Congratulations Sr. Christina!

My dear friend, Sr. Christina Frey, made her final vows to be a Catholic nun on September 13th at Christ the King church in Ann Arbor. Not only did I live with Tina for 8 months with the Servants of God's Love , I was also there when she moved in 6 years ago. My, how time flies! We shared many good memories, as we were given the duty of food planning and grocery shopping for 10 women. Our weekly trips to Meijer were always an adventure! :)

Her final vow ceremony was incredibly moving and I am blessed that I was able to share in her very special day. Brook also got to meet all of the Sisters (see below!) that have touched my life in such an enormous way. Thank-you, Sr. Christina, for being such a strong Christian witness in the world!

Happy Birthday Brook!

Brook celebrated his 26th birthday today. It is about time! I turned 28 in June, so I was feeling like a cradle robber for the last few months! :) His birthday actually started last week, when we celebrated with my family and ended today with dinner at his parents'. Today is a perfect day to thank God for the gift of Brook's life. You are an incredible person and I cannot wait to spend many, many more birthdays with you. I love you, Brook!

He did it!

My cousin Henry got married last Saturday! He married Samantha Cartwright, who is a great fit into our family. Brook and I were really excited for this wedding, since it was like a preview of our wedding, which will be in the same church and banquet facility. We "danced the night away" (see pic of Brook below) and had such a great time with my family. We can't wait for our turn! :)

(I am a little embarrassed to admit that I do not have any pictures of the bride and groom. . . oops!)

Babies, babies and more babies!

This is an exciting time in our lives, b/c we get to share in the joy of our friends and family members who are expecting! My sister (Veronica) and her husband (Brandon) are expecting their first in early February. They just found out they will be having a little girl.

My brother and his wife (Jaime) are also due in early February, with their third child. 2009 will definitely be a busy year for the Stevens' family!

Last Friday, we got to celebrate with many of our good friends the upcoming arrival of Baby Gaston. Our friends, Russ and Karen, are expecting their 2nd child later this month.

Just the girls . . .

Our adorable ring bearer (and future Tiger)

Look at Avah . . . can't even imagine how cute her baby brother will be!

Dog Days of Summer

The work continues to try to get my house in Jackson sold. Seldom does a weekend go by that we are not working on landscaping (see photo of Brook trimming bushes), painting, and excessive amounts of cleaning. I have had numerous showings, but no offers yet. Luckily, there are still 8 months before the wedding. Please keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer for us!

Brady likes to keep Brook company outside, as he works on his tan.

Tigers

We have enjoyed many Tiger games at Comerica Park this year. One that was quite memorable was the game my cousin (Catherine) organized back in July. It was a wild and crazy mixture of family and her friends. Here are some highlights:

1) The trip began with a fun bus ride from the Airport Meijer (the bus was an hour late, so we got to the game in the 3rd inning).

2) The bus did not have a bathroom, as promised (imagine 20 people who have been drinking for an hour in the Meijer parking lot, now on a bus to Detroit). We had to stop in Grass Lake (10 miles from Jackson) for people to use the bathroom (see #1 on being late to the game).

3) There was a chemical spill on 94, so we took back roads. It took us an hour to get from exit 140 to exit 150 (see #1 on being late to the game).

I could go on and on, but let's leave well enough alone! Below are a few pics from this very memorable day!

Jaime, Chrystal & Catherine on the bus to Comerica Park (Nothing gets a party started like "Pour Some Sugar on Me!")

I do not know who this guy is, but he was extremely disappointed when he found out there was not a bathroom on the bus!

Wes and Jaime at the Park

I really do have a shirt on in this picture!

Toronto

Brook and I went to Toronto the last weekend in June. It was great to get away for a few days and forget about the house stress. We both got massages, then attended a Blue Jay's game. Saturday, we went to Casa Loma - a castle built around 1913 - it was gorgeous! We then took a tour of the city on a double decker bus and went to Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral. We ended the day with a little wine tasting and dinner on Lake Ontario. Sunday, we woke up and headed for Detroit, to attend the Tigers' game and they WON! What a great trip!