Our week in pictures

Logan is 4!

It is so hard to believe...


How can he be so big now?

Why does age 4 sounds so much older than age 3?

We love you so much Logan, you are wonderful.

Pictures and details of our day to come soon...

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Me: "Happy Birthday Logan!"

Logan: "Happy Mother's Day Mom!"

Hugs! :)

Who's that baby?

Anyone know who these girlies are????



Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! I LOVE the momma's of these babies!!!!

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I didn't get to see my momma for Mother's Day but she is coming this weekend, YAY! Happy Mother's Mom, you are truly an angel and I'm so glad God chose you to be my momma. :)

Hugs!

It's time.... probably past time...

One thing I have learned about being a momma is, that once the house is picked up, it will NOT stay that way.

Library books and baby dolls will wind up on the ottoman...

Cars, a baseball glove, zhu zhu pet and sunglasses will end up on the half-wall...

Airplanes, coloring books and crayons, and baskets with puppies will end up on the kitchen table.

BUT they don't have to stay there!

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I will be the first to admit that I often lack in the patience department. And at some point in the week I will lose my cool concerning the clutter in the house, the toys that migrate out of bedrooms, the laundry and the dishes. I'm really trying to work on this.

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Really.

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I am.

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Sooo the other day when I was out and I saw these cutie buckets I had a BRILLIANT idea!

The kids are now grabbing their buckets before bedtime and running through the house gathering everything that is theirs, loading it into the bucket and returning it to their rooms.

This may seem small, but this is big for us. It's time the kids start helping out more, probably past time. I feel good about teaching them to help care for our home. It helps that they think of it as a game.

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Everyone is happy! -

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Especially momma. :)

Just on my mind...

LOVE playing outside!!!! Love breezy days! Love spring storms! Love SPRING!!!
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Having a birthday on Facebook makes me feel so special! :) Thanks for all of the birthday wishes!
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Logan, just because I draw a not-to-cross line on the cul-de-sac, doesn't mean you should hang out RIGHT next to the line, while looking back at me to see if I notice. I notice and I am annoyed. :)
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Whole Foods grocery store is one of my favorite places on earth.
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I had such a blessed year teaching a MOPPETT class at MOPS this year. LOVED the kids and made lots of new friends!
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Reading a great book: "The Seven Pillars of Health" by Don Colbert. A must read!
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Recent conversation with Olivia that left me awed and a bit confused.

Olivia: "When I get to heaven I don't think I will see God"

Me: "Why?"

Olivia: "Because Jesus will be there and Jesus is God, how can I see 2 people at 1 time?"
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I LOVE sharing my birthday with Brad and Jill, makes it an even BIGGER day for me! Love you both!
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Logan ran into our room at 6:30 am to read a new library book about Jets with Tommy and Tommy woke right up, turned on the light, and read the book with him. I LOVE that man!
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Yesterday I broke the outside spicket and now water shoots out the top of the spicket instead of the front. ugh. anyone know a good plumber?
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Hugs!

May Hostess Special and Open House!

I recently received the May Hostess Special for Thirty-One and wanted to pass it along!

If you host a party in the month of may (home party or catalog party) that reaches $500 (easy to do with these cutie bags!!) you as the hostess will received $150 free products instead of the normal $75!

Let me know if you would like to host a party! You can either leave a comment, email me at staceysbags@gmail.com or call me 574-276-4299.

I'm also hosting an open house at my house on May 15th from 2-4, all are welcome to come check out the bags, snack on some eats and fellowship with my friends and family! We will be drawing for a free large lunch tote so if you live too far to come but want your name entered, visit my Thiry-One website, find the large lunch tote (pg 38 top-right), select a pattern and leave me a comment or email. Can't wait to see who wins!

Also, thank you SOOOO much for all of your prayers and encouraging words as I start this new, fun adventure that God has brought my way. It means so much!

Hugs!

Nap escape route

On Sunday afternoon we had nap time. When Logan needs a nap I often suggest that we all lay down and Olivia USUALLY falls asleep too. So I suggested that we all lay in our room and if Olivia was still awake after Logan had fallen asleep she and I could get up and play, although in my mind I was really hoping she would sleep too.
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Well, she had other plans.
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Note the diagram below:

This is Olivia's "Nap escape route".

Olivia: "Mom, here is a diagram of my plan. We will all lay down and when Logan turns over toward dad, I will ask him to say something funny, I will sneak out the door. See me walking out the door?"
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Wow, I guess there never was a chance she would accidentally fall asleep. :)

Bear Creek Farms

Tommy had a wine tasting, this past weekend, at Bear Creek Farms and we decided to tag along and I am so glad we did! The kids had a ball! Bear Creek Farms is out in the country, which is such a treat for Olivia and Logan.


The kids really liked the cottages (or as Logan called it, the model house). It was cozy and so reminded me of the cottages on Dirty Dancing. I wanted to shout: "NOBODY puts Baby in a corner!" :)


I got a new sudoku book and parked myself on the porch and the kids ran around the cottages. Nice for everyone!


Not sure what it was about this door, but it really caught my eye. Loved it with the pots in front and the green light pole.

Had to snap a pic of Olivia's bun, my FAVORITE! She won't let me do it very often. and she took it out when she saw a mirror, UGH!

I love that Tommy's job allows us to tag-along. The kids love the outings and we have SO many teaching moments in each place. Since last summer we have had the opportunity to take them to Chicago, Cleveland, Novi, Grand Rapids, Cincinnati, back to Novi, and now Bear Creek Farms. (I think that's it, I MUST get better at keeping a travel log on this blog I really want to remember each trip)

HUGS!

"Because of the hair?"

Last night during Survivor I had a parenting-panic moment. We really don't watch real TV (TV that is not a kids show) with our kids. Usually they are in bed before we even turn it to our shows. With the exception of America's Funniest Videos (which they LOVE) and of course ESPN, Baseball or Football.

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Anywhoo, last night the kids got to stay up a little later (thanks to random naps) and Olivia and I climbed into our bed to watch Survivor.

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I silently pray there won't be bad language. I covered her eyes during the CSI previews.

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I cringed during the Victoria's Secret commercial for their new line of Bras.

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Needless to say I was pretty exhausted from my relaxing hour of Survivor. :)

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Then came a question that made me panic.

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Russell gave Parvati a hidden immunity idol (if you watch Survivor, this is a pretty bid deal). After which Parvati (wearing a tiny swimsuit) gave Russell a big, pretty flirty hug.

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Olivia: "So, they are married?"

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OH NO! What do I say? Why are TV shows so suggestive? Should I call Tommy in here so we can tackle this together? She has been asking about divorce lately, will this confuse her? Will my response make her think she can't hug the men in her life?

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I know, probably overkill in the mommy-panic moment. But I panicked because I want her to know the sanctity of marriage. I panicked because of the innocence she has that I don't want TV to ruin. I just panicked.

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Me: "Do you think they are married because they hugged?"

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Olivia: "Yes because that is what married people do"

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Me: "You're right sis." (major panic setting in, what do I say now?) "Its ok to give people hugs, but I don't think married people in their swimsuits should hug other people they aren't married to in a way that looks like they are married, do you ?"

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I think I even confused myself trying to get that statement out right.

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Silence, as she thought, that lasted FOREVER! Pretty sure I missed 3 whole minutes of Survivor during all of this.

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Olivia: "Yeah, because of all of the hair."

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Whew! I was so relieved! Trying not to laugh I rushed out to tell Tommy.

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I'm exhausted. :)

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Have a good weekend! Hugs from Indy!

"Jammies PLEEEAAASSSEEE...."

My kids were paci kids. I really preferred this to thumb-sucking, actually. I spent alot of time in prayer over the day when the pacis would be gone. Would it be a smooth transition? Would we have weeks of sleepless nights? Would they ever forgive me?

When it was time to give them up, I was the most anxious mama around.... but guess what?

They both gave them up without a fight.

No sleepless nights.

No constant asking for it back.

Logan even gave up his blanket, because apparently the blanket and paci were married.

I never imagined it would have been that easy.

Olivia never really "replaced" hers with anything. Logan, however, did.

He now LOVES his jammies. Instead of plopping in a chair with his blanket and paci, he wants to snuggle up in his jammies. When he is sick, he wants to be in them all day. He even got to wear them to Aunt Kiki's for the day once.

To him they are comfort. To him they are soothing. Much like the paci and blanket.

So when we walk in the door, I often hear "Mommy, can I have my jammies, pplllleeeaasseee?"

Love this kid.