Players





Steve


I feel so blessed to be married to someone who doesn't think twice about going out and putting his life on the line everyday to help complete strangers. Steve is passionate about what he does, and I feel that he is truly making a difference being a police officer. I am SO proud of him. When he's not wearing his cop hat, he is the most incredible dad. Steve and Katy have such a special relationship. She is a daddy's girl for sure. He is teaching her so much every day, but especially how to have fun....and Will is catching on. He knows how to make that kid smile from ear to ear and get cute baby giggles out of him!

Steve LOVES all things outdoors. There is no place he'd rather be than camping (which to him includes a trailer...he hates tents). He is a huge "Jeeper" (even though he currently drives a truck), and loves to ride on his motorcycle or 4wheeler. He also has a weakness for watches, hats and cell phone cases. We joke that Steve is kind of a Mac snob, we currently have just about every product they make. I've also been amused lately at all the phone calls he receives from people at work asking him for help with some kind of electronic device (a trait he picked up from his Papa who was always very technologically savvy), he should work for the IT department. And with a side job he does helping to flip houses he has become quite the fix it man. He has been scheming and planning our summer all winter long. Can't wait to see where he takes us this year!





Amy

It's always weird to talk about yourself, not knowing what to say. Perhaps I will share with you some things that you might not know about me. Steve always gives me a hard time about not getting girly smelling soap (because I use his Axe in the shower), but I LOVE smelling like Steve all day. Steve always jokes with me that I didn't fully disclose my truer identity of being a hippie when we were hitched (Steve is like the anti hippie!!!). I would probably buy organic food and products 100% of the time if I could only afford them. I always have a stack of magazines that I need to take to be recycled, that ends up in my trunk for months at a time. I was the BIGGEST tom boy growing up and I still pride myself in being pretty low maintenance. 

I always knew that I wanted to be a mom...but I didn't know how much I needed to be a mom until my kidos made me realize that not much else in this world matters. Some days may feel a bit monotonous but most days are the funnest days ever because I have a constant playmate....and also it doesn't hurt that I can now have interesting conversations (4 year old style) with Katy. My kids seem to enjoy the voices I make when I read books, the weird faces I make them across the dinner table, and my snugglie hugs they get at bedtime. 

Taking pictures always seems to make me happy (although Steve and Katy are not huge fans of having a camera in there face at all times, I'm hoping I can not ruin Will to the idea). I have a lot to learn...and I'm hoping to learn more about shooting film this year (something I haven't done since high school). I always enjoy a good run, and am looking forward to running my first marathon in May (actually I'm terrified..yet excited mostly when I think about crossing the finish line and being done). Ok, truth be told I just want to cross this one off the bucket list. I think I'll probably stick with half marathons, but I will have to tell you more about my feelings when I actually complete one. I love camping with my family and being outdoors. I've pretty much had oatmeal and chocolate milk (or instant breakfast) for breakfast for the past 10 + years, at least. I love Pez candy and Cadbury Eggs (the big gooey kind), croutons always seem to make me happy, and my ears aren't pierced (I'm a big time wuss...the only reason I have kids is because, as Steve puts it, I have old lady strength!!!). I'm a horrible speller (thank you spell check) and I have a tendency to love run on sentences. 





this was after we gave each other make-overs, and when I asked her to smile...ha ha



Katy

Katy is the child that made me a mom. I love her to bits. Although, truth be told, she'd rather hang around Steve...she only wants me when she is hurt, sad, or wants to read books. It has been truly amazing to watch her become a big sister, she is always excited and eager to teach Will about new things (even if he doesn't understand at this point), and is that kids BIGGEST cheerleader. I can't even count how many times a day I hear her clapping and telling him, "good job buddy!"

She started preschool last fall and is loving that. Her favorite thing to do is sound out words all day and tell me what they start with, and we are finding that she has started trying to add things up lately. She always asks you the meaning of words she doesn't understand. She also wants to be right in the middle of your conversation (even when you arent talking to her)...what did you say? What are you guys talking about?

Everyone is her "best friend" and she has empathy up the wazoo. She hates to disappoint you, and amazingly listens to you when you tell her to do something (most of the time). She was the perfect "starter kid" because she pretty much was and has been one of the easiest kids around. 
She LOVES camping and being outside. The library is one of her favorite places...and although she has come a LONG way, she's still a scaredy cat and my family finds stories about this especially amusing! And she is better at walking in her dress up high heels than I ever have been at the real thing. 





Will

I was in girl mode 100% when the ultrasound tech informed me we were having a boy, although I always imagined I would have a boy one day. This boy is defiantly different than our girl. He is ON THE MOVE all the time. He is the smiliest kid I have ever met. Sometimes I think his smile is so big he looks like a cartoon! I joke that this kid is going to be giving us the finger (while smiling from ear to ear) as he is running away after we have told him something like "you need to sit still"!

He doesn't like being told what to do, and is happiest when he can just be out and about exploring and putting everything he can get his hands on in his mouth. He is seriously on the verge of walking (although I though the same with Katy at about 10-11 months and she didn't walk until she was 14), he loves to climb stairs, and eat everything off your plate! He is a far better eater now than Katy has ever been. He would choose eating off your plate, over a bottle any day. And he is the most giggly, laughy kid I have ever met. We have decided that he is a sympathetic laugher (you laugh, he laughs), but he still makes me feel like a million busks every time he does!






Chuck

Chuck is the puffy white West Highland White Terrier that Steve got when he graduated from collage. I know. I was just as surprised as you when this is the dog he presented to me. But don't be fooled by Chuck's fluffy, cute exterior....he has a mean round house kick! I think the line between dog and owner has been blurred a few times before, mostly when we spoon at night during the winter months! But in the end he has never been like a child for me (nothing wrong with that, nothing but love people), he has always just been the best friend I never knew I needed. He loves to stare out the window (which is actually surprisingly relaxing when I did this with him once); sneak Katy's food when no one is looking; rip the stuffing out of anything that you will let him; bark at the TV when there is any kind of animal on it; and since 2003, the year that Chuck Norris was born, roundhouse-kick related deaths have increased 13,000 percent!






Q

This is Steve's other partner in crime, literally! He is the nicest most patient police K9 I have ever met. He is so patient with my kids. He lets Katy ride him like a horse (when I'm not looking), and Will pull his hair. He is a single purpose narcotic's dog. He was originally used as a dual purpose apprehension dog. He actually won 3rd over all in the K9 trials but when he was being deployed to apprehend suspects, he would run back to the car...which, Steve says, is unfortunate because he hits harder than any other K9 the department has. We love having his as part of this family. I always joke with Steve that he got two dogs before I got two kids!

Last updated Jan 2013