A Sweet School!

My school surprised me with an assembly today to wish me speedy recovery from my breast cancer surgeries. My favorite group of all time, the California Kids, sang me a song they had practiced. Then a student representative from each grade level said some words about their well wishes for me. The third graders presented, "The Top Five Things We Will Miss About Mrs. Steffes" and a fifth grader, Monica, read me a poem she wrote. Then six pink balloons were released in my honor (in the gym because we are environmentally conscious!). Kids hugged on me and teachers wished me well. It was a total surprise and I loved it!

Missouri Fall

The fall colors are starting to come in! It always seems like our colors come in late and stay for such a short time. These are just a smidgeon of the photos... too hard to choose!

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Happy birthday to my sweet daughter who is 24 on the 24th. I know you are bittersweet about this birthday. Ashley and her grandfather, Jake, who passed away in August, shared the same birthday. We know the angels are celebrating with Jake while we celebrate with you!!

We had a birthday tailgate party as it was Mizzou's homecoming. We have had several birthday tailgate parties! Friends Julie, Beth and Stephanie came to help celebrate. It was a fun day!

Say Goodbye to "My Girls" Party!

With my bottle tree!
Joey and Charlotte
Marsha and Tambra

Last night my friends Marsha, Charlotte, Joey and Tambra took me to Arris Cafe to enjoy a Say Goodbye to "My Girls" party! We had fabulous food and a great time together. We laughed and joked and ate and drank (lots of good wine!). Then, they all surprised me with a bottle tree. Tambra owns a machine shop and had her guy Kevin make it for me. TOO COOL. I have wanted a bottle tree for ever. I have had them save pretty bottles for me as long as I have known each of them. Now I have a place to display them!

I love my girlfriends!

Halloween Dogs!

Aren't they cute?

VIP Party!

Our new Buffalo Wild Wings is open. Before they opened to the public they invited some locals to come in for free food and drink. We met other education people there and had a great time!!

Happy Bosses Day!

Today is Bosses Day and as usual, my teachers and staff recognized the day in a special way. There were cards and balloons and a beautiful big potted mum, which I loved. My secretaries made soup and sandwiches and had lunch for me.

However, it may appear, I know who the real bosses are. I brought in bagels today for the secretaries and custodians. I am no dummy.

My Bunco Group is the Best!

My Bunco group all wore these Tshirts to support me and my upcoming surgery. I love these gals.

Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival

Totally wonderful! I am always so glad we make the effort to go. This year it was just Ashley and me. We shopped til we dropped! We had to make two trips to the car to put away all our stuff.

We saw the best pumpkins! We saw them in the field and in trailers and in wheelbarrows... on display and in doughnuts.

We found so many cute Mizzou things and found great deals on jewelry. We bought spaghetti sauce that was made from the vegetables from Hartsburg gardens and hand loomed scarves. I bought a cornflower yellow afghan and chairs for our tailgates.

Ashley found a puppy! but we didn't buy one.

Cute Cookie Idea!

These look easy to make! The hat are sugar wafers and rope licorice. Candy corn nose, chocolate chip eyes, licorice smile, cookie head, but what is the hair??

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I really never paid much attention until now...



Bags at my local grocery store...

Wonderful Weekend

We had one of those wonderfully wild weekends where you do a lot of stuff and come home exhausted!

First we had my dr appt with the gynocologist. He told me that since I can't have hormones after surgery that I will immediately start having hot flashes and not be able to sleep well... and who knows about the cranky side? Not what I was hoping to hear.

Then we drove to Marceline, which typically takes 2 hours but took almost 3 and a half due to the dogs throwing up in the car. We made it to Marceline in time for the halftime show and seeing the crowning of the queen and we watched the last half of the game in the freezing cold. It was fun!

Outside the Marceline Football Field

Then we headed to Wien. This was the weekend where we cleaned out Jake and Amos' closets and gave their clothin…

Cancer Update!! #1

Just giving you all the latest news about my breast cancer treatment. I learned earlier this week that I will be having surgery on October 29.

I will be having a bilateral mastectomy (double mastectomy) to remove the cancer still in my right breast. I am doing a double mastectomy for peace of mind and because the tissue in my left breast is similar to the right and therefore I would have to continue monitoring it. I don't think I want to go through that again!

I will also do a lymph node dissection. Dr. Roberts will take 2 of the 3 layers of lymph nodes since cancer cells were found in the sentinel lobe.

I am doing a hysterectomy. This is to help my hormone therapy. For the hormone therapy I need to be post menopausal and the fastest way to do that is to have the surgery. I coul…