Thanksgiving with the Steffens

We have had so much to be thankful for this year including the beautiful Thanksgiving that we just had as a family :) Since we celebrated the traditional style earlier this month while my wonderful parents were in town, we spent the holiday as just our little family of three...

At first I was a bit sad to think about not getting to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas day with our families this year, but it dawned on me that Nick and Nora are my family now, and this is our home now :) We can still make our own memories together and start our own new traditions...and we did just that! I was so excited that Nick took the entire week off this year (which those of you that know him, know that is huge!) so we decided to plan a mini family vacation. After narrowing our choices down to the Grand Canyon in Arizona or Durango, Colorado, we opted for the one closer to home this time. (only a 4 hour car ride).

I am sure glad we chose Durango, because as I am sure you can tell by our pictures, we had a blast! We had such a wonderful time exploring the quaint little mountain town and its surrounding areas. The scenery was absolutely magnificent and  I was particularly excited to get to see some snow and let Nora play in it for her very first time! (I think she is going to be a snowbird like her mama). And of course with any vacation, it is always fun to try new restaurants and do some shopping. I was able to start my Christmas shopping and even managed to pick up a few special items for Nick and I, including our Christmas outfits.

We had decided to make sure we scheduled our trip so that we would be home in time to spend Thanksgiving as a family (including our doggies). Since we had already started a couple traditions the last couple years, we were looking forward to carrying out our Thursday. Those traditions included, a morning workout (so we can have guilt free eating all day, lol), a menu of my famous Lasagna and banana creme pie and bringing out all the Christmas decorations while listening to some holiday music and drinking some warm apple cider! And this year, we did the entire thing while staying in our jammies (comfy clothes) all day and not taking a single picture, haha! The day actually turned out wonderful and even better then expected.

 Well since we didn't take any pics of the actual Thanksgiving day, I am going to include a couple of Nora's Fall Pics and some of our favorites from Durango. I hope you too had a wonderful holiday!

30 Days of Thankfulness...

I decided this year that instead of doing a facebook post each day, I would go ahead and post mine all at once :) I think it is such a great idea to take time each day to reflect on all those blessings you have, but I will admit, I get tired of reading them all month long, lol. I feel so deeply fortunate to have so many wonderful blessings in my life so here they go...

1. I am thankful for my perfect little daughter, Nora Cate Steffen! I could not imagine a day without my little lady. I love her sweet little looks, her bubbly personality, her silly sense of humor and the list could go on and on, she truly is my new best friend :)

2. I am thankful for my amazing, hardworking, caring, unselfish husband, Nick Steffen! He really is every woman's dream husband. He treats me like a queen every day, is a wonderful father and provides solely for our family. I have been lucky enough to spend 4 wonderful years with this man and look forward to growing old with him.

3. I am thankful for my family! My parents have been tremendous role models for my brother and I and for that I can not thank them more. They have supported me through many ups and downs and taught me numerous life lessons. Although I wish I could see them more often, there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of them :)

4. I am thankful for my health! Taking care of yourself is a way of life. Above all, you must make yourself a priority. This means eating healthy, exercising and getting plenty of sleep. I am grateful that I chose to do all of those and have been blessed with a healthy life so far.

5. I am thankful to get to be a stay at home mama! I feel so blessed that our situation has allowed me to get to raise my baby girl. I could not imagine not being the one there with her each and every minute, guiding her, teaching her and bonding with her. It is the greatest job in the whole wide world :)

6. I am thankful for my dogs! I know, some days I may not feel like this, but ultimately my fur babies were my first babies. They love me unconditionally and make such wonderful siblings for Nora.

7. I am thankful for my beautiful home! I sometimes still can't believe that it is ours but we are so proud of it. It may not be a mansion but it is perfect for my family. It is warm, cozy, family friendly and all ours!

8. I am thankful for the ability to drive! Living an on-the-go lifestyle is what we do best. I am blessed to have a nice, reliable car that gets us around each and every day and keeps us from getting bored or going stir crazy.

9. I am thankful for my friends! I am beyond blessed to now have friends in 3 different states. Weather they are friends I see every day or just occasionally, I enjoy each and every one of them for different reasons and couldn't imagine life without any of them.

10. I am thankful for Nick's Job! Some may not be able to live the lifestyle we live, with moving often, however, we love it! Not only does his job provide us with a great quality of life, but we are able to experience so many different areas that wouldn't be otherwise. Each and every place we have lived so far, has had it's own set of wonderful memories that we will cherish forever.

11. I am thankful for Kansas State University! They provided me with a quality education and many life long friendships. I am always proud to say I am a Wildcat and hope someday that little Nora will follow in her mommy and daddy's footsteps.

12. I am thankful for Sports! Not only because my husband loves them but they provide a great deal of entertainment in our lives. We love nothing more than having a cold one and watching our favorite team duke it out on the field.

13. I am thankful for clothes/fashion! Although I do not shop near as much for myself anymore, I love following the latest trends and keeping up with the times. Nothing makes you feel better than getting all dressed in a rockin outfit and going out on the town :)

14. I am thankful for computers! Of course I would follow up my shopping post by computers as online shopping has become one of my new hobbies....so awesome that you have any information you need right at your fingertips at all times.

15. I am thankful for my cell phone! I think I would be lost without this item. Not only does it allow me to communicate with my friends and loved ones, but it also helps me stay connected via the internet at all times. It also provides my wonderful workout music while I am at the gym taking care of my health, lol

16. I am thankful for the outdoors! I love everything that goes along with outside, the fresh air, the change in temperature, the smell of flowers, the beautiful scenery. I could possibly live outdoors if someone would let me :)

17. I am thankful for food! We are blessed to always have enough and to be able to enjoy the deliciousness of so many different varieties. Nothing is more fun than trying out a new restaurant or dining with friends and family.

18. I am thankful for my looks! I know this may sound vane but I am comfortable in my own skin. I love my long dark hair, my tanned skin and believe it or not, I don't even mind being short.

19. I am thankful for God! He has sure blessed our family in so many ways and I know he is always looking over us. Nightly prayer is part of our daily routine and although we may not attend mass every single week, we are spiritual and religious people daily.

20. I am thankful for life experiences! My life to this point has been a journey. There is not one part of it, however that I would take back. Each experience has helped make me the person that I am today.

21. I am thankful for my Westside Mommy Group! In the few short months we have lived in New Mexico, I have met some wonderful fellow mommies that have become a big part of Nora and I's life. They make me feel wanted and provide friendship and support each and every day!

22. I am thankful for our Hot Tub! haha, this may sound funny but not only is it relaxing but it has helped Nick and I maintain a strong relationship. I value the evenings spent out there in the back yard discussing our days and keeping connected with one another :)

23. I am thankful for wine and adult beverages! As a grown up, I reserve the right to unwind, relax and have a good time. Wine and spirits sure help to do that when needed ;P)

24. I am thankful for good neighbors! In both of our homes now, we have been so lucky to have amazing neighbors that have also become our good friends. Sure makes a person feel at-home when they are comfortable with their surroundings.

25. I am thankful for music! The power of music is tremendous...from dancing to unwinding, music can sure make a difference in a person's mood. I am so glad there are so many different varieties to chose from too.

26. I am thankful for facebook! Yes, I may be a wee bit of an addiction but especially living far away from friends and family, I love being able to stay connected. Life would be very boring without it I think, lol

27. I am thankful for humor! A daily laugh is a must in this house. Weather it be something silly Nora did or something I read online, smiling and a good belly laugh is good for one's soul.

28. I am thankful for TV/DVD's/Direct TV/DVR/Netflix....I think you get the point!

29. I am thankful for air transportation! Moving all over the place is not that difficult because you are always just a few hours away via airplane. Now if this was just more affordable, I would be even more thankful :)

 30. I am thankful for you that took the time to read this!! Evidently you are my friend and care enough about me that you are interested in what is important to me. I hope you have enjoyed it :)

Happy Halloween!

I am sure you all can already tell by our picture galore, that we partied hard this Halloween! From costume themed birthday parties to fall festivals and trick or treating, we sure did it up right this year :) As Nora is getting older, these type of holidays are sure taking on a new meaning!

Halloween has always been one of Nick and I's favorite holidays, although it used to be spent by getting all dressed up and spending a wild evening at the bar or a house party.lol Now a days, it is centered around choosing the perfect little costume(s) for our little lady and watching her take in all the new experiences. I was a bit concerned about how Nora would handle all the costumes, decorations, etc as I have read that some toddlers find this a scarey time. Of course however, my little fearless ball of energy reacted just fine!

I will have to say, probably the most precious moment of the holiday was seeing my little Beanie- Head go trick or treating for the first time! Watching her waddle up to the first house carrying her little pink bucket just melted my heart once again....and then to see her reaction as they opened the door and as she walked right into our neighbors house was just priceless :) We were so glad daddy was right there to capture the moments with pictures of course. Needless to say we were both pretty proud parents that night.


Although it was a short night, it was a very memorable one! I am sure she will build up stamina each year though and it will too become one of her favorite holidays of the year :)

I am cutting this a bit short because I also feel like I want to write about something else that happened this Halloween, that did touch our hearts in many ways. Very sadly, we got news that a co-worker of Nick's wife passed away at a very young age, leaving behind four small children :( As we were enjoying the excitement of celebrating with Nora, as a fellow mother, I had a heavy heart knowing this mama would not be spending Halloween with her precious little ones, nor any other holiday....

I am not going to get into all the details but I just feel like I want to say to all my mommy friends out there...please do not take any day for granted! Spend time with your babies, teach them things, enjoy the small things they bring to you on a daily basis. I know there will be rough times, but try not dwell on them and move on quickly. Life really is too short and precious to waste any of it! Too often I hear others dwell on things such as housework, money, work, etc, but just remember that your child is only a baby once, you will never get this minute, month, year, etc to repeat it again....so make it count!

That is the end of my little soap box today but hoping you all have a wonderful weekend and say a little prayer each night for what you have and others that may be struggling right now. I know this has sure made me once again reflect on all the positive I have in my life and for that I am thankful.