Church LIVE from home..........

Even though I am not able to attend the LifeChurch.tv experiences in AZ, I am grateful for the fact that my church has an internet campus that I am able to watch on the weekends live with everyone else. To all of my AZ LifeFriends, I am still attending with ya! Miss you all!

And, for those of you who may not have a home church where you are at, you are always welcome at ours! Just think, if you watch it from home you can tell people that you go to church in your pajamas (or your underwear....whatever)! Check it out at: www.lifechurch.tv

(Pictured above is a couple of 'Warrior Princesses' from AZ with me! Look at that beautiful mountain behind us!)

Friday night YMCA Initiation

All I can say is that I have now realized that I am not part of a typical YMCA! I met up with the group that invited me out from the YMCA and all I can say is that we had quite the night! We started at Chili's but then ended up in a local bar just down the street. I am not a bar/club type of girl and a little too old to be out too late, but as the night went on I figured it might be wise to go just in case I might have to put my DD skills to use.

Let me first start of by saying that the most ecclectic group of people were congregated at this bar. Thankfully it was NOT a local college hangout because it would have been over for me within minutes. Instead there were people of ALL ages in the catagories of singles, married, married-but-not-married-tonight, we-are-getting-married, grandparents, and just-turned-21, to name a few. The really cool part about this place was the fact that they had a live band that all of the bar staff were involved in. They would take turns coming up and singing or playing an instrument and it was just a revolving door amongst the whole bar staff. It was pretty amazing and there were some VERY talented people there! There were tamborines at every table so half the people were shaking a tamborine to the music (and I definitely took a part in that one!) You were allowed to stand on tables and chairs and rock out (which was quite entertaining for those people who had been drinking a little too much) They played the best of the best music from the 70's, 80's and 90's....all classic hits from none other than Bon Jovi, Fleetwood Mac, and one of my favorites, Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

From a sober perspective it was a night of fun and entertainment. (And, the one night that I didn't have my camera on me!) I certainly got to know a few people and laughed as I told them that it was quite the initiation.

I did end up putting my DD skills to use and we decided, next night out....Chili's then home!

Sniff....sob.....boohoooooo......

To all of my St. Louis friends and family, I have some very sad news to share. I hope that you are all sitting down for this (and please know that I am being overly dramatic and sarcastic here so no need to truly worry). I just heard some terrible news this afternoon. Our beloved and infamous Paul's Donuts and Ice Cream will be closing. I know, I know, it is hardly bearable, but please refrain from losing it. Supposedly it was bought out by another ice cream company so something WILL be in its place, however, as we all know, it will not ever be the same as Paul's.
Sigh.

To all of my other friends and family, before you think that I have completely fallen off of my rocker (which would not be surprising), Paul's Donuts and Ice Cream has history with us St. Louis folk. I grew up going to Paul's every Sunday morning with my dad to get donuts before church. Before my friends and I had drivers licenses we would walk to Paul's for ice cream. It was a cute little 'mom and pop' shop run by none other than Paul himself (he's a crazy character but we put up with him because his donuts are out-of-this-world). And, every time Scott and I would visit our folks in St. Louis, we would make it a point to stop into Paul's. We would just get into town and have a craving for those delicious-to-die-for donuts. I swear it was like a sweet-tooth version of "Cheers". Everyone from town went there and practically everyone knew your name (and even if you didnt know their name, you KNEW you had seen them there before at some point).

I know the news is traumatic but Paul's Donuts and Ice Cream will forever live on in our hearts. And, who knows, maybe if we all band together in prayer we could get some Paul's donuts on that big buffet table that heaven is going to have........yummy. ;)

Another trip out of the country.....

.....but this time I am glad not to be going! Scott left for Asia today for business for a week. He will be sitting on a plane for a total of about 24 hours! Yes, you read that right. (And I thought that our 11 hour plane ride was hard!) Anyway, just wanted to blog this so the family can keep up....it is hard to keep track as to where Scott is all of the time! He will be home next Saturday, April 5th and Joshua and I will be holding down the fort (and the dogs) while he is away.

It's good to be back!

I had to include another picture of my nephew here since it is still officially his FIRST birthday! I hope that you enjoy one of my favorite pictures of my little Harley-loving Hudson.

So, today I taught my first aerobics class here in Jax. I hadn't taught in a month and I was going through some withdrawls! It was soo great to be back! I am teaching at the local YMCA and everyone was so nice. It was like one big happy family and I got a lot of compliments after teaching which made me feel great! I was even invited out by some ladies on Friday night! AND, they told me that they were looking for another Bunko player in their Bunko group! I was honored to be asked, thrilled to get the chance to get to know some new people, and a little nervous 'cuz I have NEVER played Bunko before. All in all, it was a really fun morning.

I spent the afternoon doing some marketing by visiting some local businesses with information on my own business. I then met up with Scott at home after he said that he had bought us Steak n Shake for a late lunch. Now, for those of you reading this who happen to live by a Steak n Shake, please, please, enlighten me.......does Steak n Shake get ALL orders wrong everywhere?!!! Even when we were growing up in St. Louis our orders would inevitably be wrong, but yet we would continue to go (ya gotta love those milkshakes). However, I am just thinking that getting orders wrong is their trademark....not the milkshakes. ;)

Afterwards we did one of my favorite things....take all the dogs on a walk together. It is quite the sight, we look like we are professional dog walkers with as many dogs as we have! Unfortunately, Joshua was not home when we took the boys out tonight but Scott and I had a good time and a good laugh as we walked all the boys together. I find it very funny too when he asks "is this an indication of how our children are going to behave?! Yours walking straight and mine will be all over the place?" I say "of course" with pride but the truth of the matter is that my two are a lot older than his pups and I think that Maverick and Graham's hyperness has (finally) worn off. Trust me, it is a blessing too because for 6 years Maverick and Graham have been walking ME.

Happy 1st Birthday Hudson!

It is hard to believe that ONE year ago TODAY, my best friend gave birth to her first son, Hudson William Harrington (we all think that with a name like that he is DESTINED to become president!) I am so very sad that I am not in KC to celebrate this very special day with my sweet nephew, but in honor of his FIRST birthday today, I wrote this poem for him.....

To my Little Bug

I watched your mommy's tummy grow

and loved you before you came

but you were a little mystery man

for we didn't even know your name.

The day you arrived in this world

was joyous and special to say the least

I was sad that I couldn't be there with your family

to be a part of the big love feast.

Your daddy called you a 'cool little dude'

and your mom was on Cloud 9

they were a little unsure of the whole parenting gig

but I had confidence they'd do just fine.

I visited when you were just one month old

and enjoyed squeezing and holding you tight

you became my "little bug" from that time on

and it was truly love at first sight.

Your mom told me about your first smile and your first laugh

and even the first steps you began to take

I wish I could've seen it all in person;

being a faraway Aunt make my heart ache.

But even though I am states away

my "bug" you'll always be

I will come and visit you again real soon

Love Always, Your Crazy Aunt Stephanie

Was it a dream?

It is hard to believe that just one week ago I was slurping on a milkshake after seeing a Broadway musical in London, England. It almost feels like a dream...did it really happen? But, yes, it surely did, and I have 198 pictures to prove it! I will not display them all here, but a few may pop up every now and then......

May your day be delicious, sweet, and memorable!

If you think having two dogs is a lot, try having FOUR dogs! I have my two, and Scottie and Joshua have two as well, Louie and Sebastian. I hadn't included a picture of them yet so I wanted to do that (I have been trying to get a picture of all of the dogs together but they are not cooperating with me. Note: it is really hard to get four dogs to pose together). I wish that I could video their interactions together too because it is quite humorous. They all have very different personalities and it shows. We have such an array of dogs here! haha! This is the time of day where all four of them have staked out areas in the house and our taking naps. I tell ya, they have rough lives. Eat, poop, play, sleep and repeat several times throughout the day. It's almost like having 4 kids in the house! Poor Joshua, he took care of all of the dogs while we were gone on our trip! He was a huge sport and his help was very much appreciated.

Since my family has been keeping up with the blog, I also wanted to share that Scottie found out yesterday that he scored the TOP grade on a recent exam in one of his hardest MBA classes that he has taken thus far. Yeah Scott! He will be graduating with his Masters at the beginning of May, we are all so proud of him!

Well, I am getting back into the swing of things and recovering from jet lag. Josh has been helping me create some advertisements for the business and I will be starting my job at the YMCA this Wednesday. I haven't taught in so long, I am going through withdrawls!

May your day be BRIGHT!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!

I thought that I would be spending Easter on a plane all day, but we ended up getting back late last night from Paris. It was a really long day and Scottie and I were exhausted but it is good to be back too!

I just wanted to wish all of you a very special day. Cherish times with your friends and family and celebrate the most incredible gift of it all, Jesus. He has risen and it is a day to triumph and be joyous!

Love to you all!

It was another fabulous day in Paris on Friday. Scott and I had a brother/sister day because mom's foot hurt and she wanted to rest in the hotel for the afternoon. He was the best tour guide EVER! It was raining and hailing early in the morning but it turned out to be a beautiful day! We went to Notre Dame, the site that was in honor of Princess Di's death, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysee, the Galleries Lafayette, the Opera House, and other places that I could not pronounce or spell. We had a wonderful time trooping around the city via subway and actually experienced some subway entertainment including a puppet show and singing!

What is really neat about this city is the fact that there are specialty shops for everything. We are so used to the "one-stop-shops" here in the states! There are not any Wal-Marts around that have food, health goods, supplies, make-up, and everything else imaginable that we all need in one spot. You have to walk and buy things at different places which is very cool. You would make trips to go to the bakery, the butcher, flower shop, and any other places that you would need to go to purchase something in particular. It is great exercise to cart yourself and items all around the city. Just like the "old days" my mom said.

Later that evening we met up with Elodie and had dinner at her and Joel's house. Their daughter, Leonie, is so adorable! After she went down for bed, we had another 4-course (amazing) French meal and reminisced on old times when she came to the states for her visit. You will see a funny picture of the three of us here.....I should probably elaborate on that. When she was with us during that month in '90, we had a picture of us all dressed up and we were pretending to be in a band. So, needless to say, the band got together for another gig here in Paris!

It was very sad to say good-bye but we vowed to not have another 18 years go by without seeing each other again. We managed to make it back to the hotel and up to our room without any crazy mishaps (we took the steps every time after the stuck-in-the-very-tiny-elevator-incident). It was such a pleasure seeing Elodie again and to be in Paris for a few days. I will never forget this amazing vacation and will be eternally grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Tomorrow we will be heading back to the states. It will be a long flight home and even though I will miss these experiences in Europe a lot, I will also be very glad to be back to see my boys and to sleep in my own bed. God Bless America.

Bon Soir!

Top Pictures:

1. Notre Dame
2. Site to honor Princess Di and where she died. The sculpture is the flame from the top of the Statue of Liberty and it is an amazing view from where it is at. You can see the Eiffel Tower in the background.
3. Leonie, Elodie and Joel's daughter
4. The 'band' back together again!

A wonderful surprise.....

I was so excited about Thursday night. But, I need to explain a little history before I tell you what we did.

In 1990, Scottie was almost 9 and I was 12 years old. For one month, we had a foreign exchange student come live with us over the summer. She was French and her name was Elodie. We had such an amazing time during her visit. We showed her all of St. Louis and introduced her to our American culture. It was a blast and we were very sad when the month was up and we had to say good-bye.

Fast forward 10 years later, and on Scott's first trip to Paris he met up with Elodie and spent some time with her. They enjoyed catching up on many years and exploring Paris together. She ended up going to medical school, got married, and had a little girl in 2006. Scott and mom had both seen them during separate visits to Paris but I had yet to see her. Until Thursday night.

Her and her husband, Joel, picked us up and it was so incredible to see her in person! It had been 18 years! Joel and Elodie spoiled us...they took us on a riverboat dinner cruise on the river Seine. We saw all of the sights of Paris on the 2 hour journey. I am still in awe of all of the gorgeous buildings and architecture in this city, and the history behind it all, it is astonishing. We saw the Statue of Liberty, Napoleans great steal, and many, many ornate buildings and bridges. The dinner was a typical French meal, 4 courses including appetizer, main entree, cheese plate, and my favorite, dessert. The company was wonderful, the wine was excellent, and the view was overwhelming. Every hour on the hour the Eiffel Tower sparkles and I had hoped to see it at some point on our trip. The cruise ended as we passed the Tower in its sparkling glory. It glittered for 5 minutes and I was star-struck.

It was an amazing night and we were all thrilled that we were able to spend some time with Elodie and Joel. They invited us over for dinner on Friday night so we could see their baby girl, Leonie. We were all giddy and on a high when we got into the hotel very late. We all crunched up into the tiny elevator to go up to our room but we got an unexpected surprise when the elevator stopped on us! We were stuck in this very small compartment and all I could do was laugh! Scott was trying to call for help, mom was trying to calm us down, and I could not help but take our picture in this humorous situation. I could not resist sharing the Kodak moment.

As the Jersey Boys (Four Seasons) would sing, "Oh what a night"!

Exploring Paris

I now know why this city is the City of Love. It is so flippin' cold that you have to find someone to hold to keep warm! haha! (I am certainly NOT complaining though because I AM in PARIS and I was happy to have my mom and bro to huddle with.)

This morning Scott left for some meetings and left mom and I on our own. "Oui", YES, by ourselves. I was a little apprehensive going anywhere to order breakfast so mom and I decided to eat some snacks in the room to hold us over, however, I did successfully hail us a taxi! After a winding trip through the little streets of Paris (we would call them alleys in Amercia) we ended up at the Louvre where the Mona Lisa is on display at. There are huge sculptures and paintings everywhere, it is pretty incredible. Then, in this one room there is this much, much smaller picture surrounded by glass and ropes. It was the infamous Mona Lisa.

Thankfully there was a lot of literature that was posted in English so we made our way around the Louvre quite nicely. Scott then met us after his meeting and we were off to see the Eiffel Tower again, in the daylight. Scott introduced me to some fabulous crepes and 'vendor' sandwiches along the way (and thankfully ordered them for me as well).

The Eiffel Tower is breath-taking day or night. I enjoyed just staring at it, I was still in a little disbelief that it was right in front of me. We walked down to it and planned on going all the way up to the top level (there are 3 levels). The line was horribly long but we entertained ourselves during the wait by listening to people talk, people-watching, and of course cuddling up in the high wind and cold air. However, as soon as we approached the front of the line we were told that they had closed the top of the Tower due to the weather! We just had to laugh and managed to get tickets to the second level where we still saw a wonderful view of the most gorgeous city in the world.

Tonight we have extra, extra special plans, I am super excited!!! Stay tuned........

And Paris makes two.....

I now have TWO stamps in my passport! We arrived in Paris on the Eurostar (train) last night. We stopped and ate at this fabulous restaurant...man, the French know good food! Scottie said that he wanted to take mom and I to his favorite spot in the whole wide world and even though it was already 10:45 at night, we ventured out. I experienced the Paris subway system for the first time and wow...it was quite an experience. The subway system is like an underground rat maze and once on it, it takes you through the city, around the city, under the city and even over the city. Paris is an absolutely gorgeous place, but I have to say that I am so, so, so, thankful that I am here with my brother. He knows the language, where to go, and how to get around. I just smile when someone speaks to me and mutter "merci". That is about the only thing that I can say because, "yes", "hello", "hotel", "excuse me," and "there is an orange monkey flying over your head" (just kidding on the last one). Needless to say, the few words I know would not get me around very well. So, again, thank God for my brother.

We exited off of the subway and Scott said, "Now around the corner to the left is what I want you to see". We turned the corner and there was the Eiffel Tower right in front of us, all lit up. Holy cow. I have now seen it in person, and words cannot describe it.

London Style

My first EVER passport stamp has already proven to be a fantastic experience. 'Mum' and I decided to explore today so instead of attempting the tube and 'minding the gap' without our trusty tour guide, Scottie, we opted to walk our way around London instead. We actually made it around quite fine and I definitely prefer walking over using car transportation even though it was very chilly out. There ain't no Phoenix grid here and I am still trying to get over the whole 'driving on the other side of the car and street' mentality. I would not last one day if someone gave me a car to drive around in here. Anyway, most of my dear friends know that I am an absolute wimp and whiner when it comes to being cold (I don't know how I survived living in the Midwest as long as I did), but let me tell you....it is very cold here and there ain't no complaints coming out of my mouth! Actually, not much is coming out of my mouth (which I am sure is surprising to most). I was in such awe today as we walked the streets of London that it was hard to talk. I was just taking in the people, the quaint little shops, and enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds of this country. It is all fabulous.

This morning 'Mum' and I went to Madame Tussaunds and met tons of celebrities. We brushed elbows with the best of the best. We even met the Pope! Granted, none of these people talked to us or even acknowledged our presence (they were all made out of WAX) but none the less, we had a grand ol' time. Mum (I cannot resist calling her that now) got sooo very excited when she saw John Wayne and she was all over him (no worries Peter). What was funny is that they obviously had to change some wax figures around to keep up with the times. Brad Pitt is now standing beside Angelina Jolie, but as mum pointed out, he is actually still looking Jennifer's way.....I don't think that we should read into that, but I am just telling you what we saw (Although, they also have not dyed his hair yet to match Angelina, he still looks like he belongs with Jen). Moving on, there is a wax figure of Camille in place of Princess Di (she was too pretty for Prince Charles anyway). Brittany Spears still had hair, and Oprah looked as though she had been on a Bob Greene crash diet for 8 months. All in all, it was sooooo awesome to see these creations. And, a little eerie too....they looked so much like the real people! That is some outstanding talent to create those identical images. Wow. I was left speechless again.

Tonight we dined at a fabulous little Italian Bistro. Afterwards we headed to the theatre to see the Broadway Musical "The Jersey Boys". What we did NOT know was that it was the premiere night and a red carpet event! This time we actually DID rub elbows with celebrities and they were NOT made out of wax! (However, don't get too jealous here, they were all celebrities from London so we did not know who anyone was. Just pretty people all dressed up). It was by far the best musical that I have ever seen. The London cast brought Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to life and the energy in the theatre was overwhelming. And, at the very end, Frankie HIMSELF walked out on the stage. Everyone roared! It will definitely be an event that I will never forget.

Tomorrow we enjoy a few more hours in London and then it will be off to Paris!

Ok, so it has hit me. I have crossed the pond and we are in LONDON BABY!

The long plane ride wasn't too bad but I have to say that is amazing how much a body can contort in those little seats. I tried my hardest to sleep but I was not too successful. But, thankfully with a good home-cooked meal on the flight (just kidding) and a good movie to pass the time, before I knew it, we were here!

I have to say that I could sit here and listen to people talk all day. I absolutely LOVE British talk and accents and have been trying to adopt the lingo myself. So, here is my best shot thus far (obviously you cannot hear my attempted British accent, but just humor me here).

"So, the kin and I went out today on the tube. We visited several fantastic historical spots and relished in the London atmosphere. The blokes seem friendly and the gals are high on fashion. The food is fab, the sites are beautiful, and we are excited to experience more of the culture on another outing in the A.M."

As you can see, I have attached a few pictures from the day. I could not resist getting a picture with the infamous "Joey" hat on (if any of you are FRIENDS freaks like me you will know what I am talking about). The other pictures are of Big Ben, and then the three of us (mom, my brother, and I) on the London Eye this afternoon.

We will be in London a few more days as my bro has business meetings tomorrow and Wednesday. Mom and I are going to do some more touristy things and hopefully we will not get lost on the tube without Scott (he knows where everything is!) We will then be heading to Paris on Thursday for some more adventures!

Well, I better get going, it is getting late here. Happy St. Patricks Day to all of you in the good ol' USA! (They don't celebrate it here so there are not any crazy, green, drunk people around the area.......)

Stay tuned for more!

Seriously?

So, Scottie and I are sitting at the airport and I don't think that it has hit me yet...maybe when I am on the flight watching my fourth movie of the night it may.......

EUROPE BABY!

Schedule for the day:

Starbucks (go figure), Church online (LifeChurch.tv), pack (yep, I am a last minute packer), Mama Fu's for lunch (yummy), a little ball with Maverick (he gets upset when I leave on a trip) and then we are off to the airport to sit on a plane for a very long time (EUROPE BABY)!!!!

Schedule for the week:

Enjoy, relax, and praise God for this awesome opportunity!!!

I have been meaning to post this truck/bus, bus/truck picture that I took last week but kept forgetting so here it is now. It is actually sitting on the side of the highway not too far from Scott and Joshua's. Not sure why it is there, or who it belonged to, but it is quite the sight. I am thinking that maybe it was the tour bus to Tire Mountain......

Anyway, so today was not really a day of rest like I had previously written. Instead, it was family yard work day. I was the pooper scooper (and proud of it), Scott mowed (just like daddy taught him), Joshua was in charge of weed wackin' (watch out!), and the dogs just all looked out the windows in hopes to help. However, before we worked on the yard, we made the usual trip to Starbucks, and then ended up dropping Scottie's car off to get a tire patched after finding a nail. Right beside the tire place was this quaint little coffee shop, and even though we had already been to Starbucks, we ventured in and had breakfast. It was called "Where ya bean". Very cute. The beach was a block away so we took a walk on the beach afterwards while we waited for the tire. It was a beautiful morning (despite the wind)!

We are now just getting misc. things done before our big trip tomorrow! Even though I keep mentioning Paris...I have been reminded that we are also going to London too! LONDON BABY! Woohoo! For those of you who do not know, last year on my 30th birthday my brother surprised me with not only an amazing party in AZ that included friends and family, he also bought me a trip to Paris. We had planned on going this past Christmas, but we ended up pushing it back due to some of his overseas meetings being rescheduled and due to me moving here. Needless to say, I was shellshocked, and stoked! It was the most awesome gift ever. And oddly enough, we are going the same weekend as my half birthday! :)

I have to say that I have never been overseas OR on an airplane for more than 4 hours, so this is going to be a WHOLE new experience for me!!!! Oh, and just FYI.....my phone will not work in Europe (Sprint...go figure), SOOO....if by chance anyone needs to get a hold of me, you can call my brother's cell phone because it WILL work overseas. And, if you don't have his phone number, well then, you are just out of luck. Just kidding...you will just have to email me then! haha! I will try and blog and post pictures throughout the trip!

Have a great week and love to you all!

Entertainment Tonight

Joshua is quite the talented man. He entertained me all the way to the airport with a live performance of the musical Hairspray. He sang and danced, all while in the car to go pick up Scottie from the airport! It was quite the show. If I knew how to youtube it I would have. But, since I dont, you will just have to look at one picture for a small glimpse of his car singing abilities.

March 14, 2008

Today I literally had the whole world in my hands. I am not exaggerating, nor being sarcastic....I really did have the whole world in my hands. Ah, the power.....

Some of you know what my brother does for a job, others just wonder, and others assume he has a "Chandler" kind-of-job meaning, "I know he has a job, I know I have been told, but...what does he do again??" So, here and now, I will explain.

My brother owns his own Study Abroad company. He sets up programs overseas for students to go and study or volunteer for weeks or months at a time. He travels a lot and has been to countries that I have never even HEARD of. It has been growing like wildfire and the company has added more countries into the program. Thankfully he has employees to help him handle the madness, but unfortunately, today everyone was out of the country...and he had to go to Miami for the day. SO, I went to his office to help out while everyone was gone. I knew my brother was busy, but wow....I have a whole new appreciation for what he does! Emails were coming in, parents were calling wondering where their kids were, and people were stopping by the office to get information. This was all while I was standing on top of the filing cabinet with, again, the whole world in my hands.

As most of you know, I have expanded my business to offer more services. Not only do I create cards for ANY occasion, I also put together scrapbooks for people AND paint murals. So, with my brother gone today, I gave their office a new look. I painted the world.

It was a good day. And, on Saturday, I shall rest.

I have to say that I am very spoiled living here! Joshua has hooked me up with Starbucks drinks on a daily basis! (Although, we may as well just have IV's in our arms!) The only thing that I am bummed about is the fact that Jacksonville has no idea what Blueberry Oat Bars are. It is such a shame. So, to all my AZ folk, please eat a Blueberry Oat Bar for me please!

March 13, 2008

Happy Thursday! I wanted to include a picture of my little one since he missed out on the photo shoot on the beach last week. He is so sweet and playful!

Note: I did not attach the picture upside down, HE is the one upside down!

Mama Fu, Mama Fun!

So, this evening we tried a new Asian restaurant....Pei Wei move over! It was called Mama Fu's and it was oh-so-good! This was of course AFTER Joshua and I played on the side of the highway. I wanted a picture of the cool Jacksonville overpass sign to show off so we hopped a few bushes and got some pics! And, as you can see I got a little silly. I know, I know...totally out of my character. I am not quite sure what came over me. Maybe it was the thrill of trespassing, who knows. I have never been known as a rebel so don't worry parental units, I am not planning on starting now. I just wanted a picture of the sign!

March 12, 2008

FOUR MORE DAYS UNTIL WE LEAVE FOR PARIS!!!!

(But who is counting?)

By the way, this is a picture that my brother took on one of his many trips to Paris! I am excited to see it in person!

March 11, 2008

Well, today I had orientation at the YMCA. I have been hired there to teach aerobics and to hopefully help out on the floor a few hours a week for a little supplemental income. However, I will not be starting for another week and a half (Yes, the countdown has finally begun for my trip to Paris!) I will not bore you with any details but let's just say that the orientation hours were filled with paperwork and homemade videos (although I have seen worse in my years). Thankfully I am already CPR certified so I didnt have to sit through another, "Help. Call 911. It is an emergency. I am monotone and not expressing any emotion as someone is lying unconscious on the floor." Now, I realize that those videos are life-saving and not anything to poke fun at, but you have all been there and have watched those videos and wondered, "is everyone really that calm and collective during an emergency?" I think not. All in all, I am very excited to start teaching at the Y and to have an avenue of meeting some more Jacksonvillians. I like meeting and greeting people so it will be fun to have a social outlet and to hopefully meet some more friends in the area.

Dinner and Divas

Well, I will say that there is one thing that Jax has that Phx does not.....SWEET TEA. That's some good stuff my friends. Real good.

So, tonight was pizza night with the boys. Scott isn't found in the kitchen too often but he showed up for a little sauce-tasting and picture-posing as you can see! ;) We then sat down to the First Season of.....(please, oh please, don't think any less of me).....Golden Girls. Yes, you read that right. Before FRIENDS even aired, our friends were four senior citizens who ate cheesecake late at night and used sarcasm in place of communication. I'd like to think that I am going to be like Sophia when I am 80, still short, spunky, and sarcastic. Gotta love her...... :)

Now, I want to clarify before any of you start thinking, "Is Steph just sitting around eating bon-bons and taking pictures of tire mountains in FL?" First of all, I honestly don't know what the heck a bon-bon is (although if it has anything to do with chocolate it is amazing that I haven't been introduced) and secondly, the tire mountain is located right across the street in a construction site so I didn't really search too far for it. As many of you know, the main reason why I moved out to FL was to get help from my brother in boosting my business. He is already on board with overtaking Hallmark so we are in the process of setting up the game plan. ;) We are both working on ideas and different parts of the plan this week, and in the meantime, I have also been lining up some gyms to teach aerobics at. (I haven't taught a class in 2 weeks, I am going crazy!) I am thrilled at the thought of the business growing and excited to see what God is going to do. If I have learned ANYthing in this life, it is to trust in God and to stay positive no matter what, even when things are tight and the future is unknown.

So, keep spreading the word....tell everyone you know to order cards! ;)

Well, I best get to bed here. Hope your night is 'golden'! (Stop making fun of me......)

http://www.cardsthatbrightenyourday.com/

March 10, 2008

So, this is the only mountain that I can find in the Jacksonville area. If you cannot tell, it is a man-made pile of dirt and tires. Not really condusive to heart-racing-aerobic-filled-kind-of-hiking. So, instead I opted to work out my biceps this morning as I drank my typical Starbucks drink with the boys. (And, you Midwest peeps think KS is flat...)

First week down.....

It is hard to believe that it has already been one week since I have moved in. Inside jokes have been created, eyebrows have been plucked, TLC marathons have been watched, and Scott and I have been annoying Joshua with our many similiar Tayloe traits and characteristics. I have dealt with rain, humidity and freezing temperatures (ok, I know that 65 isnt freezing, but it just feels colder out here). All and all, it's been a good week. To all my LifeFriends, say it with me...."God is good, all the time....all the time...........yep, you know it!

Time Change!

I have to admit that I was spoiled living in Phoenix. Among many things, it was wonderful not to have to deal with the silly ritual of Daylight Savings Time. I had almost forgotten what it even was and had hoped that the world would get on board with AZ and just do away with it. But, no such luck yet. SO, just FYI.....for my Midwest friends and family, please note that I am now 2 hours AHEAD of ya, and for my AZ folk, that's right...I am now THREE hours AHEAD of you. I will do my best to not call you at 6 am my time, when I usually wake up and go hike up a mountain. Although, I am going to have to find something else to do at 6 am since there aint any mountains 'round this area......

March 8, 2008

Living with Scott and Joshua is like an ongoing Will and Grace episode! Today, Scott highlighted my hair and Joshua and I discussed facials and went shopping with a couple of girlfriends. We think that we have found a 'Karen' but applications are still being accepted........

March 7, 2008

So, a strange thing happened today. The sun didn't come out. And, water has been falling from the sky...for a long time. I heard people saying that it was 'raining' out. When people would say it was 'raining' out in Phx, we would run to see it but by the time we got to a window, it was already gone! So, we are sitting inside watching and listening to the 'rain'. I guess that means that I have to get working around here since we can't go outside!!

Mave and Grahams 1st Beach Experience

I gotta say....these boys are lucky dogs! They have experienced the frigid cold and snow in the Midwest, they have hiked up mountains in the desert, and now they have walked on the sandy beach of Jax. Quite the little travelers I must say! Maverick was in awe of the ocean....he wasnt sure what to make of it at first, but it didnt take him long to jump right in. Unfortunately, we went to a beach that did not allow dogs to be off-leash so they didnt get a lot of freedom or playtime as I had hoped, but it was still fun. We will be exploring other beaches in the area so stay tuned.....

March 6, 2008

It is wierd not seeing mountains in view when I am driving around. It is quite surreal that there are not any cacti growing in my yard. And, it sucks feeling humidity again. Yes, for those of you who didnt know....I am in Florida now. Oh, don't get me wrong I am NOT complaining! In fact, when you know you are where God wants you to be, it is hard to be upset. And, I have to say, that the signs have been everywhere that this is where I am supposed to be.

I received an email from my website a couple of weeks before I moved from a girl named Meredith (which is wild because one of my good friends from AZ has the same name). She said that she had been given some of my cards from a student of hers and asked some casual questions about my business. The email stated that she lived in Jacksonville, FL. I immediately wrote her back and told her that I was actually moving to Jax in the coming weeks! We decided to meet up when I got settled into town so I could show her some of the things that I do. Through email, we realized that her and her husband are building a house in my brothers subdivision! Out of all of the states, in the very big town of Jax, and amongst all of the homes in the area....she is essentially going to be my brother and Joshua's neighbor! Only God could create a story like that.

And then today, out of all of the people to meet, I met this guy at a dog park here in town who happened to be from none other than.....AZ. He knew the exact location of where I lived and even knew of the 'boys' and I's favorite dog park...the #1 rated in the country...Cosmo Dog Park! Again, only God.

I am consisently amazed when I see God's hands on things. I know that His hand is always on me, but when I actually experience it and see it, well....there is no denying that He is there. Yes, I miss the mountains. Yes, I miss the cacti and the "dry heat". Yes, I miss my friends and my church and Cosmo Dog Park. But I am thrilled to be exactly in the place where God wants me to be.