Stevens Family

I went to bed last night feeling fine....watching Big Bang Theory with the hubby eating candy going to bed at 11pm....I woke up at 8am and had to go to the bathroom really bad.....very unlike me....and it hit me before I even got up that I had a kidney infection....as I crawled into the bathroom in pain....I thought not again.....Emmie walked by and saw me on the floor and said.....Ya mom is having a baby!!!  She thinks mom laying on the floor means pregnancy.....lol.....I told her she was wrong!   I called the doctor and they couldn't see me until 11am....I laid in the bathroom for three hours....I was in a lot of pain.......I went to the doctors and by then I was bleeding a lot and they decided I had a kidney infection but there could be more wrong so they wanted to run further tests.  It is New Years Eve just let me go home.  An hour later at the doctors the doctor finally decided to send me home with meds and then the hospital called to schedule tests next week. ...

I hope and pray that my girls have as wonderful friends as I do when they are adults.  I love my bestie.....she is always there for me and we text first thing each morning and the last thing before we go to bed.  Thought she is in Cali it feels like she is still right here, I miss her terrible and every year for Christmas I have another friend who totally rocks who I miss a ton also who is an amazing homeschooling mom who I look up to who if it wasn't for her I'm not sure I wold be homeschooling.....changes photos in Besties house to me....this was this years!

This blog was suppose to be about homeschooling but what I didn't realize is every single thing I do is teaching my children in the home and is homeschooling........so sorry if this blog gets a little off track...

I never blog about my other half......and I have been thinking a lot about him lately.....I am truly blessed with an amazing hubby........sure there are things about him that drives me crazy (sports).....but he is an AMAZING father, my children could not ask for a better dad, and the love he has for them melts my heart.   I love how Excited he is to see them each and everyday after work. I know that he gets the least amount of attention from me by the time four kids get it, friends, family, and projects I have going on he gets what ever is left which usually isn't much.....but I want him to know I love him and appreciate him (even if he did not get me anything for our10 year anniversary or Christmas.....lol)......I love you hunny!

I do love Christmas Eve......we go to hubby's aunt and uncles about an hour away.....we always have a great time.....We go to Kirtland first where they have nativity's set up from all over the world....  Then to hubbys aunt and uncles house along with our friends (their neighbors) to have pizza, do arts and crafts, do a Christmas exchange in a circle (hubbys favorite part) to the poem.....It was the Right before Christmas.... We hang out all day and play games (spoons) and enjoy each others company it was truly amazing this year......then home to wait for Santa......... Too much eye shadow?

Tonight we went to Arbys for dinner......I can feed all 6 of us for 13.88 using coupons...love it.....the girls weren't all that hungry so I had 2 extra sandwiches.....Brad went to the counter to get a bag for the sandwiches and when he came back I asked him if I could give the sandwiches to the homeless man at the other table.  This man had his bags with him, dirty, old clothes....typical homeless man.  Hubby was not thrilled because he wanted the sandwiches for lunch on Monday.  But he said fine....but the homeless man left......anyone knows me once I have an idea I do not give up....so I decided to track the man down.....I added 2 bucks to the bag....that's the only cash I had.... and found the homeless man on a dark street (we are in the ghetto too).  Hubby rolls down his window and gives it to the man and wishes him a Happy New Year!  The man says...."I aint No Bum!"  "I have a house, I'm on social security.....I don't need food I've been eatin...

My father calls me a HELICOPTER parent.....he is right, it is true.....I never let my kids out of my sight and they never stay with anyone or have babysitters.  It actually gives me great anxiety even thinking about it.....probably should see some one........so my brother wanted to take the 3 girls to Build a Bear and Chuckie Cheese....all by himself!!!!  Nothing against him but I would NOT let anyone do this....probably not even my hubby.....back to me needing help........but I let him take them....not going to lie I thought I was going to die......he picked them up at 1pm and went to the mall first.....I drove by Chuck E Cheese at 3pm and his car was not there.....I freaked out a little.....so I called they were still at the mall.......they then went to CEC and came home at 5:30.....they survived....actually I SURVIVED!!!!!  They had a great time!

After staying up late Christmas Eve arguing with the hubby about all the gifts that needed wrapped, and name tags to be made, and stockings, and Santa letters, and Santa cookies....we finally went to bed past midnight....another reason why I love Christmas so much..... Then some  time in the 6am hour the girls were up....and Evan had been up all night with a nasty cold...no sleep for the poor mom.... They were so excited...... My parents and brother rushed over to watch them open gifts.... Evans favorite gift......the BROOM of course!!!! Maddie got a new big girls bed for Christmas....I wrapped her pillow and she opened it and was so excited for a new pillow because her old one had a hole......she was super disappointed it was the same pillow and just a new bed :( My favorite gift......MY BESTIE from CALI is coming to visit me!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We have not seen each other in over 3 years!!!!!! Other favorite gifts were a trip to Kalahari, A Zoo membership pas...

I guess I should start out with sharing a little secret that not many people know about me.....that's why it's a secret.....I HATE CHRISTMAS......there I said it.....call me Mr. Grinch........All the decorating, gift shopping, crazy busy......no fun.....I know we are celebrating the birth of Christ but that is something we try to celebrate all year around just not 1 day a year......I have never liked Christmas even as a child, I remember one Christmas writing, The top10 reasons why I hate Christmas.  I remember my Grandmother Betty calling me on the phone and asking me if there was something she could do to help.  I have never been a Christmas person. Hubby always teases me I take down the tree Christmas night but I was going to prove him wrong and leave it up until New Years.....but it was driving me crazy and the day after Christmas it came down. THe letterSanta left the girls written by hubby for the first time..... Dear Stevens Family, MERRY CHRISTMAS! You ha...

Dear Stevens Family , Everyone here at the North Pole is very busy preparing for Christmas Eve. Mrs. Claus is knitting me new mittens to keep my hands warm while I am driving my sleigh! I'm writing to remind you to be a good GIRL and help your parents as often as you can. Mrs. Claus and I have been checking our list and have seen that you have been very good this year! We are so proud of you! The elves (Brad and Snowflake) and I agreed that you deserve to get something extra-special this year. Our workshop is excited about the popular toys this year, such as the Rainbow Loom and Our Generation Dolls just to name a few!   I received your letter saying that you're hoping to find a new TOY when you wake up on Christmas morning. We'll do our very best! I will soon be on my way to visit your house in Canton, Ohio .   I am excited for my journey around the world again. The reindeer are all fitted for their harnesses and are getting a lot of rest awaiting the big flight...

We have been doing the 12 days of Christmas with 3 women from church who are all widows, one will be her first Christmas without her husband. We teamed up with another family, The Kays. They took 6 days and we took 6 days. It was perfect! Today we revealed ourselves!  This is Jill, a lovely lady who actually caught Liz on Friday night, she was dying to catch us....she was so excited!                                                  This was her Surprised face! She even saved every tag from the 12 days of Christmas and put it on her door! This is Sister Flory.....I think she knew it was us but we had her over for dinner the other night and she made me come in her house and showed me all the tags, I'm not so sure she was 100% convi...

The girls making French toast for dinner....the boy in the drawer!

As you can see we have had the craziest week ever and we ended the week with Elf leaving us notes to go on a scavenger hunt that involved service, lights, dinner, and ended in ice cream......more to come on this......

We have many amazing people in our life, God has truly blessed us.....my kids have an extra set of grandparents who love them and spoil them.....we decided to make them this for Christmas, I LOVED how it turned out!

Every year we go to the local High School for their choir musical concert.....it is always amazing and they have the kids go up on stage and see Santa.....I was unable to go this year because the boy can't sit still through a whole concert so the hubby went with the girls, my mom, and Kathye S. I went to dinner and the mall with my dad.

I almost won the worst mom of the year award....this week has been crazy busy filled with Christmas activities and on Friday Maddie had her Christmas Concert......my brother, mom and dad were suppose to go with me.  Thursday morning at 6am while laying on the sofa my husband said, "Your calendar says Maddie's concert is tomorrow"......I said.....Yes. He then said, "Thats weird because the note home from her teacher says its today!" Sure enough I confused the dates......good thing hubby caught this horrible mistake of mine or we would have missed it and Maddie would have been the only one with out a parent there!!!!!  Even though I did not miss it I felt horrible all day.....what if hubby did not catch this mistake?  Is there other things I overlook or miss? Before the concert my brother took me to a lunch date to a new burger place called......Smoke Burger....all the burgers are smoked, I didn't fully understand that even with the name....lol.....it was s...

Look at these poor missionaries riding their bikes in the snow storm....I was cold looking at them...we had them over for dinner on Tuesday and had a great evening with them....I love our missionaries. Saturday afternoon we had a SiFi party to go to for a friend turning 40..... My brother dressed as Dr. Who....I really have no clue who that is.....then after the party him and I went out in a date to the mall and Target.....I made him take the hat off....he kept the bow tie on :)