TJ Turns 2



Older Siblings decorate for the party.

aaaannnd the Birthday Boy plays with the "decorations".

We are pretty heavy with Birthdays this time of year...and our little man turned TWO! We had a family party with a Little People theme...a party at church after Confirmation...an immediate family party on his "real" day...and a friend party about a week later...let's face it; two is a big deal...and requires a BUNCH of parties! Tee hee! Here are some of the highlights from each:

Leve lined hers up so they were "holding hands".

Most of the cousins!

Time to blow out the candles!

TJ gets some pointers from Kiki!

Grandma made cake pops!

And TJ LOVESSSS THEM!

"Tissing" Grandpa Boogah...don't worry, they don't actually TOUCH!

Elmo cards get a big reaction!



Boogah reads cards & helps open presents.



On the REAL day....what a grown up kid!



Do I want to kiss this kid or what?!

Havin' a mini-cupcake to celebrate.



Post cupcake...it's time for a nap...

SMALL FRY!

Ready for a rest with "Buddy" his "baby".



TJ's first act as a 2 year old was to scratch his brother's cornea...this is post Dr. and Opthomologist appointments and post Walgreen's pharmacy to get antibiotics for the eye. In the back is our apartment house.



Note that Finn's eyes are closed because they hurt. Leve's eyes are closed because she wants to be like Finn.



We ran to the church to make pizzas for Confirmation....Kiki leads Finn. What a good sister.

Birthday Boy hangs in his stroller while Mom works.

Hotdogs!



Time with Daddy



Opening presents when Dad got home!



We love a good book!

SO EXCITED!!!



Playing with our new toys!

Fun at the Waterpark with friends a few days later!

Little People FARM?!?!! BOOYAH!

Blessings on your Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is a sort of marker in my world....kind of like New Year's or Christmas or your Birthday. Ash Wednesday's as a kid were a curiosity to me....we had school, yet there was this big 'THING' in the evening...it felt like the start of something BIG. Church was different after that...more serious. More somber. As an adult I understand why and have embrace the reflection of Lent and in my own (very quiet way) rejoice (shh...don't tell!) when Ash Wednesday arrives.

Two years ago I was in the hospital for Ash Wednesday and my little bird, TJ, received his first imposition of ashes at only 2 days of age. Looking down at that sweet face reminded me of the amazing gift we are ALL given. As desperately as we mortals look to hang onto life here on earth, we often forget the amazing forever that is waiting for those who believe!

That year I didn't "give up" anything for Lent....maybe I "gave up" being pregnant! Last year I didn't because I felt I had "given up" living in the same house as my spouse and I figured that was enough. This year, I have decided to return to this custom. Upon prayerful reflection, I have decided to rise early each day (except Sundays...the Feast day) and spend some time with God and with the world before the rest of my family rises. That may sound common place for you, but it is a difficult plan for me. You see, as a complete night owl I do not enjoy waking up. Basking in my bed as the morning sunshine fills the room is so cozy to me. I am giving that up for the next 40 days...I'll rise early, read my Bible and devotions, and spend some time doing things that help me to draw closer to God. My plan is to get my computer time in before the children wake so that I can be more present with them throughout the day.  I am thankful for this opportunity reflect.

As you begin your Ash Wednesday I pray you find time to reflect on the amazing journey we're about to embark on. Blessings to you this Ash Wednesday.

WAHM!

WAHM=Work at Home Mom

Let's face it. All Moms WORK at home...it's not like that laundry washes itself or the dishes walk to the cupboard on their own. Unless you have a maid...ahhh...a MAID. (Moment to imagine having a maid......wonderful.) Assuming you're like me and a maid is not in the cards, you work at home.

If you're like me, in order to be able to be home for the bulk of your days, you also have to do some sort of paying gig from home, as well. I've tried lots of different things. Selling Amway (seriously, the laundry, vitamins, and skincare lines are AMAZING...still sell the stuff, if you're interested. ;)), teaching piano lessons, watching other people's children, selling crafts (most recently jewelry), and planning weddings and events.

The challenge is making it WORK with your kids while you WORK. So, tell me, WAHMs, what tricks of the trade would you like to share? I am planning a series where I share tricks of how I make it work to WORK at home...and I'd like to feature YOUR ideas and tricks here as well!

Additionally, I would like to hear from you Moms who work outside the home...how do you do it all?! When do you clean and do laundry? When and how do you get meals made? I want to know full-on details of HOW. I'm even interested in a play by play of anyone's days! (Ever checked out Annalea Hart? LOVE reading the run-down of days on her blog!) I am seriously interested in hearing from Mamas! Let's help each other out and share ideas of how to make this crazy life WORK!

Looking forward to hearing from you!
Comment below, or email me at simplystacy@rocketmail.com

Is my blog random enough for you?! Yikes.

For those that are following my Wedding & Events career I wanted to share that I had the joy of being part of a few Wedding Expos last month.

I went to GVL and was part of their event for couples that were already booked. It was triple-fun for me as my assistant Eunice was with me AND I got to meet with one of my couples for this summer. (You should meet this couple...they are lovely and so, so kind. A joy to work with.)

We tried to show our range of design options and attention to detail...we showcased two ideas for Sweetheart Tables. Our area looked like this:




















We gave each person a party-favor; hand personalized mugs with home-made chocolate mix inside!






Then on the 14th I had two shows. Thankfully, Eunice took care of one and I took the other. Here are photos from my booth. And, in case you're wondering, that IS the smallest booth there ever was! 5' x 10'...1/2 what we're used too...but it worked. My goal was to show our unique style and highlight some of the work we've done. Both Eunie and I passed out tea to passersby...the cozy around the cup was made from recycled sweaters and had a clasp that was hand stamped with "Simply Stacy". I just love being able to offer people tea!

Save Your Flowers

I have SO enjoyed seeing photos of people's Valentine's Flowers on Facebook the last day or so...and, to my surprise, I was even given a dozen of my own red beauties by The Spouse....12 long stemmed stunning roses. Ahh...that Man...You can imagine my disappointment when I woke to find them drooping this morning. Ugh. So, I busted out my skills and saved them.

A few years ago...okay, SIX...but it seems like just a few! I planted rose bushes at our new home...and quickly learned everything I could about roses and showing roses as I was giddy to bring roses to the Co. Fair! One of the best pieces of info I learned was how to keep my cut roses lasting as long as possible....and I later found it to be a helpful hint when helping droopy roses.
So, here you go.

1. Fill a clean container with WARM water...not boiling, not LUKEwarm...WARM.
2. Cut your roses at a sharp angle with a sharp scissor.























3. Place the roses in your WARM water


4. Put the roses in a cool place. This time I used our fridge...which isn't ideal because of the food in there (roses and fruit aren't a great mix), but it was what I had. When I showed the roses at the Fair I held them in my parent's cold room in their basement.


5. Wait. The roses have been freshly cut and when you put them into the cold they will want to drink all the water they can...making it so they don't droop. (As I recall there was a reason the water had to be warm, but I cannot fully recall the science behind it, so I'll refrain from writing something that I'm not entirely sure of.) With the roses you see below, there were a few who didn't perk up the first time...so I did it again and they responded wonderfully.