Hi! My name is Stephanie Lavan and I live in Rosemount, MN.  I am native to Louisiana and still look to Lake Charles, LA as home.  Both my family and my husband's family reside in Lake Charles or its suburbs.  We hope to return to Louisiana some day to raise our little family. 

I met my husband when we were young, 14.  My first time attending a public school coincided with the first time I rode a school bus.  The dilemma as to where to sit was solved when a quiet Asian boy offered me the seat next to him.  Two years of riding the bus, side by side, only a few words were spoken.

Four years after meeting on the school bus, I had another quiet encounter with Souk.  It was Senior Prom and I arrived on the arm of a dear friend.  Carl and I agreed to attend Prom together, with the clear understanding that he would not dance, period.  When we arrived, the music was moving and the air was rich.  I wanted to dance!  Carl had a different idea.  By chance, I saw a dark handsome   not-so stranger lurking in the corner.  What was a girl supposed to do?  So, I stood up tall, squared my shoulders and sashayed across the dance floor (because that is what you do when you're wearing heals and a beautiful dress) to ask my dark, handsome not-so stranger to dance.  And he said yes.

We have been together since.

But this is not the end, but only the beginning.

Eleven years since that Prom night; we have grown.  Together we urged each other to reach individual goals.  I graduated from McNeese State University with a B.Sc. in English Education and a minor in Psychology.  Souk completed schooling to be an electrician.   We got married on June 7, 1997, and traveled together, first living in Fremont, CA, and then moving to Minnesota.  We joyously announced the birth our first daughter, Madilyn Malytong on October 30, 2000.  The next year we moved into the house we built and decorated together.  In 2002 we added another daughter, Jeanne-Claire Jindapaune to our happy family.

And we continue.

Our current projects include: 

Stephanie is 3 courses shy of her Master's degree in Adult Education and Distance Learning.  Completion date is June 2005.

Madilyn is attending pre-school and dance classes.  Christmas recital was December 12th at the Rosemount Community Center.  What a beautiful dancer!

Jeanne-Claire is learning to count and her alphabet. 

Souk is adding the final touches to complete the lower level of our home.  He is also working on gaining his Master Electrician license.