Journal entry by Amy Ten Napel —
Dearest Steph,
You were a joy and a blessing the minute you arrived in this world. Since you were a little girl, your heart was full of life. Your smile and laughter filled the room. You loved playing house and school with Kayla and Morgan, but also enjoyed playing with Derek in the grain and livestock trailers, and in the dirt. You were sassy, brave and resilient. I loved every second of watching you grow up.
Your struggles with your ears slowed you down, but not for long. You faithfully wore your ear plugs and never complained. After your wave runner accident in middle school kept you from playing volleyball, you took on the role of team manager instead. You never gave up on your dreams. I loved every second of watching you persevere like a champ.
Your love for 4H and the Fair was huge. Year after year you challenged yourself to do more and to do better. You would set goals and work hard to achieve them. Being crowned princess was a testament of your communication skills, accomplishments, and demeanor in the eyes of the judges and your “Miss Congeniality” award was a testament of how much the other girls thought of you as a friend and a person. I loved every second of watching you grow into a beautiful young woman.
When you set your mind to go to college to major in education, you never looked back. Like everything else, you lived your college days to the fullest. You met many friends, had fun, and studied hard. You worked every hour you could at Dairy Queen, the golf course and babysitting to pay off your college loans as soon as possible. I admired your work ethic and passion to learn. You never quit educating yourself and soon earned your master’s degree. I loved every second of watching you accomplish your goals.
Your wedding day was beautiful and full of love, laughter, and fun. Together you and David worked hard, traveled, enjoyed family and friends, cooked together, ate out frequently at the Junkyard and made many wonderful memories together. I loved every second of watching you be a wife.
You touched many children during your time at Franklin Elementary. Grandma Rosie adored watching you teach as she assisted in your classroom. You fought hard for your kindergartners who needed special education and earned the respect of fellow teachers and many parents. I loved every second of watching you be a teacher.
Thank you for making me a grandma. You were elated to carry and deliver three beautiful and healthy baby boys. You cared for their every need and centered your life around them. You taught them to be polite and respectful. Your love for them was endless. I loved every second of watching you be a mom.
The year you spent at Siouxland Christian was a gift from God that prepared you for your final journey. The Bible stories you learned from your co-teacher Jean sparked and renewed your faith. I loved every second of watching your faith grow.
You were a wonderful friend to many. You always greeted everyone with your beautiful smile and a “hello.” You always put needs of others before yours and gave of your time and contributions to anyone in need. You once said your goal was to make a new friend every day. During your final journey, you provided gift baskets, donuts, bagels and pizza to the doctors, nurses, treatment center staff and the private jet pilots. I loved every second I saw your smile and kindness to others.
You loved to cook and were wonderful at it. You were always smoking something and had a variety of sides to offer. For every get-together, weekend at the lakes, and holiday meal, you planned the menu and delegated who brought what, and we never complained. And no one ever left your house without a container of leftovers. You spent holiday breaks prepping freezer meals and always had supper covered for unexpected company. I loved every second of watching you do something you loved.
Not a week went by we did not see each other. We chatted often by phone which started with “Hi mom, how are ya?” I enjoyed our time together golfing, biking, going to the beach, taking the boys fishing, baking Christmas goodies and digital scrapbooking. I loved every second spent with you.
I always looked forward to picking up the boys at daycare or Guardian Angel, helping with haircuts by Donna, watching swimming lessons at the Y, serving cookies at the Franklin Christmas program, assisting in your classroom, or meeting you for supper after a meeting. I loved every second I could help you.
Your final journey was unexpected and painful. Your fight was courageous, and your strength was amazing. Your dream that God called you home gave me a sense of peace. The fact that the treatment center was close to your “happy place” at Grandpa and Grandma’s winter home in Mesa was part of the plan. I was beyond thankful to work remotely to be with you every step of your journey. Your care team and special nurse were dedicated and committed to heal you and the help of your family and friends back home with the boys was invaluable. I loved every second of taking care of you.
Thank you, my beautiful daughter, for 30 years of wonderful memories and teaching me so much. Thank you for the gifts of Jackson, Levi and Simon who will carry on your legacy. I will strive to keep your memory alive by sharing with them your beautiful life, proclaiming your love for them, and emphasizing how I loved every second of being your mom.
Wishing you love and peace in Heaven for eternity,
Love, Mom
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