Not so fast...

Well, I posted the good news about our car being all fixed. We picked it up last week. On Thursday, I noticed a squeaking/chirping type of noise. I called and they told me to bring it back on Monday. So, today after work, we went BACK to Irving where they checked things out. Well, they brought it out and said, "Okay, should be good to go now." So, we drove off only for the squeak to return! Then, they took it back up on the "rack" and checked it again. They brought it BACK around and said, "Okay, really now, it should be good to go!" So we drove off, but instead of leaving, we circled the block about 3 times just to check. Well, everything seemed to be fine...no squeaks, no chirps. Wouldn't you know that right when we got on 360 back in Arlington, the chirping began again! Ahhhhhhhhh! So, I called the guy and said, "Hey this is your squeaky 4Runner girl". He was very nice, told me to bring it back tomorrow and he'll give me a car to drive while he looks over the entire "job" again. They say a car is never quite the same following a wreck...I guess I'm finding this to be true! :(

He Is Risen!!

From Mark 16: When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be afraid," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. HE HAS RISEN! HE IS NOT HERE!!
Thank you God for Jesus...for His life, His death and most especially for His resurrection from the dead. He conquered death so that we might have life eternally. We did nothing to deserve this great gift, but still You allow us to have it. Thank You!!

Good Friday

 

Matthew 27:32-54
As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry his cross. They came to a place called Golgotha which means “Place of the Skull”)and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink. But after tasting it, he would not drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. Then they sat down and kept guard over him there. Above his head they put the charge against him,which read:“This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!” In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law and elders were mocking him: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him! He trusts in God – let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!” The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him. Now from noon until three,darkness came over all the land. At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice,“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.” Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Just then, the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised. They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Now when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!”
The story, of course, does not END here...thank goodness! It would be a terrible story if it did! The reality is that there would be no EASTER without GOOD FRIDAY. We could not celebrate the Resurrection if we did not first understand and recognize that there was death...Jesus' death on the cross. On Good Friday, so many years ago, Jesus Christ died a terrible death on the cross so that you and I can have eternal life. It's easy to celebrate Easter. It's easy to celebrate the end of this story, but before we do that, we have to first contemplate the meaning and importance of Good Friday. Let us not forget to thank Him for all that He's done for us...for the life He lived and the death He died. It was all for you and me!!

Buenas Noticias...or, Good News!!!

 I have two pieces of good news to share! First off, we FINALLY got our car back from the body shop. It was only there for a month!! We actually managed the One Car Mambo just fine. If nothing else, the experience has helped us to really appreciate having two cars. What's funny, though, is that we're now thinking about continuing to carpool to work. It turned out to be pretty fun to have that time together in the morning and coming home too...also it will help us save on gas! I have to say that I was VERY timid about getting the car back. I think that wreck must have really traumatized me because I have been so scared about even sitting in that car again. When we went to pick it up from the shop, I felt sort of sick to my stomach. But, Doug encouraged me to "get back on the horse"...so I did and it was fine. Of course, driving on Loop 12 in rush hour was not exactly the first ride "back on the horse" that I was hoping for! But, I survived and felt much better after driving it more today. The second piece of good news has to do with these lovely scenes that you are looking at on this post! These are pictures of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, the place where we were honeymooners AND where we will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary! We'll be staying here...
 This is the Iberostar Quetzal, a resort in Playa which will be the setting for several days of relaxing fun!! We finalized our plans yesterday and CANNOT WAIT to go!! We have been working with a travel agent, and we are so happy that she was able to find us a good deal! We're looking so forward to this trip, and to celebrating ONE YEAR OF MARRIAGE! I cannot even believe it's almost been a year since we said, "I Do". I guess it's true that time flies when you're having fun...

It's so much fun to turn 31!!!

We celebrated my 31st Birthday this past weekend! I can't believe I'm now "into my thirties"!! My sister, Leslie, called and said, "How can my baby sister be so old?" Well, I don't know how it happened, but here we are...me and THIRTY-ONE! I think 31 feels pretty good so far! I sure had a wonderful Birthday weekend! The celebrating started on Friday night. Doug took me out to the Cheesecake Factory (which I love). We sat out on the patio, enjoyed the BEAUTIFUL weather, and had such a good time together (and we MIGHT have eaten some Cheesecake...but points don't count near your Birthday right?) On Saturday, we slept in which is always nice. Then, Doug took me to the Rose Garden Tearoom, which is DEFINITELY one of my favorite places to go!  
I don't think that I've had a Birthday in the last 5 years (at least) that did not include that place as part of the celebration!! As always, the food was great...the cake and tea were even greater...and the atmosphere was a delight!  We had the waiter who is super affectionate (can't recall his name, but he's the one that always says when you leave, "I love you and there's nothing you can do about it!" Well, I got so tickled because when he found out we were celebrating my birthday, he gave me a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek and a hug! But then, he made his way over to Doug's side of the table, and yes...Doug got a big sloppy kiss and a hug too! I don't think he was quite prepared for that, but he smiled and laughed anyway! He brought us BOTH a HUGE piece of their (as "some" call it, better than sex) cake! It was great!!! The rest of Saturday, we shopped around the mall, which was fun. Then, we came home, got into jammies and watched the show, "Extras" on DVD.
On Sunday morning, we went to our Sunday school class where we got to see so many sweet friends. Then, Doug's Mom joined us for "big church", which was great as well. After church, we all gathered at my Mom's house for a Birthday lunch. She made such a wonderful meal (turkey, pork tenderloin, salad, mashed potatoes and not one, but TWO cakes!! We had the best time visiting with Allie, Ron, Brock, Mom, Dad, Faye, Aunt Ann and Uncle Loyd. I was gifted with lots of sweet, sweet gifts and cards as well. Then, Doug and I went to see "The Other Boleyn Girl", which I HIGHLY recommend! It was fabulous!!
So, this was a great weekend for me and I feel so blessed to have had special people to celebrate it with. I was also so happy to hear from SO MANY of you wonderful people! Thank you for your calls, messages, emails and cards in the mail! I felt (and feel) so incredibly loved and blessed...Thank you so much!!

 
Who me? Older? Yes...but more serious? Definitely not! SO, some don't know...but this is how my hair looks during the "getting ready" process. I know you wonder how it goes from THIS to the way you usually see it. Well, as I tell Doug, "It's just the way I do it. My Mom does it that way. Her mom did it that way. We're women with thin hair...a little teasing goes a long way!":)
 
This is not Birthday related, but I just wanted to show off my sweet little flower garden! In the past few weeks, all of my little friends have come into bloom! I love watching them get prettier and prettier!
 
Mom had a sign on her front door wishing me a Happy Birthday!
 
Mom also had these yellow roses out in celebration of her baby's birth! And no, my mom has not just had another baby...I mean ME...her BABY!! :)

 
This was my first birthday as a married girl! It was surprisingly MUCH like my Birthdays as a not-married girl, but with some added benefits! :)
 
I brought my Mom these pink roses to thank her for laboring with me for about 20 hours just 31 years ago! They were affectionately named "The Birthing Flowers"
 
Doug and Me with my Dad, Ray
 
Us with our Mamas!

 
The Birthday girl!!
 
Yes! Presents keep coming...even at 31!!
 
Sweet Brock LOVED the Happy Birthday balloon! He held onto it most of the afternoon.
 
Me, Donna, Faye and Allie

Sick of being sick...

About three weeks ago, I was down and out with what was either the flu or some kind of bug (chills, fever, aches, pains, sniffles, snortles, you get the picture!) And yes, I DID get a flu shot (so much for that). Then, I got better. Then Doug got it. Then he got better. And you guessed it...I have it again! Thankfully, I'm not nearly as bad off as I was a few weeks back. I did go see the doctor on Monday. He said I have itis of the bronchi...yes, bronchitis. Ya-hoo! So, NOW I have anti-biotics (I tell you...they are getting more and more stingy with those things lately). So, hopefully I will be on the quick mend here pretty soon! After all, I've got some aging to do this weekend!! :) Oh what fun...31!!! I'm looking forward to another Birthday. As folks I visit in the nursing homes say, "Having a Birthday is better than the alternative!" I agree.

A Tribute to Our Lady Kenmore

 

It's a very sad night at the Steffensrud home. We came to the tragic realization that our 1976 Lady Kenmore clothes dryer has finally bitten the dust. "Why?", you might ask, do we have a 1976 clothes dryer. When we first got married and had to acquire lots of new items for the new household, money was tight. I remember asking God to please provide for all of the necessities that we didn't yet have, but very much needed...like a dryer. Well, one night back last April, we decided to do a drive-by of what was to be our first little home come May. We had just finished dinner and I remember saying to Doug, "Let's go look at OUR house to see what it looks like at night!" So, we drove by. Well, lo and behold, there she was!! The Lady Kenmore Super Deluxe Dryer complete with olive green paint, painted over with crackled almond paint (a definite "do it yourself job"}, a nifty track light that allows you to see the controls and a sign that read,

 

She was right out on the driveway by our townhome. It was as if God opened up the doors of Heaven and dropped her right out of the sky just for us! You might think it's odd that we'd be so excited about such a crappy looking dryer. But, the word FREE made her so much prettier in our eyes! That night, we loaded her up into my SUV and drove her over to a guy we know about who restores appliances. Well, he fired her up and took a look inside. Would you believe that he said she was "good as new!" He said, "They just don't make 'em like this nomore...she's a keeper!" And she was. And she has been now for almost a whole year!! But tonight, as I was being domestic and drying clothes, I realized they weren't getting dry. I called the appliance restoring guy, and he said she's probably giving out. He'll be bringing a new one by tomorrow. So now, we give thanks for the Lady Kenmore (and no, I didn't name her that...that is actually what the dryer is called...written right there on the appliance)! We give thanks for her and for this year of dutiful drying she has done for us. Lady Kenmore, you are a real lady!!

 

;

Armed and Dangerous!!

This weekend, my sweet husband went on the Men's Retreat with our church. All the guys traveled down to Glenrose, TX where they had a "Man-fest" as Doug likes to call it. Well, I'm a pretty independent gal...was single until the age of 30, lived alone for a time, not too easily terrified...or so I thought! How is it that now that I'm married, I am somehow not so independent anymore, and actually quite DEPENDENT on this Doug man? I kept myself busy for the majority of the afternoon yesterday, but as night began to fall last night I became very aware of my state of alone-ness. You see, usually, he's here with me. And I guess I didn't realize how much I do depend on him to be my protector...the one who will kill the bad guys when they try to come get us! So, I did what any smart home-alone girl would do...I watched two hours of crime drama. What the heck was I thinking? I tried to tell Jessica, "Oh no...those don't scare me...no problem...big girl...blah, blah, blah!" Well that was a bunch of bologna! As I finished the crimespree-athon, I suddenly became aware of every little noise that our house makes. The creeks, the cracks, the things that go "Bump" in the night. So, I devised a plan! If he wasn't here to protect me in the event that one of my crime-dramas should come to life...then I was just gonna have to fend for myself!

So that's why I needed to have this at my bedside...
 

 
And this IN THE BED with me...

 
And this rigged up to make lots and lots of noise when the bad guys tried to come break down my door...

What you really need to know, though, is that when I returned from my Women's Retreat last fall, I arrived to find Doug inside of THIS...
 

He was happy as a little clam!! He had all of the movies that he never gets to watch because I hate lined up for viewing. He had every linen pulled out of the closet to create the monstrosity of a fort pictured above. He had snacks. He had his jammies on. He was completely content. Not scared. Not neurotic. Not preparing for his own personal live version of Special Victims Unit to take place in his living room. Just happy and content. Go figure.
Needless to say, I was elated to see him home Saturday afternoon! I have my weapons secured for the time being!

Happy Birthday Faye Faye!!

This weekend, we helped to host a "surprise" Birtday party for Doug's mom, Faye! I say "surprise" because she technically knew that there was going to be a party at some point, at some place in her honor. BUT, she didn't know the who's, when's, or where's of it all. So, we did get to surprise her some! We took her to dinner, but didn't say anything about her Birthday at all (which is coming up on Tuesday). At the end of the meal, we had the really obnoxious wait staff come sing "Happy Birthday" to her. So, she was thinking that was it...that was our version of a party in her honor! Then, when we went outside, I said to Faye, "Ya know, I'm not really in the mood to go back to your house for dessert." Then, we quickly busted out a blindfold and covered her eyes. The people eating on the patio at On the Border probably thought she was being abducted. Then, we put her in the car and drove the long way to her friends, Jane and Bob Choun's house. They were so sweet to let us have the party at their home! We made the party Canadian themed since Faye is Canadian. We had everyone wear hats (aka "tuques") and scarves. We also crowned Faye the Queen of the Great White North (hence the tiara that you'll see below). It was a great time and Faye seemed to really enjoy herself! Thanks to all of the her many sweet friends and family members for being there to celebrate with us! Happy Birthday to our Mum!

 
All blindfolded up and ready to go!

 
Doug led her on a goose-chase through the Choun's yard to make sure she didn't know where she was.

 
I had this cake made for the party. It turned out so cute and yummy too!

 
The Birthday girl!!

 
Grandma (Faye's Mom from Canada) was in on the fun too!

 
So shy!

 
Doug and cousin Laura

 
Jane read a funny list of "You know you're a Canadian if..." Of course, Faye Faye got to raise her hand to all of them!

 
The Birthday girl with her two kiddos!

 
I made a picture display of photos from Faye's life up to now

 
The Canadian flag!

 
Our hostess, Jane, came up with this special birthday song (sang to the tune of My Country Tis of Thee). We sang this in place of Happy Birthday.