Laughter, what gets me every time

I totally believe that laughter is the best medicine. If you don't agree with me, sit down and force yourself to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, it's anything but a vacation. I found myself entangled in the Griswald's family chaos late last night, not even in the Christmas season but rather Halloween and it still has the same dumbfounding effect. So many characters to laugh with and at, it's hard to chose who makes me giggle the most. I would have to say Aunt Bethany makes it to the top of the list along with her clueless and rude couterpart, Uncle Lewis. Such a beautiful version of the pure insanity and humor that comes along with the insanity in the genre of people.

Our Life In Vegas

It is snowing in Las Vegas! hadn't snowed in

10 yrs. but we caught the joy of it one

"winter."

Our glorious pool with cascading rock fountain..

The Red Rock Canyon, just right up the road

from us.

One of my favorite sights on the strip..the Eifel

Tower!

Our condo on Jade Creek
and Clubhouse

Living in Vegas for the first four years of our marriage was spectacular! We learned so much about life, adjusting to a different city and it's customs, and how to weather any storm together; to lean on one another. With a few near mishaps, we thankfully ended up buying our 1st choice of condos that was located just 1/4 mile from where we both taught at a wonderful private school. Tim taught math and I taught social studies. We loved living in sunny Las Vegas, beautiful blue skies, not a cloud around, lush landscaping, beautiful stone and stucco buildings and my favorite, palm trees everywhere you looked just swaying in the breeze. While only 20 minutes away from the oh so fabulous Las Vegas Boulevard "the Strip", we were peacefully located on the western mountain range of the Spring Mountains in a nice part of town. It was tough to have a "bad" day there! Sometimes after a challenging day teaching, we'd unwind at the pool with Milano cookies in hand and doze off in the warm sun with the sway of the palms in sight and sound. We made some great friends, had fun nights out and in too, always had a flock of out of town relatives and friends that came to visit, it was great! We managed to make 3 turkeys, every Thanksgiving we'd make all the fixins' no matter if it was just us or not. Life was fantastic but still very real. I had my first baby out there and experienced all the highs of that as well as the scary moments as I went into preterm labor at 28 weeks. I was "sentenced" to bedrest for 3 months. We lost 2 Grandpa's and an Uncle back home in the St. Louis area and lost a baby of our own; all on our own. I've come to realize all these hardships and joys have really woven us together closely. It's no joke ...for better or worse, in sickness and in health...Vegas a great experience to learn and believe in these very things.

Melt Your Heart Moments

Some of my favorite moments watching and loving my little boys. Tender moments where their already forming testosterone has been set aside...they settle for a split moment to snuggle and smile. And then moments where they arrive home with their first bouquet of wildflowers picked just for you, their Mommy. Taking care of these 2 little men has called to my attention their very need for shaping and reassurance in this world....a nurturing to become great and mighty men, but have a gentle heart and calming spirit.

My Baby Boy, Jack Grayson

Jack Grayson is he! A gift of God's grace he was. Born to us August 29, 2008 in St. Louis. I endured over 20 holes in the keester of progesterone shots to keep him growing safely! This little bundle of joy was such a blessing to me, God knew exactly what I needed. Turns out a trip to the Dr. fearing the possibility of cancer turned out to be just a pregnancy! While I was more nervous with this one and the awareness of complications and mishaps that could have happened, it was a complete step of faith for me as a Mom the second time around. I was thankful for everyday he kept growing and thriving.

My first born, Parker

Born to us April 27, 2005 in sunny Las Vegas, NV was our first baby boy, Parker.

Middle named after his father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather; Wayne.
This little guy held on for several months of preterm labor. He kept me company while on bed rest for the last 3 months. I loved every minute of my pregnancy with him, experiencing all of his little twists and turns. I'll never forget those little toes flexing inside my ribs!

The Husband

I knew there was something special about him from early on. Someone who cared more about the important things of life..a unique blend of traits I had never seen before. Aside from his zest for life, contagious sense of humor, and devotion to his family, I found his realness "unreal." Someone who sought to know me deeply and who himself seemed to care less about anything of material value. Someone who buttered my bread for me before even helping himself to any at a restaurant early on. Someone who still gets up early on Saturday mornings with our babies and gives me some extra rest. He wakes up every morning with a smile on his face and makes me laugh everyday at the simple things of this great life we have together.

A Christmas Fairy Tale Wedding

A little over a year later from that day in the veggie section,
this picture says it all. Mr. Tim Dwyer and I said our "I Do's"
2 days after Christmas of 2002 in a beautifully candlelit ceremony
in front of roughly 400 guests or more.
I had fallen madly in love with this man, no joke over a series
of letters/correspondence. A 3 ring binder that now holds a paper copy of nearly every email writing to one another could pass for a large novel in bookstores. It is through those writings that we corresponded while he was finishing his college degree up in Nebraska and I worked and finished school in St. Louis that we really got to the core of who we were. Our first date was over Thanksgiving weekend and we went out a handful of times when he was in town. By the time he had graduated in May, we spent about a month of face to face time together before we figured out this would be much better in person than continuing on paper! A July 5th proposal and then a December 27th wedding. We were ecstatic and couldn't wait to begin our lives as married pen pals.

A Classic "Veggie Tale"

Yes, true love does exist in grocery stores. Among the fruits and vegetables of a friendly local market, 2 unsuspecting (well, ok) 1 unsuspecting produce clerk was about to meet the love of his life. That's how our love story began, in front of the bananas. Funny enough, a more "experienced produce clerk"- about one 25+ yrs. experienced clerk happened to "arrange" this meeting. This clerk was in fact of all people, my Father! The introduction pretty much went like this...
"Tim, this is my daughter, Stephanie."
Tim: "hello" (sorting bananas)
"She is studying to be a teacher."
Tim: "hmmm..that's nice.." (still sorting)
You get the idea. He shook my hand while attending to an elderly lady who seemed to be overwhelmed in her vegetational choices. That was that. I was actually sort of intrigued at this produce clerk..he was completely aloof to the situation and seemed to be concerned more about the state of his bananas than meeting a young maiden with long hair. Maybe it was that he more so ignored me, or maybe it was his pair of black loafers he was wearing with no socks and an apron? Both so strange...I had to find out more!