tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31950743180319009992012-02-25T10:07:03.175-08:00ALL ABOUT THE STEPPS IN LIFEAshley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.comBlogger2351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-6549912978529836472012-02-13T06:16:00.000-08:002012-02-13T06:16:49.949-08:00

And for our final trip in Israel... DRUM ROLL PLEASE... We went back to Jerusalem to try to see the last few things we really wanted to see.  Truth be known, one could spend over a week in Jerusalem and STILL have so much left they could visit.  It was drizzling and pretty chilly so we weren't enthusiastic picture takers but I've borrowed in places where we lacked for your entertainment.  :)

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-4123713893225558352012-01-31T11:08:00.000-08:002012-01-31T11:08:09.004-08:00

This last weekend of January, Xan and I headed down to Eilat with one of his parent's co-workers who dives.  Her name was Tali and she was a gem!  The drive was 4 hours long.  We had to wake up at 3 am and start driving by 4 in the morning.   We were TIRED! While Xan and Tali went scuba diving, I hung out on the beach and relaxed - what a vacation is all about, right? This is the Red

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-52071686913112398352012-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:002012-01-31T10:44:41.223-08:00

We visited two churches while in Bethlehem.  The first was the Church of the Nativity.  Xan was amazed.  This church is OLD.  The current church standing was built in 565 AD.  It was built over the remains of the first church built in 327 AD. The wikipedia site has really good pictures here. Here are some original mosaics on the walls. The church was dark and it was hard to get

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-27150758399380814842012-01-31T10:28:00.000-08:002012-01-31T10:28:29.362-08:00

The City of Jericho is the oldest city to be continuously inhabited in the world. It is in the West Bank and excavations are still rough and underway. Here are some ruins on the mound of Jericho.  Most of what is uncovered is supposed to be 5,000 years old. They've dug a lot of sections creating deep pits to reveal walls of earth with layers and layers of different

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-88684305565361418762012-01-31T10:13:00.000-08:002012-01-31T11:08:51.801-08:00

On Wednesday, January 25, we went to Jerusalem again to do a more thorough tour of the city.  We arrived, parked the car, and headed through the Jaffa Gate, down the street of David, took some more turns, and finally made it to the Western Wall. I reached for the backpack Xan was wearing and grabbed for the camera and only then realized that we left the battery charging at home.  :(  I

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-7275747390150473882012-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:002012-01-31T08:42:09.604-08:00

On January 23, a Monday, Xan and I went to explore Old Jaffa City.  It was kind of like our trip to Akko, a sea port city with ancient ruins found underneath a modern city, but smaller. Jaffa Wikipedia Jaffa Travel Guide This gate is new.  I thought it looked cool. That top part are the Israelite's blowing horns to conquer the city Jericho.  The left pillar shows Jacob's Dream and

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-7690488237767452402012-01-31T03:22:00.001-08:002012-01-31T08:08:59.726-08:00

Technically, this was our 2nd day in Jerusalem since we did the Biblical Zoo, but I'm counting it as Trip 1 of seeing all the old sites and churches. Saturday, January 21, we went to church at the Jerusalem Center.  It's a university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, commonly known as the Mormons.   Yes, I am a Mormon and so I went.  :)  Again, Church meetings here are

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-87776827689324924532012-01-31T03:01:00.000-08:002012-01-31T03:01:57.870-08:00

On Friday, January 20, we went to The Ein Geddi Nature Reserve. Ein Geddi Images Ein Geddi Bible Places En Gedi Nature Reserve Ein Gedi Wikipedia There were these really cute Rock Hyrax, or conies, everywhere!  They were found up in trees, sunbathing on rocks, scampering around through the trails, ect. We first started up the trail to Wadi David. There were

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-77737696615695424232012-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:002012-01-30T10:51:29.929-08:00

Last stop of our 3 site day was Appollonia.  It was RIGHT above where Xan's parents are living.  Appollonia was built around the time of Caesarea.  Most of the remains found today are from the Crusader times when they built the fortress.   Apparently its also called Asurf. These are water reservoirs. There was a storm in the distance. The beach right by those tall

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-37298167427909876142012-01-30T10:38:00.000-08:002012-01-30T10:38:53.199-08:00

Caesarea Wikipedia Caesarea Maritima Caeserea was built during the Persian Rule (sometime in between 586-332 BC).  Herod had his palace here when he ruled during the Roman conquest.   The Theater they found here was renovated and they preform plays and orchestras here. Say Cheese! The area was absolutely beautiful!  Here's a shot of the Reef Palace.  I'd love to have

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-3925136250745051362012-01-30T08:46:00.000-08:002012-01-30T08:46:08.587-08:00

The next day after Petra, we stopped off at Kerak Castle on the way home.  It was once an important city in the Biblical Moab.  Around 1142 AD, the Crusaders built the castle.  Saladin's troops finally overtook the castle in 1189 AD.   Can you imagine what the Arabs felt marching up and seeing this up on the hill?  "We have to climb up there and THEN attack?!" There were so many halls

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-48263263221089803072012-01-30T08:44:00.000-08:002012-01-30T08:46:40.902-08:00

On January, 19th, we went to see Megiddo, Caesarea, and Appollonia.   Megiddo Wikipedia The Megiddo Expedition  Armageddon Here are the stairs that lead up to the ruins.   Here is the city gate. Here's a view of the surrounding valley from the top of the mound. More view. The Germans were the first to start excavating this area and did a trench technique

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-26164439791920403142012-01-29T09:42:00.000-08:002012-01-29T09:42:00.317-08:00

Sunday morning, Xan's parents and us hopped in the car and drove across the border and down to Petra, Jordan.  Getting across the border wasn't the most fun activity but we finally made our way and drove through the outer parts of Amman and then all the way past the Dead Sea. We got there around 5 pm and chilled at the hotel.  It was a really rustic and quaint hotel with a really nice

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-18414435645678296272012-01-28T08:32:00.000-08:002012-01-28T08:32:00.614-08:00

Borrowed Picture On Wednesday, January 11, we went to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem.  It might have been a day early but it was a fun outing to do for Shanda's Birthday (on the 12th). Unfortunately for our camera, it was cold and drizzling most of the time.  The camera stayed safe and dry in our backpack.  We had frozen hands by the end of the adventure.  On the happy side, the zoo gave us 1

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-51579832542365931692012-01-27T06:28:00.000-08:002012-01-27T06:30:20.788-08:00

Okay.  That concludes our first trip that started on January 1 and we got back that Wednesday on the 4rth.  We took a couple of days to catch our breath and enjoy each other's company.  Saturday is Shabbat and the start of the week here in Israel.  Our church meetings here are held on Saturday and Sunday is now our State's Saturday. On Sunday January 8, we got in the car and traveled south

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-45060091732575407352012-01-27T06:11:00.000-08:002012-01-27T06:12:21.248-08:00

Akko Wikipedia Old Acre Acre Bible Walks On our last day of our first 4 day trip (a trip that has taken much longer to blog than I had anticipated), we went and spent the day at Akko.   Old Acre, or Akko, is one of the oldest known seaports.  The city is at least 5,000 years old.  Here's a map I found that shows the size and main sites.  We could have spent DAYS here and still have some

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-11094238472471721042012-01-24T01:09:00.000-08:002012-01-27T06:13:21.236-08:00

Tel Dan Excavations Tel Dan Wikipedia On our 3rd day of our first trip, we went to Tel Dan Nature Reserve and the Hermon Stream.  Here are pictures of the first place: Israel reminded me a lot of Utah where you have a portion of "green" land with a few small streams and the rest of the country is barren.  This is the River Dan, which is part of the Jordan River. We found

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-87742029380701423372012-01-05T11:33:00.001-08:002012-01-09T05:03:42.250-08:00

The Church of the Primacy of Peter Wikipedia Entry Our Most Distinguishing Feature by Jeffrey R. Holland Many Christian faiths belief this to be the site where the resurrected Christ came to Peter and told him to feed my sheep three times.  John 21. We couldn't go inside since there were Priests having a formal meeting inside.  But, we did take the opportunity to go down to the

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-17795792694700260942012-01-05T10:55:00.000-08:002012-01-09T04:40:16.951-08:00

Wikipedia Mount of Beatitudes The Sermon on the Mount Again, it was rainy so the pictures are a bit less bright and sunny.  Here is the Sea of Galilee. Here is the Monastery. They had plaques set up with the Beatitudes on them. And here is the chapel they have in honor of Jesus's sermon.

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-85267170459542337922012-01-05T10:48:00.000-08:002012-01-09T04:07:34.784-08:00

I admit that I'm kind of nervous writing this blog post.  I'm not a very good New Testament scholar so I'm probably going to leave out A LOT of facts and details.  But, here it is anyway. Capernaum Wikipedia Capernaum LDS Capernaum search Here is a statue of Peter. Wikipedia excerpt: The town is cited in the Gospel of Luke where it was reported to have been the home of

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-19595941411924949992012-01-05T10:26:00.000-08:002012-01-31T03:02:41.859-08:00

The Church of Loaves and Fishes Tabgha Monastery I got the next two pictures from the internet.  I must have missed the fish mosaic but here's a picture of it.  They believe that this is the site where Jesus multiplied the bread and fishes to feed the multitudes, like in John 6: 1-14. I attempted to get this shot below while we were there but there were people in the way.  The pond that

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-52496970234681355732012-01-05T09:52:00.000-08:002012-01-31T03:02:24.214-08:00

The Jesus Boat Museum Jesus Boat Wikipedia This site was one of Xan's requests.  We went and saw a ship that they discovered in the Sea of Galilee that dates back to the time of Christ.  Xan spent a wonderful time going over the purpose for each piece of wood and which pieces of wood of the 12 varieties of trees were used on purpose and which were used for repairs.  Xan studies

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-79768861619909377172012-01-05T09:30:00.000-08:002012-01-09T03:45:29.311-08:00

Zippori National Park Tzippori Wikipedia It was raining on and off Monday.  It was comfortable for Xan and I since we come from Ithaca where it rains... a lot.  Just some drizzles here and there.  :) Remember in the post on Beit Alfa where I said I hadn't really seen expert Roman mosaics before so I was still sort of impressed by the child-like attempts?  Well, now you get to see

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-59938496419108133582012-01-05T07:02:00.000-08:002012-01-09T03:18:13.111-08:00

Bet She'an National Park Beit She'an Founded in the sixth to fifth millenia BC and was settled by many, including: the first settlers, Egyptian, Biblical, Roman, Byzantine, Omayyad, Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman, British, and the current State of Israel. Enjoy this short clip. We parked the van and then took a little train ride to the park.  Had we known how short it was, we

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-73949640876708364032012-01-05T01:41:00.000-08:002012-01-05T01:41:45.787-08:00

Bet Alfa Synagogue National Park Founded at the end of the 5th century. The Beit Alfa Synagogue was our first stop.  One thing that you will find with the English spelling in Israel is that it changes ALL THE TIME!  Some signs will spell it one way and another sign, even one right next to the other sign, will spell it another way. I didn't take any pictures because it was very small, poor

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-68193870721442026572012-01-05T00:36:00.000-08:002012-01-05T00:36:47.935-08:00

Xan's parents are incredible travelers.  They put together this 4 day trip that let us go out and see A LOT of Israel up in the Galilee area.  Here is our itinerary: Day 1: Beit Alfa and Beit She'an Day 2: Tziporri, The Jesus Boat, Church of the Loaves and Fishes, Capernaum, and Mount of the Beautitudes Day 3: Tel Dan, Banias Falls, and a Druze Holy Place (we found when Nimrod's Castle was

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-58363576261388921322011-12-31T22:04:00.000-08:002012-01-31T03:02:55.146-08:00

Xan and I have made it to Israel safely!  We are here visiting his parents who are living here.  His brother, Tony, and his wife, Shanda, are also here visiting.  Tony did a semester in Jordan through BYU while Shanda lived with his parents for the Fall semester.   To celebrate the New Year, we went to the Mediterranean Sea and toasted some cherry juice.  It was about 50 degrees F and the

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-1931213932806780592011-12-25T21:09:00.000-08:002011-12-26T05:46:26.091-08:00

Merry Christmas!   Xan and I celebrated our 6th Christmas together.  We only have 3 official Christmas pictures ('06, 08, and '11) but the others were taken a month before or after Christmas so... I'm counting them.   2006 2007  2008 2009 2010   2011 We didn't do to much for Christmas this year.  My mom would be proud to know we did wait until Christmas this year

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-41596151820990793042011-11-18T13:00:00.001-08:002011-11-18T14:38:56.696-08:00

Big Thank you to Jenn, my endearing sister, for nominating me.   ------------------------------------------------------- The rules of this nomination are: To tell seven random things about myself as well as pass on the award to seven other great bloggers. Nominees, in order to accept this award you must: -Thank and link back to the person who awarded you. -Write seven random things

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-56782354186642395592011-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:002011-10-15T11:17:56.041-07:00

I only have 5 minutes before I need to get to work but just wanted to update and to say that so far I LOVE tutoring Mandarin.  The Senior I tutor is smart, enthusiastic, and a pleasure to teach.  It feels really weird to walk around a high school again.  Most people look at me like I'm a student.  I meet him in the library during 5th period for an hour.  LOVE IT. Hope everyone enjoys their

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-79476062689393867072011-09-24T09:56:00.000-07:002011-09-24T09:56:24.789-07:00

I got a text the other day from my previous boss at Wegmans saying that there was a woman looking for a Mandarin tutor for her son and word of mouth at Wegmans was that I might be able to help.  Jumping on the chance, I got the woman's phone number and gave her a call.  Thank you, Katie! We have a tentative date of October 4rth to meet and start. I'M SO EXCITED!  Trust me, I have the same

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-76597043913412230302011-09-18T09:36:00.000-07:002011-09-18T09:36:48.560-07:00

I've been on this simplifying and organizational kick for over a year now.  Sometimes, I find my efforts only complicate my life but I figure, I'll get it right someday as long as I keep trying.  :) To help simplify my blog specifically, I'm dividing it into two.  The family blog, which is this one, will be about everyday things, places we travel, and things we do.  The second blog is where I

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-63989781669769873722011-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:002011-09-16T14:16:02.626-07:00

I've known for a couple of years that I have an intolerance to artificial ingredients in my food.  I've done elimination challenges and have discovered some main culprits: artificial sweeteners, artificial vanilla (vanillan), Estevia (Truvia), cheap cheeses (ie. Kraft Singles), artificially flavored sodas (Pepsi, Coke, and Sierra Mist is fine), and Sodium tripolyphosphates.  As long as I'm not

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-68160573918958394472011-09-11T09:51:00.000-07:002011-09-11T10:01:21.133-07:00

One of the perks about being full time at a job that is 24/7 is that it is a bit easier to get a Saturday off every now and then without loosing hours or feeling guilty about leaving your work short staffed to go have fun. (Yes, I have a guilt complex that definitely cuts into my personal life.)  I am being trained to administer medications (A really long and tedious, several days of training

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-68278205282515446332011-07-18T16:25:00.000-07:002011-07-18T16:25:55.899-07:00

My apologies to all you out there who asked specifically about me, my new jobs, and Xan.  The end of the crazy working summer is in sight and hopefully I can get back to some semblance of being good at getting back to people.  :)   This is a long post so if you are not family or people who really like reading my blog, you can scroll down to where I have pictures towards the bottom.  I won't be

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-34834668459217733972011-07-16T07:00:00.000-07:002011-07-16T07:00:07.391-07:00

While cleaning out the attic back in May, I came across all my old journals.  I've been having a lot of fun reading through them.  Some entries are absolutely ridiculous! One entry really caught my eye: 7-16-01 So... My future, according to my hopes right now, is after I graduate from Bingham High School, I'm going to go to UVSC to get my culinary arts degree.  From there, I'm going on [an

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-77213768368723372722011-05-24T04:58:00.000-07:002011-05-24T04:59:03.320-07:00

Looking for the GoodBY PRESIDENT DIETER F. UCHTDORFSecond Counselor in the First Presidency "While looking for a new home, a young Latter-day Saint couple talked to potential neighbors about the neighborhood and the schools in the area.One woman they spoke to said of the school her children were attending: “This is the most incredible place! The principal is a wonderful and good man; the

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-91517314285430412362011-05-16T12:02:00.001-07:002011-05-16T12:02:18.056-07:00

Life has been moving crazy fast this last month.  For the past 3 months, I feel like everything has just been up in limbo land and no decisions could be made.  But this last month... everything came swooping down and the best part was that DECISIONS WERE BEING MADE!   What's new?  We withdrew our application from the sorority house.  The application process was taking way too long and we

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-49512767215429740672011-04-26T09:40:00.000-07:002011-04-26T09:40:54.046-07:00

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-33306812986707056832011-04-25T06:55:00.000-07:002011-04-25T06:55:11.719-07:00

Xan and I have had some decisions to make lately.  Most of them came with limbos where we couldn't make a decision until someone else made a decisions.  Don't you LOVE those?  (heavy on the sarcasm) One example of these was a chance for Xan to do some digs in Israel over the summer.  He was accepted and was going to be able to go dig up Harrod's palace.  (Can you say awesome?)  Unfortunately, he

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-76580519884856471662011-04-24T14:31:00.001-07:002011-04-24T14:31:49.661-07:00

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-54171321037123644832011-04-18T21:02:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:02:21.171-07:00

I made some homemade brownies a couple of weeks ago and a few people asked for the recipe.  (No one that tried them, though... )  I got the recipe from Good Eats.   I liked these videos because they helped with the technique of cooking brownies.  They were VERY tasty.  But, still not quite as good as boxed brownies.  Now that I have the technique, I'll try a few different recipes over the course

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-12863516804028708802011-04-13T08:05:00.000-07:002011-04-13T08:06:49.053-07:00

I may not write as often as I'd like, but I'm here.  Xan and I are doing really well.  It's getting to the end of the semester so we're tired but we're still finding ways to enjoy our days.  We've been doing a lot with photography lately.  Our frogs have been breeding like crazy and keep us working to care for the tadpoles.  I really like this shot I got yesterday.  So cute, right?

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-47145342806474464222011-03-29T07:32:00.000-07:002011-03-29T07:32:01.241-07:00

My eldest sister had her 8th baby last week!  Congrats! He was born 30 days early.  Kim experienced some complications which caused them to induce her at 35 weeks.  Both Mommy and baby are doing really well!  Kim was able to return home today but little Thomas has to stay at the hospital a bit longer.

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-90064168813432669712011-03-21T06:51:00.000-07:002011-03-21T11:46:46.820-07:00

I'm a big fan of fat.  I've said this many times.  I LOVE putting heavy cream in rich chowders.  Milk is not milk unless it is whole milk.  Cheese, eggs, and butter are staples in this household.  We are followers of the Scandinavian diet of the importance of dairy products. There has been a lot of promotion out there for low fat diets.  Has anyone else noticed how hard it is becoming to find

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-60133592965248623332011-03-20T14:33:00.000-07:002011-03-20T14:33:45.755-07:00

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-69618534606130370272011-03-12T14:58:00.000-08:002011-03-12T14:58:13.487-08:00

The morning of a BIG paper due  Little did I know in college as I came to a fast approaching paper deadline, grabbed a Mountain Dew or Cola, put in a movie, and started to write my paper, that I was actually self-medicating my ADHD, and not just treating my occasional migraines. Studies have shown correlation that caffeine works in helping someone with ADHD focus without the negative side

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-70536878836386938282011-03-08T16:23:00.000-08:002011-03-20T16:35:12.831-07:00

Sometimes people ask us how Toad got his name.  He's a cat, not a toad, right?  Xan's parents, who found him as a kitten and raised him for 3 years, called him a Toad simply because he IS such a Toad. Proof: Sometimes we'll wake up in the morning and come out to our living room to discover he's had another bad night of not knowing which movie to watch.  We caught him in the act this time.  Just

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-17081129542385000952011-02-17T12:05:00.000-08:002011-02-17T12:19:43.696-08:00

I was beginning to really miss dancing.  Back in college I was always either doing ballroom and/or country swing.  I even did a bit of teaching at the country dance club at BYU.  Then, I graduated and left that life. You see, Xan detests dancing.  What's worse then dancing?  Country music.  :)  He doesn't mind if I want to go dancing.  At BYU it was really convenient because he could send me

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-17518338466145650352011-02-10T06:12:00.000-08:002011-02-10T06:14:50.293-08:00

One of Toad's favorite days is laundry day.  Why, you ask?  Simple.  Because after I get home with all the laundry clean and put it a way, the house is once again full of empty baskets.  His favorite thing. He just likes to sit in them.

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-10536422600623682712011-02-07T07:49:00.000-08:002011-02-07T07:49:29.486-08:00

Marta Mike and Jenn A borrowed big screen tv from Mike and Jenn  And us

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-24115382699618465562011-02-05T06:30:00.000-08:002011-02-05T06:39:33.394-08:00

I've really enjoyed doing the Winter CSA this year... most of the time.  While I still am not a fan of bitter greens and most end up as cricket food or in the trash, I have come to LOVE root vegetables and have added many vegetables to my list of I-know-what-I-can-do-with-these.   BUT... Xan and I are only two people.  I don't always feel like cooking  when I get home at 8:30 pm sometimes 4/7

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-31232601031747884562011-02-03T19:15:00.000-08:002011-02-03T19:15:34.822-08:00

Today is one of my days off.  I took my morning off, relaxing on my computer while Xan got ready for school, watched Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel I got from Netflix after Xan left, and was redoing my room by room cleaning charts WHEN I looked outside to see BLUE SKIES!  So, I dropped what I was doing, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed for a walk. LOVE the sunshine! Here's the frozen and

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-1040448563975467082011-02-02T06:26:00.000-08:002011-02-02T06:26:18.055-08:00

The famous Punxsutawney Phil DID NOT see his shadow this morning! That means... EARLY SPRING Watch it here!

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-33629994626929157692011-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:002011-01-31T19:17:30.449-08:00

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-50614904262607242812011-01-29T19:34:00.000-08:002011-01-29T19:34:02.753-08:00

I was hoping to post a picture of my bangs today to show you how they turned out but had a bit of a set back so you'll have to wait until tomorrow. I pulled a muscle or something at work in my right shoulder so I've been slower at doing stuff like getting ready, cooking, cleaning, ect.  Things like doing my hair well when it hurts to reach back to put it in a pony tail and fix the bangs up took

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-26994261419554052762011-01-27T10:20:00.000-08:002011-01-27T10:20:59.623-08:00

 Beating the blues has been tough for me for the past 6 months or so.  I just haven't felt like I've been able to keep up with life.  I kept getting sick.  I crammed all this organizational structure into my life.  And, I've kept trying to figure out what foods I'm sensitive to with a series of on and off elimination diets. On top of that, like many newly married women feel, I've lost part of

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-62014070463171070702011-01-27T07:57:00.000-08:002011-01-27T07:57:10.952-08:00

I'm scheduled to get my hair trimmed and bangs styled on Friday.  I'd like to get some of your opinions, if you have one.  I have really long hair and a job that requires bending over to pick stuff up or put stuff on a shelf.  My hair is up and out of the way about 85% of the time to keep it from trailing on the floor or getting caught in the packaging tape.  I like bangs because they let me

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-69140476220060215482011-01-23T15:58:00.000-08:002011-01-23T16:04:57.843-08:00

Cornell has a VERY long Christmas break.  Xan had his last day of school somewhere around the 12th of December and while he had finals and papers to do still, classes don't start up again until tomorrow. THAT'S A LONG BREAK! It's been nice to have him home.  My work schedule doesn't usually coincide with his school schedule very often so we took the opportunity to spend time together and work

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-61915368583422058782011-01-20T05:41:00.000-08:002011-01-20T05:41:10.674-08:00

Last October, Xan and I got ourselves a new camera for Christmas (a bit early but totally worth it).  We've LOVED it.  Especially Xan.  He's been getting books about photography from the library - hence the improvement some of you have noticed in our pictures we've posted. The problem, though, is that it is big and bulky.  It is not the sort of camera you can easily fit in a purse and pull out

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-77457811826485818572011-01-18T14:44:00.000-08:002011-01-18T16:35:03.585-08:00

I'm the type of person that likes to explore all the options in a very impulsive way.  When I first decided to write a blog, I signed up through blog spot without really looking into all the blog options with my original address of xanashley. Then, I discovered Word press that had so many options that Blog spot didn't.  It let me do pages, tracked my traffic, and had cool templates. Seduced, I

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-27340953424661769862010-12-07T12:37:00.000-08:002011-01-17T12:38:10.978-08:00

Xan and I took advantage of his reading days to take a trip up to NYC to see the King Tut exhibit.  We left Sunday and got there just after it got dark.  I wanted to see the tree at Rockefeller Park so we ventured out to see the city.  We found the Lego store.They had a mimic display of Rockefeller Park with the tree, ice skating rink, and surrounding buildings that was cool to look at.We

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-44050572851190513492010-12-03T12:35:00.000-08:002011-01-17T12:37:24.344-08:00

Yesterday was the first day of the Winter CSA.  I excitedly, and a bit nervously, picked it up and brought it home.  Picking up this box means that I now have a hefty goal upon my shoulders: to use up and learn to cook with ALL the contents of this box. Here's what I found:  The first half was a bushel of parsley, a bag of turnip greens, an acorn squash, 2 baby bok choy, and a garlic bulb

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-74794779615160809292010-11-30T12:34:00.000-08:002011-01-17T12:35:29.698-08:00

About two months ago, I came across this magical site with a recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough balls.  Now for someone like me that LOVES cookie dough but is not a hug fan of them once they're baked... this concept made me ecstatic!  So, I made some.  Unfortunately, I never finished them (the covering in chocolate part) because they were consumed before we reached that step.  The

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-43234054316843502072010-11-14T12:33:00.000-08:002011-01-17T12:33:48.853-08:00

I just updated this recipe.  I tried making it a couple of months ago using the exact measurements I posted and realized I was way off on the vanilla.  There was very little flavor in it.  So I've played around with it and have determined a much better amount.  :) YUMMY! Serves 6-8 peoplePreparation Time: 5-8 minutesCooking Time: 5-8 minutesTotal Time: 10-16 minutesIngredients:8 egg yolks  (

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-13982048562065601422010-11-09T12:31:00.000-08:002011-01-17T12:32:58.107-08:00

I was reading some edition of Reader's Digest while at the laundromat yesterday.  It was really interesting but a bit on the depressing side.  It interviewed doctors and nurses about their mistakes that they've made while practicing medicine.  You know, like not catching tell-tale signs of serious illnesses only to have the patient return to the hospital a day later and not make it, or other

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-81270664434049297472010-10-17T12:29:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:30:24.527-08:00

My sink is clean.  My routines are getting done 90% of the time.  And I'm ending week number 3!  If I can keep this up for just another month, this will be the longest new habit I've ever purposely gotten myself to learn that I can remember.  (Yeah... that's how bad I am!)  Or maybe its a problem with my memory....     anyway... What's next?  Tossing junk out and de-cluttering the home. What

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-68510976494028362152010-10-15T12:29:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:29:37.589-08:00

Toad and Mimsy are ABSOLUTE best friends.  They LOVE spooning!  This picture below is not uncommon even though it makes me smile every time I see it! But the other night, they took their cuteness up a notch and as I was just about to crawl into bed, I noticed them spooning with their heads curled around one another on the couch.  I couldn't help it!  I ran and got the camera!  Unfortunately

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-17568132858490474092010-10-10T12:28:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:29:01.897-08:00

Xan's camera is old.  Like back from '03.  Mine is decent but the battery life is about one minute before the camera rejects the brand new batteries and shuts off.  We decided we needed a new one.  We splurged and got ourselves a fairly early Christmas present in time to capture Ithaca in the Autumn! We've done this walk before many times.  I posted pictures from our Spring walk here.

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-8245209106039631322010-10-08T12:27:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:28:09.782-08:00

I can say, honestly, that I see a difference in just 2 weeks of reading This book and following its steps.  I modify them a bit as I go, but its working.  Where did I leave off last time? First Step to Organized Oh yes.  The first 4 steps.  How am I doing with that?  I give myself A for effort and A- for performance.  Not too shabby, I would say.  I've noticed a few things.  I'll mention one. 

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-79462394330893572332010-10-03T12:25:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:26:51.929-08:00

Babies at the workplace Read the above article and tell me what you think.  The main gist of the article is talking about an organization that is trying to convince more companies to allow babies to come to work with either the mother or the father until that baby is 9 months old. I have to say that my initial reaction to reading this is a pile of mixed emotions. The Positive: What a huge

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-74547729352817726982010-09-30T12:24:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:25:20.985-08:00

Credit for this recipe goes to my mother-in-law.  It was FANTASTIC!  I already liked eating the Wegman's butternut squash soup plain, but Beth added some really great enhancements.  If you don't have a Wegman's by you, other brands would probably work just as well.  I know V-8 has one.  Or Imagine (the brand not the verb). One of the biggest reasons I love this soup, minus the DELICIOUS taste

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-25080190331795829832010-09-27T12:23:00.001-07:002011-01-17T12:24:33.306-08:00

I have been inspired lately to make some changes by my ever increasing frustration at my inability to maintain an organized and clean home.  Catching up on my blog reading, one post in particular caught my eye.  It's from a good friend back in college, Kelli Lund, and her recent post A House of Order.  I loved the simplicity of the idea to list the chores and spread them out.  But I was

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-15374579938061976192010-09-27T12:23:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:23:57.679-08:00

I have been inspired lately to make some changes by my ever increasing frustration at my inability to maintain an organized and clean home.  Catching up on my blog reading, one post in particular caught my eye.  It's from a good friend back in college, Kelli Lund, and her recent post A House of Order.  I loved the simplicity of the idea to list the chores and spread them out.  But I was

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-29045322625329264862010-09-25T12:18:00.000-07:002011-01-18T16:26:16.091-08:00

A Post from our Utah trip this past June/July! (Computer problems delayed my ability to share. You'll get a few more of these.) While in Utah, we visited our good friend, Zhenya, who is getting an MA in Organ performance at BYU. She's the one who gave us the bell tower tour in 2008. Here's a video of her playing: I'm sorry! I memorized the song title so that I could list it here in the

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-28292311763086982622010-09-17T12:15:00.000-07:002011-01-17T12:18:12.641-08:00

A long due post. Meet Mimsy, our newest cat. We brought her back with us from our last trip to Utah this last June/July. Mimsy was found by Xan's parents within 3 weeks of them finding Toad. Both were bottle fed together three years ago... so not from the same literal litter, but they grew up together as if they were. These two cats are still best friends and love to play fight and chase

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-47151645407479488832010-08-23T06:45:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:48:32.575-08:00

Strangely, I've had a really good day today.  It's strange because I had to go to work.  Normally, going to work isn't reason enough for it to be a bad day... but with student return happening this week and both Cornell University and Ithaca College starting classes this week, you could say that the store is PACKED with customers and it is nearly impossible keeping the shelves full.  WOW, is it

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-35880047766478281692010-08-19T06:42:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:45:32.785-08:00

Inspired by some answers I got from my co-workers of what they would do with a million dollars, a new question has popped into my head. If you had enough money that you not only didn't NEED to work, but had enough money for most of your wants, too, what would you do with your job? Would you keep it?  Would you cut back hours?  Would you quit and do hobbies all day?  Would you get a different job

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-79454050873694240592010-08-18T07:30:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:31:34.976-08:00

Math and science were never fortes of mine.  Anyone who ever saw me suffer through one of these classes can attest to this fact.  I'm the sort of gal who voluntarily dropped high school chemistry for an art class my senior year.  Sad... but true.  I avoided it at all costs. And that is why I thought I would never say the following ...  I'm going to learn math and science by my own free will

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-92029717324156328782010-07-26T18:28:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:30:17.102-08:00

If you had to loose one of your senses (I'll define them as sight, smell, hearing, taste, or feeling... which we'll interpret as mobility), which one would you least want to give up and which one would you be most willing to give up?  And Why? I'd have to say that I'd least like to give up my sight.  I would live in a world of terror without my vision!  I'd never know where I was, I'd have

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-74786655504217477572010-07-23T06:26:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:28:41.956-08:00

Work has been a nightmare recently.  The person in charge of our department had a family emergency come up and has been out since right before I got back from our vacation, and will be out for at least another month, if not a bit longer.  I felt like we were shorthanded BEFORE we were one man down!  Let's just say that yesterday things piled up.  All the extra time I've been working doesn't

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-39200705214523119372010-07-15T22:25:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:26:20.600-08:00

That song has been stuck in my head for a few months now.  I'll be driving down the road to work or mopping the floor and will start humming or singing it out of the blue.  It's made me wonder though... What WOULD I do with a million dollars.*  Would I spend it all in a day on a fun whatever-I-like-that-I-see-I-buy kind of day, or spread it out over a few months?  Would I invest it all and

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-60707513306247253312010-07-03T22:25:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:22:19.441-08:00

Tony and Shanda Stepp got married yesterday.  Welcome to the family, Shanda!!! We're in Utah for another week and the internet hasn't always been the greatest with traveling, but I'll try to post some of the pictures I've taken so far soon.

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-59507641538625057252010-07-02T08:22:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:41:46.735-08:00

It's Xan's Birthday!  My family and I celebrated his birthday last week since today we are with the Stepp family getting ready for his brother's wedding. My family and I teamed together to get him some new shirts.  Xan and I love watching The Big Bang Theory so we got him some shirts connected to the show. The first one is the evolution shirt with the robot at the end of the chain. Bazinga is

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-31661938837565809552010-06-21T06:19:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:20:52.029-08:00

I found a picture of a dish similar to the one above in an Herb and Spice Companion book.  It looked REALLY good!  Especially because I LOVE potatoes with paprika.  There was no recipe attached so with the help of Xan, I threw something together.  It goes something like this: Ingredients:4 cut up potatoes1 diced green pepper1/2 diced onion1 tbsp butter or olive oil1-2 tsp paprika Salt/pepper

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-2494532265771797482010-06-21T06:18:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:19:37.351-08:00

I am not a creature of habit, despite my enormous continuous effort to be one.  I'll come up with a system/schedule to get in all the things I care about in the day such as keeping the house clean, taking care of pets, scripture study, language study, crocheting, ect.    I'll be FANTASTIC for sometimes up to a week.  I feel energetic.  Things get done.  I find I have more time in a day than

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-60685962097303328202010-06-18T11:17:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:18:28.099-08:00

I was talking to a co-worker today about the pros and cons of organic meat, grass-fed cows, and GMO eating cows.  I was telling him that Xan and I wanted to find a middle ground.  Xan and I are not opposed to the cows being fed corn and we aren't really concerned about making sure the cows are eating all organic products.  We ARE opposed to the cows being fed beef and other animal

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-35724952493056997492010-06-18T10:16:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:17:18.090-08:00

Xan and I just signed up for Netflix this past week and we've both been soaking in all the documentaries that are available instantly right to our computers.  Xan has been going straight for all the animal shows and I have been watching a lot of documentaries about food. I am really frustrated with the documentaries lately.  They are so BIASED!  I just finished watching one entitled Fed

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-52183288113663513072010-05-26T18:13:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:13:58.163-08:00

Last Thursday, I made homemade ice cream out of a crème anglaise recipe, yellow cake with a dark chocolate frosting, and a traditional apple pie. With all these yummy treats, I decided to invite people over from our branch to help eat them.  Above is Scott Sanders, and Matt and Caroline Transtrum.  Another big thank you to Matt and Caroline for letting me use their ice cream makers.  I'm

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-87099838771424201742010-05-26T15:48:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:15:40.981-08:00

Summer is just right around the corner and I've been finding myself in a bit of a dilemma.  I've been craving Ranch Dressing.  We have a Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing bottle happily sitting in our fridge that Xan will use to pour on his salads or dip cut up raw veggies in... and I just get to sit and watch while eating my raw veggies plain... *sigh* UNTIL...I found this DELICIOUS recipe for a

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-26256883892529502712010-05-16T08:11:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:12:24.713-08:00

For the past 2 months or so, I've taken on a second job babysitting a 3-year-old boy from our branch 2 days a week.  I'm cutting back to just one day a week now that Xan is done with classes for the summer so that I can have a day to spend with him.  Xan didn't have class on Thursday and joined Conrad and I at the science center.Conrad LOVES the science center.  They have a great outside

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-7902667912816896282010-05-16T06:10:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:11:15.416-08:00

While Xan liked the Coconut Lentil Soup, he still prefers the Spanish Lentil Soup.  Luckily for me, I love them both! Serves 4 peoplePreparation Time: 15 minutesCooking Time: 1 Hour Total Time: 1 Hour and 15 minutesIngredients:1 cup lentils soaked overnightOlive Oilwater1 onion chopped2 green peppers chopped2 dried bay leavessalt and pepper 1/2 - 1 cup sliced Spanish Chorizo (blood sausage)In a

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-80875250567251493992010-05-13T10:07:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:10:05.326-08:00

I don't like cake. I was a picky cake eater when I was a little girl. For example, by my 12th birthday, the only cake that I would eat was yellow cake with chocolate frosting. By the time I was 16, I just gave it up all together. It simply always made me feel nauseaus after eating. Too sugary and spongy. I decided the other day that I was going to have to start baking again since I

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-82807634869897674832010-05-02T08:02:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:06:57.166-08:00

I love potatoes.  They are my FAVORITE vegetable!  You can imagine how excited I was when my husband first introduced me to one of his favorite dishes that contains potatoes.  A Spanish Tortilla.  I think they are frequently called Frittatas here in the states... Xan made this tortilla in the picture from his own expertise.  The time I tried to make one, it fell apart.  Xan admitted that his

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-4145981388051822942010-04-24T18:01:00.000-07:002011-01-12T06:02:25.625-08:00

I have never been a big fan of curry unless coconut milk was involved.  Lo and behold, my friend Becca posted Coconut Lentil Soup. OH MY GOODNESS!  It was FABULOUS!  I was even sad when my stomach got full because I wasn't done enjoying the taste...  but don't worry... there are leftovers in the fridge. My advice?  TRY IT!

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-7047449188597516802010-04-23T12:06:00.001-07:002011-01-11T12:08:53.382-08:00

I have been preservative free for a whole month now.  I check the labels to everything I eat if it's not straight up fruits and veggies.  It's been a challenge, especially since my work demo's a lot of food and most of the time I can't have it.  Like those root beer floats the other day... sounded so good!  It also limits my snack food.  I have to make most things in advance.  Applesauce,

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-29352520852092678402010-04-22T13:43:00.000-07:002011-01-11T11:43:31.842-08:00

Making friends can sometimes be a challenge.  I was really good at it in college.  It was a lot easier to make friends in college.  I was single... they were single... I saw them on a regular basis all through out the week whether it was in our apartment complex or in class... and we all lived close to campus, each other, and the movie theater that it was easier to create nights out. I

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-20486950131924246602010-04-14T18:42:00.000-07:002011-01-11T07:45:21.540-08:00

Thank you for all of your comments from the first post. I've LOVED this debate. I just wanted to clarify a few points that I think were getting a bit skewed in all of the comments. To catch anyone up who didn't read the previous post, we are debating the appropriateness of open breastfeeding which is by my definition breastfeeding publicly uncovered exposing the breast for all to see.I am pro

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-48953756095369001232010-04-13T06:38:00.000-07:002011-01-11T07:45:21.543-08:00

I got into a friendly debate at work the other day about breastfeeding in public. I was chatting with one of my co-workers and expressed my dislike for women who openly breastfeed in the middle of the aisles in Wegmans, or other extremely public areas. My definition of open breastfeeding, by the way, is using no blanket to cover yourself, but simply pulling the shirt down, exposing the breast and

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3195074318031900999.post-49593237506311651782010-04-09T06:09:00.000-07:002011-01-11T07:45:21.545-08:00

Xan and I have a good collection of books. We have these two bookcases by the front door. The right side holds my Asian collection and our instructional foreign language books. The left side holds fiction with the bottom shelf holding cook books.We have this bookcase by the coat closet. We got "how to" books and gardening/pets on the top shelf, movie cases with children's books on the next

Ashley Bybee Stepphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733206697027419666noreply@blogger.com3