Holy Buckets!!

I haven't posted anything in a while. It looks to be time~ So....What have the Stauffer's Idaho been up to? Well, in a word, LOTS! It looks like I forgot to post about Vegas or the fact that I am now 30, or that Lily is 18 months now, or that Pete has some new responsibilities at work, or that we have muey vacacionoes coming up this summer~ Holy cow, Let's get started!!
First~ The garden is growing!! Whoo Hoo, who knew I had it in me to actually get this done? Well, like everything I approach, it is kind of a fervent rush to get going, then I get a little OCD about whatever it is (see: biting my nails, I got mad and stopped after 30 years 2 months ago. This garden is no different and has proven to be quite a task. Check us out: Here is a list of what we have going on, and yes, we may not have room for the big stuff, but that will be fun to see, won't it?!
Lily Mae's Garden:
Peas
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Spinach
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Eggplant
Carrrots
Green Beans
+ The infamous apple trees, basil, parsley, cilantro, and lavender.
We've also started our composter~So interesting and fun! I am jazzed Lily is learning about gardening now. She really seems to love it!! She is quite the big help when she isn't smashing the peas into the ground with her hoe!!
Vegas was amazing! I am 30!! Not the crisis I was anticipating so that was nice. We had a ball with Tom, Jess, Heidi, and Corey. Could there be a group more fun? We lounged and partied for 4.5 days. Thank you, Nanny and Poppy for hanging with Lily so we could take a much needed vacation!! So much fun!
The job front: Pete had a meeting of the minds with the powers that be and has taken on some new duties that may or may not lead to a program director position. We are still in a state of flux as far as our future, but aren't we all to some degree? The state of Idaho has also decided to cut benefits for part-time employees so this leaves us in a curious position: Do I work full-time and get full benefits? Do I work part-time and have an entire check go toward benefits? Do we want to mess with daycare? My answer for now is NO! After much angst about these decisions, the truth is I am not ready to have Lily in daycare for 8 or more hours a day. When she is in school, I am sure I will feel differently, but she is still lots of fun and we get a lot done in the afternoons. The benefit cut begins in November, so we still have some time. We don't know what God has planned for us come 2010, so stand by! At least we have some more information to work with now and my anxiety over my lack of control has subsided somewhat.
Summer Vacation:
July 2-5 Tahoe for Cousin Tori's wedding!
July 5-10(?)Nanny, Poppy, and Dylan come to Idaho for a visit!
August 7-18 Sconnie trip including a trip to the AlKlugholic Olympics and St. Germain with the ENTIRE CLAN!!
August 26-September 1 California for Joshy and Kim's wedding! They are precious!!
So it is fixing to be a busy summer yet again but let's all take a moment to be thankful that Lily weened herself at 14 months so we are all free to enjoy ourselves in the coming months!!
Lily Update:


Our new pastor and his family moved to Idaho from Nebraska 3 months ago. We have been blessed to have the Zimpelmann's as friends! Lily loves Lilianne and Michael and they seem to have a ball with her too! It is wonderful to see her interact with other kids. She is very loving and thinks kids are #1. She will hug anyone that is around her size and loves to give everyone a pat on the back. I like to think that she is saying "Good job, Mom!" when I get one ;) We went swimming with Ian and Rachel a few weeks ago and learned that Lily Mae is no stranger to water. This girl was all about it, so we start swimming lessons at the Y today. We have too many water related vacations coming up and I am afraid! We went to the Zoo for the first time last week to the annual Zoo Boise Ice Cream social. It was a blustery day but we made the most of it with Gina, Michael, and Big Lily!
Lily learned to say "No" on Sunday. It is pretty hysterical as are her I WANT TO BE 2Tantrums. This girl is BUSY!!! And somewhat exhausting! We love her!!! And I want to throw in 1 more "I swear this is Philly Mae Spector" Pic: She woke up from a nap last week just like this!!! Out of control hair!!!
We are soo excited to see everyone this summer~ And it looks like we really do get to see EVERYONE!!! Thank you all for blessing our lives with your friendship and love!!! I will post some quick new recipes shortly!