Happy Holidays!

We are feeling quite festive here at the Stephens' house today. A little decorating, a little christmas music in the background, maybe even a little baking. So, I thought that I would change the mood of the blog to a more festive one. Because of my antique computer I can only do so much, but the color change at least shows my Christmas spirit.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We enjoyed the day with Mitch's family and I was quite thrilled to be succesful at making the dressing this year. Thanks to Lauren for passing on the recipe a few years ago.

I will post pictures again soon as we will be heading out to get the good ole tree in a few days. We are giving Neily the honor of picking it out this year, so it ought to be interesting. Seasons Greetings!!

BAD HAIR DAY

In my efforts to save a buck, I took the kids to Great Clips to get their hair cut. In hindsight, that wasn't the best decision considering they are having pictures taken next week. But like I said, when their regular "salon" went up in prices, a $9 cut at Great Clips seemed like a no-brainer. Typically they get their hair cut one at a time, but 2 stylists were available so they both got their haircut at the same time. I went back and forth to each of their chairs making sure that the kids were okay and keeping them entertained. I obviously spent too much time at Neily's chair because when I returned to check on Jake, I found him half bald with his bangs cut at the hairline. I couldn't help but laugh because he looked just like Howdy Doody (or Pee Wee Herman...you be the judge.) Here is a picture of Jake's lovely locks just days ago:

And this is Jake today...

I've tried my best to comb some hair forward to get some hair on his forehead. Thankfully it will all grow back! Regardless, he's still a cutie in my book.

A FIRST

Today was a first for Neily. She saw a rainbow. It's so fun to watch as your children experience and enjoy the beauty of nature. This picture doesn't show her face, but she is wearing a huge smile.

Catching Up -

It seems like a month since my last post. After the drama with Neily, i think I was pretty worn out! We have since enjoyed a fun night of trick-or-treating and a wonderful trip to Asheville. Thanks to all of you who gave us tips on where to eat. Early Girl Eatery was our favorite. We were happy to see the kids again after being away from them for 5 days. After we all got back home, we celebrated Daddy's birthday by baking him a cake. Below are some pics of the past few weeks.

This year the kids were pumpkins. Neily wore this outfit last year and rediscovered it when we moved in July. She was excited to wear it again (and i was thrilled to not have to buy a new one!)

Every time we went up to a house Neily would say, "We don't have to go in, do we Mommy?" and Jake would inevitably walk in the door whenever the neighbors answered. He didn't care too much for the candy, he just wanted to go inside the houses.

And here are the kids enjoying their first taste of Peeps which, in my opinion, are the worst tasting candy ever. After Halloween night, the kids never once asked for their candy. Daddy was pretty excited to have it all to himself!



Lastly, here are some pics of Neily and I making Daddy a cake and Jake enjoying tasting the batter. The last picture I took a couple of hours ago. The kids were having a blast wearing Daddy's toboggans.

Unexpected

Monday morning we got some unexpected news. Neily has been having some GI issues and we had been in contact with her doctor over the weeked to make sure we were taking care of her in the appropriate manner. Monday morning the doctor called us at home and expressed his concern that Neily may have Cystic Fibrosis. I don't know a lot about CF, but I knew it must be a big deal because they have major events to increase awareness and support like they do for cancer and diabetes. I held my composure okay when I was talking with the doctor, but had a bit of a breakdown once we hung up. It was just another normal day until he had called. Now everything looked different.

The doctor was able to get her in at Children's hospital for testing on Tuesday (yesterday) which was a big deal since you typically have to wait at least a week to get an appointment. So, Neily and I went to Vanderbilt yesterday afternoon to get her tests run. Mitch and I had decided on Monday that we wouldn't get on the internet to read everything about CF because we didn't want to freak ourselves out over something that may not be. The Bible tells us to "think on that which is true" and so what was true was that Neily may have CF, but it wasn't a "done deal" until the test proved otherwise. She had the test at 1pm and we expected to get the results in 24 hours. But as we were leaving, the doctor who ran the test said that he would have the results to my doctor by 4pm that same afternoon. We were so grateful that we wouldn't have to wait another day before knowing. I called my doctor at 4pm and was overjoyed to hear the news that Neily tested negative for Cyctic Fibrosis!!!! I am more aware now than ever before at the blessing of having a healthy child.

The next step for us is to visit the GI at the end of November when Neily will have to get scoped. Her doctor seems to think, now that we know it's not CF, that her GI issues may be able to be solved fairly easily. We will definitely keep you all posted. Thank to you to the few of you who knew about all of this and prayed for our family. We greatly appreciate your friendships.

Singin' in the Rain

We had a LOT of rain today, so after being cooped up inside all day we couldn't help but to get out and play in it.

YOU KNOW IT'S A BAD WEEK WHEN...

You know it's a bad week when 80% of the meals you serve your kids all require ketchup.

PICTURES!!

Here are a couple of photos from the past few days. On Saturday we enjoyed visiting a local farm where the have hayrides, a pumpkin patch, and lots of other fun things for the kids to do.

And here are the kids enjoying lunch together. They love the veggie corndogs by Morningstar Farms.

And a big thanks to all of you who gave us advice on Mac vs. PC. We visited the local Apple store on Saturday evening and I think we are sold on a Mac!!

X
Xoconochco - A little place in downtown Franklin that makes the yummiest chocolate. I have no idea how to pronounce it, but man is the chocolate wonderful! Eventually you will be able to order it online - http://www.xoconochco.com

Y
Yesterday - Yesterday Neily came down with a fever. No other symptoms, just a fever. This morning she woke up with no fever. Our conversation this morning went like this:
Me: Good Morning, Neily. How do you feel?
Her: I am SO sick mommy. Please take care of me.
Me: Sweetie, I think you are fine, but I will take good care of you.
Her: Mommy, I am SO sick. I really think i need a cookie for breakfast.

This little girl will try anything for a cookie!

Z
Zippity doo dah zippety ay - I have officially finished the alphabet!! Now back to my regular postings. Hopefully, with our eyes set on a new computer soon, I will be able to post pictures again!

W
What to do - So, hubby and I are in the market for a new computer. We are hoping that my computer will last another month or so, but want to have a plan just in case. I wanted to get all of your opinions - Mac vs. PC. I hear that Windows Vista is terrible and that makes us lean towards Mac. BUT, Mac's are expensive and that makes us lean towards a PC. Any suggestions??

U
Unrealistic excpectations - okay, so I didn't finish the alphabet of me by the end of the week. So, I shall try again to finish it this week. I only have 5 letters to go!!

V
Very thankful - When my parents were choosing a name for me, their top name other than Allison was Claudette. I am very thankful they chose Allison.
Vacation - 4 weeks from today hubby and I will be packing up and heading to Asheville for a little R&R and I can't wait. We haven't had a true "getaway" since the kids were born, so we are thrilled to have some extended time with no agenda.

T
Two years ago - Two years ago today our family packed up and moved to Nashville. Can you believe it's been 2 years? It seems like a lifetime ago that we were living in Birmingham. It really has been a long 2 years, but good in the fact that we have learned so much about ourselves and our Lord. We have definitely had our share of trials, but also our share of grace and gaining wisdom. This is not the path we would have chosen for ourselves, but God has been with us through the tears and the joys. We do hope to return to Birmingham sooner than later, but until then we are grateful to be where the Lord has us - Nashville in the fall is so delightful!

R
Revenge - We've all done something on our lifetime to get revenge, right? When I was little I often sought revenge on my sister. Once I peed on her brand new bike because she wouldn't let me ride it. I definitely had an evil streak in me back then! What about you? Anyone have any proud moments of revenge to share?

S
Shenanigan's - The name of the dance club in Rome, Ga that we went to every Monday night during the summer when I was in high school. It is also the location of my first (and last) "girl fight." Yep, that's right. Along with a few other friends, we got in a brawl with some of the big haired girls from across the tracks. Hair pulling, scratching, hitting and, my personal favorite, the pulling up or down of skirts. That night I had on a cute little dress. Hiding underneath, though, was a lovely pair of granny panties. "Who's going to see these anyway?," I thought to myself as I put them on. Only a few hours later, there I stood in the parking lot with my cute little dress pulled up over my head. The white granny panties were quite the site for all who were looking on. Not my finest moment. The entire night was so out of character for me. When I got home and told my family they all laughed and called me Rocky.

P

Priceless -

A new Tennessee License - $12.50
A new Tennesee Tag - $49.50
2 kids at the DMV for 2 hours - Priceless

O
Over - I confess that I am ready for the alphabet of me to be over. I never dreamed it would take me this long!! I am making a vow to myself to finish by the end of the week so that I can move on.
Oh the joys of raising a 2 year old - we have had some sleep issues this past week with little miss neily. she has started crying at bedtime for up to an hour before going to sleep. For the first few nights we would go in and spank. That only made things worse. Then we started going in every 10 minutes or so to reassure (just like we did when she was a little baby). That helped some. Lastly, we have tried motivation by the way of food. She is like her mommy and can often be swayed by a tasty little treat. After minimal crying for her nap yesterday she got a cookie and 2 stickers on her Happy Sleep Chart. Last night there was no crying for the first time in over a week!! Now she has her eyes set on an ice cream cone which she will get tomorrow if she does well tonight. This has definitely been a learning experience for us and has tested our patience with our little girl. Funny how a week of something like this can feel like a month!

N

Neily -

My sweet little girl whom we affectionately call "Peepie" and "Pickle." You love to talk and you love to sing. You love to snuggle and an hour doesn't pass when you aren't asking, "Mommy, what you doin'?" You have the most fun when we are playing outside or when you are playing chase with Jakey. You could swing for hours and never pass up going on a walk. Cookies are your favorite treat. You are growing up fast and what a privilege it is to love you through it all. I love you to the moon and back.

M

Melancholy - this is my personality type, or so the book says.

Magazines - I love taking a hot bath and looking through a new magazine. My favorites? Southern Living, Cottage Living, Martha Stewart and, when I want to know what's up with Brittney (just kiddn), People.

Munchies - I am usually attacked by the munchies when the kids go down for a nap. I am tired from the morning and am so thrilled to sit down and eat something without tiny vultures, I mean children, eyeing my every bite.

Montana - I have not had the pleasure of travelling to may places, but I have been to Montana and it is beautiful. I hope to go back with hubby sometime to fly-fish and enjoy the scenery.

L

Laughing -

K

Kiss - I got my first one when I was seventeen.

Krystal - It was always such a treat to go here when I was a little girl. Krystal burgers (if you can even call them that!) were my favorite. Can't say I recall going anytime in the past 10 years.

Keeps me going - 63 degrees, beautiful blue sky, a gentle breeze. Days like today keep me going. I absolutely love fall and when the kids and I went on a walk this morning, I noticed an extra spring in my step. Something about this weather makes me feel renewed. Goodbye 104 degree days!!

J

Jake -

My sweet little boy who will warm a heart with his smile. With dimples that you can't help but kiss and a laugh that is contagious. You love the broom and the mop and to wear anyone's shoes but your own. You would rather eat a pickle than a pop-tart and you want to be wherever the action is. Your favorite word is bye bye and you will say it to anyone, coming or going. Your blue eyes are striking and are noticed by all who meet you. Affectionately know as "Jakey" by your sister, you bring so much joy to our family. Thank you for the morning snuggles and the spontaneous kisses. You are one of a kind.