Stuve Family: 11/30/2019

Stuve Family Thanksgivings

Lots of love from the Stuve family!

We ventured up to Albuquerque this Thanksgiving and got to play in the 6 inches of snow!

We don’t often see this kind of snow in Las Cruces so we took advantage of the unexpected weather.

We had a great time visiting with Tessa’s side of the family and just taking time for the quiet moments. 

This downtime was much needed after a lot of hard work as Tessa just recently won her City Council race here in Las Cruces (District 2). On 12/30, Tessa will be sworn into office and will be the first female councilor who is simultaneously raising school-aged children to serve in local government. There are so many important issues that face our community, and especially this group of young professionals and working families, and I am so proud of Las Cruces for supporting this missed perspective. We are all so very proud of Tessa and what she will bring to our city.

This Fall has been a lot of fun and Penny continues to be such a delight in our family. Her personality is well beyond most kids in terms of being playful and imaginative. She can turn any situation into a chance for make believe. Sometimes it’s challenging to keep up with the listing of characters and scenarios that she will delegate to those in the room with her.

She played Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween and “Honey Lemon” from Big Hero 6 in ABQ Comic Con. 

Neighborhood Park

80’s Theme night at School. Tessa serves on the Parent Teacher Organization and loves to role model .

In Mesilla, on Diez y seis de Septiembre, Luca learned how to climb the greased pole in the town square to collect the money at the top; the crowd cheered. Penny made it up the pole a few feet and is determined to keep trying next year.

 This past year so “graduated” from developmentally-delayed preschool (DDpre) for language and reading into “regular” Kindergarten curriculum. Her eyesight and brain pressures have maintained stable levels. She is doing so well!!

And of course, Grandpa time...

And, a check in from our pets...

Addie

Slushy

Scout (top) and Purrcy (bottom)

We are a blessed family and so thankful for our thriving bundle of joy, Persephone.

Chayenne, we hope that your holidays are warm and peaceful!

Lots of love from the Stuve clan,

-Penny

-Luca

-Elliot

-Tessa

-Todd

-Slushy

-Scout

-Addy

-Purrcy in

Hello Chayenne!

Stuve Life has been active the last few months!  Penny is growing in so many ways and we are simply in awe of her brilliant confidence, caring attitude, and imagination.

It is so neat to stand back and watch her interactions on her own, with friends, with family, and at school. She readily gets along with just about everybody. 

Penny knows when she is in front of a camera, and has a certain photogenic style that is completely of her own accord (it certainly didn't come from Tessa or Todd).

Here is a photo of a unique art display at our state's Capitol building in Santa Fe. Tessa worked as a Lobbyist during the legislative session this year, and we got to come visit.

I appreciate that the family still appreciates a "dog pile family hug/photo". The boys are 10, so that will probably change soon. : )

For Elliot & Luca's birthdays, they earned their own pets (Luca - Slushy the Husky; Elliot - Purrcy the Black Cat). Within the last few weeks, we adopted "Stormy Sky Sprinkles Stuve". Penny is responsible for all of those name combinations. I'd like to say that the "Sprinkles" name came from her beautiful, "Stormy Coat", with "Sprinkles" of color; however, it more likely means she still "Sprinkles" in the house.

Give a girl a tee-pee and watch her world expand. This is true for Penny. If you would like to visit, be prepared for a fully-scripted adventure!

We love taking trips to places like the Zoo, and last week (July 2019), we visited the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington, D.C. Here is our reaction to the Arapaima, the largest Amazonian fish we learned about on "River Monsters".

It's great when Form meets Function, Dad found some Bunny Shoes that also have wrap-around rubber sole protection, which are perfect for the rough-and-tumble ground play that Penny loves. She just had to show her hair stylist.

Penny has NO trouble making friends at school. I'm still deciding if she is Bossy or just Assertive, time will tell : ). Nonetheless, she has thrived being one of the only girls in our Pre-K classes, and now looks forward to starting her Kindergarten year in one of the best schools in Las Cruces. 

The Stuves love a cheeky family photo op...

Here, we brought both of the dogs to get "Poochy Cones" at Caliches, our neighborhood custard shop. Slushy (Husky) devoured his; Stormy (Great Dane) savored hers. 

Here we are again (some actors missing), but this time with Elliot's cat, Purrcy. I think we were the inaugural cat to receive such a treat.

Penny loves her Grandpa time, either with Papa (Todd's Dad)...

Or, with "Grandpa Frank" (Tessa's Dad)

Of course, there's her God Father, "Uncle Nate". Who doesn't mind being goofy to get a smile. He also happens to live right behind us, which is nice.

When live is hard, we sleep, but totally in full costume, with accessories close by (who taught her this?)

On our Washington D.C. trip Dad got to spend some quality time witnessing Penny's first air travel.

During our trip to D.C., we also had the chance to advocate for climate action on a national level. Here is another girl about Penny's age from Albuquerque that is also learning about our planet.

We got to meet U.S. Representative from NM, Deb Haaland and listen to her passion about protecting our children's environmental future.

So many humbling landmarks in D.C. The Washington Monument overshadows almost all who stand before it.

Stunning view from the WWII Memorial, across reflection pool to the Lincoln Memorial in distance.

Just a casual breakfast, and a beautiful smile that lights up our hearts. 

Kindergarten begins in less than a month, so many things to be thankful for.

We hope you are doing well Chayenne!

Lots of Love,

The Stuve Family
-Stormy
-Slushy
-Purrcy
-Scout
-Penny
-Elliot
-Lucas
-Tessa
-Todd

February 2019 Check In

Hi Chayenne!

I hope that you are doing well!

I’m very happy that you were able to reconnect with Persephone in ABQ a little while back. This opportunity was one of the first times that Penny began to understand her unique upbringing. She was excited to meet you and your family, and we have since had many conversations about her “two mommies”. Needless to say, she knows that she is loved in more ways than one.

Penny is the absolute spark of our children. Having a daughter is an experience that I never imagined would be so amazing. There are some things about Penny that have been clear from birth - fashion, friends, and girl-power. Even growing up with two older brothers, and a majority of males in her classroom, Penny remains at the Helm. Such strong negotiating skills for a 5-year old!

In May, we bought a house in a great school district near my hospital and have been developing our connections there. Penny continues in her DDPre (developmentally delayed pre-school) Class; her brothers also attend the same school and are super guardians.

Penny seems to be “on the fence” of needing ongoing special support for language and speech. Attending both Pre-K and some Day Care has expanded her vocabulary to a point of recognition with my mom, who is a retired Speech-Language-Therapist.

I’ve never met a child with better imagination and social comfort. She easily takes to those around her and surprises me with her brilliant mind. Her Tea Parties and Play Dates are of unique design, including forts made of blankets, pillows, and any other prop in her reach. 

Penny spent two seasons in soccer and has taken on a different extracurricular activity, Girl Scouts. Only a few weeks in and we are learning about this new philosophy.