cram it so full of things to do and this year's location was in town and across the street from the Tanger Mall, so that made shopping easier too!

It was a great chance to get together and relax and learn more about our family and see how everyone is doing. It's something that started back in 2002 and I hope continues and grows for many years to come.

Have a safe and happy upcoming 4th of July! Steph

Getting Busy

2009-06-12T11:37:00.002-05:00

Okay Friends... not like that! Things are really getting busy in my family and work schedule in the next few weeks. This weekend we'll be home and then next week gets crazy. Matthew and I are going to Silver Dollar City next Tuesday and then next weekend I have to work. There are awards banquets in Rogers, Ark., and Waco, Texas I have to attend, so that will be a long weekend.

The weekend after that is the Coble Girl's Weekend in Branson. We've been doing this for quite a while now and it's always a fun weekend. I look forward to seeing everyone and spending time talking and telling stories. We always have such a good time.

Just realized it had been a while so I thought I'd say howdy!

The internet can be a scary thing. Had an old friend find my blog recently and contact me. Hadn't talked to him in almost 15 years, but it sure was fun to say hello again! If anyone out there knows me... leave a comment! I love to hear from friends...

Later gators!

Almost over

2009-05-28T08:14:00.003-05:00

Here we are at the end of May (almost!) I can't believe how fast time goes! Wonder where it does go?

So much has been going on. Of course the usual end of school stuff, baseball games and practice for Matthew and work for Scott and I. Last week I won a radio contest and won tickets to Silver Dollar City and the Showboat Branson Belle, the only problem is that they expire in June, so I've got to find time to use them. Working out some things in my head as I type... hmmmmm!

It's starting to get hot down here. Suppose to be in the 80s this weekend. I'm going to have to break down and turn on the air permanently! It's too hot and humid not to!

June is about here and boy is it busy! I have something every weekend and hope that I can stay sane to get through it all. Relay For Life is the first weekend; we've got some farm work scheduled the second weekend; I have to work at awards banquets in Rogers, Ark., and Waco, Texas on the third weekend for Air Evac Lifeteam; and then the last weekend is the Coble Girls Weekend in Branson. It's going to be a crazy month. And I wonder why I'm always tired and behind. Hmmmm.....

Two years!

2009-05-19T08:49:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how fast my life is moving now! Seems like May just started and yet I look at my calendar and it's the 19th of the month. Today is the two year anniversary of the day I met Scott. Today was the day Scott and I met and from there it is history. It's such a fun story, but I won't bore you with it here.

Anyway, May is more than half way over and I'm on the trail of Relay For Life. Our event is scheduled for June 5 and 6 here in West Plains this year. Should be a good event. I've been in charge of PR this year and I think things have gone well!

Just wanted to jump on here and say hello. Things are really starting to get busy. Matthew is playing baseball so that's about three nights a week (between practice and games), school is out next Tuesday, Jason and Jill are coming to Missouri for Memorial Weekend, Relay For Life is 17 days away. Then in June (after Relay) I have a weekend of Regional Awards Banquets for work, the Coble Girls Weekend in Branson and then it will be 4th of July weekend! WOW Time flies when you're having fun... hahaha!

Hope everyone is well. Wish me luck with my crazy schedule. I'm pretty sure I'll need it. Where does the time go? Probably wherever the one sock goes when it disappears from the dryer!

Safe for now!

2009-05-08T10:14:00.002-05:00

Just wanted everyone to know that we are safe for now. We went downstairs to a more sturdy part of the building. We had to go outside, but we got there. They've (DataLink our weather monitors in the Communication Center at Air Evac Lifeteam) have given us the all clear. We still have rain, thunder, lightening and wind, but it seems to be moving pretty quickly!

I wanted my friends and family to know that so far, we're all okay. Talked to Scott and he was home and it rained with some wind down there!

Later.... Stephanie

Spring Thunderstorms

2009-05-08T09:04:00.002-05:00

Well, hope everyone is holding on to their hat and trying to stay grounded. As I type this we are under a Thunderstorm Warning for Howell, Baxter and Fulton counties (the last two in Arkansas and where I live!) There are tornado's and tornado warnings headed our way!!! We've all been watching the weather and trying to stay aware of the weather.

Back in March they moved the PR department (and me!) out to the membership building. So far things are going fine, but this is the first big storm since we moved. The building here is the old Mark Hall's Furniture Warehouse. It's a large metal building... you know like the ones you see destroyed in strong winds and tornadoes? Yeah, that's the kind.

We've double checked and we know where our shelter is, but it's not easily accessible. I also have a pretty sturdy desk, so that's nice! HA!

Matthew has started baseball and played two games this week. He pitched two innings during the game on Tuesday and so far the team has won both games.

Sirens are going off... later

Summertime is coming!

2009-04-20T13:42:00.004-05:00

I think we might actually be getting closer to summer time! It's in the 60s today and supposed to be near the 80s at the end of the week. I'm about ready for summer. Although fall is my favorite season, I like the days when the sun is warm and to open the windows means a soft breeze through the house.

Matthew has started baseball practice and will probably start having games around the first week in May. He's been enjoying it, although after the three hour practice yesterday he is a little sore. He's just got to get himself all stretched out and working again.

Scott took some time off last week for turkey season and on Thursday afternoon/evening, he was out with grandad and Matthew and he got a bird. 24ish lbs and almost 10 inch beard. He was pretty excited about it. And of course it was neat that both Matthew and grandad were there.

Saturday I took the day and went to Springfield. I had a really nice time and then went out with some girlfriends for Saturday night. All in all it was a great day. Next Saturday, my friend Stacey and I are taking the kids and going to the Springfield Cardinals game. Right now it looks like it's going to be about 80 degrees. Should be great ball weather!

Just wanted to say hello and hope everyone is doing well. We're clicking right along in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.

Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers!

It's Spring?

2009-04-06T14:06:00.002-05:00

It sure doesn't feel like it out there. It's only in the high 30's and WINDY! It's suppose to be in the mid-twenties tonight. COLD! We didn't turn the heater up enough last night and it was chilly in the house. But overall it wasn't too bad.

I lie awake in bed last night and listened to the wind. Things were banging up against the side of the house; you could just hear the wind go through the attic; it was just crazy.

But again later this week it's suppose to be in the 60's again and back to more spring like conditions. Wish us luck.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. I didn't do anything too major, just the usual. A little farm stuff on Saturday morning and then Scott worked on Sunday, so Matthew and I went to Papa and Grandma's. We got to see how the remodeling was going and it's looking great! They about have the ceiling and walls done. They'll be getting carpet soon and then new furniture. It's a pretty dramatic change, but it's going to be beautiful when it's all done.

Just thought I'd say hello! Have a great week. And remember, we're in the Ozarks, if you don't like the weather, wait an hour or two, it will probably change!

April's almost here

2009-03-30T13:07:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it? April's almost here... I'm sure that my life is disappearing right before my eyes. It can't already almost be April can it? Well, according to my trusty Outlook computer calendar it sure is!

We were lucky in northern Arkansas and didn't get any of that late March snow. It rained most of the day Saturday and overnight, but we missed the snow. Thank goodness... I couldn't have handled any more bad weather right now.

We've got to get started cleaning our yard. The city picked up the big pile of branches, but now we have to get started cleaning up the little stuff. And getting it piled so we can burn it sometime. First though, I need to go buy a big wheelbarrow. I'll have to find out next time Scott brings the truck to town and have him go by and get one. We have a really old flat one that is falling apart. And it doesn't hold very much. I don't want to have to start cleaning the yard with it! So, I'll get us a new one.... maybe it can be our spring gift. HA

My Missouri Tigers lost in the Elite Eight game on Saturday afternoon. It was a valiant effort, but they came up short in the end. Honestly though, of the four elite eight games, they played their competitors the closest of all the others. The other three games were blow outs with the winning teams winning big!

Thought for the day: "He who rejects change is the architect of decay!" Harold Wilson

Change is all around us, even though we don't like it. But if we're not moving forward, we're moving backwards and I've been there done that. Stephanie Moody

New space

2009-03-24T13:46:00.002-05:00

I am writing today from my new-to-me office space. Last week the PR department moved from the headquarters building, out to the membership building. It was kind of a fast move and worked me pretty hard, but I'm in new space now and I can see a sliver of the window from my desk chair, so it's not all bad.

We have a new reporting structure now for PR, so we've moved to the same building with our VP. I think it's a positive change and I'm excited for the future of our department. We'll just have to sit tight and see how and were things go.

Mizzou is still in the National Tournament and have made it to the Sweet Sixteen. That's a nice accomplishment. They have a tough game ahead of them on Thursday night, but I have faith in my tigers. Go MIZ-ZOU!!!!!

Matthew got to go to Georgia with Gma and Papa last weekend for Jason's sale. He had a good time and I was glad he was able to do it. We also had parent teacher conference last week and he has As and Bs this quarter. Social studies and reading/writing gave him the Bs (but they were just barely Bs, so that's good). Anyway, he's doing well in school and getting ready to start baseball. Just waiting on the call from the coach. Always waiting.....

Just wanted to give my family and friends a small update. Hope everyone is doing well. It's getting ready to storm here, so I'm getting ready to baton down the hatches!

Stephanie

Dancing

2009-03-17T10:39:00.003-05:00

Well, Mizzou made it to the big dance. For those non-basketball fans, that's the NCAA National Basketball Tournament. Missouri is ranked #3 in the West Division and starts playing on Friday. Wish us luck as we go through the next few weeks, hopefully winning basketball games.

I got Matthew signed up for baseball this spring. Now I guess I just need to wait for a phone call from a coach about who's team he's on and what to expect. Hopefully we'll get that call in the next week or so. That way we'll be able to plan out a little of the spring. I think he's excited about it. I just hope he gets to play a lot. He's pretty good when he concentrates. I think it's kid pitch this year, so he'll have to be sure his helmet fits good!

I can't believe my little boy is 9 years old and playing regular baseball. Seems so young, but then again, I want him to get a spot on the team now if he wants it. He had such a good season in football, hope he enjoys baseball just as much.

It's starting to get warmer and spring is in the air! We still have lots of yard work to do, but maybe I'll even start thinking about that this weekend. I've also started thinking about painting our bedroom. That was one room I didn't get painted before we moved and I've been thinking about it again. I'll have to get Scott to help me move furniture, but then I can work on most of the rest myself. We'll just see what we can do in the next three or four weeks.

Just wanted to jump on here and say Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hope everyone is enjoying the weather and about ready to jump into spring. I have about got my body all worked out for the new daylight savings time. It's still hard to get up in the morning... but maybe getting a little better?!

Have a great Tuesday! Stephanie

Ball Season

2009-03-10T09:09:00.002-05:00

Well, with the temperatures rising (and falling when we least expect it like tonight!) the town comes alive with baseball dreams. Matthew will be signing up for baseball this season and I hope everything goes well. It's going to be a pretty big commitment, but he's decided he wants to play. I'm glad for him... while it's a commitment, it's easier to do when the weather gets warm. He didn't play basketball this year because we were waiting for baseball. Now that it's about here, I think he' pretty excited.

I talked to some league reps last night and games start on May 4. He'll have about one game a week and practices a couple nights a week. I'm sure he'll enjoy it though!

Just thought I'd get on here and write a little more. It's been nice and spring like here, but it's about to get cold again. Tonight it's supposed to drop to the 30s and tomorrow only be in the low 40s. :( But I guess that's closer to normal than the 70s and 80s we've had recently. Although, it was nice to open the windows and let the fresh air in the house. Oh well.... soon.

Hope everyone is having a great week. God Bless! Stephanie

In like a lion....

2009-03-03T08:49:00.004-06:00

Out like a lamb.... is that what they say about March? Well, it sure came in like a lion for much of the Ozarks. Mom and dad got lots of snow. We got some snow on Saturday, but it didn't stick around long and wasn't really that much to begin with. But it was cold. And on Sunday it seemed even colder!

I can't believe it's already March. My life seems to be flying past me. Before I know it, I'll be having another birthday and be another year wiser. Wow, that's just crazy.

Relay For Life organization and fundraising is underway. I'm working on the Publicity again this year and so far I think things are going well. We've had one team captain's meeting and have already reached our team goals (at least we've handed out that many packets). I'm just keeping stuff on the radio and in the media. Hopefully things are going well. I'll be sending out my annual emails and letter soon, so watch for them! :)

Date night was nice. We were both a little tired, but we still tried to enjoy ourselves. Of course dinner at Colton's is always good. And we saw the movie "Taken" with Liam Neeson. It was pretty good.... not too scary but a little violent. But it was more of a suspense movie and I like those kind.

Scott is in Jefferson City today for Air Evac Lifeteam. It's EMS day at the Capitol so he's up there in a flight suit representing Air Evac. That will be a nice few extra hours this paycheck. He also has some training Thursday night that will be some extra hours. He's ended up working a lot this week, but it's not all 24 hour shifts.

Well, better get busy doing something else. Just wanted to say hello and jot down a few thoughts.

God Bless! Stephanie

Date night

2009-02-26T10:15:00.002-06:00

So I'm all excited because I have planned a date night for Scott and I tomorrow night. I told him we were doing it and didn't give him a choice, so I think it will happen. I didn't ask him to take me to dinner and a movie, I told him we were going to dinner and a movie.

Matthew is going to Mountain View for the weekend. One of his friend's mom called and wants Matthew to be the surprise birthday guest on Saturday night for a sleep over. Matthew wants to go, but wants to spend a night with papa and grandma too. So, he's going up on Friday night to spend it with papa and gma and then on Saturday he's going to Jackson's. He's pretty excited.

Anyway, Scott is home on Friday and to make things easier in the travel, he's going to bring Matthew back to WP on Friday night. Since he'll be here already, I told him we were going to dinner and a movie. He said we could go watch whatever I wanted. I don't want to bore him through a chick-flick (like our first date ever) so I think we're going to watch Taken (it's a suspense thriller!)

Anyway, I'm pretty excited about the prospect of a nice little night out. And on the thrifty side, I have coupons for Colton's plus we have a gift card and I have a movie pass for one of us. That will help some too!

Hope it all works out and we have a nice night. We'll be "kidless" on Saturday too, but Scott has plans to work on fixing fence all day with another guy to help. He'll be home Saturday night but goes to work on Sunday, so I'm sure he'll go to bed early.

Date night.... I may try to make this happen about one night a month at least. It won't kill us!!! :)

It's Friday!

2009-02-20T10:31:00.007-06:00

Yippeee.... it's Friday. Last night I had a Relay For Life meeting and tomorrow is our local Team Captain's University. Everything seems to be moving along. You'll be hearing from me soon regarding Relay For Life. My fundraising goal this year is $1,000 and I'm already over halfway there!

Scott's been a little sick lately. I think some of it is that he's been going so long that he needs a good break. The problem with breaks are that you sit around and feel bad for things you're not doing when you're "breaking." So it's really just a big cycle..... He rested in bed most of yesterday and then went to bed early. I left him in there by himself and I think he might have slept a little better last night. I didn't, but I'll get some sleep tonight because he's at work. LOL He comes home in the morning and then has to go back to work on Sunday. So I'm hoping that Saturday isn't too stressful for him and Matthew and I can help with the basic chores and be done for the day... we'll just have to see how it goes.

They are saying we're going to get some snow again tonight and tomorrow. I'm hoping it won't amount to much, but I'm leery of weather. We'll just have to see what the morning brings with it!

Have a great weekend... We are three fourths of the way through February. Can you believe it?

It was a Wedding!

2009-02-16T15:21:00.002-06:00

Well, the weekend engagement party turned into a wedding! We all got to the church, were working on getting all the food sat out when Bob and Maxine asked everyone to gather and stop for a minute. They thanked everybody for coming and wanted to let us know how much we each mean to them.

Then Bob said, "And we have the license and the preacher's here, so lets go get this done. What do you think?" After a round of applause, we all headed across the church lawn to the main building. Lisa was nominated as the impromptu piano player and everyone took their seats. It was a short and sweet ceremony that was still a surprise to more than half of us. Some of the guests knew about the evening, but it was a surprise to most.

It was very touching. The ring that Bob gave Maxine during the ceremony was Grandma Lorene's wedding ring. Maxine commented that she wished Mother (Grandma Lorene) could have been there, and to that grandpa smiled and hugged her and promised her that she was with them. They got married at Oaklawn Church north of Mountain View, Mo., which was Grandma's home church.

And another note about the day... it was mine and Scott's 14 month anniversary. This is our 2nd Valentine's day together and another year to remember.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and enjoyed time with family and loved ones. It was a great day for a wedding, that's for sure. And then in Beltz style, we celebrated with more food than we could possible eat. I think we'll all be eating left overs for a while! :)

Great news!

2009-02-12T08:46:00.002-06:00

Our family got great news in the past few weeks. Bob and Maxine have not only gotten back together, but they are getting married at the end of the month. So in traditional Beltz fashion, we're going to have a potluck dinner for them on Saturday, Feb. 14 to celebrate their reunion and upcoming marriage. It's been something that has been in the works for a while now, but they've finally decided to move on it. So we are all very happy and wish them the best.

Scott has to work tomorrow, so he won't be home until Saturday morning. And then we'll have to get ready mid-afternoon for the trip north (to Oaklawn Church), so I hope we get to have a nice relaxing Valentine's day, but we'll just have to see. I don't have any major plans. I just want to spend time with Scott and hope that he'll find a way to spend time with me too.

Just wanted to add a few more thoughts. Scott says the tree trimmers are at the house this morning, so we'll be completely ready for yard cleanup after today. They really don't want us to burn in the city limits, but I think we're going to anyway. We don't want everything sitting in the yard for months and months. So, we might start the piling this weekend. It's just such a mess.

Another note, my camera has quit working, so until I get another one, pictures are going to be fewer I'm afraid. I've got Matthew's I can use, but I keep forgetting to put it in my bag. I'll take some progress pictures of the clean up though, I promise.

Hope everyone has a good upcoming weekend and enjoys Valentine's day. And always remember... life is too short. Tell those you love, that you love them. Don't leave any regrets in life. Laugh often. Love fully.

Let there be light!

2009-02-03T10:42:00.002-06:00

We have power! I don't know if I've been this happy in a long time. Scott made some phone calls this morning and as of 9:58 a.m. our power was back on! It was about one week and six hours that we were out of power. Wow, that's a long time. I haven't been home since Saturday morning and Matthew hasn't been there since Thursday afternoon.

He's headed back to school tomorrow. And being the daughter of teachers, I made him complete his entire spelling worksheet from last week. I know I'm a mean mom, but I told him, this way he wouldn't have to worry about doing that homework this week while all the other kids have to start again.

We've got a long busy week ahead of us, cleaning up the house (fridge and freezer) and getting things back to normal. As you can imagine, we didn't spend much time cleaning up last week. We felt lucky to get the chores done, get something to eat and then get to bed. It's going to be nice to sit in the living room watching TV, making dinner in the kitchen (and not the garage) and taking hot showers at the end of the day if we want too!

Matthew and I are going home tonight for the first time in quite a while. We'll try to get him ready for school and I'll begin cleaning as soon as I get home I'm sure. Making a trip to Walmart today to start to restock. Going to try to do it slow so it doesn't cost me a HUGE fortune. One good thing... when I left last week, I brought my laundry with me and I have all the laundry (minus what Scott's been wearing this past week) in the Tahoe and clean. So we don't have too much laundry to catch up on. Since I was at Mom's all weekend I figured I might as well be washing clothes. So that is a nice thing that I don't have to worry about too much.

We've got to work on cleaning the propane heater out tonight. Without any air circulating in the house last week, the dust and gunk built up and kept shutting the heater off. Scott's going to clean it tonight and we're going to get it all working again. I'm pretty excited but know we still have lots of clean up. At least now we can get started.

Walmart here I come!!!

Would you like Ice in your drink?

2009-01-30T09:41:00.011-06:00

I don't want to write too much. Just wanted to share some of the pictures I've taken over the last few days. We're still without power. We lost it Tuesday morning at 3:52 am. We have heat and got the fish cooker going and can fix hot foods. But it's still quite and we go to bed pretty early. Home phone and cell phone service is spotty to nonexsistent. We all came to WP yesterday for our first shower of the week. It was nice. I'll quit talking and get some pictures on here. ENJOY! We're trying to.

This is the road we have to go down to get out to one of the farms. That is the truck atenna (not a power line!)

These are some of the trees around Grandad Moody's house in Salem.

These are the power lines and trees at the feed mill in Salem.

Trees in one of the fields as we drove around on Thursday 1-29-09.

Even in the midst of all the destruction, if we have the time to stop, there is some beauty out there. (Above and below)

The ice and snow at the barn lot and the side of the barn. Pretty awesome.

Pictures

2009-01-22T09:35:00.008-06:00

I promised some pictures, so here are a few of more of Christmas and Matthew's birthday. Can anyone figure out the reoccurring theme? ENJOY!

More than halfway done

2009-01-21T14:15:00.001-06:00

Can anyone else believe that this month is already halfway gone? Where does the time go? It's already been a good year and I am working to keep things going well. After my last little vent about Scott getting to work too much, I have the "opportunity" to work tonight. And his schedule changed and he's off for the next three nights. However, the next two, I have meetings. Tonight will be late, but tomorrow I hope to be home in time for CSI. It's the first one without Gill Grissom! Should be good.

Just thought I'd just jump on here and say hello. My brother's cattle show was Monday in Denver and the heifer he took won the show!!!! He was excited to say the least... and of course we're happy for him. That will help the sale coming up in March. Some sisters or daughters to her sell and they will be more in demand now. WOoo Hooo way to go!

Hope everyone is having a good day. Talk to you again later... steph

Another Monday in the life...

2009-01-19T08:57:00.003-06:00

So, you know this crazy cycle we live in? Work to make money to have nice things and pay the bills, but by working we don't have time to be home with our families to enjoy the nice things and pay the bills? Well, that's the cycle I'm referring to. Sometimes being a dedicated employee can go just a little far. Scott is working his fifth day (out of the past six days.) I'm frustrated to say the least. One of the other medics is out of work with a slipped disc so who knows when he'll be back to work. And I just found out they adjusted the schedule because of this and Scott may have to work Thursday and screw up my plans for Relay For Life kickoff event.

He had to work last Thursday and I had to get a sitter for the committee meeting.... aughhhhh!!!! Well, we'll see how the schedule works out. I just can't figure out why he's the one who has to work so darn much.

On the flip side, he's looking at three overtime shifts on his next paycheck, so that's nice. Maybe we can get some of those bills paid down again... seems like they are piling up again!

See what I mean about paying the bills and having nice things. He's working to pay the bills, but because he's working, we don't get to see each other much. And if he was home, we wouldn't have the money to pay the bills... .what a vicious cycle!

So here he is one day in the helicopter! Kinda cute isn't he?

Almost 9

2009-01-09T10:52:00.002-06:00

Isn't it amazing, the older we get the fast the time seems to go? My son will turn 9 years old on Sunday and yet I can remember the day he was born and the many good days after that. He was always a good baby and happy and fun. Now, he's a growing boy and still happy and fun most of the time, but he's sure not my cuddly little one. He's almost as tall as me and he's still growing. Not growing out any, just up, up up... he's wearing size 10 jeans, but they have to be slims. To give you an idea. They are still too big around, but to reach his ankles and not look like capri pants, they must be 10s.

He's having a sleep over tonight with some of his friends and we'll be having a family party tomorrow at home. Cake and ice cream both nights. It should be fun and I'll try to get some new pictures for the blog.

He's a sweetie and I'm so excited that he's growing up, but you know how I miss the sweet little boy. He's got a great male figure in his life now, with Scott, and they get along great. Both enjoy the farm and the outdoors. I just can't believe my baby is growing up... I swear I'm going to blink and he'll be graduating high school. Please excuse me while I go wipe my tears....

Stephanie

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-02T14:19:00.002-06:00

Can it really already be 2009? Where has my time and life gone? Looking back, it's gone very well thank you! 2008 brought many happy moments as well as some sad times. As I started out 2008, I was a newly wed. The end of school for Matthew in May found us moving to Arkansas and then it was time for school to start in a new place.

Matthew did very well and is enjoying third grade at Salem Elementary. (He'll go back to school on Monday!) 2008 brought good change and some sad change. Just last month in December we lost two members of our family -- my aunts husband and my grandma. These were devastating losses, but we also know where to find them when we need them again. They celebrated Christmas in Heaven and got to have a great big birthday party with Jesus.

Speaking of birthdays... Matthew will be 9 years old a week from Sunday -- Jan. 11. That seems impossible. He's such a growing boy and turning into a pleasant young man. Like all those I know, he has his times, but overall he's such a good kid. He's going to have a sleep over next Friday night and I think he'll have a good time. I just hope I can handle it.

Just wanted to drop a line and say goodbye 2008... HELLO 2009. I hope this year brings you and yours all the joy and happiness you deserve. For me it only seems to be getting better!

HO HO HO

2008-12-27T11:32:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!?! We had a good one so far. We are heading to Mountain View today to do Christmas with my family (and right at this moment we are just waiting on Scott!) Jason, Jill and Jase will be there too and I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Here is a picture of our family from Christmas Eve when we opened presents at our house. Dad had to work on Thursday so we did our gifts on Christmas Eve and then had a nice dinner on Thursday when my parents came down.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-18T14:51:00.007-06:00

Okay, I know it's been a while and for those who don't know... Grandma Lorene Beltz passed away on Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 at her home in Willow Springs. Services were last Thursday and Friday. Although we are sad, we know she's in heaven now with her creator and we'll do our best to keep her awesome memory alive with the happy stories.

With the services at the end of last week, we got to see Jason, Jill and Jase again. I'm including some pictures of the fun time we had on Saturday when we got to see Santa Claus come in to town in Uncle Scott's Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter. Jase was pretty excited. Enjoy these wonderful pictures of family and true Christmas happiness.

Jase and Uncle Scott with the helicopter

The Moodys -- Dec. 13, 2008

Matthew showing Jase the inside of the helicopter

Steph and Scott on Dec. 13, 2008 -- one day before our 1st Anniversary

December is here!

2008-12-03T08:35:00.002-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Do you hear the music? I love the holidays and they are in full swing this year. However, our family has had some dark clouds following us and we're trying our hardest to shine through them.

Daphne's boyfriend (they might as well have been married) passed away last weekend after a short fight with an illness. His funeral is Friday. And of course Grandma Beltz is still on all our prayer lists.

She came home on Monday Nov. 24 and has been home just over a week with Hospice care and round-the-clock family care. Georgia has been the strongest patient aid as she's spent most of the nights with Grandma, seeing to her needs. The past few days and nights have been rough and the hospice nurse says there are a few more days to go.

Grandma seems to be ready and has said her good byes and has her affairs in order. The family has all been there and had their chance to say good bye and all in all, we're dealing well. We know she's in pain and once she goes to be with God she'll be pain free again. So I ask everyone who might stumble upon this blog or those who read it on purpose to pray for our family. It's a rough time of year to deal with the loss of a loved one, but at the same time, what a glorious time to go and be with the Lord. We just pray she won't have to suffer much longer.

At the same time, we're trying to keep life as normal as possible for the kids and we're trying to prepare for Christmas. I feel like I'm behind this year, but not doing too bad. Matthew and I are going to work on the Christmas tree some more tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to decorate it some on Saturday with Scott. We still have some work to do on our outside lights too and I hope we can get that done this week.

Pray with me and for me! God Bless... stephanie

God is good

2008-11-21T08:58:00.001-06:00

For those who don't know, Grandma Beltz has been extremely ill lately and has been in the hospital since last Sunday. She had been sick and her kidney's haven't been functioning properly. However, they did a procedure yesterday that allowed them to place stints in her urinary tract and open it again and this morning the doctor said prayers have been answered. Her kidney's are working again (somewhat) and he said the prognosis from 24 hours ago has gone from days to weeks to weeks to months!

Grandma and Grandpa have agreed to Hospice help and that's the way she'll be coming home. It now looks like that won't be until Monday, but overall the outlook is better. Grandma has become more peaceful and seems to be getting to a place in her life with God that when he's ready to take her, she'll be ready to go. And while the doctor's say it might be weeks or months, only God knows. She's been seeing heaven in her dreams and this morning she was listening to beautiful organ music (although the rest of the family in the room didn't hear anything).

So, while the doctors say things are looking better, I just wonder if it's God way, helping to give her and us peace before she leaves this earth. With that in mind, Jason is the last of the family who she hasn't seen yet and he and Jill and Jase are leaving Georgia this morning to come to Missouri to see Grandma Beltz. While I'm happy about the prognosis, I'm still concerned that she's been waiting for all the family and once she sees Jason, she'll be ready for her eternal peace. That's why Matthew and I are going to be getting ready to go to Springfield this evening to see her while the rest of our immediate family is there.

I'm writing all this to ask for your prayers and thoughts as our family goes through this time. It's been rough, but most of us are finally understanding that this is God's will and she's lived a long and happy life. We are just thankful God chose to make her part of our lives. As we go through the next weeks (and maybe even months) keep us in your prayers. Know I love you all and appreciate the support we've received.

God bless!

PS here's a picture of Grandma and I that Matthew took on Nov. 2 when we were at the house visiting them.

11 months?

2008-11-14T13:21:00.002-06:00

Today is another milestone day for me (and Scott) as it is our 11 month anniversary. I know, to count months is juvenile, but I honestly didn't know I could be this happy... so during the first year, I've assured myself it's okay to count! (Do you like my rationalization?) Anyway, I can't believe it's almost been a year since we got married.

Since we're doing this in stages, it doesn't seem that long. We met, six(ish) months later we got married, then six(ish) months after that we moved in together. So at this rate, all the big milestones that happen in couples lives are going to take us at least six months. I've been there about six months, and I am just now starting to feel like I'm getting settled. So it's about time for a new phase right?

Oh, yeah, we'll have Christmas together (in one house) this year, so I guess that constitutes another phase. He's never been with me (as in lived together in the same house) through a Christmas. My friends and family know how much I love the holidays and they know my decorations... so if you don't mind to drop him an email or call him and warn him, I would appreciate it! :) He'll soon learn... and this year I have a really nice artificial tree, so I can start putting it up this weekend if I wanted too. And you know, he's supposed to be home, we might just have to think about that. At least by next weekend, because Thanksgiving weekend is going to be spent traveling. And then the next weekend is December. Wow, I really need to stop now and think about this.

Hope everyone is having a good fall. Deer season starts tomorrow in Missouri. Hunters be safe.

Steph

Half way through November?

2008-11-11T09:56:00.003-06:00

Are we really almost half way through November? That seems to be the case when I look at my handy dandy wall calendar. Wow, time sure has flown!

I'm feverishly getting ready for the holidays. Trying to figure out schedules and events... fun fun fun! However, we have to make ourselves stop and remember that while the holidays are busy, what really means the most to us is the time we get to spend with family and friends during this time of year. I'm trying to cut back on the holiday shopping and concentrate more on the time we'll get to spend together as a family... with Scott and Brice, my parents and brother's family and time with Scott's family. His sister from Michigan probably won't be down this year as she just recently had a baby. But Melissa should be around some and Scott is hoping to go duck hunting with the group around Thanksgiving. Hopefully he'll still have some time for me and my family too. Let's just keep our fingers crossed.

Matthew was out of school yesterday and had spent the weekend with Papa and Grandma. He got to visit with Papa George and Grandma Lorene some yesterday morning while Papa Joe was at a meeting. Then Papa, Gma and Matthew (aka Fred) came to WP and had dinner with me. He and I were going to go to a movie, but we decided to rent one and spend the rainy, dreary night at home. We had a nice time.

And today, we are getting a new window in the front of the house. In our living room, almost the entire front wall is window and it was more than 30 years old and rattled and leaked air, so it's getting replaced today. Barbara agreed it needed to be done and is getting it taken care of. It may make the house a little cool today while they replace it, but tonight we should be air tight!!! I'm hoping it will help with heating the house. It really should.

Well, just wanted to write a few lines for my family and friends out there. It's cooler this week and seems more and more like fall every day. When I left work yesterday, it was rainy and already dark at 5 p.m. Yep, seems like winter to me!

Have a safe and happy week!!! Steph

Fall is almost here!

2008-11-04T08:21:00.003-06:00

By the calendar, fall is already here, but the weather seems to think differently. We had a small taste of cool weather last week and it was wonderful. Now it's back near and above 70 degrees, but the forecast is for cooler weather in a few days. I am ready! Can't wait. I love fall. I love the trees, the smells (wood burning stoves and chili) the landscape and most of all I love the clothes and jackets we get to wear in fall. It's my favorite time of year also because it leads up to the holiday season when we spend time with family.

I went Christmas shopping on Saturday in Springfield. I had a pretty good list and got almost everything on it. So, that was pretty nice. Also, since I was in Springfield, I got to be part of history. Barack Obama's Presidential Election tour made a stop in Springfield and I got to attend and be part of the event. To hear him speak in person was amazing. It was a wonderful experience and I'm happy that I took the time to attend. I wasn't going to go after a day of hard Christmas shopping, but I'm glad I did.

It's already November and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. I want to wish everyone a happy fall and God Bless.

Remember, today is election day across the nation. No matter who you vote for, be sure to get out and vote...

Steph

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-27T13:14:00.005-05:00

Well, October has come and almost gone. I can't believe it's already the last week of the month. Seems like a few days ago I posted the info on Breast Cancer Awareness month and now it's almost gone. Where is the time going? (Probably the same place the dryer takes that one sock per load!)

It's my favorite time of year with the cooler weather, the fall decorations and activities. And it's that much closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas... two of my favorite holidays of the year. I wish they could spread them out more, but I probably like them because they are in the fall and if they move them, it might not be as grand.

Here's a picture of Matthew carving his Jack-O-Lantern last week. We used a pattern and had a lot of fun. He looks pretty good. We're both proud of him. Matthew loved taking out all the "pumpkin guts!" (as you can see from the picture!)

Just wanted to check in and write a little more. It's been too long and didn't want my family and friends to get bored. It's been busy in the family... a cousin had a baby, my grandpa celebrated his 80th birthday and Matthew's football team is 6 wins 0 loses! Sooooo much happening... and I'm loving every minute of it!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Steph

Vegas Baby!

2008-10-17T09:55:00.002-05:00

WOW! That's the best way to describe Las Vegas, Nevada to someone who's not been there before. Scott and I have just returned from our Vegas vacation/conference and it was awesome. It is something that I'm so glad we got to do together and we had a blast. It seems to truly be a city that never sleeps. And of course there is a two hour difference between here and there, so that is catching up with us now.

I have so many pictures and stories that I don't know where to begin. There were so many neat sights to see and there was plenty of fun, free stuff to do. Of course we spent some time in the casinos, but I had the most fun just being with Scott and seeing the sights.

I know people who don't enjoy crowds or difference places, but everyone was so nice and helpful out there. They seem to be used to the tourist (they have to be don't they?) and they were more than happy to help.

My favorite attraction was the LV Eiffel Tower. It is a replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and you could go up to the observation tower level. You could see all of the Las Vegas from there. The pictures were incredible and we timed it just perfect. You see there is a free water and light show set to music that happens every 30 minutes across the street. We were in the tower when one of the shows went off and got to watch the entire thing from above. It was a miraculous view and showed you all the lights and formations of the water spouts. It was GREAT!!!! We almost missed doing that, but it was something I sure am glad we did.

Pictures were challenging because to get the full effect, you couldn't use the flash, but then so many of them seemed to be out of focus. We'll just have to see how they all turned out. I'm sure I'll post some later....

We just got back home last night (Thursday evening about 6:30 p.m we pulled into the driveway at the house) and then Scott and I both came to work today. We figured we needed to get back to work and what better way (at least for me) than to go for one day and then have a weekend!

Just wanted to say helloooo! I'm back and I'll get pictures posted and emailed as soon as I can. Hope everyone is doing well!

Steph

Happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2008-10-01T09:51:00.004-05:00

Well, it's that time of year! When I get up on my soap box and tell all the women in my life to GO GET YOUR MAMMIES GRAMED! October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and for anyone who knows me, this has a place close to my heart! Both of my grandmothers are breast cancer survivors, so I'm a little nervous about this. I've already been and had my base line mammogram, because I didn't want to wait until I had it. So I encourage every woman to go do this. Yeah, it's a little painful, but think about the alternative? This test every other year or every year if you've reached 40 years old, could actually save your life. Isn't that worth a little boob pain? I sure think so!

Pink is the breast cancer color, so you'll see that this blog is typed in pink! Don't take the chance. Get your mammogram today. Most insurances will cover this test and if yours doesn't, work with them until they do. The cost of the test is nothing compared to the cost of treatment. Of course you also need to be doing monthly self checks. This way you'll know if there is a change and not wonder, "Was that there last month?"

Well, I guess I've preached enough. If you still have reservations about mammograms, call your local hospital and talk to the mammographer. She or he will be able to explain things to you and hopefully relieve your anxiety. Don't wait... do this TODAY!

Again, happy breast cancer awareness month.

SAVE THE TATAS!

Steph

Getting ready for another weekend

2008-09-25T09:41:00.004-05:00

Well, I've made it to another Thursday in this thing we call life. It's been a little hectic again this week, but last week I got some overtime and that's nice. I also won a door prize at the company banquet Saturday night. A nice little prize of $250!

It was just in time too. My car broke down this week. Monday night after football practice the lights on the inside started to flash and I just thought their might be a short. We hopped out at the post office and when we got back in, it wouldn't start. I called some friends and they came and jump started the car, but I almost didn't make it the 1-1/2 mile drive home. It was sucking juice and running down. I turned off the main road and quickly turned my lights off and had power again. So, that told me (and my friend Ernie told me too!) it was the alternator. But the beauty of living in a small town is that Scott called the mechanic the next day and he came to the house and go the car. Then he took it to the shop and changed out the alternator. So I was only without the Explorer for one day and it cost less than the $250 I won on Saturday, so all came out well.

Scott has had to work four of the five days so far this week, so I'm missing him like crazy. This weekend he's headed to south Arkansas for a class he's presenting at. He'll be home Saturday night and I think all day Sunday too. It's my understanding we get to work cattle on Sunday. Yipppee... (hear the excitement in my voice?)

Anyway, Mom and I are setting things up tomorrow night for a one day yard sale. Saturday is the town-wide sale, so we're setting some things out that were left over from last time and some new things I've come across as I clean and try to organize the house. Wish us luck. We kind of feel like any money is free money for our junk! I'm hoping to make some more progress on the house too. It's not bad, but it's still not as organized as I would want it. But as Scott says, "Baby steps baby!" We're slowly but surely making progress.

I got my hair colored this week. It's one of those things we women do to make ourselves feel better. It's not a big change, but I can notice and I LOVE IT! I'm also going to let it get a little longer again (kind of like this time last year). Last time I got it cut, we went shorter and I decided I don't like it that short anymore.

Well, I was wondering if anyone was reading this, but I got some emails after the last few entries that my family enjoys the info. So thanks for reading this and hope everyone is doing well. I have family all spread out, so this is an easy way for them to try to keep up with Scott, Matthew, Brice and I.

Gotta run! Enjoy the upcoming weekend. PS It's suppose to get cool next week and feel more like fall! YIIPPEEEEE

Steph

Here's a picture of Matthew at his last game. He was playing defensive linebacker and check out that concentration. He's #29 (I've added an arrow for those who can't spot him!)

Matthew's Football pic

2008-09-17T21:19:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in the last post, we took pictures of Matthew in his football gear. He had all his pads, pants, shoe and helmet that he wears for practice, but he wanted to wear the Mizzou jersey. He was really proud and after I took the picture I was too. Well, here take a look for yourself. Doesn't he look all grown up? I can't believe he's 8 years old already.

Just thought I'd jump on here and post that picture for the world to see. That's my little man!

Steph

Been too long!

2008-09-16T15:37:00.003-05:00

WARNING: It's been a while since I've written, so expect this blog to last a while. So many fun things have happened.

Of course MIZZOU! They won again this past weekend and the weekend before (Sept. 6) Matthew and I traveled to Columbia for the game. It was a night game and it started to get cool. That was pretty neat. Unfortunatly it's the only one we'll get to attend this year. Matthew is playing football this year and his games are on Saturday. More to come on that in a minute. Above is our annual football picture we take at a game. He was actually in a pretty sweet mood at that time. He's been known to make faces in all the pictures I try to take. That weekend Mizzou beat SEMO and this past week they tied a school scoring record by beating Nevada 69 to 17. GO TIGERS.

I mentioned that Matthew (aka Fred) is playing this year. He's on the Mighty Mite team and plays running back and defensive end. They had their first game last Saturday and they won 42-6. So needless to say, he was excited. The weekend we went to Columbia his one main purpose was to buy a practice jersey. He got a Mizzou one (of course) and when we got home that weekend, he wanted to put it all on and have me take a picture. I'll have to get that picture ready and on here soon. He's a Salem Greyhound now, but the cool thing is the school colors. They are black and gold (just like Mizzou) I'm not kidding, it's great! He has practices on Monday and Friday and games on Saturdays. That gets a little tiring, but I guess we'll survive.

I had to travel for work last weekend and this weekend there is an Awards Banquet for work that I have to attend. SO I should have some extra time on this next paycheck and that will be good. Scott and I are saving for a vacation next month. We're going to Vegas, baby! But I'll talk about that some other time.

Hope all my friends out there are having fun and enjoying life. Remember: tell those you love, how much you love them, early and often. You don't ever want to regret not telling them.

Later... steph

Almost Game Day!

2008-09-04T16:34:00.002-05:00

It's almost Saturday, and that means it's almost College Football Game day. Matthew and I have tickets to the Mizzou game on Saturday. They play SEMO, but hey at least we're getting to go to a game. This is the only Saturday that Matthew doesn't have a football game, so this may be the only one we get to go to this year.

Anyway, we got tickets on row 1, so Matthew should be able to take some good pictures. Of course I'm excited. Just love the Tigers.

Otherwise, things are going well. Matthew is doing good in school and seems to be liking it all okay. Of course he loves playing tackle football, with pads and everything! He's currently playing running back, which is a fun position. He gets the ball sometimes. His first game is Saturday, Sept. 13, so we'll have to see how he does.

Just thought I'd drop a few lines on here and say "GO TIGERS!"

Have a great upcoming weekend! Steph

Mizzou 52 Illini 42

2008-09-02T08:15:00.001-05:00

WOOOO GO TIGERS! Well, the first weekend of college football has come and gone and boy was it fun. There were games all day Saturday and we got to watch our Tigers as they started off the season with a win. Overall the team played really well. We played #20 Illinois, so it wasn't a "fluff" game.

Matthew and I have tickets to Mizzou next weekend. I'm pretty excited. Just wanted to let my family and friends know that we watched and life was good.

Brice spent some time with us this weekend and we got to see Scott two of the three days of the long weekend. All in all, we had a good weekend. Hope you all did too!

M-I-Z-Z-O-U GO TIGERS!!!!

Still Pluggin' away

2008-08-27T08:27:00.002-05:00

We are in to the second week of school and we seem to have a little bit of a schedule down. Even though things change because of days Scott is home and days he's not, overall we're getting into a routine!

Matthew got his football uniform, pads and helmet on Monday and he's ready to hit somebody. Practice Friday will be their first full contact practice. It should be interesting. He'll probably be sore on Saturday, but we don't have big plans yet this weekend. Except on Saturday night we'll be camped in front of our TV tuned to ESPN by 7 p.m. for the Mizzou Tigers first game of the season against Illinois Illini. Should be a good game and I'm stoked for the season. GO TIGERS!!!

Then the next Saturday, we have tickets for the game, so that will be a good time too! We'll take the day and head to Columbia, making some stops along the way for shopping for Matthew football things, and then we'll go to the game. I've also got some Tiger things I want to pick up and hope that I don't have to go to the bookstore to get them. I've about decided to drive back to Mom and Dad's that night to save the $60 I'd spend on a hotel room. Matthew will sleep, so it shouldn't be a big deal to him.

Last Sunday (Aug. 24) we moved the last of the stuff out of the house in Mountain View. Since then I've thought of one or two little things that I forgot, but all in all, it's done! We have accepted a contract and are just waiting to see if the couple (I hear they are YOUNG!) can get financing. Dad told me not to hold my breath, but I'm praying really hard. That would just be great. If it sells, none of us have to worry about it this winter. HOPE HOPE HOPE!

We'll we've made it to another "hump" day and I hope everyone has had a good week and will continue on to a great weekend. Enjoy the Labor Day holiday and stay safe!

Steph

Day Three

2008-08-20T09:14:00.002-05:00

Well, we are on day three of the first week of school. Matthew seems to be doing really well and is enjoying things so far. He's made the bus both afternoons and gone to the right place, so that's good. Tonight he'll be getting off the bus at home and Scott will be there. I think he's kind of looking forward to that.

He's had art and PE already this week and said it's fun. He has had homework, but hasn't had any trouble getting it done and actually did all his spelling stuff on Monday night. So I'm glad he's that excited about school.

Mom and dad came down last night and brought two more pieces of furniture. They brought my armoire and Matthew's bed. We got both in place and set back up last night, so that was really nice. Dad also put some things on the wall for me (two bulletin boards and a shelf in the bedroom!)

SO, things are continuing to come together for the house. Hopefully by the time I need to get Christmas decorations out, I'll have everything else put away.

Just thought I'd let everyone know, we are doing well. Things are moving along, slowly but surely, and Scott assures me that this is good for my patience.

Have a wonderful hump day!!!! Steph

First Day of School

2008-08-18T12:40:00.002-05:00

I sent Matthew off for his first day of Third Grade at Salem Elementary today. He was excited and nervous, as was mama. It was hard sending my baby into something so new, but I know he'll do great and I think he'll really like it.

The school is smaller than even MV, so he should get the chance to get to know most of the kids, especially in his class.

Scott had to leave early this morning for some training, so Matthew and I used a tripod to get our pictures on the porch. We're going to catch up with Papa and Grandma some time in the next few weeks.

I came to work late, so I could take Matthew to school, and will be leaving early, so I'm there when he gets home tonight. Plus he has football practice and I need to get him to that on time.

Just thought I'd post some of our pictures here. His teacher is Ms. May and he'll have homework most nights, so we'll see how this goes after last year of no homework. Like I said, I'm sure he'll do fine.

Better get busy so I can leave early! :) Steph

It's FOOTBALL season!

2008-08-12T14:30:00.003-05:00

It's getting close to that time of year. With the weather in an unprecedented cool spell, it's making me think of football. And Matthew started practice last night. He's going to playing tackle ball this year with pads and everything, if mom can handle it.

He'll practice two days a week and have games on Saturday. We'll see how this all goes. He seemed to enjoy it last night. As soon as he gets his equipment, I'll get his picture on here! I'm kind of excited, but sad to see my little boy growing up so much.

Of course Mizzou football is about to get underway. Their first game is just over two weeks away. Ranked #7 in the preseason polls and heard they were on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week too.

Back to live in Salem... We met some more people from Salem last night at the ball practice. That was kind of nice... actually met some neighbors and he works at the school. So that's nice...

Thursday night is Matthew's open house, where we get to meet his teacher and look around. We'll also take all his school supplies. I'm working on a list of questions. You know me. Always too much to ask about. Then on Monday morning my baby boy heads off for 3rd Grade. Where did the time go?

I'm sure we'll have first day of school pictures. We'll have to figure out how to take our own pictures because Scott has to leave early that day for Poplar Bluff, but I'm sure we'll make it work.

Watch for school and football pictures soon!

No knitting time

2008-08-06T08:33:00.003-05:00

It's been a busy few days since my last post. Matthew had a sleep over on Saturday night; on Sunday we went to Houston to Grandpa Roy's 80th bday party and then the week started all over.

I haven't had any time to try my hand at knitting again, but I'm pretty sure I have cast on down pat know... so give me more time and I'm sure I'll get it.

The primary elections are over now in the county and state, so some of the political ads are going to go away. THANK GOODNESS! I thought there were some surprises, maybe not to who won, but the number of votes others received. Anyway, three more months of this until the November election. I'm ready for it to be over.

Getting ready to go to St. Louis for the weekend for work. Scott is leaving tomorrow for Hot Springs for the Arkansas EMS Conference and Matthew will be spending the weekend with Mom and Dad, heading to Sedalia for the Missouri State Fair. So, we're all going our seperate ways, but it will be a nice weekend for all of us.

Just wanted to say hello to the outside world. I'll keep you posted on the knitting adventure.

Later... stephanie

Not going so well

2008-07-30T11:22:00.003-05:00

Okay... so I don't think my hands are made to do the moves for knitting. Seems to be too many strands of yarn on the needle. Checked out a couple of websites last night, but there are no two that show it the same. HMMMMMMMM

Guess I'll have to keep trying. By this time next year I might have a pot holder!

steph

Knit one, pearl two

2008-07-29T16:47:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I sat and watched Shelli knit this weekend and it went so fast and seemed almost theraputic. So, I bought some silly knitting needles and some cheap yarn today. I found a website and thought I had the whole casting on thing going well. After I got done and tried to move to the knit stitch, I decided I did something wrong. Anyway, I'm going to try again tonight maybe... I'm just not sure that my fingers are going to move and hold the yarn the way they are supposed to.

If anyone has any suggestion, I'd love to hear them. I found a "how to knit" video and it looks easy enough, until you've got the yarn in your hand with those two big needles, trying to figure out how it goes. And then you have to sit something down to pause the video... anyway, suggestions welcome.

Wish me luck and I'll try to write about this adventure in the future. Suggestions????

steph

We had a blast!

2008-07-28T10:44:00.012-05:00

The 2008 Coble Girls Weekend in Branson, Mo., was a blast again this year. There were only 8 of us, but it was wonderful. We stayed up late talking and telling stories both nights and everyone seemed very relaxed and enjoyed the time.

Mom and I did gifts this year of Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon jewelry and everyone got a toe ring. So then we decided we needed pictures of our feet with the rings, so we just got crazy with that, but it kind of turned into some neat pictures.

Saturday night we went to dinner and then had plans to go to Shepherd of the Hills play but the weather didn't cooperate. They canceled the show before it even started, so we got our money back. That was actually kind of nice. We went back to the cabin and sat and talked until morning again. And since we got a refund, it wasn't a bad thing at all. It rained pretty hard for a little while, but we made it back and inside before we got too wet.

I got to do a little bit of shopping and I got a pedicure, so my weekend was complete. It was really nice. I'm adding a few weekend pictures. Hope everyone enjoys!!!
steph :)

Girl's Weekend

2008-07-24T15:23:00.001-05:00

It's finally here. The Coble Girl's Weekend... now some people may think, "FUN, a girls weekend!" That's right, but this is with family -- moms, grandmas, aunts and cousins, so it might not be a traditional girls weekend in Branson, but we sure have fun.

This year our numbers are down because of various life situations (some just had babies, some are planning for babies and some are so far away, they just can't leave their babies and family). But we're still planning a good time. We're staying at Stone Bridge again this year and look forward to the visiting and story telling. Although Grandma may almost be out of the really funny stories... then again, she probably has new ones by now. :)

Our only definite plans include attending the Sheppard of the Hills play on Saturday night. You know, I've lived near Branson my whole life, but that's one show I've never seen. I'm going to do a little history review and get ready. I think it will be neat to see. I hope the weather cooperates and it's not too hot or rainy.

Anyway, the summer is getting away from us and hopefully Matthew and I are about moved. We still have some stuff in MV but it's getting less and less with each little trip I take up there.

Just wanted to mention that I'm excited for this weekend and I'll try to post some pictures next week after the big eventful weekend. I'm kind of looking forward to time to just relax with out worrying about any of the boys (Scott, Matthew or Brice!)

Have a great weekend and I'll write more next week. Steph

so far so good

2008-07-18T13:35:00.002-05:00

Today is the first official day of our yard sale and so far so good... we've sold some stuff and have it all out in view now and are more likely to get rid of it when this is over. The garage is looking soooo much better.

The funny things is... we put up signs last night while grandpa Roy was there to help (around 5:30 p.m.) and people started showing up in droves. One lady stayed until 8:30 p.m. and bought $68 worth of stuff. So, last night, before we even began, we'd made more than $100. So that was nice.

And I have some of the big things sold, so we'll be getting that money tomorrow. YEAHHHHH! And we're getting rid of some stuff... the whole real reason we're doing this. We're talking about a sale in the fall, but we'll have to see how it all works out.

Mom and Matthew are there today and when I get home tonight, mom is taking Matthew and going back to MV for the night. Then dad has offered to keep MP on Saturday, so mom and I can get the sale put away without matthew's assistance and direction. I'm sure it will go better without him. Who knows....

I guess I'd better say bye.. I should probably be doing something else... steph

YARD SALE

2008-07-16T11:51:00.002-05:00

The weekend is closer now and we're frantically trying to get ready for a yard sale. Trying to combine houses and finding stuff we didn't know we even owned has caused us to look at the idea of selling our stuff.

I just hope it goes well. We've advertised for two weeks in the Salem News and it will come out this week in the Horsetrader. So hopefully people will want to come and buy our stuff. Mom and Matthew are there today going through things again. They will be back tomorrow and really start putting things out and getting ready. Hope it all goes as smoothly as we have in our minds that it will go! :)

I'm also hoping to make a few bucks. It seems to be amazing how much all those little things add up. And then if I can get a few of the bigger things sold, that will be amazing!!! I think I have all the baby stuff sold to a lady here at work. She is suppose to pay for it out of the next check, so a week from Friday I'm going to bring it and hopefully she'll still want it all!!!

Just thought I'd drop a line on here. Don't know if anyone is reading it, but it's been fun for me.

Later... steph

We survived...

2008-07-14T09:22:00.002-05:00

We traveled to Branson and home again and we survived! It was not without excitement, but we made it. We left Friday afternoon about 4:45 from Salem. It's about 2-1/2 hours to Branson and we weren't even to Mountain Home when the first question was asked -- "How long until we get there?"

The boys were picking on each other a little bit and the were on Dad and mine's nerves... so we were excited when the both dozed off. The woke up feeling and acting a whole lot better. Seemed like not matter what one wanted to do, the other wanted to do the exact opposite. Anyway, we got to Branson around 7 p.m., checked in to our room and headed for Taco Bell for a quick and cheaper meal. The cheaper part wasn't too bad, but the quick part didn't hold true. I just forget how many people travel to and spend time in Branson. Man, there were a lot of people.

So, then we got back to the room and had to go to the pool. Scott and I both sat this one out, but the boys played and had fun. We got to the pool just as a group of bigger boys was leaving, so that made mom feel better about our little guys playing in the water. I didn't have to worry about them being splashed out of the pool or squashed on the bottom :)

We finally got back to the room, the boys took a bath and then it was time to head to bed! Of course with their naps earlier, the boys weren't tired. We finally flipped a coin for a movie and they watched it while Scott and I went to bed. I woke up around 11 p.m. and they were still watching. I got up and turned it off and they didn't object too loud.

Saturday morning: We got ready, grabbed some breakfast at the hotel and headed for the park. We've gotten lazy in our old age and paid for close parking ($15) but at the end of the day, we remembered that it was worth it! Got in the park, played, watched the magician, played some more, did a little shopping, played some more and we finished the day buying Webkins for the family and of course the traditional stop at the Taffy shop.

We got back to the room and all took baths/showers... Brice screamed about it, but finally got it done. Then I ran out and got dinner for us (Subway and McDonald's) and we went to bed pretty early. I think the boys were settled down by 9ish and Scott and I weren't far behind.

Got up the next morning (slept a little later!) got ready and headed home. We stopped in Harrison for an early lunch because all the breakfast placed were full as we left Branson. Brice, like always, didn't eat, but we didn't buy him anything this time either. Then on the way home, all of a sudden he got sick... so that was a little detour, but we made it.

Spend the rest of the afternoon unpacking and unwinding and now today we started a new work week. Sounds like a real fun vacation huh? Well, it was kind of tiring but it was nice getting to spend time together and the boys had fun at SDC. I'm hoping to go back in the fall without the kids.... don't know if it will happen, but it would be nice.

I haven't even looked at my pictures yet. Hopefully I'll have a picture or two to post on here. The weather was great... not too sunny or hot and it didn't rain until Saturday night when we were tucked away in our beds!

That in a few paragraph's was what we did on our summer vacation. Have a great week!

Steph

Vacation Time!

2008-07-11T08:26:00.001-05:00

It's vacation time for the Moody's. I'm leaving work a little early today and Scott, myself, Matthew and Brice (yes, Brice gets to go!) are headed for Branson. We're going tonight so we'll be there and be ready to go to Silver Dollar City in the morning. We're hoping it doesn't rain all day. But on the bright side, if it's a little rainy the crowds might be smaller.

Our main objective is Silver Dollar City. We'll have to adjust that if it rains, but we'll figure something out. I'm looking forward to this. We went to Branson about this time last year. Actually it was one week later and it was the weekend Scott gave me my ring and talked to my dad about marrying me! It was pretty cool.. and that we get to do this again this year. Makes me smile! :) I've got my camera all ready to go and hope to get lots of fun pictures from the trip. We'll just have to see how it goes. I'll try to post some here next week.

I got some more things unpacked and put away last night. I also got some things for the garage sale priced. I just hope we do well and people buy our stuff. I'm looking forward to a little extra money and getting rid of lots of STUFF!!!

Well, we made it to another Friday. Hope all is well in your world and you have a great weekend. Gotta love the weekend! See you after the SDC trip!

Steph

Raining again

2008-07-09T09:16:00.002-05:00

It's raining again here in South Central Missouri and Northern Arkansas. I heard the rain when my alarm went off and that caused me to hit the snooze button a few more times. It was hard to get out of bed this morning. Of course Scott did have to go to a class today, so it wasn't one of those days when he got to stay in bed and I had to work. That was nice. :)

I'm trying to get ready in my mind for all the things coming up in the next few weeks. I guess I have actually moved now. I still have some things in Mountain View, but not much. This coming weekend we're hoping to go to Branson with Brice.... still waiting on his mom to give us the go ahead. She likes stringing us along.

Then the next weekend is the garage sale! AUGHHHH can't believe it's already almost time for that. Then the next weekend is the Coble girls weekend in Branson. Our numbers are down this year, but it's due to travel and babies! Amy had a baby in March and Tracy is pregnant and due in October. SO that's exciting news on the Coble/Barr/Curtis family home front. I've also got to find some time to get all my info changed -- new driver's license and car license. I may take off all day on the Friday of the girl's weekend and get that done in the morning. I think Scott has to work, so it would just be Matthew and I and maybe we could get that all done. I'll just have to see.

Well, just wanted to write a little. I emailed my family and friends yesterday, so I hope they are reading this. Have a great Wednesday. We're half way through the week.

Steph

Winners all around

2008-07-07T15:15:00.000-05:00

Matthew's baseball season is over for the year. He played coach pitch again this year in Mountain View. They were supposed to have the final game on Saturday, June 28, but that was postponed due to rain. They played on Tuesday, July 1 at Houston, Mo. They played the first game against Birch Tree and lost a questionable game. But that made the second game more relaxed.

We lead most of the game, but in the top of the fifth inning (they only play five) the other team went ahead by three. When we got up to bad in the bottom of the inning, we needed three to tie and four to win. We were at the bottom of our batting order, but were able to score two runs and put one player on base. By this time we were back to the top and our best batter was up. All he needed to do was hit a home run, with the batter on base scoring and him rounding the bases we would win. For all of us parents and grandparents, it was tense, but then he connected with the ball and you could hear the crack. Unfortunately he stood and watched it before he ran, but he's fast and the ball went a long ways. Riky hit a home run, scoring the runner on base and rounding to home himself. With that, our boys won 3rd place and you would have thought they won the championship. They were so excited and played really well in that game. The picture at the left is the team and the coaches. This was a great year. Matthew is the player standing on the left.

It was pretty great and all the boys were excited. I sent the picture and info to the paper and hope it will be out this week. They will be so excited.

Well, just wanted to include this picture of our little baseball heroes. It was a great year. Matthew had good coaches and team mates. Next year he plans to play in Salem. I'm sure it will be just as excited.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July holiday weekend. Steph

Another day another dollar

2008-07-02T08:22:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I just read my friends Blog and realized I hadn't posted anything for a few days. So, here's more.

Matthew's league tourmanet wrapped up last night in Houston. They had to play Birch Tree again last night and the BT parents got a little mouthy. There were some threats issued and in the end they tried to ignore us. It got so bad that one of our coaches came to the side and asked the parent to politely be quite. This is a kids game and he needed to chill out! The umpire even came over to see what the problem was. It was interesting to say the least. After they insisted on some of the things that weren't in the rules, they beat us, but then got their butts kicked for first place by Licking.

The second game was much better and nicer all the way around. The boys won in the bottom of the fifth inning with a home run by Riky Williams. It was a great game and the boys felt good! It was fun to see them play the second game. They got it together and made some really good plays!

Well, we're getting closer to being moved to Salem. Taking more things down tonight and I hope and plan to pack some major stuff in Mountian View this weekend. We'll be staying there because Jason, Jill and Jase will be there today through Saturday sometime. Scott has to work on Thursday and Saturday, so that's kind of a bum deal. Hopefully he'll get to come to MV on Friday evening for dinner and ice cream and probably even some fireworks.

I'd better get back to work! Just thought I'd post about Matthew's ball game. I'm waiting for a picture! Have a great Wednesday... steph

Movin' on down

2008-06-30T08:12:00.000-05:00

Another weekend gone by! Where did the time go? Saturday Matthew, mom and I traveled to Salers Junior Nationals in Springfield. Jason has about five heifers that they sold this year that he was helping to prepare and four of them won their class and division. Then he had a heifer that was overall Reserve Female. It was a pretty good day. It was good to see him and of course Jase was there too!

We got to MV Home Saturday evening and mom helped me pack, so the car was ready to go on Sunday morning and Matthew and I headed for our Arkansas home. He painted some and I really got in and got some things done in the kitchen. We went through and combined most of the glasses, plates and bowls and got rid of a TON of stuff. It felt good.

Matthew is at the new daycare today and I'm sure he'll do fine. I dropped him off about 7 a.m. and I'll pick him up just after 5 p.m. today. So he's got a full day there, but it's a water day and they are going to play in the sprinkler and on the slip and slide. I expect he'll have a blast, but be exhausted!

Well, I'd better get to work. Just wanted to update this nice little online diary! Have a great day. If you end up reading this, leave me a comment!

Dance with the one that brought you!!!
Stephanie

Another day done

2008-06-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

Matthew and I got another day done yesterday. It was kind of a long day. I picked him up in Mountain View and then drove to Salem to take a load of stuff down there. We got back to MV just before 9 p.m. so it was kind of a quick trip. But productive.

Matthew is going to miss a birthday party in Mountain View on Sunday because we're headed to Salem, but I told him until he gets down there and meets some people he won't get invited to anything in Arkansas. That did cause him to think some, so that was good.

Well, I'm just rambling. Guess I should get to work. Hope all is well and everyone has a good day. I need to send this blog link to my friends. Right now I think I'm just writing it for the therapy! LOL

:) Steph

2nd Try at this

2008-06-25T09:03:00.000-05:00

Here I am again... writing about nothing. I kind of feel like Sienfeld (never did like that show!) Anyway, Matthew and I are still busy trying to get moved. We have another car load of stuff we're taking to Arkansas tonight. I got a lot of the kitchen stuff packed last night. We also got some more stuff from Matthew's room to take down. I'm looking forward to get this move done.

Right now our plan is for Matthew to get started part-time in daycare in Salem on Monday. It's a water day, so he plans to get good and soggy that day. I think it's a great first day activity for him.

I'm looking forward to it. That night Scott has to work, so I'll probably bring home pizza and it will just be a nice night for Matthew and I.

Well, I'd better get back to work. I still can't seem to find this when I use the google search, but hopefully as I add more it will show up in the search engine. I think I have everything marked to do that. Bear with me, this is a work in progress!

Steph

First time for everything

2008-06-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I can't believe I'm doing this, but if my buddy Janet can do it, surely I can to! I've read others blogs and always thought it would be fun, but never had time.

I've switched jobs (much less stressful) and learned to say NO to some of the things I'm asked to help out with and have found more time in my life for my new husband and family.

I need to see how this will look. Expect more later!

Steph