The Sun is Shining in Colorado

2010-08-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

It has been several months since the last blog posting, so many of you will be shocked to know we are alive and well….and just got finished living at my parent’s house for the last 3 months, while building a house, which we just moved into over the weekend. The house is up the street from the kid’s school and down the street from my parent’s home. It is a perfect location, and a beautiful home and floor plan. We loved our last home of 5 ½ years, but were ready for an upgrade and a change. We LOVE our neighborhood and being close to family, so we stayed very close by.
With the end of the school year, we had many fun activities and events. Peyton started T-Ball, coached by Uncle Cory and Grandpa Craig. The team consisted of all his cousins and buddies from church, so it was a lot of fun for all. It was a long season of forcing him to put on the uniform, but he loved being a part of the action – play first base or pitcher were the best spots for him! Peyton started his first day of Kindergarten yesterday. He loves his class and his teacher, Mrs. Frankenfeld. Mya just started 2nd grade with Mrs. Kappan. She is a little book worm, and loves the socializing that school gives her. She frequently wishes we were all born smart, so she would not have to go to school.
We spent the summer out at the lake, the pool, the movies, and even on an adventure or two. We went to the Royal Gorge, which was a beautiful trip and lots of fun with our friends, the Gibsons. We went to Tennessee for the Fourth of July (for a big happy 80th birthday to Steffan’s Grandpa Bud). We also had our first camping trip with with many wonderful friends up to Granby. And to top of the summer, the kids were the flower girl and ring barer for Kristen’s wedding. It has be an adventurous and amazing summer. We are so thankful for the family and friends that share in our experiences and always lend a helping hand! We couldn’t have made it through the move and the summer without them!

Spoke too soon...

2010-03-24T10:14:00.001-07:00

I spoke too soon, we had about 10 inches of snow last night. It was an incredible storm that started as a huge thundershower, then about an hour later the rain turned into these AMAZINGLY huge snowflakes. I was thankful to be at home with the kids enjoying the beauty of it, intead of driving in it like Steffan. I know that spring is a tease here in Colorado, but it is absolutely beautiful. I wouldn't trade it for anywhere in the world! And FYI, the sun is back to shining today! :)

Spring has arrived!

2010-03-22T12:36:00.001-07:00

It is Spring Break this week, and the kids are in heaven! No school and lots of SUN so far! Yes, I am working, and Peyton is supposed to be "resting" because he has a cough that we do not want to spread to Emily's twins (yes Emily is already back to work watching Peyton and teaching piano!). But I don't think he has laid down our even watch a minute a TV. He has just been playing away in the backyard. Can you blame him?! I wish I was out there playing too! I am working from home today and trying to get all my meetings and calls in, even though Peyton is never silent, always humming, singing or talking. Even work seems more bearable with this weather! :) Of course it is spring, so it won't last....rain and snow are forecasted for Tues/Wed.

A new hobby...

2010-03-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

This last year I have been enjoying a new hobby, thanks to a Quilting group with my church (and Chelsie! Thanks!). I have been a long time scrapbooker, and never thought I could sew, but thanks to this incredible group of women/friends, I have learned to sew and create! We worked on this a large project all year, creating one block each month. I still have the border to go, but wanted to share my two creations thus far. And then during a girls scrapbooking trip to the mountains I found a cute valentine's quilt kit, which was so fun to create as well! I promised my friends I would share pictures when I finished, so here are the nearly complete quilts. I just ordered a new pattern and fabric for some table runners, so I will keep everyone posted!

Christmas Fun!

2010-01-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

We had an amazing Christmas this year, filled with fun memories and adventures. So, I want to share just a few:
Gingerbread Houses~
Piano Recitals~

Dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and Downtown Denver Lights~

Carolling for friends and family and at the Senior Centers~

Grandma Shirley's House for Christmas Eve (Reinactment of the Nativity, Talent Show, Santa, and yes...loads of Presents!)~

Christmas Morning started at our house and then we went to my parent's house for more fun and breakfast (and surprise news that Jen and Dustin are expecting their first baby in July)~

We also had some post Christmas fun, up at the Breckenridge house. Amy took Mya skiing for the first time! Cory and Tiffany also took Jaxon and Max. They did so well! It was awesome!

It was so great to receive letters and pictures from all our friends. We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Merry Christmas! I guess they could say, we would set this world ablaze!

2009-12-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

I have not blogged in awhile because I wanted save everything for the Christmas blog. Consider this your Christmas card in my book. Amy will be sending out Christmas cards but personally, I don't think you're worth the price of a stamp...Our 2009 was full of pomp and circumstance and plenty of bragging for our brag letter. Here is our year in review...full of condescending and arrogant snobbery like you've never seen before:

- Peyton- Peyton went to pre-school, didn't get spanked as much, learned a little about a concept called, "reason" and rode some disney roller coasters completetly expressionless. He is learning how to play the piano and Amy says he is the next Beethoven. He also played soccer for the first time and Amy says he is the next Pele. He is so talented and smart and funny. Total chick magnet...Little Stevo in training. If you tell me different I will crack your kneecaps.

- Mya- Mya completed Kindergarten and took 1st grade by storm. She is making friends and chasing boys. She had a massive sleepover for her birfday followed by a giant lake party. She is sooo popular and she's basically a genius. She is also playing piano. Amy says she is the next Alicia Keys. She is currently in cheerleading and gymnasties...Amy says she is the next Greek goddess of the Olympiad. Take me to the Oracle at Delphi O Greek Goddess!

-Amy- HHMMMM....not much to brag about here....

- El Stevo Diablo- HHMMMM....not much going on here either...

- Amy and Stevo together- We went to the Grand Cayman and set that island ablaze! We swam with the dolphins, made out with stingrays, saved the whales, smote our enemies, found buried treasure and lived it up at the Ritz...We also attended DisneyWorld with the rugrats, with Amy and Tiff as our guides we divided and conqured every square inch of that magic kingdom of plastic!

In summary, we didn't lose our jobs this year, we didn't get excommunicated and we didn't do any serious time behind bars.

Merry Christmas and may you all enjoy your 2010 as much as we enjoyed our 2009!

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Fun....Oh My!

2009-12-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

It is officially cold and that means I am officially behind on my blogging. We had an awesome Halloween, Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas season. We have been having a great time making memories and enjoying life! Steffan and I are truly enjoying the age of our children. They make us laugh everyday and temper tantrums are happening less and less. Here is a quick update with pictures on what we have been up to.
Mya and Peyton had to dress as Batman and Batgirl, so I made Steffan get in on the action as the Joker (of course he scared all of the children, so eventually he had to take the mask off!), I dressed as Catwoman. It was an incredible 31st Birthday!

We spent Thanksgiving in New Mexico with Steffan's family and had such a blast. Mya and Peyton had so much fun with Gavin and Hailey and Grandma LaLa - of course Missy the dog and Grandma's hot tub were a plus as well. They also enjoyed one of Steffan's favorite past times, playing in the dirt. They did this for hours(Steffan's brother just moved into a new house and they haven't finished the backyard yet). They also enjoyed bowling, the trampoline, jumping castles, and visiting Santa at the mall. :)

Mya had her first Cheer leading show, and her and her team did a great job! She is the smallest of the bunch so has to be on top of all the lifts and pyramids. Although afraid of heights she does great and looks adorable!

We are so excited for Christmas and have been getting into the spirit by decorating the house inside and out! We also made a visit to the local Retirement center/Nursing home to share some Christmas carols and holiday cheer. The kids were so adorable! You will have to keep your eyes open for Tiffany's or Emily's blog as I didn't get any pictures. I just love the holidays - so many wonderful memories and time with the family!

IT IS SO.....

2009-10-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

COLD!! Here is what we are up to today....

After 2 days of constant snow, wind and cold, Steffan and the kids decided to play in the 10-12 inches of snow we have in our yard. After all, what are snow days for? No school today, and time to Trick R Treat tomorrow and Saturday. What a fun week!

Just three weeks ago we were saying, "IT IS SO...."

HOT!!! We spent a full week in Florida, enjoying Disneyworld Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and The Beach. We went with my Mom and Dad, and Cory and Tiffany and their kids. Everything was absolutely perfect! (If we could have only lowered the heat by about 10-15 degrees!) The kids were so good, especially considering the heat and Tiffany and I were the master planners, so we did not miss anything! There were a few long days in there, but it was worth every minute.

Mya's favorite rides were Splash Mountain, It's a Small World, The Tea Cups, and the Haunted Mansion. She loved meeting all the characters and getting autographs.

Peyton's favorite rides were It's a Small World and the Dumbo Ride. His favorite character was Ariel for obvious reasons (see the picture!). He also loved meeting Mickey and having the same mouse ears as Mickey.

Steffan's favorite rides were Aerosmith Rockin' RollerCoaster, Tower of Terror, Everest and Splash Mountain. Mostly he liked taking the unsuspecting kids on the roller coasters to see their reactions. Peyton could care less, nothing really bothered him except walking. And Mya was usually hiding her face or burried in Steffans shoulder in fear. But she also enjoyed the rides for the most part, except for Everest, which proved to be a bit much for Jaxon and Mya. Steffan's favorite character was Sleeping Beauty.

My favorite part of the trip was seeing the delight and enjoyment of the kids, and thinking back to the days of Disney when I was a kids. I love It's a Small World, and also all the Roller Coasters. Of course the shopping was great too! The character's were great, especially the ones who could actually talk and interact with the kids. It made it so magical! It was the greatest adventure and vacation we could have asked for!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Parent/Teacher Conference?

2009-09-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying you should see the ear hair I'm growing! Man, I'm getting old and goin' down hill fast! Poor Amy! What's next? Prostate issues?

We are going to Disney World in a couple of weeks and I've already been telling the kids that if they don't go thru the haunted house, we are putting them up for adoption! Just try me...they know I don't bluff!

As mentioned in my previous blog...Mya has a BIG personality! I just needed to re-iterate that before writing this post. We met with Mya's 1st grade teacher for Parent/Teacher Conference this past week...who I will refer to as X. We enter the classroom at the appointed time...mid morning, yes I'm missing work for this. As per the stereotype, we have to sit in kid desk chairs...Apparently, Mya's personality is a trite too large for her teacher, though she appreciates it, I think she has a hard time managing it. X seems to enjoy Mya's conversational abilities, for example, Mya telling her about hot tubbing in the mountains. However, she doesn't appreciate Mya calling her out on giving out too much work! Or, sighing when it's time to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The trick to Mya is you have to gain credibility with her...she won't just automatically listen to you because you are an a-dult! Inherently respecting authority is not an inherent trait in our little family. So if we respect you...consider it a major compliment!

So, we've been "counseling" Mya to be a better listener to X. I use the word "counseling" losely...it's more like threats of violence! I think it's sinking in too! She's making a concerted effort to behave appropriately in 1st grade. For example, X uses a "behavior ladder" to gauge good behavior. Today, Amy asked her where she ended up on the ladder. Mya responded to Amy that she ended the day at "Super Choices"...meaning she was good. She then tells Amy that X hadn't noticed how great she was all day, so she made a point of reminding X of how good she was today...bartering for some good placement on the "behavior ladder"...some politicking if you will.

Mya then convinced us tonight that we needed to go to Chick Fil-A because all the kids from school would be there and she could see all her friends. So, we go and find out that Chick Fil-A was having some sort of event partnering with the school and of course EVERYBODY was there! Mya got her chance to work the crowd and hangout with her friends...there is no introvert in this girl!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: The Miseducation of Mr. Peet!

2009-09-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that Mya has a BIG personality. She is a girls girl, feminine to the core. I love this about Mya and would never try to take her extreme girlishness away from her. However, being the little brother of Miss Mya can be a daunting task! There are times I feel Peyton gets lost in the madness and we don't let his personality shine enough...and then you add the clingy mama's boy factor that boys his age are known to show and I'll admit, there are times I have a hard time knowing how to handle him. I am not a kid person and will never pretend to be one, so this stuff definitely puts me out of my comfort zone!

Well, tonight was a step in the right direction. We have Peyton in soccer this year for the first time. I took him to his first practice...he did fine. Amy took him to his second practice...he was clingy. We took him to his first game...clingy. So, we decided I'm going to take him to practice from now on. I took him tonight...once again, he was fine.

Peyton is also a total shrimp! I don't think he eats enough food of substance...i.e., protein! He's typically on a diet of empty carbs. After practice, I drove thru Wendy's and bought a cheeseburger and chili. We shared the meal of good growth oriented protein and much to his surprise...Peyton actually liked the chili! I then let him take a bath and after the bath, I let him chill out with me and watch some TV. Now, typically, Peyton only gets to watch Mya's girly chick shows...Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, etc...gag me now, I'm nauseous! Do you think we turned it on to Disney? NO! As I was flipping thru the channels, he would give me his opinion as to whether or not he wanted to watch whatever we stopped on. I flipped to Spike TV and Ultimate Fighting was on...he wanted to watch it! I swear he did! I'm not making this up! "They're punching each other!" "They're wrestling!" I explained to him that it is a game and he got a kick out of it! After the bloody clash, we watched some Cartoon Network until the girls got home.

It's times like these when he makes me proud!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Working Class Hero Part IV- My last blue collar jobs!

2009-08-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

For my final installment of "Working Class Hero" I'll condense my final blue collar jobs into one post. Interspersed with the Ice Plant, since it was a seasonal job, I worked for a Navajo sculptor named Alvin for a couple of months. He would create native dancers and other emblems of the Navajo Nation out of rock and take them to Phoenix to sell at an art gallery in Scottsdale. He was a phenomenal artist and my job was to cut the base of the rock per his design and set the stage for his work. Especially on deadlines, we would work up to 16 hour days. I would start the day making a fire in the shop, he would then draw lines on the rock showing me where to cut with the saw. Alvin also had a small sweatlodge on his property and one day he decided we needed to enter the sweatlodge and pray to be cleansed. My day started with chopping wood to build a large fire that was used to heat up the volcanic rock used to heat and steam the tent. After working on that and various other projects during the day, we placed the rocks in the tent, poured water over them to create steam and entered the lodge to pray. He prayed in Navajo and I sat there with my hands stingin' from the steam seaping into my blistered hands! It was a neat experience I will never forget!

Following my two years in Ohio proselytizing, I returned to Farmtown and landed a job at a furniture store called Haelig-Meyers. I worked in the warehouse with about 6 other Navajo dudes...I was the only white dude. It was a blast! This was the most physically taxing job I've ever had. Re-arranging the warehouse, unloaded shipments, deliveries, etc. My '76 F-150 had no power steering, so driving home at night with sore forearms was painful! We goofed around a lot as well though...there was always music in the warehouse, Marilyn Manson, Ozzy, Metallica and the guys loved my Ozzy impersonation! One day during down time, we decided to knock each other out by choking each other. I was instructed to hold my breath, stare at the light and a guy would choke me. It took him a while to knock me out because I would keep laughing...but eventually he got me! It was then my turn to knock out a co-worker named Avery. We both stood as I wrapped my hands around his neck and squeezed with all my might...he immediately passed out and went limp, I caught him before he hit the ground, but it freaked me out! I suddenly had visions of "manslaughter conviction" dancing in my head! One of the traditions on the team...call it a "team building activity" was to jump a guy on his last day of work, if he was resigning! I had been there two months and was resigning to move to Utah. On my last day, I went on a delivery into Colorado and we locked the key in the truck and it took all night to get the truck unlocked. Apparently, my co-workers waited quite a while for me to return so they could give me the customary send off, but we didn't make it back until about midnight that night...too bad!

My last blue collar job was my first job in Utah. I was hired to work for Bear Creek Country Kitchens, a dehydrated soup/food manufacturer in Heber City. My initial position was on the "clean up crew"...errr janitor. After three months, I was taught how to drive a forklift and was promoted to the shipping/receiving docks. I interacted extensively with truck drivers...classy people! I worked there with a good buddy from Ohio who went by the name "Skirt"...we had another co-worker named Braden who was a total hippie, complete with the thick beard (we called him Moses...he called me Hollywood...no idea why) We would all play basketball after work and I soon gained my typical B-ball reputation! The owners son, the General Manager, would also play. One day, I was approached by the company owner, an old cantankerous man who, as he approached me, said "I heard you're a mean son-of-a-bitch on the basketball court!"...to which I replied, "you heard right!" I think my response threw him off and he immediately turned around grumbling something as he walked off. We worked long hours, weekends...I once worked a 20 hour day! We went to Jazz games, threw hay at the owners ranch, I was once referred to by my boss as a "22 year old snot nose with an attitude!"...which in retrospect was completely accurate! I never said anything that warranted termination, I would only push the envelope just enough to make my point and piss off my supervisor, who was a 29 year old snot nose with an attitude!

In conclusion, I think the reason I look back at these jobs with fondness is twofold: 1) Physically demanding and rewarding. 2) I could do and say things I can't anymore, due to having much more responsibility now. I guess the trade off is now I have company directors and managers coming to me for advice, whereas back then I was just a goon. Memories....

LETTERS FROM STEVO: An Epidemic Sweeping the Nation!

2009-08-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard me! I have no choice but to report on a dangerous new disease that has reached epidemic levels! Chances are, you know someone who has it...in fact, chances are, you have it! It hasn't reached Amy and I yet and it is my humble cry to the Almighty that it never does! Nothing in our current healthcare system could cure it and the currently proposed Obamacare in it's present form has no language regarding a cure or a solution to this mutation of the human condition...

So what is this disease you ask? It has been labelled "Schizo-iPhonia" by the American Psychiatric and Geriatric Association or APGA. Schizo-iPhonia is an incurrable addiction/fascination/obsession with the iPhone. According to the APGA, this condition has reached epic proportions. The condition has reached every conceivable demographic in this nation and is spreading like the Swine Flu in Mexico...but is more dangerous to humankind. Symptoms include but are not limited to...buying a new iPhone, compulsively downloading new "apps" for the iPhone and blankly staring at the iPhone during what would normally be productive activity...for example during a game of domino's with your family in which you should be paying attention to strategy and otherwise socially interacting with your family!

See those two people with their iPhones talking to each other? Schizo-iPhoniacs can commonly be seen discussing their iPhones with all its features and their latest downloaded applications with other Schizo-iPoniacs. The APGA advises that you do not approach this conversation or attempt to engage the Schizo-iPhoniacs as the experience will leave you bewildered and bored to tears. Some Schizo-iPhoniacs have been compelled through similar experiences to go out to their nearest Apple store and purchase their new obsession immediately!

In conclusion, this new electronic contraption of the most sinister intent has entranced millions of people. Once upon a time, Americans were simply "Cell Phone Degenerates"...we now have to contend with Schizo-iPhonia in all it's dark, touch screen glory. As for me, I will stick with checking work emails on my Dingleberry Curve.

LETTERS FROM STEVO: The Football Madness! It's like a brain hemorrhage that won't stop bleeding!

2009-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Like Pavlov's dogs I am salivating at the upcoming football season that looms like being at the bottom of a water slide as Big Dave is merrily lumbering down! It is certainly the most wonderful time of the year! Unfortunately, I will not be able to continue my blog titled, "Stevo's Football Madness". I just don't have the time this year. I feel like I've barely got time for this blog. I've got work, kids, working out, watching football, fantasy football (the Avis boys invited me back), college pick 'em, rituals of the occult, reading Mein Kampf and of course, lest we forget, Guitar Hero: Metallica...I'm just a lot busier this year than I was last year! Now of course, if anyone wants to take over the blog, I'm open to it. And of course, I'm more than happy to beat on Cory and "Enlarged Prostate"...you know who you are...at college pick 'em again this year. Here is a list of my favorite things during football seasson:
- watching football on Saturday
- watching football on Sunday
- watching commentary on football
- working on the lineups of my fantasy football team
- wondering if I have Asperger Syndrome as it relates to my obsession with football
- eating wings and watching football
- watching football in my man cave
- driving Amy nuts with non-stop football
- playing football, especially Turkey Bowl tackle football in Farmtown! Set it up Big Dave!
- I guess playing "flag" football with people here in suburbia

Now I will make my pre-season predictions. Let's start with college, my favored game, conference champions are as follows:

ACC- Virginia Tech
Big East- tough one, but I'm going with West Virginia
Big Ten(eleven actually)- Penn St. possibly another shared title with the Buckeyes
Big 12- Kansas in the north, Texas in the south-this was a tough one, flip a coin between the Horns and the Sooners-right now the best single division in the land.
Mountain West- sorry Mormons, I'm going with TCU this year, but BYU was a close second.
SEC- my favorite conference! Gators in the east (duh!) and LSU in the west...this is gonna be a fun division to watch this year! Another coin flip between them and Bama.
PAC 10- USC until they decide otherwise. But they'll lose another game they're not supposed to...happens every year.
WAC- Boise St. until they decide otherwise...they need to move to the Mountain West...wouldn't that be fun?

Florida v. Texas in the BCS Championship with the Gators winning again! Sheeeesh, this is way too easy...Urban Meyer needs to retire!

Now for the NFL:
This is an impossible league to predict in the pre-season because of parity and injuries.

Your Super Bowl contenders in the NFC
Philly
Chicago
New York Football Giants
Dallas
Arizona...bit of a long shot
Carolina

Your Super Bowl contenders in the AFC
New England...guess who's back?
Indianapolis
San Diego...won't be 8-8 this year, but they still have Norv Turner as their coach
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Tennessee

My pre-season Super Bowl prediction (subject to change around week 9) is:
Philly v. New England, with the Pats winning it all...but again check back in midseason!

So there you have it. Merry football season and happy buffalo wings!

Quickie With Stevo: Batman and Joker Public Service Announcements

2009-08-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

Big Dave was in town a couple of weeks ago and introduced me to these viral videos called "Batman and Joker Public Service Announcements". Click on the link below to check out all the PSA's. Topics include sexual harassement, bike safety, heavy lifting, UV protection and how to throw a spiral. It's funny...

http://www.funnyordie.com/search/a?q=Batman+and+Joker+PSA

Quickie With Stevo: Poseur Corner

2009-07-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

We have a landing at the bottom of our staircase, that has some wood railing. There is also a mirror right across the room from this area, so if you stand...just right, you can see yourself in the mirror. This spot has been one of Mya's favorite spots for a long time. She loves to stand next to railing and look at her self in the mirror and do all kinds of poses in the mirror. Of course, being the jerk dad that I am, I make fun of her and call her out on her narcissism.

I discovered this morning that Mya also likes to pretend that one of the railing posts is her boyfriend! She even took a permanent marker and drew a face the post! I inquired as to the name of her imaginary boyfriend and she made me guess. Lemmy? No...Lars? No...King Diamond? No...Apparently it's Ringo! Sweet! That guy is loaded! The Beatles were awesome! Ringo's a little old...but hey, he's rich! Apparently Peyton also has a post across from Mya's which he pretends is his girlfriend.

I have fond memories of myself, Rudd and Big Dave as nine year old kids running around acting like we were driving dirt bikes with our girlfriends, taking them to "Make Out Mountain"...So it appears the apple truly does not fall far from the tree!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: A Stevo exclusive interview with a very peculiar little girl...

2009-07-22T19:21:00.001-07:00

Sorry we haven't posted in a while, it's been so busy with family visiting, beating kids, working, yelling at kids, going to festivals of pure metal (You know you're getting too old when you think about jumping in the pit but you talk yourself out of it via fear of blowing out your knee!), working out, beating the kids...Unrighteous dominion is my business...and business is good!

Mya decided that she will turn 6 this year. Based on her recent attitude it's been more along the lines of 16! I need a double barrel shotgun Amy...ASAP! Let's see, what can be said about this sparkling diva that hasn't been said already? I think we need to ask the source directly, so I'm going to interview the birthday girl...

What's your favorite color?
blue

What's your favorite movie?
Bedtime Stories

What was the best part about being 5?
Although, Mya had no response to this one, Amy inserted her opinion: 5 was a big year! Mya decided she was no longer a little girl. She was not going to look "cute" anymore (she even said she wanted to dress "goth" as if she knew what it meant), she is growing out her hair (no more adorable bob hair cuts!), she learned to ride a bike, learned to read and write, learned how to respect authority (some authority that is...this took a lot of work...thank you Mrs. Frankenfeld!), and good or bad she is becoming more and more independent. It was an amazing year.

What is your favorite toy?
ipod

What do you think about Peyton?
Kind of weird and kind of sweet...because he has to be weird all the time, but sometimes he's sweet.

What's your favorite thing to do with your mom?
snuggle

What's your favorite thing to do with your dad?
I like to sit on him!

How many boyfriends do you have?
I have 3 boyfriends...Peter, Bryson and Jake

How many BFF's do you have? (she really does know what BFF stands for!)
15

What's your favorite song?
Some song from "Barbie & the Diamond Castle" We're gonna find it! We're gonna find it!

What do you want to learn about in 1st grade?
No Comment

What is your favorite book?
She loves to read and is quite good at it, but she doesn't have a favorite book...she likes everything she can read!

What is your favorite TV show?
Wizards of Waverly Place

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Horseback Rider

What is your favorite sport?
Cheerleading

Mya has grown a lot in the last year and we are very proud of her! She is a great student in school, a mean older sister who seeks to circumvent the efforts of her younger brother, is rowdy and rambunctious around her friends, sassy to her mom and dad and finally, loves to eat anything composed of sugar and chocolate!

Mya, we love you like a lip loves a canker sore...hmmm...stingy!

Quick Post

2009-07-09T09:34:00.001-07:00

My cousin Tyler shared this quote with me from Mya, and I had to share:

Tyler - “Look girls, there’s Bass Pro Shops... Have you ever been to Bass Pro Shops? They have a huge fish tank and lots of fake animals.”

Mya - “No, we only shop at Nordstrom.”

I promise we spend more time at Target than we do at Nordstrom, but I still thought this was cute to share. :)

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Mancrush Ringtones

2009-06-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm liking this wakeboarding business. I'm not exactly skilled at it, i.e., I'll never be referred to as "twinkltoes" or being "light on my feet" but I enjoy it nonetheless.

Amy and I, being the spiritual little sunbeams that we are, were considering a mass prayer for the children of the world in these trying times, but Michael Jackson's dead...I guess we can pull that out of the ol' bucket list can't we!

I discovered this past weekend that my brother-in-law Cory has special ringtones for his buddies with whom there is an avid "bro-mance/mancrush". I'm not sure what the songs are, but one sounded like Marvin Gaye and the other like Chris Isaak...In the spirit of this, I decided to create a list of ringtones for certain people I know. Let's see...

- Amy - "Tush" by ZZ Top..."Baby Got Back" was also a consideration here
- Big Dave - Any ballad by any hair band/butt rocker you can think of!
- Bud - Any cheesy, sexual inuendo, Margaritaville, Dancing Queen song you can think of! Is there a song about prostates???
- Craig "President of the Michael Jackson Fan Club 25 years and counting" Thornton - "Beat It"
- Mom-in-Law - scriptures on tape (unless Craig is there to recite them to her verbatim!)
- Mya - "Tuesday's Gone" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, or anything Beatles
- Mr. Peet - "Mommy's Little Monster" by Social Distortion
- Emily - Soundtrack from the "Breaking Wind" vampire series
- Traci - That dude from Top Gun that says, "I want some butts!"
- Dusty and Jen - "The Facts of Life" theme song
- Tiff - A 20 minute John Denver/James Taylor medley/collage..."shower the people you love with love... THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY BOY!"
- Ma Busch - "Seasons in the Abyss" I'm not saying anything about being raised by you mom, I swear!
- Ol' Ern - "Free Bird" brother! Lord knows, he couldn't change!
- My Charger - "Fuel" by Metallica...White knuckle tight!
- and of course if Stevo decides to call himself..."I'm Too Sexy"...Yeah!
- and last but certainly not least, the man who inspired this list, Cory! Hmmm...this is a tough one...Is there a song that reminds me of the dude that's been my brother-in-law longer than anyone else? Is there a song about golf? Softball? Having 4 zany little sisters who at times border on clinical insanity? Is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir really Mormon? Can men have babies? Is the concept of business ethics an oxymoron? All things considered, as I think about Cory and his place in his family, I think of the eye of a hurricane...the calmest place in the storm. Cory just flows through life, nothing overloads him too much and his mind is always in a good place. Wow! Are he and Amy opposites or what??? So, my song for Cory is "Flowing" by 311...

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Operation... Owen's Boat

2009-06-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all you father's out there and to all you mother's who wear the pants in your family! You know who you are! Fatherhood is a mother's revenge, and it's a dish best served cold and bitter...just ask Ma Busch. Studies have shown that men's testosterone levels decrease at the birth of their children. This is nature's way of telling the human male, "Do not eat the child!" "Do not kill the child!" It is not edible and it is not competing for scare resources...do not terminate it. In fact, you have to "take care" of it by feeding it and allowing it to grow...UUUHHHH??? Me understand!

Let's segue into the main topic. I have an uncle. Owen. He is the older brother of Ol'Ern, by 15 years! For our family, Owen is THAT uncle...you know what I mean? Ol'Ern always looked out for him and was a great brother to him. One day, Owen came over to our house to show off a new toy he had purchased. It was an old, worn out motor boat, probably built in the 60's or early 70's. The upholstery was torn, the paint worn off and it looked like it hadn't been used in a few centuries. No reasonable person would actually pay money for this thing. But he was proud of it and wanted to take it out to Morgan Lake to see how smooth she rides! Big Dave and I were in our pre-teens and were coerced by Ol'Ern into joining in this bundle of fun. Needless to say the boat didn't run, I seem to remember we discovered it couldn't even float and that was the end of that. Owen kept the boat in his possession and even talked Ol'Ern into docking it in our extended backyard. The extended backyard was a no-man's land of gargantuan weeds that were capable of consuming human flesh. And so Owen's boat sat in this wasteland for years and years and years.

Following Ol'Ern's passing, Ma Busch sold the homestead and bought a new house in Farmtown. As preparations were made to move Ma Busch out of the house, Big Dave and I remembered something...that P.O.S. boat is still sitting out there in the backyard! Everyone had forgotten about it! Something had to be done. The boat had to go. The new home owners weren't going to want this garbage in their "beautiful" new backyard! We devised a plan.

We understood two things. 1) The gargantuan weeds needed to be cleared. 2) Owen's boat needed to disappear. These weeds weren't the kind that you could just pull out of the ground, or even dig up from under the ground with a shovel. So we did the logical thing...rented a bobcat! If you ever have a reason to rent a bobcat...you absolutely need to take advantage! Just adjust the speed from "turtle" to "rabbit" and ram those weeds going full blast! It was awesome! Our next step was to hook up the boat to Ma Busch's truck and personally deliver it to Owen. Fortunately, the boat sat on a trailer, but the tires were flat and barely hanging on to the wheels. Big deal! We hooked it up anyway and drug it to Owen's house with the metal of the wheels screeching against the pavement. We pull up to Owen's house, him and aunt Laurel come out with a look of absolute shock! "what the...?" We pull up, "Hey guys! I believe this belongs to you!" He asks what he's supposed to do with it, to which we respond that's really not our concern...take it to Lake Powell and see if it will float! That was one of the sweetest moments of my life...I hated that boat, never understood why we had it in the first place and felt a sense of justice in hand delivering it back to its rightful owner...Owen...

LETTERS FROM STEVO: You don't want to find yourself "in the rears" with regards to your personal finances

2009-06-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

I have a co-worker who thinks the statement "in arrears" is "in the rears" so I've been using it a lot. It's one of my new favorite phrases. "I'm in the rears on my mortgage payments." Or, "the customer is in the rears on their payments." Love it...

Congrats to Dusty and Sidecar Sally for getting hitched this weekend. It's been a big year for weddings. Traci and Collin Lee Rothey were also married a couple of months ago...and, a good friend and one of Amy's college roomates Mollie was married the week before. Doesn't appear there will be any more any time soon...do you understand what I'm implying Mya??? At LEAST 20 years girlfriend!

Going back to the wedding, I just wanted to give a shout out to my significant Amy. She worked hard this weekend and used her "take charge" personality in all its glory to ensure that the wedding went off without a hitch and to keep pressure off mom-in-law. At times, she is critized for being so opinionated and not being afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she thinks is right, but understand this...it is a strength! When I first met her and got a glimpse of her Type A-ness, I commented to her that I felt sorry for her future husband! DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR ME! I did not realize what a wise decision I was making when I married her. I am very proud of her and all that she does. Ma Busch has nominated her for sainthood, Bud thinks she's capable of conquering this planet. Sorry, I just needed to get that out...

One last thing, I'm excited to have Big Dave and Lyndley come up in July. No pressure guys, I'm just setting the table!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Working Class Hero Vol. III...The Iceman Cometh!

2009-05-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've worked on my "Working Class Hero" series, so here is Volume III. Not long after 4 years of sloughing thru high school (I have an awesome ACT score to validate this) I acquired a job working for Dewey at the Ice Plant. We manufactured and delivered bags of ice to various grocery stores, gas stations, trading posts and other strategic locations. This job will go down in my personal memoirs as one of my favorite gigs ever!

This was a seasonal job that peaked during the summer months. We would work 60-70 hours a week. A typical day entailed coming in at 7am, working until about 6-7pm, then having to go back in at 10pm to bag ice for an hour (lest the ice bin overflow). During the weekend 10pm shifts, we occasionally were blessed by the presence of some of the ladies we had been hanging out with that night! They were typically just curious about an "ice plant".

Working Saturdays was a requirement and though Dewey tried to avoid it, sometimes Sundays needed to be worked as well. You were notified of your schedule at the end of your shift...Dewey would say, "10 tonight, 7 in the morning". We would have to chip the floor in the cold room because ice would build up from the belt above...at times the ice build up would get close to a foot thick. We would use crowbars to crack it then shovel it out. We would have to deliver ice all over the region, including various trading posts on the Navajo Reservation. Once, on a route on the Res, the hood on my truck wasn't closed properly and flew up shattering the windshield as I was driving! Luckily it didn't knock the glass onto me...the window remained intact but cracked into thousands of pieces. I had to drive an hour back to Farm Town on a freeway, looking out the drivers side window because I couldn't see through the windshield!

We became known at the various drop off locations due to our unique product. Often times, upon seeing us arrive with our bags of ice, customers would comment that, "the iceman cometh". We hated this! We developed an "under our breath" response to this greeting, but unfortunetaly I can't repeat it in this forum. We would also get to know the other vendors such as "Rainbow" John...a known drug dealer and driver for Rainbow bread. There was also the Cheetos guy who once wiped out in front of us. This accident triggered the obvious joke from my esteemed colleague with the nice mullett..."It's not easy being cheesy!"

There are many other events and funny stories that transpired during this gig, but I unfortunately cannot recount them on this record. For behold, I have written them on mine other record. Oh yeah, one last thing...I once went to work with the stomach flu and while driving my route, would stop off the side of the road to hurl! Nice!

Quickie With Stevo: Amy had a good time too!

2009-05-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

We found this sign and Amy found herself "curiously" attracted to it...Apparently it's some sort of rum native to the island. Amy also forgot to mention that we made out with the stingray. We definitely had a good time and wouldn't trade the experience for anything!

A Letter TO Stevo....Happy Birthday and Anniversary....Off to the Grand Cayman!

2009-05-17T00:53:00.000-07:00

Every year, as spring rolls around Steffan and I celebrate our wedding anniversary on April 28th and his birthday on May 2. This year was our 9 year anniversary, and Steffan's 33rd Bday. We celebrated by going to the Grand Cayman. We really have not been on a vacation that did not include kids or sleeping on some one's air mattress -Not that I do not love spending time with the kids, or family and friends that let us stay with them - I love that too. But this time we BIG! We researched the most relaxing beach location and then found the best possible resort. So, we ended up at the Ritz Carlton on the Grand Cayman (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/GrandCayman/Default.htm). Need I say more? Probably not, but I will...
We spent 5 relaxing days and nights, mostly sitting on the beach and eating incredible food. I read 3 books, and 3 magazines, snorkeled several times, and swam with the sting rays. We tried to do a little shopping and sight seeing, but quickly decided we would avoid all tourist traps and just enjoy our time on the beach. Who needs to shop in town when there is a Tiffany's right inside the hotel anyway? :)
It was an amazing week, and provided many new topics/stories for my memoirs, entitled "Livin' with Stevo"...I will share a couple.
Steffan thought he would get a great tan on this vacation, so he started out a week ahead of time to prepare himself for the sun. He jumped into the tanning booth and disregarded the advise of the 17 year old working at the Tanning Salon, and went twice as long as he should have. Of course he came out burnt as can be. He repeated this task a couple more times before our departure, never quite learning....but building that base, right?? Oh no....day 1 on the beach, Steffan neglected to sunscreen his legs and feet. We sat on the beach, reading and swimming, for literally 7-8 hours. Nearing the end of the day, a lady sitting near by said to him, "Oh my, did you get that sun burnt just today". Steffan's reply, "Oh no, I tan red". And red he was, the rest of the week he had a hard time even walking. And since our return he has been peeling like crazy. Some people never learn...
On day 3 we decided to head to Sting Ray City and also a couple of Snorkeling stops. We used Captain Marvin's Tours and ended up on a boat with about 10 other vacationers. Instead of a quiet, relaxing, and beautiful trip out into the ocean snuggled next to his beautiful wife, enjoying the fresh sea air, Steffan introduced himself to all the men on the boat, and proceeded to discuss hours and hours of football. 5 hours later, after 2 snorkel stops, visiting the sting rays, and stopping to see some starfish, Steffan had barely touched the surface on his knowledge of the NFL and College sports - past, present, and future. As we left the boat, one guy even asked him if he worked in the football industry. He wishes!
Steffan had a great birthday, if I do say so myself. He was spoiled as usual, which is really my specialty. I love for everyone in my life to have the best birthdays, after all it is their special day! (I am still waiting for the return favor from him. However, thoughtfulness and gift purchasing have never been his forte. I have learned to get over it...most of the time. But this year was my big 3-0. Still, nothing. But I did not take it out on him this year, I still went all out.) We spent the night before we left going out for Wings and Bday cake with the family, so the kids could wish him a happy birthday. He got Guitar Hero Metallica, and the Complete Guitar Hero Band. He also got a minirefridgerator for the basement, so he will not have to walk up the stairs for soda. Since this purchase and set up, which he took great care in doing, I honestly never see him. He has retired to the man cave in our basement to watch and play for hours and hours. Luckily he includes the kids on the fun and he has Mya sing her heart out and Peyton rock out on the drums. It is pretty dang cute to see them all playing together and rocking out to Metallica. Peyton has to be the guy with the mohawk and Mya loves the rocker chicks. I haven't decided whether this purchase was good or bad...I now have the main TV to myself, and all the time I want to myself at night...however, Steffan has no concept of time down there. I think he would play all night. And he is getting more and more deaf each day. And he is learning more and more useless information by the minute. Who knew he could learn more about rock than he knows about football?! Once we were in the Cayman the celebration continued, I took him out for the fanciest dinner we have ever had. It was a 5 star restaurant, which included a 7course meal. He was in heaven! Unfortunately for me it was seafood, but it was still incredible!
We have been back at home for just over a week, going through the hell I call "vacation punishment". Work has been crazy, the kids have been clingy, and our house was pretty messy until we got through all the laundry. But it was completely worth it! I am happy to confirm after another year of "Livin' with Stevo" that I did in fact marry the man of my dreams - not prince charming, or a knight in shining armor - I do not need that in my life. He is there to make me laugh, challenge my thinking, love me completely, make me feel beautiful and special, and make up my other half. We are a complete compliment to each other and truly enjoy each other's company. Confirming that for another year is truly priceless! (Hopefully my parent's agree and volunteer to watch the kids again next year!)

Quickie With Stevo: My Apologies

2009-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!!! After calling her out in a LETTER FROM STEVO, My Lady of the water finally decided to get in the damn pool and swim with her children. I'm finding this technique of calling her out via LETTER FROM STEVO quite effective. We were in the Grand Cayman the first week of May and I'm going to blog about it, but I'm waiting on Amy to download some pictures onto the computer so I can post them with the blog. So, I apologize for taking so long to blog...you can blame my better half. Meanwhile, Ma Busch is in town to party and Peyton is running around yelling, "beg for mercy!" and "I'm going to eat you for breakfast!" I swear on my Dodge Charger I didn't teach him this. I'll be back with the update on Grand Cayman...

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Working Class Hero Vol. II- Eye of the Tiger!

2009-04-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

For my next entry into the "Working Class Hero" series I will discuss my first official job. Now that I had the wise, sage like teachings of Ol' Ern under my belt, my parents and I...ok, mainly my parents thought I needed to get a job. It was the summer between my junior and senior year of high school and the perfect opportunity for entry level work materialized.

My parents liked to rent movies from a small, locally owned video store called Tiger Video. I can't remember the name of the dude that owned the store, but I remember he was a man large in stature (mainly around the waist) with a well kept pornstache and complimentary receding hair line...Sharp! We'll just refer to him as Mr. Pornstache at this point. I don't recall being interviewed by Pornstache following the submission of my application, but I was soon hired for the job!

I'm not sure what my job title was or what my job description entailed or what was even expected of me, but the following Monday I was thrown into the fire to learn the intricacies of the video rental business! Well, to keep a short story short, I just wasn't "getting it". Apparently, some of my inherent weaknesses are that I'm not a "good listener", and I'm not what you'd call "detail oriented". The first of many jobs to teach me that I basically suck at these skills, or I should say, I don't possess these skills. At one point, Pornstache had me sweeping the parking lot...in a dusty desert town!

On Friday, Pornstache came in and said he was going to Kentucky Fried Chicken. He came back a few hours later and informed me that he would call me when they were busy. Apparently, they never got busy again as he still hasn't called me!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: My Lady of the Water

2009-04-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying that I'm singing in a choir...and I actually enjoy it. I never thought I would EVER say that! I've never sung in public and Ma Busch can tell you some stories. I sing with Amy and Craig "He-Who-Has-Some-Pipes" Thornton among others. Amy sings 2nd soprano, Craig sings tenor and I'm droppin' the bass lines like I'm gettin' paid to do it! We're like the singing Von Tramps!

Now for the main topic. We've developed a new ritual of taking the kids to the gym swimming pool every Friday night for about an hour or so. We pack our swim trunks and goggles in a nifty bright pink bag which I love carrying around in public. We go to the family locker room and change into our swim trunks, then proceed to the pool. The pool at this gym is large, cold and kid friendly. There is also a lap pool, sauna and jacuzzi's in the general vicinity. The kids jump right in and I follow. I carry Peyton on my back and throw Mya around like a rag doll...she loves it!

Now I have to say, the greatest sight is seeing Amy in this situation. She's always decked out in a bathing suit and looking something like a graceful, almost mermaidish lady of the water who was born to grace the waters with her every stroke as she so elegantly...sits at the side of the FREAKING pool and doesn't even so much as get her toes wet!!! What the???? I'm dumbfounded by this! Can Amy even swim? Maybe I should find this out? Who do I need to talk to? There's another mom who does this with Amy...they sit and gossip the whole time...I won't mention any names but the Nat knows who she is! Amy if you don't know how to swim I will teach you...just like the time I taught you Bulgarian folk dancing and how to make red jello with cool whip on top. Amy, if anything do it for the children...and by children I don't mean our kids but the disease ridden, orphaned 3rd world country kids you see on the infomercials...for just pennies a day...

Seriously, I do hereby forthwith challenge Amy to get in the FREAKING pool and start swimming with her kids...immediately, this next Friday immediately! Get your bathing suit wet for once!

Trying a little harder....

2009-04-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

Such a simple goal...yet it seems an impossible task. Today was just one of those days where I really felt inspired to try a little harder. At what you ask?? Well, just about everything. It is so easy to get on survival mode, just making it through each day. I have been in this mode for far too long....Just getting through each morning routine, getting through each meeting, each workout, each meal, each activity...just getting through life.
I am taking a stand TODAY! That is just not good enough. I want to try a little harder. I want to be a better mom. I want to take care of myself better. I want to work harder. I want to be a better wife, a better friend, a better person, a better employee. In fact, I want to be a better blogger and picture taker as well. I have not taken one photo in all of 2009. How sad is that?! It is time to try a little harder to be a little better.

So, as a quick update on all other happenings...life has been busy!
* We had Traci's incredible wedding in March (then she sadly went back to Utah)
* Jen got engaged to Dustin (YAY! June 13 - Denver Temple)
* My mom and I had another great enrichment (we were truly inspired by the incredible women in our ward!)
* My kids got to finally play in the snow and build a snowman (Mya even went sledding down Grandma Shirley's big hill)
* Steffan and I have been working our butts off at work (sadly we spend many late nights on our laptops, instead of snuggled up enjoying each other's company)
* Steffan went to Canada again
* I survived another "quarter end"
* Steffan and I worked our butts off at the gym as well (Steffan is down 20 lbs, and I am down 10 lbs)
* Our kids continue to make us smile and love life everyday
* Peyton had his very first Primary talk as a Sunbeam (he talked about our family and then sang "I am a Child of God" to the entire Primary of 100 kids)
* I also had to give a talk on Obedience (HA! I wish I could let myself say no, but it was actually a really good learning experience - I still have much to learn on this topic!)
* We enjoyed an incredible day as a family today - watching General Conference, playing games, playing with the kids, even folding laundry was fun, since Peyton had to help fold and put everything away. Then we went to my Mom and Dad's house for dinner (we are so lucky to have so much family so close by!)
* Today I was truly inspired, so hopefully there will be a better me to come!

Love,
Long Lost Amy

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Working Class Hero! Vol. I

2009-04-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

A working class hero is something to be...John Lennon. Yes, John Lennon wrote those lyrics many years ago. Apparently, he decided he was a working class hero despite making millions of dollars as a musician...

In honor of this delusional rationality, I'm writing a series of posts dedicated to my days as a working class hero! Yes, I once worked manual labor jobs in my younger years! I've since become an HR guy and have to admit there are times I feel like I'm more a part of "the Man" than a working class hero anymore...I can terminate people in cold blood with the best of 'em! I enjoyed manual labor because at the end of the day, there was always a physical sense of accomplishment...as opposed to feeling leashed to my Blackberry...hoping there aren't any emergency situations that need to be handled. Don't get me wrong about my job, the pay is good, there is some flexibility with my hours and I usually enjoy the sense of responsibility. But I admit, I have fond memories of my early jobs. Before I get into my first paid job, I will use this post to address my first unpaid job...working for Ol' Ern!

Ern sensed a real duty to instill the ethic of hard work into the feeble minds of the Busch Brothers. Every Saturday was spent working in the yard, building sheds, digging ditches, pulling weeds, working on cars, painting the house, building a room out of the car port, etc. His timing for projects was typically impeccable...he would pick the windiest day possible to decide to put together an aluminum shed...and it had to be finished that day! I once had to take a day off from school to dig up the septic tank...and I enjoyed it...Dammit! I got into a fight at school and received out of school suspension for a day. Do you think I got the day off? Ern had a "to do" list all ready for me!

The carport project was a beast unto itself! Ern decided that everything other than the framing was DIY. My favorite memories of this include him having me drill through concrete with a handheld drill, holding up drywall while he hammered it in then Ern getting pissed off because I couldn't hold the drywall up for hours on end...I would respond to this with a sarcastic comment that would then prompt him to chase me around the house! Unfortunately, Big Dave wasn't as cooperative as I was, and I recall Ern commenting to me once, "that kid is slow as molasses!" after telling Dave to come out and help for the 20th time!

I think the most valuable lesson I learned from this experience was not necessarily hard work ethic, but how to manipulate Ern into getting what I wanted. Ern's basic philosophy was as follows, "I Ern am bound when ye do what I say, when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." I learned that if I went out and helped him without complaint and worked hard, he would hand me the keys to the party wagon, cash and a license to party on a Saturday night! Lesson learned for a young working class hero!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Dream Warriors and Snaggletooth

2009-03-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

I was going to write a blog post last week, but knowing that Ma Busch physically wouldn't have been able to read the post forced me to put it off a week. Now that Ma Busch can read again, I'll post something.

I've been watching the floods in Motorhead, North Dakota. 1) I can't believe anybody actually lives in North Dakota. 2) I think it's cool they named their town after a cool metal band! I'll wager the town song is "Ace of Spades". Lemmy should move to this town...he would be crowned mayor without an election! It would be uncontested! I think they need to combine North and South Dakota and just name the state Dakota. Seriously, would anybody even notice the difference? Who do I need to talk to about rolling this out?

One of Amy's favorite shows is "Medium". Medium stars Patricia Arquette who plays a lady who dreams about people getting murdered and then tells the District Attorney and they solve the crime. It's like the soothsayer's version of Murder She Wrote. Angela Landsbury would've killed to be a medium in her crime drama! Anywhoo, watching Patricia Arquette in a show were she dreams reminded me of something from the past. Remember Nightmare on Elm Street? She was in one of those movies! That was the horror flick franchise about Freddy Krueger who killed people in their dreams! And the Medium lady was in it! Coincidence? I think not! She was also in a music video for the film, and guess what the song was called? Dream Warriors! Now when Amy watches Medium I sing in a really high voice, D-R-E-A-M W-A-R-R-I-O-R-s!!! She absolutely adores it!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Dude, it's been busy...

2009-03-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy with work, kids, sick kids, working out, playing Guitar Hero, causing trouble, and general insubordination. Some recent observations:

- You know you're getting old when...you pluck a bunch of nose hairs and there's still a bunch left!

- I'm teaching the kids how to play bass on Guitar Hero. I play guitar since they call me Stevo Van Halen! Yeah, that's right...I can shred! I have them on the Beginner level where you just pluck the bass every time a highlighted bar comes up...I think even my mom-in-law could do it! Mya averages about 40% correct, while Peyton averages about 60%.

- I told Amy to write a blog for once...she responded that she is too busy...watching all that Grey's "Anatomy", Medium and Desperate Housewives.

- I participated in a drag race against Craig "He-Who-Has-a-Lead-Foot-Just-Not-Quite-Lead-Enough" Thornton. It was his Chrysler 300 against my Dodge Charger...both have Hemi's. Dusty flagged us and we raced about 100 yards down the street in the neighborhood. I would guess our cars have about the same size cajones' but I anticipated the snap count a little better and got the jump...never looked back. Bud said he could take us both in his premium gutless 4 banger KIA Crap Car! Just keep dreamin' Buddy!

- Speaking of Bud, he asked me to send him a picture of me, since I've working out, he thinks I already look vastly different. I responded the only picture he'd get from me would be one of my rear-end. He told me he wouldn't know the difference, it would look the same whether it was my face or my rear-end!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Ponderings of Peyton...or Pontificating, or whatever you want to call it

2009-02-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

I want to dedicate this blog to Peyton. Peyton has many nicknames, most of which were dubbed by yours truly...Peyt, P, Mr. P, Pete, Mr. Pete, Screamin' Pete, PeteMagic, Chuck, Shrimpy, Little Pete (his cousins call him Pete too, and also refer to me as "Big Pete"). Peyton's loves include his mama, his sister, plants in all their variety, music, and playing with his cousins. Peyton strongly dislikes, authority, anything that represents authority (namely his dad), and...oh yeah, being told what to do! Today, Peyton was undressing a babie doll and Amy had to put a stop to it. She grabbed the barbie and attempted to take it from Peyton. They soon found themselves in a tug of war with Peyton shouting, "I stronger than you!" Peyton has also learned some quotes of wisdom from his father. When I ask Peyton what he likes, he'll say "chicks and cars!" I've attempted to expound on this by adding "fast cars and fast women" but Amy gets mad at me. In fact, the kids will throw me under the bus whenever I say it..."Mom! Daddy said women!" I also tell Peyton to get a job, but he just repeats it rather than going out and applying for job openings...it's tough market out there, jobs aren't coming easy! Amy taught him a saying that relates to his love for his moon boots...it's straight out of Napoleon Dynamite, "hey Peyton, do you like your boots?" To which Peyton replies, "heck yes!"

Overall, I'd say Peyton is a good kid. The key to interacting with him is if he approaches you, lay down and pretend that your dead...he'll walk up to you, sniff you and eventually leave...at that point your good to go!

Quickie With Stevo...Eye of the Tiger!!! GGGRRRR!!!!

2009-02-08T19:39:00.001-08:00

I've been working out at this gym with a trainer and I've learned a ton about properly working out and eating better and more effective cardio, etc. For example, I wasn't aware there were a million ways to work your lats! FYI, there are also millions of ways to work your abs! I didn't think doing a lunge would be so difficult! The gym does have it's quota of juice fueled beefcakes, but overall, most of the folks are regular schmucks like me just tryin' to get by. One night, my trainer taught me this tricky little maneuver that I call "the Lunge N' Point". Essentially, you lunge then twist your body (flexing your abs and olbiques of course...because every exercise is an ab exercise!) This isn't a stationary exercise either, you're moving forward lunging then pointing. The night the trainer had me perform this awkward looking exercise, we lunged and pointed right by some massive beefcakes benchpressing a good amount of weight. I have to say, it was a little embarrassing, I'm a big guy, I can lift a good amount of weight, I don't embarrass myself in the weightroom, but lunging and pointing in the weightroom was enough to make me blush...especially in front of afore mentioned juice fueled beefcakes...and lunge and point and lunge and point and lunge and point.

Musings from Mya....Testimony

2009-02-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

Mya decided tonight that she wants to work on a "talk", like the other kids give on testimony Sunday. I told her that those kids are just talking about the things that they believe. So, here is what she wants to tell people:

"I believe in Jesus and Jesus believes in me. I love Jesus and he loves me too. I believe in the Holy Ghost, because he is real."

So simple, but so true...

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Happy Birthday to Stevo's Baby Brother!

2009-01-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

Every year on January 24th we celebrate the birthday of a special person. It is the day that Stevo's...ahem...little brother Big Dave was born. My birthday present to Big Dave this year will be my obligatory blog roast of him! I know him better than most, so this should be easy! I can sense Big Dave getting a little squeamish right about now...

Big Dave and I are just 18 months apart in age, so we bascially spent our entire childhoods together. Dave was tall for his age, so we were always the same size as kids. The closeness in size and age resulted in us often times being treated like twins by our parents and other people in our lives. We also fought constantly! It typically started with words and ended in physical violence. As time went on, we were often critized by Ol' Ern for our gigantic eating habits...we eventually had to resort to covert operations to obtain necessary nutrients (snacks) without Ol' Ern hearing us! For if we were caught, we should surely die! Viva La Revolution!!!

Character traits as a child- very ticklish, could make friends with anybody and had a great love of little lost puppies...he would bring them home and name them "Sport". He would love his "Sport" until Ma Busch sent the little lost puppy packin' down the road. He's always had a big heart and cares deeply for the feelings of others...some might say "sensitive"...until you pissed him off, then he turned into a dragon.

As a teenager, Big Dave frequented many girlfriends. His hobbies included Nintendo, making mixed tapes complete with Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Poison for his girlfriends and of course drinking Kool-Aid while watching his favorite movie, "Grease II". He also hosted numerous "chip N dip" parties to attract the ladies!

As an adult, Big Dave has grown into a fruitful and productive citizen (accessories include bachelor's degree, well paying job and family). He has become quite the banker financial economist...guy. He always did well in math and it is now paying dividends...no Dave, I don't need an explanation of how exactly it is paying dividends!

In summary, Big Dave is one of my best friends and confidantes...I tell him things I don't tell anyone else. I could write volumes on our childhood and the pychology behind it. He is absolutely one of my favorite people and if you haven't already met him, I highly recommend you go out of your way and make an effort to.

Quickie With Stevo...Musings of Mya

2009-01-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

With Martin Luther King day freshly behind us, Mya learned a bit about him at school. To quote Mya directly..."Martin Luther King was a speaker, a leader, a man of great courage, a hero, wise and he makes us equal". Bud thinks Mya will have the world subdued and under her control by her early 20's. We'll just have to wait and see...

One of Mya's characteristics is her vivid imagination. This can be both a strength and at times a weakness. On Sunday afternoon, during the NFL's conference championships, Craig "He-Who-is-Learning-to-be-a-Team-Player" Thornton decided it was a good idea to show his grandkids "Spiderman 3". This is the episode with the villians "Venom" and "Sandman" and is rated PG-13. Mya was enthralled by the movie, but I could tell the villians were going to scare her later that night. I warned Craig this was a bad idea. Needless to say Mya was scared to death that night and had to sleep with me while Amy slept in Mya's bed! I had a problem with this on two levels. 1)- Mya is too young and imaginitive for this movie and 2)- this was being shown during the conference championships! Sad...I asked Craig if "The Exorcist" was on tap for next Sunday! Perhaps some readings of Stephen King!

Quickie With Stevo...Work Holiday Parties

2009-01-11T18:06:00.000-08:00

We attended our first holiday party with my new company on Saturday. I've never really enjoyed work parties that much. Holiday parties are typically an HR nightmare...a molotov cocktail of racial tension, sexual harassment and table dancing. An old boss at an old company actually broke her nose from falling on her face after table dancing...and she was HR!

The party was at the University Club downtown. The theme was masqueradish with gambling sprinkled in. At first, I wasn't going to buy a mask for the occasion, until I found out the CEO was being adamant about it so I complied. Amy and I went to the happy, fun, party joint and bought mardi gras masks. The party was actually pretty fun. We ate good food, enjoyed good company and I learned how to play craps. Basically, I learned that you place your bet on some numbers, throw the dice and occasionally the dealer gives you a few chips back.

My co-workers also got to meet Amy. Frequent comments on Amy included..."how did you swindle her into marrying you!"..."you don't deserve her!"..."your wife is such a sweetheart!" I've kept my response consistent...a little charm can go a long way! You charm your way in, seal the deal, get her investment and BAM...hook, line and sinker! You like that? I have another saying, a confident look and a clipboard will get you anywhere!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Is it really 2009? Relax, a bunch of dead people say the end of the world is 3 years away!

2009-01-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

So the earth has revolved around the sun one more time...Excellent! Let's celebrate like it's a miracle this has occurred! I have a hunch it's going to do it a few more times before its all said and done...just call it a hunch. I keep seeing this History Channel advertisement for a show about all the alleged prophecies for the end of the world in the year 2012... The Maya's, Nostradamus (no Thornton clan, I didn't say Nordstrom's...relax, there's no sale going on). I have a feeling Nostradamus is going to lose what little credibility he has left in 2013...we can probably quit talking about the Maya around that time as well.

I don't do new years resolutions as I'm not really a goal oriented person (I wander aimlessly thru life and occasionally happen upon success). With that being said, let's look at some New Year's resolutions and goals for Stevo & friends in 2009!

- Craig "Curlz for the Gurlz" Thornton did a 3 minute plank the other day at the gym...impressive! He has resolved to up that time to a 5 minute plank by year's end.

- Amy resolves to let Stevo out of the doghouse for the first time in almost 9 years and finish her memoir titled, "Living with Stevo"

- Peyton resolves to be gentler with grandma Shirley's cat...no chick casualties either!

- Mya resolves to conquer the world with her wit, charm, indominable spirit and talent for B.S.!

- Bud resolves to learn all the dance moves from "Mama Mia"

- Ma Busch resolves to put an end to her QVC purchasing habit and move to more modernized online shopping...does Hobby Lobby have a website?

- Big Dave resolves to become the next Milt Friedman/Warren Buffet/Adam Smith

- The Thornton/Carlson clan resolves to single handedly keep Nordstrom's in business through this tough economy

- Brother Mike resolves to stop "surfing the web" and sleeping so much and to finally take his wife out on a real date

Last but certainly not least, Stevo resolves to do the following:

- Provide more fodder for Amy's above mentioned memoir
- play on the church basketball team, "You tell 'em I'm comin'...and I'm bringin' HELL with me!!!"
- Go a year without buying any shoes
- Make sure Cory finally gets to see "The Godfather"...both I and II...ok, maybe III too!
- And of course, provide you all with more "Letters from Stevo" and "Quickie with Stevo"

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Consider this your Christmas Card!

2008-12-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

In the festive spirit of this time of year we would like to wish everyone who laboriously reads this blog merry Christmas and happy holidays! May your flimsy New Year's resolutions sputter out and die a quick death! 2008 was a great year in the Busch family! It was a great year for you too in that you have been blessed exceedingly with the birth of "LETTERS FROM STEVO". Amy and I would now like to submit to you our "brag letter" because YOU need to know just how awesome WE are!

Peyton- Let's see, he turned 3 this year...and um...hmmm...destroyed a few things, had a few THOUSAND temper tantrums and FINALLY learned to read, write and sing opera (for those of you who have heard his screams!)...sheesh it's about time, we thought he'd never learn! He says and does the most adorable things. Recent memorable quotes have included such priceless gems as, "NO!" and "AHHHH!" (with a stomp of his foot)...he's so coordinated! He's also dabbling in body building and floral work.

Mya- Turned 5 this year and now knows everything, just ask her. She is currently studying, Chinese, Spanish and algebra in her kindergarten class. She is so smart...I'll bet her IQ is astronomical! For those of you who know Mya, her real passion is sports and athleticism! She loves running...she starred on her soccer team this fall...she earned the moniker, "The Anchor". She runs so fast, it doesn't look like she's even moving! And did we mention dancing? She participated in a strenuous interpetive dance competition. She has two trophies thus far! Way to go Mya!

Amy- Where to start on Amy...hmmm. She continued her readings. Books she completed this year included, "The Catcher and the Rye", The Magna Carta and "Wealth of Nations". Amy has had the opportunity to serve in church as enrichment coordinator this year and is thankful that so many women were enriched by her coordination. Other eventful activities this year included going to Las Vegas to scrapbook, celebrating her "dirty thirty" and charity work which involved rescuing wounded barbie dolls. Amy had a great year with IBM as well...she is seriously the BEST salesperson in the world!

Stevo- After almost 4 years at Avis Budget Group, Stevo was told he was so good it was time to "retire" and was handed a small check as a token of the company's appreciation. However, his personality and skills are in such high demand, he was recruited and paid a large sign on bonus to work for some company in Golden. Stevo has put aside his passion for football and taken an interest in the incredible sport of trampoline dodgeball...he's so light on his feet, teamates call him "twinkle toes" and "noodle" for his great flexibility. Stevo has also become leader of his Sunday afternoon Bible study group. Memorable events included watching the Vols become Gator bait and seeing Metallica with his "entourage".

We look forward to a great 2009! Future "LETTERS FROM STEVO" topics may or may not include, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, bio-chemistry and the sweet sounds of sea shells by the sea shore...We'll see you evolved amoebas next year!

Christmas time is here! (Amy breaks the silence)

2008-12-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

When it is FREEZING here in Colorado, (after an incredible Fall) it is impossible to deny that Winter and Christmas time are here! We came home from a great Thanksgiving in New Mexico, and it was already December, so I immediately felt behind. (Yes, I always feel like I am behind!) My Mom and Dad had their house decorated even before Thanksgiving - so the pressure was on from the kids. They just LOVE Christmas. What kid doesn't?! But they especially love decorating (and undecorating, and decorating again!)

So, we finally got the tree up, the lights on, the ornaments in place, the garland on the stairs, and the stockings hung. I finally gave up on Steffan doing any decorating - I even put lights on the outside of the house. (Steffan hates all the decorating, but it must be genetic. My sister-in-law says the same thing about her husband, and she even got on the roof pregnant last year to get her house decorated.) But the kids LOVE it, so I let them go to town decorating as much as they want. This year we even got a Nativity from my Grandma. Mya and Peyton adore it. Mya even spoke about it in her talk last week.

I also got a lot of things done around the house this last week. I love to clean out the old toys and clothes of the kids and give them away to families in need. So, I took several days to go through EVERYTHING in their rooms. I like to include the kids in the action, so they understand that they need to give to kids in need. So, Mya jumped in and helped me out. You can see a picture of the chaos:

We had an incredible weekend this last week - doing all sorts of great Christmas things! We planned to go to the Zoo lights, but it was way too crowded. So we had to give up on that one....for now! But Saturday we went to Jen's Nordstrom store to wish her a Happy Birthday! And for their Christmas Party for the kids. We had a great time, and the kids always love to see their Aunt Jen. Then Steffan and I took Mya to the Nutcracker Ballet. (Yes, Steffan went to the Ballet see the proof below.) It was incredible, and Mya had a great time! Now she has to listen to the Nutcracker music each night, and play with her Nutcracker dolls.

After the Nutcracker, we met up with the entire family to go to eat at the Spaghetti Factory downtown and then go see the Christmas lights at the Denver City and County Building. This is an old Family tradition, and although dinner was a little crazy with all the kids, the lights were amazing as always! It really does feel like Christmas - I just love it!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Gobble! Gobble! & other Random Warblings

2008-11-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. We spent the lovely holiday in the thriving metropolis of Farmington. Big Dave and I played in a turkey bowl...and yes, it was tackle(because that is how we do it!). We stayed in our chairs, kept our hands up, kept our heads on a swivel and insert all the other football cliches here. The trip was good other than the flight home. Peyton threw a massive temper tantrum because he didn't get to sit by his mama. I was burning with so much fury, you could've fried an egg on my head! In other words, I was so angry, I wanted to shove gun powder up my nose, light a match and REALLY blow it! GRRR!

This last week, we went on a date night with the Shafs and the Cory/Tiff combo to watch the much ballyhooed "Twilight". I had heard of these illustrious books written by some mormon gal, but have not read them and was only vaguely familiar with the story. Emily in particular is a dedicated fan. The story is an estrogen filled teeny bopper's dreamland; full of unrealistic human behavior. An average girl with little personality being stalked relentlessly by a "dashing" young man of equally little personality but great looks. My favorite part was the vampire taking the girl up to the sunlight to show her what he really was. I remember thinking, "excellent! He's gonna be this cool looking demonic monster thing!" Well, not quite. Instead, he's "sparkly". Are you kidding me??? Sparkly??? Say it with a lisp for added effect. I often wonder what I was doing watching that movie that night...

On an unrelated topic, Mya needs to learn how to treat her boyfriends. This past week, one of her boyfriends complimented the dress she was wearing and she shot back that it was not a dress, but a skirt! It's called grace and tact Mya...sheesh! Even I know that! Graceless lady! You know who I am. You know I can't let you...slide through my hand!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Oh Canada!...A Salute to America's Hat!

2008-11-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

I once heard someone refer to Canada as "America's Hat". I find that description fitting. So, if Canada is America's hat, then what does that make Texas? California? Just think about it...imagining that the east coast is facing forward. How's that for a geography lesson! I'm thinking about the Great White North because I just spent this past week in Ottawa for work. I had never ventured into Canada before, so I didn't know quite what to expect. I found their native dialect to be eerily similar to English, with an occasional "eh?" at the end of some of the more jovial expressions. They understand the stereotype and they honestly don't think they say it that much. I had to inform them that compared to the distant land that I'm from, NOBODY uses that expression, so from my perspective it is used quite frequently.

I learned how to barter with these people in their native currency. I figured out that if you pay for something in American coinage, they will give change in their worthless Canadian currency. What is the name of their currency anyway??? I'm officially naming it the "canuck". So, the exchange rate would be the canuck vs. the dollar. Works for me! And, in case you may be wondering, it was freakin' freezin' up there! Ottawa is just north of New York state and the Great Lakes. I hadn't experienced lake effect wind chill since my days in Ohio! They use this strange temperature measuring system called celsius. I think they use celsius because it makes it seem colder. 0 degrees celsius is freezing...that seems colder compared to 32 degrees fahrenheit! They take pride in their colder weather! From a culinary perspective, Canada, like Colorado, isn't really known for anything...there isn't a specialty food. They do have a chain of joints called, "Tim Hortons" that has some great chili. My coworkers made fun of me because I would constantly refer to it as "Tim Hoskins".

From a historical/cultural perspective, I found it to be a mix of European and American culture. They can't seem to decide which way they want to go, so their stuck in the middle. Depending on who you ask, some people prefer the European vibe, while others prefer the American vibe...just personal preference. While we Americans violently overthrew the yoke of our oppressors from that quaint little isle across the pond, Canada got down on their knees and asked politely to be somewhat independent of the throne...and this was quite sometime after we had already taken care of business! Different strokes for different folks, eh? A fellow American traveller informed me to pay attention to the news and current events in Canada. He told me that when I come back, they'll be talking about the exact same things...I'll have to watch for that, as I'm going to be venturing up there every so often.

In summary, my trip was surprisingly pleasant, the people were nice, the food was descent, and there were some fun observations to made, eh? They really need to get the queen off their coinage though...weak!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Caught in a mosh? Not quite...

2008-11-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to heavy metal since I was an early teen. I had been around it since I was very young, thanks to a couple of older cousins who would listen to the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motley Crue and AC/DC. I never got into the hair bands...unlike one of my brothers who shall remain nameless, but you can probably guess which one it is because he's such a BIG softie! My first metal band was Metallica, who I consider to be the entry level band into the genre for pretty much everybody. You start listening to Metallica, next thing you know you're listening to other metal bands, it's the natural progression. Before long, I found myself listening to Pantera, Slayer, Danzig, etc. This music fits my style and was theraputic in my rebellious, turbulent, testosterone filled teen years. Big Dave and I never got to see Metallica (or anyone else for that matter)because we lived in a small market... Reason #565 why growing up in a small town sucks is that you never get to go to concerts! I was finally able to see Metallica for the first time about 10 years ago in Utah of all places! However, Big Dave had still not seen them...Ahh! That's something we'll have to remedy now won't we!

Well, this past Tuesday, Big Dave saw Metallica live! Add one more to the bucket list! We found out a few months ago that they were coming to Denver on election night, so we got our tickets. Once Ma Busch found out I was going, she exhorted me, "you better behave yourself!" What initially was going to be just Dave and I ended up becoming a posse of 7. We had myself, Big Dave, Craig "He-Who-Thought-He-Would-Get-A-Headache" Thornton, Brother Cory, Dusty, Dvecchio and ACK! We had a blast! Metallica is so old now, they attract a more "mature" crowd to their concerts..."mature" translates to "lame" in my vocab. It was a pretty tame crowd. We watched the first band "The Sword"...they're pretty good, I like them. The next band was "Down" one of my favorites. I made dvecchio go with me and see them last year. They are composed of guys from other bands who originated in New Orleans. The lead singer, Phil Anselmo was the lead singer of Pantera and I seriously idolized that guy in high school...I'm not kidding! I warned Paw-in-law he's pretty outspoken and there's no filter with what he says. He's a pretty entertaining front man and by the end of the show, I could hear Paw-in-law saying, "I like that Anselmo guy!" I found that amusing because earlier that day, he was asking me if he was going to get a headache at the show...as if I know the goings on in that man's head...nobody knows what's going on in that man's head! During the show, we noticed this middle aged fruity guy dancing as if he were at an Abba concert. My initial thought was, "How did Bud get here???" Once I realized it wasn't Bud, we could only surmise that he must have thought he was at a Madonna concert. Had he been in Farmington, he wouldn't have survived the evening...the fact that he was among a "mature" crowd probably saved his life! Finally, we got Metallica, they've definitely gotten older as they only played for 2 hours...they used to play a lot longer! Big Dave loved it! ACK! was so into it he was going nuts! Cory and I were headbanging and singing along as loud as we could! Paw-in-law had a great time and has been talking about it ever since! The only regret is that we should've purchased general admission and gone to the front...I was hesitant because I didn't want to subject poor ol' Paw-in-law to a mosh pit...but it turns out there wasn't any real moshing going on, again, "mature" crowd. It was no "Metallica 10 years ago" or Slayer for that matter, but it was still good and I had great company!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Amy's Dirty Thirty!

2008-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, that devastatingly good looking, young, thin, irresistable to women, hunk is yours truly. That is not Amy's ex-husband, nor did I eat that guy...literally anyway. That picture was taken 8 years ago when Amy graduated (in 3 years as she was bragging about in her recent post) from college. Amy studied international politics and spent her final semester in DC working as an intern for Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos. So, in celebration of Amy's "dirty thirty" birthday, I'll post my customary blog roast in dedication to my beloved wife. My focus will be our courtship.

I first met Amy in Provo at a house I was living in with 8-10 other guys. Amy and her roomates came by our house for a get together with others...upon introductions, Amy couldn't take her eyes off me! At that time, I was working full-time driving a forklift for a soup manufacturing company in Heber City, I hadn't started college yet, but was working on enrolling...I know what you're thinking..."A rough, forklift certified hunk from New Mexico? How could Amy have resisted??" Since I was this unpolished, roughneck dude who hadn't started college yet, Amy viewed me as someone to hook up with (if you know what I mean!) on a strictly non-commitment level. I viewed Amy as just another BYU gal fawning over me. We remained friends and dated other people...we even joked that we would get married but still see other people! I noticed Amy was a little on the "bossy" side and once commented to her that I felt sorry for the dude who married her!

During these times I often reflected upon what exactly I wanted in a spouse. I decided certain traits took precedence over others. There obviously had to be a physical attraction, but I also put a heavey focus on gals who possessed personality, spunk, wit, intelligence and humor. I had to be married to someone I felt I could BS with and debate things with. I can get bored with people after a while, so I had to be with someone that would keep me on my toes! After sifting through many females and formulating what I wanted, I began seeing that Amy was someone worth chasing. For her part, Amy also began to realize I wasn't the bumpkin scumbag she initially thought I was! As these opinions were begining to materialize, Amy decided to go to DC for a semester.

Once I had a dream that I proposed to Amy, it was over for me...I was hooked and knew who I wanted. I was living in a different house at this point that was nicknamed "The Zoo" because it housed 10 college guys, 2 Egyptians, 2 pit bulls and a python...I'm not kidding! Three of my roomates were talking about dating Amy when she got back to Provo, and I'm not talking about the 2 Egyptians and the python! I realized I needed to be more aggressive and use all the game I had! So I began emailing Amy quite a bit and needless to say, the flirtations got pretty deep! This was all happening during a fall semester and in December I lost Ol' Ern to a car accident and had to take a sabbatical to New Mexico for a couple of weeks. Of course, I stayed in touch with Amy and we both returned to Provo around the same time. We immediately started dating...my roomates didn't have a chance! The rest as they say is history!

The following is a list of why I like Amy:

- She pretty much lets me do whatever I want
- She appreciates my twisted humor and sarcasm
- She is my biggest critic and will call me out on my BS anytime.
- I can be extremely honest with her
- We get our issues out in the open. This can be fun to watch since neither of us will back down from a good fight!
- She is the black sheep of her family, yet her sisters have a high respect for her and look to her for advice.
- She thinks she's always right and I LOVE it when she's wrong!!!
- Ma Busch thinks she's a saint
- Bud thinks she hung the moon

Happy Birthday Dork!

Time.....the Enemy??

2008-10-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

Time is seriously my enemy!! There is never enough of it. It slips by so quickly, and cannot be convinced to slow down. I am about to turn 30 on Halloween....I am not sure how I feel about it. I guess I am mostly irritated that it came so quickly! But I guess it serves me right, since I have always filled my life as full as it can get. For as long as I can remember, I have been "busy". In high school it was International Baccalaureate and every extra curricular activity possible. In college it was the goal to finish in 3 years that kept me going full pace. And now as a working mother, I try to do it all as well. Family, Friends, Work, Home, and Church. (Hopefully not all of you noticed that Fitness was missing!) I wonder how long I can keep this pace? Each of them mean a lot to me, so it is impossible to give any of them up! No matter how Steffan tries, I fail to learn from him the art of relaxation and letting myself get bored every once in a while. (I have learned to get an occassional massage or pedicure, but even then I am trying to squeeze them in, instead of enjoying them.) I think this is maybe why I love shopping and scrap booking so much...in my opinion, neither can be rushed. This could be why I never get enough shopping and scrap booking in! :)
So, as I turn 30 and everyone asks, "what do you want for your birthday", the only thing that comes to mind is MORE TIME! Unfortunately, that is impossible to buy! The key is to just enjoy what we have of it. I guess time is not the enemy, it is just so precious and priceless. Hopefully, by 40 I will learn how to treat time as my friend!

Additions from Mya

2008-10-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Conner is my friend too. I sit by him at calendar time.

Musings of Mya

2008-10-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

I like Jake because he plays with me. We play Star Wars. I also like Bryson, because I see him at church. Today I saw him at Grandma's riding his bike. Carson was funny at Primary. He was copying the music teacher and not singing. It was so funny!

Yesterday, I got a goal at soccer. We accidentally won. I felt happy.

I won my trophy from dancing...great! Now that's it!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Smells Like Politics

2008-10-18T14:15:00.001-07:00

Political season is upon us! Everyone starts talking about the issues and how passionate they are about them! Dinner table discussions turn from the everyday minutiae of who went shopping where and what happened at church to ill informed theorizing and grandstanding on economic policy...we all know how to fix the economy! Everyone's opinion is correct and everyone else's is wrong! If you vote for Obama, you're children will die! If you vote for McCain, the polar ice caps will melt! The Congressional candidates either party with terrorists or big oil tycoons...take your pick. The putridity of political punditry on the 24 hour news channels are closely watched and regurgitated...ratings are through the roof. Most of the time, we are pretty apathetic towards politics until "political season" rolls around. That is why I propose we change the name of "Election Day" to "Anti-Voter Apathy Day." It's the one day we can show how much we "know" about politics and how much we "care" about politics. Now, this leads to some tough questions. Is one side right and the other wrong? Is it really a matter of good vs. evil? Do everyone's beliefs fit into one of two very neatly defined pegs? My response is an emphatic no, no and NO.

Don't get me wrong, I have my beliefs and opinions...I get anti-apathetic around this time as well. I used to be more forceful about my opinions, but as I've gotten older I've realized that the more I learn the less I "know". Presently, when political discussions come up, I usually stay quiet until I interject that I favor clubbing baby seals...I really don't favor clubbing baby seals, but it usually gets a reaction! I prefer talking politics in a civilized conversational tone now. I will divulge my beliefs and why I believe them and I will listen to your beliefs and why you believe them, but I will not argue. I used to argue with Ma Busch a lot, because we don't agree on anything, but since I've learned how to tone it down, we can actually discuss issues with civility. She can make points that make me think and vice versa. And of course insulting condescension is a sure sign of stupidity...something I've been guilty of a time or two. At this point, it appears to me that political ideology stems from various factors that include personality, values, socialization, etc. In other words, it can be a very personal matter. I'm not going to change Ma Busch's opinions and she's not going to change mine, but we can enjoy each other's company and respect each other's opinions and beliefs. So, as a parting shot I state this: To Whomever is reading this rambling post, I respect your opinions...especially if you favor clubbing baby seals! Vote for Stevo!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Saucerful of Secrets...The Unauthorized Biography of Craig!

2008-10-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the birthday of Craig "He-Who-Loves-BYU-When-They're-Winning" Thornton. He is my dad-in-law and I know how old he is but I won't divulge the exact number...but I reckon it's pert near 60. So, in honor of his birthday I decided I would construct the unauthorized biography and divest some little known facts about the mysterious persona that makes up "Craig".

We'll start with hobbies. Craig's hobbies include, golf, basketball, church basketball, softball, watching golf, watching the grass grow on golf courses, mashing potatoes, giving his wife grief, giving his daughters grief, monster tag with the grandkids, smarting off to his eldest son-in-law and knitting sweaters. He also carries a passion for cute, fluffy bunnies and kittens.

What are his favorites songs you ask? See below.
- Showtunes- specifically tunes from "Mama Mia" and "Cats."
- Anything Celine Dion
- "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
- "Beer Drinkers, Hell Raisers" by ZZ Top
- "Girlz Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper
- Pretty much anything Pink Floyd-Specifically "Dark Side of the Moon." Auto-biographical perhaps?

Favorite Movies:
- Joe Vs. The Volcano
- Titanic
- Gremlins
- Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

In conclusion, many dudes from church comment about how intense he is while playing sports, i.e, basketball and softball. All I can say is that I have a method of calming him down when he gets uptight like that. I simply grab one of ear and pull on it...he settles down in no time! He's also ticklish. He's really one big softie, all bark, no bite. He's a good dad-in-law who I enjoy talking trash to since he's such an easy target. He also does a good job staying active for an old codger...As the old bluesmen say, "a rolling stone gathers no moss." Happy birthday, brother!

I had made up a story about his childhood that involved potato farming QA, spam, green jello with carrot strips and funeral potatoes, but Amy didn't like it...I've been censored!

Quickie with Stevo...Amy's been tagged!

2008-10-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Looks like Amy's been tagged by our sister-in-law Nicole! This is exciting...neither of us have ever been tagged before so Amy will respond to the tag and I,"Stevo" will add my two pesos...or maybe it's the other way around!

8 TV Shows I love to watch (I have to pick 8?)!
- Grey's Anatomy
- So You Think You Can Dance
- Dancing With the Stars/football players because Amy loves them
- The Office
- The local news (gag me)
- Copious amounts of football
- College Gameday
- The History Channel

Amy also enjoys Nick at Nite, The Sci-Fi channel, knitting documentaries and PBS.

8 favorite restaurants:
- The Outback
- Qdoba
- PF Changs
- Heaven Dragon
- Cafe Mexico
- Famous Dave's
- Woody's
- B-dubs

Amy also enjoys $1 burritos off the street, foodcourts and concession stands.

8 things that happened yesterday:
- Mya's dance class
- work (loansharking)
- real work
- Monday Night Football
- Dancing with the Stars
- enrichment
- random acts of violence
- went to lunch with Grandpa Lee

8 things I am looking forward to:
- Halloween
- Las Vegas (you know the saying...)
- Christmas shopping
- any kind of shopping
- quarter end
- the weekend
- the end of soccer season
- vacation with Stevo...

Amy is also looking forward to her upcoming readings which include but are not limited to: the book of Deuteronomy, War & Peace, Das Kapital and Uncle Wiggly.

8 things I love about Fall:

- Halloween
- football
- Halloween
- fall on the farm
- football
- spectacular, colorful, amazing, beautiful Colorado mountains
- football
- dressing the kids up for Halloween

Amy also loves getting fallen leaves stuck under her shoes, getting a cold and the kids getting colds.

8 things on my wish list:
- retirement
- a permanently clean house
- happy children...nothing a few tranquilizers can't fix
- happy husband...nothing a few anti-psychotics can't fix
- exceed quota
- vacation
- world peace
- the end of election season

Amy also wishes for thicker phone books, more shopportunities and to escape the Matrix...

LETTERS FROM STEVO: "Just some good ol' boys...never meanin' no harm...

2008-09-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

...Seen all you ever saw, been in trouble with the law since the day they was born... Ahh yes! The theme song to the Dukes of Hazzard, my favorite show as a child. I had a Dukes big wheel and I remember this girl down the street having a Daisy Duke big wheel...I thought I was in love at 6 years old! I'm conjuring up the Dukes because they drove an old Dodge Charger. What's your point, you ask? My point is this...I needed to buy a new car and once again I saught your help in deciding what I should get. I gave 6 options: Gutless Kia Wimp-mobile, 87 Toyota Tercel, 08 Dodge Charger, 77 Ford Pinto, some kind of grocery go-getter, or a Volkswagon Bus. Needless to say, you people let me down again! Three votes in favor of the Kia, 1 vote in favor of the Pinto, 1 vote in favor of the bus and finally one GOOD vote for the Charger...Again, thanks for nothing. So, as usual, I didn't take your advice (execpt for the one GOOD vote) and bought a Charger. I love muscle cars! I view a car as something more than just a vessel used to transport one from point A to point B, but as a toy or an attitude! I'm trying to teach Peyton these same principles. We play with Hot Wheels and I taught him a saying...whenever I ask him, "Peyton, what do we like?" He responds, "chicks & cars!" Now we're talking!!!

Now, my father-in-law, Craig "He-Who-Gets-His-Bell-Rung-By-Water" Thornton thought I was bluffing last week when I wrote that if he didn't get an entry into our college pick 'em, I would create an entry for him...and he wouldn't like it! Of course, Craig apparently didn't believe me because he made no entry. Well, I'm a man of my word and I don't bluff! Last week, I created Bud's entry under the guise "Enlarged Prostate." This week, I created Craig's entry under the moniker, "Plays With Kittens." So, we have Enlarged Prostate and Plays With Kittens getting their collective butts kicked by me every week in pick 'em!

I finally started my new job today and it went well! I get a blackberry pearl to use for my phone. Now, I just have to figure out how to use this fancy thingamajigger contraption!

"Fightin' the system like two modern day Robin Hoods...Yeeehawww!"

Mother of the Year??? Not Quite...

2008-09-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

So often I hear only the bad things my kids are up to. Not listening, fighting, ignoring authority, screaming, not sharing, whining...the list goes on. So, I was surprised to read an email from the Mother of one of Mya's classmates. It reads:

I have a daughter in Mya’s class. She has been having difficulties when I have been dropping her off. She doesn’t want me to leave and gets quite upset. I have to say your daughter is amazing! This morning she was so cute and took her hand and walked her into class and helped her out! I thought you would want to know how impressed I was. She was thoughtful, caring, and very sweet! Thank you for teaching your daughter all those qualities as it made my day much easier! Once again thank you so much, she was absolutely wonderful this morning!

I guess I am doing something right for once! :)

Is it Halloween yet?

2008-09-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

It is known by all that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I wonder why?? :) I am so excited about Halloween this year. I am turning 30, so I guess I should dread it. I have the kids costumes purchased and ready to go. They came in the mail this week. I love the internet! The kids LOVE them and had to test them out today. I never knew how well a Bear and a Fairy could get along. They have been coming up with all sorts of games and activities. I might as well get full usage out of these adorable costumes. (Mya's costume was from Hannahstutus.com, I HIGHLY recommend them!) I can't believe we have over a month to go for this beloved holiday. Candy Corn here I come! A day where we can be anything we want!! Who doesn't love Halloween!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: And the Heisman goes to...Stevo???

2008-09-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

So I went to Tennessee over the weekend and won the Heisman...Just kidding! As real as this picture looks, I'm not "actually" on the cover of SI, nor did I "actually" win the Heisman. But that is "actually" one of the Heisman trophies. How did I get to hold the Heisman you ask? I was able to accompany Bud and Big Dave to the Tennessee/Florida game on Saturday. Sports Illustrated was sponsoring a tent that had one of the trophies. We were able to take a picture with it if we simply filled out a survey that had to do with Nissan cars or something...you can tell I paid attention to the survey, I think I did see something about 10% interest rate with 12 year loan at $550/month as I signed the document. The atmosphere of the game was great, with great traditions and obnoxious fans from both teams. Upon arriving, we were immediately met by some Florida fans who enthusiastically welcomed us to Knoxville! The Gator fans seemed a lot more excited about the game than a lot of the Vols fans (we were aware of our impending doom!) We watched the band march down the street towards the field...as they played "Rocky Top" and the Tennessee Waltz I think I caught a tear in Bud's eye. Of course the game wasn't so great as the Vols got their butts handed to 'em.

Other than the blow out game we had a good time. We went boating, spoke copious amounts of B.S., Bud's pet feline, Mr. Pusse' chewed up the headphones to my ipod...I'm not 100% sure it was Mr. Pusse', it could've been Big Dave, you should see him when he gets hungry. I accompanied Bud and Char to a small country/bluegrass concert in downtown Dandridge. The opening act was simply a glorified karaoke singer. Bud and Char got up and danced in front of the stage. I saw that coming a mile away...Bud's a total dancing queen, not to mention a bit of a diva! As we left, the gay dude who organized the event was trying to get Char to dance with him. I think he was just using her to get to Bud! I entered Bud into my College Pick 'Em tournament under the username "Enlarged Prostate", then proceeded to kick his butt this weekend. Craig "He Who Takes Softball Way Too Seriously" Thornton had better sign up or I'll do it for him and he may not like his moniker either. I also had the opportunity to finally ride in Bud's Kia...the most gutless, wimpy 4 banger on the planet, not just any Kia, Bud's Kia. I decided that from now on anytime I refer to something as a "piece of sh*t", I'll just use the phrase, "piece of Kia". In all seriousness, it was a lot of fun and Bud and Char are fun and hospitable. Char is a great cook, I really enjoy eating the meals she prepares! I thank you...my belly thanks you!

Quickie With Stevo...Mission Accomplished

2008-09-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

Before I begin I'd just like to acknowledge that my sister-in-law, Jen, is now officially been labelled a "Sidecar Sally" after her little motorcycle adventure this past weekend with Dustin. Congrats sister-in-law!

I had my 3rd interview with ACT this morning at 7am with the General Counsel/VP of HR for the company. The interview went well. A few hours later I was offered the position and I have gleefully accepted! I start on the 29th. Now I just need to find a car. The company checked my references and fortunately I wasn't thrown under the proverbial bus too much! I like using the proverbial word "proverbial"...makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about...and, it always adds legitimacy to the proverbial blog post.

Just try it

2008-09-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

I only have one response to Steffan's blog entry....

For those who could not picture it, here is the visual:

And just so you know, when I asked Mya who Chris Farley reminded her of, she quickly said, "Dad, he can dance that way, I know he can".

- Chris Farley with Patrick Swayze - try out4 Chippendale @ Yahoo! Video

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Survey Says! Male Escorting? Chip & Dip Party Consultant?

2008-09-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Now that the recent poll has closed, I have the results and I am a little shocked...3votes in favor of males escorting, 3 votes in favor of chip & dip party consultant, 2votes for professor of useless information and 1 vote for bouncer. Not a single vote for HR? Do you guys really want me to become a males escort? I'm glad I'm not relying on YOU PEOPLE to steer me in the proper career path!!! So thanks for nothing. By the way, Amy voted in favor of me becoming a male escort! That just coincides with what Amy has always thought about me. She is always trying to "objectify" me...I'm not an "equal partner" but merely an "object"...and not a very pleasant one at that. Why must men be treated like objects? I'm weary of the constant objectification of the male species! So anyway, Amy ordered the book above on ebay...it should be here any day now.

The job search has been going surprisingly well. I had a second interview yesterday with a company called ACT Conferencing. They are based in Golden. It is a small company that promotes audio and visual conferencing resources, as well as quality customer service to any business that holds conference calls and online meetings. I would be doing HR. This is also the company I interviewed with last Friday. I felt I interviewed rather well (a skill I've developed a lot over the last 4 years). I was even thanked for an answer I gave to a question...I know, I'm a pretty good bullshi**er! I learned it from Amy and Bud. She asked if I could please stop talking to which I responded in the affirmative to which she responded, "thank you, now moving on..." Just kidding, it really didn't happen that way. I'm qualified for the job...I'm up against one other candidate so it will come down to who the better fit is.

In completely unrelated news...We had watched one of the Star Wars flicks and Mya decided that she would pretend that we were all characters from the movie. She is of course Princess Leia, Peyton is Luke Skywalker and I'm Darth Vader...hey, if the shoe fits...She decided that Amy is Yoda! That is hilarious!!! Amy says it is because she is so wise...sure Amy...just keep telling yourself that!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...It's the economy stupid!

2008-09-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

So I returned to work on Tuesday after a nice Labor Day weekend hanging out with Ma Busch and Big Dave, when, that afternoon, our Area VP flew in unannounced and came to my office and closed the door. He noted my Tennessee Vols football helmet and I started cracking jokes about their debacle of a game from the previous night, but he wasn't laughing...I can usually make this guy laugh so I got a little worried at this point. We sat down and he proceeded to tell me that the company is restructuring it's territory and that there was no longer a need for my services because of where I am located. I was shocked but not surprised. Business has been down quite a bit this year and for the last few months I had kept this scenario in the back of my mind. The company I work for has never done lay offs ever! What does that tell you about the state of the economy! So, my last day is Sept. 12. I was offered a severance package that includes keeping a company car for a month, after which, we'll need to buy a car. I haven't owned a car in 4 years! Amy and I immediately went into damage control mode thinking of what things we can cut out of the budget. Fortunately, Amy has a great job so we aren't in any dire straits.

Now that the shock, sad, angry phases have already passed, I'm in acceptance mode and am already looking for work. In fact, I've already got an interview lined up for Friday! One nice thing about HR is that you can work in any industry! Do you honestly think I know how to rent a car? I feel bad for ops people who have been laid off, especially those who have been with the company for many years because car rental is all they know! So now I'm spending my last days updating my resume and looking for jobs. I've asked my boss to write me a letter of defamation...EERRRR...recommendation, to which she has graciously agreed. We'll see what pans out. Who knows, perhaps I get into another career path altogether! That is a lot harder to do...I can probably find something in HR a lot quicker. If it comes down to it, I'll do whatever it takes...even flipping burgers??? My philosophy is such that whether you are a housewife or househusband or a CEO (ok, maybe not a CEO, or a politician for that matter!) there is nobility in all work!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Chip & Dip Benders and Broncos Cheerleaders!

2008-08-27T18:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is Peyton beaming and blushing with the Broncos Cheerleaders. He also managed to give them a kiss on the cheek! I've got to hand it to him, the boy has got some game! We were able to attend a Broncos family day at Mile High stadium (that's right! I said Mile High, not Invesco!) The festivities included three of my favorite things: food, football and cheerlead...EERRR...family! There were lots of games and BBQ sponsored by Brother's BBQ. And best of all...it was free. If it's free it's for ME! The kids got lots of free gear and got to meet Miles the Broncos mascot. I wanted to get a picture with the cheerleaders but I figured that would increase their suspicion that I'm just some dirty old man. I imagined them reciting some sort of "code of conduct" that discussed a "zero tolerance" policy in regards to "sexual harassement of any kind" and "creating a hostile work environment" which would result in my immediate expulsion from the peremesis. So I basically refrained from even giving them eye contact. Such are the personal battles within me! I am not a dirty old man! Not yet anyway...wait 'til I'm about 50ish. Peyton, on the other hand, can pull off the, "look at me! I'm cute and innocent!" act until he's a pre-teen at least.

Now for my analysis on the "chip & dip" poll. Based on the sampling, which is completely statistically insignificant, I have come to the conclusion that a variety of people read this blog! Perceptive, I know... Those who may have answered that they did in fact throw chip & dip benders are acknowledging that they were perceived to be really cool in junior high. I'm sure many pre-pubescent, voice-cracking, physically awkward, orthodontia faced colleagues attended. For those who anwered that they did not because they weren't cool enough...well, they were probably right. And thinking back on junior high...that probably isn't a bad thing! I count myself in this category with pride! For those who wanted to, but their parents thought chip & dip benders to be of the devil...all I can say is, your parents probably sucked majorly. It is my humble prayer that you didn't turn out as lame as your folks! And finally, for those who threw this party of potato chip & dip deliciousness, but no one showed up except your grandparents...all I can say is, your grandparents were probably a lot cooler than you and showed up to your party out of pity. In summary, let me just state for the record that there was no right answer to this poll because it is impossible to be cool in junior high. There are two types of junior high kids, those who tried to be cool and those who knew it wasn't going to happen no matter how hard they, or anyone else for that matter, tried!

LETTERS FROM STEVO..."Ode to Stevo" written by Edgar Allan...BUD???

2008-08-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying we will not be implementing a playlist on our blog per the response I got from you. I have nothing against those who do playlists, it's just not our thing. Now, I am posting a poem that was written as a roast about me. Some background...I found out last week while talking to my grandpa, Bud Underwood, that he has a knack for writing poetry. Who knew??? Ma Busch didn't even know! So, I requested that he write a poem that roasts me and I would put in my blog. Well, apparently my wish was his command because I got it in the mail today! So, without further notice...I present "Ode to Stevo" by Bud Underwood.

One day he came a struttin'

Out of old New Mexico

Down there where the pinion

And that wild cactus grow

He ambled up to Ohio

To try to save a soul or two

Where he learned to watch the Buckeyes

While filling up the Mormon pews

Well, he didn't become a yankee

So we really have no fear

'Cause his heart remained Dixie

With those Tennessee Volunteers

Now he didn't care for Abba

Singing of the Dancing Queen

Or any of those cowboys

Twanging up the music scene

So he looked around

And I guess he had to settle

'Cause he ended up a jamming

To the sounds of heavy metal

Then he met that pretty Amy

And that really changed his tune

'Cause she showed him pretty quickly

Who had really hung the moon

And so we wrote this little song

From brother, friend, or granny

To show how much fun it is

To roast his big ol' fanny!

Thanks Buddy! I owe ya!

First day of School!

2008-08-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Mya's First Day of Kindergarten....

Told by Mya:

"Once upon a time there was a girl named Mya. Mya went to Kindergarten for the first time. She had a great teacher, and two friends. Lauren and Ella. She had a great day, and her favorite thing to do was play and play. She also had lunch with her friends. And she learned to climb a pole. She loves Kindergarten."

Told by Mom:

I am not sure how time flew by so quickly, but here we are! Mya was so excited for Kindergarten, but of course a little nervous too. We walked to school from my Mom's house, although she wanted to ride her bike. We took a couple of pictures, although the sun was really bright and right in her eyes. She was so excited to see she had some friends in her class. And her teacher, Ms. Frankenfeld is amazing. She is so personable with the parents and so personal with the children. She is just perfect for Mya. She even asked Mya to bring her new favorite book to school tomorrow, since Mya just figured out how to read it. "The Foot Book" by Dr. Seuss. Yes, she really can read it. I am amazed! Yes, I am an annoyingly proud mom! So, we branched out to a new book, "I Wish for a Fish" tonight. She can do pretty well with it too. I am so proud of her, and hope we can somehow teach her to love to read. So far, so good!

So, after we met up with her class and teacher in front of the school, Ms. Frankenfeld told the kids to hug and kiss their parent's goodbye. Mya got this look of fright in her eyes, but said goodbye, found her nearest friend from Preschool, Ella, and grabbed her hand and walked into the school. They paused for one last wave goodbye. And yes, I did cry a couple of quick tears. It surprised me a little, since I have been taking her to some form of preschool/daycare since she was 2 months old, but this is a big step. I am so happy for her! And for a few months I was happy for me and my wallet! But then I added up the full day Kindergarten and the After school program, and I am not really saving a dime! Oh well! Kids will never get less expensive! ;)

Quickie with Stevo...blog playlist??

2008-08-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

As I have examined other blogs I have noticed that many create playlists of songs that play while the blog is being viewed. This got me thinking...should we implement a playlist? If so, what songs should we choose? I'll of course consult with Amy since we are a...ahem...team. But I want others feedback as well. Please post a comment and let us know 1.) if we should post a playlist and 2.) what songs should we use? I want your feedback!!!

Rain, Rain Go Away.....

2008-08-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, by the name of this post the Sun is always shining in Colorado! We rarely go a day without glimpse of sunshine. And our Sunsets are simply amazing! We have over 300 days of sunshine every year, which I have come to rely on. I love it! I crave it! You think I would have an abundance of it right now. It is August, our hottest month. We are used to the stray afternoon thunderstorm, but what we are experiencing now.....UGH! We are in the middle of a freak rain storm! And we only have a high of 50 degrees! I never thought in my lifetime I would see people in sweatshirts and coats in August (but anything can happen in Colorado, right?). It started on Thursday, lasted all day Friday, and they are forecasting an entire day of rain today, and more rain tomorrow! 4 Solid days of rain?? in Denver?? in August?? Impossible, right? After the hottest July on record, with over 25 straight days of 90 degrees or hotter (many in the 100's), I was feeling very spoiled. I just love it that way. We went boating at the lake, swimming, to the park, or generally outside everyday. No need to wash the car, just sit back and enjoy the sunshine! It was just GREAT! I know not everyone appreciates this type of weather. The grass and plants were certainly suffering. My Grandma Shirley has been praying for a blizzard. And apparently her prayers go straight to heaven! We have a road closed today in the mountains due to 30 degree temps and over 6 inches of snow. I know we need the precipitation. But still, this is getting ridiculous! I was already feeling rather irritated with life this week, and this weather is pushing me over the edge. I need a good dose of sunshine! I will have to wait, there is none planned today and maybe none tomorrow. If it weren't for 2 crazy kids, I would still be in bed - sleeping or reading or watching a movie. I could never survive the Northwest! Although, I hear they are supposed to reach 100 degrees in Seattle today, something is wrong with this picture..."The Sun is shining in Seattle"?....no way!!??

LETTERS FROM STEVO...It's time for ACTION!!!

2008-08-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

...And I am a man of action! And I call all who are reading this quaint little blog to action in the name of Amy! As many of you know, Amy is a very passionate person. And every once in a while a "hot button" issue will come along that gets Amy's dander up. This particular issue has been weighing on her mind recently so I decided I would take matters into my own hands and sound the trumpet! Now, one thing I decided as I began posting on this blog is that I wouldn't get into politics...well I'm diving head first into the shallow end of the pool and no one can stop me! You're probably wondering what the issue is right?

The issue at hand is traffic light ignorance. You see, Amy takes issue with any car that is stopped too pre-maturely at the light. Stopping pre-maturely at the light fails to trigger the light to change...allegedly. I have been told many times as we are driving that if I would just pull up a few inches the light would magically turn green! The conversation usually goes as follows (I've already pulled up to the light and we are waiting, some more patiently than others, for the light to turn green)..."You need to pull up closer to the light." My response, "I'm close enough." Amy's retort, "no you're not, you need to move up closer so the light will sense that we're here and will turn green." Through situations like this I have been educated as to the ways of the traffic light. I also hear about it when we are behind a car that is at the front and the light hasn't changed in 5 seconds. "They need to move up! They're not far enough up to the light!" Who knew this??? I sure didn't! And by the looks of it there are possibly millions of others who don't know this either! I know what you're thinking...something must done, but what?

My proposal is that we create a fund that can shed light on this topic and educate (or opiate) the masses! We'll call it the National Traffic Light Education Fund, or NTLEF! All donations payable to Stevo. Also, we need to write our Congressmen...state and federal! If you're a Democrat, make it a federal issue, if you're a Republican, make it a state issue. This issue transcends party lines and must be addressed immediately! We must act! Think of the children!

Quickie with Stevo...stump Stevo???

2008-08-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

If you want a chance to stump me, you'll get a shot by going on to my football blog (http://stevosfootballmadness.blogspot.com) and learning how to sign up for "Stump the Stevo". It's just a friendly little game of college pick 'em and it's FREE to do! Do you have what it takes to beat me at college pick 'em??? Well...do ya punk???

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Praise ye bw-3! We know we are not worthy to partake of thy delicious wings!

2008-08-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

I served my two years in Columbus, Ohio, the birthplace of Buffalo Wild Wings! Of course, 11-12 years ago it was a fledgling chain of outstanding and thoroughly delish wings called "Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck" or "bw-3". The restaurant was started by 2 truly inspired dudes who I believe were in the Cleveland area. Needless to say, I dined there numerous times during my tour of duty! Every Tuesday was 20 cent wing day which was perfect for my meager, middle class (no extra funds from the fam) budget. As the resident zone leader, it was also imperative that I drag my fellow colleagues to this place...It didn't take much dragging as they were just as a big of fans! I lived in an apartment with 3 other dudes and we created our own bw-3 shrine that we frequently prayed and sang praises to with zealous fervor. The prayer/praise typically went as such, "Praise ye bw-3 for we know that thou art the greatest and thou maketh the most delicious buffalo wings!" We, as well as the other 200+ dudes-in-ties even had our own nickname for the restaurant...b-dubs.

There are now b dubs all over the country including 3 in my general vicinity! Needless to say my little family and I eat there every so often. Amy does boneless and the kids typically eat mac-n-cheese. I'm a spicy garlic guy myself...though back in the day I could handle the "blazin" but my palate has been de-programmed from the hottest of spices ever since I left New Mexico. But at any rate, we went to a new one tonight to break it in. Amy orders her usual combo of spicy garlic and Asian zing. Peyton decides he needs to try the wings! He licks them, takes little bites and of course it burns him! He whines a little...then takes another bite/lick...whines again...then proceeds to go at it again! This vicious cycle goes on for a while as Peyton just keeps burning himself but is so stubborn he has to keep trying it again! Dude is nuts, but he won't stop! I think by the end of dinner, he had drank all four of our drinks! As we walked out, Amy asked him if the wings were hot, to which Peyton in his 3 year old voice replied, "they're not hot, they're spicy!" I have to give Peyton credit, I wouldn't have done that at that age or even much older! Dude has some serious huevos! Or, issues depending on how you look at it!

Quickie with Stevo...mixed tapes!

2008-08-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Emily for finally picking up her much anticipated new book, "Breaking Wind"... I made Amy a playlist on my ipod that she can listen to while she runs. It reminds me of the teenage years when people would make mixed tapes for the objects of their affections. It typically involved some hair band ballads, some Chris Isaak and maybe even a little R&B depending on how into diversity you were! I recall Big Dave making numerous tapes for his women...it worked for the first couple of days, then they were usually broken up after a week, two weeks tops. I never made mixed tapes for anyone...mainly because I was too much of a retard to attract anyone of the opposite sex. The playlist I made for Amy is definitely not of the Chris Isaak variety. She wanted something to get her fired up while she goes on her runs, so I included a variety of "fire it up" music that includes Metallica, Slayer and Rage Against the Machine. I slipped the Slayer song in just to see how she would react and she actually likes it!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Congrats Big Dave! Happy Birthday Lisa! Supplemental Material...Humble Pie!

2008-07-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hailey Brooke Busch was born to Big Dave and his wife Lyndley on Thursday in Farmington, NM. She was 7lbs. 12oz. and 21 inches long. I haven't been formally introduced yet, but she looks like a cutie to me! Mya may have some competition in the diva dept!

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mom-in-Law Lisa a happy birthday today! I'm not sure how old she is so we'll just call it 27. She was the first of Amy's family to give me a hug and has always been very generous to me and treated me with great respect. She has a tough job being married to Craig "He-Who-Must-Always-Find-The-Closest-Parking-Spot" Thornton, but she pulls it off with style and grace.

Finally, I had the opportunity to try some events from the Highland Games. The Highland Games are an old Scottish tradition that involve things like throwing rocks and hammers. It requires some skill and core strength...two things I don't have in abundance. Needless to say I didn't do so hot and being the hotly competitive guy that I am it was a little...embarassing. I figure with practice and core strength training I could get better. Afterall, my own brother, Big Dave took state in shot-put in high school...so I know it's the genes, right? The whole experience was a big piece of humble pie...mmmm...delish!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Are you ready for some #$#@&! football???

2008-07-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Fall! Football! I'm like a kid in a candy shop! Saturday College football! Sunday NFL football! Monday Night Football! Female College Cheerlead...EERRR...I mean school spirit...yeah that's what I meant...I know it's still a month away but I wanted to announce that I am creating a blog specifically dedicated to one of my passions in life and you can probably guess what that is by now...scrapbooking!!!! Just kidding...football. The blog will contain weekly thoughts on college and pro football as well as those friendly and not so friendly competitive events that occur throughout the football season...complete with the chance to "Stump the Stevo" every week...that shouldn't be too hard. If you love the game (or even like the game...or are maybe somewhat interested in the game) check out my blog at http://stevosfootballmadness.blogspot.com. Refer your friends and neighbors! After all, we are a missionary people...

Mya....5 going on 15

2008-07-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

As promised, I want to blog a little about Mya in celebration of her 5th Birthday! I remember every detail of the day Mya came into the world. As Steffan mentioned last week, it was such an amazing experience and a moment that simply changes you forever. Words and phrases cannot describe how I feel being a Mother. It is just a feeling and an emotion that is all consuming. Mya came into this world kicking and screaming about being disrupted from her peaceful slumber. She was born via scheduled C-section, since she was breach with the cord around her neck. She had a perfect round head and a gorgeous smile, dimple included. From the start she was independent, intelligent, and just amazing! She continues to amaze us! Mya loves to learn and explore and ask questions (I have already gotten the questions about child birth and where babies come from). She loves to meet new people and is constantly introducing herself to people everywhere we go. She has a bossy streak, no surprise to those who know me. And she is extremely stubborn, no surprise to those who know Steffan. She loves to dance, sing, play with horses and other stuffed animals and figurines. She always wants to dress up, put on make up, and glam everything up. She loves shopping and shoes, no surprise to those who know her Aunt Jen (Mya is a Nordstrom's Manager in training). And loves to bake and be a homemaker, like my Mom (this may be a surprise to those who know me!). She takes piano lessons from my sister Emily and loves music, thanks to Steffan's obsession with it. Her favorite thing is to "rock it out!" or do freeze dance. She loves our big family, and all the cousins and Grandma's she has, although she wishes we lived closer to Gavin and Grandma "LaLa" (where she gets the Drama Queen in her!). Mya has always been a joy in our lives! She has her moments of craziness and drama, but I love that wild streak in her. It keeps our lives full of adventure. We just love her!!

Mya Elizabeth

1 Year Old

2 Years Old

3 Years Old

4 Years Old5 Years Old

Quickie with Stevo- Sweep the Leg!

2008-07-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

Since we were on the subject of 80's teen movies, I wanted to share a music video that spoofs "The Karate Kid". The music video is by a band I've never heard of called No More Kings. The song is called "Sweep the Leg" and talks about the antagonist in the Karate Kid, Johnny who was played by William Zabka. Zabka directs and stars in this video...which shows us what "Johnny" is doing in the present day. Ralph Macchio is also in it, as is the Sensei that tells Johnny to "Sweep the Leg". It's pretty funny...the link is www.sweeptheleg.com. You can also catch it on Youtube.

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Revenge of the IBM Nerds!!!

2008-07-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

So Amy has a presentation today at work. She has to present to her managers how exactly she is going to achieve her quota for this quarter. The two distinguished gentlemen above are who she is presenting to...just kidding! Apparently, one of her colleagues has prepared 22 PowerPoint slides for her respective presentation...boredom called...it wants its livelihood back! So Amy and I were discussing this topic this morning and I came up with an idea of what she should do.

I recalled the spirit of the 80's teen flicks. The structure of the movie always entailed the protagonist(s) being rather nerdy and unpopular. The conflict involves said protagonist trying to eradicate the unpopularity somehow...whether it be some hair brained gimmick or learning how to fight, etc. And of course ultimately the protagonist is attempting to win the heart of the popular varsity cheerleader who just so happens to be dating the jock/antagonist who is out to foil our heroes plans. The cheerleader always has sympathy for the nerd, while the jock always hates the nerd. Then eventually the nerd and the cheerleader fall in love and the world is transformed into a benevolent utopian society. In many of these movies there is a sequence where the nerd has to perform for someone or some group for some sort of approval...(think "Revenge of the Nerds", or "Bill & Ted") So with Amy being the "nerd" and management being the group that has to "approve", I decided that for her presentation, Amy needs bring in a boom box, dim the room lights so that flashy spotlights and disco balls can illuminate the room and "perform" her presentation. I'm thinking something along the lines of 80's/white suburban/nerd rapping, complete with colorful, hip 80's attire. She can't lose! They will love it! In fact, I'll bet they start dancing on the table! It's win/win all the way! Now of course, this whole scenerio begs the question...with Amy being the "nerd"...does that make me the varsity cheerleader? Rad! Dreams can come true!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Diary of a Madman!

2008-07-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Mya's birthday went off without a hitch (thanks largely to Amy)...celebrating Mya's fifth birthday made me reflect a little about my blonde haired, blue eyed diva. I recall the day she came out via C section (and yes I watched the whole procedure...I'm a sick man!) and Mya was placed on the table to be examined like fungus in a petrie dish. She screamed and screamed and screamed! She was seriously ticked after discovering these new sensations of light and dry air, I felt a strange sense of foreshadowing of future events... As a newborn she would wake up every morning at 5am and I would lay her on my chest to fall back asleep. Not even a year old yet, she would pick up on my rather blunt and coarse language...I believe her interpretation of my word was, "sit!" She would laugh hysterically after saying it! And yeah...so I curse every once in awhile! What are you gonna do about it??? In a nutshell, her birth may have been the single most euphoric event of my stubborn and sarcastic life!

Not to change the subject or anything, but...Amy has a strange habit of placing random things/clothes/scrapbooking materials on the dryer and leaving them there. I believe she considers it storage space. It drives me nuts! It's clutter and it's in the way! What could possibly be so wonderful about leaving random objects on the dryer??? I have a theory. I believe the act gives Amy some sort of high or something...that's the only thing I can think of. Maybe it releases certain amounts of seratonin in the brain like a narcotic...and Amy's addicted! I've been tempted to try this myself, but I fear the high may be too much for me to bear and I'll develop an addiction! Then imagine how much crap gets piled on that dryer!!! I don't even want to think about it...must...stay...strong... Wait! Maybe Amy has something deeply ENSCONSED in the pile of rubbish? I just had to use the word ENSCONSED because it's one I recently learned from Nat Gibson and I had been desirous to utilize this new little treasure. I get like that with new words...I have to use them. For example, my boss once taught me the word MOTIF and I was fascinated by it. You have to remember, I was schooled in small desert town academics where learnedness is not prized.

Peyton has decided that it's funny to pat my stomach and say, "big belly!" and then laugh hysterically! What gives! About a month ago, an opponent in flag football called me a "fat #%@!" after I mauled him a little...again, what gives! Like I need to be reminded that I have a bit of a weight problem??? So I'm a bigger guy...there's just more of me to love! I could not only bench press the guy in flag football, he would be my warm up! I've already put up my uncle Bill and Dustin (guy dating Jen)...and I've got my sights set on Cory and Craig "He-Who-Sunbathes-in-His-Backyard" Thornton.

Alive....barely

2008-07-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, finally a post from Amy.....no really, it is me Amy. I need to write a tribute to Mya on her 5th Birthday, but feel like I must write up a quick post on all the happenings in my life and the Busch household. I know I am the biggest slacker lately when it comes to my friends and postings. I am really sad about it. And very sorry I have been missing so much around me. I have learned to despise my computer and I cannot be on it enough for work, so I avoid it completely when I can. I enjoy my job, and it is going really well. But it is tough to "disconnect" from it. I could literally work all day and night and still have more to do. A sales person's dream come true - but not a Mothers!

We are having a great summer. I love summer, even though I can't fully enjoy it while working full time. Mya and Peyton have had to stick to their school schedules too, which is sad, but they do have some fun days during the summer where they have field trips and splash days. So that makes it more enjoyable. Plus my Mom makes sure to take them swimming, and to the lake, and out to lunch, and lets them stay in their PJs all day when they need to. What would I do without my Mom?!? They just adore her and love their days with her.

We really enjoyed the Fourth of July! We had a bike parade for the kids and then spent all day at the Lake. It was so enjoyable to just be with my family and soak in the sun and water. I do love this country and all the freedom and happiness it allows me. Mya learned to sing "My Country Tis of Thee" and was so excited that we also got to sing it at Church.

This is such a rambling post. SORRY! I am not sure what to write, I just know I need to....

Rachel will be proud to know I have kept up my running - and although I am not up to her level of Marathons and such, I am up to running a 5K. I run as often as I can (when I can get up!), and have really enjoyed getting up early and taking some time for my health and strength (mind and body). My kids also notice it, which is good. It is very difficult to teach my children a balanced life with all I have to do for work, but I am trying my best. If only I could get in more scrapbooking and reading! I do miss having a good book around. Recommendations anyone?
I have been working hard at my calling as the Enrichment Leader, hoping I am enriching someones life out there! :) I enjoy all the activities we have at least. We are doing the Fitness Club, Scrapbooking, Humanitary Projects, Temple trips, and have spend the summer doing Mother & Son night and soon we are doing Mother & Daughter. I am lucky to be working with my Mom on this calling, as she is the Enrichment counselor in the RS Presidency. Again, what would I do without my Mom!?!

In June we had a great visit with Steffan's Mom, Laura. She came to town for a week and got to sleep in our newly finished basement! It was so much fun to have her here. The kids just LOVE seeing her and spending time with her. And Steffan loves talking her ear off and arguing with her. It gives me a nice break from it! LOL! Mya also had her dance recital in June. She did such a great job, and really enjoyed dance this year - even with her 6 weeks off from surgery. She taught the dance to all her boy cousins, and showed it off to everyone. Isn't her costume adorable?
Well, enough of my ramblings. I could probably write all night. I will also do a birthday post on Mya. Can you believe she is 5?!?!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...beauty is only skin deep! It's what's inside that counts! Supplemental material: Tonka Trucks!

2008-06-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the picture above, Peyton has a thing for fish. I just hope that particular fish is female! We were at Clay's pond and Craig "He-Who-Wears-White-Moccasins" Thornton had just given me some pointers on how to properly cast a line. I had some rookie luck and caught a couple of bass. After catching one particular bass Peyton was instructed to give the fish a kiss and without any hesitation proceeded with an attempt to give Big Mouth Billy Bass a big wet lickery kiss right on the slimy ol' smoochers! Needless to say he was restrained! I guess there's no accounting for taste! Dependent upon his mood, Peyton can either be extremely obedient or extremely defiant/stubborn...there's not much middle ground. He also possesses an INTENSE love of animals. He once tried to hold a newborn chick and smushed it...fatally crippling it! Had PETA heard about this, they would've doused him in fake blood! Also, in case your wondering, Peyton's hair was hit by a tornado and hasn't been the same since.

In other news, I had the opportunity of a lifetime and took full advantage of it! DIA has it's own Employment office and they have set up a CDL training program for those desirous to obtain a CDL. The dude heading this thing up invited me and other DIA employers to a lunch to discuss the program further. I was the only employer who showed up! After lunch, he showed me the course that they use which entails a large paved lot and copious amounts of orange cones strategically placed to either confuse people or induce seizures (I'm not sure which). Someone then pulled up one of those large, yellow, City of Denver snow plow/dump trucks because they had an appointment scheduled for a wannabe CDL driver. This person apparently didn't want to be a CDL driver that bad because he/she didn't show up. So the guy says to me, "hey, you wanna try out the course?" I said, "yeah, let me get my rental car and we'll see what it can do!" He said, "You wanna try the dump truck?" I said, "hell yeah!" So we hopped in and I got to drive the course! Only a few cones were destroyed...human casualties were relatively minimal. After the course, I figured we were done, but then he said, "you wanna take it out on the road?" I said, "hell yeah!" So I got to drive it down the road a ways and test out the dump bucket and everything! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! Upon arrival, a woman who works for the employment office that I know made the following observation, " you boys never give up your Tonka trucks, do you!" To which I responded, "no we sure don't!" That made my week! The dump truck in the upper left corner is what I drove.

Lastly, in case any are wondering, Amy is still alive (Neil Entwhistle I'm not). I continually encourage her to write something, but she claims to be "busy". She tells me that she's got to raise a husband and 2 kids and work or something... I don't know, it's confusing to me...clear as mud?

LETTERS FROM STEVO...That's right...I attended a chick concert!

2008-06-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Amy and I went to a Sheryl Crow concert at Red Rocks. I had not been to that venue yet and I was definitely impressed with it. As we entered the venue, I noticed something out of place at the front. No room for a mosh pit! How can there be any moshing without a designated moshing area? Is this really even a concert venue? Were we at the right place? I soon realized after seeing the other concert attendees that even if there were a pit, I would be the lone mosher. There was a lot of estrogen in all it's varieties at that concert! The concerts I typically attend have louder and faster guitars and there is usually a mosh pit.

The opening act was a singer/songwriter named Belinda...ERRR Brandi Carlyle. I had never heard of her, apparently she's famous because some of her songs get played at the end of the Grey's "Anatomy" shows. You know, the part at the end of the show when there's some lady narrating (is it Grey talking? Or her anatomy?) and the cameras cut to each character blankly staring off into space as if they were pontificating Hawking's theory of black holes or something. I never catch the lyrics to the songs either (probably because I don't care enough to)...I'm sure the songs are of emotions and relationships backed by an acoustic guitar and a whiny voice singing said lyrics. At any rate, I kept forgetting that it's not Belinda, it's Brandi...I had to continually fight the urge to ask her if the Go-Go's were getting back together. To her credit, she and her band did a great cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues."

Then came Sheryl Crow, one of Amy's all time favorite artists. She says she listens to her a lot when she's mad at me...apparently I'm her "favorite mistake." The concert was fun, I enjoyed observing all the middle aged people (especially the men) awkwardly try to kind of dance/move to the music (think deacon shuffle).

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Earth to Mya...do you read me? Houston, we have a diva!

2008-06-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mya has officially announced what her occupation in adulthood will be. It all started this past week... Amy and I got to go see her pre-school graduation and each distinguished, runny nosed graduate was given the opportunity to announce to the audience what they wanted to be when they grew up. Most of the kids said things like, firefighter, vet, mommy, etc. One boy said he wanted to be a "stay-at-home man"...hey, don't we all kid, I think they call it "self-employment". Then we get to Mya, and what does she say you ask? Mya said that when she grows up, she wants to be a fairy. Wait, come again?!? A fairy??? FAIRY??? What kind of an answer is that? We laughed (as did everyone else in the audience) but I was ultimately dumbfounded. How are we supposed to respond to that? So we began to question Mya about it..."so, Mya, why do you want to be a fairy when you grow up?" Or, "so, Mya, do you know anyone else who grew up to become a fairy?" And of course the obvious questions, "so, Mya, does it pay well? How are the benefits? What are the requirements to apply? i.e. schooling, certifications, etc." (yeah, maybe I am thinking about a career change, what's your point?!?) Her response has basically been that she wants to become a fairy because she just wants to and that she has never seen anyone become a fairy. We also asked her some logistical questions about how one goes about acquiring wings...It doesn't appear that she had put much thought into logistics at that point. That's where we left it...I'll keep you posted.

Mya has also decided that she wants to start a rock band. She of course is the lead singer and her girlfriends from school will fill out the rest of the roster. We discussed band names and I suggested "Fairy Princess"...she liked it initially but ultimately settled on "Wild Animals". I asked her if she was going to do Hannah Montana covers and she responded that she would prefer to come up with her own material. I figure Amy could be the manager, I'll handle security and be the announcer..."you wanted the best! You got the best..." And Peyton will hang out in the pit and initiate the moshing! That sounds like a solid business plan! She is taking piano lessons, so she's getting a good foundation. She is also doing dance again this year and is doing very well! I had the opportunity to see her in a rehearsal and she has it down pretty good! Not bad considering she missed a month with her body cast!

Finally, it was brought to my attention yesterday that Mya was very good in Primary...I wasn't aware that she was misbehaving before so I'm not quite sure how to take this report on my daughters behavior. I was then told that I needed to give her some positive reinforcement...you know...a pat on the back...a good hand shake...because apparently my brain isn't developed enough to come to such conclusions on my own. Good behavior = positive reinforcement? Me understand!

LETTERS FROM STEVO: Family Trilogy Part III...Rise of the Busch Brothers!!!

2008-05-25T14:36:00.001-07:00

Part III of the Family Trilogy is aptly titled...Rise of the Busch Brothers!!! The Busch Brothers consist of yours truly, Dave and Mike. We are great friends now but that hasn't always been the case. As kids, we fought constantly and it drove my parent nuts! They didn't know how to handle it! They tried everything...spanking, grounded, nose in the corner, etc. Then, they came up with an ingenius idea...Operation Ebenezer Beasley! Ebenezer Beasley wrote the music for a church hymn titled, "Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words". Whenever we fought, we had to go outside to the back porch and sing this song. We couldn't sing it reverently either, it had to be earnestly! It was so embarrassing and we hated doing it! If you can imagine three scruffy boys singing about the "warblings of birds on the heather" you get the picture! Overall, we had a pretty normal childhood that included wandering around the desert with our .22 rifles and shooting whatever we could find, playing sports, fighting, driving the folks crazy, chores, telling random people that Grandma Memo was a commando in Vietnam, shaving the hair off the dog and dirt clod fights! Now, a little bit about the Busch Brothers individually...

I'm Busch Bro. #1. I was born in Albuquerque, NM. I was the blue eyed, blonde haired, freckled brother. I was a shy (in public) and skinny kid (surprising I know!). I loved hot wheels, G.I. Joe, dinosaurs and transformers. I didn't acquire a love of sports until junior high. It was weird, I just woke up one day and decided that I love football and basketball and it was down hill from there! I was the...let me re-phrase...I AM the stubborn and sarcastic one. If I didn't like what was going on, I would make a sarcastic comment to voice my frustration. I was the quick tempered and ultra competitive brother. All you had to do is point out that my team just lost and you would get a right hook! Beat me at Risk? Right hook! After a while, I couldn't figure out why my brothers didn't want to play games with me anymore! I was a poor student by choice...I almost didn't graduate high school on time! I recall spending half of my senior year either in "in school suspension" or "out of school suspension". Let's just say I went through a little rebellious phase in high school and leave it at that...I'm not sure if my statute of limitations has run out yet! After high school, I landed a sweet job at an ice plant working for a guy named Dewey and became good friends with a group of brothers called the Fierro's who lived on the south side of town. I then served a mission in Columbus, Ohio (redneck speaking) and upon returning moved to Utah with two goals in mind...get a bachelor's degree and get married. After an exceeding amount of dating and girlfriends, I landed my sweetheart Amy, or as Ma Busch calls her, St. Amy. Bud worships the ground Amy walks on! If she told him to jump off a cliff, he'd do it! No questions asked! The rest as they say is history.

Dave is Busch Bro. #2. Dave was born in Montrose, CO. We are only 18 months apart agewise, so we were raised together, almost like twins. Dave was always a bigger guy for his age so we were basically the same size growing up until high school, at which point he shot up past me. He's incredibly intelligent, wise and has a very big heart. He is a giant teddy bear! Big personality, very likable...he has a presence that people gravitate to. He is a sponge for knowledge, well read and prefers to avoid a fight. He has a temper but you have to back him into a corner and give him no other option (I think I'm the only one whose ever taken him to that point, think "right hook"). Dave is also the big animal lover (softie). I seem to recall a couple of times he would find a stray dog, bring it home and name it "Sport". Dave was also the sounding board for the Busch Brothers...as I focused on the sarcasm, he would lodge the official complaint and articulate what exactly our beef was. The stereotypical middle child, Dave also had quite the hankering for that priceless commodity we know as "attention". Dave was quite the ladies man...known to make musical compilations of 80's hair band love ballads and give them to the objects of his desires. After high school, Dave played football at Eastern Arizona for a season then served a mission in Boise, Idaho (potato farmer speaking). Following the mission, he married Lyndley and got an Accounting degree from New Mexico Highlands. He is currently working as an Investment Banker in Farmington and has one son named Gavin (I call him Big G) and a daughter on the way.

Mike is Busch Bro. #3. Mike was born in Durango, CO. Poor Mike was the baby and took quite a bit of abuse from his older brothers. Mike served two separate purposes for Dave and I. For me, he was my whipping boy...I just flat bullied him. For Dave, he was a personal assistant. Mike has told me stories of Dave watching his favorite movie, "Grease 2" (yes...Grease 2, not Grease...Grease 2) and ordering Mike to go get him some more kool-aid. Mike's method of confrontation (as opposed to my sarcasm and Dave's complaining) was to act bratty. He was the baby so he took advantage of it. Mike has a brilliant sense of humor and can make anyone laugh. I have a really hard time staying mad at him very long because he ends up making me laugh! Mike didn't get into football like Dave and I, but he did get into soccer and apparently became a good defender. Mike was also a ladies man and has a certain charisma about him. One thing that Amy and I like about him is that he's always up for anything...probably stemming from being Dave's personal assistant! Mike served a mission in Cincinnati, Ohio (major major redneck speaking...I mean serious backwoods Kentucky redneck speaking!). Afterwards, Mike married Nicole and they currently live in Spanish Fork with two pugs. Mike is an aspiring law infringement officer, i.e, cop.

The picture at the top is us with Dave on the left, Mike in the middle and me on the right. The picture below that is from the "Terminator" movies...one of the movies is titled, "Rise of the machines". The title of this post reminded me of that...

In summary, the Busch Brothers needs were simple. All I wanted was to give someone a right hook and some competition (this makes for a hard life, I'm ultra competitive and not very coordinated, not a good combination!)...all Dave wanted was a dog named Sport and more Grease 2 and all Mike wanted was a hug.

Happy Birthday to Peyton!

2008-05-18T20:28:00.001-07:00

May 18, 2005 1st Birthday
2nd Birthday
3rd Birthday

3 years ago today, Steffan and I went to Avista Hospital in Louisville, Colorado to deliver our baby boy - Peyton Lyle Busch. He was only 5 lbs 15 oz, and 18 inches tall. A small package, but just perfect! He has grown into an adorable little boy. He has a big heart, and is a big time Mama's boy. He can be very loud and wild, but also so sweet and caring. He loves animals, rocket ships, his big sister Mya, and all of his cousins. He also loves all of the women in his life - his grandmas, his aunts, his school teachers, and again...his Mom! He is also very passionate and intense at times. He has his moments where he shows off his temper and his impatient side. But all in all, he is an amazing child. He is smart, loving, and fun to be around - his laugh is infectious. We love him! Happy Birthday, Peyton!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Family Trilogy Part II: We Yearn For Ern!

2008-05-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Part II of the Family Trilogy is on my father, Ernest Lyle Busch, aka: Ol' Ern...Ern was born in a barn and raised by a pack of wolves. Just kidding...he was raised in Farmington, NM. Not one for desert small town academia, Ern dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Air Force during the sixties. He was stationed at a base outside of Tallahassee, FL. He once told us that he took a girl to prom from the local high school and that the funny thing that stuck out to him was the school's fight song. The lyrics are as follows, "Holy moly It's the Big Green Indian! Holy moly can't you see him run! Holy moly it's the Big Green Indian! Can't kill him with a rope, knife or gun!" I even remember the tune! I'll gladly sing it to anyone who asks me about it! Fortunately, Ern never had to go to 'Nam and let's just say that once he got out of the service he enjoyed the sixties! The time period between the Air Force and when he met Ma Busch is a little hazy...some of the highlights included, working on coastal shipping docks in California, going to Rolling Stones concerts, was engaged to be married FIVE times, ruffnecking in the oil rigs (this includes being hired, then fired by Bud), and having some SWEET muscle cars from the time period (which includes a Vette!). He was quite the bachelor! Ern met Ma Busch in Farmington. They were in a local play together (Ern saw it as a good way to meet ladies). My aunt Lisa once told me that back in those days Ern was quite the catch, he was a pretty handsome guy! (So that's where I get my good looks!) They were soon married and since Ma Busch had recently been converted to the LDS church, Ern figured he'd better go back too. He was raised LDS but had kind of drifted off into his own little universe. Ern also enrolled in BYU and eventually got a Bachelor's degree with an emphasis in geology. They eventually had their three beloved sons and settled in the small desert wasteland community of Kirtland, NM. He got a job working as a geologist for the state of New Mexico's oil & natural gas commission.

Being raised by Ol' Ern was quite the experience! He would take us out into the wilderness to go exploring or rock hunting. We explored the caves of Dead Horse Canyon, drove a '77 Toyota Landcruiser up Mt. Antero, one of Colorado's 14ers, looking for aquamarine, then traversed back down the mountain on three flat tires! He would take us to well sites and we would name the pumpjacks after Popeye characters. For any gun enthusiasists that might be reading, he owned a chrome Smith & Wesson 357 with a 6 inch barrel. As guns go, that thing was beautiful! When he turned 50, he bought a Honda Goldwing and attended the Ironhorse biker rally in Ignacio, CO. When we were pre-teens, he would let us drive the Landcruiser out in the field in our back yard. He taught us how to knife fight! I have no idea why! Now, he would not tolerate us fighting with each other! All he had to do was whip off that belt and we would immediately stop and start apologizing! On the overall spanking ability rating of 1 to 10, I'll give him a 25! He knew how to spank and it didn't help that he had rather large arms and hands. Dude seriously had guns! He had footballs for biceps! He also taught us how to work. We worked hard! Our Saturdays were spent working in the yard, pulling weeds, digging ditches, building sheds, digging up the septic tank, working on cars, painting the house and turning the car port into a spare room. However, once I got to be a teenager, I learned how to work my dad. I figured out that if you just do what he asks, he'll let you do virtually anything. So I would spend Saturday working along side him, then that night he would give me the keys to the party wagon and some money and I was off to a night of teenage debauchery!

Now for some personal characteristics of Ern. He had a great sense of humor and generally appreciated my sarcasm until it was turned on him! He had a fierce temper and wouldn't back down from anybody. He was extremely loyal, especially to Ma Busch...any ill will towards her meant a potential confrontation with the old man! He was always proud of us and loved going to our sporting events. And he was great at the "heart to heart" talks. No matter what we did, no matter how bad it was, he was always calm...he would just sit us down and try to understand why we did what we did. He was the friendliest guy out there...he would talk to anybody about anything. He was humble to a fault. He never verbally degraded anyone...I mean that literally, I never heard him put another person down, not even behind their back.

Following my mission, he became more than my father...Ol' Ern became my personal friend. We shared a mutual admiration and respect for each other. We understood each other. Two of my proudest moments in life were when I beat him at chess for the first time and when I beat him at arm wrestling for the first time (he was so shocked he had to have a rematch at which he lost again!). On the evening of Dec. 1, 1999, Ern and Ma Busch were leaving the church after a play practice when they were involved in a car accident. Ern was killed instantly and Ma Busch was seriously injured. I was in Provo when I got the call from my brother Dave. As I packed to leave, a family friend from the same town came over to come with me since I supposedly couldn't drive myself. Needless to say I drove the whole night. Many relatives also came out including Bud. Whenever we went somewhere in the truck, we made Bud ride in the middle because that's where the chick rides! Dave and I organized the funeral and were the keynote speakers. We wanted to put a sign up in the church that said, "We Yearn for Ern!" After the funeral, I drove the limo that carried the palbearers and Dave drove the suburban that carried Ern's body. Dave commented that he wanted to take dad four wheelin' one more time! The picture at the top is from Memorial Day 1999 in the La Plata mountains in Colorado...It was the last time we were all together. Ern's wearing the orange hat on the left.

In summary, Ol' Ern is very special to me and will always be one of my absolute favorite people! He would be 63 this year. He would've loved the grandkids! He had always wanted a daughter and I guarantee that if he were still around, Mya would have him wrapped around her manicured little finger!

Thank you for the Stomach Flu!

2008-05-06T13:54:00.001-07:00

This email is to thank all of my friends and family who shared the stomach flu with Mya! :) LOL! About 2:30 am on Monday, Mya woke up sick - sick all over me and her (she had been sleeping with me because of the body cast). This lasted through the night, and was awful to clean up with her in a body cast. But due to this sickness, I was able to miss my business trip to L.A. and Mya got her cast off one week early! Nothing removes the smell of vomit from a cast! Her surgery was a success and looks amazing on x-ray and her scar is not bad either. She does have very dry, itchy, rashy, post cast skin, but now we can finally do something about it! She cannot walk or put any pressure on the leg for one more week, but she can finally take a bath and lost about 10 lbs of dead weight. She was scared to have the cast removed, and screamed through the process, but loves the freedom from the cast now. Here is a picture of her upside down on the couch today with her bear, showing off those legs! YAY! We survived the cast!!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Family Trilogy Part I: The Legend of Ma Busch!

2008-04-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

As the title indicates, I'm starting part I of a three part trilogy creatively titled: Family Trilogy!!! Part I is in honor of my mother, Laura Busch or "Ma Busch" whose birthday it just so happens to be this week. Just a little background on Ma Busch. She was raised in Farmington, NM by Bud and Memo. She graduated high school and went to college at Eastern New Mexico in Portales. While in high school and college, Ma Busch was noted for her abilities in choir and drama. After college, she married my dad (more on him in Part II) and converted to the LDS church. They soon moved to Albuquerque and gave birth to their beloved Stevo. Apparently at birth I came out blue with the cord wrapped around my neck. I had heard what the outside was like and wanted no part of it! Following my illustrious birth, there were apparently a couple of other siblings that came along (more on them in Part III). We soon moved to a small town outside of Farmington called Kirtland. Ma Busch scored a gig as a high school drama/english/communications teacher. Even though I attended this same high school, I mysteriously never had her as a teacher. She later admitted it was intentional as she wanted no part of me as a student. Her extra curricular activity has been coaching the drama club. She put together all the school plays. She's had a good reputation at school, she has generally been liked by the students. One student in particular would call her "mom." He was the varsity quarterback and renowned partier and troublemaker, (no, not me). Anytime he would see her in the hall he would yell out, "hi mom!" She is retiring this year, so anytime she calls to vent about her job my response is always, "why do you care...you're retiring!"

As the result of being a teacher, she was off during the summers so she could always be there with her "beloved" sons! Wait! Who am I kidding??? We were awful!!! She was also the "Kool-aid mom" for all the other kids in the neighborhood. Of course she looks back at it with fondness now but at the time she couldn't stand it. She would often growl, "I'm not the kool-aid mom!!!" Because of her kool-aid momness she became the surrogate mom of our buddy who lived across the street. We did everything with this kid! Ironically, he's now in a federal penitentiary, so I guess that should speak volumes of her surrogate mothering ability! Then of course there is the corporal punishment. As part of the trilogy, I'm going to rate on a scale of 1 to 10 my parents overall spanking ability. The rating will be judged on two criteria: pain factor and weapons used. I'll give Ma Busch a 7. She would often use either a wooden spoon or brush which greatly enhanced the pain factor. We were usually spanked for fighting which just so happened to be our favorite summer activity...especially in clothing retail stores!

Now, in order for me to paint a more vivid picture of Ma Busch I need to discuss her personality traits. She has a very good sense of humor capped off with a very memorable laugh. She is notorious for this laugh! As kids, my parents would have friends over and they would make us go to bed. As we were attempting to go to sleep we would be suddenly awakened by this insanely loud laugh that would literally scare us! She also has a great singing voice and loves to be in and a part of plays. She has always loved being on a stage and performing for people...a total drama queen! As Bud is a dancing queen, Ma Busch is a drama queen. One joke in our family is that Ma Busch has two main food groups: ranch dressing and chocolate! If it ain't covered in chocolate or she can't dip it in ranch, she don't want it!!! If she ever needs an emergency blood transplant I'm seriously calling Hidden Valley! She bleeds that stuff. Then there are her "YaYa's" as she refers to them. They are a bunch of ladies that work for the school that get together every week to hang out and gossip. She of course named them after the "YaYa Sisterhood." She claims they only get to together to gossip, but I assert that there is some sort of secret combination going on! They're probably running some kind of organized crime syndicate. Of course she would never admit to it because they probably abide by 'Omerta.

She currently has three grandkids with a fourth on the way. Of course they love her and Mya, being the eldest grandchild gave her the moniker that she will be forever known as a grandmother...LaLa. Mya was very young and was trying to pronounce her name and came up with...LaLa. She is now referred to as "Grandma LaLa" by all of the grandkids. Mya likes to call her every so often to gossip and throw her daddy under the bus. What amazes Amy and I is how similar Mya and Ma Busch actually are. They share an affinity for drama, music, chocolate, ranch and gossip!

So that's Ma Busch in a nutshell...If I could use to two words to describe her it would be...DRAMA QUEEN!!!

My Big Family

2008-04-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

The last 3 weeks I have been so impressed by my "big family". Not the huge extended family I was raised so close to, but the big family of friends and relatives around me. The outpouring of love and support is truly amazing! I am one of those people that reluctantly accepts any type of service. I need that from my Mom of course, but I have this stubbornly independent attitude that makes it very difficult for me to accept any kind of charity from others. I am always happy to give however I am needed, but receiving has always been difficult (again, from everyone except my mom - sorry mom!). However, during the last 3 weeks I have really needed it. And no we do not "need" food (I do not cook anyway!). But what I have needed is love and support and friendship. And I am not really a needy person in this way. I had no idea how hard this experience would be on me. I am not the one in the cast, so how could it be hard on me? But it is. I hate seeing my child in pain. I hate seeing my child unable to do things. I hate seeing my child so sad. I hate these things, because I am helpless to change them. With that said, there is very little I can do. However, the one thing that makes Mya happy during this trial in her life is the visits from family and friends. And of course this makes me happy too. Apparently we are more socially needy than I once thought! :)

In our church there is a great deal of service and charity available anytime it is needed. I always used to feel like this service was robotic, like when you have Home or Visiting teachers over and they have to ask the required, "Is there anything we can do for you?" Does anyone ever say yes?? This time in my life I realize that it service is definitely not forced. Because you can feel service in your heart. You know how sincere it is. You can feel love and support in the calls, emails, and visits. I have had so many amazing friends and family by my side, offering meals, comfort, company, treats, books, markers, toys, play dates, and so much more. And again, my Mom. I could not live with out her during my normal life, so you can only imagine how much I have needed her lately. I have the best friends and family a person can ask for. I never realized how much I need them and how much I appreciate them. I cannot thank them enough or give back enough to show how thankful I am for it. But I am here for them, and always will be. I guess that is what being a big family is all about - just being there for each other - "willing to mourn with those that mourn..comfort those that stand in need of comfort". Thank you for all the comfort and love!

LETTERS FROM STEVO...love for the game (the art of the block)

2008-04-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

So I joined a flag football league this year. I wanted to join a tackle football league on the south side of town but Amy wouldn't let me. She told me I was too old to play tackle! What??? I play tackle every Thanksgiving in Farmington with my brother and some other guys and I have yet to get "hurt". I do the hurting!!! And no, I'm not too old! So I'll be 32 in a couple of weeks and most of the guys we play with are 18-25...big deal, I can hang! My knees are only sore for a few days! Anyway, the flag football league is fun, we have a great offensive line anchored by yours truly. I have yet to give up a sack! Our problem is our backs and receivers are all 5'8" and shorter and don't seem to know how to catch passes. Age wise, I'm on the upper end of the scale but I have a niche in that I'm big and I prefer to block whereas the others don't. Last night we played this team that had a player named Walt. I call him big Walt, he's a little shorter than me and weighs in about the 250-260 range. Big Walt is the guy pictured above. He lined up on the other side of the line away from me. On one play he decided he wanted a piece of me so he lined up across from me. He didn't get near the quarterback! That was the last time I saw big Walt, he went back to his other spot. The guy I faced was smaller and quicker and would try to juke me. The problem with this is I don't go after the defender, I let them come to me and I'm quick enough on my feet that I can stay with them if they are trying to go around me. Anyway, I'm probably boring you with the details...the art of the block is to stay in your chair and keep your hands up!

I took Peyton to Farmington over this past weekend to see some family and attend my grandmothers 80th birthday shindig. Amy and Mya stayed home to attend Shirley Carlson's 80th birthday party. Our grandmothers were born a day apart! My grandmother was flown out from her home in Bristol, VA. She is my maternal grandmother and was at one time married to Bud (see post titled "This Bud's for you!) We grandkids call her Memo, a nickname I dubbed at a very young age being the eldest grandchild. She used to live in Farmington and she spoiled us rotten. We would spend the night at her house every Friday and she would take us out to eat at Furr's Cafeteria...we seriously thought that was mighty fine dining! When it was time for bed she would read us stories from a book about some rabbit dude named "Uncle Wiggly". It was pretty awesome! And she didn't put up with any Busch brother fighting...she would take the broom to us!

Peyton was a trooper. He spent the whole time playing with his cousin Gavin. He slept on the flight down and behaved himself on the flight back too. We flew on a puddle jumper and met some serious turbulence on the way down ( I really thought I was going to hurl) but Peyton slept thru it. I made him walk with me through DIA which is no small task and he handled it well. He even behaved himself at the birthday party. I even got to do some weightlifting while I was there, my uncle Bill let me bench press him.

In conclusion, I would like to offer some advice that I offer many when it comes to dealing with the curveballs that life throws at you...stay in your chair and keep your hands up! It's not just good blocking technique, it's words to live by...

Before, During, After...

2008-04-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Everything went as planned on Tuesday. We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 in the morning. Mya was super sleepy and hungry, but she enjoyed being wheeled around in the wagon, looking at all the fun things the Children's Hospital has to offer prior to the surgery. Knowing her personality and fears, we had her take the medicine that would relax her and forget the surgery stuff (Just picture a very drunk 4 year old!). We took her into the operating room at about 7:30 a.m. and had to kiss her goodbye after they put her to sleep. They came to us about 3 hours later...

Everything went well and as planned. They were able to cast her around her torso and hips, and down just one leg, which is such a blessing. And at her request she has a purple cast. She also had to put on her new silky PJ's right away. No hospital gown for her! She was very confused and upset about everything when we finally got to her side. The medicine was making her sick, and the cast was making her miserable and as I mentioned in the previous post, the moment they wake up in the cast they just look at you

with that look of absolute horror. The thing I was not prepared for was the fact that this time around she could speak and let me know all about how miserable and sad and awful this is. She cannot walk, or run, or dance, or just sit in the window with her cousins. She cannot sleep or go to the bathroom normally. She cannot be happy with such a miserable cast. However, as the days and nights go by, she is adjusting. She is smiling and laughing and is enjoying all the extra TV. She also loves the wheel chair. She asked today if she could keep it after they take off the cast in case she ever had to have another one. She can move all over with that thing! Thank goodness for all our tile! :) She is being a good sport for the most part. I think she likes the pampering and surprises and presents people keep bringing her. What kid wouldn't?! She gets very sad and weepy at night, which just breaks my heart. There were many tears the first week. But we are officially done with week one! Only 5 more weeks to go! Thank you to all my amazing family and friends for their support, prayers, and love! We could not survive this without you all!

The Dread....

2008-03-29T22:35:00.001-07:00

4 years ago, we thought the problems with Mya's hips were over. However, we go in this Tuesday for a repeat of the cast and a much more invasive surgery. Mya has selected a purple cast and she has had a tour of the hospital. She thinks she knows what is going to happen, but she has no idea....
When our baby Mya was only 3 months old, we had to take her in for surgery on her hips. The doctors take your smiling, unassuming, trusting baby away from you - they put her under, take her legs and bend them all around in the worst positions, cast them, and hand her back to wake up screaming the worst scream you could imagine. I will never forget that moment, and it is because of that I have the worst feeling of dread for this Tuesday. For it is in that moment, your baby wakes up and looks at you, with that look of horror...."how could you let this happen to me?" The dread....

LETTERS FROM STEVO...Response to the recent allegations

2008-03-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

So, it appears my beloved wife has decided to throw me under the bus!?! I will admit...guilty as charged!!! But I help around the house! I do all of the...ahem...outside work. For example, mowing the lawn. It's not my fault the grass dies during the winter! I pull the weeds (so they don't grow during the winter...again, not my fault). I clean up after Smokey, clean out the garage, hang the Christmas lights, watch the automated sprinklers water the grass (tough job but somebody's got to do it). And then there's the chore of cleaning Amy's car...or as I like to refer to it "pamper the Durango day." This entails an oil change, car wash and then the big chore...cleaning out the inside! Sometimes I wonder if Amy's performing a scientific experiment in there with the different organisms that are growing. I'm sure she's inadvertantly created a new species of some sort. There are two factors that have caused this. 1.) She is a Carlson...notorious for cars that have messy interiors. If you are a Carlson or a friend of a Carlson reading this, you know exactly what I'm talking about! 2.) She is lugging around two kids under the age of 5 who like to eat, drink and be merry while riding in the back seat. I'll cut her some slack for reason #2 since that is partly my fault.

Now let's move to the next topic, the inside of the house. I clean the bathrooms, do some of the laundry, dishes, bathrooms, watch TV, bathrooms, play video games, watch Amy do chores, did I mention I do the bathrooms??? Some of my other inside chores include killing spiders since they are so intimidating to Amy, playing "Guitar Hero"...I'm getting pretty good, and cleaning diet Mountain Dews out of the fridge. Of course Amy always thinks I could be doing more around the house...I guess I could buy some Dr. Pepper and clean that out of the fridge too!

We have the kids trained on a few things as well. They love to do the dishes...though it mostly amounts to them getting water all over the place, but hey, I'm not complaining. They've also been taught to put their dishes in the sink when they're done and hang up their coats and put away their shoes when we come home. I hold them accountable by following up and pestering them until they do it. It drives them nuts but they do it.

In summary, let me just state for the record that I do chores too even if it involves staring blankly at Amy as she studiously "scrubs". She's got a tough job raising a husband and two kids who always want their mom to nurture them...apparently, I'm just not very "nurturing". On top of that, she works full-time at a high stress job. Don't ask me what she does, I just see her talking on the phone and emailing a lot.

Livin' with Stevo...

2008-03-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

So, for years I have threatened my husband with a book called "Livin' with Stevo". Apparently he decided to take it into his hands to give you a glimpse of my life with him. :) Hopefully, you have all enjoyed the postings and insights he provides. He provides humor in my life everyday, and is truly my best friend. But he is all Guy. Burping, football loving, video gaming, loud music, weightlifting, football obsessed, snoring, sarcastic, "commentary collecting", football crazed, food loving, mountain dew drinking (yuck), Man. How is that for fluff (as he has accused me in his first blog!)? In honor of March, I have a great story to prove my point...

After Steffan was out of town for work all week and a guys night out, we started our Saturday morning. This includes the kids waking up at the first sight of sunshine, getting breakfast started, and trying to get all of the household things complete during our 1 day off from work during the week. After making breakfast, managing the kids, I started cleaning and scrubbing down the house - organizing, dusting, washing, laundry...I hate laundry. Steffan spends every Saturday morning talking to his Grandpa, which I think is great. I would never interrupt this time and I am happy to get to work without him. After his chat, he got on the computer. Again, I was literally scrubbing the house down...

I was trying to be patient (which everyone knows I am not!), but I knew he also had to teach a class on Sunday. So, I was happy to let him prepare. Or so I thought....

About 30 minutes in, he makes a phone call. Scrubbing away, I can hear the conversation begin.

" Hey Man." "Oh, Sorry, did I wake you up." "My kid wake up so early, we have been busy all morning already." "Can I get your email address?" "I am working on setting up the March Madness Office Pool".
Suddenly there was a halt to the scrubbing.....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! I am in the same room, SCRUBBING!

All Guy.

I do appreciate Steffan taking over the blog for a few weeks. My life has been overly crazy since my last posting - 3 months ago! For those of you who don't know, I got a job promotion in January. I went from selling IBM software to my Clients, mostly over the phone - to working with Clients here in Denver, meeting them face to face. I do not have to travel into an office anymore, which is nice, but I had no idea how busy I would be. I am hoping things will fall into a rhythm and will slow down a little, but it is not likely in the near future. I have some highly visible accounts, and am working on some great deals. I love it! But it is really busy. :0)

We have Mya's surgery coming up on April 1, so I will be sure to update everyone on how things go.

LETTERS FROM STEVO...This Bud's for you!!!

2008-03-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

This week, I want to introduce you to William Henderson Underwood III...or as we affectionately call him in these parts, "Bud." Bud is my maternal grandfather. He lives just outside Knoxville Tennessee on the shore of Douglas Lake not far from the Smokey Mountains.

Bud is a 78 year old retired wannabe oil tycoon who enjoys driving his pontoon boat all over the lake, football (specifically Tennessee Volunteer football), telling far-fetched stories and...dancing. That's right I said...dancing. He is a dancing queen! And yes, he LOVES Abba! Is this what I have to look forward to with old age??? He and his wife Char attend a weekly dancing class with other retirees and they have become quite good...or, Char makes him look good. Tango, fox trot, samba, you name it. He is a huge fan of "Dancing with the Stars." And he does listen to Abba...I'm not kidding. He's already told me that when we come out next time, he is going to bring his Abba CD on the boat and blast it as we traverse the lake on his mighty pontoon boat. I told him I'm jumping ship! We try to go out there every summer or two. He and I have a similar characteristic in that we both love to talk about history, sports, politics, current events, religion, philosophy, etc...this is shorthand for "we are both walking encyclopedias of useless information." We have no problem with sitting out in his front porch overlooking the lake with the Smokies in the background and solving the world's problems.

Anyway, he's led an interesting life. He played baseball for the Univ. of Tennessee. Ran his own oil drilling company in New Mexico. Back before my parents met, he hired and later fired my dad. He led a double life (he had two families). Bred, trained and showed German Shepards. As kids, he would give me and my brothers pointers on how to talk to the ladies. He would flirt with the cashiers at grocery stores to give us examples.

We talk every Saturday morning. Today, he told me about his new car...a Kia...KIA??? The most gutless, lemon cars on the planet??? What was he thinking? I can just picture him roaming the woods of east Tennessee in his Kia, blasting "Dancing Queen." My father-in-law Craig was at least man enough to buy a loaded Chrysler 300. Then Bud goes and buys a 4 cylinder Kia. Disappointing...but hey, that's my grandpa!

LETTERS FROM STEVO!!!

2008-02-28T18:03:00.001-08:00

Alright...we've heard enough of Amy's fluff...now it's my turn. Amy started this blog a few months ago and hasn't added anything in the last two months so I figured I'd add my two cents. I'm Steffan, or as my brothers call me, "Stevo". I'm the husband/dad of this blog. Here's the dynamic...Amy's the brains of the operation, I'm the muscle (good for moving things around and reaching items that are high up since Amy's vertically challenged). I enjoy music, weightlifting, sports (specifically football), history, politics, long walks on the beach, moonlit dinners...yada yada yada...oops did I just write that? I work in Human Resources for Avis Budget Group. I cover a region that includes Denver, Salt Lake, Portland and Seattle. My favorite aspect of my job is the awards I get...If there's one thing HR people like to do it's pat themselves on the back. Believe me, the ops people don't give out awards for anything. What I don't like about my job is that the ops people don't seem to think that we do anything...then they wonder were all the new hires come from. Go figure!

Amy is my lovely wife. She enjoys talking on the phone while driving, spending time with our children and shopping. Mya is our sassy daughter. Definitely a "girls girl". She's 4 going on 15. She's already had 2 boyfriends whom she purports to "love" (someone get me a shotgun and shovel fast!) Her hobbies include Barbie movies, Hannah Montana, driving her dad nuts and torturing her little brother. Then there's Peyton. He'll be 3 this year. He's a good kid, just don't piss him off. He inherited his dad's stubborness and temper. He's just very passionate. Loves the ladies. His hobbies include, being a mama's boy, tackling drills with dad, torturing his sister and playing with Smokey. So, that's my intro...I'll be back!!!

The Family Picture

2008-01-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here it is, our one family picture of the year. And of course is it lame. Peyton is not looking forward, we are sitting on the stairs (just like last year). There were plenty of tears and mumblings and groanings that took place before, during, and after. But here it is! :) I know most of you probably received the annual Christmas card, which included this picture - but I had to write and let you know how miserable it was to get there! Happy New Year! Let's hope for a better picture in '08!

Santa.....ugh

2007-12-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

I do not believe in Santa. I believe in Jesus. I have heard you can believe in both.....keep reading. I know, I know - everyone hates that I do not believe in Santa. Everyone asks in shock, "How could you not teach your kids about Santa!?" Well this year I found out the hard way that it does not matter what I say or think. My kids believe in Santa. They love Santa! We visited this particular Santa at the Ward party, and he does not look even remotely real. But they believe! They want to watch every Christmas show and movie they can find. They want to write him letters, and send him pictures. They want to meet and pet Rudolph. None of this excitement comes from me. Mya and I even had an argument about Santa. She asked me, "Mom, do you believe in Santa?" I refuse to lie to her and told her "No, I believe in Jesus and Christmas is about Jesus' birth". She paused and said, "Well, I believe in Santa and not in Jesus." I explained to her that you can believe in both and told her again about the birth of Christ and all about Christmas. Well, she just shot back, "Then, you can believe in both, too, Mom!" She is 4.

I Love Colorado!

2007-12-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I love Colorado! This is my first posting on my first blog...and there are two things I love most in life - Family(which includes friends) and Colorado! Here is a glipse into one of my favorite Colorado seasons - Fall! We spent an awesome fall afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch. You cannot see in this picture, but the backdrop is the spectacular Colorado mountains, which my daughter proudly points out every time we are driving West (yes, usually to the mall!). And of course the sun is shining this day and most days in Colorado. Those mountains and the sunshine are the backdrop to my life. I can always look West and feel at happy. I am lucky enough to have a commute which offers me this view every morning on my way to work in Boulder. I hope you enjoy the small insight to my life! And hopefully I can get around to actually making frequent postings.