The Little Things That Stick.
“In my family, we have a phrase for eating leftovers at supper, we call it ‘dig pig,’” says Stephens’ marketing coordinator Lisa Stofac. One dig pig night got us thinking about the quirky sayings and traditions other families hold onto.
It matters to us that you know the faces and the stories behind the Stephens team, so we asked some of our people to share family traditions and little moments that make life memorable. Some go back to childhood, and some are still happening today. Maybe you’ll even find one you want to try.
Regan Flood remembers that every Friday night her dad would order pizza for pick-up. On the way home, he’d sneak a slice, and by the time he opened the box at home, they would always discover a missing piece. Then, just like clockwork, he’d act like he was calling the pizza place to complain, because they could never believe anyone would actually eat part of their pizza! Looking back, Regan says, “It was such a great dad move!”
Today, she turns rainy nights with her own children into “Pizza and Popcorn Parties,” complete with mini pizzas, theater-style popcorn holders, hats, and a movie, turning ordinary nights into something fun.
Joan Stone grew up on a farm. Saturday evenings meant bathtime for five siblings, messy but efficient, followed by Petticoat Junction or Green Acres and sometimes a bowl of ice cream or popcorn. Ordinary moments that left lasting memories.
Most families have food traditions – a favorite dish, a snack that always appears, or just the way a family piles the table high. When Shelley Ezell’s extended family gets together, they call it a BIG eat. Gotta love that!
Family road trips come with their own kind of magic, and our team has plenty of memories to prove it. Kylie Dister remembers learning harmonies on every vacation. Each road trip started with the Dixie Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces. She, her mom Lee Beth, and her sister each took a different part to sing along, filling the car with 3-part harmony.
Anne Warkentine’s family added their own flair to ordinary drives. Every tunnel became a moment for hands in the air and joyful screams, transforming a simple ride into an adventure.
Chad Frickey keeps long drives entertaining with “state-line bags” for his kids. Each bag, labeled with the state they are entering, is filled with treats and little surprises. On a recent road trip to the Florida Keys, the bags made the miles fly by. For Lisa Stofac’s family, it wasn’t the treats but the words that set the tone. “We’re off like a herd of turtles” was the phrase that kicked off every road trip when her kids were growing up.
Finally, our pets are part of the family, so of course they get in on the traditions too. Shelley Ezell says, “Every night around 7, we ask our dog if Timmy is in the well, and she trots to the cabinet in the hall, waiting for one of us to give her a treat.”
At the end of the day, these are just little glimpses into our lives, the things that make us laugh, bring us together, or stick in our memories. And that’s really what we try to bring to our work too: care, attention, and a genuine interest in the people we’re helping. We know real estate isn’t just about houses, it’s about the folks who live in them.