Happy Birthday Grandpa Stephen!

Stephen means Crown

The name is significant to Christians: according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first Christian martyr. 

Chance giving Grandpa a crown!

Stephen is married to Scott's mom, Sara.   He had the hardest job of all, becoming a Stepdad. He managed fine and all seemed to have survived. 

  Stephen is quite handy around the house, but the rumors are that he is so busy it takes him awhile to get the 'Honey Do" list done.   Stephen is a school teacher at an inner city school.  He also has taken on establishing and running the musicals at his school.  Then throw in coaching some sports teams, church work, newspaper rolling for the kids paper route, and making his own sack lunch... and he is quite busy, I must say.   He also does dishes and puts away folded laundry left on the bed.   And makes very good mashed potatoes! 

Something that stands out in my mind about Stephen is a surfing experience from a visit a number of years ago.  We were living in Sunnyvale at the time and had rented a 12 passenger van to take an all day trip from Santa Cruz to San Francisco.  It was a long tiring trip and by the time we got to SF we were spent.   It does go without saying that many people find SF overwhelming for a number of reasons.   But during this trip I found out that Stephen spent some time in SF during his college years and really quite enjoyed it.   He saw the beauty of SF, which is definitely there for those who look for it.   We stopped under the Golden Gate Bridge for a spell and watched surfers catch waves.   It seems a bit unsafe to be surfing in that part of the bay, but I do remember Stephen saying that it looked fun.  "Looked Fun"... what an open-minded thing to say.   He could of said surfing looks dangerous; it is cold, the supports for the bridge are too close, the rocky shore does not look safe.  But instead, knowing that Scott was excited to show him the surfers, he said it looked fun and watched intently.  I know it made Scott feel good.   

To make another point about Stephen on those same lines... his ability to see the good, to enjoy the moment... brings us to his love of meeting and talking to strangers.  Oh does he love that.  It takes a special kind of person to do that.  I believe that he sees everyone as a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father and he treats them as such.   He is the one to go back and give a beggar a bit of money.  He has a hard time seeing another without.

This is Stephen shortly after Jordan was born.  He is wearing a face mask because he has a cold.

(Yes, that is me in front)

I like how he has a hand on Jordan's check-  I think he likes babies.

A week later... 

A month later he had his own newborn daughter, his first child.

Here he is holding Alyssa and Jordan on Easter of 1993

A visit to Wheeler Farm.  Me with Jordan,  Stephen with Alyssa.

Stephen and Sara added 2 more children to their family shortly there after.  

And last, but definitely not least,  Stephen is a kid at heart... he LOVES Disneyland.  He would go often if he could.

The family at Disneyland, Dec of 2007

Happy Birthday Stephen!  Hope you are having a great one.   Thanks for being so good to us and for loving my boys.  Sorry I spelled your name "Steven" on my wedding announcement... ouch that was bad!  You would of thunk the big guy would of caught that when I had him look it over.  Love you, Karalene