Thankful

Each week before Thanksgiving, I'm going to attempt to post something I'm thankful for. First off, my parents! They are the greatest parents ever!

Dad is soft spoken, full of love, integrity, and joy. He's a simple man who loves his family and truly desires happiness for all. He's witty, funny, incredibly artistic, and a genius. A great example to me and anyone who meets him. I'm so grateful he's my Daddy!

Then there's my beautiful Mother. Mom is always energetic and loves to create. She balances out Dad's quiet demeanor and his hieght! She is the first to offer service, quick to love and the last to pass judgements. She is an inspiration! She's quirky, funny, extremely sweet, and also a great example. Thanks Mom!

The Desert

I spent a wonderful, but short, 4 day weekend with my family in the desert of Phoenix. It was so good to see and spend time with everyone!

7 things tag...

7 Things I plan to do before I die: 1. become a mother 2. serve a mission with my baby 3. finish school and someday become a PA (physician's assistant) 4. learn to speak Italian and spend 1 month touring Italy 5. spread love and joy 6. live closer to family 7. write daily in my journal 7 things I do now: 1. work as HR Coordinator for a cable company 2. attend school to become a nurse 3. miss my family and friends in AZ 4. craft 5. enjoy spending time at home with Dan and Diesel 6. run and hike 7. study the scriptures 7 Things I can't do: 1. whistle... I used to be able to but somehow the whistle broke 2. get rid of this cold 3. run a 10k, yet 4. be everywhere I want to be 5. a pull-up, lack of upper body strength I guess 6. a back flip on a trampoline 7. freeze time 7 things that attract me to my spouse: 1. He's super sweet 2. His beautiful big blue eyes 3. He never hesitates to pay me a compliment or tell me he loves me 4. He's a great example to me 6. He'll be the best dad EVER someday, besides you Dad! 7. He works hard for our family 7 Celebrities I like: 1. Kate Hudson (favorite!) 2. Matthew McConaughey 3. Bonnie Hunt 4. Steven Tyler 5. Tina Fey 6. Sandra Bullock 7. Dierks Bentley 7 of my favorite foods 1. fruit 2. fruit snacks, yum 3. pasta 4. bagel with strawberry cream cheese 5. mashed potatoes 6. salmon 7. ice cream I invite to do this: 1. Shenna 2. Valeri 3. Becky 4. Cammie 5. Sophia 6. Aunt Kristie

quick update

Sorry it's been a while, things have been crazy, no really they have. Today I didn't even get a chance to sit at my desk at work, then I had to leave for school and had about 25 minutes to study for a lab test (which I have a mid-term for on Thursday), I've had a nasty head/sinus cold thingy going on for a week now which I'm losing my voice over (luckily Dan thinks it's kind of sexy), I have craft projects screaming my name, and a major career decision to make within the next week... maybe this is why I'm not prego yet? I think things will settle down soon but if anyone knows of any good relaxation techniques, please share! I think I did well on my lab test and my mid-term will be over with soon enough, I'm hoping to expel this cold by Thursday thanks to a hot bath and sleep, we no longer have to prepare lessons for Sunday School as we're now in the nursery, I'll work on my craft stuff on Saturday, and I'm leaving the career decision up to Heavenly Father... although I'm pretty sure of the direction I'm supposed to go. I have somewhat forsaken yoga due to time constraints but am planning to schedule it in once it's gets too cold to run outside. Oh, and I have a trip to see my family in AZ to look forward to, along with the holiday season! Also, Dan is the best husband EVER and has lovingly assumed the role of housekeeper in doing the laundry, dishes, making dinner, and even rubbing my back to help me fall asleep. That's right ladies, he's the best and he's all mine!

Labor Day Weekend

We had a blast with Eric, Becky, and Joshua over Labor Day weekend. This is one of our favorite times of the year in Colorado Springs. We enjoyed going out to breakfast before attending the first Air Force football game of the season, which they won! We went to a movie, shopping, the Hot Air Balloon Festival, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods, and Boulder... and all within a short timeframe of 3 days. Josh is the most adorable baby, and so good too! The weather was perfect and we shared many laughs... mostly at Eric's expense (thanks Eric!). We can't wait to see them again!

Christian the Lion

This is crazy but what a reunion! You might cry... i did.

college?

It's official... I'm a college student! I've taken the plunge and decided to pursue a degree in nursing. Luckily I've retained some of my high school education and don't have to take any pre-college classes so I'm starting with prerequisites for the program...YES! Wish me luck!

short again...

Okay, so I'm taking these meds that give me random and highly intollerable hot flashes. I know, just what I need when it's 95 degrees and we have no a/c! In order to remedy this situation I decided to cut my hair again. Mom, please warn dad before showing him the photos!

James Bond - Quantum of Solace

We're so excited for the new James Bond movie! Coming to a theatre near you on November 7, 2008!!

a little delayed...

Okay, so I'm not too sure where the last month and a half has gone, but I'm back! Work and visiting family has been keeping us busy! Mid-June we took another trip up to Jackson where we met with Becky, Eric, and Joshy to drive up to Montana for the weekend! My great-grandma isn't doing too well so we decided to visit her. We were also able to spend time with Grandpa Kent, Grandma Mom and Grandpa Boppie, Aunt Renee and her family, and Aunt Kristie and Taragon! We enjoyed a delicous steak dinner with Grandpa Kent and watching the US Open with Grandpa Boppie and Grandma Mom! Grandma Violet was able to meet her 2nd Great-great-grandson! We headed up to Placid Lake where Aunt Kristie and Uncle Dan have a gorgeous lake house! We cycled around the lake on Hydro-bikes, rode quads up to the look-out, played card games, and watched a movie in the theatre room! For such a short visit, we really had A LOT of fun, minus Eric's speeding ticket on the way home! Here are some picutres for your enjoyment!

New nephew - Joshua

On April 30th, my sister, Becky, had a healthy, beautiful baby boy, Joshua Duncan Wilcox! We made the 18 hour drive, round trip, to visit them over Memorial Day weekend. It was so fun to see him, so tiny and perfect. Eric and Becky took us into Teton National Park where we had a picnic and tried to spot grizzly bears, to no avail. We did see elk, buffalo, moose, and a very large beaver! We also took Joshua to his first major motion film, Indiana Jones. He slept through the entire movie, but Eric was proud to say that Indiana Jones was the first movie his son went to! We had a wonderful time cuddling with Joshy, eating yummy steak, and playing Mario Kart.

Summer Weekends

Well life has been busy, but I'm finally updating our blog! Dan only has 2 more Saturdays off before he'll have to start working them again (sniff, sniff). So we're cramming everything you could do in Colorado for a summer, into 4 weekends! First we volunteered and participated in the "Walk for MS" at a park in downtown C. Springs. Dan's mom has had MS (multiple sclerosis) for about 27 years and this is our way of raising awareness to the disease and funding for research. If you'd like to learn more yourself, or participate in an event like we did, please click here. Then we took Diesel to a dog park that had a creek running through it, which he loved to splash in! It was his first time at a dog park and he really enjoyed the freedom to "bond" with other dogs and chase them around without being reprimanded!

The following weekend we drove up to Denver for a session at the temple and made our way to the Denver Botanical Gardens. The tropical green house was my favorite, although extremely humid, they had a variety or orchids... my favorite! The weather was beautiful and the gardens were amazing! Even more amazing were the surrounding neighborhoods! They were as picture perfect as they come. Although way out of our reach, it's always nice to dream!

The same weekend as Denver took us to Fort Collins, Horsetooth Lake. It wasn't quite what we expected, but we had fun throwing sticks for Diesel to swim out and catch and napping on the beach!

Then came Memorial Day weekend... see slide show above!

kaNsAs

kaNsAs

Last weekend we took a speedy trip Kansas to visit Dan's family. We left at 3am on Saturday morning and arrived at noon. The New York family flew in for the week and it was so good to see everyone! Our, what used to be little cousins, Danielle and Gina, have grown so much! We had fun playing with our adorable nieces, Genni and Layna, and Diesel loved all the new scents! We had to come back on Sunday so it was a very short trip, but we're so glad we made it!

spRinG fLiNg

Come on spring... I know you're out there! We had about an inch of snow last night but luckily tulips and iris' are resilient and they're thriving in our front yard! Finally, we live in a climate that will grow something besides weeds and cactus! This is a snap shot of their progress so far, please ignore the dead grass in the background! I can't wait for the weather to warm up so that I can plant a vegetable garden. More beautiful flowers to come!

Spring Break

Wow, first of all, I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to update our blog with these photos! A few weeks ago my little brother, Duncan, came to visit during his spring break. He had been saving his money for a year so that he could buy his own plane ticket! I'm so proud! Anyhow, we had a BLAST with him! This was his third visit to Colorado Springs since we moved here and he's one lucky kid because each time he's come it has snowed...which he loves! We started the weekend with shopping and a movie ("10,000 BC" is really good!) and playing Othello over and over again until Duncan finally beat Dan! Saturday Duncan and I went to Mueller State Park for an adventure in sledding! We decided that it would be fun if we chose the hill with the longest, steepest slope... and we were right! We sled down the hill several times before Duncan thought we needed a little variety and while I was eating lunch, he built a ramp for us to fly off of! Oh man, now we were really going to have some fun! The anticipation was getting to both of us and we decided that one of us couldn't fly over the ramp before the other, so we doubled up on the sled. Things were going great, snow was splashing our faces, wind was making us feel like we had just eaten a Klondike bar, and the ramp was approaching...then BAM!! Due to our inability to simultaneously steer in the same direction, we veered to the left, missing the ramp completely and crashed... well, I crashed. Duncan somehow quickly recovered and jumped on the sled again, riding it to the bottom of the hill. On to round number 2. The plan was for me to ride down with the camera and stop just after hitting the ramp so that I could catch a picture of Duncan while he flew over it. I made it to the perfect spot for taking an action shot when Duncan shouted down to me that he thought I should move over a little more in case he veered to the left like we did the first time. "No, it'll be okay, just go, I'm all ready!", was my response. The camera was aimed and everything was going perfectly, until what do you know, Duncan missed the ramp and yelled, "Watch out Stefani"! ... then WHACK! The camera flew from my hands, both of us were struggling to breathe and the pain in my wrist was throbbing. Once I caught my breath I reached for Duncan and was totally freaked out by the blood dripping down his face! We got him cleaned up with butterfly bandages and a Wendy's frosty! Man, what a day! On St. Patrick's Day we ventured to Monarch Mountain for skiing/snowboarding with our friends Neil and Valeri. That was a miserable experience. It was my first time ever skiing, and while I was grateful for Neil's and Dan's patient tutoring, it didn't help. Let me walk you through the emotional rollercoaster of a first-time skier... Excited, anxious, scared, nervous, helpless, frustrated, angry, REALLY angry, and finally, tears. The second time down was a 180 and I could see how people thought it was fun. Then I gave into peer pressure and went down a blue (intermediate) run. Wish I wouldn't have, but it was still fun. Duncan is a snowboarder and so we only saw him here and there but he seemed to enjoy himself! Overall, we had a blast with Duncan and miss having him here to make us laugh with his creative come-backs! We love you Duncan! ... And love to have company for anyone who's interested!!

Campaign for Real Beauty

A friend once showed this to me and since then Dove has created a second ad, which I love just as much as the first. It's refreshing to see a company put time and emphasis into honest advertising. I believe our view of real beauty has been completely distorted by doctored photos, quick fix pills, and plastic surgery, along with many other over-marketed strategies to make you thin and "beautiful". Each video takes only a minute, I encourage you to watch... and I'm anxious for your comments!

Saturday Thoughts

Although it stinks that Dan has to work every Saturday, it has become a day I look forward to. A day of reflection, reading, and catching up on tasks that I'm not able to complete during the week. Last Saturday, for lack of a better word, rocked! It was 70 degrees and the sun was shining. I started the day by attending my usual Saturday morning yoga class and had the best practice ever. I love how yoga encourages you to push your body while focusing on your mind! I returned home and ate a nice breakfast outside while reading the Ensign insert on President Hinkley (very touching by the way), and watching Diesel roll around in the dead grass. Then Diesel and I drove up to Fox Run park for a hike. There is this bench along the path with a gorgeous view of Pikes Peak through the trees. I've included a picture, good thing I take my camera everywhere!

I love to be outside, I love the fresh air, smell of pine trees, the sun on my skin, and enjoying the earth we've been blessed with. As we hiked I was thinking of all the things I'm grateful for: being sealed to Dan for eternity, our loving families, Diesel, getting money back from our taxes this year, belonging to a great ward, our health, friends, the ability to work hard, having legs to walk with, the organization of the church, my calling, difficult experiences that teach me to learn and grow, sisters, clean water, never knowing what hunger truly feels like, my ancestors who fought and sacrificed so that I can enjoy the freedoms of this country, all servicemen and women who do the same to maintain our freedoms and help others gain freedom, temples, spring, books, cameras, music, the internet that allows me to keep distant family and friends updated, and many more. I think Heavenly Father knew I needed a day to contemplate and ponder on these things. Lately it's been hard to focus on all that I've been blessed with because it hasn't been easy moving away from family and friends to settle in a new place all on our own, but I'm so glad we are here. It's beautiful here and I can't wait for spring to bring tulips and green grass again.

I know this post is long, and pretty random, but one last thought... It was a visit to Pikes Peak in 1893 that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write a poem that later became the song we now know as "America the Beautiful". I hope this picture does it justice!

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea! lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates; music composed by Samuel A. Ward

Branching Out

I've decided to start branching out from our typically repetative dinner menu and try something new each week. For dinner tonight... Oriental Chicken Salad! And this was an excellent choice! We love hearty salads and this had the perfect amount of everything! I added mandarin oranges to the mix for a little sweetness and it turned out great! It makes a large size salad which is nice since we both work there will be left overs for lunch tomorrow. Who knows what the next venture will be....? If you have any good recipes, anything at all, please share!

ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD

4 C shredded cabbage

4 C shredded iceberg lettuce

1/2 C green onion, chopped

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (depending on how chicken-y you like your salads)

3.5 oz pkg sliced almonds

2 pkgs Chicken flavored Ramen noodles

DRESSING

2 pkgs chicken flavoring from Ramen Noodles

1/2 C vegetable oil

3 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 tsp sugar

Toast almonds and Ramen noodles on stovetop. In a large bowl combine cabbage, lettuce, onion, and chicken. In spearate bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Add to salad and toss. Add toasted almonds and noodles to salad. Toss again. Chill and serve. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

To celebrate Valentine's this year I would like to share all the things I LOVE!

1) Daniel - He is my lover and my best friend, it doesn't get any better than that!

2) Diesel - Our sweet little boy who is always so eager to share his love with us!

3) Family: Mom, Dad, Sisters, Brothers, grandparents, nieces, nephews... all of them!

4) The Gospel: my scriptures, temples, eternal families and all that good stuff!

5) Friends

6) Reading

7) Yoga

8) Pedicures

9) Rumbi Island Grill - the Carribbean Chicken Salad, YUM!

10) Fishing - There's just something about catching a fish. It's probably genetic, thanks Dad!

11) Traveling - Someday we'll go to Italy.... someday!

12) Running - Well working out in general, but running is a staple!

13) Seasons - I'm so glad we can enjoy all 4 seasons now, instead of just summer!

14) Aerosmith - I know mom and dad never understood why, and frankly, netither do I.

15) Scrapbooking

16) Old movies and music - From Audrey Hepburn to Bing Crosby. Man I wish I could live back then!

17) Dancing - Dan thinks I'm crazy, but I actually miss church youth dances. Now I make a fool out of myself in the kitchen, grocery stores, and anywhere else I can bust a move!

18) Bargains - I am a bargain shopper, just ask Dan, if it's $5 it's mine!

19) Kate Hudson - my favorite actress. I love her fun, carefree nature, and she's just so cute!

20) The Beach - whether it's the Pacific or Atlantic Coast, I love the beach!

21) Ice Cream - Dreyers Cookies 'n Cream & Breyer's Black Rasberry Chocolate are my favorites!

22) Noah - Okay, I know I already said my family, but Noah is an exception. I love it when he calls me, almost every day, and is sure to say something that will make me laugh!

23) Pictures - I love to take pictures, maybe someday I'll take a photography class.

24) Singing to the Radio - especially when I know the words!

25) Anatomy - I think that everyone would take better care of their bodies if they understood how they worked.

26) Babies/kids - I can't wait until we're blessed with one of our own so I can stop clinging to everyone elses!!

... there is a lot more, which would take me all night, so I think I'll end here. I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day and we love you!

Dan and I both had yesterday off so we enjoyed what little snow we have and went sledding with Diesel! Note to self... open your eyes while zooming down the hill. I hit a trench at the bottom and gave myself whiplash... ouch! But luckily a trip to Rumbi Island Grill for lunch made everything better!

Chinese Ballet

For those of you who don't know, I love watching ballet. My mom sent this to me and I thought it was so neat I had to post it. It goes to show you that good things can come out of trials. Click this link to watch it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVRQCjh8c. Here's their story... In a Chinese modern dance competition on TV one very unique couple won one of the top prizes. The lady, in her 30's, was a dancer who had trained since she was a little girl. Later in life, she lost her entire left arm in an accident and fell into a state of depression for a few years. Someone then asked her to coach a Children's dancing group. From that point on, she realized that she could not forget dancing. She still loved to dance and wanted to dance again. So, she started to do some of her old routines, but, having lost her arm, she had also lost her balance. It took a while before she could even make simple turns and spins without falling. Then she heard of a man in his 20s who had lost a leg in an accident. He had also fallen into the usual denial, depression and anger type of emotional roller coaster. But, she determined to find him and persuade him to dance with her. He had never danced, and to "dance with one leg...are you joking with me? No way!" But, she didn't give up, and he reluctantly agreed thinking, "I have nothing else to do anyway." She started to teach him dancing 101. The two broke up a few times because he had no concept of using muscle, how to control his body, and knew none of the basic things about dancing. When she became frustrated and lost patience with him, he would walk out. Eventually, they came back together and started training seriously. They hired a choreographer to design routines for them. She would fly high (held by him) with both arms (a sleeve for an arm) flying in the air. He could bend horizontally supported by one leg with her leaning on him, etc. In the competition, as you will see, they dance beautifully and they legitimately won the competition.

Dirty Thirty

Sean, Sean, Sean,

Where do we begin? ... Oh, how about with HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It seems like only yesterday you were poopin' your pants and Jess was cleaning up the mess. Oh wait, that was yesterday!! We feel awful about missing your b-day, especially your dirty number 30! But what's in a number? That merely means you've lived 10 years, 3 times! We hope you had a great birthday and we love you! Here is our shrine to Sean... enjoy!

He's always good for a laugh... He's a strong, helping hand...

and he'll always know how to go too far!