Seriously...WOW...it's TIME to catch up!!

So the last few weeks I have thought, "Man I really need to get on to my blog and post some updates....it's been way to long!! I came on here today and saw that the last time that I got on here to post anything was back in April of this year and this was my post, Exciting Time...!! It's been a while since I posted anything on here." and that was it.... I just laughed when I saw that...thinking to myself.... seriously that was pretty lame. Ahaha well at least I made an attempt...right!?  
We have had quite a few important events happen in our families life that I would be sad  if I didn't record .....so here we go.....

The first big event that has happened was that Glen graduate on May 12th 2012 from Boise State University with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering!!! This accomplishment for Glen and our family is huge!!!!! Glen has work many years....YES YEARS to obtain his degree. Our wedding anniversary is this October and we will be married for 9 years and yep I'm sure you guessed it he has been going to BSU the WHOLE TIME....with exception to maybe taking a semester here and there off...2 or 3....but still you get the picture that is a LONG....VERY LONG road to travel down. Never the less he made it....we made it as a family. There were some years that were a struggle. (I'll get to some of those struggles in a future post, because I believe they need to be recorded.) What's life with out a little struggle, right :) However we are thankful for those struggles because they make us who we are today and what we want to become to better ourselves for tomorrow.

Glen's Graduation Day couldn't of been more perfect....seriously May 12 was a day of pure joy for Glen, myself and the kids. We woke up went to graduation, Glen walked the line (Seriously such a Proud and Emotional moment for him and myself...well maybe the emotional part was more me...but that's ok...my tears were tears of JOY!!) we met up afterwards to take pictures right outside the Taco Bell Arena and then went home to change and go celebrate at Settlers Park for a family BBQ. Reilly and I planned out a graduation party a couple months before Glen and Shem's graduation and the party went really well! Jim, Wendy, Jenny, Dayna, Corinne, Wrangler and Harlynn came down for Cardston Alberta  from Canada.  What helped to make the day special was that Glen had so many family and a few close friends there to support him in his accomplishment.

Another thing that made it a unique and special day was that Glen was graduating with his younger brother Shem who graduated in Electrical Engineering.  The afternoon and evening were filled with celebration, great food and excellent company. We ended the night with Kimberly and Levi swimming at the pool at grandma and grandpa Purnell's hotel and then coming back to our place to chocolate fondue and a movie.

Even though Glen graduating took as long as it did I wouldn't change a thing, it was all worth it! OH.... WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!

Summer Trip to Walt Disney World May 2011

3rd Day....

Tree Lady....I wish I would have been able to catch the look on Levi's face when he saw her. It was an expression of total amazement...jaw dropped....mouth opened...big ol eyes...it was great!

Tree of Life...

Check out the detail on this puppy....it's astonishing...

Mount Everest was one of the kids favorite rides!!

 Playing on the drums

 Mickey and Minney in the Animal Kingdom Parade

Donald and some other characters in the parade 

The Gorillas at the Park were fun to watch the male gorilla in front of the younger male seemed really annoyed with all of the people that were there watching him.  He looked like a grumpy old man...haha! He was a good sport!   

Rhinos and African Cattle....The cattle horns were HUGE!!

The big dirt mounds are actually African Fire Ant Hills. We were pretty Amazed at the size of the hills that the ants can create.

4th Day and Last Day Magic Kingdom

Meeting Sleeping Beauty...Kimmi was Bashful... :)

 Cinderella

 Meeting Belle....The kids really enjoyed meeting the Princesses 

 Caleb and Kimberly....great buds!

This was when we were leaving Walt Disnet World Resort after four magical days. Taking this trip was truely a wonderful blessing in our lives. This photo was taken on my 28th birthday!!! It was great to spend the day with my family. We decided to go back to the Magic Kingdom so that Kimberly could go and met the Princesses. After meeting them we went to the gift shop and Kimberly picked out a Minnie Mouse play set. We then went to lunch out on the padio at the Lady and the Tramp Resturant, which was absolutely delicious!! We ate lunch during the right time because the Magic Kingdom Parade happened while we were eating and we had great seats Kara and I ended up taking the kids a little bit closer to met and see some of their favorite characters. It was hot but we had so much fun! We got to met and see alot of the classic disney characters. There was of course Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderalla and the Prince, the step mother and the step sisters, the mice, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Alice and Wonderland, Ariel, Snow White and the Seven Dwrafs, Princess and the Frog amoung many other charcters. After the parade we went to the shops and got a couple things to bring home and then we were off on the road for a three hour drive back to Bonita Springs back to the Steiks house. When we got there Glen and I left to go to dinner. He wanted to end my birthday by taking me out to a nice dinner.  We ended up going to P.F. Changs. They have a delicious menu. I had the best birthday this year and I couldn't have asked for more.           

This was a cool power line that we saw leaving Disney

Levi and Kimberly Zonked after leaving Walt Disney

Levi loves his books....

Every night before Glen and I go to bed we always check on the kids, re-tuck them in and give them a kiss goodnight.  A few months ago I was doing this routine and this is what I saw ...... Levi loves to read and here are some of the books that he was looking at that night.                                            



Kids Preschool Performnce

The kids had an end of the year preschool program with Challenger.  Glen wasn't able to come to because he a had final that was at the same time that the kids had their performance. Their Aunt Corinne and cousin Wrangler were able to come and watch them, which was great! The kids sang different songs from God Bless America, Vowel Song, Jet song (were they sounded out the letters that spelled JET, it was really cute :) and they did a Caterpillar song where the kids sang that they turned into butterflies and they waved colored fabric.
After the performance we went with Corinne and Wrangler to get Costa Vida, took our food to go and then went and ate with Elaine Corinne's mom at her work out in Meridian. Most of the images of the kids performance are on video, but here are a couple photos.  

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Scentsy Fundraiser

For the month of April my team member Gwen Couch and I have put together an ONLINE Fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer Awareness. I've posted this on facebook, made fliers, cards, have sent out e-mails, and Scentsy invitations and now I'm putting it on my blog.  I really am hoping that people will take the moment to read this and even participate with the fundraiser if they can.

We all know someone who has been affected in some way by Breast Cancer or who is suffering from it right now. Through research, education and awareness we can STAND together in fighting the battle against breast cancer.

On April 16th in Meridian Idaho at the Courtyard Merritt (Off Overland and Eagle Rd.) we will be having a Susan G. Komen Fundraiser Event. (The Fundraiser will also be opened DURING THE WHOLE MONTH OF APRIL AND YOU CAN ORDER ONLINE TO HELP WITH THE PROCEEDS FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS) I hope that you will take the time to participate with this fundraiser that will help so many around the world that are in need of a CURE.

If you are not able to come on the day of the fundraiser or you live out of town or in Canada you can still help by going to www.kathypurnell.scentsy.us or www.gwencouch.scentsy.us under "My Opened Parties" there will be the link that you can click on for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Fundraiser Scentsy Event. We want this event to be as successful as it can be, but that can't happen without YOUR HELP!

Live in the Treasure Valley or surrounding areas and are interested in how you can become more involved? Join our team "The Tater Ta Tas" You can register to be on our team at: http://www.komenboise.org/.

100% of commissions from this Fundraiser will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Cause!! We encourage everyone that is invited to this event to forward this message to at least 25-75 of your family and friends. (You can invite more) We are trying to get as many people involved with this fundraiser as possible so that we can help the women and men who have, are or will fight with this battle. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

April is also Autism Awareness and Scentsy has created a “Piece By Piece” Warmer for Autism Awareness. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Autism Awareness!

Mother’s Day and graduations are coming up and what more can you do than to get the ones you love a Great Gift through Scentsy and Be Helping in Some Great Causes.

I hope that this Spring you are finding joy and happiness.

Happenings for the Year 2011... Challenger School

During the last few month in 2010 Glen and I had discussed putting Kimberly and Levi into preschool.  We decided that was what we were going to do so I started looking around the Eagle area to check on prices.  For some reason Challenger keep coming into my mind and so I decided that I would go and check out both of the campuses that they have here in the Treasure Valley.  I first went down to the Challenger off of Bloom and State Street and talked with Miss Lara there.  It was a very nice school and they had an excellent program.  I also checked out the school off of Chinden and Linder, but this time I was able to take the kids as well as Glen during school hours.  We were met by Miss Karen the Director at the school. There was something about Miss Karen that just stood out, it was like her contenance shone, seriously!  As we walked around she discussed with us what the students do during the day and the academic achievement that the children have that go there.  We were extremely impressed with the classroom structure and the way we saw the teachers interact with the students.  When you walk down the hallways you are able to look into the classroom through a double sided mirrored window with out disturbing the students or the teachers.  When we were there we saw all of the students completely engaged with the instruction of what the teacher was going over with her class. The art that was on the wall that was done by the three year class looked like art that was done by an eight or nine year.  In the preschool classroom they give the students recognition when the students know all of the alphabet including recognizing each letter and the sounds that they make, once the students have done this they get there alphabet crown.  They also give recognition for blending sounds, they celebrate half birthdays with a special get to know you sheet. The children also bring in pictures from home of baby pictures and photos of their families. The child go around the room saying what they like about each child and then the half birthday child gets to go and pick a prize from the chest box.  When they do this they invite the parents to come in to take pictures or record. It's a pretty neat experience for the kiddos and the parents.  Kimberly and Levi have had their half birthday celebrations. (Once I find my camera I'll post pictures)
Things that Kimberly and Levi have learned while they have been at Challenger is:
* They are starting to read
* Can do simple basic math, adding and subtracting, counting to 100
* They are learning some Spanish
* Their art skills are becoming more developed
* Writing Skills are improving
* Writing basic words as well as some complex words
These are just a few of the things that they are learning right now.  We are so glad that we made this discussion to have them to go Challenger School for preschool I really believe that it was something that they needed.  Before we enrolled them into preschool I remember talking to Kimberly and asking her of she was excited to go to Kindergarten in the fall, her response was, "No Mom...not really." I asked her why. She said, "Because I'm afraid that the other kids will be mean to me."  As a Mom hearing your little girl say this it just broke my heart and confirmed to me even more that the preschool experience will help her have a more smooth transition into kindergarten this fall.  Glen and I feel that this has been a positive experience so far that we are both extremely happy with. 
Kimberly and Levi are in the same class and so far it has been going great and they really enjoy going to class together.  Levi even has his first preschool girlfriend, "Savaya".  He is so cute during Valentines Day they were able to make a special Valentine for who ever they wanted to (Who do kids normally make the valentines for...? their parents or grandparents...right?) nope not Levi he made a special valentines day card just for Savaya and he was determined to give it to her and he did :) Just the other day at Suzie Q's Childcare he made Savaya a totem pole art project with glitter glue on it and he let me know that it was for Savaya and no one else.  Boy are we going to have to watch out!!
Kimberly is doing great! Today she came home with her blending badge and is going to start coming home with reading books.  That's a Great milestone!  As parents we couldn't be more happier for our children!

Do you know what you are eating!?!?!

I saw this article on yahoo today and thought that I would share it along with everyone.  Makes you think twice before putting what you think is healthy into your month. Check it out...


http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/10-dirty-fruits-and-veggies-2451593/