my stouffer family

christmas day

2011-12-29T19:28:00.001-05:00

The kids were all happy!

Savannah 9 and cousin Evie 3 in their christmas dresses.

The Aaron and Roxie Vollmer family with Evie!

Mark surprised my with the leather ottoman I was wanting!

christmas eve

2011-12-29T19:19:00.003-05:00

My sister, Roxie and her husband Aaron and their 3 year old daughter Evie drove out from Virginia to spend christmas with us. Tradition in my family was to have the big christmas dinner on

christmas eve, a christmas program, and then open one present.

We gathered ready to have our christmas program.

Jeff and Savannah played Jingle Bells on the clarinet and violin. Then they each played solo songs.

Evie recited some nursery rhymes all by herself.

Sam sang Silent Night with the help from his mom.

The Vollmers sang a christmas hymn.

All our kids had a special gift exchange.

Aaron opened the gift for baby Vollmer from Jacob.

Sam had Jacob.

Savannah had Evie.

Jeff had Sam.

Evie had Savannah.

Baby Vollmer had Jeff.

All the kids in pajamas ready for Santa to come!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-10T12:31:00.002-05:00

September Project

2011-11-10T12:21:00.001-05:00

Every spring and fall, I try to do a home improvement project. This fall, I painted the shutters on my house black. They were green, but I think the black looks better.

I also painted my front door red.

August 2011

2011-11-10T11:04:00.000-05:00

Our family picture from the cruise. It's sad that Jacob was not with us on the cruise, but it was so nice to not worry about him on the cruise.

Back to LA after the cruise

2011-11-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

Cousins: Evie, Savannah, Jeff holding Jacob, Sam, Alexandra, and Evan

McBride Girls: Jennie, Roxie, Kim, mom, Missy, and Cami

Carnival Cruise 2011

2011-11-10T10:55:00.000-05:00

We could see the Queen Mary from our ship!

Summer in LA 2011

2011-11-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

We did go to the beach on a cool, windy day.

Jacob ate lots of sand!

I got to get together with some old friends: Nisha and Karen.

Getting together with some of the old Venice volleyball team: Lora, Jen, me, and Margarita.

Playing in my parent's backyard....

Trip to LA temple with my sister, Roxie and cousin Evie.

Summer in Arizona 2011

2011-11-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

We stayed with my sister, Kim, on the "Ward Ranch".
She and uncle Joey gave the kids turns to ride the horses.

Cousins at the Mesa, Arizona temple. Sad Sam, Avery, Savannah, Jeff, Chase, and Miranda.

uncle Joey, aunt Cami, me, aunt Kim, Miranda
Chase, Jeff, Jacob in stroller, Avery, and Savannah

Savannah, grandma McBride, and Avery

Savannah on Missy the horse and Avery on Camanche

Jacob loved the trampoline!

June 2011

2011-11-09T20:01:00.000-05:00

Jacob is getting so big!!

Sam's Spider Man Party!

May 2011

2011-11-09T19:34:00.001-05:00

Savannah's 9th birthday party!

Cars Jammies

Savannah playing soccer

Grandpa and Grandma Stouffer visit

Love My Little Boys, April 2011

2011-11-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

Jacob is 10 months old

Jacob (10 months) and Sammy (almost 4 years old)

We went to Palmyra and Niagara Falls last weekend!

2011-04-07T19:12:00.000-04:00

Jacob is such a cute kid so I had to post this picture of him! We love our baby Jacob!

This is at the Hill Cumorah Visitor Center. All the little kids: Savannah (will be 9 this month), cousin Evie Vollmer 2.5 years, Sam (will be 4 in June), and Jeff 11.5 holding baby Jacob 9.5 months old.

This is the whole group that met in Palmyra: Aaron Vollmer holding Evie, my sister Roxie Vollmer, me holding Jacob, Sammy looking down, Mark, Savannah, Jeff, my sister Jennie and her two daughters, Miranda 18 and Windsor 16.

We hiked up to the Hill Cumorah monument.

Me holding Jacob and Jeffrey.

Palmyra and Niagara Falls Trip

2011-04-07T18:48:00.000-04:00

Jeff is standing in the upstairs bedroom of the Smith log home in Palmyra where the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith Jr and began to teach him about the gold plates and where they where burried and how and when Joseph would be allowed to receive them. The translated gold plates is the Book of Mormon.

Even though we came to the Sacred Grove in the early spring (where Joseph had the First Vision and saw and talked with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ) just like Joseph in 1820, this year spring is coming a little later. No green starting to grow on any of the trees yet. It still felt very calm and peaceful there.

Sammy enjoyed playing with his cousin, Evie Vollmer (my sister Roxie's daughter). They hadn't seen each other for 2 years since Evie was 5 months old. In this picture, Evie is 2 years and 5 months and Sammy is 2 months shy of his 4th birthday.

Awesome to behold Niagara Falls. We even got to go to the canadian side for the better view!

Jacob was there at Niagara Falls even though he will not remember it!

Jacob, Jacob, Jacob!!

2011-02-25T16:57:00.000-05:00

My two little boys love to be together. I am so glad that Sammy and Jacob have each other. As Jacob gets older, they will have more fun together. Sammy tries to hug Jacob, and Jacob sucks on Sammy's face.

Jacob gets into Sammy's toys no matter how hard we try to block him. If so fun to watch him, and then watch him get stuck somehow.

christmas 2011

2010-12-28T12:47:00.000-05:00

Jeff 11 years, Savannah 8.5 years, Sam 3.5 years and Jacob 6 months old.

our sweet baby Jacob

A visit with Santa at Miami Valley Hospital. (Mark's residency program christmas dinner for families.)

Christmas Eve dinner.

Our Nativity: Jeff.........Joseph, Savannah.........Mary, Samuel........shepherd, and baby Jacob as baby Jesus.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-06T18:02:00.001-04:00

Halloween was a lot of fun! Sammy loved being Woody with Jacob as Buzz. Jeff and Savannah dressed up at their school costume parade, we went to our ward Trunk-o-treat, and then Beggar's night here was Saturday, the 30th. It was a busy weekend ending with too much candy. In this picture: my kids with neighbor and friend of Savannah, Sophie.

Family Pictures

2010-10-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

So, we were too cheap to pay anyone to do our family pictures this fall and decided to do them ourselves with a tripod in our backyard. I think they came out okay. Everyone is growing up so fast. Jeff (he doesn't want us to call him Jeffrey anymore!) will be 11 this December. Savannah is 8 and a half. Sammy is 3 and a half and still trying to potty train. He is my most difficult one in so many ways. And, then Jacob is 4 months. He is our little angel baby.

the kids...

2010-09-27T16:10:00.000-04:00

Jacob is growing up so fast. Here he is at 3.5 months. He is such a dream baby. He is happy when he wakes up. He is happy to lay on the floor or under his jungle gym. He is happy to sit in his bouncer. He fusses a little when hungry or tired. And, did I mention he sleeps through the entire night. What did I do to deserve this sweet baby?

Sammy is becoming a better bigger brother. He doesn't try to hurt Jacob as much anymore. He loves to see him and entertain him. He is excited to share his toys when Jacob gets bigger, so he says.

Savannah loves to play with Jacob too. She is his 2nd momma.

Sammy is excited to have a shirt and tie for church.

Jeffrey is still around but no pictures of him at this time!!!

Last Sunday

2010-08-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Mark blessed Jacob last Sunday. He is now 7 weeks old. This summer is going by so fast. My kids start school in 3.5 weeks and the baby is growing so fast. Jacob has outgrown some of his 0-3 months clothes, and I am already getting out the 3-6 months clothes. He is a true joy to have around and couldn't have been a sweeter baby. Before he was born, I prayed he would be a good baby, because I knew it would be hard for me. Mark is still gone a lot. This is his 3rd year. 4th and 5th will be much better when he is on home call only. Plus, Jacob is the fourth child, so I prayed he would be a good baby for me. My prayers were answered because he is sleeping well and eating well. I do have a lot of help too. Jeff and Savannah help me so much. They can watch Jacob while I am showering or making dinner. I am glad they are older and can help. Sammy can't be trusted around Jacob as he "loves" him to much.

Mark 33, Melissa 35, Jeff 10.5, Jacob 7 weeks, Sam 3, and Savannah 8

Baby Jacob

2010-07-27T20:08:00.000-04:00

This is our sweet baby Jacob at 5 weeks old. He has been a really good baby for me. A friend told me that the 4th baby has to be good. He has been eating and sleeping really well, and he is really happy during his wake up time.

5 weeks old

Jacob at 6 weeks old. It's fun to be able to reuse all of Sammy's clothes.

Baby Jacob James Stouffer is here!

2010-06-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

Jacob James Stouffer was born on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 10:34am. He weighed 8 lbs even and was 20.5 inches long.
This is right after my 1 hour and 20 minutes of labor to get Jacob out. They broke my water at 9:15am. My contractions got worse and worse, and just when I thought I wanted the epidural, it was too late.....I was ready to push.

We are happy he is here!!

24 Days to Go!

2010-05-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

I have less than a month now till my due date, and I am feeling it. When I went in last week, my OB said I was 50% effaced and dilated to a 2. I knew I had lost my mucus plug a few days before the appointment, and I knew things were starting to happen down there. I feel tightnings all the time, and I guess they are small contractions but nothing else has happened so far. I go in tomorrow for another appointment, so we'll see if I have progressed even more. Mark and I will also take a tour of the Labor and Delivery floor at Miami Valley Hospital tomorrow night where I will be having the baby.
Complaint #1 I can't sleep at night, because I can't get comfortable and I am sick of sleeping on my side.
Complaint #2 I have to go pee all the time and all night long!!
Complaint #3 I am ready for these "tightnings"/contractions to actually mean something!!

Savannah's Baptism

2010-05-03T10:01:00.000-04:00

Savannah was baptized this past Saturday, May1st. Both sets of grandparents came, which is a treat for us to have family visit. We can't believe Savannah is 8 years old. Now we have 2 kids that are accountable for their actions!! Mark's parents are staying for the week after, and Mark has the week off, so it will be a nice visit with them. And, Mark will get to golf all week with his dad.

And of course I have to be pregnant in the pictures, just like I was big and pregnant in Mark's med school graduation pictures. I am 33 weeks along, and hopefully this little guy will come sooner than later. We are all excited for the baby to come, especially Sam. He is ready to be a big brother!!

from left to right: Don Stouffer, Marilyn Stouffer, Jeffrey 10, Savannah 8, Mark, Melissa, Sammy almost 3, Richard McBride, and Georgia McBride

Sisters Reunion in California

2010-03-24T13:18:00.000-04:00

Last week, I flew home to Los Angeles by myself to have a sister's reunion. Mark took the week off and stayed home with the kids. It was so great to see my family and my sisters. We went shopping, went out to eat, got pedicures, and mostly just sat around and talked and laughed at memories and confessions. My cousin, Tia, who practically grew up with us, came as well. In the above picture, starting from the left is my cousin Tia, 42, my little sis Cami 27, my sister Kim 38, my sister Roxie 32, me 35 and 6 months pregnant, and my sister Jennie 42.

We took these pictures at a golf course in Corona, California where my sister, Jennie, lives. Her husband took the pictures and did a really good job. Thursday, we spent the day in LA on the westside going out to eat and going to the beach. Then Friday, we drove to Corona and got our nails done and took our pictures. We all spent the night at Jennie's house that night and talked around the fire pit, made smores and stayed up way too late.

Getting our nails done and drinking sodas!

Sitting in our pajamas around the fire and talking about things that will only stay in Corona!

By Saturday night, we were back to my parents in LA and had a dinner with more family. Top row: my sister inlaw Caroline with son Evan, cousin Tia, my sister Cami holding Alexandra (Mike and Caroline's baby) and me. Bottom row: my sister Roxie holding her daughter Evie and my sister Kim. Kim and I left our kids at home with our husbands!!

Sledding

2010-02-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

We went sledding in January when we had a snow day from school. The kids had fun, but it was way too cold outside. I think it was in the single digits. Sammy and I were not out there very long.

Savannah is in the front with 2 girls from our ward behind her.

Sammy's cheeks got pink as soon as we were outside. It was just way too cold!

This is in our backyard today. We got a big storm that came through yesterday and it snowed all last night.

More News!

2010-01-13T19:08:00.000-05:00

So, I had some blood work done called the quad screening which looks at 4 proteins in my blood. Anyway, my doctor called me last Sunday on my birthday saying that the results looking for down-syndrome were positive, basically meaning that my chances were greater for having a downs baby 1 in 105. So I went in on Tuesday for a special ultrasound at the hospital. They looked at different bone structures and measured certain bones, etc. Everything looked good so I opted NOT to have the amnio done. Since everything looked good, my chance changed to 1 in 210 chance to have a downs baby. Anyone 35 and older has the 1 in 300 chance to have a downs baby. The amnio would tell me for sure, but I just decided not too, because everything looked fine in the ultrasound. I am 18 weeks now, so we did see that it looks like a little baby BOY. I will go back for another ultrasound in a few weeks, and they will check everything again. We are happy with another boy, but Savannah is not. She really wanted a baby sister. She cried and cried when I told the kids. I am excited for Sam to be a big brother, and I can use all his cute clothes I bought and preserved through all Sam's spitting up. That is the latest.

Wii had a Great Christmas

2009-12-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

We ate our fancy Christmas dinner on Thursday, Christmas Eve. After dinner, each person opened one gift. Then we went to a friend's house for a special tradition of theirs.....Christmas Eve Bingo Night. We had a lot of fun, but we were out late. By the time we got home and put all the kids in bed, everyone was still all keyed up. Jeffrey and Savannah were still awake at 10:45pm. Luckily, they fell asleep soon after and santa was able to come. Mark and I finally broke down and got the kids a nintendo Wii gaming system. We told the kids they could wake us up at 7:00am. So we were up at 7:00am and everyone was surprised and excited. We've been playing Wii ever since!!!

Sammy understood more of what was going on this year. However he didn't want to wake up Christmas morning. After the many reminders of new toys, he let me get him out of bed and change his diaper before going into the living room to see what was under the tree. He has been pulling the draw string on the back of his Woody doll, and playing with his Cars, and lego bus. He is also up for a game of baseball with his new spiderman bat and ball.

Savannah was excited about the Wii and her new Hannah Montana game, along with the new clothes, Pajamas, books and webkin Pink Poodle she received.

Jeffrey couldn't believe we got a Wii. He said it was the best Christmas ever. (Of course he says that every year, which makes mom and dad feel good!) He has been playing his Lego Star Wars complete saga game on the Wii and all the Wii sports with the rest of us. He was also excited about his star wars action figures, new books, pajamas, and his little webkin puppy too.

Getting ready for Christmas

2009-12-26T19:29:00.000-05:00

We visited Santa at the resident's christmas dinner at the hospital. Sammy was really excited to SEE Santa, however he would not SIT on Santa's lap.

Jeffrey's 10th Birthday

2009-12-26T19:21:00.000-05:00

Jeffrey turned 10 years old on December 7th. We had a family party, and he received the Lego set he asked for. Mark and I can't believe that we have been parents for one decade!!

Christmas Greetings 2009

2009-12-13T20:37:00.000-05:00

Mark finished his research year in June, and in July he began his 2nd year of his orthopedic surgery residency program. We enjoyed having him around the house more during his research year and even these past few rotations have been really nice. Unfortunately come January, he will be busy again. He has 3.5 years left of his program. In his spare time, he still loves to play golf, help around the house, and cook and bake for the family.

Melissa works hard in the home. She painted 4 rooms in the house this past year, and she and Mark updated their bathroom. She had the busiest summer ever with the kids including: swimming lessons, playgroup at the park every Tuesday, bowling each week, and swimming every Thursday. To add glamour to her life, she started selling Mary Kay.

Samuel (2.5) is a fun character to have around. Besides loving Lightning McQueen, Elmo, and Thomas the Train, he has discovered Jeffrey's old Rescue Hero toys and the Star Wars galactic heroes. He can sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the alphabet, and Frosty the Snowman. He has learned his basic shapes and colors. He loves to play with his older brother and sister.

Savannah (7.5) is in the 2nd grade. She loves going to school and choosing her outfits for school. All of her teachers say that she is a delight to have in class. She is becoming a good swimmer and has been in a tumbling class this fall. She is a great help to mom and spends lots of time playing with Sammy. We are looking forward to her baptism this spring.

Jeffrey (10) is in the 4th grade. He enjoyed playing baseball last spring and taking swimming lessons during the summer. He also achieved his Bear badge in cub scouts and is in Webelos now. He began playing the violin this year at school and practices on his own. He loves to be done with homework, so he can play video games.

We are grateful for all our family and for the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. We are excited to announce we are having another baby in June 2010. We wish you all a joyous holiday season!

Mark, Melissa, Jeffrey, Savannah, and Samuel

We are expecting!

2009-12-02T14:40:00.000-05:00

I am officially 12 weeks pregnant, and I am ready to blab the news to everyone! We knew after we had Sam that we would want one more, and it has happened. The baby is due the middle of June 2010. I am feeling good, and I am grateful for that. I did have 2 colds back to back which lasted a month, but I am healthy now. I have had 2 ultrasounds already, and I've seen the little heart beat. We are all really excited especially the kids. Savannah wants a little sister of course. I feel like I would be happy with either a boy or a girl.

Road Trip to Kirtland, Ohio

2009-11-30T14:57:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, we took off and drove 3 and 1/2 hours up to Kirtland, Ohio to see church history sites. We went to "Historic Kirtland" where we have a visitor's center and saw the old historic houses and buildings of what is left there. We also toured the Kirtland temple which the Community of Christ church (RLDS) owns. We stayed in Kirtland that night, and then drove down to Hiram, Ohio on Sunday morning to see the John Johnson Farm. It was nice to get away even if it was for one night. Sammy got bored though and kept saying that he wanted home. The following posts are pictures from our trip.

Newel K Whitney home

2009-11-30T12:49:00.000-05:00

This cute yellow cottage is the Newel K Whitney home. The Whitney's were considered well off due to their store. The house was really nice inside, but I have one question, where is the bathroom??? I know, the out house. For that reason, I am glad to live in our time period.

Their sitting room in the kitchen.

The summer kitchen on the side of the house.

Another shot of the sitting room.

The front parlor room.

Newel K Whitney Store

2009-11-30T12:13:00.000-05:00

This is the Newel K Whitney store. It was considered top of the line for it's day. They have stocked the store today using the records of what was sold in the store. It is neat inside to see what all was available in Kirtland in the early 1830s.

Joseph Smith showed up at the store and said to Bro Whitney.....Newel K Whitney, you have prayed me here, now what do you want with me? We walked into the store through the same door that the prophet walked through.

Look at the old shoes. There was no right or left foot. They looked uncomfortable to me.

This is upstairs in the Whitney store where the church business took place for awhile.

This is the School of the Prophets. This is the room the brethren mucked up with their tobacco, smoke, and whatever else. Emma's kitchen is located directly under this room. She would have to clean it, and we know how the Word of Wisdom came to be.

LDS Visitor Center in Historic Kirtland

2009-11-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

This is the front of our visitor center in "Historic Kirtland." They had a nativity display in the visitor center, and we were also able to watch a video on Kirtland and what happen here in church history.

This is the John Johnson Inn. After their huge farm was distributed amongst the church due to the Law of Consecration, this is what the Johnson family got in return. Somehow it doesn't seem fair, but that's a higher law I am not ready to live right now. This building is right across from the Newel K Whitney Store and the Whitney home.

This is looking up the stream to the sawmill. There must have been more water flow back then to run the sawmill.

The sawmill.

Inside the sawmill.

Kirtland Ohio temple

2009-11-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

The Kirtland temple was amazing. We toured the inside and of course, no pictures can be taken on the inside. We saw all 3 floors of the temple and climbed too many steps to get to the top. The very top floor is divided into 4 rooms all connected by doors. The middle floor looked much like the main floor. The pulpits were not as fancy as the main floor. The middle floor was used for learning, kind of like a school set up. The main floor was the whorship floor. The dedication and all there Sunday meetings including the sacrament happened on the main floor. The building felt very old, however it is amazing what the saints were able to build in their poverty.

Here are Sammy, Savannah, and Jeffrey standing infront of the temple.

The temple is right on the street. So, we took pictures in the side park which is between the temple and the Community of Christ visitor center. They own the Kirtland temple right now.

John Johnson Home and Farm

2009-11-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

We left Kirtland and drove 45 minutes south to Hiram, Ohio to see the John Johnson Farm. This is the Johnson home. Joseph and Emma lived here about a year and he received many revelations from the Doctrine and Covenants here, one big one, section 76. This is also the home where Joseph was dragged out in the middle of the night and tarred and feathered. Their son, (the Murdock twins that they adopted), Joseph, was exposed to the cold air. He had already been ill with the measles, and he died.

This home was considered really nice for the time. The Johnson's were quite wealthy. Apparently, painting the woodwork in the home was a sign of wealth.

This is the bedroom where Joseph and Emma and their twins stayed with the trundle bed on the first floor.

The side of the home. You can see the entry to the summer kitchen and the carriage house on the back.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T20:09:00.000-05:00

Mark made two pies for Thanksgiving: an apple pie and a pumpkin pie. They were both very delicious!

Mark with Matt Ingram, finishing up the gravy and other things going on at the stove.

My dear friend, Rebecca Ingram, and me. They invited us over again to their home for Thanksgiving because we are both without family here. She truly feels like a sister to me!

All the kids at the their table: Savannah, Sabrina, Emma, Jeffrey, Miranda, and Sammy in the front.

Jeffrey's first concert

2009-11-26T20:01:00.000-05:00

Jeffrey started playing the violin this school year now that he is in the 4th grade. He is really enjoying it, and we don't have to bug him to practice. This is the fall concert of all the 4th and 5th graders from all the Centerville elementary schools held at the high school gym. Luckily the concert was just under an hour long sitting in those bleachers!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-11-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

Savannah's pumpkin has the bat mouth, Sammy's pumpkin is the spider, mom and dad's is the big one, and Jeffrey's is the star wars rebel alliance symbol.

We are heading to the trunk-or-treat at the church, which was Friday night. We had a hot day almost 80 degrees that day....very strange hot, windy weather. Jeffrey is a Clone Trooper, Savannah is Snow White, and Sammy is Winnie the Pooh.

We went trick-or-treating on Saturday evening. Sammy changed to a Gorilla costume, because is was so cold.

Windmill Farm

2009-10-12T21:56:00.001-04:00

These are my crazy little animals: Savannah the horse, Jeffrey the cow, and Sammy the little piggy.

Sitting outside the shop at Windmill Farms with all the gourds and pumpkins, awaiting our hayride. Sorry, no actual pictures from the hayride. It was very muddy due to all the rain we've had. Sammy was concerned at times. I don't think he liked the bumpy ride. Each kid got to pick out a pumpkin at the patch.

Playing on the wooden, Omish made playsets.

HAPPY HARVEST EVERYONE!

the Super Slide

2009-10-12T21:48:00.000-04:00

This is the Super Slide at Young's Jersey Dairy. Sofie (a friend of ours), Savannah, and Jeffrey. Jeffrey was afraid at first, so I had to go down next to him. Then Sammy wanted to go down with me.

Sammy looks really scared. I think he almost cried.

Then we went down a second time, but Sammy wasn't too sure about it.

The kids just wanted to keep going down the Super Slide.....over and over and over again!

Young's Dairy Farm/Activity Center

2009-10-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

Again this fall, Mark's residency program had an activity day for us at Young's Jersey Dairy. We had a great lunch, played mini-golf, went on the super slide, saw the animals, rode on the kitty tracker train, and the guys even got to hit a few balls at the driving range.

Sammy loved mini-golf. He hit the ball rather than putted. He knew his ball was the yellow ball and stuck to it. He would place his ball next to the whole and hit it in. Then he would exclaim, "I Made It!!!"

This is Sammy after the 18th hole at the ball return. He wasn't too impressed that he didn't get the ball back.

Mark and Jeffrey hit a few balls at the driving range, while the girls and Sammy sat down for a rest.

We saw cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, goats, and ducks at their little farm.

Finished Fall Project

2009-10-03T21:37:00.001-04:00

So, I had been wanting to do this for a long time. I took down the verticle blinds in my front living room and painted my white walls. It said "waiting room" and felt sterile more than a living room to me before. Now, the room is so much more warm and cozy. It's amazing what a coat of paint can do. Nothing else is new in the room, but it feels so much better. Well, except the new window treatments. I had to replace the totally outdated verticle blinds!

The tan color on the walls is the same color that I have already painted the dining room, both bathrooms, and my bedroom. I am trying to bring a more uniform feel to the house.

I also painted my entry and hall the same tan color. I actually had to paint all the baseboards and trim around the doors too. Plus, I repainted my front door white. I did the hallway all by myself and then a friend helped me with my living room. This was my fall project and I got it done so fast. Maybe I will think of something else to do.....

Faces Painted and Balloons

2009-09-16T12:11:00.000-04:00

We went to an Ortho Program picnic. Sparkles the Clown came and painted the kids faces and made things out of balloons.

Jeffrey got the animal skull.

Savannah had the dotted butterfly done on her face. She really did not want to wash it off later that night in the bath.

Sammy was afraid of the clown at first. He covered his eyes and kept saying "oh no, oh no!" He quickly warmed up to her after she made him a puppy on a leash out of balloons. However, he kept popping everything she would make for him. He soon felt so comfortable around Sparkles the Clown that he would go up to her and tug on her clown skirt so she would make him another balloon creation. Sorry, no pictures of Sparkles. I didn't bring the camera. These are shots taken at home after. I always forget to bring the camera!

Sammy did end up getting this Spiderman face painted on his hand. After he saw all the kids get their faces painted, he wanted something too.

Sammy's In Trouble

2009-08-30T19:36:00.000-04:00

I was outside mowing the lawn (because I am an awesome wife) on a Saturday, and also because Mark was on home call, and I didn't want him to get all sweaty outside and then get called in. So anyway, the older kids were outside with me, and Mark had one responsiblity to WATCH Sammy. Well, this is what happened........Sammy got into the diaper bag and emptied the travel size powder everywhere. I don't think Sammy had any idea he did anything wrong.

Sammy finally tried on the batman mask and is holding the batman sword!

YES, Sammy is a boy! I just found this old halloween costume of Savannah, size 2T, and we thought it would be funny to see Sammy wearing it. Besides, he loves to dress up even if it is a PURPLE PEGASUS!

Sammy loves Lightning McQueen. Here he is in his McQueen pajamas, his McQueen hat, and he is watching the Cars movie too.

Just being goofy, but Sammy would rather watch the Cars movie instead of look at the camera!

Primary Temple Trip

2009-08-30T19:24:00.000-04:00

Our primary had a special temple visit this past month. All the families caravanned down to the Columbus, Ohio temple. We met in the stake center next door and listened to our bishop give a short talk about temples. We went for a walk around the temple and let the children touch the sacred outside marble walls of the temple. Then we learned about the different rooms in the temple back at the church and watched a slideshow of pictures of all the temples around the world.

Sammy loved walking around the temple grounds and seeing all the pretty flowers and butterflies.

Wegerzyn Gardens

2009-07-16T17:08:00.000-04:00

We discovered this really cool place to take the kids. Wegerzyn Garden Metropark in downtown Dayton. Besides, beautiful gardens, they have this whole kid garden area. We played in the waterfall and rocky creek area, the musical maze, and the sand pit. Sammy loved getting all muddy in the sand pit. We went with great friends and we will go again soon.

My little Sammy is 2 years old now!

2009-07-16T17:02:00.000-04:00

Sammy is getting so big so fast. He turned 2 in June. He loves to play outside and slide down our slide. He loves doing puzzles and building things with mega blocks. He loves watching Woody and Buzz, the Incredibles, Cars, and Thomas the Tank Engine. He loves to get his shoes on and go somewhere in the car. He is speaking so many more words all of a sudden. He is even willing to repeat words I say to him. He is a great little boy to have around.

First Day of Summer Break

2009-06-07T19:43:00.000-04:00

The first day of summer break, the kids played out in the sprinkler while I did yard work. Nothing like laying out in the hot sun!

Sammy's 2nd Birthday

2009-06-07T19:17:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Sammy's 2nd birthday today. He opened his presents this morning before church. After church, we had dinner and his birthday cake. He wanted to grab the candles more than actually blow them out. Next year he should know the routine. He loves his basketball hoop and soccer net.

What Spring Brings

2009-05-20T18:54:00.000-04:00

This is before church one Sunday. After April General Conference, I figure it is safe to wear short sleeves, shorts, and sandals. I love how Jeffrey looks so enthusiastic to be in a family photo. I guess it's his age.....he is becoming too cool.

Mark had just finished mowing the lawn, and we were playing outside.

Savannah and Sam love playing outside together. In fact, I just found Sam outside today filling his crock with dirt. Good thing those are easily washable. I told him to stop and sent him in a different direction, and then 5 minutes later I checked back, and he was back in the dirt. Boys will be boys!

Sam's new favorite past-time is Color Wonder. I love it cause there is no mess!

Jeffrey is playing baseball again through the Centerville Baseball League. His sponsor is Watson's, an outdoor equipment store (swingsets, etc) We have fun going to the games and taking turns between getting to sit back and relax and watch Jeffrey play or run around the playground with Sammy.

April Visit to Virginia to visit my sister Roxie

2009-04-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

We finally made it out to Virginia to visit my sister, Roxie, Aaron, and their new baby Evie! She is almost 5 months and very very cute. We had a great visit during our spring break.

This is Sammy 22 months, Jeffrey 9, Evie almost 5 months, and Savannah almost 7. Savannah cried when it was time to leave. She didn't want to leave Evie!

My sister, Roxie, and me.

March Happenings

2009-03-30T20:13:00.000-04:00

I walked in the kitchen and found Sammy at the computer. He sees me there all the time, so he must have thought that he needed a turn. I just laughed because he got into some of Mark's papers.

Savannah built this fort under the table and Sammy loved it. They read books together under the table.

Jeffrey made this poster at school describing himself. I thought some of his words were interesting.

Sammy would loved to sleep in the big kid's room if he had the chance. I plan on putting him with Jeffrey in a year when he is 3. Until then, it's just a dream.

Oahu, Hawaii

2009-02-07T20:32:00.000-05:00

Mark and I just got back from our trip together to Oahu, Hawaii. We stayed at Mark's sister's beautiful home located on the North Shore. I couldn't believe how amazing the Hawaiian landscape was with all the exotic, tropical trees and plants and the rain forest covered mountains. The 80 degree temperature felt like paradise compared to the iceland we came from.

I couldn't believe how close we were to the beach. The water was right there.

It almost seemed unreal. The grass was so green and the sky so blue. We would sit out on the deck and just stare out into the ocean.

So glad we went...

2009-02-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

We walked the Laie-Hawaii temple grounds, however the temple is undergoing renovations, and unfortunately it had a tarp over it. It is supposed to be closed for the next 18 months and then be rededicated after.

This is outside in the yard. Sammy had fun playing out on the grass. The weather was so beautiful. It was hard to imagine going back to the snow and ice on the ground.

Sammy enjoyed meeting and seeing his 2nd cousin, Kennedy Lang. Mark's sister Shauna has a daughter Carissa and this is her daughter. She is 5 months old, a year younger than Sammy. They will have fun playing together when they are older.

This is the view from our room where we stayed. We went to bed and woke up to the ocean. With the windows open at night, we slept to the sound of the waves crashing.

Visit with Rick

2009-02-07T20:11:00.000-05:00

My brother Rick started teaching at BYU Hawaii last fall, so we were able to see him, his wife Younghee, and son David. Sammy and David (2 years apart in age) played well together with Thomas the Train toys. This was the first time they met Sammy, and we had not seen them for 2 years.

USS Arizona Memorial

2009-02-07T20:05:00.000-05:00

We visited the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

It felt very quiet and reverent there as we thought about all the men who were trapped and died in the ship.

the beach...

2009-02-07T19:55:00.000-05:00

I took this picture from the yard of where we were staying. (Mark's sister Shauna's house) Everynight we saw beautiful sunsets.

Sammy loved playing in the sand and getting very sandy. Sand in his hair, his nose, and even his mouth!! Yuck!!

We enjoyed sitting out in the sun. You all know that Mark and I are not the "tanning" type of people. At least we managed not to get burned.

We all went swimming in the ocean of the North Shore (the beach just outside Shauna's house.) But it was pretty cold and we couldn't go that far in because the North Shore is known for it's huge waves and riptides. Surfers were out everyday.

At the Polynesian Cultural Center

2009-02-07T19:37:00.000-05:00

We spent one day at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii. This is the "crooked" or "crazy" tree. See how the tree grows down and around the rock we are sitting on.

We spent the day visiting the different villiages and going on a boat ride.

Mark participated in the Samoan Villiage. After cracking open the coconut with a rock, the guy called Mark to come up and taste the coconut juice (really water) inside the coconut.

A couple Samoans climbed the tree.

We went to the Luau and the Night Show after. It was a great day at the PCC!

Not To Rub It In.....

2009-01-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

So, a friend of mine back home in southern California, took some pictures and sent me an email. He said, not to rub it in, but we are having very nice weather in Santa Monica. Sunny, blue skies, in the 70s weather. Of course it makes me wonder why I ever left paradise. There is no such thing as summer and winter clothes. There is no such thing as a winter coat. Light coats/jackets were all that was necessary. Flip flops could be worn all year round. You could exercise outdoors all year round, and eat outdoors and rollerblade at the bike path at the beach all year round. It rarely rains so you don't have to worry about that either. Palm trees as far as the eye could see.....

So, I sent him back some pictures of my world now......in Ohio! (Of course it was worse while we lived in Wisconsin.) We have some snow, not a lot, it is just so so so so COLD right now. It was -12 degrees this morning when we woke up. School was cancelled today due to the freezing cold weather. So, today we are stuck home again and my kids are tearing apart my house building forts and stuff. I haven't left my house much this week and I am going CRAZY!

The forecast says we'll be back in the upper 30s next week. I look forward to that!

Christmas Morning

2008-12-26T13:59:00.000-05:00

T'was the night before Christmas and no one could sleep....
Savannah was coughing all night, and Jeffrey kept coming into our room to tell us that Savannah was coughing. I already knew she was coughing, because I could hear her myself which was causing me to not sleep. Finally at 2:30am, Jeffrey had come into our bedroom again, so I let the kids take a peek thinking that would calm them down (the surprise would be over) and they could go back to sleep. Later Jeffrey woke us up at 7:00am, the appointed time. We opened gifts together, then we woke up Sam at 8:00am. I wanted him to have that extra sleep. Sam loved christmas morning and all the new toys.

We spent the whole day together as a family. Mark and I prepared our Christmas day dinner, and we'll be eating left-overs for the next couple days. We watched the new Indiana Jones movie after dinner and put the kids to bed early. All in all, it was a great day!

Getting excited about Christmas!

2008-12-18T13:59:00.000-05:00

We went to the Miami Valley Hospital (Mark's work) House Staff christmas dinner and saw Santa Claus. The kids each received a gift from him. When Santa first came into the dinning hall, Sammy's eyes lit up and he looked very excited and he waved. Then when it was our turn to see Santa, Sammy had the opposite reaction.

We have our tree all set up, and we are ready for Christmas! Hopefully it will be a white christmas. We've only had some dustings of snow so far this season. We've heard that Milwaukee has been dumped on with snow already and we feel happy we are no longer there (for only that reason). We still miss all of our wonderful friends there. We we are thinking about all our friends and family and wish all a Happy Christmas.

Jeffrey's 9th Birthday

2008-12-14T18:39:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Jeffrey's 9th birthday at LaserWeb. Thank goodness we didn't have to have nine 9 year olds running around our house. The boys had hot, sweaty fun going on 2 laser tag missions, eating pizza and having birthday cake.

Jeffrey still loves Transformers, so he requested this cake.

This is Jeffrey and his best friend, Griffin, who lives down the street from us. They were in the same class last year for 2nd grade. They are in different classes this year for 3rd grade, but they still play together everyday during recess.

Savannah even had a lot of fun with all the boys. She is in the back, can you see her!!

Happy December and Merry Christmas!

2008-12-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

Mark is half way done with his (added on) research year of his orthopedic surgery residency. So, as of now we have 4 1/2 years to go till he is done. His schedule has been much nicer this year. He is usually home by 5:30pm every evening and is only on call once a week. We definitely feel like we see him more. He is loving his bones, joints, and power tools. His only regret is not being able to golf as much as he would like.

Melissa is forever running the show at home. She's been busy with home renovations and repairs. She totes Sam around in the mornings running errands, shopping, or going to the Rec center to work out. She enjoys her new calling as wolf den leader, because it's been nice to spend that extra time with Jeffrey. She loves her night out to play volleyball once a week.

Samuel, 18 months, aka Sammy or Sammers is a joy to have around. We love him even though he gets into things and climbs up wherever he can. He is learning too fast. He loves for us to read him books. He loves to see Jeffrey and Savannah when he awakes from his afternoon nap. He knows a few words, "no, uh oh, oh yeah, ball, dad, and where go?"

Savannah, 6 1/2 years old, enjoys going to school everyday and being in the 1st grade. She is taking swimming lessons and did some horse lessons during the summer in Arizona. She loves to learn and is a very bright child. She still loves to play with her Barbies and Our Generation dolls, and as hard as I try, I can't keep her away from liking Hannah Montana and High School Musical.

Jeffrey, 9 years old, played coach pitch baseball in the spring/summer. He also enjoys swmming lessons and is becoming a great swimmer. He is in the 3rd grade and his teacher says that he has very strong moral values that he voices at school. He is our honest, tender-hearted boy. I hope he continues to not give us grief.

As a family, we have been blessed much this year. We hope all of you have a joyous holiday season!

Some of OUR old family photos

2008-11-14T09:40:00.000-05:00

This is our first Christmas as a married couple, December 1998 sitting with Santa at the old ZCMI Center mall in Salt Lake, which I don't think is there anymore.

I love this picture with Savannah. She is 5 months old. I think I had just had my hair cut and done, and so I told Mark he had to take a picture while my hair looked nice.

Here we are at the Nauvoo temple. We went to Nauvoo during our first spring break at MCW, March of 2004. Jeffrey is 4 and Savannah is almost 2 years old.

I love this pictures of my kids. October 2004. Jeffrey is almost 5 and Savnnah is 2.5 years.

This is our family picture from 2005. Christina Nielsen took the picture and did a good job photo-shopping in more fall colors in the background.

Some of MY old family photos

2008-11-14T09:14:00.000-05:00

I posted a bunch of pictures on my facebook, but since some of my friends don't do facebook, I thought I would put a few on the blog. This picture above was taken in the summer of 1995, and it's my sister, Kim (23), my sister Roxie (18), and me (20). We must be going to a YSA dance or something.

Here are all my sisters, Kim, me, Cami, Roxie, and Jennie. The 2 little girls belong to Jennie, their names are Miranda and Windsor. This is October 1997. I had just come home from my mission that July.

All my siblings. This is March 2002, we are all in Mesa Arizona for my nephew's baby blessing.

Roxie, me (I am 7 months pregnant with Savannah), Rick, Cami, Jennie holding Chase, Kim, and Mike.

All my sisters, Roxie, Kim, Jennie, me, and Cami. Christmas 2006.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T13:04:00.000-04:00

We had a fun week of Halloween activities. We went to the ward/church Halloween party/trunk-or-treat. It ended up being inside the church in the cultural hall/gym because it was raining outside. Thursday night, the 30th, is Beggar's Night here, the night all the kids go trick-or-treating. We had fun walking around our neighborhood, although Sammy wanted nothing to do with sitting in the stroller. He had to be like all the kids and walk from door to door. However, everytime we would approach a door and a person giving out candy, Sam would freak out and cry.

Mark and I went to an adult Halloween party on Halloween night. He was a Calgary Flames hockey player and I was a Flames fan. Our costumes were pretty tame compared to our friends. The party was very fun with a scavenger hunt including a jaunt through a cementary. It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy a night of good food and fun friends.

I had fun painting my Calgary Flames burning "C" on my face.

What's Been Going On...

2008-10-12T19:22:00.000-04:00

The kids have been playing outside in the backyard a lot. Sammy especially likes to go outside and collect all the balls and other play things. Whenever it is time to go somewhere, and we put his shoes on, he thinks or hopes to be going out in the backyard. He gets very excited when I ask, "where are your shoes?"
Our "batman" boys. Sammy has no idea who batman is, but one day he'll know along with all the other superheros. Sammy likes when I sing the batman theme song while I am getting him in his pajamas and he points to his shirt.
Savannah lost the other middle top tooth, so she is cuter than ever. Hopefully one day, the permanent teeth will both grow in.
Whenever there is a BYU football game, we go over to the Clark's in our ward and watch the game with other ward members and friends. Mark is still and will be forever a BYU fan, even Jeffrey is saying he wants to attend BYU.

Young's Jersey Dairy

2008-10-12T18:26:00.000-04:00

Every fall, the residency program sponsors a family day at Young's Jersey Dairy. Mark and Jeffrey hit balls at the driving range. It was cute to hear younger boys watch Mark drive the ball and hear them say, "Wow, look how far that one went." Yeah, I told Mark compared to boys, he could drive the ball pretty far.
Savannah and I went down the super slilde. I went the first time with her and then she was brave enough to go down it a couple more times. I personally do not like these slides, but I went for Savannah. This is Savannah going down without me.
We saw all the farm animals. Sam enjoyed seeing them and pointed to all of them.
Here we are in the stinky farm looking at all the animals.
We also played miniture golf. It was a fun day, and they provided a nice lunch and ice cream from Young's Jersey Dairy. It was a very hot day for October.

Thoughts on Twilight

2008-10-10T16:35:00.001-04:00

I just finished reading the Twilight book series, which I didn't even know existed before this summer. Yeah, I don't know how, and of course with the movie coming out, many are talking about it. I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the series. If you haven't read them yet and plan on reading them, don't read this. I don't want to ruin it for you, but these are my feelings about the story.

I loved the first book. It is probably my favorite of the four. It's a love story....what girl wouldn't love the book? And, Edward....I felt like I was falling in love with the vampire myself. He is so dreamy and the perfect gentleman. I want my own presonal vampire to lay with me all night long!

The second book was sad for me. I hated to see Edward leave, however, it created the opportunity for the love triangle to form. Jacob was nice, but nothing compared to Edward, and I didn't want Bella to be with him. The whole werewolf thing seemed crazy to me at first, but I got used to it. One of my friends asked me while I was reading the second book, "Edward or Jacob??" I guessed as to whom I would choose for Bella (or myself). I said Edward of course. I shuddered to think who Bella would choose. See, I never was thinking she would actually become a vampire herself.

The third book was fun because of this love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob. I enjoyed the friendly competition between the vampire and the werewolf. But, like I said, I was so set on the fact that I couldn't see Bella actually becoming a vampire and so I was expecting her to choose Jacob, which made me sad and anxious to know what was going to happen.

So, when I started reading the forth and final book, I was totally surprised when the wedding actually happened and the honeymoon pregnancy. She had the baby and then she became a vampire to survive the whole ordeal. I just couldn't believe it. But then all my excitement kind of left. The thrill between Edward and Bella was gone for me. They were married now and had a kid and Bella was a vampire and the possiblity of Edward drinking her blood and hurting her was gone. And then the whole Jacob imprintng on Renesmee seemed wrong to me, but like the book says, he would be the only person capable of caring for her if something ever did happen to Edward or Bella. The story ended well, all happy and everyone as friends and a big happy family. I did enjoy the fighting and the threat of James, Victoria, and then the Voltouri, and all the attempts made to ensure the peace and happiness of Edward and Bella.

I look forward to the movie and being brought back to the simple beginning of the human and vampire falling in love.

We Finally Finished!

2008-10-06T09:22:00.000-04:00

We finished reading the Book of Mormon as a family last night. It started last October (2007) when the spirit prompted me to start reading it with Jeffrey and Savannah. Jeffrey was reading well and Savannah knew how to read many small words. So, we started out with Mark and I reading 5 verses each, and the kids would read 2 verses each just so we could get through the chapters. We read atleast 1 chapter a day and there were some days that we missed, but after a year, we finished. Throughout the year, Jeffrey and Savannah's reading improved greatly. Now we read 4 verses each and get through a chapter quite fast. I am glad my children can say that they have read the whole Book of Mormon. The best part was seeing their faces last night when we told them that we were going to start all over again from the beginning in 1 Nephi.

Three Smiles

2008-09-07T18:31:00.000-04:00

This picture was taken when we were in Mesa, AZ visiting my sister. We took pictures with all the cousins together, and then we took this of just my kids. I love it because they are all smiling really cute in it.

Stouffer Family Reunion

2008-08-19T10:06:00.001-04:00

We just returned from southern California where we had a Stouffer family reunion. We got to see all of Mark's family including his parents, 6 sisters and their families. We enjoyed a day at the beach, an Angels baseball game, and a day at Disneyland. We love all of our family and are sad that we live so far away.

Mark with his parents and six sisters: Marilyn, Tricia, Erin, Jill, Mark, Susan, Shauna, Meri-Dawn, and Don.
On the jungle criuse at Disneyland
We had a great full day at Disneyland.
Savannah's favorite ride is the Tea Cups. We went on it right after dinner, not a good choice.

More Stouffer Family Reunion

2008-08-18T19:35:00.000-04:00

Savannah with her cousin, Rachel at the beach.
Sammy even liked the beach, putting his feet in the water and eating sand.
Our little family with Grandpa and Grandma Stouffer.
These are all the Stouffer cousins with Grandpa and Grandma Stouffer. There are 22 grandchildren. One is not present, she is having a baby soon. Jeffrey and Savannah had not seen these cousins for 2 years. They were a bit shy the first day to see them, but by the end of the reunion, they were sad to say goodbye.

Mesa, Arizona Visit

2008-08-18T19:10:00.000-04:00

We visited my sister, Kim, in Mesa, Arizona for a week in the beginning of August. We swam in her pool everyday, Jeffrey played on her Wii, and Savannah did 3 horse lessons with her cousin, Avery. We had a lot of fun in the hot hot desert. Then we made our way to southern California.

Cox Arboretum

2008-07-24T14:32:00.001-04:00

We went to the Cox Arboretum today. It's a nature park with beautiful gardens and a butterfly house. The kid's favorite part was the rocky pond/creek area where they played with friends.

Sammy is walking now!

2008-07-24T14:19:00.000-04:00

Sammy started walking exclusively in the beginning of July when he turned 13 months. All this walking means more falling down accidents, bruises to the head, more crying, and hugs from mom. The hugs, I don't mind. He is pretty sturdy on bare feet, but I've been putting his sandals on him more and he is learning how to balance in those. It's nice to be at home, because we close all the bedroom and bathroom doors and let him roam free. He has more independence and I feel like I have more free time as well. Every once in awhile we will forget to close a door, like for example, he managed to get into Jeffrey and Savannah's room, and he got into all the playing cards. See the picture above. He is growing up too fast!

Happy 10 Year Anniversary!!!

2008-07-06T18:42:00.000-04:00

10 years ago.....
.....we were younger and thinner and ready to take on the world. We were married on July 7th, 1998 and boy, have things changed since then. (Not just the price of gas $1.00/gallon in 1998) We've been through it all. We survived Mark's undergrad at BYU, med school in Wisconsin, and now residency in Ohio. We or rather I birthed three children. Jeffrey came fast when we had only been married for 18 months. I turned 25 a month after he was born, but Mark turned 23 the day before Jeffrey came. He was a young, brave, new father. Needless to say, we were freaked out to be parents. When Savannah came, we were scared to have two of them. But, by the time Sam finally came to us, we felt like pros (even though we're not). We have lived in 7 different aparments/homes, which means we have moved 7 times. Three of which have been major moves out of state (counting my move up to Utah when we got married). When we first started out in our first apartment, we didn't have any furniture yet. We slept on a futon mattress and our tv sat on a box. We were too afraid to run the AC for fear of the electric bill. Well, piece by piece, we have filled our home, and we feel very blessed. We have had plenty of good times, bad times, and even some sad times, but if you would have asked me 10 years ago where I thought I would be in 10 years....
I would imagine my life as it is right now. I would have seen myself still married to Mark, with a few kids. Mark would be progressing in his career. We would be living in a house in a great neighborhood, with great friends, and still strong in the church. It's been a great 10 years with Mark by my side.

Summer Baseball

2008-06-27T15:02:00.000-04:00

Jeffrey has been playing coach-pitch baseball through the Centerville baseball league. It started with practices in April and then 1-2 games a week during May and June. His team is sponsered by a little mexican restaurant called Elsa's. Mark and I haven't eaten there yet, but we've heard it's pretty good. (It's next on our date night list of places to go.) He is having lots of fun and we were lucky to have him be on a team with a great coach and many boys from our neighborhood and his school that he already knew.

Project Finished

2008-06-14T19:24:00.000-04:00

So, we finally have a dining room. After living here almost a year, we've put the room together. Mark and I painted our dining room, changed the light fixture, and moved in the table, etc. (Our table was in the kitchen.) It took us 4 hours alone to switch out the light fixture, but we did it. The thing is....you have to walk through our dining room to get to the kitchen and our family room, so it was bugging me for so long walking through this unfinished room, it felt almost like our storage area. Now, it is so refreshing to actually have it look like a room. Of course, now, I want a new table and chairs, but I will have to wait on that.

Sam is ONE year old this week!

2008-06-01T08:12:00.000-04:00

Our baby Sam will be one year old this Saturday, June 7th. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since all was crazy last spring with graduation, the early induction/baby delivery, and the move. But, 2007 will be remembered as the year that all our dreams and wants came true. Mark was finishing med school and he matched into the program of his choice. I had finally gotten pregnant and was having the baby. We were moving somewhere where we could buy a house and the dream of home ownership was finally coming true. Then we moved to start our new life and it was so anti-climatic. We moved, Mark started his program and was never home, and I had my colicky baby who spit up all the time. And, I thought to myself "now what??" We made it to where we wanted to be and now I had to make it through each and everyday. Well, I am still making it through everyday, but life has gotten easier. We are blessed to be in a great ward where we have made many new friends. We live in a great neighborhood where our children have met some great kids and families. Mark has made it through his 1st year (which I am hoping is the most difficult). Sammy is your typical one year old and we love him. I like to think "we've made it!!" but I am not that naive. But I would like to think I can relax and enjoy life for a little while.

New Bikes

2008-05-24T19:46:00.000-04:00

Jeffrey and Savannah got new bikes for the summer. It has been a year since they have been on bikes. We gave away their outgrown older bikes to friends in Milwaukee before the big move last year. But like they say, it's just like "riding a bike" you just remember how to do it. :) Savannah's is an Ariel bike, because everything she has, has to be Ariel. Jeffrey is just glad to have the bigger 20 inch bike. We have begun to go on many bikes rides around our neighborhood.

Swinging Sammy

2008-05-09T16:48:00.000-04:00

Sammy loves his new swing in the backyard. He loves being outdoors and cries if he sees Savannah and Jeffrey outside when he is stuck inside.

Savannah's 6th Birthday

2008-05-04T16:39:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Savannah's 6th birthday last week. My sister, Kim, and her 2 children, Chase and Avery, came to visit for a week. Savannah loved playing with her younger cousin, Avery. They were inseparable while playing outside, playing Barbie, or brushing each other's hair. Luckily the weather was nice so we were able to go to parks, miniture golf, see horses at a nearby farm, and just play outside in my backyard. The kids also enjoyed sleeping out on the living room floor.

Standing Sammy!

2008-05-04T16:20:00.000-04:00

I can't believe Sammy is standing now and cruising along the furniture. He is growing so fast, and he is not spitting up anymore. Goodbye bibs!! He is almost 11 months now. These pictures are from the past month. He can say "mama, dada, and nana" so we tell Jeffrey sorry, because he says the rest of our names. (Nana for Savannah) He can clap his hands, do the hand rolling motion for "the wheels on the bus" song, and he can motion "no" with his head. I doubt he knows what it means. He loves being outside. He also has 4 teeth now: top 2 middle and bottom 2 middle.

Me Too!!

2008-04-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

I felt inspired to "tag" myself after reading Lindsay's 100 things about herself. I'll see how many things I can come up with. I mean, how well did you know me (all my MCW friends). We were just the old Stouffers, the crazy ones who started med school with 2 kids!!!

1. I am the 5th child of seven.
2. I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers. I am the very middle sister. No middle child syndrome, just I had sisters to look up to and little sisters to tease.
3. To my family I am "Missy" and always will be. When I started university, I started introducing myself as Melissa. I don't mind Missy, but I wanted to try Melissa for awhile and sound more sophisticated.
4. Mark calls me both Melissa and Missy.
5. I have never broken a bone in my body!
6. I entered an essay contest in the 9th grade and won a trip to Washington D.C. Great experience!
7. I have worked at Gapkids/Babygap, the Limited, Bath and Body Works, Express, Santa Monica Community College Health center, a restaurant called Souplantation, a gym called LA Fitness, a doctor's office in Orem, the Sears Call Center in Provo, and the Provo temple---cleaning night shift.
8. I also started working at a Flower shop when I was 12. I worked there off and on till my mission.
9. I really enjoyed arranging flowers and I was good at it, maybe I will go back to it one day.
10. I flew in my prom date from Utah. I wanted to go with an LDS guy.
11. Growing up in southern California was hard in that there were not too many LDS kids my age in my area. By the time I was a Laurel in Young Womens, I was the only one my age and no boys my age in my ward.
12. When I was 16 years old, I would sneak into the YSA church dances with my older sister. I would say I was eighteen and a student at USC. (I knew I would be going there.) :)
13. I looked older for my age, and I hung around with my sister who is 3 years older than me.
14. My sister and I were famous for this lip sync we performed, the song "Alone" by the group Heart. We did it first for a ward talent show when I was 13 and she was 16. She was the brunette main singer and I was the blond back up singer and guitarist. We later performed it again at the USC ward talent show in 1995 when I was 20 and she was 23. I have this one on video, so if you ever come by, you are welcome to watch it. It is totally classic, especially my fake guitar solo.
15. So, I did end up attending USC.
16. My freshman year, I was accepted into the School of Architecture. Yes, I thought I was going to be an architect. I did enjoy it, but during that 1st year, I just didn't feel right about it.
17. I got all my generals done and then after my mission, I majored in Spanish.
18. I was heavily involved with the USC Institute and LDSSA program while I was there.
19. I am a closet artist. You wouldn't know because it is one of my talents that I have buried. I need to get back into that.
20. Having children has really made me forget about "me" and my interests and what I like to do.
21. I played volleyball all 3 years in high school. I did play one year intramurally in college. I still enjoy the sport and in my new ward here in Ohio, we play every Wednesday night.
22. I enjoy walking and I am starting to run.
23. I am a warm weather type person. I love to wear open-toed shoes like flip-flops and sandels. It's the southern Californian in me. I like my 70 degree weather all year round.
24. I love getting peticures although I don't get them enough, I can't justify the money. I love having my toe nails painted.
25. I think I have good looking feet/toes. I may have let the rest of my body go, but hey, I think I have nice feet! :)
26. Talking about letting myself go....I have had one c-section and 2 v-bac deliveries. Vaginal delivery is way better in my opinion.
27. I dye my hair "medium ash blond" every couple of months. Even though it looks more auburn.
28. I was blond growing up and my hair is slowly darkening.
29. I started getting grays on the mission and some Elders were quite eager to point that out to me. Hence, why I started the never ending hair dying.
30. I served a mission from 1996 to 1997 in the Spain Madrid mission. Best experience of my life up to that point.
31. My wedding/temple dress was made by a member in Spain. She was like my mother in Spain. I brought it home with me in my suitcase.
32. I am a tender-hearted person.
33. I cried in my mothers arms in the airport on returning home from my mission. (I missed her.)
34. I was very very shy as a child and then I became more out-going as I grew up. I became a very flirty girl. Mark can attest to that!
35. I love to sing even though I am not that great at it. I love to sing in the car to my girly music like Belinda Carlisle (when Mark is not with me.)
36. My favorite flower is a sunflower.
37. I love eggrolls and sweet and sour sauce. When Mark and I lived in Utah and we would drive up to Calgary, Canada.....we would have to stop in Idaho in either Pocatello or Idaho Falls (I can't remember which one) because there was a Jack in the Box right off the I-15. to get the eggrolls there.
38. I love Chinese and Mexican food, but good mexican food is hard to come by here in the midwest.
39. I watch or DVR the soap "General Hospital" everyday!
40. I keep a clean house because I can't relax until things are picked up.
41. I think I am border line Obsessive Compulsive, but hey, I have a clean house.
42. I can spend hours looking at and reading these blogs. I love them and reading about all of you and seeing all the babies and kids grow up.
43. I would drive all over southern California as a young single adult in an old car with NO CELL PHONE!!! How did I survive??? This would be unthinkable now.
44. My favorite purfume is Happy by Clinique.
45. I like to read in bed at night.
46. I wash my feet and put lotion on them every night.
47. I was engaged to be married when I was 19 years old. Thank goodness it didn't work out. He was LDS and an RM, but he also decided he wanted to be gay. It's a long crazy story!
48. I am so glad to have served my mission and to have met Mark and to have married Mark.
49. Mark is my best friend even though at times it feels like we are polar opposites. But, you can't help who you fall in love with.
50. My drink of choice is diet Dr. Pepper. (I am an evil caffeine drinking mormon!) :)

I think 50 is all I can come up with! I hope you have enjoyed this and learned something new about me.

Easter Sunday

2008-03-24T10:02:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed Easter Sunday. I was prepared to cook a nice Easter dinner after church (even though I had come down with a cold and didn't feel like it). But then at church, some friends in the ward invited us to their house for Easter dinner and I happily agreed.

First Teeth Finally!

2008-03-24T09:58:00.000-04:00

Sammy is finally getting his first bottom middle teeth finally at 9 months. Now, when I feed him, he likes to bite down on the spoon. He thinks he is being funny.

Sammy is getting around...

2008-03-24T09:43:00.000-04:00

Sammy is 9 and 1/2 months now and he is getting into more places. He feels free to crawl wherever he wants, even down our dark hallway at night. He knows the bathroom is down the hall, and he loves to go in there to pull open the drawers. He is pulling himself up onto his knees, which is fun to watch because the first time he did it, I was so confused how he got up onto his knees. His favorite is to lift up and play with the area rugs we have around the house. He is amazing and learning something new everyday!

Son # 2 is TROUBLE!

2008-02-20T21:32:00.000-05:00

Sammy is now 8 and 1/2 months and I am realizing that he is going to be that kind of baby that tries to get into everything you don't want him to get into. As you can see in the picture, he crawls to the vent cover on the floor and grabs it with his hand and lifts it off. I am afraid he will fall partly in the vent and get hurt. I've got to figure this out. He is not crawling on hands and knees yet. He does an army crawl dragging and pulling himself along. Other than this he is a cute baby and very pleasant to be around.

We did go to Childrens Hospital today to see a GI specialist. Sam is still spitting up all the time. He will be going back again for some special x-ray of his throat, stomach, and small intestines. She also upped his prevacid. I am hoping we can find something to help him and me.

Son # 1 is 8

2008-02-20T21:21:00.000-05:00

So, Jeffrey turned eight years old in December, and with this age comes Scouting!! This is new for me as my first son embarks in this new adventure. I had two older brothers who did scouting, but I didn't pay any attention back then. There is so much to learn and I had to go to the Boy Scouts of America store and buy the whole outfit for him. Doesn't he look so cute??

Our Little Natvity

2008-01-23T18:50:00.000-05:00

On Christmas Eve we read from Luke 2 and the kids dressed up. Sam thought he was so cool to be in the doll cradle. Jeffrey wanted to be an animal, like a donkey, but I told him he had to be Joseph. Savannah was happy to be Mary.

Sitting Samuel

2008-01-23T14:40:00.000-05:00

Sam is finally sitting up on his own. He should be, he is 7 and 1/2 months old now. Mark says I shouldn't compare him to Jeffrey and Savannah with his milestones but I can't help it. He still does not have any teeth, but that doesn't stop him from wanting our food. I don't expect him to crawl for awhile, we'll see. I still have things to figure out in our new home, things to put up, etc. I am sure he will let me know what he will be able to get into.

Jeffrey's Baptism

2008-01-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, January 12th, Jeffrey was baptized by his father. We can't believe we have an eight year old! It was a great weekend. Mark's parents, my parents, and my sister and her husband arrived in time to celebrate my (Melissa's) birthday on Thursday, January 10th, and then be here for the baptism. Jeffrey is taking this all very seriously as he asks me each night if he should repent.

Halloween, Falling Leaves, Ready for Christmas

2007-12-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

Autumn is Here!

2007-10-12T14:15:00.000-04:00

We are finally feeling the fall weather! Mark's schedule is worse this month, which is hard to believe it could get worse. He is doing trama surgery and is working the night shift. Fun for us. I am looking forward to November. He will take a week off in November.
Sam is now 4 months. I want to start him on the rice cereal but he doesn't want it yet. Maybe at 5 months we'll try again. He rolls onto a side but not rolling all the way over yet. He loves to do the baby sit-ups.
Jeffrey and Savannah are still loving school. Jeffreys' reading has improved dramatically. I am very impressed by him and Savannah too. They amaze me at how smart they are getting. They continue to be a big help to me and around the house, especially at night when daddy is at work.
Jeffrey lost another tooth and is convinced he is not getting enough from the tooth fairy. Of course I always say we can give the money back to the tooth fairy.
We have a lot of raking this fall to look forward to. We have a big tree in our front yard and 2 big trees in the backyard.

September 2007

2007-09-06T09:05:00.000-04:00

Many changes come with the month of September. Jeffrey and Savannah have started in their new schools here in Centerville. They both ride the bus to school and are loving it! Jeffrey started 2nd grade at Cline Elementary and Savannah is in Kindergarten at the new Primary South Village School.
Baby Samuel and I enjoy escaping to run errands while the kids are gone. Sam will be 3 months this Friday, September 7th. I think he is about 15 pounds now. He looks chubby and healthy.
Mark is doing his last month of Trama-Orthopedic Surgery. Yeah!!