Monday, Monday

Steph just reminded me that I didn't do a post about her on her birthday. She's right-I was busy watching her dogs, and never even thought about it!

Stephanie Susan was born on July 7, 1983. Ralph and I had been discussing names, and couldn't come up with anything we both liked. He wanted Alicia ( I told him if I died in childbirth he could go with Alicia) and I don't remember what I wanted. The nurses actually brought me a list of baby names on the second day! When we saw the name Stephanie, we both said "She looks like a Stephanie!." My middle name is Sue, and Ralph's grandmother was Susie (Americanized from the Italian Asunta) but Stephanie Sue sounded like a country western song, so we went with Susan.

I had some labor pains the day before, which was my brother John's birthday. It would have been cool for them to share a birthday, but Steph wanted her own! She was born at 10:15 on a hot July morning. We were only at the hospital a couple hours when she was born. She was so little- only 7 pounds!

Manda is 25 months older than Steph, and of course she couldn't say Steph or Stephanie, so she called her Bepps. Heather was 6 1/2, and was a big help.

When Steph got to school, she always had about a hundred best friends- she was always so social. When she and Manda got to high school, they didn't get along at all. They'd go days without speaking to each other. That all changed when Manda went away to school and then moved to Houston. From 1500 miles away, they get along wonderfully!

Steph wasn't sure what she wanted to do in life, so she took some basic college classes and went to work for a temp agency. They sent her to ISO (Insurance Services Organization), and ISO liked her so much that they hired her. She works with fire chiefs all over the country. Every town has a rating, and that rating sets the homeowner's insurance- Steph is a part of that!

And ISO paid for her college! She got her Associates Degree from our county college, transferred to Holy Family University in Philly, and just earned her BA in Fire Science. She was permanently on the Dean's List and graduated with high honors! In September she starts at St. Joe's University in Philly to go for a Master's in Fire Science and Public Safety Administration! And her work will pay most of it!

Along the way, Steph acquired Cinnamon Toast, her mini longhaired dachshund. Steph and Toast moved to an apartment near Holy Family. A year later, they moved to a bigger apartment in Mt. Laurel, much closer to her work and to us. Last fall Steph opened her home and her heart to Whiskey, a short haired rescue dachshund. He's about Toast's age, but skinny and high strung and needy. He's such a sweetheart, and I'm so proud of Steph for adopting him.

Steph is my "go to" girl. She's always there when we need her. Between work, school and a social life, she's one busy lady! She just got back from the North American Summerfest, a vegetarian/vegan conference that was held in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Happy Birthday Stephanie! We love you!