Been awile...

So just to update everyone, the wedding is 12 weeks away!!!!! O my goodness!!!! I have been soooo busy lately that I havent had much time to gthink straight lol. First Brit and I took a last minute vacagtion to Clearwater Beach, Florida. It was so beautiful. Just the vacaction that I needed. Then we had the following week. Beccas two day wedding. It was beautiful. Before all of this, Ashley came to visit Andrew and I in Pittsburgh! It was a blast! I love it when my friends come to visit me. It means so much to me to see them. I am a luckly girl to have friends that know when I need a pick-me-up. And I always have so much fun with them haha. I will post a few picks from the past couple weeks :)

Brothers....Cant live with em, cant live without em lol.

I was cleaning a few things around the house today and came across the birthday card my brother had gotten me. Everytime I read it my eyes start to water. Without getting into detail what it said, Lets just say that it is probably the best card I have ever gotten from him. We text each other alot more lately. This is our way of communication most of the time. He asks for my opinion about a girl he likes, he tells news about his latest sports record, and my favorite is when he just says, hey. lol. He is sixteen now almost 17! I love that he still talks to me. Even though I am 300 miles away. That was one of my biggest fears about moving so far away. How my brother would take it. Dont get me wrong, it was really tough on him at first but now he is slowly coming around. I think it helps that I always answer my phone. We are 6 years apart. I love that he turns to me for advice. I have to admit though, he is probably one of the most mature kids I know. He is so smart and talented. I just wish that he would give himself more credit sometimes. Im am proud of him and always will be. And even though I joke about never having a sister, I wouldnt trade him for the world.

Summer Nights

This evening I took a moment to smell the summer night's air. I love the smell of evening this time of year. It always makes me think of those hot summer evenings at Grandpa's when all of our family was together and stayed out until the moon shined. I remember catching lightning bugs and swinging on our tire swing under one of our many huge oak trees. I have been thinking alot about him lately. How he is missing everything that is happening in my life now.

I think its strange to realize that Andrew never got to meet him. I have a feeling they would have liked each other. I dont know if Andrew fully understands what he meant to me. I want to honor my family's last name. My grandfather always taught me to be proud of who I was and and the family I came from. I fully agree, I had a wonderful smart Grandmother who had an amazing education, traveled all over the world and raised two kids. A Grandfather who loved us more than anything. He was an inventor and both of them were well known in our community in Ohio. I couldnt walk down the street without someone knowing my family. I miss that.

When I sit here on the porch on these summer nights I think of them. My mother and I do this often. It seems that lately everywhere I turn, some smell, how someone looks, or some place reminds me of them. I get choked up and sometimes think that these past 6 years never happened. That he is still here and every sunday I am gonna walk into that big beautiful house in the country and strike up a conversation with him. But then I blink and I am back to present day. I hope my children appreciate where they came from the way I do one day. I hope they understand that their family values were passed down from generation to generation. I know I do. I want to make my grandfather and my family proud. I am a Stevenson. And when I sleep under the stars in these few summer nights we have left this year...I will think of that. And how I one day hope to be like him.

Community Day

My girls are flexabile! (getting ready to pull bow and arrow)

They are toooooo CUTE!

We did about half the pryamid since we were missing so many girls but it still looked so good!

Here are a few pics from The Pleasant Hills Community Day. My Peewees and Minis did such a great job! There was only the minis and peewees that day. My level 5 senior pink girls dont perform until PNC Park on Sept 26th. I am truely LOVING the gym here in PA. I have so much fun with all of my squads. I really like the gym owner and other coaches that I work with as well. We are always laughing and having so much fun!

So Busy...

These next few weeks in my life are going to be crazy! This week I have 4 days of cheerleading practice to coach in the gym, then next week is the last week of summer camp at work(thank God)lol, the next friday if flight night at the gym which is also a sleepover. Luckily Brit and Ash are coming to help :))) then 2 days later Brit and I leave for Florida, and then its the week of Rebecca's wedding!!!! Im trying to take everything one day at a time not to stress myself out. My vaca to Florida will for sure help me relax. The week that I am in FL, Andrew is in Seattle. I will miss him so much :(

I have been thinking latley about how much he and my friends mean to me. It has been a HUGE rollercoaster these last few weeks for me but Andrew and my friends have been there for me so much. If I could give any advice, it would be to value those who love you. It's nice to know that I have good friends to turn to when I need them. Even though I have moved to PA, I have become closer with some of my firends. When I come home we get together and Laugh and always mangeto get into some mischief lol. We text or call everyday. I love that I have people around me that can make me laugh so hard I hold my stomach lol. I am very lucky and love them all so dearly.

What new?

SO things have been VERY busy around here!!! Rebeccas wedding is sept 12th and its already August!!!! Oh my goodness! I have also been very busy because I have taken on another job (thats also a hobby lol) as an Allstar cheerleading coach at Premier Gym and Cheer. I LOVE MY JOB!!! It is alot of work though. I coach peewees, level 2, and Senior level 5. My girls are so amazing. :) I truely am having a blast with them. We have our first competition September 26th at PNC park so look for pics then.
Being so busy...I need a vacation!!! lol. So Brit and I are going to visit her family in Tampa, Florida the week before Becca's wedding. I am so looking forward to some sun and sand! We are driving her car so she had to teach me how to drive a stick! It was entertaining to say the least, but I picked it up quickly and am so excited for our trip. I will be very happy when things slow down, if they slow down. Well, see you later! and i promise to update this more. lol.

Shower :)

I had a wonderful shower this past weekend! My mad hatter tea party was a blast. It was such a nice day to see everyone friends and family that I missed so much. Here are a few pics<3

Update!

Back to normal! Andrew and I finally moved into our new home! His family came up this past weekend and helped us move in. :) it was a great weekend. We even got to see a pirates game. (Im still a cubbies fan though) lol. So this week we are just putting things together and finding a place for everything. The weekend before Candice and Erin came up and we had a blast at the Kenny Chesney Concert at Heinz Field. Very good concert. LOOOOOOONNNNGGGGG day. lol. i was glad they got a chance to see the "Burgh".

I am sooo excited because this sat is my shower! Its amazing how fast it goes! The wedding will be here before we know it!!! I hope to post pics after this weekend!

Almost Moved!!!!

So our closing of our house was supposed to be yesterday but it looks like it is going to be held off until June 5th :( FHA asked for a second appraisal but our realtor said it will just come back smae as the first. Why we have to do this I have no idea. It's soooo frustrating!!! Hopefully (by the grace of God) we can get moved in by the end of next weekend.

The weekend after that is my Bridal Shower!!! Im sooooo excited. I love parties and this one is at Beccas parents house. (Pretty much all of our memorable parties are there lol) Ahh the hilarious memories. Other than that school is going great. I made honors!!! i am debating if i eant to get my masters, but that is another story for another time.

Bye!
P.S. more house updates to come.

Mom <3

So i just have to say how much i love my mother. Mothers day was this past weekend and unfortunatly we were unable to come home. Today I was in a car accident (im ok, just bruises) and the first person I wanted was my mother. lol. I was a little shook up even after calling andrew and a few others, the only person that helped me calm down was my mom. Even though we may not get along on a daily basis, She has always been there for me when I really need her in a serious situation.

She is helping me cope with leaving my family back home. Its funny that when I lived with her we would be so busy that sometimes we would go for days without seeing or apeaking to each other. Now we talk on the phone almost everyday. I am starting to realize how much she really knows me and loves me. She always makes me laugh too. Her human nature logic is hilarious. Even though we are two completly different people, we still share an amazing connection.

NEW HOUSE!!!!

This certainly has been a busy few weeks here in PA! Andrew and I found our first home. We just purchased a 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath newly remodeled home. We are so excited. We now have plenty of room for visitors :) We are closing on the house at the end of this month so the next few weeks are going to be even more crazy. I have posted a fe pics below.

Work is going great. The kids have been anxious lately because we have had alot of rain. Finally today we had some sunshine. Andrew is still working alot. He is very busy.

Wedding plans are coming along good. It will be here before we know it lol. We have the most amazing photograoher Jess, I highly reccomend her and her company J3 Designz. I can't wait for our fall engagements. Other than that not much else.

P.S. I hope to post more pics of the house soon :)

Weekend home, Confirmation, & I found my dress!!!

So we finally went home this weekend and it was wonderful! On friday, it was stephanies birthday so I spent it at her house (along iwth both my dogs) and we had a mini party with her mom, Gina, Cara, Steph and myself. Little to sya it was a blast. :) On Saturday morning I finally found my dream wedding dress! It was amazing. I kinda blew my budget but hey, that happens when you are planning a big wedding lol. But I absolutley love it and cant wait until December. My dress will be in during the month of September.

Then, that afternoon, Anrew and i went for our first pre-martial counseling session. It went really well but was very tough! that asked alot of the hard question which I am thankful for and addressed alot of serious issues with us. Although it was hard, Andrew realized even more how much we love each other. <3 Christian counseling is an amazing thing to go thru. I firmly believe that Andrew and I are goign to have a successful marriage if we use the tools that we have been given.

On Sunday, was my confirmation! I felt so proud to become a member of Emmanuel Fort Wayne :) I love my church!!! I had alot of friends and family there to support me as well. After the service, we went to the pastors house for lunch and then went to Stephanie's for her birthday/my confirmation party. Tammy got me a cake and Becca and Rhonda got me flowers:) I was so sad to come back to PA last night but at the same time I am doing better with my homesickness. I am getting ready to go meet with our realtor to look at further homes that we are interested in. I hope it goes well lol.

I will be back in two weeks to the Fort for more wedding stuff and to visit :)

Me.....Homesick???

So I never thought I would never say the words but after re-reading yesterdays post, I have come to the conclusion that yes indeed, i suffer from a large case of homesickness. My hoosier heart is telling me so. I went to look at more homes today and I am hving such a hard time grasping how different they are here on the east coast and how none of them remind me of home.

I spoke with my mother yesterday as well and she knew right off the bat that I was homesick the a big fat "I told you so" came right out of her mouth. lol. If you are family reading this then you know that is the typical thing of my mother to say. Its amazing how she always knows my thoughts before I even tell her and she does know me better than anyone. This is sometimes a good thing, as well as a bad thing. She just doesn't want me to give up everything I worked so hard for in college and she doesn't want me to give up my dream of having a family around my family. It's hard trying to adapt when I know that she misses me. Randall has not taken my moving very well at all. He called me very upset and wished I would come home. It's funny how a 16 year old who thinks he is all grown up becomes a little kid agian when he misses his sister. :)

So what do I do. I hate it when people around me say "oh it will get better", or "you will get used to it". Honestly I have heard it all. lol. I need my time and space and in the meantime, if i need a little taste of home then so be it. Yesterday I realized for the first time that sometimes when I'm sad i go to visit my grandfather's grave and just sit and talk to him or pray and I realized that i can't do that now. It was kind of a security blanket ripped away from me.

So now I sit here trying not to feel sorry for myself because Pittsburgh isn't "that" bad of a city I guess. lol. Who knows. I used to think Indiana was such a boring place and i have friends that still do think that. I hope one day they realize that it si a great place to raise kids and truly does have it's finer points. Like I said, who would of thought I would be homesick for it? Not me that for sure, but boy am I eating my words now. :(

I have my membership confirmation at Emmanuel next Sunday the 26th and I am sooo looking forward to going home. yes i have been home the last 3 weekends in a row and this is my first weekend here in PA, but everytime we went home it was so busy and caotic, and I never got to visit long enough with my friends and family. 2 days goes by so fast.

One thing that has helped me, is my faith. When I start getting down i visit the church.
I love my church back home and i love my Lutheran faith. It is what keeps me going. I have found a few good churches here as well but i want to wait to make a decision on which one to attend after we move. I can't tell you how much I look foward to Sundays now. i am so happy that Andrew and I will be married at Emmanuel. We met with our pastor last sunday and Andrew really likes him. Pastor Tom has also helped me dealing with being so far away.

So I guess that now i just have to keep trying to adjust. (sigh) It's not so easy :(

Sad day :(

So I have been in Pittsburgh for almost 3 weeks now. I love my job. The kids are wonderful and I love teaching the preschool age. I am just having a harder time than I thought I would with being away from home. I miss my mother and brother sooooo much. My friends were my sisters back home and I want nothing more to just be able to go and see them. There is alot going on here right now, with Andrew and I paying for the wedding, looking for a house, and trying to start our lives here in Pittsburgh. I tend to take it all in hour by hour. Hopefully soon it will be day by day, then maybe I will adjust.

I never saw myself leaving Indiana "for good" and the more of a possiblity that seems, the more upset or stressed I get. Don't get me wrong, I like Pittsburgh and I am trying to adjust but it will never be "home" to me. Home is where I had the Christmas Day gatherings at my grandparents home, summers on the lakes, and birthday celebrations with my friends. Andrew means the world to me and that is why I am here. For him. Because he would do the same for me. It's just hard because my heart aches for my family and friends. I guess a five hour drive isn't too bad. lol.

I guess I just needed to vent. I get homesick when I think of all the AMAZING times with my friends and family. I am a lucky girl. I cherish and value them all so much. Home is where the heart is, and my heart was left in Indiana.

Moving!

So it's official...I live in Pittsburgh. I moved here this week to be with Andrew and check out a few job opportunties. We only have until October when his lease on the townhouse is up and I think we coming to face the facts that he has way too good of a job to leave here anytime soon so we are in the process of looking at homes as well. It's tough leaving my friends and family but realistically we do come home alot. At least once a month if not more. Usually more lol. Our dogs Buster and Percy are taking the move well and adjusting. Buster is still so new and young that he never wantes to be left alone lol. I am beginning to really like this city. There are soooo many things to do :) Brittany is coming here tonight to vist! I'm so excited! Welll thats all that's new for now :) <3

Our New Puppy!

Andrew and I have decided to purchase another puppy! After I took Percy to PA he was very depressed leaving the other animals behind. :( Andrew has always wanted a Dachshund and so we found a cute little guy that will fit perfect in our home. We haven't decided on names yet although Frank and Oscar are strong contenders lol.

update

So this week I decided to come and visit Andrew in Pittsburgh. It is beautiful week here! Warm spring weather, and sunny skies. e are going over wedding plans as well. I am sooooo excited about our photographer from J3 designz. After meeting with her and seeing her work, I can't wait for our big day :) Though I am still frustrated about finding a videographer with the quality and pricing that I want. I cant believe that its only 9 months to go! Well thats all that is new for now!

Ok, so not much is new. The good news is that Andrew is home this weekend!:) i am trying to get him to sit down and go over wedding details with me. (That wont happen with the world's biggest procrastinater) lol.

So stephanie and I drove up to the lake last night because it was such a BEAUTIFUL night and the weather was so warm. It was nice to pop open the sunroof and take an evening drive and cramp up our favorite songs. It gave us our first taste of summer and made us want more. I am looking forward to this summer alot! I have family coming into town and old friends. And when we get together it gets CRAZY! I miss them so much.

I also look forward to all of the fun I get to have with Steph Bec, Ash, and Brit. WE are palnning a trip to Pittsburgh, as well as our usual round of summer concerts :) (and maybe a few trips to candice's bar lol) Since this is the last summer before i graduate i plan on living it up!!! not to mention its my last summer as a single lady ;)

Work as been busy. We are full force into promoting the strong kids campaign. It's alot of fun and i love the kids. I still cant believe that its almost the end of the school year and Randall will be a Junior! Scary i know. But i am so proud of him. He is such a well respected kid and great brother.

Mom is busy as usual and ready for summer as well to open up her pool! Steph and I can already taste the margaritas and hear the parties we are having lol. well here's hoppin for warm weather!
<3

Valentines Day <3

So we had a wonderful Valentines day in Pittsburgh. :) I went to go see Andrew along with his parents and brother. Andrew was so sweet and took us all out to dinner at Longhorn and we had a wonderful time. It was so nice to spend it with our family together:)

Another update is that I am no longer working for Aflac and I chose to work back at the Y. I missed my kids too much and Aflac was just not the fit for me. I love being back with my kids and I hope to make my career within the YMCA. My bosses were happy to have me back. lol. Andrew has been soooo supportive in my decsion and encouraged me to do what made me happy. The big plus is now I have the time to continue planning the wedding, which we are full swing in planning mode :)

Thought for the day :)

So have you ever just had one of those days where you just want to crawl back into bed? Yesterday was my day! Friday the 13th is just not a lucky day for me. Without getting into detail of what happened, i will just say that i haven't cried like that in a long time. But the sun set and today is a new day. My healing process begins. Days like that make me value my loved ones. If i had to give any advice it would be to acknowledge the love around you, Do for others, and let those you care about know that they are loved. I miss a few very important people in my life that are now gone, but i am grateful that they knew that i loved them with my whole heart. Remember that your friends can be your saving grace. I am so grateful for my closest friends. They are my sisters and I can rely on them for anything. Another piece of advice. Talk to your family. Let them know how you are feeling. You may learn something about them that you didn't know before. Sometimes the people we think we know best surprise us. :) God has his plan<3

Other pics i also took that day

They posed! :) Uncle Jay is always the funny one.

Adorable or what!

Grandpa is so cute <3

Feedback on pics

Ok so here are some pics i took of my aunts wedding and edited them using picnik. I LOVE PICNIK! Let me know what you think :)

This is a really funny message from facebook!

Stephanie McHenry
Today at 7:56am
Reply
awww yaya im your arm!!!


Andrew Torrez
Today at 4:13pm
Reply
At least you're something. I'm not even a gallbladder or pancreas.
Sent via Facebook Mobile


Charity Stevenson
Today at 4:22pm
hahahahaha ahh honey i didnt mean it that way! im sorry. but you know what... you are my heart :)


Stephanie McHenry
Today at 5:43pm
Reply
haha wow cheesy!!!!!! im an arm so i can smack her when she makes fun of me!


Charity Stevenson
Today at 5:51pm
Hehe I know!
Sent via Facebook Mobile


Stephanie McHenry
Today at 5:53pm
Reply
score!


Amanda Stidham
Today at 11:16pm
Reply
wait...since when is Stephanie an arm? and why is Andrew not good enough to be a body part? Why can't you guys be happy with your own body parts and not have to share with each other...do you guys even have the same blood types? These are just things you have to think about before you do....


Charity Stevenson
Today at 11:34pm
lol. I LOVE YOU Amanda! u and andrew def share the same sense of humor.

Wedding Plans Update

Ok so wedding plans are coming along great! In fact I am waaaay ahead of schedule. Just to update some of you, the wedding is December 12, 2009 Yay! And the ceremony is at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in DOWNTOWN Fort Wayne not in New Haven. And our reception is at Baker Street Train Station. :) I am sooo excited for this wedding. And I think my 9 (yes, i said 9) bridesmaids are probably even more excited! Christmas is already such a pretty season. After the wedding Andrew and I will be moving to Pittsburgh :( yes sad I know but it is only temporary. Andrew has already been living there for a few months and we travel back and forth.

I am so excited because Andrew's aunts are helping us with our cake and flowers! Elaine is doing cake and Cheryl is helping with flowers. Both my family and his family are so wonderful. It makes it more special when family is involved. I hope to post pics soon since i know some of you have been asking to see them.

Otherwise not much is new right now. Still doing my work for the YMCA. Right now I am promoting the Strong Kids campaign but only working part time until our big move and so i can plan the wedding. I am so sad to leave all of my wonderful kids :( But looking forward to the future :)

Ok so those of you who keep bugging me to blog... i am! wohoo i now have my own blog to post pics up and info up :)