Ok so all I do is post pictures of my Kid...but...he's the best thing I got going for me!

Squishing your head!

Malachy loves to drive Kimmy's car!

Cool Aunt Lauren got Malachy a Sandbox! He's so lucky to have such a fun Aunt!

When did my Kid get so old!?

HAPPY EASTER NOAH!

Noah stoped by my blog earlier today...here's hoping he comes back! WE love you Noah you were with us all in thoughts and prayer today! Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog it made my day...also yesterday I got your thankyou in the mail from the TFT Anti-Monkey Butt stuff I sent last month. That was fun =) Happy Easter!

Sad news

Dog Barney had to go back to the Anti-Cruelty Society. Barney had displayed some aggression from the moment we brought him home. This aggression escalated yesterday when Kim and Malachy were trying to eat some chicken nuggets and Barney jumped on the kitchen table and stole them from Malachy's hand! He would not obey Kim's command to get down or stop. He then frightened Malachy and Kim by getting down very low in an attack position and bearing his teeth while growling at them. Barney had bitten all of us at least once at this point (never breaking the skin but hard enough that we knew he could if he wanted too). Luckily Barney started rolling on the ground and growling so Kim managed to sneak her and Malachy out of the room and called my Dad for reinforcement.

While we ALL wanted to give Barney a chance (especially Kim who is strong pet lover) we thought it would be unwise to keep an aggressive dog around our baby and unfair to leave Kim alone with Malachy and the dog when she didn't feel safe. Mark is feeling particularly sad about the loss today. Also, Malachy has gone into the bedroom where Barneys bed was and says "doggy?" it breaks my heart. I had left a message for the behavior specialist at the A.C.S. and I had to hang up before breaking into tears. We are all so disappointed and which Barney the best. I hope sometime in the near future we will be able to find a dog that better suits our family. We are thinking a smaller dog like a min. schnauzer or schipperke. Also please pray that the Anti-Cruelty society would find a home better suited for Barney!

Big news!

Malachy went poo poo in the potty (and pee pee too!) We had bought him a little potty seat about a week ago and let him sit on it a couple times, which he REALLY enjoyed. Today while he was hanging with Ma-me (Kimmy) she noticed him making the poo poo face so she asked him "potty?" and he replied "potty!" so off they went to the potty chair (which sits in the toilet seat) and Malachy made a little poo poo and pee pee! Holy Cow! Kim tried to get him to flush the toilet but he was too distracted by wanting to fish his poo poo out of the toilet. He must have been very proud and impressed with himself. She managed to re-direct his attention by getting him excited about hand washing. I don't want to get too excited because I know that it is VERY rare for a child to be potty trained at 18 months but none the less it's a very exciting day and I must admitt I'm disapointed to have missed it!

Our new doggy, Barney!

We got Malachy a dog! His name is Barney and he is a 10 month old beagle! We found Barney at the Anti-Cruelty Society down town. Barney was only $55 compared to the $200-$300 for dogs at the shelters around here! Unfortunately Barney is sick! We broght him home last night and he ate a few dog treats but wouldn't eat any of his food! Since then he still hasn't eaten food and has stoped taking the treats as well! He has also thrown up 5 times! All of which looked like he had eaten a stuffed animal. (fabric and polyester stuffing!) He didn't get one at our house but maybe he did at the shelter!? So the vet from the A.C.S. has asked me to bring him in tomorrow! Lauren has graciously agreed to take us down there. I hope it is nothing too serious.

The dog has been alittle agressive towards Malachy. He seems to be adjusting better today but we have to keep a close eye on them! He's a pretty good dog. He goes in his kennel with out crying and does not bark much at all. He loves affection and to play...he has already torn up his new toy! He is a bit of a ankle biter so we will have to work on that! =)

Please pray for Barneys health as we go to the vet tomorrow! oohhh and for Barney and the cats to adjust to sharing the house!

Barney in his old home.

Barney leaving the A.C.S.

Barney feeling sick, hungry, and tired!

Barney on his new bed in my room!

Our day at the Zoo!

We went to the Lincoln Park Zoo on Monday! It was a beautiful day and tons of fun! Malachy loved it! He really enjoyed the petting zoo part and the ducks! We loved being outside on such a beautiful 70 degrees day!

Check out our fun Pics! You notice there are always more of Mark because I'm the one always taking the pictures!

Our new pretty bathroom!

Mark's Mom got us this picture for our anniversary last year. I think it goes great with the colors in the bathroom now! I found the shelf at target on sale for $5 and I also got the candles on clearance!

These are my favorite curtains. It's a new line at Target. I don't know if you can tell but there is a under layer of green pok-a-dots that match the towels.

Kim and I found this at Home Goods for $19. At first I was afraid there was too much Green but now I REALLY like it! I also found the towels at Home Goods for $5 each!

Here is the look put together!

I want to get a new lighting fixture eventually but for now I'm REALLY happy and glad we got another room done!

Mark and I were (are) both sick today with upset tummies. Please pray that we feel better soon. We had some experiences that would have been embarrassing had we not been at home and had changes of clothes and toilets near by. =) Other then that Kim and I worked on the bathroom today. She had taken down the wallpaper while we were in Iowa but it still needed to be spackeled and painted. We painted it today only to realize that not only did the color look awful in the bathroom (it turned out to be more of a dirty turquoise then a fresh green) but also it was a satin finish which showed every imperfection in the wall! So we looked in the basement and found some leftover paint from my bedroom. (a prettier green) Kim started applying that late tonight and we hope to finish tomorrow. We found a real cute curtain at target that will look great with the paint color! I hope to eventualy get a new shower curtain as well! I'm afraid I will have to wait for Mark to approve me spending another $29! I can't wait to have another room in the house done!

Here is a photo of Malachy's build a bear that we got on the way home from Iowa. It's a dog named "doggy" he roars and moos...Malachy's favorite noises! (Malachy also likes to Baa but they didn't have that noise! ) Doggy is a big Cubs fan and he is very pleased with their win today!


In other news we went to the Animal Shelter yesterday in hopes of finding a puppy for Malachy! But they only had big dogs and pitbulls so we decided to wait.

Who's the favorite....MAMA is!

music thoughts

Some songs just bring out the somber in me....Nights Swimming is one of those songs. It comes on and no matter what mood I'm in I'm transformed to this strange dreamy almost sad almost happy state of mind that I can't explain. I made a "Steph's Reflective" playlist on my I-pod of some of the songs that are in this catagorey. Here is a random 10 from that playlist

1. Night's Swimming- REM
2. Listen to your Heart- DHT Acoustic version
3. The Boy in the Bubble- Paul Simon
4. Dreams to Remember- Ottis Redding
5. The Chain- Fleetwood Mac
6. The Blues- Switchfoot
7. Space Oddity- David Bowie
8. Ring the Bells-James
9. Blue-Jayhawks
10. Father and Son-Cat Stevens

In the past month or so...Noah left, my super friend has been facing challenges, Mommo died, work has been crazy, I have been tired and grumpy...and I have been finding myself in quiet moments going to my I-pod and putting on my "reflective playlist" looking for some peace. I don't know why I expect to find peace in my I-pod...but I do! There is comfort in the music. Maybe because they evoke memories, maybe because they tell stories that distract me from myself, maybe because they tell stories that remind me of myself...I'm not sure. But I'm glad to have my I-pod it feels like a long lost friend.

Crazy day!

So Mark, Malachy, and I are going to Iowa for 5 days! Mark's Mom had knee surgery and thought it would be nice if we came out and helped her around the house while she recovers. She's already well on her way to feeling better. She spent the first week or so at her sisters house and now she is back at home.

In prep for going out of town Kim helped me tackle a mammoth to do list today! We had to buy Malachy something to wear to church in Iowa. The old t-shirt jean combo isn't as acceptable there as is it is at Willow. We picked out a super cute outfit at Target and then had to go return it because it was too big! I gave Malachy a bath and then he peed on my bed during the drying process! We had to pay bills and go to the post office to finally mail Noah his Harry Potter video. Then we went to the Home Depot to get some paint for my bathroom. (Kim may paint it while we are away) We also had to go to Willow so I could finish up some work. We stopped by Michaels to get some Art supplies. WE cleaned the entire house because Mark brought his friend, Andrew, over to see it. We did 2 loads of dish and 4 loads of Laundry! The most impressive is we did all of this with Malachy! Yikes! I think I may pass out! No wonder Kim is looking forward to us leaving! =)

Well tomorrow morning we leave for Iowa and we will be back Wednesday! See ya then!

HAPPY!

These pictures are from several weeks ago but I knew you would all want to see them! They are so fun!

Happy Anniversary

This picture was taken at the anniversery party last year

Today is Mom and Dad's 26th wedding anniversary!! Happy anniversary Mom and Dad! Last year for their 25th we had a little party at the Milk Pail with immediate family and 5 couples who have been good friends to Mom and Dad over the years! It was a great time. Seeing as 2 of those people are no longer with us I'm really glad we took the time to be together, love, and appreciate eachother! Mom and Dad are a beautiful example to us of what LOVE looks like. They have really supported eachother in sickness and health, good and bad, and they have created a family that not only is devoted and loyal to one another but actually really enjoys to be together. Way to go Mom and Dad...Well done.

Here is our family at the party minus one Noah who was at AIT...I think.

This is something Dad wrote on his Blog a couple months ago, and I thought it was really beautiful:

"A couple of years ago I saw a TV show and they had done a survey and announced the most important ingredients in a successful relationship are compatibility and a shared dream. Isn't that precious? Give me courage and kindness every time.It takes courage to decide whether to buy groceries or get the brakes fixed, courage to go to work when you messed up and the boss isn't happy, courage to sign on the bottom line for a mortgage or business loan, courage to go to the doctor when you don't want to hear what he has to say. And always kindness. Because kindness preserves and enhances the dignity of both. Our beloved cannot be what we want them to be without our kindness, to appreciate, to sympathize, to encourage.
So always practice courage and kindness, good luck."

Willow Creek's Promiseland Conf.

So it's over!! I think I worked nearly 50 hours before even hitting my weekend!! Yikes. It was fun though...I can say that now that it is over. I certainly feel like I was stretched as a stage manager. It wasn't so much that anything came up that I didn't know HOW to do so much as I just didn't have the confidence to feel like I could pull it all off as smooth I wanted too. Also, I'm not use to working with the TD who did the conference so I think there were times where we were mis-communicating how a transition was suppose to go. I made a few mistakes but nothing major. I think for how insane the schedule was and how ridiculous a few of the transitions were I did a great job! I'm just glad I won't have to do anything that crazy for another year! =)

Some of you know I wasn't looking forward to Rebecca St. James coming and I have to say I was wrong! The reason for my lack of enthusiasm was that she came to Willow in 97 to participate in Impact's Senior Night. I remember at that time I got the impression she was more "performance" based then authentic. I now feel like that was an un-fair and un-loving judgment. I can't imagine being in her shoes at that age. Maybe she was "performance" based at that time but most teenagers are, regardless of whether or not they are in some sort of spotlight. How is it possible to really know who you are at that age? She was very successful at the time (with the whole "God" song) and I can't imagine the pressure of being that successful at that age. I'm sure it is challenging making your faith your own when you have a whole team of people managing and marketing you.

From the little interaction I had with her at the conference I was really impressed. She was not only professional, kind, and talented but she was also very authentic. I really enjoyed her music too! While she was rehearsing I was thinking how I would like to own her new album and then her father (manager) gave our whole team a copy of her latest album as a thankyou gift! Her entire team was a pleasure to work with and I hope they come back! Matt Redman was also fun. His team is really great as well. He was here earlier this year with Tomlin and I remember then how nice he was.

For your enjoyment...here are some fun "Promiseland" links.
This is a newsletter that Promiseland is doing with Christianity Today
there is a fun article by Kerri. =)
and
This is our new Late Childhood CD where some of our vocalist teach you how to do the motions. (you have to click on the Have You Heard CD and then motions to see a short video...it's fun! So far we only have one up but they will all be up soon)

The previous post is some fun pictures from day one of the conf.

Why I haven't ben blogging...

I have been working 12+ hour days the past few days at the Promiseland Conf. and it's not over yet! AGGGHHHH! One day left. Oh wait...then I have my weekend! I'm looking forward to Monday!

This is a picture of our stage set. It is pretty awsome!

Here I am "mic"-ing up my favorite Sandy!

Here are our Outloud Kids rocking it!

Mommo

Mommo died yesterday. I know I haven't taken the time yet to understand what I have lost.

Mommo was the only grandparent I ever knew. To those of you who have never meet her it's hard to explain her she is unlike anyone else I have ever meet. She was not your typical Mrs Claus sort of Grandma...you know the sort that bakes cookies and spoils you on holidays. She was however full of love and grace. She had dignity and confidence that I have never seen matched. In all the years I knew her I never heard her speak one un-kind word about anyone. She found joy in the little things...like a piece of chocolate for "pep", kids playing at the park down the street, or the wind making the leaves dance. She didn't place much value in material possessions. She did however, care about how she carried herself. When I was young I remember her often telling me how it was important to stand up straight and keep my chin up, to look people in the eyes, and that red was a good cheerful color...especially when we get a little older. I can never really know what she felt inside but to me she always portrayed a confidence that I found not only encouraging but to me it was almost like a safe place. (I don't know how to explain it better, but there was comfort in her confidence) She was confident in her faith, confident in her character, confident in her love, confident that there was joy to be found and hope to be had. It's sad to me that she is gone because to say it simply she was all good. I know I will never encounter anyone like her again. I only hope that in some small way I can live with the same character, grace, dignity and strength she had and pass those qualities along to Malachy.

I love this picture of Dad and Mommo. Mommo loved Dad so much it's crazy! She would light up when he was around. Dad thought maybe because he was born soon after her sister had died that Mommo had a special affection for him but for those of us who know Dad we know that he is just special. She often would tell us the story of how when she would be out shopping kids would run up to her with big smiles all excited just to tell her,"I know Andy" I have heard all the other stories too and I know Dad wasn't the easiest child =) but none of that seemed to matter to Mommo she loved him for who he was! So so I Dad! You are the best and I feel so lucky to have you as my Dad, I love you!

I just like this picture. Kim and Mommo shared a birthday, July 7th.

Here is Mommo with some of her Children and Grandchildren.

Here is Mommo with some of her grandchilden.

Mommo with Malachy, she really enjoyed him...she said he had intelligent eyes like me. She loved that we had named him Malachy.

2 amazing hours of 24 tonight...makes me happy!

Work, work, and more work...

When will my life be normal again!

Noah should be in Afghanastan at this point...scary thought...keep the prayers up!

Noah left this morning...

I borrowed (stole) these pictures from Laurens blog. This one is of Noah and Lauren

obviously.

Noah left this morning at around 9 am. Please pray for his safety in travel. I'm sure Lauren is dealing with many emotions right now and so is my Mom so please remember them in your prayers as well. I plan on sending out an e-mail to all my friends with Noah's address so you can all support and encourage him that way if you wish. I don't think we are allowed to post his address on our blogs...I will ask Lauren. Pray that he would not get sick from the water, food, or living conditions. Noah has some asthma so pray the sand would not aggravate that. Pray that Noah and the men in his company will not allow the stress to tear them apart but that they will be able to encourage and support one another. Pray that God would not allow their spirits to be broken and that they will all remain safe and find comfort in God's amazing grace and love.

I'm assuming this is the company getting packed up and ready to hit the road.

And here is my favorite Noah with a big grin! I love this picture Lauren thanks for sharing it!

Here is Malachy and I supporting Noah in our Army wear! Malachy's shirt is super reflective it practically glows!

Emily Update

I posted this for Crystal on her blog:

Hi, this is Steph, Crystal's friend. I'm posting for Crystal because she is having issues with her internet. Crystal is at home "resting" tonight. Frank and Madi are not feeling well so she still has her hands full at home but I know she is glad to be able to spend some time with them.

Mainly she wanted me to communicate that she is "beyond thankful for everyone's visits, phone calls, gifts, cards, and PRAYERS." I got to visit Emily, Crystal, and Scott at the hospital tonight and the first thing I noticed when I walked in was a ceiling full of balloons and a whole wall of gifts and get well wishes. I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with the out pouring of love towards Emily!

Crystal said that Emily's calcium levels are still low and she will not be able to go home until they stabilize so keep praying for continued healing. The hope is that she will be able to come home tomorrow so please pray that all will go well so that can happen. Emily is doing well. She got the drainage tubes taken out this evening and she is feeling more comfortable. She got up and walked around some and is talking more.

I'm so glad I got to visit them today. I have to tell you that Emily is being so brave. I could tell she was extremely tired but she was still trying to be kind and polite. She even gave me some candy! She was so sweet to all the staff that came in and I'm sure she has been a blessing to her doctors and nurses. Crystal and Scott must be so proud, and they should be! Emily is a remarkable little girl!

I have to finish by saying THANK YOU again because that is the one thing Crystal kept repeating when she asked me to do this post for her.