Steve and Jenny Valentine

10/29/13 - Fun time on the playground at daddy's work. I think this is the first time I've seen her do this monkey swinging action! 10/30/13 - Two things: Steve hates glitter, Karis LOVES glitter. 10/31/13 - Steve caught Isaac making this silly face on camera...too funny! 11/1/13 - Evening in Celebration with the Heinsch family, Karis enjoying her first hot cocoa by the lake 11/2/13 - Celebrating Steve's 30th - a few weeks past his actual birthday, but it was the first weekend he was in town and not traveling for work in a while! Steve hates attention on him and didn't want a party...Jenny told him since it was his 30th that we had to do something.  So we landed on a small gathering with close friends.  He had a blast hanging out in the "man cave" at a local restaurant with just a few of his closest guy friends, eating dinner, chatting and watching Texas Tech football. 11/3/13 - If you live in Florida, one staple item you n...

Today was low-key for the most part {yet not}!  I say low key because we didn't do a whole lot, but in the same sense we did way more than we would usually do in one day {which resulted in a no napping day for Karis and a screaming fit at bedtime}...WHEW! It was a fun day, though, and I spent each moment during the day taking advantage of extra snuggles and sweet conversations {or just staring at my sweet baby girl}.  She is three today, yet it seems like she's already been three for a while {after all since she was about two and a half she's been telling people she's three}.  Daddy is out of town for business and comes home tomorrow. We are all excited for his arrival home {especially Karis because that means more presents to open!} It's hard having him away on such a special day, but we also know and appreciate {and talk a lot about} that he is doing what God has called him to right now to help provide and care for our family.  We had lots of fun face time con...

Dear Steve, Welcome to the last year of your 20's...how does it feel?!  Is it crazy to think in one short year from now, you will be passing into a new decade?  The last time you did that, you were young and enjoying your college days at Texas Tech.  It's amazing what happens in ten years...well even one year for that matter! I'm very thankful for you. I could stop there, but I shall elaborate!  Afterall, you know I'm not one to speak just a few words ;)  I like simple, but I also like complex (probably  more of the latter though!)  I know you don't like to have the spotlight and for attention to be drawn to yourself, but allow me to brag about you for a minute.  Not for your own glory and that people will think you're so amazing, but so that the Lord may get ALL the glory due His name with having created you, for Himself. I have found myself in the past few weeks pondering just how thankful I am for you.  It seems as we passed into t...

My thoughts about Karis and her first birthday (I'm a few weeks delayed in posting this, because I can't stand how long it takes for all the pictures to upload)! But until she wakes from her nap I will take a few moments to reflect on our daughter a bit. Our little Talker Over the past month her vocabulary has increased.  We're often surprised that she's talking...but then Steve and I smile at each other and say, "well, she does have us as parents and we both like to talk a lot (me probably more than him but he still takes credit for part of this-not to mention both Karis' grammy and grandma are quite the talkers as well-she's pretty much going to have that as part of her personality I think!) Other than the normal babbles and words she was saying before like MAMA, DADA, MORE and GO, She is saying: BABY - which really sounds like bob bob-of course making us laugh because that's her grandpa's name AGAIN - which mostly comes out sounding like ...