Scott and Stefanie McReynolds

A Baby Story

2011-12-30T17:20:00.000-06:00

For the short and sweet version go here.

Dear Logan,

This is the story of the first week of your life. Hopefully, one day you will be able to read it and appreciate how you came into the world. This is also to help mom and dad remember all the details.

The date that the doctor anticipated you being born was November 30, 2011. Since mom couldn't travel for Thanksgiving, Grandpa and Grandma Mac came up to help us celebrate. We even thought you might make your arrival when they were here. But you didn't come on Thanksgiving. When you hadn't come on your due date, we made plans with the doctor for an induction on December 9, 2011. We made plans to go in the hospital early Friday morning and let everyone know to get ready.

You had other plans, however. Mom woke up early Thursday morning feeling uncomfortable. After unsuccessfully trying to get more sleep she decided that she might be having contractions. I finally convinced her to call the doctor and they told us to come on in. When we made it to the doctor around 9am, they sent us back and hooked mom up to a monitor to check your heart rate and see if there were contractions. Your heart rate was good and mom was having contractions about every 3 minutes lasting about 50 seconds apiece. The doctor came in to check how dilated mom was. At previous appointments she was dilated 2 centimeters, but now she was up to 5 cm. They put her in a wheelchair because her blood pressure was a little high, and we went on over to the hospital.

We were in the hospital room around 10am. Mom was ready for an epidural, so the nurses started getting an IV ready. It took a couple tries and a blown vein to get it in correctly but they got it in. I had to leave the room after feeling queasy, but I made it through without passing out. Next came the epidural. The anesthesiologist got it in without any issues and the next few hours went well. Before we knew it all of your grandparents were here or on their way and mom was dilated to 9 cm by around 3pm.

Things started to slow down after that, but we were ready to start pushing at 6pm. Mom started pushing and was doing a great job, but things weren't moving very fast. You were trying hard to come out and making a little progress, but not enough. Over the next three hours we saw several different doctors, midwives, and nurses. Mom hung in there while I tried to encourage her.

At 9pm Dr. Martin started his shift and came in to see us. He said we could try the forceps or the vacuum, but he couldn't promise that would work. We talked about it and decided to go ahead with a C-Section. I put on an awesome hair net and some scrubs and mom was wheeled off to the operating room. Before we knew it, we could hear your first cry coming from the other side of the room.

You were born at 9:54pm. You weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz and were 20 inches long.

Mom was sewn up and taken back to the room. Your grandparents patiently waited while mom fed you for the first time, but the time finally came when they were able to hold you for the first time. After a couple of hours they took us to a new room where we would spend the next few days. It was around 1:45am by the time we finally got to sleep.

The next day there we lots of people that came to visit you. Grandpa and Grandma Mac and Papa and Nana Horton were there. Aunt Connie also brought your cousin Emma Kate. Lots of our friends from church came. Travis and Tawny, Chelsea, Lindsay, Lacy, Jim Dalton, Doug & Angel Couch, and Melissa all came to see you after you were born. Josh, Holly, and Conner also stopped by.

We originally thought that we would get to take you home on Sunday, but we had another thing coming. Overall, you were a healthy baby. You started to lose a little too much weight so we started a little bit of formula to supplement nursing. After that, things went well for you. You were actually released from the hospital before mom was.

Since you were released before mom was, I got to take you to your first doctor appointment by myself. While this could have been an adventure fit for a sitcom episode, you were a very good boy and we didn't have any issues. You were measured and were around the 48th percentile in height, weight, and head circumference.

Mom's blood pressure was high all during labor and after you were born. It reached as high as 180/120, but was typically less than that. However, the doctors weren't comfortable sending us home until they felt is was under control. They put her on medication and increased the dose and added a second medicine to try and figure it out. By the time we left the hospital, mom was on 1200mg of Labetalol and 90mg of Procardia.

After mom's blood pressure was averaging about 150/90, we were able to talk to the doctors and they let us go home Thursday morning. After we got home and got some rest, mom's blood pressure went down significantly. We are still monitoring it, but we are down to 400mg of Labetalol and 30mg of Procardia. It is likely that that will be reduced again when we see the doctor.

After all was said and done, we spent a week in the hospital, which was about 4 days longer than we hoped, but we left with a beautiful, calm, sweet little boy. If you asked either one of us, we would do it all over again.

Love,

Dad

A Baby Story (Dragnet version)

2011-12-30T15:46:00.000-06:00

"Just the facts ma'am" Version of Logan's Birth.

Logan Scott McReynolds

Born December 8, 2011 at 9:54 pm via C-Section at Overland Park Regional Medical Center

8 lbs 9 oz

20 in long

14 1/4" head circumference

The hospital stay lasted a week due to Stefanie's elevated blood pressure during and after labor.

Partly Cloudy with a chance of Showers

2011-10-07T18:16:00.000-05:00

We were treated to a lovely shower from our Red Bridge family. Thank you for all the wonderful gifts. They will be a great help as we continue to get things ready. Stefanie is now 32 weeks along and we are getting closer to arrival day. We are getting anxious and trying to make sure we have everything prepared for when he arrives.

It's a ...

2011-07-17T19:26:00.003-05:00

BOY!

For those of you who weren't aware, Stefanie and I are expecting our first child around November 30th. We are very excited and anxious about the way our life will change from now on. Hot summer days will quickly turn into brisk fall evenings, and before we know it, baby will make 3. Our new addition will be the first grandchild for my parents and the first one in several years for Stefanie's.

Ever since we first started talking seriously about kids, I have found myself observing parents much more as I have struggled with all the different challenges that are sure to come our way. I have no doubt that I have underestimated both the joy and difficulty that this child will bring, but I know that I have never met a parent that would give his child back.

Stefanie will not be going back to school this fall and is looking forward to staying at home with our little guy. Names are still being discussed, but the inner planner in us will soon take over and a decision will probably be made sooner rather than later. The last sonogram showed no signs that the baby was abnormal in any way, but we continue our prayers for a healthy baby and mommy.

We would love to hear your thoughts about what you wish you knew before having kids or any recommendations (diapers, toys, furniture, cameras ...) that you are willing to offer.

Thanks for checking in with our seldom updated blog!

Spring has Sprung, kind of

2011-03-26T14:40:00.004-05:00

Spring is officially here. However, it doesn't exactly feel like it. The forecast is calling for a bit a snow today, just to remind us that we really have no idea what to expect. For those of you who don't know, we have purchased a house just south of Olathe and we will be closing at the end of April. We are eager, excited, and ready to have a little more space.

I have done pretty well so far keeping up with my reading goal this year. Now the real challenge is to not just read for the sake of reading, but to actually gain something through the process.

As warmer weather draws closer, Stefanie winds down her school year and construction season picks up for me. Stefanie is anxious to get standardized testing out of the way and I am looking forward to getting outside again and blocking traffic.

2011 & Beyond

2011-01-03T18:21:00.000-06:00

As I look back on the recent blog posts, it appears that fall was completely skipped in what had become seasonal updates. I had originally intended to post more often than that, but it just hasn't been a priority. A lot has been going on the last few months, but I won't bore you with all of the details. It mostly involved the usual things, family, friends and travel.

Moving on to recent events, I finally found out today that I passed my PE exam. Sometimes I wish that was for physical education, but it is actually for my Professional Engineering License. I had a wonderful wife who supported me during my endless hours of studying that spanned the months of April - October.

Stefanie and I also spent time this fall teaching Financial Peace University at our church. It was beneficial for us to go through the program again and we had a great class join us.

Like you, we don't know what 2011 will bring, but we are ready for the ride. One of the things I want to do is to read more this year. I haven't read much in my adult life, but I think it will be good for me. The nerd in me is even considering purchasing an ereader. I have already started reading one book that I got for Christmas.

Summer Happenings

2010-07-08T21:04:00.005-05:00

It seems like once a season is about as frequent as this blog gets updated these days. Stefanie and I have had a busy, but enjoyable summer, so far. At the beginning of the summer we sat down and started talking about all the things we wanted to do. Even though most of the items on the list were only weekend long excursions, dates filled up fast. We started out the summer by heading to Piedras Negras, Mexico with a group from Joplin. This was one of several times for me to go with the church I grew up in. However, this was Stefanie's first trip and we were very excited for her to get to experience it. Vida Nueva (Ne w Life) Ministries is the organization we have always gone down to help. It is amazing to see how this area has changed since the first trip I made in high school. One of the special things about this trip was the decision that Stefanie and I made to sponsor a child so they can attend preschool. The cool thing was that we got to meet Maria, the child we are sponsoring before we left (Thanks for the picture, Bethany). If you are interested in sponsoring a child I would encourage you to get in contact with Lorena (lorenavidanueva AT hotmail.com) and see how you can make a difference in a child's life.

After Mexico, we've spent about every weekend traveling to see our family and friends across the midwest. We've purchased tickets from scalpers, danced in the car, and watched fireworks with captivated preschool boys.

For the most part things have been positive. However, there is always the good that comes with the bad. I lost my last living grandparent in May and Stefanie's dad has been in and out of the hospital a couple of times for surgery to repair some of the ailments that are a result of the cancer that recurred two years ago. He is home now and has started recovering, but we would still solicit your prayers.

In all things, we know that God is good and that we are Safe in His arms.

Bring on Spring

2010-03-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

The time is finally here. It is officially spring and this week's forecast looks amazing. The Final Four and Opening Day are near and I am ready to spend some quality time in the great out of doors. This season should bring plenty of grilling, occasional camping, disc golfing, some geocaching, and maybe even a reemergence of the slackline. We will hopefully get a chance to go see some ball games, visit some parks we haven't been to yet, and discover new ways to enjoy this wonderful season. If this is your allergy season, I apologize, but otherwise I hope you find ways to savor and enjoy the next few weeks. So get off the internet and start making plans.

Stuff For Searching

2010-03-03T18:53:00.006-06:00

There's no such thing as a free lunch, right? This is true, but there is such a thing as a good deal. I recently started using Swag Bucks. Swag Bucks is a way to earn points for purchasing things like gift cards or electronics just for using their search engine, which, by the way, is a conglomeration of Google and Ask.com. It's a pretty simple way to get a little bit back for what you already do. In case you were wondering, yes it is improves when you get referrals. However you don't need referrals to start earning bucks. Keep an eye on the swag bucks blog for ways to earn some extra swag bucks. This could be your method to earn Amazon.com gift cards to use as you please, if you are willing to adjust your searching habits a little bit. If you are interested, check out the web site and if you want to help me out, sign up under my account. Thanks.

Video about Swag Bucks on KMBC 9 KC

Canada, eh?

2010-02-12T22:37:00.003-06:00

If you want to keep track of the olympics, make sure you check out NBC's olympic site. If you missed an event, it is likely you can watch a replay or at least highlights on the video section of the site. A couple of things to note, if you want to watch video, you may have to download the latest version of the plugin silverlight. Also, to watch some "premium" content you may need to input your cable company info for full access. Be sure to check out the video player tutorial and the FAQ sites if you have issues.

Keep track of your money in 2010

2010-01-01T16:49:00.000-06:00

Several popular New Year's Resolutions involve money. Get out of debt, save more, and give more to charity may be among your desired changes for 2010. If you don't know where your money went last year, maybe these tips will help. Being the self-professed nerd that I am, I put together a spreadsheet to keep track of our spending. We use it to come up with our monthly budget and keep track of how we are doing. You can download it from the link below if you like. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2887593/2010%20budget.xls

Another great tool is mint.com. Mint (which was recently purchased by the makers of Quicken)can import your bank information using the bank's online banking system and categorize it for you. This is an easy way to see where your money goes with fancy charts and graphs for you non-spreadsheet people. We use both to see where our money is going.

If you are completely lost and confused about money, we highly recommend taking a Financial Peace University class. If you don't think you have the time, much of the same information is covered in Dave Ramsey's book, The Total Money Makeover.

In closing I'll leave you with the baby steps to Financial Peace.

1. $1,000 Emergency Fund
2. Get out of debt using the debt snowball
3. Full Emergency fund (3 to 6 months of expenses)
4. Invest 15% in retirement
5. College funds for the kids
6. Pay off the house early
7. Build wealth and give

For more information see http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/

You can do it. Have a buddy keep you accountable and make those resolutions last all year.

and to all a good night

2009-12-19T10:15:00.001-06:00

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy time with your family, take a deep breath and relax. When in doubt, just ask Linus about the true meaning of Christmas

The Evolution of Christmas Lights

2009-12-17T21:46:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again. The Christmas lights are out in full force. I've put together a few photos/videos that illustrate how I view the evolution of Christmas decoration. Enjoy.

Original post

see more Epic Fails

It's been awhile

2009-10-15T19:36:00.003-05:00

August 29, 2009. That's the date of our last post. It seems like we have been going almost non-stop since then. Stefanie has been busy with her new 4th grade class and I've been staying busy at work. In our free time we've been on the road quite a bit. We've been to Rogers, St. Louis and Joplin all in the last several weeks. We've visited family and friends and enjoyed spending time with everyone. We finally had a weekend at home to relax a couple of weeks ago, and I did a pretty good job of making it less fun by being sick all weekend. Now that there is a little bit of a lull before holiday season starts, we hope to do some relaxing again.

A Musical History

2009-08-29T17:38:00.007-05:00

Musical History

I've thought about putting this together a couple of different times, but have just now got around to it. Music is such an important aspect of many people's lives and I often find myself looking back at my musical past. This is in no way a complete compilation, but is pretty accurate. Sit back and enjoy as I take you on a journey through time.

1. The Basics of Life - 4 Him

2. Yakety Yak - The Coasters

Growing up we basically had two options. Contemporary Christian or Oldies. I now realize why this is. There is a lot of inappropriate material on the radio, and it makes quite a bit of sense for a parent to limit their children to one of these genres.

3. Jesus Freak - DC Talk

"Cool" Christian music, especially for youth group trips.

4. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

Main track from the movie Armageddon I went to a lot of movies in early high school. I'm pretty sure everyone saw this one. I think the soundtrack was the first CD I ever purchased.

5. Higher - Creed

The 90s rock phase

6. Tonight, Tonight - The Smashing Pumpkins

7. My Name is Jonas - Weezer

8. Lucky Denver Mint - Jimmy Eat World

I have Nathan to thank for introducing me to the foundations of my current music collection.

9. This Bitter Pill - Dashboard Confessional

Every single guy needs to sing along with Chris Carabba at least once.

10. Walls - Emery

11. Reinventing Your Exit - Underoath

In case you're curious, this is classified as screamo. It actually will grow on you, some of you.

12. Giving it Away - Mae

13. Bixby Canyon Bridge - Death Cab for Cutie

The calmer side of my college music collection.

14. The Crane Wife 3 - The Decemberists

Trying to find my corner of the indie music scene

15. Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin

I still appreciate a well written worship song.

I hope you enjoyed your quick glance through my musical history.

God's Perfect Timing

2009-08-13T14:50:00.000-05:00

Wow! What a whirlwind we've been through this past week! It all revolves around my search for a teaching job. First, a little bit of background to our story. We all are aware that our economy is not in the best of conditions. As a result, school districts are dealing with budget issues. There are several school districts in the Kansas City area, close to where we live, so we were hopeful that I would be able to find a teaching position this upcoming school year. However, most of these school districts are on hiring freezes and expanding class sizes among the teachers they already have on staff. Less than a month ago, a school district in Kansas City laid off 148 teachers. Now, all of those teachers are looking for employment and finding it nowhere. I had already determined that it was going to be alright because I would substitute this year (getting to know the principals as a part of that process). It worked in Rogers, so I assumed it would work here as well. At the end of July, I interviewed with the Assistant Superintendent at one of the school districts nearby, for a substituting position (they interview all applicants in order to screen the subs they end up hiring). As soon as I walked into the interview, the Assistant Superintendent thought my face looked familiar. He found out that I attended NSU in Oklahoma. He told me that when he was a principal, he would always travel down to Oklahoma to recruit teachers from NSU to work at his school. Anyway, long story short... I was approved to be a substitute for the district. He didn't know what I should expect, though, as far as how much I would be working. You see, all of these teachers who are looking for work are now substituting. There are more substitutes in our area than ever before, and the school districts are unsure how much we'll be able to work on a regular basis due to the overload.

Now, onto the events of this past week. A good friend of ours from church is a high school teacher in the district where I interviewed to substitute. The teacher she works with in the science department is due to have a baby in September. She found out last week that her long-term substitute had pulled out, & she wanted Jeni to contact me about possibly filling that position. Now, I have little background in Biology (other than high school and college) or high school students, for that matter. We were all unsure of whether the administration would hire me for this position because I'm not certified to teach secondary biology. Jeni's friend requested me anyway. The principal also requested that I have the job. However, by law, the administration had to approve someone certified in the subject area they would be teaching, if it was for a long-term position. I completely understood and was very relieved at the thought of not having to teach high school students (as wonderful as I'm sure they are...haha). It was an up-and-down process of I'm probably going to have the job/ no I'm not/ I might/ nope.. not going to happen. Still, I was relieved but frustrated at not knowing how much I would be working this school year. I told Jeni not to worry about a thing because I realize that God has never let me down. He has ALWAYS provided me with an opportunity of some-sort, right when it was needed. As soon as I sent her that message, I received an e-mail from the Assistant Superintendent asking me to give him a call about another position they had available. I called him immediately. He told me about a 3rd grade teacher in their district who was due to have a baby this upcoming September. She initially was going to take off just 6 weeks for maternity leave, and they still didn't have anyone to fill that position while she was out. The sad part of my story, and where I'm calling on you to keep praying, is that this teacher had her baby prematurely. The baby is in ICU as of now, and the teacher plans on working until the baby is released. She doesn't know exactly how long she'll be off....6-12 weeks or maybe the rest of the year. Very unsure right now. I hope, for her sake, that the baby will be healthy & she will just take off a regular maternity leave. She just doesn't know exactly what to expect once the baby comes home. Please keep this family in your prayers because I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to go through something like this with your child.

Where God's timing came in is that I definitely have a long-term position for this school year. I don't know how long (again pray that everything turns out just fine & this teacher will just be off a regular maternity leave), but I do know that God brought my name into the right hands to teach in this 3rd grade classroom, if just for a short while. If it hadn't been for Jeni, the long-term high school position suddenly coming up, and the Assistant Superintendent liking NSU grads (and thinking he recognized me from somewhere), my name wouldn't have even been on the map. There are so many applicants and everyone's resume looks the same. Being in the same classroom everyday will allow me to get to know the principal and the teachers really well... which gives me hope of finding a permanent job in the next school year (that's what happened in Rogers).

I never doubted God's ability to place me where I was needed, I just doubted where I needed to go. I questioned everything about my career choice and why God had brought us here right after I had found a job in Arkansas. Now I know. We're right where we need to be right now. I need to remember that my timing is not always God's timing, and HE knows what's best for me... not the other way around.

Our first offspring

2009-08-03T19:16:00.004-05:00

Her name is Bonnie. Bonnie McReynolds. Bonnie McReynolds, the tomato plant. We adopted her from Lowe's at the beginning of summer. She hasn't been overly fruitful in her limited time with us, but that is not completely her fault. She only received partial sun in the mornings and we failed to ever give her any Miracle Grow. We're not sure if being in a pot affected her, but it's possible. We picked her fruit earlier this week, and it will probably end up on a sandwich within the next few days. Maybe next year we will have enough to share.

A Saturday Afternoon Jaunt

2009-07-18T17:24:00.001-05:00

When we saw what beautiful weather was forecast for this weekend we decided we had do something outside. We took the opportunity to check out the Kansas City Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. It is a great place to walk around, especially on such a beautiful day. FYI there are cameras and museum staff watching to make sure people don't touch the shuttlecocks.

Support Free Honduras

2009-07-09T20:48:00.003-05:00

I usually try to refrain from political topics here. However, I urge you to do some research into the current situation in Honduras. Check out http://www.supportfreehonduras.com and heritage.org for more information. Below I have copied the letter I sent to my representative in the House. I encourage you to find your Congressmen/women and write them about any issue you are concerned about. You can easily do that at this website. https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Scott

Mr. Moore, I am writing as a concerned member of the 3rd district of Kansas. Recent events in the Central American country of Honduras have created quite a news frenzy, one I believe is very misleading. Terms like "coup" and "military uprising" completely mischaracterize the situation. The Honduran Constitution clearly outlines a one term limit for the President. The people/government of Honduras were simply acting on their Constitution. There was no "coup" involved. Article 239 — No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be President or Vice-President. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform, as well as those who support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years. It would seem obvious what America's response would be. It was not that long ago that a young nation was being formed. The founders of this country envisioned a living document that would preserve the nation well beyond their individual lives. The Constitution of the United States of America is the document that gives us our freedom. Many men and women have fought and will continue to die in order to protect it. It is because of this devotion that one would assume that America would jump at the chance to uphold a similar document for a developing country. Unfortunately, our government officials have sent a completely different message. I am calling on you, Mr. Moore, as a representative of the people, to make our voice heard, by speaking up for Honduras and Constitutions across the world. If we are so quick to dismiss another country's governing document, what will happen when our own Constitution is under attack? What would happen if the roles were reversed? I urge you to consider the consequences of our actions in this matter and pass this on to your peers. Thank you. Scott McReynolds

One Year Ago Today....

2009-06-28T17:36:00.005-05:00

I summoned up the courage to ask my wonderful girlfriend to be my wife. If you want to relive the whole story go here. We have since been married for a little over 6 months and are enjoying (almost) every moment. Plenty of things have happened in the last year and I don't know if I would have predicted any of it. We have made it through the good and the bad and I'm sure there will be more of both in the future. A couple of our friends that we have met in KC have started dating exactly one year after Stefanie and I did (Aug. 9). We were kind of hoping they would get engaged today in order to further solidify our destiny as lifelong buddies (we think things will still work out well). I guess there is still a little bit of time left in the day. As a side note, we will be getting our wedding pictures next weekend when we go to the lake to visit my family over the holiday. Be looking for those to be posted somewhere online if you'd like to see them again.

Cardinals/Royals Game

2009-06-22T18:12:00.005-05:00

On Saturday afternoon we got to enjoy some afternoon baseball with friends at Kauffman Stadium. We had a great time tailgating beforehand, even in the middle of a few sprinkles. After about an hour and a half rain delay the game got started. Here are a few highlights. You can see all of our pictures on facebook.

We had great seats thanks to Josh winning tickets from his office.

you can't help but relish the condiment race

the sea of red

Stef is sporting her Royals give-a-way hat.

Time Warp

2009-06-12T22:24:00.005-05:00

In case you ever wondered what happened to Zack Morris, Jimmy Fallon is about to help you find out. Test your knowledge and see how many Saved by the Bell references you pick up on. I'm sure there is probably a facebook quiz that can tell you the same thing, but this is much more enjoyable. Props to the makeup and hair people.

Summer's heating up

2009-06-07T13:04:00.004-05:00

Temperatures are rising, bugs are biting and the smell of BBQ is in the air. Summer time is here (although not officially until June 21st). This will be our best summer yet as a married couple. Yes, that's right it's our first summer as a married couple. Anyway, we have a lot of fun already planned and I know that just as much enjoyment will come from the unplanned events. Baseball games, relaxing by the pool, family/friend visits, cookouts, church activities and float trips are all ready planned. Who knows, we might even make a trip to Branson. If you are going to be in the KC area, please let us know so we can try to meet up.

Town Hall for Hope

2009-05-15T20:19:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it, Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope has been posted online. It is an hour and a half of history, statistics, optimism and of course, caller questions. I encourage you to make time to watch this and check out the website.

Dave Ramsey - Town Hall for Hope 2009 from Central FPU on Vimeo.

Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope - April 23rd, 2009

Who Said You Can't Go Home?!

2009-04-23T12:19:00.005-05:00

This weekend will mark our first visit back home since our move. I cannot wait!!! I really do like the Kansas City area, but the thought of returning to a place with our family and friends brings such warmth to my heart. We have some wonderful people in our lives here. Scott has several friends who live in the area, and we have enjoyed getting together with them over the past few weeks. We've found a church home where we feel welcomed and loved... already! Such great people!! Still, I am very excited about seeing some familiar faces and places. Pretty sure that I won't be ready to come back when it's time to leave... but maybe I will. Like I said, KC is starting to grow on me. :)

Stefanie

In The City

2009-04-11T09:42:00.000-05:00

We spent Friday evening doing a little exploring downtown. Union Station, The Liberty Memorial, and Crown Center were all stops on this initial trip. We will definitely go back and spend more time at these places. We look forward to discovering more about what is around our new home.

Liberty Memorial

City View

Town Hall for Hope

2009-03-31T19:09:00.004-05:00

Town Hall For Hope

Dave Ramsey

One week and counting

2009-03-28T11:49:00.000-05:00

Well, it's officially been one full week since we made our move to the Kansas City area. It's been pretty busy around here but a good first week. We went to church on Sunday and were able to meet up with a family that Scott used to go to church with in Joplin. They have a daughter that is my age who got married last summer (We had the SAME wedding dress! I think we're just made to be friends.) They already knew that we were moving to Overland Park, so we weren't too nervous about going to a new church since we already knew some people there. EVERYONE was so friendly & nice! We had a wonderful time at church & then went to lunch with our new (Scott's old) friends.

Scott began his first day of work at KDOT on Monday. It was a little overwhelming because of all the information he had to take in the first day, but for a first day of work it went well. He found out that he will be in charge of 7 projects in the area. He is now a supervisor of 4 people, so he'll have to take a class in April dealing with all of the fun stuff that goes along with that responsibility. And he now has his own office! YAY!! (I'm more impressed with this fact than he is. haha) He also found out on Monday that he would be going to Topeka for a class the next day. He had to report to work on Tuesday & Wednesday at 6:30 in the morning. Needless to say, not having to be at work until 8 o'clock now seems wonderful! :) The rest of his week went really well, and he thinks that he's going to like it.

My week consisted of cleaning, unpacking, and putting away everything in our boxes. I will not complain because we were fortunate enough to have movers who packed, loaded, & unloaded EVERYTHING that we had. It was wonderful!! However, I do not like clutter, so once the movers left I was ready to start unpacking. I finished unpacking & putting away everything by Tuesday. I couldn't have been happier, but we had 36 boxes full of packing paper that needed to be broken down & taken away. WE HAD A LOT OF PACKING PAPER!!! One small box of packing paper took up 4 large trash bags. I've spent the remainder of my time trying to get all of that paper & boxes to our local recycling center. I've got about 4 more boxes left. I will probably do a somersault when all of those are gone. :)

Wednesday night we went to church and met more wonderful people. I feel very fortunate to have found a place where I feel so welcomed so early on. :) Thursday night we went to dinner at Josh & Holly's. We had a wonderful time together with a delicious meal (thanks Holly). Now we look forward to a nice, quiet weekend at home....hopefully with as little snow as possible. Stay tuned.

We're Here

2009-03-22T09:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday the movers unloaded all of our stuff into our new apartment. We have been unpacking boxes since around 3pm yesterday and have made pretty good progress. After a trip to Lowe's, we now have an operational washer & dryer and shelf paper to install. If anyone needs boxes or paper to stuff in them, let us know. We are swimming in it right now. We are excited about going to church this morning and I am anxious and excited about starting my new job tomorrow. The apartment is a little smaller than the house in Pea Ridge, but we will adjust and in a couple of weeks we won't notice it as much. Stefanie really likes the "coziness" of the living room. We look forward to meeting new friends and having old ones come visit. Let us know if you will be in the area, we would love to see you.

Moving

2009-03-09T12:47:00.006-05:00

It is hard to believe that we are moving to Kansas City next week. When I look back, a lot of things have changed in the last 6 months. I now have a new wife, a new job and will be living in a new place. The movers will be here next Thursday to pack everything up (so glad my new job is paying for this). Friday they will come back to load it and then head out on Saturday. I still have a lot of anticipation and anxiety about my new job, but God has shown us over and over that this is where we need to be right now. Stefanie and I have the next week and a half to spend together at home, since neither one of us is working right now. This should allow us to make sure everything is ready and help us to not stress out as much (I hope). We have already had one person look at the house, which is encouraging. As we have said before, this is a bitter-sweet time for us and we will miss it down here. However, we know that God has plenty in store for us in Kansas and he will continue to take care of us.

Scott Speaks Geek

2009-03-08T15:06:00.005-05:00

I have started a new blog where I can get out some geekiness. You can follow it at scottspeaksgeek.blogspot.com. I will still write here, but will save my tech talk for the new blog.

p.s. our house is still for sale: http://www.tinyurl.com/204Oakley

House for Sale

2009-03-01T15:21:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday Stefanie and I went to KC to go apartment hunting. We got to stay with Josh & Holly on Friday night and set out on Saturday to find a place to live. After looking at six places, we settled on AMLI Clear Creek apartments in Overland Park, Kansas.

We now have our house in Pea Ridge up for sale. It was built in 2007, approximately 1340 square feet, 3 bed/2 bath, all brick and only minutes from Bentonville. If you, or someone you know is looking you can send them to www.tinyurl.com/204Oakley or have them search for MLS #568760 on their favorite site for more info.

A New Leaf

2009-02-19T15:12:00.001-06:00

As spring approaches, most of us eagerly anticipate the end of winter. Warmer temperatures surprise us more frequently, the green color slowly returns to the horizion and the familiar chirping of birds and crickets graces our ears. Seasons are changing for us as well. As most of you know, I was laid off from my job with Crafton Tull Sparks on January 9. Since then I have been looking for work and pondering all of the questions that invade your mind after a life altering event. We have had such great support from all of those around us. Our family, friends and church family have shown us an immessurable amount of love and we are truly greatful for that. On Wednesday I was in Olathe, KS for an interview with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). I have since been offered the position and have accepted. Details are still trickling in, but I will likely start sometime in the middle of March. Stefanie and I believe that God has answered our prayers by providing this opportunity for us. This is a very exciting/nerve racking/sad time for us. Change is never easy, but is often beneficial. We will leaving an area that we both have grown to love. We have made so many friends and we hate to create a further physical distance betweeen us, but know that you will always be in our hearts. We plan to come back and visit when possible and will do our best to stay in touch. We have several friends in the KC area and we look forward to being near them. Again, we can not thank you enough for all of your prayers. We know that without them things would have been much worse. Please know that this is not goodbye, simply a new leaf.

Wedding Video

2009-02-15T08:46:00.003-06:00

Here is the completed video from the big day. A big thanks to Tim for the use of the cameras and for giving me a jump start with the editing. If you would like a dvd copy please let me know. It is almost 24 minutes long and I didn't have any issues streaming it on my low end cable internet. The HD version is available if you follow the links below the video to the Vimeo site. Sorry about the somewhat abrupt end, but I had to trim it some to meet the file size upload requirements.

McReynolds Ceremony from Scott McReynolds on Vimeo.

New Hobby

2009-02-10T18:01:00.006-06:00

I have picked up the new hobby of geocaching. I think I might have Stef hooked, as well. What is geocaching you might ask. Here's what the website has to say:

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

Stef went with me today and helped me find my 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th caches and I'm pretty sure she enjoyed it. Check it out, you might just enjoy it.

Here's our first find of the day. (it's the little green thing next to my gps. it has a small log book inside to sign)
I've also been keeping up with my finds with a google map.

View Larger Map

Logic will get you in trouble

2009-02-03T16:14:00.005-06:00

I want to know the answers and I don't typically like surprises. I need logic and reason. I also don't want to drive myself insane.

Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artist very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination.
-G.K. Chesterson

Super Bowl Crisis

2009-01-31T11:49:00.001-06:00

Why you should watch Comedy Central instead of the national news

2009-01-22T09:50:00.005-06:00

Thanks to Norman for leading me to this.

The Only Constant in Life is Change

2009-01-13T08:32:00.003-06:00

Science tells us that there many constants in this world, many of which I memorized during college. Like many things in life, there are often exceptions to these "laws" of nature. New research will allow for refining of these numbers or sometimes even completely nullify them. Fortunately for us there is one thing that we know will never change. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. With all that said, there is going to be some change taking place in our lives. I found out last Thursday that I was being laid off, along with 27 others, from the Engineering firm I have worked for the last 2 1/2 years. Even though the workload had made it pretty apparent that this would happen, it was still quite a shock to the system. I am actively seeking work and we have no doubt that I will be able to find a job. However, there are always so many unanswered questions. When will I find a job? Who with? Will we have to relocate? Will the pay be the same? Will we have to sell the house? As so many of you who have been through this before have shared with us, we know that it will work out and it will be ok. God is faithful and he will take care of us. We just ask that you pray for us during this time and that you would ask God to give us peace, and to make clear the path he has set out for us. Thank you for all of your encouragement. We would be so much worse off if it wasn't for our family, friends and church family. We love you all.

The moment you've all been waiting for........Pictures!

2009-01-10T10:59:00.003-06:00

The wonderful folks over at Scott Photography, along with the modern wonders of the internet, have prepared a wedding photo viewing location just for you to enjoy. Stop by their blog for more details or use the direct link here. After searching for our name, you will need a password and email address to view the pictures. The password was on that little card at the reception table, but since I'm such a nice guy I'll let you in on a secret. The password is ......... spreadsheet. So head on over and check it out. If you can't stand another day without that lifesize portrait of us in your living room, you can order prints directly from the website. I will leave a link on the right hand column under "photos" for later viewing as well.

Wedding Pictures are almost here

2009-01-05T21:40:00.003-06:00

Check out the Scott Photography blog for another sneak peak at wedding photos. I have also added a "photos" section on the right hand side of the blog. Check it out. All of the wedding pictures should be up soon. We will keep you up to date on how & when you can see them.

3 weeks and counting

2009-01-04T21:00:00.001-06:00

What's so hard about this marriage thing, anyway? Ok, ok, so maybe we haven't quite fully experienced all the different aspects of marriage just yet. All things considered, married life is wonderful. There is nothing quite like sharing your life with your best friend. (insert awwws or regurtations here) Anyway, the first week of January will probably represent the start of what we will call "normal" life. The holidays are over, traveling is done for a while, I'm going back to work again (I'd already been back after the honeymoon), and Stefanie is going to start another long term sub position in a pre-K class. We are looking forward to a little more routine, but will try to keep things from getting too scheduled and dull. As the questions and greetings shift from "how was the honeymoon?" to "when are the babies coming?" you can rest assured that we will keep you up to date and give you all the information we deem necessary. So, stay tuned.....The best is yet to come.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-27T18:56:00.003-06:00

From the McReynolds

Honeymoon

2008-12-20T20:23:00.002-06:00

We made it back from our honeymoon in the Riviera Maya, Mexico late Thursday night. We had a wonderful time and were not ready to leave the beach where it was sunny, in the low 80s, and with a nice breeze. I know you are curious, so I'll give you a quick summary of what we did (besides that) and then post a few pictures.

To sum it up we: lounged on the beach, visited Mayan Ruins, kayaked in the ocean, played putt putt and ping pong, sat by the pool, slept in hammocks, ate whenever we pleased, and took long walks on the beach

Getting ready before dinner

The beach

By the pool

Tulum

more pics on facebook

Photo Teaser

2008-12-20T12:15:00.002-06:00

Dave and Whitney of Scott Photography have posted a few pictures from the wedding on Saturday. You can see them on their blog (http://scottphotographyblog.org/2008/12/16/stefanie-scott/). We will let you know when more pictures are up. Also, stay tuned for a honeymoon update.

Wedding Photos

2008-12-13T17:30:00.002-06:00

If you have photos from the wedding you would like to share, we would love to see them. Below are a few ways you can get them to us.

Email
You can send us pictures by email. Send pictures to scottandstefanie+pics@gmail.com (max 20 MB)

Facebook
If you post your pictures on facebook anyone who is your friend can view them. If you would like to show the world there is a link at the bottom of the album that you can share.

Flckr, Picassa, etc.
If you use another web service to host your pictures there are usually links that can be shared to view the album or individual pictures.

Last minute details

2008-12-09T07:31:00.004-06:00

The wedding is getting very close now and time seems to speed up the closer we get to the big day. Decorating is just about all that is left before the rehearsal on Friday evening. I will remind all of our out of town guests that there is a local map on the right side of the page under "Wedding Links" to help you get around the area. We look forward to seeing everyone and apologize in advance for not being able to spend as much time visiting as we would like.

Digital TV transition (update)

2008-12-02T18:27:00.005-06:00

update: added antenna review below
You may be completely unaware, completely confused, or somewhere in between of the upcoming digital TV transition. There are lots of good resources out there so I will just hit some of the high points.

1. You are only affected if you currently receive your tv with an antenna.
2. If you use an antenna and haven't purchased a new tv in the last couple of years you will need a converter box.
3. Uncle Sam will give you $40 to spend on a converter box
4. You have to request a coupon(s) by the end of the month.

website for coupons https://www.dtv2009.gov/
more details http://reviews.cnet.com/dtv-transition/

Quick antenna review:
I just bought a new indoor antenna. The Terk HDTVa was my choice. I had been using a Phillips antenna. The Terk is better for several reasons. First, it allows me to pick up the same stations I did before, but now I don't have to adjust the antenna depending on which station I want to watch. Second, the main analog station (which will cease to exist after Feb. 17) that I watch comes in clearer. Third, I now can more reliably pick up the 4 PBS stations that only worked on occasion. The Phillips will now be moved to the bedroom so that Stefanie can watch the news or weather (when it storms) and should work just fine for that. (NBC has a very strong signal and should work well throughout the house) One other note. Both of these antennas are amplified (they must be plugged in) and I believe that this has made a big difference for me since the towers are up to 45 miles away. You can see what stations you should pick up by putting your address in at www.antennaweb.org. Best Buy carries the Terk antenna, but it is much cheaper on Amazon.com

Early Christmas Present

2008-11-24T19:47:00.003-06:00

Consider these your early (and probably only) Christmas cards. Please don't question my orientation. Enjoy.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Pay it Forward

2008-11-12T22:07:00.003-06:00

In the mornings I usually have my alarm set to radio. For the last couple of months, the dial has been tuned to KLRC, the local Christian radio station. While Christian radio sometimes bugs me, I have come to appreciate the positive message, especially when I am starting my day. Lately they have been promoting their "Pay it Forward" campaign and I have heard some cool stories about what people are doing. Anything from giving away gently used furniture after an upgrade, to free firewood for a family that can't afford to buy propane, has crossed the airwaves. I challenge you (and myself) to check out their blog for ideas big and small (Thursday has been declared "Drive Thru Difference Day") on how you can pay it forward. To top it off, tonight was the last lesson in our Financial Peace Class and we talked about giving. It is really fun to think about (and hear stories about) the great joy that comes from giving. Ultimately, that is the point of the class. Being able to put yourself in a financial position where you can use God's money to truly bless people (Dave teaches to always give, even when getting out of debt) can be very rewarding and a ton of fun. I look forward to the day when I can write a check for $5,000 or more to help a strugling couple, pay for a stranger's hospital bills, or tell my kids that college is taken care of. Let your imagination run wild and learn to give as God has given.

Closing In

2008-11-11T18:41:00.001-06:00

The wedding is just over 1 month away and we are anxiously anticipating the big day. Stress will continue to build until it is over, but hopefully will ease as final decisions are made. Tonight Stefanie got to work on some of the church decorations and later we are meeting with Marshall to talk about the service. The honeymoon is all taken care of and the beach is looking better every day. (I am looking for good books to read while soaking up the sun, by the way.) Until then, we will keep chugging along on different things (we hope to have most stuff wrapped up by Thanksgiving) and look forward to enjoying the Holidays with family.

Achievements

2008-11-08T07:28:00.003-06:00

I know that Scott won't post this, so I have to myself. I am so proud of him. For the past few weeks Scott has been studying for a test in order to become a LEED Accredited Professional. His office is wanting as many of them as possible to get this certification. I'm not exactly certain of what all it entails, but being a LEED Accredited Professional means that you are aware of what it takes to make a building "green". Scott obviously knows more about it than I do, so ask him if you have any questions. I just wanted to let everyone know of his great achievement this past Thursday!! Again, I am so proud of him! He works so hard, & when he sets his mind to something, he achieves it. What a wonderful quality!

On another note, today is Scott's 25th birthday!!! WOW! I cannot believe that we are getting into our mid-20s. My mom said the other day that she had a really hard time when she turned 25, just knowing that she was a quarter of a century. (She was kidding...somewhat, I think.) Haha! I told her that I wasn't as concerned with 25 as I was with 30. The closer I get there, the younger it looks. :) Tonight, I will be cooking Scott dinner (he's requested tacos), & maybe some sort of birthday dessert like a cookie/ice cream sandwich or just ice cream from the local ice cream shoppe. I'll let Scott decide which he'd prefer. Happy Birthday, my love!!! :)

One more thing & I promise that I'm finished. Last weekend was our wedding shower at Church. I honestly didn't know how many people to expect (the pessimist in me thought there would be less than 10). I was completely wrong! There was a wonderful turnout, & I feel so blessed to be a part of our wonderful Church family. To everyone who came, THANK YOU SO MUCH! You will all be receiving thank you notes in the near future. With less than 36 days to go until the wedding, my list is getting a lot shorter yet I'm still stressed out. haha! You will get those thank you cards, though. I promise! Thanks again! We love you all!

Got some leftover Halloween spirit?

2008-11-01T14:37:00.002-05:00

FYI gel groups were our small groups in college

Office Fun

2008-10-31T23:41:00.003-05:00

You're Invited

2008-10-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

Some of you will get a hard copy of this, some will see it via a church news or on a bulletin board, and some will get it through email or facebook. We want you all to know that no matter how you see it, you are invited and we would love to have you attend our big day. You can help us out by sending us your RSVP (a link on the right is also available). If you are coming in from out of town, there is information about the Rogers area under the "Wedding Links" section on the right.

Yo Yo!

2008-10-19T14:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Mule day

2008-10-11T16:50:00.009-05:00

Today Stef and I took part in what makes small town America amazing. That's right, today (and every 2nd Sat. in October) was the Pea Ridge mule jump. We were not exactly sure what to expect since neither one of us had been before. While, the earlier divisions (51" & under and over 51") were not super exciting, the pro mule class brought quite a bit of excitement. Before we knew it we were caught up in all of the drama. (yes, it actually was pretty dramatic)

a mule getting pumped up for the big jump

preping for a jump

enjoying the festivities

our mule stamps

one of the "pro" mules

facing the wrong direction

up and over

such athleticism

The winners tied by clearing jumps of 66". Neither one was able to muster one more inch at 67". One of the most entertaining things was watching one of the handlers get his mule "Radar" all pumped up before a jump. Be sure to check out the video below.

Wedding Month

2008-10-04T23:07:00.003-05:00

October 1st kicked off what Stefanie and I are officially calling "wedding month." There are less than 70 days to go and that reality hit us today. This morning (Saturday) the two of us went and watched Stefanie's 7 year old niece's soccer game. That was entertaining, to say the least. After that we headed out to register. The plan was to leave the game, head to Bed, Bath & Beyond, grab a bite to eat, go to Target, stop by Walmart and then head home. The soccer game was over around 11 and I was thinking that we would be done around 4 in time for me to grill up some pork chops for dinner. Those of you who have been through this process before probably know where this story is headed. We went to Bed, Bath & Beyond first and met with one of their "bridal consultants" (or whatever the official title is) and got started. 2.5ish hours later I had learned more than I ever needed to know about flatware, bakeware, cutlerly and coffee makers. We finished up and I handed over my beloved barcode scanner. By this time we were quite hungry, so we made a stop at the mall food court before journeying to Fayetteville (since the Target in Rogers isn't finished yet). We paced every aisle in Target and eventually decided that we could leave. On the way home we stopped at Walmart to pick up some envelopes for invitations. By this time it is past 6 so we decided to stop at Chick-fil-a and grab dinner (I wasn't too keen on fixing dinner anymore). While the whole process wasn't without pain, I'm glad it is done (for the most part) and didn't take up more than one day. (I added links to the registries on the side bar and in this post if you are curious) Stefanie is still going to add a few things online (I'm glad that there won't have to be any more trips to the store) and hopefully that will be it.

In other news, this month we are going to be spending many glorious hours addressing invitations, writing checks, gathering pictures and songs for slideshows, making hotel arrangements, and who knows what else will come about.

Stefanie also finished her first week of teaching 2nd grade for a teacher on materity leave. It has been a bit of a change of pace and she is already working on building up her immunities via the common cold. Things get a little better every day as she and the students make adjustments.

Now I've stayed up too late just to give you guys the update I promised. I must sleep. Goodnight all.

Update Soon

2008-10-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

I promise.

Don't Forget

2008-09-24T22:50:00.002-05:00

about this.

Engagement Photos

2008-09-20T21:51:00.003-05:00

Dave and Whitney have posted a few of the engagement pictures we took tonight. Check them out on their blog.

All of the pictures were taken at Red Oak II, an old town that an artist bought up and had moved just on the outskirts of Carthage, MO. We had a ton of fun and will let you know when more pictures are available for viewing. Enjoy.

Honeymoon Excitement!!! ;)

2008-09-16T19:50:00.002-05:00

We have made a decision! I'm happy to say that we are going to the Riviera Maya for our honeymoon. We had been considering both Jamaica & the Riviera Maya, but we've decided on the Riviera Maya based on all of the wonderful things that our travel agent told us. We'll be staying at an all-inclusive resort called Barcelo Tropical & Colonial Beach. This is actually two resorts right next to each other (one is the Tropical & the other is the Colonial). We honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two resorts in the photos that we looked at because they are right next to each other, but our travel agent said that she always puts in a request for the Barcelo Tropical Beach. ANYWAY...I think that we're both really excited about the trip. This will be an awesome time for us, I'm sure! The only downside is that our flight leaves at 6:30 the morning after the wedding. If you know me, I am NOT a morning person. I'm sure it will be worth it, though. :)

24 seems a lot younger than it used to

2008-09-13T16:58:00.003-05:00

Today is Stefanie's birthday, that's right the big two four. Tonight we are going out to eat with her parents and grandma to celebrate (I almost forgot the cookie cake afterwords). Hopefully The Olive Garden will be less crowded than last year. To top it off, our good friends Jared an Lacey Lett welcomed Adele Elizabeth into the world this morning. Congrats guys, and I will try to sleep extra for you since you won't be sleeping so well for the next 18 years.

September

2008-09-03T22:03:00.002-05:00

It's been several days since we've last posted anything, & now we're into the month of September. I can't believe how fast these past few months have flown by. September is going to be a pretty big month. First of all, today we met with our travel agent. The honeymoon has been narrowed down to the Riviera Maya or Jamaica (I'm REALLY excited just thinking about it!!). This weekend Scott and I are helping our church with the Senior Retreat at Green Valley Bible Camp. We'll be hanging out with the youth group Friday night through Sunday morning. It should be a lot of fun. We did it last year & had a great time! Next weekend my Grandma is coming for a visit (for my birthday) & staying through the following week. I'm also really looking forward to the weekend of the 20th. We'll be going to Joplin & Dave & Whitney will be taking our engagement photos!!! It will be a blast, I'm sure! The last weekend of the month, my cousin (and matron of honor), Erin, will be coming for a visit & going to order her bridesmaid's dress. I always love spending time with Erin....we end up laughing like little girls whenever we're together, so it should be a great time full of laughter & catching up with one another. Tomorrow, I'm going to try on my wedding dress, which came in this week. Hopefully there won't be too many alterations that need to be made. haha!

Wow! I feel like I've been writing forever. I'm sure there's still much more to talk about, but I'll make sure to keep you updated (or Scott will). Love you all! :)

Weekend Getaway

2008-08-25T17:43:00.008-05:00

We had a great time last weekend relaxing at the lake with a bunch of my old college buddies. I can't really summarize the whole weekend, so I'll let the pictures (thanks Holly) do the talking.

Would you believe that we were playing baseball?

Steve and Nate fight over the disc

Yummy.

hanging out

Puzzling

beware of the spoons

it's amazing someone didn't lose a limb

the gang

a little more goofiness

FPU, Weekend Getaway, & Misc. Wedding stuff

2008-08-21T20:48:00.004-05:00

Hello, world. How about an update? Here goes.

Wednesday night was our first FPU class. It went quite well (Stefanie loves workbooks). I have no doubt that this will be a huge help in getting our marriage started in the right direction. If you are unfamiliar with the program you can see the first lesson here (free).

We are very excited about the events of the upcoming weekend. We are getting together with many of my friends from college (they are Stefanie's friends now, too) for a weekend at the lake. It will be a great time to catch up and reminisce.

In a wedding plans update, we have tuxes picked out, invitations ordered, and are trying to figure out what the next big item will be.

That's all for now.

Scott

Another Important Count Down

2008-08-16T12:15:00.013-05:00

In case you were unaware, season 5 of the office will begin shortly. If you are not familiar with the office, then you only have a few weeks to find the first 4 seasons on dvd and start watching. There are also a few episodes on hulu.

Time Is Flying By!!!

2008-08-14T20:45:00.005-05:00

Well, every night before I go to bed, I always check our blog & watch as the time on our "countdown to the wedding" ticks away. If you've been reading our blog, you know that we've done quite a lot already. I realize that the amount of things we've accomplished in comparison with my schedule is very good. We're really ahead of schedule. HOWEVER, I just keep thinking, "well...I've done this, so now I might as well get this done in order to check that off of my list" & as much as I love the countdown, it makes me a bit nervous to watch. I feel like I need to get so much done, & no matter how much I try to get ahead of schedule, I can always think of other things that can be done. WHEW! For some reason I didn't realize ALL that goes into planning a wedding. I was just telling Scott the other day that I am honestly bored with this process (as you can imagine, Scott feels the same way..haha). I'm just ready for the day to be here & to be his wife. As much as I love the idea of the wedding day itself & walking down the isle to him, I'm just ready to be his wife & for him to be my husband. I can't wait to begin this new chapter in our lives. So, in all reality...I guess that as much as I stress about getting things accomplished while looking at the time tick away on the countdown, I'm also excited because it's that much closer to the day being here.

FYI...I think we're closing in on a honeymoon location! :) I'll keep you updated.

One Year Together

2008-08-09T14:48:00.005-05:00

Saturday Stefanie and I celebrated our one year dating anniversary. We spent the evening taking in a movie, enjoying a wonderful dinner, and then took in some of the olympics. Looking back, we have had an amazing year together. We've had ups and downs. We've laughed and cried together. I can't help but believe that we've yet to experience the highest highs, and probably the lowest lows. I know that things won't always be easy, but it is a wonderful feeling to know that I've got my best friend by my side.

sorry if you are sick from all of the mushy stuff

One More Thing....

2008-08-04T19:49:00.003-05:00

Alright....when I was coming up with my list of things that we've accomplished so far for the wedding, I forgot to list one VERY IMPORTANT (do you see this Dave???).....I mean VERY IMPORTANT part of the wedding that we've already decided on. Our wonderful photographers!!!! Yes, we have chosen our photographers, too (Dave & Whitney Scott). In all honesty, we are really excited about having them because they do amazing work! Choosing them was actually the very first thing that we did when preparing for the wedding, & we are looking forward to the work they'll do. :)

Financial Peace University

2008-07-29T19:31:00.005-05:00

On August 20, Stefanie and I are going to start Financial Peace University at a local church. It is a 13 week course focusing on getting out of debt and taking control of your money. We are both looking forward to going through the course and I think it will be beneficial to us as a couple. I don't think either one of us is financially illiterate, but I really believe that we will both come away from this much better off. We've all heard the stats that xx% of fights/arguments/disagreements are about money and hopefully we will avoid some of these as a result of this class.

Here I GO!

2008-07-29T17:47:00.002-05:00

Well...it looks as though Scott has taken over the blog. I guess that I'm just a slacker when it comes to this. Here is a current update of our wedding plans thus far.

1.) We have a location (Southside Church of Christ in Rogers, AR) & date/time (Dec. 13, 2008 @ 2 p.m.).
2.) We have a budget set in place & many spreadsheets to help with organization! haha
3.) We have a color scheme selected (raspberry & light pink).
4.) We have my bridesmaids selected (6 in all)....maybe I'm getting too carried away! :)
5.) We have our invitations pretty much done & our guest list is coming together nicely.
6.) We have our wedding cake decided on & working on coming up with a groom's cake plan.
7.) We've decided on what flowers we're going to have (various shades of pink roses, white carnations, & calla lillies in my bouquet....the bridesmaids will have white roses).
8.) We have the majority of our music selected (at least the processional...still working on the recessional).
9.) Oh....I've found my dress!!! Pretty sure anyway. My mom & Roberta are going this weekend with me to finalize it (hopefully they'll love it just as much as I do). :) Scott does NOT know what it looks like. My plan is for him not to see it until the wedding day!

Notice that I've put "we" all through this list. Scott really has been a great help throughout this process! God truly blessed me by bringing Scott into my life!!! I know that sometimes (probably MOST of the time) Scott could think of a dozen other things he'd rather discuss, but he's always willing to listen & nod his head. haha! He's wonderful, as you all already know!!!!

Random YouTube clip (beat the claw game)

2008-07-26T16:20:00.004-05:00

Our World in 3D

2008-07-26T10:14:00.005-05:00

I was browsing around on the Google blogs the other day when I came across the Google Earth blog. I read a little when I came to this post on 3D campus modeling. Low and behold, look who one of the winners is. Good ole UMR (actually, it's listed as Missouri S&T, but I'll always call it UMR). If you need some time to reminisce about the school that you gave 4 years (or more) of your life to, you can revisit it in Google Earth. You can download a kmz file to open in Google Earth, or you can view the models on the web.

Request for Prayers (UPDATE x2)

2008-07-15T22:29:00.004-05:00

UPDATE: Joe was able to come home from the hospital on Tuesday. He is still pretty weak, but is recovering.

UPDATE: Joe is still in the hospital, but is slowly getting better. The doctors are going to try to start him on solid foods tomorrow, which will hopefully help him regain strength. He should be released in another 4 or 5 days.

Stefanie's dad Joe goes in for surgery tomorrow (Wednesday). The doctors are going in to remove a tumor from colon cancer that has returned. Please pray for him and his family. Stefanie is leaving in the morning and will return once her dad has stabilized and the doctors can give them an update. This is a scary time for all of us and again, we solicit your prayers.

Weddings Bring out the Inner Geek

2008-07-12T12:20:00.008-05:00

I recently read this post from the official Google blog online. Being the nerd tech savvy guy that I am, I immediately thought "what a great idea" and began to look for ways to implement Google into our engagement. I have been a Gmail and Google calendar user for quite some time now, but I hadn't ventured too much into some of the other services. Now we've started using Google Docs to store our budget, guest list, and other information online (after all, if it can't be put in a spreadsheet, it's not really worth writing down, is it?). That way I don't have to worry about emailing the most up-to-date copy to myself or making sure I have my thumb drive with me. We have obviously started a blog to help share information with everyone. There are many good, free blog platforms out there, but since, I've already drank the Google Kool-aid, I figured it would just be easier (and might have better integration) to just sign up for their blogger service. Hopefully, the blog is useful and beneficial to you. I have already posted a map (under the Wedding Links section to the right) of the Rogers, Ar area with the church, some hotels, and a few shopping areas located. If you have suggestions for other items, please let us know. I hope this didn't turn out to be too much of a Google advertisement, but I wanted to share some of the tech side of the wedding with you. It helps keep me more involved in the planning process, at least. Don't forget you can subscribe to our RSS feed and always be notified when there are new posts.

One Week Later

2008-07-06T21:25:00.006-05:00

Well, just over one week has passed since the engagement. Congratulations are still flowing in on a pretty regular basis and initial plans are starting to take shape. Stefanie still loves showing off her ring (I don't expect her to tire of that anytime soon) and I am wishing there was a master spreadsheet out there that would make all of our plans for us (we are making some headway, though). Mark your calendars for December 13th, 2008. The wedding will probably be around 2:00 at Southside Church of Christ in Rogers, AR.

We had a great 4th of July weekend with my parents and extended family at Stockton Lake (see pictures below). This week Stefanie is out at Green Valley Bible Camp for a week of counseling, while I try to adjust back to a full week of work.

We are starting to look at options for wedding invitations, so if you have any suggestions, please let us know.

-Scott

cousins, spouses, and kids

cousins

the little guys

The Engagement Story

2008-07-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

Where to begin...we had just spent Friday & Saturday at my grandma's house in Poteau. The funny thing is that my aunt & cousins thought that the reason for our visit had to do with us announcing our engagement to the family (it was not...pretty sure they were disappointed). We left Poteau Saturday evening to head back to NWA. After a pit stop at my parents' house, we stopped at the local neighborhood Wal-Mart to pick up a movie at the AMAZING Redbox (we also grabbed some movie watching snacks....chocolate & gummy bears). We then made our way to Scott's house to watch the movie & hang out. After the movie was over, we were talking & Scott said, "I wonder if it's still clear out?".....I said, (being the gullible person that I am, I thought he was talking about the storms that had just passed through the area) "I don't think it's supposed to storm anymore tonight." A few minutes later, Scott said, "I'll be right back", & he went to his bedroom. He came back out with his flip-flops on & grabbed my hand to go outside. I was a little confused. WHY were we going outside?? It was a gorgeous night outside. The stars were bright & clear, the weather was perfect (cool with a slight breeze), & it reminded me a lot of one of our first dates at his house. We were enjoying looking at the stars, when a car drove by. It was so funny because Scott was like "Ugh...a car's coming"....after the car passed, Scott bent down to "straighten his jeans" & he got down on his knee. After telling me how much he loved me (and more that you're just NEVER going to know about), he pulled out the ring box & asked me to marry him. OF COURSE I said "YES!!". Needless to say, I wasn't expecting anything that night, & I was a little giddy & jumpy the remainder of the night.