December

We would like to thank Fifi of Fifi Designs for painting our Christmas card this year. She painted our Christmas tree (last year's tree) as it looked in front of our stairs. We love it!

Terri went back to work part time in December. She is following doctors' orders to take it slow and easy for a while.

Ashley will graduate on December 18 with her Master's Degree in Textile and Apparel Management. She will continue her studies in January toward a PhD in the same area. Eric continues to work hard at college and as a banker for Landmark Bank.

Bob is still managing the entire household since Terri is limited on what she can do. He is ever so good at it, too! He enjoys a glass of good wine and a fine cigar as often as he can!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

November

November has been a month of healing... I stayed at home to recuperate from the surgeries. It has been surprisingly hard to be at home since I cannot do anything... lifting is restricted due to the hysterectomy for six weeks, and reaching is restricted due to the mastectomies!

Ashley continues to gain small steps toward graduation. She had some minor setbacks when her committee added work to her thesis at the last minute. However, due to her mother being at home and other acts of God, the interviews were done in a very timely manner! Her committee will meet in early December to approve her thesis so she can graduate in December!

Eric works hard on homework and full time at the bank. The economy has made his job demanding and busy. Taking time off is difficult so his weekend are precious. Most of it is spent doing homework for his college classes.

Bob is the superhero this month... doing everything at home and carrying his load at school. He got a couple of days off in Indianapolis for a conference and a couple of wine tastings and cigar smokes in Columbia. Our house nearly flooded during a downpour but he got into high gear and bought a pump and diverted a disaster.

October

October was a busy month! We headed to Wien to visit Bob's mom as often as we could. The first weekend we took Ashley to Marceline to see what our Homecoming was like! The Marceline Tigers did very well during this football season. That same weekend we celebrated Irene's birthday at the Pear Tree in Bevier. mmmm.

Ashley and I went to the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. It was soooo coooold! We had a good time picking out neat things that we just had to have! Bob had a staff retreat at the Lake of the Ozarks that same weekend.

There were many doctors visits to get ready for the surgeries I was having at the end of the month.

We celebrated Ashley's 24th birthday quietly at her request. She and her grandfather, Jake, shared the same birthday. She really missed him that day.

Surgery day came. Things didn't go as well as planned, the hysterectomy took nearly three hours so the plastic surgeon was unable to do her part after the general surgeon did the mastectomies. I spent two nights at the hospital. Truman got to come and visit me! After that, Bob, Ashley, Tammi (my sister), my mom and Joy, (my sister in law) all took turns taking care of me! I was so blessed! There were lots of things to do, stitches, drainage tubes, physical therapy... they did it all!
My PEO chapter provided meals for me that entire week. That is one awesome group!!

September

September was filled with doctor appointments for me. I saw surgeons, oncologist, radiologists, pathologists.... you name it I probably was there!

With the new diagnosis, I spent a lot of time talking to women throughout the city and state who knew what it was like to have breast cancer. I needed to decide my course of treatment and so on my oncologist's recommendation, I sent in some tissue samples for an oncotype test. This test determines the effectiveness of chemotherapy on breast cancer. For this test you pray for a low score... and I got it! So no chemo for me! That meant surgery, though, because the cancer must be removed. I elected to have a double mastectomy at the end of October.

In the meantime, the oncologist said I would be doing hormone therapy as part of my cancer treatment. In order to do this successfully, I would need to either get shots to reduce my hormone production or get a hysterectomy. Because of previous issues with my health, the hysterectomy was the better option. This, too, was scheduled for the end of October.

Bob, Ashley, and Eric were busy with school. Ashley and Eric took classes at their colleges and Bob was working hard at his school. He never missed a doctor's appointment though!

We also did a lot of Mizzou tailgating! Those Tigers started off strong!!

I started my EdD program with Saint Louis University. The program meets here in Jefferson City a couple of Saturdays a month. So, now I am a Billiken, too!

August

I am sure every family has those months that you wished had never happened, and for our family, it was this August. We said our final goodbyes to Bob's dad, Jake and his uncle, Amos. It was not an expected thing... both had been slightly ailing but in the long run, each turned out to be more serious than expected. We love and miss them dearly.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer inbetween Amos and Jake's passing and had a partial mastectomy two days before Jake's funeral. I was able to attend Jake's funeral but not Amos' as I was having a PET scan and my admission tests to the hospital.

Friends from all over put me on their prayer circles, cards (hundreds!) and emails and Facebook well wishes that helped me stay strong during this ordeal. I even received a bouquet of flowers from one of my favorite chat sites, Girls Like Us. I have known these women for several years, met a few personally, and was still surprised by the generosity of people. Totally amazing.

Unfortunately, the MRI showed another lump in my breast after surgery, so a second surgery was scheduled for October.

On the bright side, Ashley started her last semester of her master's program!! She is ready to move on to something more substantial, like her PhD work!

July

July was a crazy fun month. We had a great time in Marceline at the Fourth of July celebration. Mom, Tammi, Aunt Patsy, Ashley and I all went to Memphis to visit the Elvis stuff and to see Nathan in the musical Wicked. Then Ashley and Eric, Bob and I vacationed in Las Vegas! This month flew by!

June

We had our third annual Father's Day golf tournament. Ashley and I played some... more than last year but not as much as the first year! We had a great time together!

Bob and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary, too! We had a great meal in Columbia and relived wonderful wedding memories!

May

The Yellow Rose luncheon took place in May and Terri was one of the honorees. First Lady Georgianne Nixon spoke along with Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ann Covington. Ashley Angle, Karlene Diekroeger, Barb Kuebler, Amie Doll, Linda Eisinger, Charlotte Dudenhoeffer, Ashley, Eric, Bob, Sherry Hess, Marcia Haldeman, and Amy Ramsdell joined me at the luncheon. It was awesome to have friends, family and coworkers there!

April

April was a busy month (again) for the Steffes family!

Bob spent a few days in Orlando for an education conference while Terri stayed at home and watched Truman and Wilson. He came back with a little tan since he spent so much time at the pool!

Easter was lovely with our families.

Bob and Terri spent a wonderful weekend in St. Louis. Saw the Clydesdales and ate at Niche. Toured the Soulard Market and saw Blueberry Hill!

March

March was a very busy month!

Ashley and Eric worked so hard at college! Ashley taught two classes and took two classes which is considered full time graduate school. She also won a $4000 scholarship from the Colonial Dames group. She was thrilled as it covered what her teaching stipend didn't. Now she is truly tuition free!

Bob kept busy with a trip to Orlando to the ASCD conference. He and fellow administrator Dave Patton enjoyed 80 degree weather while we here in Missouri saw the 40s as our high.

Ashley and Eric celebrated their first year anniversary! Bob cooked up a delightful meal for the four of us!

February

This month has been a busy one! The weather has been up and down all month. We've had below zero temperatures and a day of 71!

I started a blog called Family Recipes (www.steffesfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com)and have been working hard to get our favorites online. It has been a labor of love for us.

Ashley continues her studies and work, Eric the same. The financial business hasn't slowed down one bit. They attended the Heart Ball with Victoria's Bridal. This picture is from the event.

For Valentine's day Bob and I went to our favorite spot: The University Club. The food was out of this world, as usual. Bob cooked for the four of us on Sunday. I honestly can't tell you which menu was better!

January

January was a cold and bitter month.

Ashley continued her master's studies at the University of Missouri. She is a teaching assistant which means she helps a professor with her classes and also attends classes.

Eric is super busy at work. He is working 70 hours and more a week and attending classes at Columbia College. This is a hugely busy month in the finance world and it is proving to be true!

Bob and I are both busy in the education world. I am working with creating a new summer school and Bob is going to be the summer school principal at his school this year. Something new in Jefferson City! Bob is working on losing weight and working out. He had a successful month losing 15 pounds! He is religious about working out on our new elliptical machine. I am maintaining my 40 pound weight loss from this fall.