table...

So a couple months ago, I was driving to Roseville to go to a family dinner the night before my grandma's funeral. I had to go to the bathroom REALLY bad so we pulled off the highway and ended up at DI! After relieving my bladder, I was walking out and saw a table that looked pretty similar to the one above, only in worse condition because it was probably a good 10 years old, and it had 6 chairs instead of 4. The table and chairs were sold as a set for 60 bucks...and the cheap person inside me KNEW I could not pass up this deal! I needed a table for my apartment that I would be moving into and the thought of taking under this project with Shaun and making my table the way I want made me really excited! I ended up buying the table (and a red chair and ottoman for 60 bucks as well) and I started the table renovation project! After SEVERAL trips to Lowes, HOURS of sanding, and MOMENTS of wanting to give up, I am very very very happy and in love with my new table!!!I love waking up and walking outta my bedroom and seeing my table each day!!! The best part is they have one pretty similar to the way mine looks now and they are trying to sell it for 300 bucks...I will GLADLY take my 60 dollar table any day! Oh, and for the record, I added everything together from Lowes, and my total was $93.57...not so bad for a table that originally seated 6 (I threw away 2 of the chairs because they were in such HORRIBLE condition)! :)

shutterfly+me=LOVE!!!

My life has been one hectic nightmare lately! Trying to plan a wedding, moving, and trying to get everything ready and sent for Christmas is the worst combination ever!!! Lucky for me, I have an older sister who has always used shutterfly. I always thought I would make my own cards this year, but when I went to their website http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards I fell in LOVE with their cards! I started clicking on almost every card and just could NOT decide which one I wanted!!! After a few hours of looking at their different cards, I got this GREAT idea to make a calendar! I mean, seriously check out how CUTE these are!!! http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars. I am seriously thinking about getting coffee mugs for all the ladies at work for their birthdays next year and shutterfly is going to be right there with me, side by side, to help me along the way! HAHA...even if they don't drink coffee, wouldn't you want these http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/photo-mugs?!? For my cards, I would REALLY like to use multiple cards. I cannot decide between the following ones...

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/naughty-or-nice-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93496

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/keep-believing-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93496

**I love shutterfly. I am so glad that I was able to remember all the times my sister has used them and decided it is time for me to use them! I am going to use my christmas card as an engagment announcement as well! Such a special meaning to me and I KNOW shutterfly won't let me down! Now for the best part...not only is there a sale going on with shutterfly, but they are also doing a promo for 50 free cards! You just have to go to their bloghttp://bit.ly/sfly2010 and fill out the information then wait for them to email you! It is soooo simple to do and in the end, you get to use their AMAZING cards!!! Thank you shutterfly!!!

Turkey Day

Simply put, holidays suck now. Half the reason they suck is because no one in my family gets along. Everyone is full of the fake it till you make it gene, and this TOTALLY comes out at holidays. I am not going to say that I don't fake it at times, because I do. I mean, really, is sitting around at the dinner table during a holiday the best time to start drama and calling people out?!? I dunno, maybe it is because really, when is everyone going to be together again? Anyway, the other reason they suck, is of course, because I am missing the one person who NEVER put up with the drama. I was finally home from college for a Thanksgiving and they are NOTHING how I remember them being. This year, I had to split the celebration amongest 2 families, mine and Shaun's. I was very uneasy with the idea of spending time away from my family during the holidays, especially this year, but I knew that I needed to compromise and be share to Shaun, after all, HE is my family. We joined my family for a movie, which was Tangled (Seriously I hated the movie...it was WAY too long and just really not my style) and after the movie, I went and visited with pops. I couldn't even stand to be at his grave because it was just too hard for me. I nicely put my flowers, said a little prayer/talked to him like I always do, and walked away before I totally lost it. When I walked back to the car, I couldn't even look at Shaun because I was going to fall to pieces. He is seriously, amazing for putting up with me. He is the BEST person to go to for comfort and he will actually listen and cry with me. I love him! After visiting dad, we headed to Shauns house and had a GREAT dinner! His family totally does the food differently than mine, but their turkey was so good! Shaun mentioned something like they wrap it with bacon or something...I dunno but dang it was good! I secretly wanted more but I didn't wanna look like the fat girl! ;) I took a nap upstairs after dinner while Shaun enjoyed his family time. It was his sister Jenny's birthday, so Shaun, Jenny, and I went to a club after dinner and after my nap! It was an...INTERESTING experience to say the least and VERY different than what I would EVER do with my family. The whole time, I tried to be a trooper, I kept a smile on my face, (At least I think I did) and I made it through, even though the whole time I just wanted to cry and be with my family...but not the family they are now, the family there were a year ago, because THOSE are the people I love and miss. Anyway, we TRIED to wait in line at Target, but A it was FREEZING and B drama happened so we just went back to his house. I gave out my assignments to some of my siblings to pick up the couple items I needed from black friday and I was happy they got them! All in all, looking back, I had a good Thanksgiving. It was hard to get through the day, it was hard not seeing dad, but I know it would have been a lot harder had I been sitting at the table looking at his empty chair. I don't know how I am going to get through Christmas this year...one minute at a time I suppose.

wake up...

I hate when Shaun falls alseep and I am wide awake...like now! Part of me wants to go over and jump on him and tell him to wake up. I mean, we do get an extra hour of sleep tonight. However, the other part says to let him sleep because he had a long week and needs rest...hmm...I wonder what I shall do...

engagement...

Alright so I know you have heard by now...I am officially getting married!!! I could not be happier!!! Shaun is one of the best things...actually no, he IS the best thing that has ever happened to me! The other day we were just saying how crazy it is to know that we were meant to find each other. Then we started to wonder if we had ever crossed paths when we were younger, or even older, and just never given each other a second look. Then suddenly, everything changes and we find ourselves head over heels in love! It's crazy how this world works!!! Anyway, now to the proposal. We had been talking for weeks about getting married, so I knew it was going to happen. I knew he had bought a ring, it was just a matter of when he would ask. He had me TOTALLY convinced that he didn't pick it up on the 19th, the day it was ready, because they had "issues" with it. I was going to spend the weekend with him at his aunts while she was in Hawaii and he was dog sitting. He text me and asked if I would be up for going to the city on Saturday, Oct 23rd. I LOVE the city, and something about walking hand in hand with the love of your life just makes it even more amazing. Of course I jumped at the idea to spend the day in San Fran with Shaun. As we were riding on BART, he said something like, "sorry I don't have a ring to give you yet. It upsets me that they didn't have it ready". I told him that I had pretty much forgotten about it and that it was totally fine. He seemed shocked that I hadn't asked about it since I had been with him. Anyway, we went to see Jackass 3D (that is my FAVORITE part about our engagement story because it is TOTALLY us!) It got over close to 8 and we walked over to the cheesecake factory. It was almost a 2 hour wait so Shaun said we should go outside and go walk around Union Square. I was hesistant at first because it was raining. However, when we went outside, it stopped raining. So a walking we went and suddenly I found myself standing in the direct middle of Union Square. It was dark, and everything was lit up so pretty. He started to act a little weird/uncomfortable and I asked him what was wrong. He said he was just nervous. I was sooo confused! I thought he was nervous about dinner for some reason (good thing I have NO common sense) and he just chuckled and said, "no, I just have never done this before". Seriously?!? It's dinner!!! LMAO...anyway, next thing I know he says the best thing I have ever heard. "Stephanie, I liked getting to know you as a person, I have loved getting to know you as my girlfriend, and I can't wait to get to know you as my wife." And then BAM...out comes ...

THE RING!!! WHAT?!? I will admit, I was saying, "shut up" over and over again and hitting him because I was soooo stunned. I do believe it was a good few minutes when he nicely said, "umm babe, you haven't answered me" HA...oh yeah, about that...OF COURSE!!! Then we kissed, and I said, "would you be mad it I pulled out my phone right now". Thank goodness for his mind because he quickly said, "I think you should pull out your camera first". After a few phone calls, texts, and lots of hugs and kisses, we found ourselves back inside waiting for dinner. When I looked back out again, it had begun to rain once more. I like to think of the weather as this. My dad had the rain stop so this could happen--his way of showing that he approves--and then it began to rain again because he was sad that his little girl is growing up! Whether or not that's true, it what I think in my lovely little mind. So there you have it folks...one day next year I will be Stephanie Marie Lezer...and I can not wait for that day to come!!! :)

PICTURES...

I don't have anything to say other than enjoy the pictures! :)

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Life...

Life is funny sometimes. Just when you think you have overcome a challenge or a certain task, you learn that you haven't. This is one lesson I learned this past week. Last Sunday we got the phone call that my 93 year old grandma had passed away in her sleep around 3am. She was 93 and lived a very active life but she was so ready to be done living on earth and ready to be with my grandpa, who passed away almost 24 years ago. I didn't know my grandma very well, even though she lived an hour and a half away my entire life. She was very close to my family when I was younger but the last time I remember seeing her was when I was in 3rd grade. Grandma Moog (seriously isnt that the BEST last name ever?!? I am tempted to name one of my children Moog just for the sake of an awesome name...hahahahaha) was the last grandparent I had alive so knowing she has left this earth life was pretty hard. I think the hardest part was just when I thought I had overcome this crappy situation of death, it strikes my family again. I have had a very hard time this year with the passing of my dad and I go through stages where I am okay and I know he is gone, to being in complete denial. My mind plays these SHITTY games on me and tries to convince me he is just on a vacation and will be back soon when I know he won't be. Lately, anytime a slow song comes on, I have to turn it because I start to cry really hard. The past few weeks I couldn't look at ANY pictures that had anyone in my family in them because I would break down. Well, I thought I was getting better then Sunday came around and now, I am feeling as though I am back at square one..only I feel a tad guilty because I am not sad that about my grandma, I am still sad about my dad. During her funeral they sang I am a Child of God...my dads favorite song and the amazing musical number we had a lady in our ward sing at his service. I looked at my brothers and sisters at my grandmas funeral during this song and it broke my heart to see each of us with our heads down sobbing, tears flowing down our faces like water coming out of a faucet. Why? Why does a song make you go through so many emotions? I didn't know what to do--cry for myself and my loss, or suck it up and comfort my older brother and mom who have a hard time dealing with emotion? I wish I could say the services for grandma were lovely...but they weren't; in fact, they were rather ghetto. My aunt and her family showed up in freakn Hawaiian attire...seriously?!? The night before the services they were trying to put together the program still, they didn't do an obituary till the night before, the viewing was 15 minutes...LITERALLY, we didnt stand when the body came in or out, and they didn't ask ANYONE to be paul bearers until they were at the gravesight. Call me crazy but I thought it would be super nice and classy because that's how grandma was, and she knew she was going to be leaving earth soon. It made me appreciate everyone that helped out on dads so much more! Anyway, enough about that. I have other news to talk about...

*I signed my apartment papers--December 10th is moving day! (come help!!!)

* I got a 2nd job running an after school program

* Shaun and I are about to go on 4 months...yay for us

* I finally got a physical after years of dreading them and passed with flying colors

* I can wear a size Medium top...but the large is still more comfy for now! :)

* Size 14 jeans are beginning to be too big

* I joined a bootcamp evernight in Modesto...it kicks my trash!!!

* Went to Yosemite for the first time and HATED it

* Still trying to figure out what school to go to for my masters...I really need to focus on it

* Enjoyed my first HUGE paycheck from work...working full time has MAJOR pros

* pulled my groin muscle...hurt like a freakn B!!!

* went from blonde back to brunette...LOVE it (even though Shaun doesn't)

* In charge of classroom trick-or-treating for my lovely students

* Ran a daycare at a wedding for 11 kids...think I might consider doing it full time ;)