Ten years gone

Our 10 year class reunion is this year....

Naturally once I started to hear talk about it I pulled out my Senior Memory book and Year book ( yes, I still know where they are!).
I came across this page in the back of my memory book. My dreams and hopes of where I will be in 2012, 10 years after I graduated. They got me thinking.....
Did I accomplish these dreams? Not even close!

Did I graduate college and have a teaching degree? No
Do I have a job as an elementary teacher? No
Am I married? Yes! Happily for 7 years!
Do I live in a big house in a big city? We own a good sized house, but its not what I was envisioning as BIG and I know 10 years ago I didn't see myself still in Three Rivers!
Am I driving my dream car, a 1998 Silver Eclipse? HAH! Talk about total opposite! Maroon 'Soccer Mom' van!

Am I happy? Absolutely!

So I guess my reasoning for this post tonight is to remind myself and others that just because what we originally set in our minds as hopes and dreams may not always come out the way we wanted them to doesn't mean we have failed. I may not have accomplished what I wrote in my book 10 years ago, but I have accomplished much much more than I thought I would have! I am not a teacher that gets paid in money, I am a teacher to two awesome children who pay me with their smiles and kisses everyday! I may not live in a BIG house in a BIG city, but I am blessed to own a home big enough for our family in a small town that I love! And I may not be driving in my dream car, but I know in the future I will have my NEW dream car.....a Luxury Mini Van! :-)

Hebrews tells us to be content with what we have. Well, I can finally say that I am content!

Until next time.....
Steph

I Love Giveaways....Even if I never win....lol

A Daily Dose of Davis is having a Giveaway that ends tomorrow night!  


And, even though I would rather not tell anyone so that I can win I've decided that today will be the day that I share the good news! :-) Hop on over there to see what she is giving away and then put in a good word for your friend Steph!  Hope you are having a Happy Wednesday (Well, I guess its actually Thursday now) and a great week!

Enjoy your Holiday Weekend 

and 

Thank a Veteran and/or a Solider! 

Until Next Time....

7 years.

Its taken me all day to find the words to express how much I love Leif Hightree. April 30th marked our 7 year Wedding Anniversary. But it feels like eternity.

I remember when I first met him. We both worked at Kmart in 2002. I was 17 and in my Senior year of High School, he was 21 and going to school at KVCC. Ill admit, I didn't really like him at first. I kind of thought he was weird, and he was older and not really "my type"....as if I really had a "type".....

I didn't really talk to him much until I got transferred to the dreaded K Cafe where he worked. I remember always getting mad at him because every time I would come into work there would be dishes to wash. He would claim he didn't have time to do them, I would think he just didn't want to do them and would make me!

We started developing a friendship after working together daily. He would sing oldies songs, I would complain to him about my boyfriend. We would joke around about the current movie Kmart was playing on the big screen. We even hung out after work sometimes. ( Totally platonic because I had a boyfriend at the time!) We went to see the movie Collateral Damage one evening after work. I remember thinking Leif wasn't so weird after all. Well, except for the fact that his name was Leif Hightree, but that's another story! The next day my boyfriend and I broke up......totally unrelated! But after I told Leif, he for sure thought he had a part in it!

I remember after a few months I started to feel like I kind of "liked" Leif. But I had never really pursued a guy before. My past boyfriends both asked me out so I wasn't really sure what to do! So, naturally I started strategically going to Kmart at the same time he was working. Checking his schedule and trying to get mine changed to work the same time as him.....I even skipped a class one day at school to go say hi to him at work. (Sorry Mom!) Finally I had come up with the master plan of asking him to go with me to my Prom. However, I couldn't actually ask him myself.....I wanted him to ask me!

So, since I knew when he would be at work....now that I think about it I was kind of borderline stalkerish.....I went into Kmart one day and found him and started giving him a sob story about how every girl in my school had a date to Prom but me....I believe my exact words were " I swear every girl in my school has a date to Prom except me!" Not really sure what his reaction would be I was very surprised when he pulled this next sentence out....."Is this where I become your Knight in Shining Armour and take you to Prom?" I know....corny..... But what this story has led up to is sharing why I Love Leif Hightree. That line sums it up.

He rescued me.

Yes, he may be corny but he is MY corny! I have loved him since the day we started dating. I love everything about him, even his faults and his corny little lines! He is my soul mate. He holds the other half of my heart. He is my partner in life. He is the love of my life. I know I can be difficult but he has stuck by me through thick and thin and I know I never have to question whether or not he will be there. He is an awesome father, a wonderful husband and my "baby-waby".

I am so blessed to have been with him for 10 years and married for 7 and look forward to the next 7 years!

Leif, I Love you with all my heart. Happy 7 Year Anniversary.

"Poohie-Whoohie"

My name is Steph Hightree and I Am Second

Wow.....how amazing is this video! 

Everything that Jason said has touched my heart in ways that I never imagined! I'm 27 yrs old and have been a Christian for as long as I can remember but I haven't always lived the life of a Christian. After accepting Christ into my heart I kinda fell into the world living my life like I wanted and doing this the way I felt they should be done, instead of living the life God wants for me. I don't totally understand what it is to be a servant of God, I am still learning and growing. Coming across this video has brought me one step closer to being the servant that he wishes me to be.  One day I hope to be an inspiration to others in this same way.

I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I have!  If not, I hope you still watch it and that God touches you in some way. :-)

Done having kids???

So....I've been struggling with a very hard question for a while now and I need some help..... I wanna hear your stories and opinions.  So, Seasoned Mothers:

How did you know when you were done having children?  How did you make the decision?  What helped you be happy with that decision?

So, as most of you know I have a 4 year old daughter and an 18 month old son.  As many would say, I have the "perfect pair".  Even though there never will be a perfect pair! lol  But society says that One girl and One boy is what everyone strives for.  Well, How do I know if I am done or not? 

This fall our family and my life as a stay at home mom is transitioning and taking a pretty big step!  Cady is heading to All Day Kindergarten and my sister is going to be staying home so I will no longer be babysitting Miss Emma Paige.  So, it will be just me and Nate all day while Cady is at school. 

So, my struggle is do I want to expand our family again and add another member or do I want to enjoy my freedom with only one child all day......  Part of me say yes, the freedom is going to be wonderful!  I can come and go so much easier since I will only have one child to bring with me.  I can get involved in Cady's school because it will be easier to find a sitter for one child.  I can get Nate potty trained and focus solely on him for awhile, and since I am going to be an Auntie THREE more times this year I will have more time to spoil my new nieces or nephews! 

BUT on the other hand, I start to get said that my baby boy is no longer a baby anymore!  Yes he is a momma's boy and will always need me, he loves to cuddle and he can walk by himself so I don't have to carry him much anymore.....But I miss the baby stage....I miss the little baby milestones and tiny little outfits....and I honestly kind of miss being pregnant....But Hubby says he is perfectly happy with 2.

So, tell me, how did you decide that you were done have children?  What helped you to be at peace with your decision?

I don't really believe it is March.....

With record temps in March in Michigan we have spent lots of time outside!

Bffs

I love these girls.

Till next time.....

RIP Peanut Butter

After weeks of questioning whether Cades fish was dieing or not, he finally did this morning. I decieded to tell her to introduce her to death. So I called her out expecting her to start crying....well, instead she responded, "Eww Mom! That's gross! I don't wanna see a dead fish! Just buy me a new one!" Well.... I guess crisis averted....RIP Peanut Butter.

I guess the "death" talk will wait!

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I need some inspiration tonight.....for reals.....

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

John 6:47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.
Chinese Proverb

If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.
Thomas Edison

Vinny.....oh Vinny.....How I love thee.....

Yes, I'm a closet Jersey Shore Fan.....Shut it....

Vinny has always been one of my favorites and now I know why.  Depression and Anxiety is often overused and can become kind of a cliche, so when I saw this video all I could think of was how I needed to share this with others!  As I have said in previous posts I struggle everyday with Severe Clinical Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.  I often keep it to myself but it is very hard to deal with at times.  I started noticing at a young age that something wasn't right but didn't quite know what it was so I waited until I had a nervous breakdown before I sought out help, I love that Vinny has chosen to come out with his struggles.  I have high hopes that his video and website will help some teens and young people that are suffering as well but just don't know how to talk about it!



For once, Jersey Shore has produced something positive! :-)

Until Next Time.....

Steph