The Stefanidi

FINE!!!!! You asked for it!

2007-03-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

I feel loved. I can't go anywhere without someone asking me about why I haven't blogged lately. I go to church...the people harrass me! I go to friends' houses...they ask me. I was even asked about my negligence to "Blogger" on vacation!!!!

Yes, the rumours are true. I am pregnant again. Due Date: June 19 and it will be a little boy: Matthew Thomas.

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

2006-11-25T05:56:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday! It is a good one. I can't believe everything that Chris did/got for me. He is the world's greatest husband! Thank you to the Peters for taking away my son. I was a little apprehensive about celebrating my birthday without him, but it was incredible to sleep in well past 7:00. Thanks Chrissy for the balloons. I love them. Another year older, can't say I'm another year wiser. Maybe I'll start growing up soon! 8) ........maybe.

"Don't Kill the Mouse!"

2006-10-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

I had a very strange dream a couple of days ago.

I dreamed that I was chasing a mouse. I wanted to kill it. I'm not sure how I was planning on killing it, but I knew that I needed to catch it first. It was very quick...too quick for me. I was annoyed that I couldn't get it. I was even more annoyed that whenever I would wake up and go back to sleep, there that stupid mouse would be in my dreams. It would not go away. Then, in my dream, I heard God say, "Don't kill the mouse."

In the morning, I woke up and told Chris. I thought that the dream came because my students have taken to hiding plastic mice in random/strategic places in order to scare me. Chris immediately said, "maybe God is showing you that your work is a mouse" I laughed at first, but it does make a lot of sense.

Everything I worry about...everything that stresses me out about my job is not stressing God out. He is not (to use one of our professors words) "pacing the floors of heaven, pulling out his beard and wondering, 'Oh no, what will I do now?'" I have made a mouse out of a mountain. I thought that it was not my fault because I am having to spend over sixty hours a week on my work, but that is not an excuse for my attitude towards work. Yes, it devours most of my time, but for whatever reason this is where God wants me to be. I need to stop fretting and trying to kill a mouse that God does not want killed. I have to start looking at my job the way God looks at my job. He is not punishing me with all this work. He is training me and building me....For what? I don't know, but I should feel loved and honoured that he should care so much. I should also know that if He put this mountain in my way, then He will help me climb it...One long day at a time.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and caring words.

p.s. we're expecting another baby - This might also account for my strange dream 8)

2006-10-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

There! We're all done!

2006-08-12T19:33:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much for all of your help. BBQ to follow.

God is Good!

2006-07-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

All the time. . . please, if you love me at all, remind me of this when I am FREAKING out about my new job.

love,
Kari

Day 5!!! We're half way there!

2006-07-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

2006-07-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you ... everyone for all of your help.

Here's an update on the fence:
- garage is down and in bins (we had to use our neighbour's bin)
- tree is down and in bags or bundles
- posts are in

We could not have done it without all of your help and so thank you!!!

I HAVE SURVIVED!!!!

2006-06-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I have survived my first year of teaching. Thank you ... everyone, who has helped encourage and support me through this year. We did it! We did it! We did it! Hurray!

Next year, I will be teaching Computer Science at Eden. I will be the site manager there.
It is an Alterative highschool, but it is publically founded. I have already met with the staff
several times. I am very excited (and nervous, but don't tell anyone) about these challenges.

I am looking forward to spending lots of time with my boys this summer. We are taking down our garage and building a fence. It should be fun. I am also taking a Special Education course online. The course only started on Wednesday, but I have already learned so much. And what summer would be complete without V.B.S.? We will be having it in two weeks!!!!!! AHHH!!!!!!

Anyways, sorry, I haven't written in a while. I've been a little stressed out with school.

p.s. We had dinner at Darren and Larissa's house tonight. They have a lovely home and they seem to be doing very well. (I just didn't want anyone to worry because of my last post)

10 more days!!!!!

2006-05-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

C.A.

2006-04-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

Larissa,

You're not dumb. You probably just didn't know what a C.A. was because I didn't put periods in between the letters. A C.A. is a chartered accountant.

Actually, I'd say you're pretty smart. You are marrying Darren.

Tax Refund

2006-03-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

(There is no picture available at this time).

I just thought the world would like to know how we plan on spending our tax refund:
1. Pay for bed (we've already slept on it for a year. I think we should pay for it now)
2. Pay for sideview mirror (ask Chris).
3. Pay for vacation that we've already taken.
4. Pay for speeding ticket (no comments).

Anyways, thought everyone might like to know that!

It's nice having a CA for a father. Just so happens he's a great dad too.

OVERWHIFFLE!!!!

2006-03-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

TRY IT! Type the word "overwhiffle" into your search engine! Not only will you find my blog, but you'll also find Chrissy's! This word is catching like wild fire. Soon it will be found in all dictionaries everywhere.

What is Hilton Head?

2006-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

What is Hilton Head? Why are we so excited about going to Hilton Head?

A picture is worth a thousand words!!

What's a Blog?

2006-02-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

How do you know when it has been too long since your last post? Here are some signs:
1. You have forgotten your signin
2. You have forgotten your password
3. You can't remember how to post
4. The last thing that you wrote about happened two months ago.

I'm sorry. I hope that you will all forgive me and understand that I am just
not a blogger! Blogging is not one of my spiritual gifts!

Here are some things about my life (this month that you might not know)
- I have caught the never-ending cold. I am past the feeling-sorry-for-yourself stage, I am through the annoyed-because-this-cold-is-not-going-away-stage and into the acceptance stage. I've accepted the fact that this cold will never go away and I'm going to be sick for the rest of my life stage.
- My new semester has started. I like my classes.
- I am exxxxxxxxcited about Hilton Head. Chris keeps saying, "I hope the weather is good". I hope so too, but mostly I am excited to get away. I'll probably still be sick then (three weeks from now) so I'll be inside anyways. 8)

WHAT?!?! A NEW POST?!?!

2006-01-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

I know it's crazy!!!! I just wanted to keep everyone in suspense. I waited until you asked for more...then I waited until you begged for more...then I waited until you forgot I had a blog spot.

Now that I have you right where I want you . . . HERE IT IS . . .
A new post!

I don't really have anything to say except that we had a really great Christmas, a fun time at the cottage and I actually found myself missing school!!!

Here are some pictures:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

2005-11-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of me on my first day of Grade 1. Yesterday, I celebrated my 27th birthday. It was a good one. I don't feel old or young. I feel older than I probably should for 27. Oh well.

My Husband . . . the N.H.L. Player.

2005-11-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

Would somebody please tell my husband that he is not an NHL goalie and that he probably never will be? (while you're at it, please ask him to fix our scary basement. . . and tell him that he's hot too.)

Overwhiffle!

2005-11-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

I tried to find the word "overwhiffle" with my search engine today, and would you believe it? No results were found. It was ASTOUNISHING.

Here are some examples of how to use this word properly:

-Winter is coming. Soon it will overwhiffle.
-Are you feeling overwhiffly today?
-Darren said to Larissa, "Will you overwhiffle me?"
-Overwhiffle! No, don't overwhiffle.
-Would you like some overwhiffle with your dinner?
-Don't forget to overwhiffle when you get home.
-Last night, I was overwhiffled.
-Last overwhiffle, I was overwhiffled.
-Let's go overwhiffling.
-you are my Overwhiffle, my only Overwhiffle!
-Overwhiffle is my overwhifflest overwhiffle.

Hopefully, the search engine will pick this incredible overwhiffle up now.

A Day to Remember

2005-11-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is an embarrasing confession: this is the first Remembrance Day that has meant something to me. I never like November 11 before today. I hate fighting and I hate war. I could never understand why we would honour those who fought. I guess three things changed my view ("three things" - it's going to be a sermon!):

First of all, my grandad is in the hospital. "They" say he won't live much longer. I have been thinking about his life. Today, I wondered, for the first time, "did Grandad want to fight?" The obvious answer was, "no." He's a peaceful man. Then I realized that he needed to fight for peace. I know that all of this may seem so simple, but I had never been able to get past, "I hate war" to think more deeply about it.

Secondly, knowing that the politically correct thing to do when my students asked me today, "why are celebrating war? Isn't war bad?" was not to say, "Yeah, I hate war" caused me to think about my answers and try to say something intelligent.

Thirdly, Chris and I did a Bible Study yesterday that spoke about the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for us. I was reminded of the ugly price that Jesus had to pay for our peace.

Thank you Jesus, thank you Grandad, thank you everyone who paid the price for my freedom and peace.

Our Sincere Apologies

2005-11-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

We would like to offer our sincere apologies to anyone who feels that they have been cheated by the lack of effort put into our blog.

We are sorry, but here's a list of excuses:
- We are too busy
- We are boring people
- It is really hard to share a blog.
- Stephen is always on the computer
- We get too interested in reading our friends' blogs that we forget to write in our own.

We trust that you will pick an excuse and forgive us, and continue to read our blog in the future.

2005-10-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

Chris is learning how to play in net. Kari is learning how to manage a highschool classroom. It seems that we are both so occupied with our careers that we are having trouble finding quality time to spend with each other. (Stephen is nice).

Hello Blogger!

2005-10-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well, It's official! We have joined the blogger world.