It has been several months since the last blog posting, so many of you will be shocked to know we are alive and well….and just got finished living at my parent’s house for the last 3 months, while building a house, which we just moved into over the weekend. The house is up the street from the kid’s school and down the street from my parent’s home. It is a perfect location, and a beautiful home and floor plan. We loved our last home of 5 ½ years, but were ready for an upgrade and a change. We LOVE our neighborhood and being close to family, so we stayed very close by.
With the end of the school year, we had many fun activities and events. Peyton started T-Ball, coached by Uncle Cory and Grandpa Craig. The team consisted of all his cousins and buddies from church, so it was a lot of fun for all. It was a long season of forcing him to put on the uniform, but he loved being a part of the action – play first base or pitcher were the best spots for him! Peyton started his first day of Kindergarten yesterday. He loves his class and his teacher, Mrs. Frankenfeld. Mya just started 2nd grade with Mrs. Kappan. She is a little book worm, and loves the socializing that school gives her. She frequently wishes we were all born smart, so she would not have to go to school.
We spent the summer out at the lake, the pool, the movies, and even on an adventure or two. We went to the Royal Gorge, which was a beautiful trip and lots of fun with our friends, the Gibsons. We went to Tennessee for the Fourth of July (for a big happy 80th birthday to Steffan’s Grandpa Bud). We also had our first camping trip with with many wonderful friends up to Granby. And to top of the summer, the kids were the flower girl and ring barer for Kristen’s wedding. It has be an adventurous and amazing summer. We are so thankful for the family and friends that share in our experiences and always lend a helping hand! We couldn’t have made it through the move and the summer without them!

Spoke too soon...

I spoke too soon, we had about 10 inches of snow last night. It was an incredible storm that started as a huge thundershower, then about an hour later the rain turned into these AMAZINGLY huge snowflakes. I was thankful to be at home with the kids enjoying the beauty of it, intead of driving in it like Steffan. I know that spring is a tease here in Colorado, but it is absolutely beautiful. I wouldn't trade it for anywhere in the world! And FYI, the sun is back to shining today! :)

Spring has arrived!

It is Spring Break this week, and the kids are in heaven! No school and lots of SUN so far! Yes, I am working, and Peyton is supposed to be "resting" because he has a cough that we do not want to spread to Emily's twins (yes Emily is already back to work watching Peyton and teaching piano!). But I don't think he has laid down our even watch a minute a TV. He has just been playing away in the backyard. Can you blame him?! I wish I was out there playing too! I am working from home today and trying to get all my meetings and calls in, even though Peyton is never silent, always humming, singing or talking. Even work seems more bearable with this weather! :) Of course it is spring, so it won't last....rain and snow are forecasted for Tues/Wed.

A new hobby...

This last year I have been enjoying a new hobby, thanks to a Quilting group with my church (and Chelsie! Thanks!). I have been a long time scrapbooker, and never thought I could sew, but thanks to this incredible group of women/friends, I have learned to sew and create! We worked on this a large project all year, creating one block each month. I still have the border to go, but wanted to share my two creations thus far. And then during a girls scrapbooking trip to the mountains I found a cute valentine's quilt kit, which was so fun to create as well! I promised my friends I would share pictures when I finished, so here are the nearly complete quilts. I just ordered a new pattern and fabric for some table runners, so I will keep everyone posted!

Christmas Fun!

We had an amazing Christmas this year, filled with fun memories and adventures. So, I want to share just a few:
Gingerbread Houses~
Piano Recitals~

Dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and Downtown Denver Lights~

Carolling for friends and family and at the Senior Centers~



Grandma Shirley's House for Christmas Eve (Reinactment of the Nativity, Talent Show, Santa, and yes...loads of Presents!)~



Christmas Morning started at our house and then we went to my parent's house for more fun and breakfast (and surprise news that Jen and Dustin are expecting their first baby in July)~



We also had some post Christmas fun, up at the Breckenridge house. Amy took Mya skiing for the first time! Cory and Tiffany also took Jaxon and Max. They did so well! It was awesome!


It was so great to receive letters and pictures from all our friends. We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Merry Christmas! I guess they could say, we would set this world ablaze!

I have not blogged in awhile because I wanted save everything for the Christmas blog. Consider this your Christmas card in my book. Amy will be sending out Christmas cards but personally, I don't think you're worth the price of a stamp...Our 2009 was full of pomp and circumstance and plenty of bragging for our brag letter. Here is our year in review...full of condescending and arrogant snobbery like you've never seen before:

- Peyton- Peyton went to pre-school, didn't get spanked as much, learned a little about a concept called, "reason" and rode some disney roller coasters completetly expressionless. He is learning how to play the piano and Amy says he is the next Beethoven. He also played soccer for the first time and Amy says he is the next Pele. He is so talented and smart and funny. Total chick magnet...Little Stevo in training. If you tell me different I will crack your kneecaps.

- Mya- Mya completed Kindergarten and took 1st grade by storm. She is making friends and chasing boys. She had a massive sleepover for her birfday followed by a giant lake party. She is sooo popular and she's basically a genius. She is also playing piano. Amy says she is the next Alicia Keys. She is currently in cheerleading and gymnasties...Amy says she is the next Greek goddess of the Olympiad. Take me to the Oracle at Delphi O Greek Goddess!

-Amy- HHMMMM....not much to brag about here....

- El Stevo Diablo- HHMMMM....not much going on here either...

- Amy and Stevo together- We went to the Grand Cayman and set that island ablaze! We swam with the dolphins, made out with stingrays, saved the whales, smote our enemies, found buried treasure and lived it up at the Ritz...We also attended DisneyWorld with the rugrats, with Amy and Tiff as our guides we divided and conqured every square inch of that magic kingdom of plastic!

In summary, we didn't lose our jobs this year, we didn't get excommunicated and we didn't do any serious time behind bars.

Merry Christmas and may you all enjoy your 2010 as much as we enjoyed our 2009!

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Fun....Oh My!

It is officially cold and that means I am officially behind on my blogging. We had an awesome Halloween, Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas season. We have been having a great time making memories and enjoying life! Steffan and I are truly enjoying the age of our children. They make us laugh everyday and temper tantrums are happening less and less. Here is a quick update with pictures on what we have been up to.
Mya and Peyton had to dress as Batman and Batgirl, so I made Steffan get in on the action as the Joker (of course he scared all of the children, so eventually he had to take the mask off!), I dressed as Catwoman. It was an incredible 31st Birthday!

We spent Thanksgiving in New Mexico with Steffan's family and had such a blast. Mya and Peyton had so much fun with Gavin and Hailey and Grandma LaLa - of course Missy the dog and Grandma's hot tub were a plus as well. They also enjoyed one of Steffan's favorite past times, playing in the dirt. They did this for hours(Steffan's brother just moved into a new house and they haven't finished the backyard yet). They also enjoyed bowling, the trampoline, jumping castles, and visiting Santa at the mall. :)


Mya had her first Cheer leading show, and her and her team did a great job! She is the smallest of the bunch so has to be on top of all the lifts and pyramids. Although afraid of heights she does great and looks adorable!


We are so excited for Christmas and have been getting into the spirit by decorating the house inside and out! We also made a visit to the local Retirement center/Nursing home to share some Christmas carols and holiday cheer. The kids were so adorable! You will have to keep your eyes open for Tiffany's or Emily's blog as I didn't get any pictures. I just love the holidays - so many wonderful memories and time with the family!

IT IS SO.....

COLD!! Here is what we are up to today....





After 2 days of constant snow, wind and cold, Steffan and the kids decided to play in the 10-12 inches of snow we have in our yard. After all, what are snow days for? No school today, and time to Trick R Treat tomorrow and Saturday. What a fun week!

Just three weeks ago we were saying, "IT IS SO...."

HOT!!! We spent a full week in Florida, enjoying Disneyworld Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and The Beach. We went with my Mom and Dad, and Cory and Tiffany and their kids. Everything was absolutely perfect! (If we could have only lowered the heat by about 10-15 degrees!) The kids were so good, especially considering the heat and Tiffany and I were the master planners, so we did not miss anything! There were a few long days in there, but it was worth every minute.



Mya's favorite rides were Splash Mountain, It's a Small World, The Tea Cups, and the Haunted Mansion. She loved meeting all the characters and getting autographs.





Peyton's favorite rides were It's a Small World and the Dumbo Ride. His favorite character was Ariel for obvious reasons (see the picture!). He also loved meeting Mickey and having the same mouse ears as Mickey.





Steffan's favorite rides were Aerosmith Rockin' RollerCoaster, Tower of Terror, Everest and Splash Mountain. Mostly he liked taking the unsuspecting kids on the roller coasters to see their reactions. Peyton could care less, nothing really bothered him except walking. And Mya was usually hiding her face or burried in Steffans shoulder in fear. But she also enjoyed the rides for the most part, except for Everest, which proved to be a bit much for Jaxon and Mya. Steffan's favorite character was Sleeping Beauty.



My favorite part of the trip was seeing the delight and enjoyment of the kids, and thinking back to the days of Disney when I was a kids. I love It's a Small World, and also all the Roller Coasters. Of course the shopping was great too! The character's were great, especially the ones who could actually talk and interact with the kids. It made it so magical! It was the greatest adventure and vacation we could have asked for!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Parent/Teacher Conference?

Let me just start by saying you should see the ear hair I'm growing! Man, I'm getting old and goin' down hill fast! Poor Amy! What's next? Prostate issues?

We are going to Disney World in a couple of weeks and I've already been telling the kids that if they don't go thru the haunted house, we are putting them up for adoption! Just try me...they know I don't bluff!

As mentioned in my previous blog...Mya has a BIG personality! I just needed to re-iterate that before writing this post. We met with Mya's 1st grade teacher for Parent/Teacher Conference this past week...who I will refer to as X. We enter the classroom at the appointed time...mid morning, yes I'm missing work for this. As per the stereotype, we have to sit in kid desk chairs...Apparently, Mya's personality is a trite too large for her teacher, though she appreciates it, I think she has a hard time managing it. X seems to enjoy Mya's conversational abilities, for example, Mya telling her about hot tubbing in the mountains. However, she doesn't appreciate Mya calling her out on giving out too much work! Or, sighing when it's time to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The trick to Mya is you have to gain credibility with her...she won't just automatically listen to you because you are an a-dult! Inherently respecting authority is not an inherent trait in our little family. So if we respect you...consider it a major compliment!

So, we've been "counseling" Mya to be a better listener to X. I use the word "counseling" losely...it's more like threats of violence! I think it's sinking in too! She's making a concerted effort to behave appropriately in 1st grade. For example, X uses a "behavior ladder" to gauge good behavior. Today, Amy asked her where she ended up on the ladder. Mya responded to Amy that she ended the day at "Super Choices"...meaning she was good. She then tells Amy that X hadn't noticed how great she was all day, so she made a point of reminding X of how good she was today...bartering for some good placement on the "behavior ladder"...some politicking if you will.

Mya then convinced us tonight that we needed to go to Chick Fil-A because all the kids from school would be there and she could see all her friends. So, we go and find out that Chick Fil-A was having some sort of event partnering with the school and of course EVERYBODY was there! Mya got her chance to work the crowd and hangout with her friends...there is no introvert in this girl!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: The Miseducation of Mr. Peet!

It's no secret that Mya has a BIG personality. She is a girls girl, feminine to the core. I love this about Mya and would never try to take her extreme girlishness away from her. However, being the little brother of Miss Mya can be a daunting task! There are times I feel Peyton gets lost in the madness and we don't let his personality shine enough...and then you add the clingy mama's boy factor that boys his age are known to show and I'll admit, there are times I have a hard time knowing how to handle him. I am not a kid person and will never pretend to be one, so this stuff definitely puts me out of my comfort zone!

Well, tonight was a step in the right direction. We have Peyton in soccer this year for the first time. I took him to his first practice...he did fine. Amy took him to his second practice...he was clingy. We took him to his first game...clingy. So, we decided I'm going to take him to practice from now on. I took him tonight...once again, he was fine.

Peyton is also a total shrimp! I don't think he eats enough food of substance...i.e., protein! He's typically on a diet of empty carbs. After practice, I drove thru Wendy's and bought a cheeseburger and chili. We shared the meal of good growth oriented protein and much to his surprise...Peyton actually liked the chili! I then let him take a bath and after the bath, I let him chill out with me and watch some TV. Now, typically, Peyton only gets to watch Mya's girly chick shows...Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, etc...gag me now, I'm nauseous! Do you think we turned it on to Disney? NO! As I was flipping thru the channels, he would give me his opinion as to whether or not he wanted to watch whatever we stopped on. I flipped to Spike TV and Ultimate Fighting was on...he wanted to watch it! I swear he did! I'm not making this up! "They're punching each other!" "They're wrestling!" I explained to him that it is a game and he got a kick out of it! After the bloody clash, we watched some Cartoon Network until the girls got home.

It's times like these when he makes me proud!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Working Class Hero Part IV- My last blue collar jobs!

For my final installment of "Working Class Hero" I'll condense my final blue collar jobs into one post. Interspersed with the Ice Plant, since it was a seasonal job, I worked for a Navajo sculptor named Alvin for a couple of months. He would create native dancers and other emblems of the Navajo Nation out of rock and take them to Phoenix to sell at an art gallery in Scottsdale. He was a phenomenal artist and my job was to cut the base of the rock per his design and set the stage for his work. Especially on deadlines, we would work up to 16 hour days. I would start the day making a fire in the shop, he would then draw lines on the rock showing me where to cut with the saw. Alvin also had a small sweatlodge on his property and one day he decided we needed to enter the sweatlodge and pray to be cleansed. My day started with chopping wood to build a large fire that was used to heat up the volcanic rock used to heat and steam the tent. After working on that and various other projects during the day, we placed the rocks in the tent, poured water over them to create steam and entered the lodge to pray. He prayed in Navajo and I sat there with my hands stingin' from the steam seaping into my blistered hands! It was a neat experience I will never forget!

Following my two years in Ohio proselytizing, I returned to Farmtown and landed a job at a furniture store called Haelig-Meyers. I worked in the warehouse with about 6 other Navajo dudes...I was the only white dude. It was a blast! This was the most physically taxing job I've ever had. Re-arranging the warehouse, unloaded shipments, deliveries, etc. My '76 F-150 had no power steering, so driving home at night with sore forearms was painful! We goofed around a lot as well though...there was always music in the warehouse, Marilyn Manson, Ozzy, Metallica and the guys loved my Ozzy impersonation! One day during down time, we decided to knock each other out by choking each other. I was instructed to hold my breath, stare at the light and a guy would choke me. It took him a while to knock me out because I would keep laughing...but eventually he got me! It was then my turn to knock out a co-worker named Avery. We both stood as I wrapped my hands around his neck and squeezed with all my might...he immediately passed out and went limp, I caught him before he hit the ground, but it freaked me out! I suddenly had visions of "manslaughter conviction" dancing in my head! One of the traditions on the team...call it a "team building activity" was to jump a guy on his last day of work, if he was resigning! I had been there two months and was resigning to move to Utah. On my last day, I went on a delivery into Colorado and we locked the key in the truck and it took all night to get the truck unlocked. Apparently, my co-workers waited quite a while for me to return so they could give me the customary send off, but we didn't make it back until about midnight that night...too bad!

My last blue collar job was my first job in Utah. I was hired to work for Bear Creek Country Kitchens, a dehydrated soup/food manufacturer in Heber City. My initial position was on the "clean up crew"...errr janitor. After three months, I was taught how to drive a forklift and was promoted to the shipping/receiving docks. I interacted extensively with truck drivers...classy people! I worked there with a good buddy from Ohio who went by the name "Skirt"...we had another co-worker named Braden who was a total hippie, complete with the thick beard (we called him Moses...he called me Hollywood...no idea why) We would all play basketball after work and I soon gained my typical B-ball reputation! The owners son, the General Manager, would also play. One day, I was approached by the company owner, an old cantankerous man who, as he approached me, said "I heard you're a mean son-of-a-bitch on the basketball court!"...to which I replied, "you heard right!" I think my response threw him off and he immediately turned around grumbling something as he walked off. We worked long hours, weekends...I once worked a 20 hour day! We went to Jazz games, threw hay at the owners ranch, I was once referred to by my boss as a "22 year old snot nose with an attitude!"...which in retrospect was completely accurate! I never said anything that warranted termination, I would only push the envelope just enough to make my point and piss off my supervisor, who was a 29 year old snot nose with an attitude!

In conclusion, I think the reason I look back at these jobs with fondness is twofold: 1) Physically demanding and rewarding. 2) I could do and say things I can't anymore, due to having much more responsibility now. I guess the trade off is now I have company directors and managers coming to me for advice, whereas back then I was just a goon. Memories....

LETTERS FROM STEVO: An Epidemic Sweeping the Nation!

Yes, you heard me! I have no choice but to report on a dangerous new disease that has reached epidemic levels! Chances are, you know someone who has it...in fact, chances are, you have it! It hasn't reached Amy and I yet and it is my humble cry to the Almighty that it never does! Nothing in our current healthcare system could cure it and the currently proposed Obamacare in it's present form has no language regarding a cure or a solution to this mutation of the human condition...

So what is this disease you ask? It has been labelled "Schizo-iPhonia" by the American Psychiatric and Geriatric Association or APGA. Schizo-iPhonia is an incurrable addiction/fascination/obsession with the iPhone. According to the APGA, this condition has reached epic proportions. The condition has reached every conceivable demographic in this nation and is spreading like the Swine Flu in Mexico...but is more dangerous to humankind. Symptoms include but are not limited to...buying a new iPhone, compulsively downloading new "apps" for the iPhone and blankly staring at the iPhone during what would normally be productive activity...for example during a game of domino's with your family in which you should be paying attention to strategy and otherwise socially interacting with your family!

See those two people with their iPhones talking to each other? Schizo-iPhoniacs can commonly be seen discussing their iPhones with all its features and their latest downloaded applications with other Schizo-iPoniacs. The APGA advises that you do not approach this conversation or attempt to engage the Schizo-iPhoniacs as the experience will leave you bewildered and bored to tears. Some Schizo-iPhoniacs have been compelled through similar experiences to go out to their nearest Apple store and purchase their new obsession immediately!

In conclusion, this new electronic contraption of the most sinister intent has entranced millions of people. Once upon a time, Americans were simply "Cell Phone Degenerates"...we now have to contend with Schizo-iPhonia in all it's dark, touch screen glory. As for me, I will stick with checking work emails on my Dingleberry Curve.

LETTERS FROM STEVO: The Football Madness! It's like a brain hemorrhage that won't stop bleeding!

Like Pavlov's dogs I am salivating at the upcoming football season that looms like being at the bottom of a water slide as Big Dave is merrily lumbering down! It is certainly the most wonderful time of the year! Unfortunately, I will not be able to continue my blog titled, "Stevo's Football Madness". I just don't have the time this year. I feel like I've barely got time for this blog. I've got work, kids, working out, watching football, fantasy football (the Avis boys invited me back), college pick 'em, rituals of the occult, reading Mein Kampf and of course, lest we forget, Guitar Hero: Metallica...I'm just a lot busier this year than I was last year! Now of course, if anyone wants to take over the blog, I'm open to it. And of course, I'm more than happy to beat on Cory and "Enlarged Prostate"...you know who you are...at college pick 'em again this year. Here is a list of my favorite things during football seasson:
- watching football on Saturday
- watching football on Sunday
- watching commentary on football
- working on the lineups of my fantasy football team
- wondering if I have Asperger Syndrome as it relates to my obsession with football
- eating wings and watching football
- watching football in my man cave
- driving Amy nuts with non-stop football
- playing football, especially Turkey Bowl tackle football in Farmtown! Set it up Big Dave!
- I guess playing "flag" football with people here in suburbia

Now I will make my pre-season predictions. Let's start with college, my favored game, conference champions are as follows:

ACC- Virginia Tech
Big East- tough one, but I'm going with West Virginia
Big Ten(eleven actually)- Penn St. possibly another shared title with the Buckeyes
Big 12- Kansas in the north, Texas in the south-this was a tough one, flip a coin between the Horns and the Sooners-right now the best single division in the land.
Mountain West- sorry Mormons, I'm going with TCU this year, but BYU was a close second.
SEC- my favorite conference! Gators in the east (duh!) and LSU in the west...this is gonna be a fun division to watch this year! Another coin flip between them and Bama.
PAC 10- USC until they decide otherwise. But they'll lose another game they're not supposed to...happens every year.
WAC- Boise St. until they decide otherwise...they need to move to the Mountain West...wouldn't that be fun?

Florida v. Texas in the BCS Championship with the Gators winning again! Sheeeesh, this is way too easy...Urban Meyer needs to retire!

Now for the NFL:
This is an impossible league to predict in the pre-season because of parity and injuries.

Your Super Bowl contenders in the NFC
Philly
Chicago
New York Football Giants
Dallas
Arizona...bit of a long shot
Carolina

Your Super Bowl contenders in the AFC
New England...guess who's back?
Indianapolis
San Diego...won't be 8-8 this year, but they still have Norv Turner as their coach
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Tennessee

My pre-season Super Bowl prediction (subject to change around week 9) is:
Philly v. New England, with the Pats winning it all...but again check back in midseason!

So there you have it. Merry football season and happy buffalo wings!

Quickie With Stevo: Batman and Joker Public Service Announcements

Big Dave was in town a couple of weeks ago and introduced me to these viral videos called "Batman and Joker Public Service Announcements". Click on the link below to check out all the PSA's. Topics include sexual harassement, bike safety, heavy lifting, UV protection and how to throw a spiral. It's funny...

http://www.funnyordie.com/search/a?q=Batman+and+Joker+PSA

Quickie With Stevo: Poseur Corner

We have a landing at the bottom of our staircase, that has some wood railing. There is also a mirror right across the room from this area, so if you stand...just right, you can see yourself in the mirror. This spot has been one of Mya's favorite spots for a long time. She loves to stand next to railing and look at her self in the mirror and do all kinds of poses in the mirror. Of course, being the jerk dad that I am, I make fun of her and call her out on her narcissism.

I discovered this morning that Mya also likes to pretend that one of the railing posts is her boyfriend! She even took a permanent marker and drew a face the post! I inquired as to the name of her imaginary boyfriend and she made me guess. Lemmy? No...Lars? No...King Diamond? No...Apparently it's Ringo! Sweet! That guy is loaded! The Beatles were awesome! Ringo's a little old...but hey, he's rich! Apparently Peyton also has a post across from Mya's which he pretends is his girlfriend.

I have fond memories of myself, Rudd and Big Dave as nine year old kids running around acting like we were driving dirt bikes with our girlfriends, taking them to "Make Out Mountain"...So it appears the apple truly does not fall far from the tree!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: A Stevo exclusive interview with a very peculiar little girl...

Sorry we haven't posted in a while, it's been so busy with family visiting, beating kids, working, yelling at kids, going to festivals of pure metal (You know you're getting too old when you think about jumping in the pit but you talk yourself out of it via fear of blowing out your knee!), working out, beating the kids...Unrighteous dominion is my business...and business is good!

Mya decided that she will turn 6 this year. Based on her recent attitude it's been more along the lines of 16! I need a double barrel shotgun Amy...ASAP! Let's see, what can be said about this sparkling diva that hasn't been said already? I think we need to ask the source directly, so I'm going to interview the birthday girl...

What's your favorite color?
blue

What's your favorite movie?
Bedtime Stories

What was the best part about being 5?
Although, Mya had no response to this one, Amy inserted her opinion: 5 was a big year! Mya decided she was no longer a little girl. She was not going to look "cute" anymore (she even said she wanted to dress "goth" as if she knew what it meant), she is growing out her hair (no more adorable bob hair cuts!), she learned to ride a bike, learned to read and write, learned how to respect authority (some authority that is...this took a lot of work...thank you Mrs. Frankenfeld!), and good or bad she is becoming more and more independent. It was an amazing year.

What is your favorite toy?
ipod

What do you think about Peyton?
Kind of weird and kind of sweet...because he has to be weird all the time, but sometimes he's sweet.

What's your favorite thing to do with your mom?
snuggle

What's your favorite thing to do with your dad?
I like to sit on him!

How many boyfriends do you have?
I have 3 boyfriends...Peter, Bryson and Jake

How many BFF's do you have? (she really does know what BFF stands for!)
15

What's your favorite song?
Some song from "Barbie & the Diamond Castle" We're gonna find it! We're gonna find it!

What do you want to learn about in 1st grade?
No Comment

What is your favorite book?
She loves to read and is quite good at it, but she doesn't have a favorite book...she likes everything she can read!

What is your favorite TV show?
Wizards of Waverly Place

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Horseback Rider

What is your favorite sport?
Cheerleading

Mya has grown a lot in the last year and we are very proud of her! She is a great student in school, a mean older sister who seeks to circumvent the efforts of her younger brother, is rowdy and rambunctious around her friends, sassy to her mom and dad and finally, loves to eat anything composed of sugar and chocolate!

Mya, we love you like a lip loves a canker sore...hmmm...stingy!

Quick Post

My cousin Tyler shared this quote with me from Mya, and I had to share:

Tyler - “Look girls, there’s Bass Pro Shops... Have you ever been to Bass Pro Shops? They have a huge fish tank and lots of fake animals.”

Mya - “No, we only shop at Nordstrom.”


I promise we spend more time at Target than we do at Nordstrom, but I still thought this was cute to share. :)

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Mancrush Ringtones

I'm liking this wakeboarding business. I'm not exactly skilled at it, i.e., I'll never be referred to as "twinkltoes" or being "light on my feet" but I enjoy it nonetheless.

Amy and I, being the spiritual little sunbeams that we are, were considering a mass prayer for the children of the world in these trying times, but Michael Jackson's dead...I guess we can pull that out of the ol' bucket list can't we!

I discovered this past weekend that my brother-in-law Cory has special ringtones for his buddies with whom there is an avid "bro-mance/mancrush". I'm not sure what the songs are, but one sounded like Marvin Gaye and the other like Chris Isaak...In the spirit of this, I decided to create a list of ringtones for certain people I know. Let's see...

- Amy - "Tush" by ZZ Top..."Baby Got Back" was also a consideration here
- Big Dave - Any ballad by any hair band/butt rocker you can think of!
- Bud - Any cheesy, sexual inuendo, Margaritaville, Dancing Queen song you can think of! Is there a song about prostates???
- Craig "President of the Michael Jackson Fan Club 25 years and counting" Thornton - "Beat It"
- Mom-in-Law - scriptures on tape (unless Craig is there to recite them to her verbatim!)
- Mya - "Tuesday's Gone" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, or anything Beatles
- Mr. Peet - "Mommy's Little Monster" by Social Distortion
- Emily - Soundtrack from the "Breaking Wind" vampire series
- Traci - That dude from Top Gun that says, "I want some butts!"
- Dusty and Jen - "The Facts of Life" theme song
- Tiff - A 20 minute John Denver/James Taylor medley/collage..."shower the people you love with love... THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY BOY!"
- Ma Busch - "Seasons in the Abyss" I'm not saying anything about being raised by you mom, I swear!
- Ol' Ern - "Free Bird" brother! Lord knows, he couldn't change!
- My Charger - "Fuel" by Metallica...White knuckle tight!
- and of course if Stevo decides to call himself..."I'm Too Sexy"...Yeah!
- and last but certainly not least, the man who inspired this list, Cory! Hmmm...this is a tough one...Is there a song that reminds me of the dude that's been my brother-in-law longer than anyone else? Is there a song about golf? Softball? Having 4 zany little sisters who at times border on clinical insanity? Is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir really Mormon? Can men have babies? Is the concept of business ethics an oxymoron? All things considered, as I think about Cory and his place in his family, I think of the eye of a hurricane...the calmest place in the storm. Cory just flows through life, nothing overloads him too much and his mind is always in a good place. Wow! Are he and Amy opposites or what??? So, my song for Cory is "Flowing" by 311...

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Operation... Owen's Boat

Happy Father's Day to all you father's out there and to all you mother's who wear the pants in your family! You know who you are! Fatherhood is a mother's revenge, and it's a dish best served cold and bitter...just ask Ma Busch. Studies have shown that men's testosterone levels decrease at the birth of their children. This is nature's way of telling the human male, "Do not eat the child!" "Do not kill the child!" It is not edible and it is not competing for scare resources...do not terminate it. In fact, you have to "take care" of it by feeding it and allowing it to grow...UUUHHHH??? Me understand!

Let's segue into the main topic. I have an uncle. Owen. He is the older brother of Ol'Ern, by 15 years! For our family, Owen is THAT uncle...you know what I mean? Ol'Ern always looked out for him and was a great brother to him. One day, Owen came over to our house to show off a new toy he had purchased. It was an old, worn out motor boat, probably built in the 60's or early 70's. The upholstery was torn, the paint worn off and it looked like it hadn't been used in a few centuries. No reasonable person would actually pay money for this thing. But he was proud of it and wanted to take it out to Morgan Lake to see how smooth she rides! Big Dave and I were in our pre-teens and were coerced by Ol'Ern into joining in this bundle of fun. Needless to say the boat didn't run, I seem to remember we discovered it couldn't even float and that was the end of that. Owen kept the boat in his possession and even talked Ol'Ern into docking it in our extended backyard. The extended backyard was a no-man's land of gargantuan weeds that were capable of consuming human flesh. And so Owen's boat sat in this wasteland for years and years and years.

Following Ol'Ern's passing, Ma Busch sold the homestead and bought a new house in Farmtown. As preparations were made to move Ma Busch out of the house, Big Dave and I remembered something...that P.O.S. boat is still sitting out there in the backyard! Everyone had forgotten about it! Something had to be done. The boat had to go. The new home owners weren't going to want this garbage in their "beautiful" new backyard! We devised a plan.

We understood two things. 1) The gargantuan weeds needed to be cleared. 2) Owen's boat needed to disappear. These weeds weren't the kind that you could just pull out of the ground, or even dig up from under the ground with a shovel. So we did the logical thing...rented a bobcat! If you ever have a reason to rent a bobcat...you absolutely need to take advantage! Just adjust the speed from "turtle" to "rabbit" and ram those weeds going full blast! It was awesome! Our next step was to hook up the boat to Ma Busch's truck and personally deliver it to Owen. Fortunately, the boat sat on a trailer, but the tires were flat and barely hanging on to the wheels. Big deal! We hooked it up anyway and drug it to Owen's house with the metal of the wheels screeching against the pavement. We pull up to Owen's house, him and aunt Laurel come out with a look of absolute shock! "what the...?" We pull up, "Hey guys! I believe this belongs to you!" He asks what he's supposed to do with it, to which we respond that's really not our concern...take it to Lake Powell and see if it will float! That was one of the sweetest moments of my life...I hated that boat, never understood why we had it in the first place and felt a sense of justice in hand delivering it back to its rightful owner...Owen...

LETTERS FROM STEVO: You don't want to find yourself "in the rears" with regards to your personal finances

I have a co-worker who thinks the statement "in arrears" is "in the rears" so I've been using it a lot. It's one of my new favorite phrases. "I'm in the rears on my mortgage payments." Or, "the customer is in the rears on their payments." Love it...

Congrats to Dusty and Sidecar Sally for getting hitched this weekend. It's been a big year for weddings. Traci and Collin Lee Rothey were also married a couple of months ago...and, a good friend and one of Amy's college roomates Mollie was married the week before. Doesn't appear there will be any more any time soon...do you understand what I'm implying Mya??? At LEAST 20 years girlfriend!

Going back to the wedding, I just wanted to give a shout out to my significant Amy. She worked hard this weekend and used her "take charge" personality in all its glory to ensure that the wedding went off without a hitch and to keep pressure off mom-in-law. At times, she is critized for being so opinionated and not being afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she thinks is right, but understand this...it is a strength! When I first met her and got a glimpse of her Type A-ness, I commented to her that I felt sorry for her future husband! DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR ME! I did not realize what a wise decision I was making when I married her. I am very proud of her and all that she does. Ma Busch has nominated her for sainthood, Bud thinks she's capable of conquering this planet. Sorry, I just needed to get that out...

One last thing, I'm excited to have Big Dave and Lyndley come up in July. No pressure guys, I'm just setting the table!