The Stikos

8-9 Month Update

2011-10-18T22:36:00.016-05:00

During her 8^th month, Amoriyah started saying “dada”! Of course, Brandon was thrilled. We don’t really think she connected that word yet to him, but it was still fun to hear!

Shortly after that, she started waving bye-bye. As with most things, when she first accomplishes something or figures something out, she does it a lot or all the time and then just stops. She definitely did that with waving. In fact, she just very recently started it again, at 14 months.

She also was officially “army’ crawling toward the end of April. It was so funny to watch her scoot herself across the room. Welcome baby-proofing. :D

My mom and I took her to Target On April 21^st to have her 9-month/Easter pictures taken. They are so cute!

Also, in early April, Brandon was offered a job at Wyndham Worldwide in Springfield, Missouri. After months of praying and seeking advice, we had decided that moving to this city was the best move for our family, as God has been calling us to church plant. So, we made the big move from Texas to Missouri. His first day was on April 11^th, but Amoriyah and I weren’t able to join him in our new rental home (pictures coming someday) for a couple of weeks so that we could finish up things in Texas. We were ready to see him after those 2 weeks!

Her eating and sleeping patterns didn’t really change during these 2 months. Also, because of the move, I wasn’t able to take her into the doctor for her 9 month appointment so I’m not really sure what her weight and height were this month.

Pictures!!

Playing with Ethan during our spring break visit to Missouri

A trip to Bass Pro Shop, first time riding as a big girl in the cart!

First time swinging!

Brandon's birthday is on April 13th, but since we knew he'd already be in Missouri by then, we had a little outing to Medieval Times the week before he left.

My mom and I took her out to get bluebonnet pictures before we left Texas, a must for this native Texan baby :)

First Easter

She started making this face and she still does it to this day all the time :)

7 month update

2011-08-25T23:34:00.013-05:00

I'm FINALLY getting around to updating about Amoriyah! Now that she's a year old, I think it's about time :)

During this month she was able to start sitting up without any help or falling over. And, she can somewhat stand with help, too.

She started eating quite a bit of solid foods and actually seems to like them. She's tried green beans, carrots, peas (not such a big fan of these), applesauce (a favorite), bananas. She also had a bit of rice cereal here and there but she didn't like it so much. She still wasn't sleeping through the night yet but we were able to put her to bed (usually around 7:30) and she put herself to sleep and would stay asleep until around 2-4 and then sleep until around 7:30-8.

Here's several favorite pictures from this month!

She's starting making so many funny faces! Here's one of them:

I left the room for a minute or 2 and when I came back, this is what I found.

On February 12th I had a baby shower for one of my long time friends, Emily Wilken. We've known each other since we were 5! Hayden Paul Wilken made his debut about a month later and he is such a cutie pie! Here's a couple pics from that day :)

Amoriyah enjoying a little tummy time before the shower.

Josh (Hayden's daddy and Em's hubby) with Amoriyah

The Link Home-Erin Condren Giveaway!

2011-08-23T01:16:00.002-05:00

So, I haven't posted in a LONG time! Life is pretty busy these days with a now 1 YEAR OLD!! I'll be posting hopefully very soon about all the updates and life in general over the past few months.

But, until then, I wanted to post about a giveaway that's going on over on Katy Link's blog, thelinkhome.blogspot.com. She's graciously giving away a $25 gift card to the Erin Condren website! This website is pretty amazing and has tons of cute stuff including a life planner, stationary, etc. Head over to her blog to enter to win!

6 Month Update

2011-02-23T13:58:00.011-06:00

Amoriyah has developed like crazy this month! She has found her feet and loves playing with them; it didn't take her long to start putting them in her mouth. She also learned how to roll from her back to her tummy and now is rolling around all over the place. It's definitely difficult these days to keep her in one spot. She started saying "ba-ba" too. Shortly after getting back from our Christmas trip, we broke out her jumperoo to discover that she LOVES it!!! She could easily stay in it for hours on end if we let her. It's an instant mood changer if she starts to get a little fussy or bored. Another favorite is watching Praise Baby and Baby Einstein videos. She's reaching for pretty much everything that's in reaching distance of her so we have to be careful what we leave around. She's able to sit by herself for longer and longer periods of time as well. It won't be long, I'm afraid, until we have a completely mobile baby!!

On January 23rd, we had her dedicated at Cityview Church. My parents and grandmother also came. My brother, Justin, one of the pastors at Cityview, was the one who actually did the dedication so that was also special. We also received The Jesus Storybook Bible which was a wonderful gift. On February 3rd, she had her 6 month doctor's appointment. We again learned that she is healthy and right on track! Her stats were:

18 lbs. 13 oz.
16.5 inches

On February 9th, we took her to Target again to get her 6 month pictures and they turned out great!!

LOTS of pictures below of this past month! I got a new camera right after Christmas so I've been taking many more photos. I had to really narrow down which ones I was going to put on here! Enjoy!

Playing with Grammy and the gloworm she got for Christmas

Her "jungle gym", another Christmas present

Watching Praise Baby!

Here's Amoriyah's bedding. My mom actually made it and it turned out beautifully!

Amoriyah's dedication

We get lots of smiles, energy, joy and laughter from this precious girl each and every day. Even though it makes me sad at times that she's growing up so quickly, it's so exciting to see this little person that God created learning and developing. I pray that at even a young age she begins to learn truth and that God is beginning a great work of calling her to Himself. God is amazing and all glory to Him!

Christmas Adventure and 5 month update

2011-02-22T23:34:00.009-06:00

December was a very busy and exciting month for us. I guess that's what happens when you and your spouse are from different states and you have your first child...lots of traveling involved! At the beginning of the month, Angela and I took the girls to get a few pics taken in their Christmas dresses from their Grammy. Here's what we could get!!

On December 16th, we headed out for our Christmas journey of visiting Brandon's family. We spent that night as well as the next night in Springfield, Missouri with our good friends Greg and Chenille Gaumer. The morning of the 18th we set out for Indianapolis. On the 19th, we had a big Christmas with all of Brandon's extended family on his mom's side. Everyone loved Amoriyah and gave her LOTS of attention! That night, we drove to Cinncinati to spend the night with Brandon's Great Aunt Frances and some of his cousins. They are a lot of fun. The next night we headed back to Indy to spend the rest of the week visiting and spending more time with all of Brandon's parents and grandparents. The morning of the 27th we headed back for home, spending another 2 nights in Springfield on the way. The next night we spent in Kaufman with my parents, Grammy and Pop, and my grandmother, Mamaw, before finally heading home to enjoy our little family "Christmas morning" on the morning of the 31st!! It was a long trip with lots of driving but we enjoyed seeing our families and Amoriyah handled all of it so well!

Amoriyah with her Great-Grandmother (Brandon's grandmother)

Amoriyah with her Grandpa (Brandon's step-dad, Kerry)

Me and My Baby Girl

All 3 of Us

Amoriyah with her Grandma (Brandon's mom)

Amoriyah's first snow!

I can't believe how much she's grown and what progress developmentally she's made. This month she started holding her toys and eating some rice cereal and of course took her first big trip and had her first Christmas!

Amoriyah's 4 Month Update

2011-02-22T22:24:00.009-06:00

We had Amoriyah's 3 month pictures taken at Target on November 1st. I think we got several good ones!
Here's a preview of them below:

On November 30th, Amoriyah had her 4 month checkup. The doctor says she's healthy and doing well!
Her stats were :

15 lbs. 10 oz.
25.5 inches

Along with having her first Thanksgiving which was posted about previously, we started hearing some real, belly-laughs this month!! We actually were able to get it on tape a few times, too. It is one of the best sounds ever. I posted a lot of pictures from this past month.

A picture of Amoriyah with her sweet cousins, Elizabeth and Elaine

Her and her daddy!

Her and Mamaw (my grandmother)

She loves her daddy :)

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-31T21:14:00.009-06:00

Thanksgiving this year was great. We headed over to Justin and Angela's house (my brother and sister-in-law) and hung out with them, our nieces, my parents and Mamaw just hanging out, watching football and of course, eating some delicious food! This year was particularly special for us because it was Amoriyah's first Thanksgiving :D I do believe she enjoyed herself. It'll be interesting to see her next year when she's walking around and possibly even talking a bit! The above picture was all 3 of us that day. This was actually the picture on this year's Christmas card that didn't get sent out because we received them after we got back from our holiday trip. Below are some of the pics from the day!

Family of 3 pic again....Brandon being goofy

Sweet Baby Girl

Amoriyah with her Grammy (my mom)

Amoriyah with her Mamaw (my grandmother)

More Amoriyah Pics/Updates

2010-11-08T18:40:00.008-06:00

Amoriyah is constantly smiling and making lots of noises and talking these days. She's started getting more and more consistent with sleeping and that is great! Yesterday she started bringing a rattle to her mouth to chew on and also held her bottle on her own! Here are the most recent pictures:

We went to the pumpkin patch the week before Halloween and got a few pics. She's still too young for us to do anything really besides walk around but I'm excited for the day we get to actually do things there!

The first 2 months

2010-11-01T21:32:00.020-05:00

I just realized the other day that there are no earlier pictures of Amoriyah on here other than the hospital pictures. So, here they are!

Month 1:

Month 2:

Avon Representative :D

2010-11-01T21:26:00.003-05:00

I'm now an Avon Representative!

Please feel free to visit my online store at:

jstiko.avonrepresentative.com

Or email me at:

jstiko.avon@gmail.com

if you'd like any information on products or would like to order!

Amoriyah is Growing!

2010-10-25T19:16:00.015-05:00

Amoriyah will be 3 months old in 5 days! I can't believe it. Time has gone by so fast - it's fun to see her grow and learn but also sad because she's not a little newborn anymore. I'm pretty sure we love her more everyday which I didn't even think could be possible. We are so blessed that God made us her parents!

She shows us more and more smiles everday and makes lots of noises. She's mastered holding up her head pretty well and she's rolled over twice. The first time was at her 2 month check up and the other one was this past Thursday. She LOVES her hands! They're either in her mouth most of the time or she's holding them together at her chest. Can't wait to see what she accomplishes in the near future :D

2 month stats:

11 lbs. 8 oz.
23 inches long

Below are some of our favorite pictures we've taken in the last month or so. Enjoy!

Amoriyah Updates

2010-09-19T00:44:00.005-05:00

My little girl is already 7 weeks old and growing! She's "talking" a little bit, becoming more and more alert during the day and even gives a smile every now and then :) Part of me wants her to stay little forever and part of me wants her to hurry up and get a little bit older so she'll have better sleep patterns. But, I'm trying to enjoy this time while it lasts...even through the sleep deprivation!

2 Week Stats:
7 lbs. 10 oz.
20.25 inches

1 Month Stats:
9 lbs. 7 oz.
22 inches

Here are a few pics from the hospital. My friend, Tamara, who was my doula was gracious to take some pics right after delivery and I'll post those later.

Amoriyah Renee Stiko: Birth Story

2010-09-13T15:30:00.012-05:00

July 30, 2010
10:41 PM
7 lbs. 10 oz.
19.5 inches
(Hospital picture taken on August 1st)

*Before continuing, know that this is a birth story so there will be some mentioning of dialation and things of the like.*

I woke up on the morning of July 30th around 9 or 10 with some mild constant pressure but I had been having some mild contractions/cramps/pressure in the 2-3 weeks prior to that so I really didn't think much about it. I headed to Keller to hang out with Angela and the girls for a bit before my afternoon 40-week appointment scheduled at 3:20. The pressure gradually increased throughout the next couple of hours but nothing that significant. On the way home from Keller, I noticed a couple of times in the car that the pressure became more intense for about 30 seconds then subsided. It really didn't feel different than the other contractions that I had been having the weeks before that. Over the next couple of hours, though, I had several more of those with a little bit of increasing pressure/pain. I figured they'd be able to tell me at my appointment what my progress was.
At my appointment, I told the midwife what I had been feeling that day and she checked me. I was 2 1/2 - 3 cms dialated (which I had been at 37 weeks) and 90% effaced. She then hooked me up to do a routine non-stress test where they watch the baby's heart rate and my contractions. During the next 20 minutes they told me I had 1 mild contraction and they weren't able to see what they were trying to see so I'd have to drink some juice and do another 20 minute test. Again, I had 1 or 2 mild contractions but they still weren't able to see what they were looking for so they sent me to triage at the hospital where again I had another test. During this test things started changing. While I was lying on the table, about 4 times I felt that constant pressure get more intense like I had been feeling but it was lasting a little longer and was a little more uncomfortable, actually getting to the point where I felt a little bit of pain. However, when the midwife came in to check the test, (everything looked good with her heartrate) I told her what I was feeling and she said it looked like I had a few insignificant contractions that weren't anything to write home about. When we left the hospital it was a little after 6.
In the car ride home I had several more of these contractions. We got home around 7 and I went to our bedroom so I could get on the bed on all fours and stick my butt straight up into the air to hopefully give me some relief from the intense pressure. I'm sure I looked ridiculous but it helped some so I didn't care! I heard Brandon coming down the hallway and I told him not to make fun of me. Now, at this point, I still had no idea I was in real labor. I just thought I was feeling like that because I was 40 weeks pregnant and just getting really uncomfortable. I also just figured if I was the nurses and midwives would've been able to tell me that at my appointment. Over the next hour and a half it kept getting worse. Whenever I would feel the pressure get more intense I would also touch my stomach to see how hard it was. My stomach didn't actually feel that hard and because of my appointment, I kept thinking, "if this isn't real labor and these aren't contractions I'm feeling, there's no way I can do natural labor!" I know I told Brandon at least 2 or 3 times my whole birth plan may have to be thrown out the window; I may need drugs! Around that time Brandon started timing. I told him when the pressure increased and when it lessened. He did that a few times and told me it was happening every 2-3 minutes and lasting for over a minute. WOW! He at that point said, "How the heck are these not contractions?!" So, I called my midwife and told her exactly what was going on. I told her I was feeling a lot of pressure and every 2-3 minutes it was getting really intense and lasting for a minute. However, my stomach wasn't getting hard. She then told me I was probably in early labor and just to try different positions and try getting in the tub and relaxing ( I had already tried this and nothing was really that helpful). I think it was somewhere between 8:30 and 9 at this point. About 10-15 minutes later I decided to go ahead and call my doula, Tamara, and get her opinion. I told her what I was feeling and while on the phone with her I had 2 more of the "pains" and I couldn't talk through them and was really breathing hard. Her response was "I know I'm not a doctor but it sounds like you're having real contractions. You need to go to the hospital and I'll meet you there!" So, about 10 minutes later we were in the car headed to Baylor All-Saints in downtown Fort Worth.
In the car I was miserable. I was hardly getting any sort of relief or break from the pain and I couldn't move around like I could at home to figure out what relieved it somewhat. All I could do was moan/scream/grunt through the pain. After what seemed like forever, we got to the hospital at 9:55 and Tamara was there waiting for us at the front desk. I actually looked at her and said, "There's no way I can do this naturally." At the time the reason I kept saying that is because I thought I was in early labor. She then said, "Ok, we're going to try to do this without drugs. Let's just get in there and see what your progess is." About that time I started having another contraction and all I could do was pretty much collapse into Brandon. They got me a wheelchair and wheeled me back to triage. As soon as I got back there, I had another one. Then they wheeled me into a room to put a gown on and get checked and I had another one! At that point I just fell down to the floor on all fours because I really didn't know what else to do to help with the pain. Then the nurse told me to get on the bed so as to not have the baby on the floor and so she could check my progress. It was then that I was told I was having a baby and that I was fully dialated! I was shocked and just looked at Brandon in complete disbelief.
Then, about 3-4 nurses started bustling about around me to get me wheeled into labor and delivery. In that moment, I started getting an intense urge to push and all I kept saying was "I need to push, I need to push!" The nurse looked at me and told me that I couldn't and to just breathe through it because the midwife wasn't there yet. They got me wheeled into the room and just a few minutes later the midwife arrived. I immediately looked at her and told her I needed to push and she told me to go ahead. So, over about the next 40 minutes I did just that...until Amoriyah arrived at 10:41!! As soon as she was born immediate relief just swept over me. The pain was gone and my emotions took over; she was beautful and healthy! We immediately started texting friends and family to let them know she was here :)
Everything happened completely different from how I thought it would go but looking back on it it couldn't have been better. I'm so glad that I decided to go without drugs and was able to (possibly because I got there so late, not necessarily because of me!).

Happy Anniversary!

2010-08-09T19:05:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, we celebrated our 1-year anniversary :D I can't believe it's been a year; it's gone by so fast! This has been one heck of a year but in such a great way. Also, Amoriyah was born on July 30th! But...that will be in a separate post. Brandon's mom is in town for the week so we were able to leave for a bit to go to dinner by ourselves. I love you baby and am looking forward to many more years to come!

Here are a few pics of us when we were dating:

Maternity Pictures

2010-07-18T20:38:00.018-05:00

On June 26, 2010 we had maternity pictures taken by Katy Link Photography. I first met Katy back in the summer of 2005 at Pine Cove Christian Camps where we were both counselors. That upcoming school year we were also both in Phi Lamb at A&M. Thanks Katy for taking such great pictures!

Amoriyah Update

2010-07-08T22:57:00.004-05:00

As of tomorrow, my due date will be exactly 3 weeks away; I can't believe she's almost here! I really don't think I've been more anxious in my entire life for anything (except for our wedding)

I actually go in tomorrow for an appointment with a midwife; I decided about 3 weeks ago to switch over from a doctor. I know; some people probably think it's crazy to switch this late, but I decided it was a better decision for me and I feel so good about it. I'm excited to see my progress tomorrow and how Amoriyah's doing :)

Here are a few pictures of her growing:

29 Weeks

31 Weeks

33 Weeks

35 Weeks

Baby Showers!

2010-07-08T09:58:00.015-05:00

Well, there's been a lot going on over the last couple of months since I posted last. Even though it's been exhausting, it has been equally as great!

As of May 8th, we moved out of student housing into an apartment in Euless; I discovered once again why I hate moving so much!! However, my parents were gracious enough to hire us movers for the day which is really the way to go! I guess my mom figured with a 7-month preggo lady in combination with a 2nd floor apartment, someone else doing the work was better :D Since we are officially moved out of our student apartment, we are officially not students anymore!! Well, at least for now....

On May 22nd my good friends Brandi Poe and Emily Wilken hosted my first baby shower. It was great to get to see them and some people from my home town I hadn't seen in awhile. I was completely overwhelmed with everything we received for Amoriyah and truly felt blessed :) Here are a few pics from that day:

The very next weekend, we made a road trip (yes, road trip) all the way up to Indianapolis for another baby shower hosted by Brandon's mom, Renee, and his grandmothers. Once again, I was completely blown away by everyone's generosity and the blessings poured out on us. Pictures are below:

On June 13th, my sweet sister-in-law Angela hosted another shower for all our church/local friends to attend. It was a great way to spend Sunday afternoon! A few of those moments captured in the pics here:

Thanks so much to all these ladies for their hard work and effort into putting together all of this! We truly appreciate you and it means so much to us :D

Brandon's Birthday and Baby Update

2010-04-26T00:00:00.004-05:00

April 13th was Brandon's 26th birthday! This was the first time I got to celebrate with him as his wife and it was awesome :) I love you baby and look forward to many more in the years to come!

We had a full week of different birthday festivities. On the Friday before his birthday, we to downtown Fort Worth to Texas de Brazil. Let me tell you, if you haven't been here yet, you really need to. The food is AMAZING! It's a bit pricey, but if you go on their website you can enter in your birthday or anniversary and get a buy one get one coupon and it is beyond worth it. They have a very unique salad bar and serve any type of meat, cooked just about any way and it's all you can eat! After dinner, we headed to watch Hot Tub Time Machine. I'm pretty sure it's just about what we expected; a stupid comedy, but it had us laughing in several parts so it was pretty worth it.

On the 13th, I pretty much planned the evening without Brandon really knowing what we were going to do. We had another great dinner at Carraba's Italian Grill and then headed to play putt-putt and some video games, an activity we had yet to do since we've been together. I figured it was past time to do this.

Then, on Thursday, we went to BJ's Brewhouse to eat dinner with my parents, my brother and sister-in-law and several of our closer friends. All in all, I'd say Brandon had a great birthday :D

Here's a pic of us at Texas de Brazil:

Amoriyah's doing great! She's been moving like CRAZY; I feel her pretty much constantly and you can actually SEE her moving in my stomach; it's crazy! I go back to the Dr. May 7th to have my gestational diabetes test which should be fun, haha. Here's a couple of new pics at around 24 weeks.

It's A...

2010-03-23T17:06:00.004-05:00

GIRL!! Yep, that's right :) We found out on March 11th that our world is about to be overwhelmed with a lot of pink and we couldn't be more excited!

After going back and forth for a few days (because of me), we decided on the name Amoriyah Renee. Her first name means "Yahweh has spoken" and her middle name is Brandon's mom's first name.

We originally found the name Moriah in a Hebrew name book and really liked it. But, then we found it spelled Moriyah, which we liked better, but it changed the meaning of it and we didn't really care for the new meaning. Then, we found Amariah in another book and, after talking with our friend Nathan, discovered we could change the spelling to Amoriyah without sacrificing the meaning. So...that's how we came up with our baby girl's name!

Here's a few new pictures: new ones of Amoriyah and a new belly picture, even though I'm not sure you can tell much of a difference from the last belly picture:( But, the Dr. said she's growing and developing right on track!

21 weeks

Charlotte Jane

2010-03-05T08:33:00.000-06:00

Over the past few months, I've really been challenged a lot in my faith and belief system. Don't get me wrong; I've never doubted God or my salvation, just been awakened to some new truths that I've never thought hard about before. There have been several times where I've struggled and gone back and forth asking many questions of my husband and friends. I've never quite had a desire to learn and grow in the way that I do now. It's, of course, still difficult at times to get in the word, but that new spark has pushed me closer to Him.

Then, about a month ago, my brother and sister-in-law received some news that their daughter, Charlotte Jane, who was to be born in late February, would more than likely be born with some type of genetic disorder. There were many unanswered questions as to what was really going on; the only solution was to wait until she arrived.

On February 10, Charlotte was born. Due to some complications with her lungs, she was rushed to the NICU to be put on a ventilator. Later that night, she was transported to Cook Children's Hospital where they could give her more specilized care. The next several days were pretty difficult as Charlotte struggled to breathe on her own. Then, on February 17, Charlotte's fight and pain were over when she went home to be with our Savior.

God struck me hard with this. This is the closest I've ever been to death; I've had grandparents that have passed away, but it just seems unnatural and "unfair" for such a young life to have to go through that. My prayer life radically changed from the moment we found out that Charlotte might be born with complications. I had many questions and didn't really understand. I praised God in all of it, but was also very fearful, anxious and doubtful.

However, my faith has never grown so much in my life or in quite the same way as it has because of this and for that I'm grateful. I've been able to see some miraculous faith and trust in God in Justin and Angela as well which has been awesome to get to see. God has been glorified so much and changed others through this little precious life. I believe it was during Charlotte's graveside when Rick was talking about suffering on this earth. Suffering brings us closer to the cross and helps us experience Christ. Not only because we draw nearer to Him in our pain, but because it is part of the fullness of the Christian life. Christ endured the pinnacle of suffering on the cross and when we experience some degree of suffering, we're experiencing some degree of Him. When we meditate on that, it should make us fall to our knees in reverance because of the fullness of God's grace. So, we should rejoice in our suffering.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 is a significant truth that Ang told me she has really learned through this. "There's a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." After I've meditated on the truth about suffering, this becomes extremely profound. Even though there's much pain and weeping associated with Charlotte's death, there's much joy because her pain is over and she is in the presence of our God. So, it's ok to laugh and cry at the same time; it's part of this incredible journey we're on.

Go to justinandangela.blogspot.com to read more of their incredible story.

Coupon Savings

2010-02-26T08:35:00.001-06:00

I'm pretty excited about this week's trips to Walgreens and CVS; I think this is probably the most I've saved thus far!

CVS:

Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Control Kit
Cover Girl and Olay Simply Ageless Concealer
Cover Girl Trublends Microminerals Blush

Walgreens:

Gilette Venus Embrace Razor
Olay Total Effects Body Wash
2 Arm & Hammer 50 oz. Laundry Detergents
2 Arm & Hammer 6 oz. Toothpastes

This total before taking into account sales and adding coupons, extra bucks and register rewards would have been around $88 + tax. My total was $25. 35!!!

So, how did I do it??

Well, first of all, I had $5 in extra care bucks from CVS from my last trip so I headed there first. I bought the Clean and Clear Kit first in one transaction using those $5 ECBs. I also had a $5 off clean and clear coupon and a CVS coupon for $4 off $20. So, my total for that transaction was $6.48. The kit was marked at 19.99! ALSO, if you bought $15 worth of clean and clear products, you got $5 back in ECBs!

On my next transaction at CVS, I bought the covergirl concealer and blush. They were both priced at 12.99. I had a coupon for $2.50 off 2 covergirl products and a coupon for buy one covergirl face product, get one free. I also used the $5 ECBS I just received from the clean and clear kit. So, that total was $5.94.

At Walgreens, I bought the Gilette razor first because I received $4 back in register rewards for buying it. It was marked at $8.99. I also had a $2 off coupon and another coupon for a free Olay body wash with the purchase of a Gilette razor! I got a $9.99 body wash for absolutely free! So, that transaction was $7.57.

Then, I purchased the 2 A&H detergents and toothpastes. The deteregent was marked at $6.99 and the toothpaste was marked at $4.29. However, they were both on sale for buy one, get one free. I also had a $1 off coupon for both the detergent and the toothpaste. I used the $4 register rewards I just received to make my total $5.36!

We're Having a Baby!!

2010-02-23T15:44:00.000-06:00

My husband was quick to tell me the other day that I have yet to post about our most recent, exciting news; yep, we're having a baby! Come early August, there will be a little Stiko "running" around. I found out on November 27th that I was indeed prego and told Brandon the next day because he had been out of town. We're super excited and can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl! We go back on March 11th for another sonogram and to find out the sex :D

The Baby at 10 weeks

The Belly at 17 Weeks

Updates will follow :)

Honeymoon!

2010-02-06T00:45:00.000-06:00

We spent the next 6 days in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic at the Excellence Resort and Spa. Words can’t even begin to describe this place! It was absolutely gorgeous and we had the best time just relaxing in the room, on the beach or by the pool and eating some great food at one of the eight restaurants. We also went horseback riding and went on a snorkeling excursion. Hopefully, one day we’ll get to go back! The day after we got back from the Dominican, we had another reception in Indianapolis for all the family and friends who couldn’t make it down to Texas for the wedding. It was great getting to see everyone and we were extremely blessed with some great gifts and money:D

Here are some pics from our trip:

Relaxing on the Beach

One Side of the Room

Other Side of the Room

On the Way to the Resort from the Airport

On the Plane to go Back Home(in 1st class!)

Out to Dinner one night

One of the Pools

Snorkeling Trip

Another Dinner

Thanks Kerry and Renee for this awesome gift!

Bridal/Wedding Pics

2010-02-01T15:22:00.000-06:00

Since we got married almost 6 months ago, I think it’s about time to post my bridal portraits, wedding pictures and honeymoon pictures. I’ve already posted about the wedding day previously, so I’ll just post a few favorite pics.

I took my bridals 2 weeks before the wedding on July 25….which in Texas means hot, hot, hot!! I’m so pleased with the way they turned out, but I was definitely miserable while taking them. They were taken at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. There were a few times I literally thought I was going to pass out! But, I made it through, haha, and below is the result.

I think that'll do for now; honeymoon story/pics soon to follow!

Thanks to our parents for helping us have a great wedding!

More Coupon Savings :)

2010-01-12T22:51:00.000-06:00

Because of my recent trips to Walgreens and CVS, I have begun to get more and more excited about couponing. The reason below.

Latest trip to CVS:

2 6 oz. Colgate toothpastes
2 1 oz. Palmolive dish soaps

Total before coupons: $6.92 + tax
Total after coupons: $4.92 (including tax)
Also received $2 in extra care bucks for the toothpaste :D

Latest trip to Walgreens:

2 96 count packages of Carefree pantiliners
1 Johnson & Johnson 15 oz. baby lotion
1 Johnson & Johnson 15 oz. baby wash
Loreal face cleanser
2 Rimmel lipglosses

Total before coupons: $24.13 + tax
Total after coupons: $12.05 (including tax)
Also received $3 in Register Rewards :D

Woohoo!

Ok, it does work....

2009-12-23T18:46:00.000-06:00

using coupons that is

I've always been skeptical of the idea that people save a lot of money using coupons. I mean, you only get .25 off something that's $5.00 or get .50 off a product when you buy at least 3...come on, that's hardly worth the time and effort it takes to cut out the darn things, right?

However, the last couple of weeks, my mind has been completely changed. I've realized there's a whole world of people out there who use coupons, look for deals and savings and actually save a ton of money. There's tips and tricks that one must follow in order to actually become successful at it. I'm very, very new to all of it, but I'm already excited about what I've already saved.

For example, my recent purchases at CVS have been phenomenal.

I bought:

2 packs of Schick 4 ct. razor cartridges
2 36 count Lysol disinfectant wipes
1 bottle Complete Multi-Purpose Contact Solution
1 Christmas card
3 bottles Suave body wash
1 bottle 25.4 oz Garnier Fructis Shampoo
1 bottle 25.4 oz Garnier Fructis Conditioner

Before coupons, that total would be around 53.94 and that's not even including tax. However, MY total was only 26.54 and that is including tax!! After totaling up my savings, I couldn't believe it. All I did was use a few coupons that I had on a few of those products and used the extra care bucks that I received from those products. It's amazing!

So, I'm sold. This "game" is totally worth it and I will continue to use more coupons and spend the time to look for deals at the different stores.

Faith

2009-11-19T09:42:00.000-06:00

As believers, we say that we completely trust and have faith in the Lord. We preach this from our pulpits and constantly remind those around us to just have faith. But, do we really live this out in our own lives on a daily basis? What about when life is hard or when "bad" things happen? For many or most of us, myself included, when those rough times come, for some reason all of this goes out the window. We suddenly find ourselves worried, fearful and anxious. We go into control-freak mode and want to take care of everything ourselves and quickly, too, before our lives are swung too far out of control.

But, why do we do this? When we read and study Scripture, God tells us there is no need to live like this! No matter what our worries are, we can rest assured that he's taking care of it all. All we have to do is let go and let Him take care of it instead of trying to ourselves. Below are some verses that help remind me of these truths:

Psalm 37:3-4 "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Matthew 6:30-31 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' "

Mark 11:22-23 "And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him."

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Phillippians 4:5-7 "Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

So, let's remember what God tells us to do when those hard times come. Let's show the world God's glory through every circumstance.

Our Story

2009-10-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

Brandon and I met for the very first time on February 19, 2009 at a lifegroup through Cityview Church. Little did I know that night that just a few months later, he would be my husband. Wow, that just blows my mind; God in His wonderful, sovereign grace amazes me everyday. After all that I’ve been through the last few years, I would never have dreamed it possible that he would bring me a guy as incredible as Brandon; But He did.

On February 22, we had our first “real” conversation during a group lunch after church. A couple of months later I found out that that lunch had been carefully orchestrated by our good friend Chenille Gaumer. Praise God for her as well as my sister-in-law, Angela! You see, Ang had told me about Brandon back in December, but it was just a brief mentioning to me and that was basically the end of it. Apparently the same had happened on Brandon’s end a few times as well, but he just wasn’t interested in being “set-up”.* When I started visiting Cityview in February, apparently Brandon noticed me, but didn’t know that I was the exact girl his friends had been trying to set him up with. After that conversation on the 22nd, I guess he decided to go for it, after the encouragement of everyone around him. Looking back on it, I had no idea this whole time what was going on. I didn’t know my name had ever been mentioned to him and had no idea what the whispers at lunch that day were all about; they were about me! Again, God blows me away. Later that week, Brandon posted a short message on my facebook wall which started a conversation that ended with him asking me out to coffee for that Saturday. That coffee date lasted 7 hours!! March 5th he took me out downtown for dinner and to walk around. Again, we had great conversation. I became more and more aware of just how incredible he was. I learned about his amazing testimony, his passions and where he felt like God was taking him. He shared with me what his intentions were with us, that he wanted to be careful and protect and guard my heart, he didn’t want to lead me on, he was praying about what God wanted for us...wow. March 9th he took me out to dinner and to Trinity Park (which is where he would ask me to be his wife 2 months later). That night, we officially became a couple. He knew that night that I was the one. *Side Note: My brother is the executive pastor at Cityview where Greg and Chenille Gaumer attend, as well as Brandon. Justin and Angela are good friends with Greg and Chenille and they’re good friends with Brandon, hence the attempt at “setting up” the two of us.

Within those next 2 weeks, I knew he was the one I wanted to marry. He was exactly who I prayed for and everything I wanted in a husband. There were no doubts or fears...it was amazing! In the next few weeks we started discussing marriage plans. Then, on May 9th, after a day of hanging out with friends and even our first “wedding” thing of tasting cakes, he took me to Trinity Park. We walked around a bit. We came to a really cool spot that overlooked downtown where he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. He then gave me a letter which he actually had written the night of March 9th, the night he realized I was the one.

Honestly, the next 3 months were a whirl-wind of wedding plans, pre-marital counseling, family events, (which included a trip in May to meet all of Brandon’s family and at the beginning of August for his annual family reunion) and learning and loving more and more about one another. Then, on August 8th, a day at one time in my life I wasn’t sure would ever come, I married the most amazing man I have ever met. I could look at him and think to myself, “I can’t believe I’m the one who gets to marry him; I can’t believe he chose me out of everyone else.” That was my dream to be able to honestly say that about whomever I married…..and my dream came true. The wedding and reception were everything I wanted them to be and everything went smoothly. We spent the next week in the beautiful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We spent a lot of time just relaxing and enjoying one another’s company; I’ll never forget it. Then, on August 15th, we had another wedding reception in Indiana for all the family and friends who couldn’t make it to the wedding. Back home, we started the process of moving all of Brandon’s stuff into our new house, trying to get everything organized, started school and just adjusting to married life overall.

Now, almost 3 months later, I can’t believe how time has flown by! Some days, I stop and think, “Wow…I’m married. This is crazy.”…but all in a good way :)Growing up, little girls' thoughts are consumed sometimes of, “when I grow up"...and now I’m there! We’re excited about life and to see where God takes us in the future with finishing school, children, church planting, ministry opportunities, etc. Who knows where we’ll be but I know without a doubt God is good and faithful.

**Wedding Pics will be posted as soon as we receive them :)

Photo Editing

2009-10-06T15:42:00.000-05:00

I have recently discovered 2 neat photo editing websites. I understand this isn't exactly a new concept but considering that I'm usually the last to learn about things, I'm pretty excited about this new discovery.

Picnik.com is definitely my favorite. I'm pretty sure you can do most anything to your photos. Basic membership is free and the premium membership is $24.95 a year which allows you to have access to more of the effects and features of the site.

This website allows you to take a photo from this:

to this:

or from this:

to this:

I have no idea why anyone would want to do this to their picture, but still, you have that option.

The other website, phixr.com, is another good find. I don't like it quite as much as picnik, but I do like the red-eye feature better on this one and the before and after feature which allows you to see exactly what the difference will be side-by-side. This allowed me to subtlely enhance my photo by removing the red-eye and brightening it up a bit (pictured below)

Yay for being bored at work which allowed me to find these great sites!!

Hello Blogging World

2009-09-29T14:05:00.000-05:00

For the last couple of years, I have followed the Bassett family blog to see cute pictures of my nieces and know what's going on in my brother's family. Over the last few months, I have started to read more and more blogs; some who belong to people I have never even met! I have become greatly intrigued by this online community therefore, I decided to join in myself. Blogs have served a lot of purposes for me. Some are very practical and reveal delicious recipes or tips on how to save money using coupons for groceries. Some are very deep and offer answers to theological questions. Some have shared stories that have made me laugh and some that have made me cry. By saying all of this, I don't know that I have much to offer on here, but I would sure like to give it a try. Even if that means it's just a place for me to post pictures that maybe only my parents and grandmother would be interested in viewing :D Sooo...hello blogging world!!