Hurricane Katrina

For a firsthand account of someone experiencing the horror of Hurricane Katrina, please read Dee's blog. It is absolutely heart-wrenching. Please be in prayer for the millions being affected by this storm.

Update

Okay, okay. To avoid further harassment, here is another update. Actually, I think this is so fun. Most of the blogs I check everyday (the list is up to about 20--I told you I am obsessed and addicted to blog-reading) do not get updated often, but Jason's family does a great job. I love reading what is going on! We don't get to see them much and miss out on all the fun things the nieces and nephew are doing, so this is such a great way to stay in touch.

The reason we haven't blogged much is two-fold. One, we have not done anything noteworthy in the past day or two. Yesterday morning we met with our builder which was kind of fun. He is saying our house may be done end of October, which is kind of scary but exciting at the same time. So hopefully we will be semi-moved in by Thanksgiving for my family's visit. Last night we had dinner at Red Lobster. Not too exciting but we like to go there because that is where we went on our first date. Then we went to a friend's apartment and watched the movie Constantine. I would not recommend it--very strange.

Second reason for not blogging--most of today has been spent dealing with car problems. The Cavalier is still at Jason's office in Centennial, so we have been driving back and forth there as well as to several auto parts stores. Loads of fun, but I did get to brush up my Solitaire skills (the best $2.95 I ever spend, adding that to my cell phone). He is there now working on it, so please pray he gets that taken care of so we will have one less headache to deal with. The highlight of my day--we went to Joann's fabric at 8:00 this morning and bought a rolling scrapbook bag! They had a big sale today and had these really cool bags on sale for $19.99 (regular price $59.99). I have been waiting for this day for weeks!

That is really all of our excitement. The pugs are currently chasing each other around the house and playing tug-of-war with the belt to my bathrobe. Why do we buy them toys? Daisy's favorite new game is playing fetch with a slipper.

Perspective

Yesterday, I had a 31-year old patient who has been battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma for the past 12 years. Kind of puts things into perspective.

New Layout

I guess I got tired of the old boring layout of our blog compared to other people's exciting blogs (like green ones and pink ones.) I hope you guys like our new pug heading. I think it is great.

Leah, again, stole all my "exciting" news. Needless to say, I have not been having the greatest of weeks and really have not felt like myself. I guess I am over the initial shock of being in an accident and just want the headache to go away. We do have exciting news about our house, because tomorrow we are going to meet with the builder and talk about the process and anything we may want to add or change in the house and we should have some new pictures of the house to post here in a day or so.



I am loving all these new family blogs and yes I do read them. I think it is easier because I can check on what people are doing from anywhere. I don't have to be at home to check our email or whatever. Its GREAT! I love all the pictures and Tracy, I think you should update as much as possible, but no pressure. I should probably get back to work. If you havn't figured it out yet, this is Jason, and I'm signing off.

What now?

Poor Jason, he has been so upset about this whole wreck situation. Dealing with insurance companies and filing claims is something we have never had to deal with (and hope to never have to again!). No fun!

And if this wasn't enough, the poor guy worked a 14 hour work day yesterday, which he is doing every Monday and Thursday to save up for the house. He gets off at 8:30 and usually calls me on his way home. He called last night around 8:45, but this time it was to tell me his car wouldn't start. He drives my old yucky '91 Cavalier to work, because the Camaro costs a small fortune to drive. Every now and then, the Cavalier decides it just doesn't want to work, and last night was one of those nights. So, the pugs and I hopped in the car and took the half hour drive to get him. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy when we got home.

On the way home, Jason told me, "I just want to go to heaven." Heaven is such a difficult concept for me to grasp. I guess it is never something you understand, but just the very thought of being somewhere for eternity is completely mind-boggling. But the thought of heaven gives us so much hope--the realization that there is so much more than what this world can offer. What do people without Jesus have to look forward to?

May each of you be blessed and the thought of heaven give you the strength and energy you need to make it through another day!

Oops.....

Well, Sunday started out like a pretty normal day. We got ready for church, stopped to get some coffee at Peaberry (which, by the way, was terrible) and were headed to the church building to teach the middle school Bible class. We were just minding our own business, driving down Alameda, when BAM! we hit the car in front of us! Thankfully, we did not hit the car very hard, so our airbags did not deploy. But we were stuck on the side of the road for at least half an hour, waiting for the police and exchanging information. Apparently, someone several cars in front of us stopped suddenly, then the car behind her stopped, causing the guy behind her to hit her and then we hit him. We ended up with a ticket for following too closely, but thankfully everyone was okay and we sustained very little front end damage, all of which Jason will be able to fix. Not exactly the way we planned to spend our Sunday morning--I would much rather take middle schoolers any day! Even though our experience was very minor, the outpouring of concern we received once we finally made it to church was wonderful. It is such a blessing to be a part of God's family, especially in a place where we don't have our real families to care for us.

On a happier note, the Women of Faith conference was amazing! It took place in the Pepsi Center, which holds about 15,000 people and is home to the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche. Imagine a place that big full of women praising God! There were wonderful speakers and presentations, and even several Christian recording artists. It was a blessing to be a part of that experience and if you ever get the chance, GO!

Well, I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. Keep those blogs coming--I love reading them and am actually somewhat addicted to blogs! I have founds lots of people from ACU and even Wichita Falls, so it is so fun. Keep it up!

What I learned from our wreck: don't drink Peaberry coffee (I truly believe the coffee is at fault--if it hadn't been so bad, we wouldn't have been so distracted!!).

Lance Armstrong

Ok... Leah spoiled the surprise, but I guess I should have written earlier. We saw Lance Armstrong in person at the grand opening of our new 24 hour fitness. It is going to be a shame when we move because right now, the gym is only about 2 blocks away. Oh well. Our Lance experience wasn't all that exciting because neither one of us are cyclists, it was crazy packed and the accoustics were so bad you couldn't understand a word he said. Nevertheless, we were in his presence (ooooh!) and got a picture from afar.





We have more exciting news!!! Our slab of mud/concrete has a new addition. Wood! The first floor framing is up and they are starting on the second row. I talked with our sales guy today and he said our day of closing is November 29th, but it could be as early as the middle of November. It would be nice to move in early, but on the other hand, it might be kind of nice to be able to save for the downpayment a few more weeks. Either way, we are all excited. I guess I should mention the quality of the picture. I was on my way home from work when it was shot and didn't have my camera so I was forced to use the camera on my phone. I guess there really is a use for that nifty device. Haha!?!



We are having all kinds of fun with this blog thing. The more Leah surfs blogs, the more people she finds that we know. I am in the process of adding links to the side of our page so that everyone can become educated blog surfers. The only thing is that there are no blogs from my family. Sad.

That is all for today. Leah is at a Women of Faith conference tonight at the Pepsi Center so I am on my own. Lucky me.

LANCE!

Well, I think Jason will probably blog about this tomorrow so I will make this short so as not to steal his exciting news. The big excitement of the week--we saw Lance Armstrong in person! Okay, so there were about 200 people between us and him but we did see him! We work out at the new 24 Hour Fitness Lance Armstrong club, and he was there Wednesday for the grand opening. We got free food and Livestrong bracelets plus pictures to prove we were really there--we will post those later! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Weekend update

Ok... so I didn't get to writing yesterday like I promised, and almost missed today, but things have been kind of busy. I am spending any spare moment working on the furniture and hopefully it will all be done here in a couple of weeks assuming I don't have to work too much this next weekend. Questions? We are using a cherry stain on Aspen wood and then using a polyurethane finish.

As you can probably tell, we now have a little more than just a pile of dirt on our small section of land. The guys that were working on it were pretty funny. It seemed like they were having way too much fun out there and wanted to pose for some pictures. I wanted to say something to them, but I don't know if they spoke english. Also, we have a pile of wood out there with our address on it. I think there are 4 houses that have not been framed and I am betting ours will be the last one since we are the last one with the foundation. We are lot 16 out of 30 houses, I think, on our block. The progress they are making on the community is amazing. There is a whole new area they are starting work on right now across the street that, as of a few months ago, was just empty space.

Church today was pretty uneventful. Next week should be fun because we get to teach the middle school class. It really is not as scary as it sounds because they are GREAT kids and both of us really enjoy it.

I guess I should tell you guys what all that stuff on the right side is for. I am making this blog my new toy with all these add-ons.
-Tagboard- Small messages that anyone can post and see when they come to the site. The problem is that you can only type 200 characters. For more space, adding a comment is always fun for us to read!
-Google- Every good site has to have a search button.

I guess that's all for tonight. If you couldn't figure out the last post from Leah, Oscar is "smiling."

All Smiles Here in Denver!

As you can see, we are having a happy weekend in Denver! Even Oscar is happy to be alive and part of the Stephens' family!







I hope everyone is having a blessed weekend and has a wonderful week!

Date Night!!

It's date night so I don't have time to write. I hope you enjoy some of these pics! I'll write more tomorrow!!!

Singing

Well... I guess Leah figured out how to blog. Hehe. So, do you think she likes pugs? Anyway, the big excitement for me yesterday was that I led singing at church for the third time. I didn't fall flat on my face during any of the songs so that is good. I still get a little nervous getting up in front of 250 people, but maybe one of these days that will go away? I enjoy the opportunity to serve the church, but at the same time, I feel like I miss out on the worship time because I feel like I have to constantly be keeping up with what song is next. Overall I enjoy it because, from the comments I get from the members, they must be having a good experience at worship.

The other part of yesterday was working on my furniture. Yes... I am sanding, staining and finishing my bedroom furniture. When I have time, it really is a lot of fun. I guess I am the builder type. But recently, I can't seem to find much time to get on it. I have already finished the night stands and halfway done with the bed, so all that is left are two dressers. I'll try to post some before/after pictures sometime.

I guess I better get going back to work. I'm working another 14 hour shift so I'm trying to pace myself and not work too hard. haha. Thanks for the comments ya'll, it is always nice to know that people read this!!!

A Pugs' Life

I have a confession to make...I love pugs. For those of you with whom I interact on a regular basis, this is probably no surprise. I never ever knew I could love an animal so much until Daisy came in to our lives.

After my internship last year, I decided I wanted a dog. I have no idea what sparked this interest, seeing how I used to say I would never have a dog in the house and I would never pick up dog poop. I do not even know why I became interested in pugs. I just thought they were cute and heard they were good apartment dogs, so it seemed a perfect choice. No one bothered to tell me that they are little shed-balls! Anyway, we looked on-line and in a local pet store and found several pugs that were pretty pricey. We were ready to buy one in Oklahoma that we had seen on-line but just happened to look in the Denver paper at the puppy ads. To our surprise, we found a local ad for pug puppies! We called and then raced to Aurora where the puppies were located. We met Daisy and her four sisters and fell in love. We chose Daisy, and while we were there three of her four sisters were sold also. Good thing we were quick! We took Daisy to PetSmart and then home, and that afternoon we took her on her first road trip to Estes Park. Funny thing is, I was offered my job the same day we got Daisy--it was a good day!

Daisy is and always has been an absolute delight (except when she ate my shoes) but I hated leaving her home alone all day. I wanted another pug, but Jason wasn't sure he wanted two pugs. He was more interested in a French bulldog or Boston terrier, something a little more active. He also didn't want a puppy because of all the expenses related to getting a puppy. We decided to look at Dumb Friends League, one of the animal shelters in Denver. We got on their Boston list but did not get any response, so we decided to put our name on the pug list. That way, if a pug came in, they would call everyone on the list and the first person there would get the dog. Well, I was checking their website daily and one day came across a picture of a very handsome pug. Jason called them and he was still available! I left work at lunch and raced to Dumb Friends with Daisy, where we got to meet Oscar. Apparently he was a lost dog someone found and turned in and he was never claimed. The best part was that I had seen him so quickly they did not even have time to call anyone on the pug list! So were the proud owners of another pug! Oscar was given his name at Dumb Friends League, and it stuck. I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but now I see it is absolutely fitting. He had to stay at Dumb Friends overnight to have surgery, but we were able to pick him up the next afternoon and bring him home. I am not sure what he thought of Daisy at first, but now they are great friends. During those first few weeks of having Oscar, we were definitely second guessing our decision to get hime. He apparently ruled the roost at his last home, because he had many bad habits. Things are getting much better, though, and I love having two. No more, though--two pugs is all I can handle! Oscar's favorite thing in life is to be petted, as you can see from the picture. He is a total cuddle-pug and is very loving and sweet.

We have been able to do so many fun things with our dogs. Daisy has been to Texas, and both of the pugs went on our trip to Seattle in May. We took them to Aspen last weekend, and they even get to go to the park once a month and play with lots of other pugs. There is a Denver Pug Club that meets at Washington Park, and it is great fun. In fact, we were there today and were able to see Daisy's good friend Moxie (and her parents, our friends Joe and Gretchen). I would highly recommend pugs to anyone thinking of getting a small dog. They are full of love and the perfect companions!

Come on in

Another long work week has come to a close. We decided to go out to Stapleton tonight to see the progress and, as you can tell, we are about to have a foundation. From this view, I can almost make out the front door. Do you see it? Hopefully, within the next week the foundation will be completed and then maybe a week after that, we will have a framed house like the one in the background.

It really wasn't an exciting day at work except that every employee got a 4% bonus today. That really helps out with the attitude around there. We have been really slow lately, but it seems like things are starting to pick up again. So... talk to your family about organ an tissue donation. I really wish we were getting donors. I know it sounds terrible, but people are going to die, and only a fraction of them donate. Anyway, we have a teenage guy on our list that needs an elbow and has needed it for months. On his x-ray it looks like he doesn't have any joint left due to trauma. If I remember right he is only about 15. Hopefully soon, we can get him a new elbow. We do great things, but at the same time, it takes a tragedy to help people. Kinda messes with my head. Oh, I added the AlloSource website to my "cool links." Have a great weekend!

Long day!

I was a little tired yesterday after working a long day for me. 6-9... not 3 hours. I don't know how some people do that all the time! So... with all this overtime, I have to keep reminding myself of why I am doing all this (See Picture). Isn't it beautiful? I know it doesn't look like much but if you go to the website under "Cool Links" and go to http://www.stapletondenver.com you will be able to see the house we are buying and the community.
The area is the old Denver Airport (Stapleton Airport) that is undergoing the largest urban redevelopment in the country. The overall community is 4700 acres and will include, besides neighborhoods, numerous parks, trails, bioscience center, shopping (Super Target, Walmart, Bass Pro Shop), movie theater and lots of community events. This is, they estimate, going to be about a 20 year project and they have been working on it for less than 5 years. We are really excited!

I guess I should mention last week. I don't have time to write about all the activities, but Vanessa, Leah's younger sister, was in town for a whole week! It was really nice to have her visit (hint) since we even have a spare bedroom and bathroom (hint hint). Last Saturday, we took a trip up to the mountains through Aspen (great drive!) and over Independence Pass which is 12,095 feet. This is high enough that I have heard stories of people running into snow in the middle of summer. Luckily, we didn't find any of that, but it still offered a great view. The picture didn't do it justice, but there are numerous 14000 foot peaks in the distance including Mt. Elbert which is the highest peak in Colorado.

She is gone now, so our siteseeing is over and the apartment is quiet. I better retire for the evening. Goodnight!

Beginnings

Well... since I am a terrible communicator with my friends and family, I think this might be the best way for me to communicate. This way nobody is forced to delete my emails and I can play with a new toy. I think the blog is the perfect idea.

Update number one: They have started playing in the dirt that we bought!

Update number two: Vanessa, Leah's sister, has been here for a week on a visit!

More on both of these to come. In case somebody actually reads this, here are some very intruguing and mysterious topics yet to come: Daisy baby small dog, Oscar Boss-car, housing developments, "You do WHAT for a living?" , Jason the carpenter, Leah the trash (scraps) collector.

So, it is getting late so I will probably write another night. Have a great day and make sure to check out some of the other blogs listed on the side!!!