Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!!!

December 24, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.: Christmas Eve services at church. Everyone was given a glow stick (instead of a candle) so we could turn the lights off and sing Christmas carols.

December 24, 2009 at 8:30 p.m.: Madison is not feeling well. All three children put to bed.

Sometime between December 24th at 10:30 p.m. and December 25th at 2:00 a.m.: Santa makes an appearance.

December 25, 2009 at 2:00 a.m.: Tanner runs in to let us know that SANTA CAME!!!! He is promptly sent back to bed.

December 25, 2009 at 2:15 a.m.: Madison comes in because she has a bad headache and needs medicine. I send her into the kitchen to eat a few crackers so she doesn't take medication on an empty stomach.

December 25th, 2009 at 2:20 a.m.: I climb out of bed to find Tanner and Madison in the dark hallway. Madison is eating crackers and Tanner is scanning the area around the Christmas tree with his glow stick in hand. Madison is given her necessary medication and both are sent back to bed.

December 25th, 2009 at 6:15 a.m.: This picture says it all!


December 25, 2009 between 6:15 a.m. and 6:17 a.m.:

Tanner opened the electric scooter that Santa brought him!




Markie tore into his electric scooter!



and Madison opened the cell phone Santa brought her!!!


December 26, 2009 - Our family actually took a family picture! Yet another Christmas miracle!

I hope that in this holiday season, the blessings of family and the true reason for the season were upon you! Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year!

Swine, Swine, Everywhere is Swine...

It has been so long since I have posted here that I almost forgot how! Where in the world did the last month go??? Let's see, I haven't been hiding with my nose in a book somewhere. I haven't been partying like a rockstar. I haven't been doing anything really except soccer practice, soccer games, football practice, football games, cleaning, washing, vacuuming, repairing, driving, cooking, cake decorating, more soccer, more football, more driving, lots of baking, more cake decorating, minimal sleeping and swine, swine, swine! That is how I have spent the month since my last post!

Hopefully, things will clear up a little with soccer and football ending this week and Markie getting over his swine. Oh, wait - basketball starts next Monday and the coach has already issued the warning that practice will be held 5 days a week. It just might be another month until I write again...

M&N's Washing Machine Repair Service

One broken washing machine vs. 2 women armed only with a fix-it manual and a shoe box full of tools.

The outcome was looking a little bleak. But alas, after disassembling the machine piece by piece, these two extremely talented, incredibly handy and ridiculously attractive women found the problem and corrected it. After reassembling the white beast, the sweet sound of a washing machine spin cycle was music to their ears!

This repair birthed the new company - M&N's Washing Machine Repair Service. Please feel free to call us anytime at 1-800-ROCKSTARS!!!!

I'll Gladly Pay You Tuesday for a Hamburger Today!

Forget the barbecue. Forget the hot dogs. The only thing on the menu for Tanner's birthday party tomorrow is HAMBURGERS!!! And not just any hamburgers either! I am just wondering - is it possible for cupcakes to look any cuter??? I think NOT!

Alright, enough of me tooting my own horn! Here are some pictures of the hamburger cupcakes!

I am REALLY hoping they taste as good as they look!

11 Years and Counting...

Happy Birthday to my sweet Madison Faith! How 11 years have passed since you burst your way into my world - I just don't know! I am so glad for each and every minute! I love you like crazy!

In honor of my girl's birthday, here are a few of my favorite pictures!

Happy Birthday Mad Dog!!!!

Showering in Red Bull at Tim McGraw!!!

It was a GNO for my sissy and me with Tim McGraw providing the entertainment! Words cannot express just how much fun we had! Between showering in (and sharing) Tim's Red Bull, screaming our heads off and dancing like no one has ever seen before - it was a night that will not be forgotten! See for yourself!




Blowing kisses...

Red Bull shower anyone???

A couple videos for your viewing pleasure!

Sorry about Tim being horizontal in this video (get your mind out of the gutter!) - I don't know how to switch it!

Going for the gold!!!!!

Number of practice swings: 836,492
Number of balls hit on driving range: 420,687
Holes played to prepare for tournament: 900
Number of Championship trophies for the Sam Baskins Memorial Golf Tournament: 2

Number of incredibly proud parents: 2

Barbie Cakes and Rattlesnakes!

Just a typical day here in the Stephens household! Me baking cakes, Mark killing snakes!

While I was working in the kitchen, making a very cool, super awesome Barbie cake for a 6 year old's birthday - my hubby was fighting to the death with a rattlesnake. I am really happy that my hub came out the victor! Check out his lifeless opponent!

Cakes and snakes. Who would have thought these two would ever share a blog post?!!

GET IN THE HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Using skills that most golfers only wish they had - Madison and Mark hit the links for their golf camp at Gold Hills. Tanner and I tagged along! The second hole was a long par 5. Madison CRUSHED her drive. Her second shot was a vision of beauty and her third shot (from 150 yards out) landed within 10 inches of the hole - setting her up for a beautifully tapped in birdie! It was an honor (and great exercise) to watch her get her first birdie! (You know how I am with toe-touches during celebrations!)

Markie once again rocked the house! He came in as the lowest scorer - shooting better than people 10 years older than him!

Tanner was the resident ball-finder on the course. His pockets were stuffed with golf balls!

And I am one proud mama! (I spared you the pictures of the toe-touches - they are probably something that should only be heard about but NEVER seen!)

Happy 13th Anniversary to My Hubby and Me!!!

On this very day - 13 years ago - My hubby and I promised to love, honor and respect each other for "as both as we long shall live" - as my hubby so eloquently phrased it. I am so glad that those vows are still true to this day! Happy Anniversary to my sweet hubby! I love you like crazy!

Ace of Cakes

In honor of Mark's Grandma's 88th birthday - Madison designed the following cake. I took her sketches and turned them into reality. The result - a four layered chocolate cake, filled with a cream cheese/whipped topping/crushed chocolate chip cookie frosting, and topped with a generous peppering of crushed chocolate chip cookies along with chocolate chip morsels. It tasted as good as it looked - even of I do say so myself!








We celebrated her birthday with a BBQ that we will not soon forget! In the middle of this celebration, the sky opened up and released a fury of rain and hail. Obviously, this had no impact at all on our plans!

Gotta love it!

Totally Fair!

Last night was a GNO at the fair! On the schedule - a Mark Chestnutt/Carlene Carter concert, cruising booths, eating fair food and pretty much having a great time! Here are the final tallies for the evening:

Egg Rolls on a Stick: 2

Wife Beater Shirts: 284

Women who REALLY should be wearing bras: 912

Creepy man who asked me to sit on his lap: 1

Nightmares due to creepy man asking me to sit on his lap: 4 and counting

Time with friends: Priceless

Looking forward to doing it all again next year! (Minus the creepy man thing!)

NO FAIR!!!!

Alright - it really was fair! Shasta County Fair - that is! It was an evening to remember! A concert, cotton candy, a giant slide, roller coasters, animals and 1 very uncertain pony rider! See for yourself!

What a fun night!