Coffee with Stephanie

"It's A Grand Ol' Flag" Cake!

2010-07-01T00:24:00.006-05:00

It's just a few days until we celebrate the birthday of our dear country! With it comes family, friends, fireworks, and of course, food! An old standby recipe is to bake a cake in a 9x13 pan and use whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries to recreate the flag as a topping. It's a great, crowd-pleasing recipe, but if you're ready to try something new and surprising, here it is!

One of my favorite bloggers to read is Ashley from Make It and Love It. She always has cute things to sew, and she had this recipe a couple of weeks ago in her Make-a-Cake series. I saw it and immediately knew it had to be used this Independence Day. I made a trial version for my Bible study group and it was a hit! Here's my version: (pardon my amateur photography!)

On the outside, it looks like a plain, white layer cake. When my friends asked what kind of cake it was, I said, "oh, just a cake."

But make sure your friends are around when you first slice into it because.....

...ta-da!! It's a flag cake!

Pardon the corner crumble! It's really not too hard to make, but it isn't something you can whip up a couple hours before a cookout. With some planning you could make it in chunks over the weekend, or in its entirety the day of. The time and effort is worth the fireworks of compliments! :)

Ready for the picture tutorial to make your own? Click HERE. Read on for my own tips and modifications.

1. I used a strawberry cake mix instead of red velvet just because I love strawberry. I added red food coloring to the strawberry mix to make it a little more red than pink.

2. Most cake mixes say to add 1/3 cup of oil. Instead, add a 1/2 cup. This makes the cake very moist and delicious!

3. You may notice that Ashley's cake has five layers while mine has four. One of my strawberry layers crumbled, and I think it was because it was still too warm when I tried to take it out of the pan. Make sure you cool it quite a bit first! It didn't hurt the cake overall as four layers is still plenty!

4. I didn't have a big cookie cutter, but what worked perfectly for me was the hamburger patty form/shaper I have.

5. I also didn't have blue food gel. I used regular blue food coloring most often used for frosting. Use plenty!

6. I made the mistake of just splitting the strawberry cake batter into two pans and forgot to reserve a bit for the middle part of a layer. Don't do this!

7. Instead of freezing my layers, I chilled them in the fridge for about two hours. That worked fine.

Here's my version of cream cheese frosting. It was good because it wasn't overly sweet, but the cream cheese wasn't overpowering either. It made plenty of frosting, so you'll have some leftover.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 pkgs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 (ish) sticks of butter, at room temperature
4 t. vanilla
4 c. (ish) powdered sugar

Cream the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar until smooth. Frost the cake while the frosting is at room temperature.

Enjoy! And leave a comment if you try it! :)

1 Year, 3 Months, 3 Days...

2010-06-30T23:28:00.003-05:00

...that's exactly how long it's been since I last blogged.

Sad, although I don't know how much I've missed it - or been missed. Obviously, it hasn't been a priority, and frankly, I don't know that there would've been much exciting to post! Oh, there's been some fun times and my nephews are absolutely exciting, but other than that, it's life as normal - work, church, friends, singleness. All four have been good in the last year, but there's also been struggles with all four. Overall my thirtieth year of life on earth was not my favorite year, in fact, probably one I'd like to forget. While it was certainly a year of growth, we all know growing typically comes out of trials, and there were plenty of those!

But enough of that. One thing I did in my thirtieth year was embrace the art of homemaking. I've always enjoyed cooking, sewing, and doing all the things of the home, but in my singleness I put it aside, dreaming of the day I'd do it for my family. When I turned 30, I realized it was time to stop putting it aside, and instead, put it into practice. So, for my 30th birthday I bought myself a gift - the longed for KitchenAid Stand Mixer - and not just any one, but the professional model in beautiful granite grey! Then, in the fall, I scored an amazing deal on a never used Singer sewing machine. Since then I've worked on small projects such as burp cloths and cookies to big projects like farm playhouses and made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls. And I have loved every minute. I think God knew I needed to dive into those hobbies as they have provided rest, relaxation, creativity, and a safe retreat in an otherwise melancholy year for me.

With that, as my skills sharpen, I'd like to share my projects. I read several sewing blogs and am so inspired by them! The sewing world is so different from the days of going to Joann's and flipping through pattern books. And while I'm not quite skilled enough to create my own clothing, I'm having fun learning and experimenting by reading the blogs and tutorials.

Therefore, I don't know what this blog will be exactly, or how much I'll blog! It very well may be a smattering of things - sewing projects, cooking/baking experiments, or just the ordinary daily life events. I simply desire to document more of my life, not necessarily for the readers of the world wide web (although they are welcome to read!), but for me as I begin to fully embrace the art of homemaking. Yay!

Thanks for reading! And now, for a fun 4th of July baking idea!

The Outrageous "Office" 30th Birthday Party!

2009-03-29T18:54:00.028-05:00

I love "The Office." It is easily my favorite show EVER. So what happens when you have a 30th birthday, a favorite show, and creative friends challenged by "bring it on"? You get an "Outrageous Office" Party!

I didn't know much about the evening. I knew when I was being picked up, where dinner was, and that it was an Office theme. I knew there would be MUCH more than that, but had no idea what. Was I in for a surprise!

I first met the group at Chili's, which is where Dunder Mifflin (the company from The Office) has their hang-outs. I was greeted by nearly 20 of my closest friends. I immediately had to tape a sign on my shirt that read, "it's my 30th birthday!"

My friend, Amanda, made up these business cards. They had a picture of me in my 80's outfit from a previous party, then there were different names on the cards: "Mrs. Zac Efron" (High School Musical), "Diehard Dallas Cowboy Fan," "Desperate Housewife of Collin County," "Russian Mail Order Bride," and "Paris Hilton's New BFF." Hilarious, until I was told I had to network by handing out the cards to other customers in Chili's. EMBARRASSING! But, I was forced. Julie videotaped the entire thing.

We had dinner, and afterwards Julie presented me with a "Dundee," the Office's version of an Oscar. Julie made it out of a Ken doll!

Giving my thanks for the award:

After dinner, we all went to Julie's house. Everyone (except me, of course!) was given a Performance Review Sheet. They were told to review me on four different tasks that I would complete that evening. All of the tasks were related to an Office episode. Here's Lauri, Leigh Ann, and Margaret with their sheets.

Task #1: Identifies post-it note terminology within certain time period (from Diversity Day). The group was split into two teams. I had a stack of post-it notes taped to my forehead. Each post-it note had an office related item on it (Xerox, receptionist, water cooler, etc.). I had to turn to a team, they would give me clues, and I had to guess the items. I was very quick on this one! :)

Task #2: Extracts self from box with only a dull pencil (season one episode). I could NOT believe this one! I had to get into this cardboard box, they taped it shut, and I had to get out with only a pencil. It was close quarters, but absolutely hysterical!!

"I really can't believe you're making me do this."

"But don't worry, because I'm already plotting my revenge!"

Amanda and Joy taping it up with an evil laugh.

Both hands peeking through!

Joy, Ashley, and Zoe rocking the box. It freaked me out just a bit!

I made it out! I think this task was nearly everyone's favorite!

Task #3: Demonstrates products creatively and coherently (pick and Office episode!). The group was divided into teams and given random office supplies with the instructions to create anything they wanted. I was taken into another room so I could not see, and when the teams were done, I had to guess what they made and give an impromptu sales pitch, infomercial style!

Joy and Stewart diligently working on their creation.

Team #1's creation: a helicopter that flies around the office dropping supplies.

Here I am trying to sell team #2's creation, a family.

Task #4: Removes stapler from Jello without using hands (an early Office episode). What? Wasn't the box enough? :) Oh no, of course not! I did this pretty quickly too, but it was sloppy!

Trying to figure out how to do this! Dwight the Bobblehead is watching closely!

Here goes....

Got it! :)

What do you have at an office? Donuts! So instead of cake, I blew out my candle from a Krispy Kreme donut!

I read aloud all of the evaluations, opened my cards, answered some fun questions and we all sat around talking for a long time. Julie has the entire evening video taped and is going to try to make my own Office episode. Just what I need, huh? :) It was the perfect evening. I had an absolute blast. I am so thankful and fortunate to have such fantastic friends, both who planned and came to the party. What a great way to start the 30s!

The group (minus Brandon and Cheri, and Jessica - click to make larger):

The Party Planning Committee - these girls are AMAZING!!! (Front - Julie, Joy, Back - Lauri, me, Amanda)

Thanks everyone! It is easily one of the most memorable birthdays ever! Thanks for making it so special! And Kristi, thanks for taking so many pictures! :)

Road Tripping to Kansas!

2009-03-09T19:55:00.007-05:00

Amanda has been one of my dearest friends since I arrived here in Dallas. We met in a Bible study and our friendship grew out of a shared love for football, queso, and authentic conversation. In the same breath we can go from ridiculing the other's football team to dreaming about being stay-at-home moms together. She's one of those people you know without a shadow of doubt will be a life friend.

Last summer, Amanda was working briefly in Kansas, and on the way home from my summer in Iowa, we met in Kansas City for the weekend. You wouldn't believe the amount of fun we had unless you experienced it with us. While there, we ate at this place called Stroud's, which we fell in love with. There's three locations: two in Kansas City and one in Wichita. We joked that when she was back in Dallas we would take a road trip to Wichita just to eat at Strouds.

We took that road trip this weekend. Reminisce with me....

Saturday morning we left in Amanda's car with coffee to go and nothing stopping us. Conversation was nonstop as we headed up I-35 to Oklahoma City to make our first stop. Neither of us had seen the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial for the Murrah Building:

Someone had recommended that we visit the riverwalk area in downtown Oklahoma City, so we hopped a trolley and took it to Bricktown.

Bricktown is where the city made a canal through an old business district. It's now a hot spot with a plethora of restaurants (including Toby Keith's), shopping, and entertainment. Outside the baseball field, there's a statue of one of my grandpa's favorite baseball players - Mickey Mantle.

Of course, you can't go to a riverwalk without taking water taxi cruise....

After we finished at Bricktown, we went to a BBQ restaurant called County Line. It's one of Amanda's favorite places from growing up in Lubbock, but there's not a location in DFW. It was fantastic! We both had the #1 food NOT to have on a date - barbeque ribs!

Early in the evening we drove to Wichita, which was about two hours from OKC. We had noticed plenty of lightning while we were driving, but didn't think much of it. We checked into the hotel and then went to a mall. We noticed a few stores were closed, but others were open. Turns out we were in a tornado warning at the time, which we found ironic! The worst of the storm was in a different section of the county, so we weren't in danger, but we joked about getting red slippers. :) We also witnessed a theft - a guy running off with belts from a kiosk. Craziness!

Sunday we ate at the long-awaited Strouds for lunch and were not disappointed! It was definitely worth the drive. In Kansas City I also introduced Amanda to the clothing store, Maurices. I've known it forever, but it's not around in Dallas. She loved it, so we made a stop at FOUR Maurices - three in Wichita, one in Oklahoma City. I know, crazy! We're planning to make this trip a couple times a year!

The weekend could not have went any better! We kept saying how much fun we had. Silly spontaneity - a benefit of singleness! :)

A Full Happy Tank!

2009-03-01T17:12:00.002-06:00

Can I just say, the last couple of weeks have just been amazing, refreshing, joyful, smiling, (insert any positive adjective). I'm just plain happy. I find myself smiling at random points of the day. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I love it! I haven't felt like this in a long time. After a rough year+ of various things, I feel like I'm becoming me again.

A list reflecting on the good things in life lately:

1. Admittedly, I had been thinking for the past few months of making a move to St. Louis to be closer to home. Very few people knew that because I didn't want to make a big deal out of it unless it was happening for sure. I had started looking into school districts and applying for jobs. But, I have decided not to move, at least this year. I realized things are going too well here and there's too many opportunities going for me. So, I'm here in Dallas to stay!

2. I know I've mentioned it before, and I can't tell you how much I love my job. It's a big reason I'm staying here. It's a perfect fit for me.

3. I'm going to grad school! I'm going to be getting my Master's in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a literacy emphasis through the University of Texas - Arlington. That's a mouthful! :) I've been thinking about it for awhile and have decided it's time. The bonus is that my school district will pay for it! woo hoo! Disclaimer: going to a University of Texas system school in no way, shape or form makes me a Longhorn!

4. Without going into details, I got up the nerve to have a difficult conversation with someone this past week. While there was some sadness there, I can now get back on track to living a life glorifying to God, something I was having trouble doing the past year.

5. Friends - oh my, I think this is what has helped me smile the most. I went through a weird time last fall where I felt disconnected socially. Many of my closer friends were in different places, I left my long-time singles group at church because I didn't feel like I "fit" and I was finding myself lonely. This past month I have had such meaningful times with friends, whether it's a concert, girl time, conversations, and Sunday lunch. It's been a huge help!

6. Exercise - I'm now halfway through bootcamp and surviving! I've also successfully avoided fast food for two weeks now! While I'm not totally eating healthy yet, I'm making small changes one step at a time that will hopefully lead to bigger changes down the road.

Ran out of time! In the meantime, I'm :) :) :) :)

Randomness....

2009-02-22T21:09:00.002-06:00

Where did the last two weeks go?? This year is already moving faster than any other year. There's only three weeks until spring break. While I'm excited about that, I can't believe it. We're already talking about end-of-the-year procedures at school. What?! I feel like I just started the year!

So, yes, three weeks until spring break!! Which means three weeks until I go to Iowa!!! YAY! Can't wait. There's been so much progress on the house and I'm so eager to see it. Plus, I'll see my nephews, family, friends, and go shopping for dresses for Nate's wedding! woo hoo!

I started something new last week - fitness boot camp! I successfully lost 25 pounds two years ago and so want to get back on that track. One of the local gyms was offering a "mini camp" specifically designed for women and I quickly signed up. I go on Tuesday/Thursday mornings at 6 a.m. (yes, that's crazy!). It flat out kicked my rear, but in a good way. I've finally shaken the muscle soreness, just in time to go again! I'm excited about it, and am going to the gym on my own on the other days. yay!

I went to a Chris Tomlin concert last night. AMAZING. It was basically just a big worship night. Incredible. I miss that type of worship. I need it. But that's another post. :)

I'm sitting here waiting for Slumdog Millionaire to win Best Picture. It's won six already!! Spectacular movie. If you haven't seen it, you should!

"He's Just Not That Into You" Movie Review

2009-02-06T23:24:00.003-06:00

**SPOILER WARNING - I will be talking about quite a bit of the plot, so if you don't want to know, read this after you see it!**

I, like many of my single girlfriends, have been eagerly anticipating the opening of the new movie, "He's Just Not That Into You." Great cast, great book, great previews, story of our lives - what is there not to be excited about, especially with a not-so-fun-holiday just around the corner? This was one movie I wanted to go to opening weekend.

Now, let me preface this by saying I rarely get riled up by movies. This is very unusual. Plus, I can usually let negative things in movies slide. What's alarming to me in this movie is that the message is so blatant and romanticized. Keep reading for more on that.

HJNTIY follows several characters around in their quest for "true love." One girl never receives call backs from dates, one wants her live-in boyfriend to marry her, another is searching. There are many positive elements to the film - open, honest, and caring friendships, the encouragement for singles to be who they are. It has several funny lines, and it's easy to get swept up by the feel-goodness of it.

However, the negative elements:

1. Neil, who is living with his girlfriend Beth, comments that they don't need to be married because married people can't be trusted, and that the only reason people get married is because they have something to "prove to others."

2. Later, Neil tells Beth that they are more committed than married people and he's more of a husband than the others. They don't need marriage. She agrees. Now, there is a somewhat redeemable ending, but it doesn't reverse the message given just moments before.

3. Sex - this is, of course, common in movies today. It's everywhere, and every couple is doing it, and usually immediately into the relationship. Granted, everyone is looking for a meaningful, intimate relationship (which is positive), but it appears that type of relationship is to be attained by the physical.

4. Ben and Janine are a married couple. At first, it looks like they have a solid marriage. The Ben meets Anna, and she immediately catches his eye. Anna's friend tells her to pursue Ben even though he's married, saying, "many married people realize they belong with someone else." Ben does hold out on Anna briefly, claiming marriage (positive), but the next thing we see is them in bed together. They continue their affair, even after Ben has admitted it to his wife.

5. Not a single husband in the movie is portrayed in a positive light. Ben has an affair and is made out to be a liar. Beth's brothers-in-law are shown being lazy slobs that don't help out around the house.

I know, these things aren't necessarily new in entertainment. Although, off the top of my head, I can't think of a movie where an affair was essentially positively portrayed, and marriage not really uplifted. It was like the movie version of Cosmopolitan magazine.

What struck me the most was the audience reaction. Our large theatre was filled with women, and many, many teenage girls. In one scene, Ben and Anna are about to have sex when Ben's wife interrupts them (unknowingly). Anna hides, and Janine tries to seduce Ben. She asks Ben if he wants to save their marriage, and he tentatively says yes. At that moment, I heard many girls gasp and say "no!" showing they would rather see Ben continue his affair with Anna. When Neil states he's more of a husband than a real husband and that they don't need marriage, I heard the girls cheer and clap. Sure, they're clapping because Neil and Beth were getting back together, but there's more to it.

Is this the message we want to portray to our young women? Where is the sanctity of marriage? In an age where young women are already very sexually active, the message is "marriage is not a necessity, marriage does not have to be forever because it's ok if you find someone better, and sex while dating is fine and encouraged." With movies like this, how in the world do we expect solid marriages to happen? Our young women are going to pursue relationships like the ones in the movie and others, thinking it's normal, only to find emptyness.

More than ever we, as a society, need to showing what a committed marriage looks like. Kudos to you in youth ministry because I believe there is no greater need right now than for godly men and women of integrity to step up and guide our youth. You have an enormous, but not an impossible task!

Blow it off as another fun movie if you want. It's easy to do if you're mature in your convictions and beliefs. But realize there is another whole generation and culture that does not have stability at home, and is turning to their Hollywood role models for direction in life. This is why "He's Just Not That Into You" is really a movie I'm just not into - at all.

Culture Thought #3 - Three Things

2009-02-04T20:47:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I mentioned that there are three ways believers can/should live in our culture. Again, these were presented to us by Mark Young.

1 Peter 2:11-12 (New International Version)

11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

How Now Do I Live in This Culutre?

1. First, we must live with a commitment to do what's right. Obviously, we as believers, must follow God's law. But it also includes doing what's right in our society, workplace, relationships, etc.

2. Next, whatever we are, say, and do, we must be relevant, or understandable. We need to use "their" (as in, another culture or the unsaved) language and behaviors. This is where it can be tricky and controversial. Some would say, "so does that mean I can go and do ________?" Well, remember, first we must be right. If you're not right, you're blowing your whole testimony. What is right/wrong is a whole other post, if not a whole other BLOG! :)

3. Finally, we have to be redemptive. We need to live in a way that calls people to want to be with God. It's the whole "something's different about you; what is it?" deal. A person that carries around a placard saying "God hates fags" is not going to be redemptive to those around him. On the flipside, a person that is loving, humble, caring, etc, etc, etc, is naturally going to invite those to learn more.

Mark ended with this statement - "Live in such a way that you're rooted in the way that is right, but live in a way that is beneficial to those around you." Good stuff. Easy to say, many times hard to do.

One final quote, which could lead to another discussion...... :)

“Christians often just don’t believe, in our heart of hearts,
that what happens in the workplace, in school, on
playgrounds, really has the same kind of eternal
significance as the work we do in the church. We tend to see
“the world” largely as a place from which we call people
into the life of the church, rather than as a place to which
God calls people from the church.”

Andy Crouch

Culture Thought #2 - Defining It

2009-02-02T20:21:00.003-06:00

Before I start blogging even more about culture and the oh-so-fun things I'm learning and discovering, allow me to define culture. This definition comes from Dr. Mark Young, missions pastor at my church, Stonebriar Community Church. He is also professor of missions at Dallas Theological Seminary. He taught our culture class this past Sunday.

On a personal note, I had the privilege to travel to India on mission trip with Mark's wife, Priscilla. I have a huge respect for them and their love and commitment to missions. Every time I talk to Priscilla she challenges me, and my chat with her on Sunday was no different. More on that later.

Culture is a way of life marked by shared beliefs, shared values, shared behaviors, and shared structures.

Society is a higher structure which encompasses more than one culture.

For example, take the United States. We are all a society in that we share the same President, same federal laws, currency, interstates, basic educational structure, flag, etc.

However, under the American society, there are many cultures. El Paso, Texas has a different way of life than New York City. People up north call the fizzy drink "pop." In the south it's "soda" or "coke" (even if it's Dr. Pepper!). A rural farmer from Iowa and a businessman from Los Angeles both live in the same society, but live in completely different cultures.

Why is this important? It affects how believers think about culture and how to appropriately live in it. In my next post, I'll talk about how Paul talks about culture and three ways how believers can live in their own culture and others.

For now, I love this quote. Food for thought.

“God hasn’t called us to be culture haters. We hate the
world system, not the culture. God actually celebrates
culture – speaking of men and women from every tongue,
tribe, and nation. Preaching against culture – as we often
do – is like preaching against someone’s house. It is just
where they live. There is good in it, and there is bad in it –
preach discernment, not culture condemnation.”
Ed Stetzer

Culture Thought #1

2009-02-01T15:23:00.002-06:00

I've been taking a class at church called "Christ and Culture" and WOW have I enjoyed it! It's only six weeks long, and today was the second week. It's really got me thinking. Here's something that was presented to us the first week. I'm curious to see what you think. Post your answer in the comment section. You can just put the letter or explain it!

Scenario: Your church is starting a new outreach ministry called the "Magdalene Project." As a female participant, you will put together gift baskets full of lotions and other girly products. One Friday or Saturday night, you and the other women go to different strip clubs in your area. You may need to walk through the main stage area, but you go straight to the dressing rooms, where you present the gift baskets to the strippers. You spend some time talking to them and sharing the Gospel. (By the way, the strip club knows you are coming and approve of it). Meanwhile, your husband/boyfriend is standing outside the strip club to make sure you are safe. They never enter, unless there's a problem of course.

This project is announced at church and seeks volunteers. As a woman, do you:

A. Sign up that day and become very involved.
B. Think and pray about it, discuss it with your spouse and come to a joint decision to both be involved.
C. Decide to partially participate by donating items or putting together the baskets, but not go to the club.
D. Decide it's not the right ministry for you, but support those getting involved.
E. Disagree with the ministry, saying the church should not go to a strip club.
F. Other - which you must explain! :)

As a man, do you:

A. Immediately encourage your wife/girlfriend to become involved if she desires, and support her by also going.
B. Think and pray about it, discuss it with your spouse and come to a joint decision to both be involved.
C. Allow your wife to become involved, but discourage her from going to the strip club.
D. Support the ministry, but decide not to get involved.
E. Flat-out tell your wife you would prefer she doesn't participate in the project.
F. Other - which you must explain!

This is an actual ministry at a church in Austin, Texas (and in other places I would imagine).

C'mon! Post your answer! Like I said, you only have to post a letter, but I'm interested in your thoughts. I will post my initial answer soon, along with the discussion we had in class.

Life These Days....

2009-01-31T10:03:00.008-06:00

Hello Blogosphere. Been awhile hasn't it? I know, I'm a blog slacker.

Here's a rundown on the past few months:

House

This is what the house looked like the morning of June 14, 2008.

Of course, later that same day, the house was nearly covered with water. Six weeks later, when the water had finally receded, this is what we were left with:

Now, seven months after the levee break, the house looks like this!

Mom and Dad made the decision to rebuild last October and haven't looked back since. We're all thrilled to be back! They made some adjustments to the floorplan to make it perfect for them. Mom and Dad will now have a master bath and walk-in closet, the laundry was moved from the basement to the main floor, and the former living room is being converted into two bedrooms. The biggest change is the addition being put on the south side of the house, where the deck used to be. This will now be the living room and comes straight off the kitchen. It's full of windows, so it's going to be pretty!

I can't say enough about the Apostolic Christian Church, which is the church I grew up in. Their mission/outreach group, World Relief, adopted my family and have been providing all of the labor to rebuild. You can't even begin to describe the appreciation for this. They've been working so hard on the house, through cold, snowy weather. I really shoud devote a whole blog post to that! The expected completion date is late spring/early summer. I'm hoping I'll be able to come up and help them move into our old, but new house!

Life in General

I can't believe how time is flying. We're already at the end of January!! Before I know it, it will be spring break, and usually after spring break it's all downhill from there. I LOVE my job. If you don't know, I teach preschool special education in a public school district. I have two classes - a morning and afternoon session. My morning session is integrated, which means I have kids with special needs and "typically developing" kids. I have 10 in that session, and six in the afternoon. I love seeing every one of them every day. They are an absolute delight. Every day I'm guaranteed 16 goodbye hugs and kisses, plus lots of hand holding. Does it get any sweeter than that? :)

Honestly, it's just been a weird few months. I enjoy my job and have lots of good friends, but miss Iowa, especially with the flood, nephews, and other family. It's just been one of those "dry" times in life. I don't really have any major stress or complaints, it's just been, well, dry. Life has changed in several ways and I'm trying to keep up and adjust to all of those changes, some of which has been easy, and some that's been hard. I'm working on some of my own changes, too, which is good! I have no idea what life is going to hold for this year, but am attempting to trust God with that!

Enough for now! I'm in a new Sunday school class studying Christ and Culture and have some thoughts on that. I'll post some thoughts after tomorrow's class!

Thanks for reading!

Post Election Thoughts

2008-11-05T20:18:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I know. It's been FOREVER since I wrote on this blog. I should've known. I was never able to keep a diary or journal. How could I keep up a blog? Maybe I'll catch up this weekend.

I wrote a post on Facebook on my election thoughts. Here's the same post:

I'm about to ruffle some feathers. I can feel it. Hear me out. Or not. Your choice. :)

I, as much as anyone, was disappointed last night. I had a church event, and was constantly pulling up foxnews.com on my phone for updates. I rushed home at 8:30 and turned on Fox News.

At 9:00, I was thrilled to find an episode of "House Hunters" I had not seen on HGTV.

If you know me well, you know I've always been a diehard Republican. In high school, I had spirited debates with one my favorite teachers. I've been a delegate to the Iowa State Republican Convention twice. I fully supported the McCain/Palin ticket. But this morning, I was thinking as I got ready and drove to work. Surprisingly, I found myself a tad encouraged.

Why? Because I know God is sovereign. He has been for all time, and will for all time. Our President (any of them for that matter) is not completely sovereign over anything, and even so, only for a short time.

First, I would like to congratulate Obama. He and I have radically different views, but I respect him and don't envy the very tough job he has in front of him. He definitely needs our prayers and support, as I feel, especially for his safety. If there's ever been a chance for an assassination attempt, I think we could see it. I hope and pray not.

This was obviously a very historic election, and no matter how you voted, I would hope you would be proud of the progress we have made. In the history of time, it's only been a short time since African-Americans were treated to horrible conditions and slavery. It wasn't too long ago the KKK was thriving and Martin Luther King was making his "I have a dream" speech. We, as Americans, have come a long way in showing GRACE to others. We should celebrate and be proud of that, no matter what.

Stop and take a look at that past eight years. I have liked and supported President Bush from day one of his presidency and will until he returns to Texas. I am thankful we have had a President that has a very open and real faith in God. Now take a look at American society. I think we can all agree that moral decay has greatly happened in the past eight years. What does this mean?

A President with a God centered view does not equal a country with a God centered view.

Likewise, a President without a God centered view does not equal a country without a God centered view.

I don't know Obama's heart. Only God does. But I can pray that God would be near him, and that Obama would listen. I can hope and pray that God would work in such a mighty way that the citizens of our country would be overwhelmed with the testimony of our leaders turning to God.

But here's the deal: we, as citizens, make up America, not just our elected officials. My hope with these results is that believers all over our country would wake up, get out of their Christian bubbles, and realize that America is a mission field ready for the harvest. Through God, WE have the power to change the course of the American path. We do that by following God's word: witnessing, loving our neighbors, loving our enemies. If we all came together and reached out, with God on our side and faith in Him, think of the endless possibilities! It also takes believers stepping out and getting involved in public office, even if it's just a small role. I would hope that we would be so concerned about the welfare of our country we'd want to do something every day, not just every four years.

I saw it in Iowa this summer with the floods. When people had nothing, they gave. When they were discouraged, they encouraged. They didn't rely on the government to rescue them, they relied on themselves and the help of their neighbors. We can do the same now.

Believe me, I have plenty of changes to make myself, and am no way perfect in this! But my challenge to you (and myself) is to purposely look for ways to reach beyond your immediate circle of family and friends and LOVE. Volunteer, send an encouraging note, make a meal. Surprise everyone you can with love and care, and give it all to the glory of God. By becoming an enormous and strong grassroots of genuine, caring believers, we have the chance to make America even greater.

I do not agree with everything Obama believes, but I'm more than ever thankful that I live in a country where I am not scared for my life just for reading a Bible. I could be living in that country, and am grateful I live here. I was proud to be an American yesterday, I'm still very proud today, and I know I will be in four and eight years. In fact, I will for the rest of my life.

God's work is the only real change we can believe in, and His promises are our only true hope. Believe that. Don't forget it!

End of the Steph sermon! :)

Today's Events

2008-09-25T21:57:00.002-05:00

I really didn't plan to post tonight, but today was CRAZY.

GOOD THINGS
1. Turned my lesson plans in - deemed great!
2. Turned documentation in to principal - just fine!
3. Had my first principal observation (total surprise) - all exceeds or proficients!
4. Called a "master teacher" by my team leader - woo hoo!
5. IEPs finished!
6. Having one of my students see me when they come into the room, shout, "Miss Stoller!" and run to me, giving me a huge hug.

Considering last year's disaster, having all of this come just a month into school is a huge confidence builder. I now know where the expectations are for my principal and know I'm well filling them. I'm exactly where I should be!

BAD THINGS
1. Dealing with parent custody issues of a student - whatever you do, don't have children, get divorced, and become bitter.
2. Got my first speeding ticket in Texas - not only that, in a construction zone, with workers present. Yikes. Hey, in my defense, it was a four lane road with a median and all of the worker were on the other side. :)

LIFE IS NOW COMPLETE MOMENT
1. Watching Jim propose to Pam in the season opener of "The Office." Ahh.....

Good night!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-09-25T05:58:00.003-05:00

It's 5:58 a.m. and I'm writing a blog post. Ridiculous. But it has to be quick because I need to be at work early. AGAIN.

It's just been one of those crazy weeks. I'm still loving my job, but I've had a mountain of paperwork to do. I have three ARD (admission, review, dismissal) meetings next week. This is where I present a new IEP for a special education student to their parents, along with some school staff. That means I've had three IEPs to write this week, and each takes awhile. When I did it at the elementary level, I could whip one out in no time. However, goal writing is very different at the prekindergarten level, and I have to look at all aspects of the student: preacademics, social skills, self-care, and fine motor skills. On top of that it's my week to turn in my lesson plans to my principal, so I spent a few hours on them to make them perfect.

I did take some time to get a MUCH-needed pedicure last night. Except, I brought my school bag in and worked while they rubbed my feet. Not nearly as enjoyable, but I do have pretty toes now!

Now that the school work is done, I may be able to rest. Oh wait - I have a three hour ESL certification study group after work, a cheesecake to bake, groceries to buy for that cheesecake, people to call, and two events to go to after school tomorrow. And "The Office" premiere is tonight, which is CAN'T MISS. Don't even try to call me between 8:00 and 9:00 tonight. I won't answer. :) Oh, and very exciting.....my friend Joy and I might be booking our fall weekend trip to Washington D.C. today or tomorrow! Can't wait to go!

And through it all, I love it. There's very, very little I would change. Except, perhaps, a couple more hours on my pillow.

See you here this weekend.

Conversations.....

2008-09-21T18:12:00.004-05:00

I love having conversations about life. Whether they're light-hearted or deep, you get to know someone well, and in doing so, you connect with them even more. The memory of my first deep conversation happened in the Columbus High School cafeteria in February of 1995. I was a sophomore, and I found myself sitting across the table from Jennifer Carter, who I had known for years, but not that well. We were wasting time between speeches at the individual district speech. That time was definitely not wasted, as it cemented a best friendship that has strongly lasted for thirteen years. Even after different colleges, three states apart, and a marriage for her, she's still the one I go to first when something big is happening. Love ya Jen!

Yesterday I had the privilege of TWO life conversations. One was with Ashley, my accountability partner. Over pancakes and eggs, for two hours we discussed everything from boys to our devotions to job stuff. It was GOOD. I always look forward to our Saturday mornings together.

The other one happened last night, and as I'm writing this, I'm realizing that conversation may have to be a separate post. A group of us went to the Plano Balloon Festival, and a small mixed group of us ended up at Ashley's. What took place there was a long, light-hearted, but also deeper conversation about what we desire in marriage. The girls came up with a list of ten things we desire to have in marriage and then the guys did the same. It was good and encouraging.

Sometimes as singles (or at least the groups I've been a part of), we shy away from talking about marriage. But the reality is that we all want it, and most of us will end up in it. So why not talk about it? It doesn't mean we're desparate. We talk about the other dreams we have: traveling, career goals, saving for a house. Why not talk about the one big dream we all have in common as singles? Anyway, I loved the conversation and I'm going to try to remember the lists we came up with. :)

The Dallas - Green Bay football game is on tonight. I'm so lucky to have found two other girls in this insane Cowboys city who are likeminded diehard Cheeseheads. They're on their way over to my apartment and we're going to watch the game together. I don't have high hopes, but I know we CAN win if everything goes right! GO PACK GO!!!!

Thanks for reading!

SIN

2008-09-20T14:39:00.002-05:00

Lovely topic for the first personal post, huh? But, we all deal with it on a daily basis, so we might as well talk about it, right?

I love catch phrases, or sentences that immediately hit home. They're things I keep in the back of my mind to help me in a situation later one. My pastor, Chuck Swindoll, is great at this. In every sermon, he has these little "nuggets" that make you go, "huh."

Last week in my singles' adult fellowship, the teacher, Mark, gave one that I really identified with. We were in Genesis, talking about Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. It was this:

"Doubting God is usually a precursor to sin."

I think about recent situations or those in the past and I realize how true that is for me. The reason I usually chose to sin was because I was doubting God, in doubting He would bring a really great guy along, or because I wanted to fit in, or whatever. I didn't trust God, and so I took things in my own hands, which usually led to sin.

Good stuff to think about! :)

Changes!

2008-09-20T10:03:00.002-05:00

I made some blog changes - obviously!! :) It's no longer really summer, so "summer stories" doesn't apply. I am DEFINITELY going to be still posting news on the flood, so if you've been following along for that, keep coming! However, this is going to turn into a more personal blog of things I experience or thoughts or ideas I am mulling around. All of that to say - keep reading! I've been thinking about what I want to post and have several ideas. I even have a post brewing for this afternoon. :)

I'm off to have brunch with my fantastic accountability partner, Ashley. I love meeting with her. It's always a very deep, honest time of sharing our lives.

Stay tuned!

HELLO out there....

2008-09-16T22:06:00.003-05:00

Hi all.

1. Yes, I realize it's been about a month since I posted.

2. Sorry about that. Life got busy again once school started.

3. Speaking of school - I LOVE IT. I can't even explain how much I love it.

4. Life is GOOD. I have complete joy - something I've never really experienced, or for long.

5. Hence, I'm making lots of changes. Woo hoo.

6. Changes means goal-setting. One goal - write at least 3 times a week on this blog, even if just a few sentences.

7. No, I didn't get hit by Ike. Just some rain. Helped serve food to the evacuees in Dallas last Saturday.

8. Still lots going on in Iowa. They got a TON of rain last week. The farm had water all over it again.

9. No, my parents have not made a decision on whether to rebuild or build elsewhere. Stay tuned - a decision is coming to a blog near you!

10. God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

Goodnight!

I'm here! I'm here!

2008-08-19T20:53:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile. Sorry! I'm starting back to school with a new job and it's taking a lot of time and energy right now. But it's good. I think it's going to be much more of a fit for me. My schedule has changed a bit. Because I'm dually certified in general education and special education, my principal has elected to split my classes. I'm going to have "typically-developing" four-year-olds in the morning, which means it will be just a regular preschool class. In the afternoons, I'll have four-year-olds with special needs. It will be a nice change in the day, and I think having the typical kids will make me a better special ed teacher because I'll be able know exactly where a four-year-old should be developmentally. So yeah! I'm excited. The rest of the week is meetings and preparations, and kids start Monday.

Funny enough, I think the hardest part for me so far is having two assistants! They're both very sweet, and I know they're going to be great to work with. Norma will be with me full-time and Shirley will be in every other day. I'm SO not used to delegating - anything. It's been difficult to adjust to allowing others to do things for me, and even having to tell them to do things, like a boss. Oddly, I've thought about how good that's going to be for me, especially in thinking about marriage preparation (someday, whenever that is!). I'm learning to be less independent, more dependent, and slowly knowing it's ok to not have to carry every responsibility. It's just fine to allow others to do things for me, and I should just say "thank you" instead of feeling like a problem.

The past few weeks of being back in Texas have been such a processing and learning time for me. God really taught me a lot and I frequently have those little "aha" moments. I recognize lessons in daily life and acknowledge things I need to work on. It's been great. I feel like I'm becoming more and more the woman I'm supposed to be - God wants me to be. That's exciting, and I feel the change. Hopefully others will see it too!

Ok - flood notes!

1. The house was gutted last week! The World Relief team from the Apostolic church came and cleared out the house and took up all of the yucky flooring. I need to write an entire post on the Apostolic church. I'll just say this for now - their love for people, love for God, and hearts for service have been greater than I have ever seen in ANYONE. The character of the members of that church have been shown greatly through this entire flood experience and there's not a bad word you can say about it. They're such a witness and should be an example to everyone. THANK YOU!!!

2. Mom and Dad still don't know what they're going to do. The neighbors aren't returning. TOUGH decisions! Pray for them!

In other exciting news, I'm going back to Iowa for Labor Day weekend! I've been looking at flights for the end of September and everything is going up (as if you didn't already know this!). Mom happened to see a fare for Labor Day weekend and emailed it to me today. It's perfect! I'm getting a direct flight from Dallas to Cedar Rapids on that Saturday morning and don't have to fly out until Monday evening. I'll be able to be there for almost three days when everyone is off work - and it's Nate's birthday! The cost was about $150 less than what it's been running, which is a STEAL. Couldn't pass it up. And what makes it sweeter?! I arrive in Cedar Rapids at 10:35 a.m., and Iowa is having their opening football game just 30 minutes away from the airport, starting at 11:15. So, Nate and Kim are picking me up and we're immediately driving to the game!! AHHH!!!!! Family and football all in one weekend!!! I'm so excited!!!!

Enough for now! :)

Happy Birthday Floyd!!

2008-08-08T09:34:00.005-05:00

Today, August 8th, marks the 90th birthday of my step-grandpa Floyd! Happy BIG birthday!

Floyd married my Grandma Stoller on May 12, 1996. (First of all, let me personally tell you that there's nothing much more strange than having your dad sit you down to tell you your GRANDMA, at age 75, is getting married!!). However, they have such a sweet story and I've been thrilled about it since the beginning.

Floyd and Grandma have known each since they were young. They each married their spouses, Floyd to Louise, Grandma Ione to Grandpa Earl. They lived most of their married lives just a few miles apart. They went to the same church, raised their kids in the same school. Some of their kids were even friends and in the same 4-H group group growing up! Later in life, Grandma and Floyd each lost their beloved spouses to lengthy illnesses. Both of them had been married for over fifty years. What a testament!

A couple years later, Floyd realized he needed someone to make coffee and cook good meals for him, and Grandma needed someone to enjoy all of her delicious cooking, so they got married! Ok, so it probably wasn't quite like that, but the point is, they were both in good health and alone, why not have a companion to live the rest of life with? We agreed! I'll never forget her wedding - my grandma was like a giddy teenager! They've been able to go on a few trips together, and more importantly, support each other as they grow old.

I had the really great privilege of living with Grandma and Floyd for about six weeks this summer. It's one of those things that if the flood hadn't happened, I probably would not have had this experience. Grandma and I spent a lot of time organizing old family photos, she and I stubbornly argued who was going to mow the lawn (I won once, she tricked me in winning several times), Grandma insisted on making eggs and toast for me every morning, and I asked both of them lots of questions on their lives. I learned quite a bit!

All three of us were greatly affected by the flood, and it was good to go through that with them. Grandma, of course, lost the house she built with Grandpa. Floyd still has his farm in that area. He moved into Grandma's house when they married, but kept his farm. He would go down there every day to tinker around or keep up the garden, and we would often have Stoller gatherings at his house because it was big and convenient. Floyd's farm also went underwater. Fortunately, he was on the edge of the water and a little higher, so he only got about 2.5 feet of water in his house. But that's enough to do plenty of damage. The house had to be pretty much gutted so stop mold from growing, but with the help of his church and others, he's going to be able to fully restore it.

Floyd's House....

Things I Learned While Living with Grandma and Floyd:

While eating breakfast at 6:30 - 7:00 a.m. seems VERY early during the summer, it's good to all sit down and eat together.
You don't need television. There's lots of interesting programs on the radio.
Family history does matter. Learning how your grandparents met, fell in love, and married is important.
You can get all kinds of blackmail stories on your dad. :)
No matter how stubborn your grandmother is, you should always win out when it comes to mowing.
There's plenty to talk about and similarities in life even though you're 60 years apart.
Grandmas do have a way of making simple food better.
Spending an afternoon with a group of elderly ladies should be viewed as a treat and treasure.
Your grandmother knows you much better than you think. After all, she's known you in your entire life.
NEVER, EVER play Scrabble with two people that have SIXTY more years of writing, speaking, and reading experience than you. It's just not worth it, unless you happen to get a 42 point word like "zap." Then you might have a fighting chance. :)

Love them both!

My Other Childhood Home

2008-08-07T09:45:00.004-05:00

So far, all of the focus has been on the home my parents currently live in, and rightly so. There's a lot of history there. Grandma and Grandpa Stoller bought that farm after the flood of 1946. The land has been in the Stoller name for 62 years. There was a different house on it at the time that they lived in. In 1964, Grandpa and Grandma built the current house. It's the house my dad grew up in. They lived there until 1989, when they moved to Mediapolis and we moved in. Of the total 44 years the house has been in existence, Grandpa and Grandma lived in it for 25 years, and we've been in it for the remaining 19.

But before we moved in, we lived just a half-mile down the road from Grandma and Grandpa, in a little double-wide trailer, nonetheless. Mom and Dad set that trailer down when I was just a year old. I have tons of fond memories from it. We moved from it when I was in fifth grade, but I vividly remember the layout of it. A few of my favorite memories of growing up in the trailer:

Dark wood paneling. Enough said.
Rolling around on my parents' waterbed.
Having bunk beds with Nikki in the corner bedroom.
Waking up on my 10th birthday and seeing a sign on my door, "you're now in the double digits!"
Constantly playing on the swingset. That thing was the best!!
Having a slip-and-slide in the yard.
Making paper boats only to have them immediately crumble in the pool.
Sledding in the ditch in the front yard.
Attempting to play the old organ in the living room.
Using a hair dryer to put plastic sheeting over the windows in the winter. Sounds slightly redneck.... :)
YELLOW OVEN.
The Toaster Story - This is classic. We had a toaster that you mounted underneath the cabinet. I don't remember how old I was - 9? Nate was little and he put pop-tarts in the toaster. I still remember sitting in the living room watching "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" and starting to smell smoke. Mom was outside at the time and I went into the kitchen. Smoke was coming out of the toaster! Nate had put the pop-tarts in for too long. I remember unplugging the toaster and by then Mom came in and pour water on the toaster, getting rid of the small flames. We still talk about this story occasionally!
Dad working on redoing a John Deere plow for Grandpa. It was a surprise, and I remember Dad trying to hide it when Grandpa and Grandma would bring me home from church. That plow was still decoratively sitting in our yard this year.
Riding my bike down to Grandma and Grandpa's to feed the lambs, and of course, Grandma would always have a plate of homemade cookies!
Cutting through the corn field to bike to Kandi's house (my cousin).

There's a lot more, but that's a sampling. The reality is that a lot of history was lost this summer. Memories, no. We'll always have those. But the two houses my family has ever lived in are now both gone. It's sad to see such a big part of your childhood washed away.

So what does the trailer look like now? It's completely crumbled....

Flood News:

1. You can now drive to the house! One of the roads leading to the house is now out of water. This will begin the line of sight-seeing. Of course, I can't say much, because I did enough sight-seeing of my own before I left.

2. Nearly two months later, my parents are finally getting the trailer unpacked! They now have a REAL mattress to sleep on, a couch, stove, washer/dryer, table, and several other things of theirs. Mom said it's starting to feel more like a home now!

3. Dad went into the basement of the house the other day. SCARY. It looks like a possible floor support is missing, meaning it may be harder to rebuild on that foundation, if they choose to.

4. Speaking of that, no decisions have been made on rebuilding, etc. Still some time for that!

5. Oakville is now going to pursue a FEMA buyout. Originally, officials were not going to do this. However, enough residents protested and they're going to go forward now. This means there's the possibility Oakville could cease to exist, at least as we know it. But it will be a LONG time before anything is decided.

Thanks again for checking in! The comments on the TPing post were fun! :)

Best TP Job EVER

2008-08-01T17:15:00.005-05:00

Back in high school, I was part of the youth group at Oak Street Baptist. On one particular night, we had a youth group event at our house and Dad took us out on the river. When it was over, I thought everyone went home and I went to bed. I was wrong. Very wrong. Unknowingly to me, a group of guys - Chris Day, John Gerdes, Micah Anderson (Chris, I'm not sure who else!) - came back and toilet papered our house. I guess I had smack-talked (me, smack talk?!) about how no one would drive ALL the way to our house to TP it. They got us GOOD. I didn't know a thing until the next morning.

What I found out the next day, though, is that MY DAD, Steve Stoller, gave these guys PERMISSION to toilet paper the entire yard!!!! Unbelievable. On top of that, he and Mom laughed as they watched the guys do it!! My own father was a traitor to me! :) On top of that, he made ME clean it all up, and it started to rain a little the next day. Not fun! That summer we were also having a professional, aerial picture taken of the farm, and Dad was convinced that toilet paper was going to show up. I had to make sure I picked up EVERY little square of TP. As you can see, there was a TON of it to clean up.

Good job guys! This is one of my favorite memories of the house. You'll always be known as the best TPers! :)

Shopping, Baseball, and Home!!!

2008-07-28T15:34:00.002-05:00

I'm currently sitting in my apartment in Plano and LOVING it. While I enjoyed being in Iowa, I'm happy to be home and settling into my life here. Can't wait to see my friends!

Speaking of friends, I had the most fantastic weekend with Amanda in Kansas City! Amanda is one of my dearest friends in Texas. We met four years ago, within the first month of me moving to Plano. We were in the same singles group at church, and got to know each other better through a Bible study. We've been close friends ever since! She's my football buddy! :) She's a counselor and is counseling kids at a military base in Kansas for the summer. So it was easy to plan a random weekend in Kansas City!

We had a great time....ate lots of good food, saw Mamma Mia (fabulous!!), shopped at two different malls, went to a Royals baseball game, got pedicures, and talked and laughed like crazy! It was absolutely delightful, and the perfect weekend before heading back to Dallas.

After Amanda and I said goodbye, I drove to Joplin, MO where I spent the night and finished the drive today. I did a lot of thinking and praying during that time, trying to decide what I learned over the summer. Several things came to mind. I'm mulling them over and may share in time.

Have a great week!

Goodbye Iowa!

2008-07-25T09:09:00.002-05:00

After nearly six weeks in Iowa, my bags are packed and I'm about to starting heading back to life in Dallas. It's just been a strange summer. I'm not sure how else to describe it! The six weeks have flown by, but at the same time, I feel like I've been here long enough that I'm living here, not just a visitor. I'm sad to leave, but very happy I got to stay as long as I could. I'm ready to move on and get back into my life. I miss my friends, church, apartment (specifically my closet!), and the routine I have there. I've realized that while Iowa will always be "home," Dallas truly has become my home. I'm not sure how I got to this place in thinking, but I can go back feeling very satisfied being planted there, and for a long time. I've always had wonderings whether or not to move back to Iowa or somewhere in the midwest. It's good to be content where I am and know I'm right where I'm supposed to be!

Not much new going on the flood front. The water has not receded any more. FEMA still has to inspect our house. A note.....Oakville and most of the area that was flooded is in Louisa County. About 25 homes, including ours, is in Des Moines County. This is significant when it come to FEMA, because counties appeal to FEMA to start the buyout process. Louisa County has said they are not going to pursue a buyout for Oakville, which is causing problems with people. Des Moines County is going to pursue a buyout for those of us. This does not guarantee a buyout, only begins the application.

What would a buyout mean for us? It would mean that FEMA would pay about the value of our house before it was flooded. Mom and Dad would get a check for it. In return, FEMA would have possession of about an acre of land and we would not be allowed to rebuilt a house on that site. Dad would still have the farm, including buildings, and be able to farm. They just could not live there. For a lot of people, especially those without flood insurance, this is a good deal. However, it could take a year or more before the process is completed.

I went and visited the Big Ditch once more yesterday. It was strange to see it for one final time. Hopefully, the next time I'm back the water will be completely gone. There's a spot on the Big Ditch where I can stand and look straight towards our house. I would go every few days, stand on a particular sandbag and see where the water was on the farm. I took that sandbag yesterday! I felt like the sandbag and I had bonded. :) It had supported me (literally!) as I viewed my home and I felt like I should have it as a little memento of the summer.

Thanks for reading this summer! Even though I am leaving, the posts will not end. I'll continually update with things happening, and I have some ideas for stories about the house. I've been encouraged to keep the blog, so I'll probably turn it into a more personal blog, too. Keep reading if you'd like!

Goodbye! I'm off to a baseball game, shopping, and pedicures in Kansas City. Will be home in Plano Monday afternoon!

Walking through the house....

2008-07-20T22:39:00.002-05:00

Well, I got my wish today, not that it's a wish I've ever wanted. Mom, Dad, Nikki, Nate and I all went to the house this afternoon to walk through it for the first time after the flood water has receded. Actually, it hasn't fully receded quite yet. The water is gone from the house (other than the basement of course!), but the driveway and the rest of the farm still has a few inches to a couple feet of water around it. You still aren't able to drive to it with a car because there's still water over the road. Dad hooked up the tractor to the boat (on the trailer) and we rode to the house that way. Once there, we were able to get out and walk around a bit.

We already knew what the house looked like, so it wasn't a complete shock, although very surreal. The walls are gone, but the floor is still intact, so we walked around the house just like we normally would. Only this time, we had to watch where we stepped and looked at everything. It was a complete mess. The new kitchen cabinets were gone or in different places, the countertop was on the floor and sinks were in rooms other than where they're supposed to be. The old couch that was in the living room somehow made it to the kitchen, as did the piano, which is now smashed. Everything that was familiar was unfamiliar. Everything about it was my house. But everything about it was not my house.

Something that made us chuckle....we were in the garage looking around and Dad went up the back steps to open the door. It was locked!! We had to laugh because when they left the house before the levee broke, they intentionally left the garage door up to let the water in. But out of habit, someone locked the door! So Dad pulled out his keys and had to unlock it. I guess it was nice to use that key one more time!

Dad went out to look at the grain bins. All four of them are either down or leaning, which is crippling to a farming operation. He was hoping his newest and biggest bin was salvageable. He went check and it looks like it's just been moved off the foundation a few feet. He's hoping he can lift it with a crane, repair the bottom and restore it. Pray that works!!

Here's a couple of pictures, but there's 70 of them on my shutterfly site. Feel free to look through them. I'm so glad I was able to go out there today. While it's something I wish I didn't have to see, I'm glad I got the chance to before I leave. Only four and a half days left in Iowa! Crazy!

The Den:

Kitchen Sink:

Living Room:

For Christy! :)

2008-07-20T21:43:00.003-05:00

So I have this friend, Christy, who I've known since elementary school. She was on my school bus route and one of my earliest memories of her is that she had this really cool esprit bag and I was determined to have one just like it. I got one for my next birthday! (Christy, I'm not sure you know that! Do you remember that bag?). She was a year ahead of me in school. We were also in the same 4-H group, the Huron Peppy Pals, together. It was in high school that we started becoming good friends, as we had a couple classes together, played sax in band, and were in the same youth group at church. Because she was a bit older, she was the first to get her driver's license. I remember there were several Friday nights that my dad would allow me to (illegally, I might add!) drive to Christy's house and then she and I would hop in her little white Grand Am to go to dinner or to the movies. She went off and did that whole marriage and baby thing after college, and because we lived in different places, I hadn't seen much of her. Thanks to Facebook, we've been able to reconnect and had dinner together a few weeks ago for the first time in YEARS. Yay!

All that to say, the house my parents are moving into is where Christy's grandparents lived. Christy grew up right down the road from the house so she knows what it looks like. Christy doesn't live in the area, so she's been asking me to show her pictures of the house since I've (we've) done some painting. So, Christy, here's a few! It's all the same color - a basic cream. Hope it's ok! :)

Funny story about painting. I've been painting everyday since Monday. Mom was also helping on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Thursday, Mom and I were painting one of the bedrooms. I was painting the ceiling using an extension rod. As I was painting, the rod snapped, sending the paint roller down. The end of it hit me squarely on the head. Later that evening, I noticed I had a PERFECT round circle of cream paint on my scalp! That spot is still a little tender... :)

One Month Later...

2008-07-17T07:26:00.003-05:00

This past Monday was the one month mark of when the levee broke. I have now been in Iowa for a month. Hard to believe!! One month later most of the area is out of water, Oakville is cleaning up, we still can't get to our house, and my parents are slowly moving into another house.

On Tuesday, I took a drive through the bottoms and on up to Oakville. It was the first time I have been to Oakville since it flooded. It's so strange to see. The homes look like they've been abandoned for a long time with windows out and water marks on the siding. Every house has a huge pile of trash in front of it - wallboard, cabinets, insulation, and any other destroyed item. There's not a blade of grass to be seen. Every thing is dry, brown, barren, desolate, and dusty. But it was BUSY!! There were people working on almost every house, and lots of traffic. I saw church trailers from Mississippi, the Red Cross disaster recovery truck, and several dump trucks bringing rock in to repair highway 99.

I took every possible road to our house to just see how close we could get. The closest I could get was a mile from the house, which is good, but not good enough (in my opinion!!). I leave in about a week and am really, really hoping to get to the house before I do. I asked Dad last night and he wasn't sure, but hopeful. The river had gone up a bit, enough that the bottoms weren't draining into the Mississippi. The river has gone down now, so it's draining again. Hopefully it will drain enough to go. If not, Dad said he may try to find a way to get there. :)

STRANGE sighting - I was on top of the Big Ditch yesterday. As I was standing on the bridge, I looked on one side of it and saw fields still covered with water. I stood in the same spot and looked on the other side and saw lush, green cornfields - with an irrigator going! (for you non-farm people, that would be a large contraption that sprays water on the fields - think enormous sprinkler! :) It was weird to see too much water and not enough water within a quarter mile of each other. Couldn't we have balanced this out a bit?!

This week I've been working in the new house most of the week. We've been cleaning and I've been painting a couple rooms. Mom is off today and I'm about to go out there and the two of us are going to work there all day again.

I took several pictures of Oakville and the surrounding area. I don't have a lot of Oakville right now. I felt a little guilty driving around taking pictures without helping! You can find them on my Shutterfly site.

Some fun, non-flood related news...I'm about to start my fifth year of teaching in Plano, which I can hardly believe. Time goes so fast! The first three years I taught elementary special education, and last year I taught regular third grade. I enjoyed it, but realized special ed is more of my niche. I took a job at an early childhood school in the Plano school district as a PPCD teacher, which stands for "Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities." In other words, preschool special ed. I'll have a morning class and an afternoon class. I thought I was going to have all four-year-olds. I emailed with the speech therapist that I'll work with this week and found out my morning class will be THREE-year-olds and my afternoon will be fours, all with special needs. woo hoo!!! I'm really excited to have the three-year-olds and the fours will be a nice change in the day. I'll have about 10-12 in each class, and yes, I'll have a full-time aide with me all day! It's going to be so much fun!!!

The week!

2008-07-11T10:05:00.004-05:00

Sorry for going so long without an update! Time is just FLYING by. I can't believe we're almost to the middle of July! It's been almost a month now since the levee broke.!

Going back just a bit.....as I had previously mentioned, I went to Cedar Rapids on Monday to volunteer with the Salvation Army. Cedar Rapids was one of the hardest hit areas. The Cedar River came up so quickly people didn't have time to get their belongings out. Plus, it flooded a bigger area than what was expected. 24,000 people were displaced and ten city blocks of homes were destroyed.

The Salvation Army took over an empty grocery store and filled it with all kinds of donations. Those registered with FEMA can come in, fill out a short form, and receive lots of items - for free. We loaded up shopping carts (buggies for you silly Southerners!) with a variety of items - a mop, broom, gloves, masks, bleach, scrub brushes, sponges, pine-sol, toiletries, and a box of food items. I would meet someone, grab a cart, and we would walk through these three long rows of other items. Each person was able to take any ten items from the tables. The tables were filled with any kind of cleaning item you could imagine, plus flashlights, batteries, toiletries, baby items, paper products. It was incredible how many things there were! We also gave them a 24-pack of bottled water and they were on their way with a very full cart of free items!

One thing that I noticed right away was the attitude of these people. Most of them only got out with their car and a change of clothes. They lost everything. Makes you feel just a tad lucky that at least we got all of our household items out. But they were simply grateful. Some teared up at what was being given, others were speechless. They didn't expect anything, they didn't try to cheat the system and get more. They took what they needed. Some didn't even take ten items. Others took out items from the pre-filled cart that they didn't need, "for someone else to have." There was not the slightest bit of selfishness. Only gratefulness and humility. I loved it. In the seven hours I was there, over 60 people came through, all with hearts of gold. These are Iowans!

Here's a couple pictures from the day - the pre-filled cart and the rows of donated items:

As for us, we're still hanging in there! Mom and Dad have a house they can start moving into and we're going to start cleaning and slowly move things in. We're thankful for that and it help restore some sense of normalcy.

I can't believe how quickly the water is being drained from the flooded bottoms. Mom and I drove down there yesterday to take a look and we're able to travel quite a ways on the gravel road. The houses are a mess. I had a full memory card, but am going to go back today and take some pictures. We still can't get to the house. We stood on top of a levee across from our house and could see the gravel road in front of it starting to poke out. There's probably a couple feet of water still around. It will still take quite awhile for ALL of the water to be out of the bottoms, but Dad thinks we may be able to get to the house within the next couple of weeks. I'm personally glad about that because I really want to be able to get to it before I go back to Texas, partly just to be able to see it for myself and some sense of closure, I suppose. I didn't get to see the house one more time before it was flooded and I'd like to see it once again before it's torn down.

Speaking of going back to Texas, I will be back in Plano on July 28! I have a dear Texas friend, Amanda, who is counseling at a military base in Kansas this summer, and we're going to meet up in Kansas City the weekend of the 26th for a little girl time! This will be a great tiny vacation before getting back into life in Texas. Can't wait Amanda!!! :)

Thanks again for keeping up with me. There's so, so many stories and I just need to take the time to get them all down. Hopefully soon!

stephanie

The Weekend!

2008-07-06T22:28:00.004-05:00

Hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend! We did! Mom, Dad, Nikki, Adrian, and myself ended up staying in a motel for the entire weekend, starting Thursday and ending today. We had a couple of rooms and while it wasn't a lot of room, it was great for them to feel like they had their own space and just relax. We stayed right in Burlington, so we didn't travel, but it felt like a getaway, and was a much needed refresher!

On the 4th, we took the boat out on Mississippi. It was still technically closed for recreational boating (oops!), but we went to check out our cabin. (More on the cabin later!). On a typical 4th of July, we'd probably go out on a boat ride and either take the boat to Oquawka, IL to eat, or else we'd dock at the cabin and cookout. This year, we took the boat to see the damage. We went up several miles on the river, and it was really an odd feeling. Here we were doing something we all loved and enjoyed, yet it was the exact thing that destroyed our farm. Weird.

The water is still continuing to go down. In fact, it's quite amazing how much it's gone down. We went to the area where the Mississippi levee had been cut to drain the flooded part. The water is still roaring out and into the Mississippi. We stopped the boat on one part of the levee to get out and explore just a bit. It was interesting to see the farm from that angle. On our farm, we have a dirt lane that runs from the house to the Mississippi levee. We have a landing, and we were able to cross over the levee and put the boat in there. A lot of that levee has now washed away, but there was still sand to walk around on.

When we were kids, we would do all kinds things on the levee. Walk up and down on it, ride the four-wheelers all over it, sit in the back of the truck and ride down. A couple of winters we even sledded down it. Now when you stand on top of what is left of it, all you see is water, and trash. There was lots of stuff that had floated there and stopped. Even the roof to something. We saw probably 10 - 15 propane tanks that had floated and gotten caught in the trees. But the weirdest find of the day.....

Our deck. Yep. Somehow, it come loose from the ground and house, floated a mile (pretty much intact) and rested here:

A few feet away - the steps to the deck (our farm is behind the steps in the distance):

More pictures on my Shutterfly account.

Tomorrow (Monday), I am going to Cedar Rapids to volunteer. Cedar Rapids is about an hour and a half's drive north from where we are. If you remember, it was one of the hardest hit areas, with about 25,000 displaced from their homes. The Salvation Army has opened a warehouse in an old grocery store. Flood victims come and can get groceries and other household items they need, free of charge. I'm going to spend the day helping those people pick out items. I'm looking forward to it. It should be a good opportunity to help out and just hear people's stories from that part of the state. I'll blog about the day tomorrow night!

Have a great week!!

Waiting...

2008-07-03T10:18:00.002-05:00

There's really not much new to report at this point. We're kind of in this in-between stage of the destruction and recovery. We can safely say the Big Ditch held now and those that evacuated south of the Big Ditch are moving back in. The river levels on the Iowa River and Mississippi have been falling fairly quickly. As of this morning in Wapello and Burlington, the river was within a foot of flood stage and is predicted to fall below flood stage by this weekend. That's obviously great news on many levels. The Iowa River is no longer flowing into the flooded area by our house, and since the Mississippi is down, the flooded area can drain even more.

The town of Oakville itself is pretty much dry. The problem is getting to Oakville! Highway 99 is the only main way to get to the town. A big section of 99 south of Oakville has been washed out. A section just outside of Wapello (north of Oakville) also needs repairs before it is drivable. Officials were shuttling in residents earlier this week, and yesterday, the residents were able to return on their own, with a 8:30 p.m. curfew set. There's plenty of talk going on right now as to whether FEMA will try to buyout part of Oakville. We won't know that for quite awhile.

It's still very possible the water will not be gone from our farm until August. We are in the low-lying area of the flooded area and right next to where the levee was intentionally broken to let the water drain. So, all of that water has to come by our house on its way out. At some point, the water that is left will have to be pumped out by the drainage district, which is who Dad works for.

For us personally, that means we're just playing the waiting game. Essentially, all the major damage is done, although as we saw last week, a good wind or storm can change that. But for instance, the barn is still standing, and will probably stay standing. There's not much physically that can be done until the water is gone. It's different for Oakville and some others who are out of water, and recovery efforts are being organized and started now. It's going to take a LONG time.

That's it for now! It's still busy around here and plenty to do! Thanks for reading!

Des Moines Register Article

2008-07-02T00:11:00.002-05:00

There's a really great article from the Des Moines Register about Oakville and its current state. It's written by columnist John Carlson, who grew up in Iowa. It's a fantastic description of what it's like here, including the spirit of the people.

Read the article HERE.

Another Trip to the House

2008-06-30T22:40:00.006-05:00

So what exactly does wind and waves do to a flooded house? It does this.....

And this...

And this.

All you could do was say, "oh my goodness. oh my goodness." There are no words.

But here's something a little more fun - my brother Nate and I on the boat!

More pictures of house and farm from today HERE.

stephaniestoller.shutterfly.com

Weekend Update

2008-06-29T22:38:00.002-05:00

It's been a couple of days since I've written anything! The weekend just kind of flew by, although every day feels like the weekend when you're a teacher on summer break! :)

Things are switching now to more of a recovery mode. The Big Ditch is holding and it's becoming more safe to say it held. woo hoo! People that live on the dry side of the Big Ditch are slowly starting to move back to their homes. What a relief for them! I only wish I was helping my parents move back in this week!

We had quite a bit of rain the past few days, as much as three inches in some areas. However, the water is continuing to go down in the flooded area, which is obviously great! The terrible part has been the wind. High wind has been causing havoc for structures that are weak or have seemingly made it so far. There were supposedly 6-8 foot waves in the water. Imagine those crashing on a weak house. Seems like the water should've been enough. Why the wind now, too?

Mom, Dad, Nikki, and I went to the Big Ditch today to look. You can obviously tell the water is down. We looked through some binoculars towards our house. It's hard to completely tell, but it looks like some siding is off the front of the house, underneath the bay window. sigh. Dad is hoping to get out on the boat tomorrow and I'm going to try to tag along.

I went to church this morning and ended up in a small group of ten people, a few that had been affected by the flood. One woman and her husband had lost their entire crop, a machine shed, and their brand-new grain bin. She was obviously very upset by this, but her faith was strikingly strong. She mentioned Job and how he had lost everything, but God had rewarded him with even more because of his faith. That's what this woman was holding to. She had faith that in the midst of losing their income for this year, God would provide and would bless them with more. Wow! It was a great reminder of what God is all about and His faithfulness to us.

"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised." ~Job 1:21

Flood Pictures

2008-06-27T13:37:00.003-05:00

I'm in the process of putting pictures on a website called Shutterfly. Between myself and Mom's camera, I now have over 700 pictures of the flood, with more to come no doubt. Not all 700 will make the site, but I plan to add more as I go.

I'll put the link below. Right now there are about 140 pictures, organized into albums such as "Oakville Aerials", "Stoller Farm," etc. I intend to caption each picture, but haven't had the time to do so yet. Hopefully this weekend.

I know the aerial pictures I have on Facebook have been passed around to many, many people here in Iowa. That's great! Please feel free to pass along this Shutterfly link, also. The same aerial pictures that were on Facebook are also on this, along with a few more. They're better quality on Shutterfly. Also, you can right-click on any picture and save it to your computer. You also have the option to order prints. Please feel free to take a few if you want. That's why they're there.

View the pictures here:

http://stephaniestoller.shutterfly.com

Scroll down a little further on this page and you can see some house pictures I posted here.

P.S. Grandma (Stoller) and I spent the morning going through old pictures. One of our projects this summer is to sort through her pictures and organize them. I found some old ones of when the house was first built and when Grandpa and Grandma lived there. I'll skip the kid pictures of me and try to scan some of the farm. :)

The House and Farm

2008-06-27T13:20:00.008-05:00

Here's a few pictures of the house and farm we took from the boat Wednesday night. Painful.

On the road to the house:

Front Bay Window:

Sliding door to kitchen/deck:

Kitchen window and back door:

Mom and Dad's bedroom - auughh!!!!

Inside Nate's old room - built-in cabinets down:

The grain bins:

First Visit to the House

2008-06-25T22:41:00.003-05:00

Nate and I watched as Dad backed the jon boat into the water by the Big Ditch, the very spot we should be driving on. We slowly took off, over fields of what was flourishing corn and soybeans. Two weeks ago the crop was green and gorgeous. Now, even though it can't be seen, we know it is brown and limp, suffocated by the rushing water. Dad watches the depth finder and notes when we have gone over a drainage ditch, as the water depth jumps a few feet.

We turn down the road that leads to our house - 250th Street. We go by electric posts, which only look like twigs sticking out of the water. We slow down as we approach our neighbor's house. The line of trees in their yard tells the story of the water simply from the water line distinguishing live, green branches from dead, brown ones. We gasp as we see their house, several feet in water, crippled from being off the foundation. We know they will not be our neighbors again.

Continuing down the road, we pass the sign alerting us there is a left turn in the road ahead. The only way you can tell there is a turn is by following the electric lines - and by seeing our house straight ahead. I remark that the house doesn't seem as blue as it was, like the water had stolen the paint, too. We made a right turn into the south driveway, the driveway I was always ecstatic to pull into after a long twelve hour day of driving from Texas. As we turn, it is obvious the huge, front bay window is gone. Inside, we catch glimpses of insulation and ceiling hanging down. Where a picture of my siblings and I was is now just a smear of ugly, brown mud.

We coast by the apple tree, a tree we have gleaned fruit from for as long as I can remember. Years of Grandma's applesauce has been lovingly been made from those apples since I was a little girl. A few green apples survive in the top branches, but the expected bumper crop this year will not be. The lilac bush, my favorite, is unseen in the muddy waters.

Slowly, we approach the house closer. We stop right above the deck, a place we should be spending our summer evenings. The sliding glass door is in jagged pieces; the vertical blinds are permanently stained brown. Nate looks closer and views a caved-in kitchen ceiling. The doors of Mom's dream cabinets - barely two years old - are missing. Dad picks something floating out of water. It's a cabinet door, in shreds.

Floating around the house, it is obvious all of the glass windows have been broken, freely allowing the water and other creatures to pass through. Built-in cabinets, standing tall since the house was built, are now helplessly crumpled. The back door, the one we always used, is barely on the hinges, appearing uninviting. Thirteen days ago that little blue rancher was a sturdy, cozy house for so many that called it home. Now it sits, wood rotting, walls sogging, unfixable, never to be lived in again.

We turn down "the lane," creeping through farm buildings. Amazingly, the barn looks decent, although it would need repairs. Three of the four bins have fallen or are tilting. The other, the newest and biggest, appears to be slightly tilting, but water has the opportunity to play tricks on the eyes. We pray it isn't, as that will cripple the farming operation.

Continuing down the road, we grieve for our neighbors. A garage is torn off. Windows shattered. Walls missing. On one house, the only thing standing on the front wall is the studs. Propane tanks float around like a water bottle in the pool. Hogs, legs raised to the heavens, attract flies and let off a pungent smell.

Utter devastation. Life altering affects. The very thing that so many in this area enjoy recreationally in the summer has now cost homes and livelihoods for those very people. Nature is cruel, but God is faithful.

"I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will life my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm."

~"Praise You in the Storm", Casting Crowns

Levee Run

2008-06-25T16:26:00.010-05:00

Earlier today Dad took me out on the levees to see all the sandbagging. It is unbelievably enormous. There's a TEN MILE stretch of sand, tarps, and sandbags on top of the levee, which prevented the water from going over. Ten miles!! Dad talked about what an incredible operation it was bringing in the sand, sandbags, and getting it all done. We rode all the way from the pumping station where Dad works to the Big Ditch. Here's some pictures from the ride:

The Pumping Station!

Our ride!

Miles of sandbags:

All the trash that floated up with the water:

This is what a boil looks like. Water goes underneath the levee and pops up on the other side. It boils like a pot of boiling water. They place sandbags around it to try to contain it.

You can tell how high the water got by the looking at the brown mud left on the tarp. It was literally inches from the top of the sandbags!

The never ending sandbags:

I also drove up Highway 99 a bit to see the water. Here's a picture of the bottoms. You can see the waterline (between the green crops and brown), and how much the water has receded:

I'm about to leave now and go on the boat with Dad and Nate to see the house. This will be my first time up close. The water has gone down enough that we might be able to see what sort of damage has been done. Yikes.

A Quick Update...

2008-06-24T14:02:00.003-05:00

Not a ton new to report today! The biggest praise is that both rivers are continuing to go down and the Big Ditch is continuing to hold!! Everyone relaxed on the Big Ditch yesterday. The water is still high, but everyone is feeling much better about it. In fact, Des Moines County lifted the mandatory evacuation for everyone south of the Big Ditch yesterday, which says a lot! We're not completely past the danger zone, but it's definitely looking better. I would say it's much more likely to hold rather than break at this point. That's great, because there was one day last week everyone was expecting it to break in a matter of hours!! God has strong hands!

Dad said that the Iowa River is expected to stop flowing into the flooded bottoms by the weekend. woo hoo!! Now they can concentrate more on getting the water out! You can already see in some places where the water has receded, but there's SO much more to go. Once the Mississippi goes down more, it will drain quicker. At some point, the rest of the water will have to pumped out, which will be Dad's job!

Sometime in the next few days, Dad is going to take me on a tour of the levees to see all of the work that's been done with sandbagging and everything. I'm looking forward to that and will be sure to have my camera! He's also going to take all of us on the boat to the house, most likely tomorrow. The water is getting low enough that we might not be able to do this anymore soon. (Now, keep in mind that it's not necessarily because the water itself is low - it's still a good 12-15 feet or so. The reason is that you don't know what's underneath the water, especially what may have floated with the water, and therefore you don't want to run into anything with the boat!). The water has always been up to the roof of the house, so it will be interesting to see what the house looks like now that we may be able to see some windows.

Mom and Dad also have a place to stay, which is another huge answer to prayer! Thanks to some good friends, they're going to stay in a house not too far from our farm, just on the dry side of the Big Ditch. It will be convenient for Dad since it will be between his work and the farm. They'll move in sometime in the coming weeks. (Thanks Christy and the Bell family! :)

I've been hearing that my aerial pictures on Facebook are being passed around quite a bit, which is great! I would like to post them and some more somewhere where people can download or order prints easily. Anyone have any good ideas? I know there's Shutterfly and Flickr, but have never personally used either. I want it to be as easy as just clicking on a link to get to the pictures to make it easy for others to get to. Several people have said they're the best flood pictures they've seen! That's great! I'm glad I was in the spot to be able to document this tragedy.

Thanks for reading! :)

P.S. I just looked at my post and it's fairly long!! Here I said it was going to be a quick update with not much new and I wrote a ton!! Oh well! :)

Aerial Video

2008-06-23T13:39:00.003-05:00

Here is an aerial video I took last week. It starts with Oakville on the left, pans all of the flooding to the Big Ditch, and then back to Oakville. Excuse my silly hand at one point! It looks like a lake with a few things sticking out. Absolutely incredible to see it from that view point.

Sunday Odds and Ends

2008-06-22T22:38:00.003-05:00

Here's a random list of items! :)

1. The rivers (Iowa and Mississippi) are continuing to go down! The Iowa is predicted to be close to flood stage this coming weekend. It will take awhile for the Mississippi to go down, but it looks like it will go down at a fairly steady pace.

2. It hasn't rained in a week!!!!!! TOTAL praise!!!! This has greatly aided in the river going down and most likely paid a big part in the Big Ditch continuing to hold. We need it to stay dry for a little longer!

3. I was able to go to the Big Ditch today myself. I had tried a couple of other times, but the Guardsmen were patrolling and I wasn't able to get to it. Even though I've seen all of the pictures and saw it by air, it's a completely different thing to be at the water's edge, where there should be a road. There were all kinds of waves and white caps in the water. There's a pretty good current going through there, which is only further damaging everything. It's still not likely the water will be completely gone until August.

4. Mom and Dad took a boat to the house yesterday. I have pictures, which I will post soon. The water is still to the edge of the roof, so it's nearly impossible to see how much damage has been done. One of Dad's grain bins is leaning quite a bit. The water has gone down a couple of feet as you can see the water line. The neighbors' homes are not good. One house is off the foundation. Another's garage was torn off. Many are missing siding, shingles, and the glass is broken out of the windows. Sad.

5. I've been learning a lot about the history of the area and in my family. Lots of great blog ideas!

6. Thanks to those of you who have emailed and/or commented here or on Facebook. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to most of you yet! Tomorrow I have no plans and no nephew-sitting commitments! Everyone will be at work, so I'm hoping to have some down time and get caught up on a few things, mainly communicating with friends!

7. Time to sleep - in a bed, in my own bedroom, without setting an alarm, and with the only thing on the morning agenda is getting coffee at the shop uptown!!! WOO HOO!! Never again will I take my simple one bedroom apartment for granted!

Good night! Have a great week!
steph

Meet Aunt Kate!

2008-06-21T23:22:00.003-05:00

This is my great-aunt Kate. Her husband, Clem, was my Grandma Stoller's brother. Sadly, Clem passed away a year ago at the age of 92. Clem and Kate had been married for 65 years! Kate still lived in the house they had for years, until last week.

Not too long after Clem and Kate were married in 1941, they purchased some land and settled into a house in Huron Township. In the 1960s, they built the house Kate was still living in. It's where they raised their kids and had their grandkids over. Their daughter, Nancy, built a small house right next to them, and was still living there, helping her mom next door.

Clem and Kate lived just a mile down the road from us. I remember as a little girl stopping by their house and Clem would alway pinch my dimples or "steal" my nose. He was always known as the clown, and everyone loved his sense of humor, clear until he died. They had built up a beautiful yard with all kinds of flowers. When I rode my bike past their house, I would usually see Clem or Kate working in the yard. Oftentimes, I would see Clem riding around on the 4-wheeler. Even now, when Kate sees me, she says, "Well, there's Stephie!" and gives me the biggest squeeze ever. They were a delightful couple, and their love for each other was evident to all.

Sadly, now Clem and Kate's beloved home and yard is underwater. Kate, with the help of her family, was able to move all of her belongings out before it flooded. Kate lived most of her married life on that one plot of land. She and Clem were the only people that ever owned that house, for the past 40+ years. I saw Kate Friday at the womens' meeting, and I showed her pictures of her house. What amazed me is the comment she made:

One of the ladies - "Oh Kate, it's just so sad about your home. I'm so sorry."

Kate - "Sorry? Don't be sorry! It's ok because my real home is in heaven!!"

If only we could all have Kate's attitude towards our belongings. This is a woman who had every right to be devastated about her situation. Instead, she chose to look vertical and realize the things on earth are temporary. I learned a huge lesson that day. As she kissed me good-bye on my cheek, I could only hope and pray my attitude would be the same, now and when I'm 86, just like Aunt Kate.

A DELIGHTFUL AFTERNOON

2008-06-21T07:52:00.002-05:00

I had an unexpected wonderful afternoon yesterday! I went to up to Mediapolis to visit Grandma Stoller and she took me to her Friendly Circle meeting, which is where a few women from her church get together for a social. It was myself and seven other ladies, including my grandma and my great aunt Kate (more on Kate later today!). Mind you, most of them were a good 50-60 years older than me!! But they've all known me since I was a baby, so it was fun to see them, and they delighted to see me.

We sat in the living room and caught up about family members, trips, and of course, the flood was the main topic of conversation. Everyone had been affected in some way, and even their church is cancelled this week because of the flooding. I brought my laptop and was able to show them all the aerial pictures of the flooding. They appreciated that, and we looked at the homes and talked about who had lived there.

They also talked about Oakville during the "good ol' days." I learned a lot!! Before the highway came, the railroad actually went through there. It was a booming town for the area and even had an operahouse! Who knew?!? Grandma talked about Grandpa playing in baseball games there, and they all talked about the little restaurants Oakville had. How sad that now it's basically gone and very well may never come back.

We then went in to the dining room and had coffee and dessert. But what I loved is that Ada, the hostess, had put a tablecloth on, and used crystal plates and water glasses, and cloth napkins. She even had china cups and saucers for the coffee! It was absolutely lovely! I think entertaining like that is an art we are losing, and I wish I saw it more! It was really special to be able to sit and listen to the ladies. You can learn so much!

Flood Notes

1. Big Ditch - had a bit of a scare yesterday as the boil is pretty good size. The levees are saturated. It's still holding, and at least I'm confident it will! It will still be a few days before it's safe, so keep praying!

2. Iowa River - it's going down fairly quickly and is predicted to be at or below flood stage by next Thursday. This will help because not as much water will drain into the flooded area.

3. Mighty Mississippi - This is not going down as quickly, but is going down. We need teh Mississippi to go down because then the water in our area will be able to drain.

4. FEMA - Mom and Dad are meeting with a FEMA rep this morning. Yay! They were impressed with how quickly that happened.

5. House - Mom and Dad have some good home offers. Totally been a God thing! They're hoping to go through a a house this weekend and really start making a plan in this direction.

Going to breakfast with Gramma, my great aunt Margie, Nate, and my two nephews! I'm going to start staying at my Grandma Stoller's tonight. I get to start sleeping in a bed! woo hoo!!

The Spirit of Iowans

2008-06-19T22:55:00.004-05:00

I love Iowa. Anyone that knows me probably knows that. I brag about it in Texas. I claim it. When people ask where I'm from, it's always Iowa. My bathroom is completely decked out in black and gold. No matter where I live, I'll always be an Iowan.

What has continually amazed me throughout this disaster is the community spirit. I talked about it my email with people helping my parents move out. It's been evident all over with sandbagging, moving, and cleanup. It seems like you could almost ask anyone to do anything for you and they would flat out do it. In the midst of all the news stories, I've never heard anything about vandalism or looting. Amazing. This should be an example to society. Never have I been more proud to be affiliated with this state.

Here's a couple things I read that affirmed my belief in this. The first is a section from an article I found on foxnews.com today titled, "2 More Mississippi River Levees Burst, Bush and McCain Visit Flood-Soaked Region." It specifically talks about my hometown, but I know it's just like so many other Iowa (and midwest) communities.

-Foxnews.com, June 19, 2008

"Even before the Iowa River used the town of Oakville as a shortcut to the Mississippi, there wasn't much here: a post office, a convenience store, a tavern and a little restaurant.

The largest employer was a pork-and-grain producer called TriOak Foods. The company's towering grain elevator was the tallest structure for miles around.

Then the floodwaters that soaked Des Moines and Iowa City began inundating the region's small communities — most with skylines that consist only of a water tower and maybe a couple of church steeples.

As the rivers rise, these modest towns survive because neighbors look after each other, and the people reinforcing the levees are business owners, farmers and fellow church members who have lived there for years.

"My house is past help. So we're trying to save everybody else's," said Bethany Frank as she helped fill sandbags in a church parking lot in Oakville. Her home on the outskirts of town was flooded up to the roof."

The second piece is written by my cousin, Andy, and was posted on his MySpace. Andy also grew up in Iowa and was my playmate at Mack Christmases. I couldn't have said it better myself!

"It's times like these that I'm proud to be an Iowan...it's the years and years of floods, tornados, droughts, blizzards and countless other acts of mother nature that have made Iowans a strong and determined group of people. If the deluge of media reports from Iowa give you nothing else, let them show you what teamwork, treating your neighbor, or a complete stranger as family, and helping others because its the right thing to do is what it's all about. I experienced the floods of 1993...luckily no one in my family was negatively impacted by them. I wish I could say the same this year. For those following the events, you've surely heard of Oakville, Iowa and the breach of the levee protecting the town and thousands of acres of farmland from the Iowa River. After a valiant effort by so many, the river was just too much. All that was to be protected is now under water. This includes the home and farm of my aunt, uncle and cousins. I just saw two pictures that show that their home is now completely under water. My family and so many others affected have been consuming my thoughts lately. For those that do, please pray for all those affected and for those that don't, please keep them in your thoughts as I have been and will continue to do.

~andy"

Well said! We weren't able to go on the boat to see the house today, for reasons I'll explain later. We're planning to go out tomorrow. The Big Ditch is still holding, but keep praying. There's been some seepage and boils that's not good. Boils are when water seeps underneath the levee and comes up on the other side. The water is dropping fairly quickly, but still has a LONG way to go to get under the flood stage. I'm hoping we can start moving some people back into their homes sometime next week!

Dad is still not getting much sleep and is working the night shift. Keep praying for him, that he won't get too exhausted and will get ample time to rest. There's just been so many thoughts and stories. I need to take time to get them down, but two baby boys I know have been occupying quite a bit of my time! :) Mom and I went to the grocery store this afternoon to get a few things for dinner tonight. We were both in a complete daze. We realized after we had been in the store that we didn't have a cart, and it took us forever to pick out some meat. We just didn't care or feel like it. I know I keep saying it, but it all still very surreal.

I'm hoping to get away on my own this weekend for a bit and get some good God time in. I've been missing it this week!

Another late(ish) night!! I also need to start going to bed (or to the couch!) sooner!!!

Scroll down for the link of pictures. It's absolutely mind-boggling to me.

AERIAL PICTURES

2008-06-19T19:40:00.002-05:00

I've posted some aerial pictures, about 45. I haven't finished all of the captions, but will get to it tonight. They're on my Facebook profile. If you have Facebook, you can get right on them and comment if you want. If you don't have Facebook, follow the link below and you'll be able to go through them. More later!!

Flood Pictures

A PRIMER ON LIFE IN SOUTHEAST IOWA

2008-06-19T11:00:00.006-05:00

Some of you reading this are from SE Iowa, so you would know most/all of this. But many of you are my fantastic friends from Texas, and I know I've been throwing around a lot of names of people and places. So to put it all together, here's a little glossary of life here. (not in alphabetical order!). :)

24034 30th Avenue, Oakville, IA - our address (location marked with red star on map). We live in Des Moines County.

Oakville - a small town of about 400. No stop lights, not even a blinking one! Has a huge grain elevator, bank, post office, and a restaurant that changes hands every year or two! Our house is about eight miles from this town, but it's officially "our town." The levee broke right outside of Oakville, just to the west.

Mediapolis - about 12 miles from the farm. This is where I went to school, all the way from kindergarten to my senior year of high school, with pretty much the same 75ish kids in my grade! We are the Mepo Bulldogs! I claim Mepo as more "my town" since it's where I went to school (the kids who actually lived in Oakville went to Wapello). It has about 2,000 people and boasts three flashing stoplights!! This is where my Grandma Stoller-Rowell lives, as well as some other family.

Wapello - One of our biggest rivals in high school. Where I did part of my student teaching.

Burlington - When we say, "we're going to town," Burlington is where we go. It's about 25 miles away and has 25,000 people or so. It has many stoplights! :) My parents go to church here (Oak Street Baptist), it's where my Gramma Mack lives, as well as Nate, Kim, and Peyton. Most of Burlington is on a hill, so it wasn't flooded, except for some businesses downtown. It has the only Walmart, Target, etc. in the area. We're getting our FIRST Starbucks in ten days!!!!! I'll be there the morning it opens!!! :)

Gulfport, IL- right across the river from Burlington. This is where a major levee broke a couple of days.

Keithsburg, IL - just a little north and across the river from the farm. In the summers, we would take the boat over there quite often to eat at the Lighthouse or their Dairy Treat. A major levee broke there last weekend.

Highway 99 - a highway that begins in Wapello, goes through Oakville, and ends in Burlington. This is how you get to the farm.

Family

Christmas 2007 (our final Christmas in the house!) - left to right - sister Nicole, her son Adrian, Mom (Paula), Dad (Steve), me.

The Stoller Siblings!- left to right - Kim (Nate's fiancee), Nate (younger brother), Gramma Mack holding Peyton (Nate and Kim's son), Nicole with Adrian, me

Grandmas! On the left is my Gramma Mack, who is my mom's mom. She's the Gramma that comes and visits me in Texas occasionally. On the right is my Grandma (Stoller) Rowell, my dad's mom. She is my grandma that built the house that flooded. Love them both tons!!

So I've been helping take care of my two nephews this morning and it's taken me about two and a half hours to finish this!!! Guess that's what it feels like to be a mom! I'm going to try to get the aerial pictures posted this afternoon. We might also be taking a boat to the house today. I can't believe I just typed that sentence. "...take a boat to the house." Unreal. Even after seeing it with my own eyes last night, it's still surreal. For some reason, I still expect to be able to drive home this weekend. That won't happen for a couple months, if ever.

Flood Fly Over

2008-06-18T23:17:00.003-05:00

It's late, and I'm tired, so I'm not going to write much now. But a few things...

1. The Big Ditch is still holding. Obviously, great news! Still a chance it could break, but with the river starting to go down, it's looking better.

2. Des Moines County was declared a Federal Disaster Area. Not that anyone would ever want that, but it's a sigh of relief because now my parents are eligible for FEMA funding.

3. Mom, Dad, and I went with Dave in the plane tonight. I can't even begin to describe it. I saw the house. Heartwrenching. We flew up the Mississippi, all over our area, by Oakville, and then we followed the Iowa River to Columbus Junction. Between myself and my parents, we took almost 250 pictures, along with a short video. I'll find a place to post them tomorrow and link it to this site. But for now, here's the farm:

Peyton was a joy today! Mom and I are going to run some errands tomorrow and see my other Grandma, the one who built our house. She's very discouraged, so hopefully I can cheer her up a bit!

Much more Thursday morning!!!

steph

First Day in Iowa...

2008-06-18T00:21:00.000-05:00

It's been a bit of a long day. I made it to Burlington just in time to have lunch with Mom and Gramma. If you were on the news at all Tuesday, you may have seen that a levee broke in Gulfport, IL, which is exactly across the river from Burlington. Mom, Gramma, and I went to a river viewpoint called Mosquito Park, where we could see the water flooding into Illinois from that levee break. Incredible.

After my brother and sister got off work, we headed up the highway to see the house. THANKFULLY, the Big Ditch has not broken!! Total praise!! It's not out of the woods yet, but the river is starting to fall, so it's looking more likely it will hold! woo hoo! That's great for so many people! I admit, I had point today where I told God, "you know, You easily could've held the other levee just like You're holding the Big Ditch." I know there's purpose, and I still have faith, but I wasn't understanding it. Unfortunately, when we got to the road that lead to the Big Ditch, there were a couple of Guardsmen at the road, and they wouldn't let us go pass. So, I have yet to see the house, although when the fear goes down on the Big Ditch in a couple of days, I should be able to get there.

Dad was able to get a few hours of sleep in this evening, which was absolutely needed. He only slept an hour last night and hasn't slept more than four hours in one night for the past week. Before he headed off to work again at 11 p.m., just Dad, Mom, Nikki, Nate, and I spent some time together and talked about the situation. It was good to be all together.

The biggest prayer request right now is housing. Mom, Nikki and Adrian are staying at my gramma's, but it's only an apartment and they need more room, especially when Dad stops working nights. They've had several offers from people to let them use a space in their home or an empty house, which is great!! They need to think about those offers and see what else is out there. They know they can't be choosy, but location is a big deal to them. They're also unsure how long they'll be there. It's possible they'll be staying somewhere for a year, so they want to make sure they find a place they can live in for that long, but is in a good location and is financially reasonable. At the point, they are not making a decision as to whether they will rebuild at the farm or find another place. It's likely the water won't be completely gone until August. They won't make a decision until they see it and how much damage there is.

Mom took a TON of pictures of the house, inside and out, the day they moved out. I was looking at those, and it made me a bit emotional, especially knowing I'll never see it again like that. I never would've imagined I wouldn't be able to make the drive down the gravel road and pull into my driveway. Now the only way to get there is by boat.

Here's the house just a day before it flooded. Nothing fancy, but my family took pride in it and loved it!

Mom also had some great before and after pictures of the area. I've put them side by side so you can see the difference. These were all taken within a day of each other. All of that water went SEVEN MILES before it reached our area. That tells you how fast it was moving. It's estimated to be around 25 feet deep.

Mom has a cousin, Dave, who owns a small airplane. He's offered to take my whole family up and over all of the flooded area. We're looking forward to doing that in the next couple of days. The view will be astounding!

In the meantime, this is the sweet little guy I get to spend the day with Wednesday! Aunt duties are starting already, and I'm going to be taking care of my precious, 6-month-old nephew, Peyton. I'm excited, as I've only seen him twice since he was born! We're going to snuggle, giggle, and take a stroll through the park!

As always, thanks for praying! :)

stephanie

Halfway to Iowa!

2008-06-17T00:04:00.000-05:00

I'm in Springfield! Thanks for praying! It was probably the easiest and quickest trip I've made! I settled in with my venti iced mocha, a recent Stonebriar sermon (thanks Leigh Ann!), my iPod and was off!

The Big Ditch is still holding - thankfully!! My family and lots of others were up sandbagging it today to try to save it. It's hanging in there. The crest at the Iowa River is supposed to happen tomorrow. If it can hold for another day or so, it may make it! If it holds, it will save the homes of hundreds of people and thousands of farmland. Praying Christy!!!!

The house is now completely underwater. Nate said there's all kinds of trash floating around and you can already see a brown sludge on the house. If the Big Ditch holds, I'll be able to go tomorrow afternoon and see it for myself. If it breaks, I won't have a chance to see it, as the Big Ditch is the only visible viewpoint.

I've had to look at the road conditions for Missouri and Iowa to see if my usual route is open or not from the flooding. Weird. I usually just look at the road conditions to see how much snow is on the roads. I'll have to take a bit of a detour, but it shouldn't add more than an hour to my trip. I'm hoping to be in by 1:00 Tuesday afternoon.

Here's a few links if you're interested. The first goes to a video showing aerial video of Oakville and the neighborhood that was flooded. You'll have to listen to the lovely Southeastern Community College ad. Yes, yes, I went there. Lots of stories there, huh Jen?! My favorite - government class. :)

The Hawkeye Video

Next is an article on Fox News. My hometown, Oakville, made the top story. I even went to church with Bob Lanz, the person interviewed. Weird again. Not that I'm happy about that, at least in this circumstance.

Fox News Article

Then there's this video. When I got to the hotel tonight, I (addictively) turned on Fox News. "On the Record with Greta" was on. Just a few minutes into it, she had a phone interview with the Louisa County Sheriff and Oakville was splashed as the headline. They also interviewed the pastor of the church I went to while at the University of Iowa (Parkview). WEIRDEST. Who expected to turn on the cable news and see two people they know and pictures of a town of 400?! It's all surreal.....here's the video:

Fox News Video

Good night!! Tomorrow could be rough...

stephanie

Whew!

2008-06-15T22:24:00.000-05:00

What a crazy past 24 hours! I officially logged 3,700 flight miles on three separate flights, touched down in four time zones (Alaskan, Pacific, Mountain, Central) and ate a great meal with friends at Dickey's. I ended up leaving Alaska early and took a midnight flight out of Anchorage, which took me through San Francisco and Denver before arriving in Dallas. By the time I got to my apartment, I don't think my body knew which day or time it was!

Not much has changed today with the flooding. The water reached my parents' quicker than expected and it was much higher than they anticipated at first. When I talked to Nate (my brother) in early afternoon, the water hadn't quite reached the roof of the house, but it was going up. Dad and his co-worker Tim did break part of the Mississippi River levee to help drain the water coming in.

Now everyone has their eye on the Hawkeye-Dolby Diversion, known to everyone as the "Big Ditch." As previously mentioned in an email, this is preventing the water go any further. However, there is a decent chance it could also break, flooding hundreds and hundreds of acres of farmland, and many, many homes. We're praying it doesn't!

I've been in more of a state of shock and disbelief the past few days. I know the levee has broken and I of course believe my family when they tell me where the water is. But I hadn't seen it with my own eyes yet. It's hard for me to even imagine. Unfathomable, actually. Mom has taken a bunch of pictures, but the camera-computer cord is somewhere packed in the semi, so she can't upload right now! Thanks to Jen. She was also in the area today, took some pictures, and emailed them to me. (Prepare to hear a LOT about Jen. We've known each other since elementary school, but have officially claimed best friends since a very specific speech contest our sophomore year of high school. 13 years!!! :)

Even after seeing the pictures, it's still a bit unbelievable to me. After talking to Nate again tonight, I don't think the full impact will hit me until I see it myself. I know the house will never be livable in again. I know the crops are destroyed. I know the Stoller farm as I've known it my entire life is gone. But I can't comprehend it yet. I'm a bit afraid for the moment I will. The road I spent my entire childhood on is now washed away.

I'm attaching a few pictures Jen took today, from the Big Ditch. One zooms in a bit more on the farm, the others are of the neighborhood. Mom has before and after pictures of the area. I'm anxious to get ahold of those to make the compare/contrast. By the way, you can click on the pictures to make them larger.

The neighborood:

30th Avenue - our road - our farm is the furthest on the right:

A close-up of the farm - utter disbelief!

Keep praying. My family is still very busy, especially my dad. He's barely slept. I don't know how he's doing it! I am starting the drive up on Monday. I usually do the 12 hour drive in one day, but after traveling, I'm splitting it up. I'll stay in Springfield, MO Monday night and get home by noon on Tuesday. I'll probably be up there most of the summer.

I know this has gotten to be a long post, but I have one more thing! Someone reminded me of the hymn, "The Solid Rock." I think we sang it every Sunday in the Apostolic church I grew up in! But the lyrics are perfect, especially for this situation, so I end with those:

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Thanks again for praying!! Special thanks to my friends that met me for BBQ tonight! I needed that! :)

stephanie

Here goes.....

2008-06-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

I'm officially blogging.

A few suggested I do this since I'm going to be spending the summer helping with the flood recovery. Writing the emails about what has been going on recently has been therapeutic for me. I know there will be endless updates, stories, and pictures to post, and this seems to be the best way to do it.

Besides that, I feel like God has really gotten ahold of me recently, and it's exciting. Along with flood updates, I may share bits and pieces of what God is teaching me. I know this experience is going to be a summer-long mission trip. And so I say to God - go to it!

Bookmark me, RSS me, whatever. This is a work in progress. Feel free to leave comments!

Below I have posted the original emails I sent out as we were anticipating the levee break if you need to catch up!

Emails Sent Saturday, June 14th - "The Day"

2008-06-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

#1 sent at 2:23 p.m.:

It's just wait-and-see now.

Everything is officially out of the house now and the semi has been moved to higher ground. The country has set the evacuation deadline for Monday morning at 8:00 a.m., which means after that time, my parents will no longer be able to go back to the house.

The river is going up big time. When this started last Tuesday, the river crest prediction was 29 feet. As of this morning, it is predicted to crest at 35.5 feet sometime on Monday, a dramatic difference of 6.5 feet. Yesterday, the Iowa River rose three feet - just in one day. This morning, it was on track to keep raising at that rate. The Mississippi River is also raising quite a bit, which doesn't help matters at all. Also, as of this morning, the river was only 27 inches from the top of the levee (the levee we're concerned about). According to the predictions, there's still 3.5 feet for the river to go up, many more inches than what is left at the levee. If the water goes over, the levee will be washed out. By all accounts, it looks like the levee breaking is inevitable. I'm still trying to have faith, but the moods at home are very sober and grim. Keep praying!!!!

I know this can be hard to see without a visual, so me, being a tiny bit of the geek I am, have provided one! It's attached as a picture. I took a Google Earth image of the area and made some comments on it. :)

I never, never would've believed this would happen just a week ago! Thanks for your notes and prayers!

Stephanie

#2 sent at 5:33 p.m.:

I'd like an order of good news with a side of peace, please.

It seems like every time I get a phone call or look at a website today, it's not good news. This morning the officials pulled everyone off the sandbagging effort at the Iowa River levee because it was getting too dangerous. There's nothing else that can be done. The crest prediction has risen to 36.1 feet. It has risen 5 feet in the last 24 hours and will continue to rise for the next two - three days. Severe thunderstorms went through Iowa City/Cedar Rapids earlier this afternoon and home is supposed to get rain tonight or tomorrow.

As I mentioned in the earlier email, my parents were going to have to be out by 8 a.m. Saturday. Mom was at the house this morning and three sheriff deputies showed up and told her she had to leave then. They waited for her and then followed her out of the area. The officials are patrolling the area, and no one is allowed back in. Officials have extended the mandatory evacuation all the way to Burlington. It's 20 miles from Oakville to Burlington and everyone between Highway 99 and the Mississippi River has to leave. That's hundreds of people and hundreds of farms being affected. I cannot even fathom the amount of devastation if all of that was to flood. It would be thousands and thousands of crops lost.

Pray especially for my dad. He's barely slept in the last few days. He had been working at the farm during the day and at his job with the river pumps during the night. He's only gotten a few hours of sleep here and there on a cot. He said he just has to do whatever he can to help the area. I'm proud of him! My family is now helping others move out, ironically a family that had just helped them move out a few days ago.

Thanks again!!!
steph

#3 sent at 6:32 p.m.:

The levee broke. In a matter of hours, my family's farm will be completely underwater. I can't believe it. I was really hoping it would hold.

More later.

steph

#4 sent at 10:15 p.m.:

I know this is the fourth email today and I promise it will be my last! :)

It has been a wild ride this afternoon! My mom called me hysterically telling me the levee had broken. I also talked to my BFF Jen in Iowa (what would I have done without you today, Jen?!? :). Her brother Brian is the county engineer, and she also said it had broken. Then a couple hours later, my brother Nate called me to say the levee officially hadn't broken yet, which totally perplexed me! What happened is that the levee did break, but underneath it, and somehow the sand sank, temporarily stopping the flooding. A group of National Guardsmen were sent to the spot and they started piling anything on the levee they could to try to stop it. Nate called me back just a few minutes ago and said the levee was seeping enough that the Guardsmen were pulled back and then the levee fully broke, starting the flooding. Officials estimate it will take about six hours for the water to reach my parents'.

Now the biggest concern is the Big Ditch, which is at the bottom of that picture I sent. The Big Ditch is a levee that was made to take in extra water from the Mississippi, and to also help drain the farmland in that area. It's not a very big levee. The fear is that there will be too much water from the other levee break and the Big Ditch will not hold. If it doesn't, it will be even more disastrous. It's unfathomable to me actually! To help with that, my dad (Steve) and his co-worker Tim are currently sitting in an excavator on top of the Mississippi levee near the Big Ditch, right next to my parents' house. When the water starts to get close, they are going to start digging on top of the levee. This will allow the other water to drain and hopefully take enough pressure off the Big Ditch so it doesn't break. Pray for Dad and Tim. That's not exactly a safe job!!

My mind has been in Iowa for the past few days, which I'm sure I've made a lovely houseguest for Davita! I actually changed my flight and will be taking an overnight flight out of Anchorage tonight. I'll be arriving in Dallas Sunday afternoon (thanks for the ride Julie!!!). Most likely I'll drive to Iowa on Monday. I know I can't do anything, but my mom keeps telling me that she wishes I was there. I need to get there soon!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your prayers. We all really appreciate it. I don't know what will happen next, but I know it will be a very long recovery. Now I'm praying that God will really be shown through this. I hope I can be a witness. What an enormous mission field, right in my hometown and in my own family. My only hope now is we would grow closer as a family and many would grow closer to God through this experience.

Thanks for enduring with me. These emails have been great for me to think and vent! :) I think I'll start a blog with pictures soon....

Texas friends! I'm going to be in town for just a bit. I'd love to see anyone!! I'll just throw this out.....if you're free (and want to!), how about meeting at Dickey's at Spring Creek and Preston at 7:00 Sunday night? Anyone is welcome.....pass it around.

I'm done for today - I PROMISE!!!!! :)
stephanie

Email Sent Friday, June 13th

2008-06-15T22:07:00.002-05:00

Hello again!

We're starting to enter the most critical days on the flood. If you were on the news at all yesterday, you couldn't have missed the coverage on Cedar Rapids. Unbelievable. Cedar Rapids is a little over an hour north of my parents. Unfortunately, the Cedar River, which is causing havoc in Cedar Rapids, dumps into the Iowa River before it goes by my parents'. So that's what is headed towards us in the coming days. (Side note - I say "us" and "we" like I'm there, even though I'm far away! But no matter what, that little 275 acreage always has been and always will be home!). In addition, my parents' farm received about two inches of rain last night and Cedar Rapids/Iowa City received 3-4 inches. More rain in an already saturated ground only means higher river levels. Even the street I lived on when I went to the University of Iowa is closed because of flooding! Between all of this and horrific tornado that went through the Boy Scout camp, what is happening to my beloved state?!? However, I don't think I've ever been more proud to say I'm an Iowan! :)

On Thursday morning, my family received notice that they were under a mandatory evacuation. This stepped up the moving process, and they were able to get nearly everything out and in the semi yesterday. This morning they are moving out all of the appliances and will finish up. What a relief to know that even though you may lose the house, you were able to save all of the contents. Others are not so fortunate. Not only were they able to get all of the household items, they were able to get most of Dad's farming equipment out. Dad had an enormous shop full of tools and two barns to go through.

What struck me the most yesterday was the true community spirit of those around my family. By the end of the morning, my parents had 25 people out helping them. My dad's brothers and cousins were there, as well as a group of 15 people from my parents' church. They didn't call or ask, they just took the day off work and showed up. It was incredibly encouraging and humbling to us. There's a sandbagging effort going on at the levee to help support it. 1500 people turned out to sandbag all day in an effort to save a town of 400 people and about 40 farms. Wow! I've even had people from Iowa who I only see a couple times a year contact me yesterday to tell me they were praying. What a blessing! Now, don't get upset at me for saying this :), but I miss the community spirit you find so much in rural areas. In an age of privacy fences, endless busyness, and "keeping up with the Joneses," we easily get self-absorbed and miss out on opportunities to love and sacrifice for others (myself definitely included!!). I know it can be found in the city, but it's much harder, even sometimes in the church, unfortunately. End of the Steph sermon! :)

The next few days are crucial. A levee broke this morning a little further up the river. It will take some pressure of the levee my parents are worried about, but not much. The river crest predictions just keep on going up, especially with this new rain and the water coming from the Cedar Rapids area. It is still looking likely the levee will break, but we know that with God, all things are possible. If the levee does break, our house will not just get wet; it will be completely submerged. Dad does not believe he will ever go back to the farm. Heartbreaking. In a matter of days, my parents, sister and nephew could be homeless. Praise the Lord for the several people who have already offered my parents a place to stay until they find a new house, if that happens. I'm still hopeful and confident I'll be able to see my home again.

Keep praying, as I think it's pretty obvious what to pray for. I arrive back in Dallas Monday night and it's very possible I'll be repacking my suitcase and driving to Iowa Tuesday morning. If the levee breaks, I will most likely just stay in Iowa for the rest of the summer.

Thanks for praying! I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, here's a link to an article about the neighborhood my parents live in. Floyd Rowell, who is mentioned, married my grandmother a few years ago after their spouses died. He's just like a grandpa to me! Everyone else mentioned has known me since I was a baby. I hate that this is happening to all of them!

http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/Huron-evacuation-061308

With faith,
Stephanie

Email from Thursday, June 12th

2008-06-15T22:07:00.001-05:00

Things have turned pretty serious.

It's amazing how quickly things can change. Tuesday the crest (highest water level) at the Iowa River was supposed to reach 31.5 feet. Wednesday morning, they updated it to 32.5 feet. Another foot is significant. On top of that, there was quite a bit of rain Wednesday and severe storms are heading in overnight. The river isn't scheduled to crest until Monday evening and these additional rains will not help - at all. That's five days for the river to potentially to rise even more and too many days of that much pressure on the levees.

My parents and the entire area they live in are evacuating. My mom has taken the rest of the week off work to move out. My dad and brother spent Wednesday afternoon moving the tractors and other farm equipment to higher ground. Dad also sold all of the remaining grain in the bins to get it out in case something would happen. Knowing my dad, doing all of that tells me he's taking this extremely seriously. My parents rented a semi-trailer and it's coming Thursday morning so they can load it with everything in the house. My sister and Adrian will stay with my gramma. Mom and Dad will stay at the house as long as they can.

Dad doesn't know how the levee can hold. It's looking more likely that it could break. I was mistaken in my other email. Even if the river overflows the levee, my parents will be affected. The overflow will cause a washout, breaking the levee. In addition, my parents live in a corner where two levees come together. They are at the far end and all of the water will drain towards them. If the Iowa River levee does break, there is a possibility the Corps of Engineers will purposely break the Mississippi River levee near our farm. This will help drain the farmland and take pressure off additional levees. Of course, if this happens, our farm will be completely destroyed by the sheer force of water rushing in.

It's heartbreaking, on many levels. My grandparents bought this land nearly 70 years ago and built the house my parents now live in. Four generations of Stollers have lived in this house. That's a lot of us! :) Obviously, there's many memories there and it's still the family farm to my grandmother, uncles, and cousins. Fortunately, homes can be rebuilt. The other big scare is the crops. Dad only farms about 250 acres, which is not much, but it does provide quite a bit of income for them. Farming is already not good with all of the high prices and losing an entire crop would be nearly crippling. I can't imagine what my dad is feeling. His entire house, farm, and livelihood is at stake in the coming days.

Of course, there's plenty to pray for. We know God can do all kinds of things with water. He created it, flooded the earth with it, parted the Red Sea and calmed the water with Jesus. He absolutely has the ability to hold the levees and by faith, I'm hopeful He protects the land and people I love so much. Pray for my parents as they go through this huge undertaking. Pray for peace for me, too. I'm still in Alaska and am not returning to Dallas until Monday night. I desperately want to be there to help out and endure this with my family, and feel completely useless spending time in a coffeeshop reading. However, prayer is powerful, and that's all I can do!

Thanks again for praying!
Stephanie

Email Sent Tuesday, June 10th

2008-06-15T22:05:00.000-05:00

Hey all-

If you keep up with the news, you probably have heard about all of the flooding going on in the midwest. Unfortunately, it's beginning to affect my family. My parents live on a farm that borders the Mississippi River. We're also a few miles from where the Iowa River flows into the Mississippi. We're protected by a levee, but the water is starting to get high, particularly along the Iowa River. In 1993, there was another big flood and we moved completely out of our house because we were worried about the levee breaking, flooding our house and farm. Fortunately, it didn't flood our house, but the newest river predictions show that the river levels could get two feet higher than what it was in 1993, causing a lot of concern.

Because of that, my parents made the decision tonight to start packing up the house and begin moving out, as many of their neighbors have. As you can imagine, this is an enormous undertaking. They are not going to pack everything, just the most important things. As of now, they don't necessarily think the farm will be flooded, but it's being given a 50/50 chance the levee will break or overflow. If it overflows, my parents will not be affected. If it's breaks, water will most likely reach the house. My parents are not in panic mode, just cautious and prepared.

If you think to pray for this situation - not only for my parents, but for all affected, that would be great! Flooding may not be as dramatic as a tornado, but it can be just as devastating. Pray, also, for my dad, Steve. He works for the levee and drainage district there along the Mississippi, and he's currently working a lot of extra hours running the drainage pumps, inspecting levees for weak spots, and just keeping people informed. Again, we're not panicking yet, but it is getting serious.

Thanks!
Stephanie