Looking Back at 2013

It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone.

Our family just one year ago

So much has happened in 2013.  Some things I will always remember and some things I hope to forget. It's been a year of smiles, new starts, laughter, and lots of illness. Through it all, I have had my family by my side, each step of the way. Good or bad, easy or tough, it's life and I'm so thankful I'm living it with my precious family.

Join me on a trip back through the past year...

Our Christmas

Our Christmas week has been one of the most relaxed that I can remember.  Andy was out of town the week before Christmas so we have just been enjoying spending time together.  We've spent many hours in our pajamas, watching Christmas movies, baking Christmas cookies, and relaxing by the fire.

Oh, this kid.

We spent Christmas Eve with my in-laws for our traditional celebration. It was crazy to see how much the girls had grown from last year.  They did amazing at church and their excitement about everything was so much fun to witness.

Once we got home, we set out Santa's cookies, read The Night Before Christmas, and said our goodbyes to Lana the Elf.

Christmas morning came fairly early and the girls dove into their gifts. We had breakfast and sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus at the top of our lungs.

Each Christmas seems to get better and better. These sweet girls love Christmas and they blow me away with their love for Jesus and the reason we celebrate on this special day.  I am so blessed to have these two precious babies to celebrate each day with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had! I can't remember a more relaxing holiday, which is exactly the way we wanted it!

The girls slept in and we spent the morning watching the parade and just spending time together. We had a delicious dinner and the girls loved everything. They were so excited about dinner and especially the pie. They each had special things that they made at school to wear for dinner and they looked so cute!

I am so thankful for my sweet husband and these two precious girls. I love them so much and I am so blessed to be their mom.  I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with the special people in your life!

Playing Catchup

Yeah, so it's July 12th and I'm finally posting photos from the Fourth of July. Yikes! We had a rainy Fourth, but it was still lots of fun. We were able to shoot fireworks, which Emma loved and Sophia did not.  They sure looked cute in their holiday outfits, despite the crummy weather.

 I've been trying to have a little school time each day with the girls. Emma has been practicing her writing and Sophia has been working on colors and numbers. They love learning and are so proud when they accomplish a new task. They've been great little students!

Sophia has been doing a great job with counting. Here's a little video of what she can do.

Happy Father's Day!

Today we will honor the most awesome daddy two little girls could ask for.  He's not afraid to get on the floor and play, save the girls from imaginary bears, or don a crown and sit down for tea.

When Andy and I got married, I didn't think it was possible to love him any more than I did not that day. Then we had Emma and that love grew into an amazing respect, and love didn't quite describe it anymore. After Sophia came along, there were no words for how I felt about this man. Each day, that love grows and grows and I am blown away by how blessed I am for my children to have such an incredible father.

Andy, I love you and I hope that you know that the girls and I love you more than one day could ever show. Happy Father's Day! xoxo

Happy 2013!

Our family has been so blessed in 2012 and I hope that 2013 will be just as wonderful. We wanted to spend a relaxing evening at home with the girls and that's exactly what we did.

We decorated the kitchen while the girls napped. They were so excited to wake up and find balloons hanging from the ceiling! They also loved the party supplies we got to ring in the new year.

We had a special dinner and dessert, then spent the rest of the night in front of the fire, relaxing and just spending time together. Before bed, the girls made phone calls to family to wish them a Happy New Year.

Our New Years celebrations have definitely changed over the years and this year's was just perfect for us. I hope that 2013 is full of blessings and wonderful things for you and your family!

Our Fourth

We had such a great time celebrating the Fourth of July! We decided to try fireworks this year since Emma's first experience two years ago didn't go so well. We were a little worried that they would freak out, but we promised snacks and earmuffs, so we were hopeful.

We kicked off the celebration with some time cooling off in the pool.

The girls found lots of ways to occupy their time.

When the sun went down, it was time for fireworks! Both girls liked the few we did, but after three rounds, Sophia had had enough. Emma, on the other hand, was ready to stay out and see more.

We had such a fun day celebrating! I hope you did too!

Happy 4th of July!

Love,

The Stegner Girls

Father's Day 2012

Father's Day is such a great holiday because both of the special men in my life are so deserving but also so self-sacrificing. They always do so much for everyone else and one day isn't enough to show them how much they are appreciated. 

Yesterday the girls and I visited with my dad and today was spent at home with Andy and the girls.  Here's the lowdown on how we celebrated:

 The girls and I made Andy breakfast in bed. They worked pretty hard. ;)

 

Lots of snuggles were had.

We had a little fun in the sun.

We took Andy to his favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner.

 Kisses were also on the menu.

We fed some ducks...

 

...and became very popular.

 We gave Daddy some gifts,

 and ended our night catching fireflies.

Andy,

Thank you for being the best dad and husband three girls could ask for. We are so lucky to have you in our lives and we couldn't love you more. 

Happy Father's Day!