Happy Birthday Todd!

Well I was so excited about being engaged and since I got engaged the day before Todd's birthday I felt it was okay to post about that first and now post about his birthday!!! Todd turned the big 25 on January 17th! We had gone up North to spend time with his family for his b-day and sadly I didn't get any pics. We also celebrated his b-day in Cedar at our dear friends the Smith's home.
I had wanted to make him a cake and since we changed plans last minute to go up North I couldn't bring the supplies with me because then he would see and know what I was up to so I decided to wait till we got back. It worked out perfect because we went bowling the night we got engaged with some of his friends and I was inspired to make a bowling ball cake!!! I think it turned out great and I had a lot of fun doing it! I am thankful to Karen for opening up her home to me to cook dinner and make this cake and I was so glad they and some other friends were able to share his day with us! Thanks all!

I'd like to know what he wished for because he must have really wanted it, he blew with all his might, enough to knock the candle off in one good blow!
I found some of those paddle boards with a bouncy ball on the end, the one you try to hit it back and forth with, I decided to cut off the string and ball and use them as pins


Here is just a few pics of Todd in the past years and months doing things that he loves!
Kayaking at Powell, Todd struggled at first and fell out and lost his sunglasses at the bottom of the lake, I was determined to get them back, he loved those glasses. I found some goggles and was going to dive down and rescue them, however I got about 4 feet down and got scared so I had to grab someone else to do the job and sure enough they found them! You're welcome babe haha ;)
Todd and his massive mullet
He has played baseball and softball all his life and he adores it! He is so good at it too, one of the first things that caught my eye about him, considering I am a softball fanatic myself!!!
Ice Fishing for his b-day last year
Having fun with the guys, what a goof troop (thanks Lyns)

This is a pic from the mish, I love it! I wish I would have had time to find and post more! Check out how classy he looks

Todd I doubt you will see this but I want you to know how much I love you and that I am beyond excited to start my life with you forever. I don't know how I found such an amazing man but I am so thankful and lucky for you and I hope you know that. The Lord truly knew what he was doing when he placed you in my life and although at times I am not sure I deserve you I am so glad that he thinks otherwise. I am going to do whatever it takes to make you the happiest man in all the land! Happy Birthday Bubba I love you!!!

He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It!!!

I'm Engaged!!!
It all started out with Todd and me deciding to go up North for his b-day so that we could see his brother before he was to leave for Texas. His mom really wanted all the family to be together one last time. His birthday was on Sunday the 17th and we got to Heber early afternoon on Sat the 16th. We went to Provo and did a bit of shopping before heading to home. When we got there we went to dinner with his family to Don Pedro's Mexican Restaurant(I highly recommend) It was delicious. After that we deciding to go bowling with some of his friends but they wouldn't be able to come until a bit later so I suggested we just start the first game and they would be there for the second game because Todd said he didn't just want to wait around, so instead he took off driving up toward the mountain and I asked "Where are we going"? He said "I dunno, but I don't just really want to sit around".
At this point I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little curious and had thought in my head, maybe he is going up the mountain to propose. We had this on going joke about how he would take me up into the mountains and I would know exactly what was going on. Well I was wrong, it turns out we really were just driving around. Todd knows I love wild animals so he asked if I wanted to go look for some Elk and I said Yeah!!! Unfortunately it was too dark and we didn't have a spot light with us.
We got to the bowling alley and bowled a few games with his friend and his wife. We then headed for home. Todd turned on his signal and turned left, I said again "where are we going" and he replied "you'll see" and inside I was like oh no not again, thinking that he may be proposing but also trying to talk myself out of getting excited because I didn't truly believe that is what he was going. I thought we were going to his friends house who we drove right past, he turned into the baseball diamond and parked and got out. I said "what are you doing"? I said can I get out of the car too, and he replies "sure". He came over to me and started looking around and pointing at things saying what is that and his eyes kept wondering. I thought there was someone behind us the way he was looking so I quickly turned around to see nothing. This is the field that T has a lot of his softball tournaments on and we use to go lay on the field and look at the stars. One night we were looking at the stars and this guy with a hood on walked right up to us and said "Hey, hows it going" and walked away. He walked right up to us as we were laying down and scared the crap out of both of us, I thought he was coming to shoot us and Todd was freaked out too. Anyway so he started joking about that guy and I was getting scared again, he then asked if I remembered what happened at this very spot? I said yes, that this is the spot I told him I knew I wanted to marry him. He then asked, "Do you want to make that twice"? I said YES, still not fully understanding what he was asking, he then started fiddling in his coat pocket and I started saying, "you better not be teasing me, he then pulled out a beautiful box and got down on one knee and opened the box, inside was a most unique and rather sparkling ring!!!! He then asked if I would marry him. I just leaned forward and hugged him, then forgotten I hadn't answered and said "YES"! He laughed with a sigh of relief and said because I hadn't answered he wasn't sure if my hug was a good or bad one so he was very relieved when I gave a yes a few seconds later!
I am so excited to start my life with him and become Mrs. Stefanie Lawton

Something Old Something New

OLD
So for those of you who don't know I left my job in Salt Lake at Legacy House to come to Cedar City again. Shortly after moving down I got a job and had been working at Diamond Ranch Academy- for troubled kids. I really liked my job but I hated traveling to Hurricane every time I had to work and I also was getting nervous about the drive in all the bad weather. My lovely sister Jenny had been looking for jobs postings in Cedar and e-mailing them to me. I had really wanted to try to get on at the hospital. Well sure enough there was a need and I applied and got the job! I was amazed because I know there was a lot of people who applied for it and I felt so grateful that I was chosen.
For the last 4 years or so I have been working at an Assisted Living with the elderly. I dearly loved my job, loved is an understatement. My job was my life and the people who I took care of were my family. After losing a resident whom I was very close to it was never the same, I still liked it but something was different and I was ready to try something new. It was so hard to leave there and say goodbye to everyone especially because I knew I would never see some of them again :(
People always tell me that they could never have a job like that, and that they don't understand how I can do all that I do. I wish that they could have a day in the life of me while working there and they would see that it is anything but work. You gain friendships and give service and are respected loyally and it is wonderful and I would recommend it to ANYONE!
I want to post some pics from the past just to let you see how fun my job was and how much I miss it.







(The above video is priceless, I worked in the Alzheimer's unit and they usually don't remember much but Ruthy always could whip out a song you would name and start playing it on the piano. She's remember anything musically- Here is one of her playing We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet)

















NEW
And for my new job at the Hospital it is a whole different world over here. So many new protocols and rules and different terminologies to use but I am getting the hang of it and I love it. I get to do so much more with the patients, take out staples, helped deliver a baby, take out drains and iv's etc etc some pretty cool and gory stuff! Something really different is that there are new patients everyday, I am not able to get use to the same people because once they get better they go home. I am currently working 3 days a week -12 hour shifts, it gets a bit tiring but I hope to get use to it soon! I am very lucky to have such a good job and it offers me great benefits which is a total plus! I learn new things every day and I love the knowledge that it brings me!