9 Things Before Nine{AM}

Yes, I realize it's not Monday morning.

Ha!

But if you knew how my morning went yesterday, then you would understand. It was so bad that I let myself eat a Reese's Sonic Blast for lunch and then Sweet Cece's as my after-kids-are-in-bed-evening-snack. I am going to pretend today is the first day of the work/school week and start over.

 At least it makes me feel better. 

1. Speaking of mornings...I loathe Daylight Savings Time. I am not a morning person and every year at this time, I wish that we still lived in Phoenix where we never had to change our clocks. Oh, the things I have taken for granted at times! 

2. Both kids had their well checkups yesterday and they passed with perfect results. Not a tear was shed, although both had to have their blood drawn from their finger. Brave little souls. ; ) I was pleased to hear the doctor say that Magdalen's speech seemed fine and also proud of my little girl for actually speaking to the doc and answering each question. She said she counts like a 4 year old and I was surprised after all the underlying questions we've had about her speech. *sigh of relief*

3. Chad took the day off yesterday for various reasons (unheard of in this job!) and Maddox was so excited that his daddy got to come see him play soccer for the first time yesterday. It completely made his day. : )

4. We had a really great weekend, starting out with Maddox singing at both church services with his Kindergarten class on Sabbath. They were too adorable in their little formal school uniforms. 

5. We also had a lovely dinner party at home that night with the hilarious Melissa and her husband, Tony, and another musician friend of Chad's, Jason, and his wife, Juliana, who I met for the first time that night! Melissa made some amazing veggie sliders and salad to go with the other items we had for the meal. We played the game Scruples afterward (yes, like old people) and it was truly a relaxing, fun night with new and old friends. 

6. I am EXCITED ABOUT SUMMER!! I realize it's a few months away, but it's already warm outside and Maddox is starting to really complain about not having any time to play when he wakes up each morning. I am going to make this an epic summer with lots of friend time, play time, and also down time for him before he hits 1st grade in the fall. 

7. In the past month, I believe I have moved our furniture from room to room at least 3 or 4 times. I can't help myself. 

8. Oh...we went to Zanie's comedy club on Sunday night for a surprise birthday party for our friend, Nathan. He was completely surprised and then we went back to his house for cake. His wife, Steph, had made The Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake (except Steph made it gluten free) and it was delish! First time I've had this famous recipe and was excited because I've been wanting to try it for awhile now.  : )

9. Also, excited about a play date with friends this afternoon after school. The weather is perfect. And Maddox is excited to see his girl, Ava. ; ) Well, one of his girls. That's her below. 

Ava and Maddox (age 5 here) one year ago having a picnic outside with their then-2-yr-old baby sisters. Cuties!

In the Quiet....

Here's my girl. 

She just turned three.

And although she is not quite as wild as she was a year ago....

this sweet babe just doesn't stop.

But she has a love that is never-ending, a spirit that is unstoppable,

and a zest for life that reminds me of who I once was. 

This is her in the Quiet of life 

and I just want to hold her forever like this. 

(Not gonna happen, right?)

You'll be hearing a lot more from me here in this space. 

At least, that's the plan in this new year. 

I'm a bit slow moving....it's just the way I am about things, 

but I'm excited about 2012 and I have so much to say!

Stay tuned. ; )

Sweetest Homemade Birthday Gift

Oh, that Chad.

He did it again. ; )

My sweet husband is not one to bring me flowers all the time, or buy me gifts (he lets me stay home with the kids, that's gift enough), and he's not a big talker. 

BUT....

when he decides to do something special for me, it is truly extra special for me, specifically, and I know he puts his heart into the things he chooses. 

I turned 33 almost two weeks ago and on the morning of my birthday, I was awakened by the sounds of "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" as the kids and Chad piled into our room. Maddox was carrying a mini cake plate and there under the glass domed lid was my favorite breakfast food: blueberry muffins!! It was very sweet and thoughtful and I was thankful that my Mom was able to be there for awhile that day, too!

Chad had to work after that and I spent a lazy day with the kids when Mom headed home. It wasn't my ideal birthday, but who can complain? We had so much going on that week and the weeks following that I think I was happy to just relax a bit. (I have so much fun stuff to share from the recent weeks, but that will come soon.)

So, on the weekend of my birthday, I had plans. (BIG plans like....being in a music video! Post on that coming soon, as well.) We had no plans for celebrating my birthday that weekend though, which is rare for me since I will usually plan my own party. But, while I was gone & busy with my fun weekend with people other than my family, Chad and the kids came up with this masterpiece. 

I will tell you right now that when the first few notes of the song started along with my babies' faces, I immediately teared up and the tears just started pouring. I was able to look past the hilarious bow placement in Maggie's hair and the fact that Chad let her wear those pajamas all day long (have I told you how much I can't stand character clothing?) because this was real life. It is a real life movie, made just for me. I wouldn't trade it for any material gift. It is the sweetest thing I've seen in a long time and was just the gift that this Mama needed. 

I am a lucky girl. 

And my kids are lucky to have a dad like Chad, with his his sense of humor and his love for these kids and myself. 

I hope you enjoy! 

(Pssst. If you're reading in an email, you will have to actually open up my blog to watch the link and you don't want to miss the best music video ever. Everyone - when you click the "Play" button, immediately hit it again to pause the video. Give it some time to load and then watch it so it doesn't jump around. Trust me. There's an entire message you'll want to see.) Thanks!

On another note, I am remembering a dear best friend today that lost her life too early, many years ago. I have a post planned for that with some fond memories, but I couldn't do two sad ones in a row on here, so I'm breaking it up with this happy little post instead. :)

Magdalen's 2 Year Birthday Party {Vintage Cowgirl}

I'm so happy to finally be posting the photos from Miss Magdalen's party!!! : ) Wheeeeee!

I knew I would finish going through every last one eventually, but wow...there were so many good ones it was hard to narrow it down for this post. I'll most likely post more on my FB page, especially the really good ones of Maggie's friends. I tried to keep this post specifically about her and the theme. Oh...and my friends, since these things would never happen without them letting their little ones join us. ; )

I combined a lot of these into collages, just because it seems to make the scrolling through a bit easier. Even a photo-lover like myself can get tired of photo after photo after photo....

Having said that, I'm ready to share!

Maggie and her Daddy were all ready to greet guests as they arrived at the door. She knew it was her party, since she saw the huge banner on the wall when she woke up that morning. I could tell she was extremely excited, but not quite sure what to do as people arrived. But trust me...as she saw each familiar face and little friends come through the door, she quickly warmed up to the party idea. ; ) (A bit like her mother, maybe?)

The inspiration for her party came simply. I am nuts about party planning as it is, so I'm constantly perusing party sites online. (Constantly. Even when I'm not planning a party.) One of my favorites over the past year or two has been The Tomkat Studio. The lady behind this amazing printable shop is Kim and she is running a totally fabulous business. I love printables when needed. They are easy for me to work with and the girls that work for/with her were WONDERFUL. I have so many future party ideas up my sleeves for these kiddos, just because of the inspiration from Kim's company! Remember how I'm a procrastinator? Well, I forgot to check the lead time on ordering my personalized printables and when I went to order, there was no time to receive them before the party. I contacted the ladies there and they were so amazing. They worked quickly and did a rush-rush order for me. I was pleasantly surprised! : ) A lot of companies would have just said "Sorry!" You can see Magdalen's invite here.

The Chicken Salad & Peanut Butter with Jelly signs on the wooden sandwich crates below were some of the printables from the Vintage Cowgirl collection. Perfection. I wanted NO bandana print anywhere in this decorating scheme and with this I was able to pull it off.

I used my 2-tiered fruit basket as a veggie & dip holder with a tag saying "FEED" clipped on. 

Weeks in advance, I purchased 2 boxes of clementines at the grocery store and saved the wooden crates they sold them in for the sandwiches we served. Perfect size! I just lined them each with an old soft flannel piece of fabric for the vintage cowgirl look.

I don't enjoy using paper dishes, plastic silverware, or paper cups at parties. Sometimes I have no choice, as in Maddox's party which you'll see photos of soon, but I try to reuse as much as possible. So, even though it's a 2 year old party, they had real plates. I chose my set of worn in, off-white, grooved dishes for them to use. They are pretty sturdy and worked perfectly. 

We served Izze Clementine & Black Cherry flavored sodas and IBC Root Beers. 

One of my favorite purchases was the little cow creamer I used to hold a flower on the table. It is truly a vintage piece I purchased from Alice's Looking Glass on Etsy for about $5. You can see it in the middle picture above. I will always save that for Magdalen. 

My girl is not a shy little lady. Here she is hamming it up for the camera as our neighbor, Les, was clicking away. I totally cracked up when I saw the series of photos this one was in of her eating her apple. She just kept getting closer and closer to the lens. Poker face is what I call her. ; )

Another wonderful idea I snagged off the internet was the "Cowgirl Cookie" favors from Bakerella. Love her!! I used her cake pops for Maggie's 1st party last year and also Maddox's party this year in February. You can't go wrong. Um...unless you don't prepare and you actually do it wrong.

Above, I caught Miss Maggie stealing a Cowgirl Cookie that I had already made off the dessert table. She paused for half a second when she saw me looking, but then kept on walking as if "whatever". It's her party...she can eat if she wants to. ; )

The Cowgirl Cookie favors with pink M&Ms were a huge hit! And they were so stinking adorable all lined up with the twine and cute pink striped fabric on top. The tags on each jar were a free printable from Bakerella herself. Perfect!

I haven't had a store-bought cake at a birthday party since Maddox's 3rd birthday party. Magdalen was 4 weeks old, so I gave myself a break that year. I love a homemade cake! And I love the simplicity of the flavors and the look. I have been known to make a crazy cake or two for a party, but this year was not the case. 

I knew I wanted a cake bunting on top since I first started planning this party, but I didn't have the cake in mind until I saw the little wooden girl holding the Birthday Girl sign. As soon as I found that and purchased it, I knew what I wanted. I made my own bunting with paper, instead of fabric. I was in a hurry and had the correct prints on paper. 

I wanted a 3 layer small cake with a light, moist fruity texture and white or light icing. My friend, Amanda Reeves, came through for me. : ) She gave me the recipe for Pineapple-Orange Delight Cake and it was SO GOOD. And perfect for what I wanted. I love how the cake turned out. Exactly what I had envisioned for my baby girl. 

Maddox is precious with Sister. He was just as excited about her birthday as I was! He helped me carry the cake to her for blowing out her candles and stood by her side the entire time. And when I said "Maddox, would you like to start the Happy Birthday song?" he didn't miss a beat. He led that song like a little pro. He was so proud of her and it melted my heart. Here he is leading out in song....and then helping her with one last faraway puff so she thought that she had blown her candles all by herself. Sweet, sweet brother and sister!

Now don't go thinking that I came up with all of these ideas by myself. 

I didn't. I just love to execute them and then put my own spin on the rest of the details. Plus, I have no time with 4 solid weekends of Christmas guests right before this poor child's party. I do what I can. 

The banner I used for Maggie, I bought from Vistaprint. I had never gotten a banner from them before, but I was honestly impressed with the quality! It was vinyl, not photo paper, and she can have this forever. It reads - WANTED for crimes including: mischievous grins, wild child antics, & sneakiest sister. I got this idea and styled it after the one in THIS post. I just changed the words to match Maggie-girl specifically. I took the picture the day after she turned two, in our backyard. 

My partner in crime for major party overhaul is Rebecca Larson. She and I can get a little out of hand with all the details, but we LOVE it. She never thinks I'm crazy and she knows she can always call me with her outrageous ideas and I will love them. It is so nice to be close to someone I've known for the majority of my life. No explaining pasts is needed. She is one of the most caring people I've ever known and I'm so thankful to call her one of my best friends, and that my kids can call her kids the same. 

Mom has been there for almost every single party, up until the wee hours of the morning the night before, helping me with my crazy ideas. It's the last minute way that I work and thrive that makes her roll her eyes, but she loves these kids so much she never says No. ; ) Thanks, Mom!!!!!

As I said earlier, these parties would not be what I imagined without the friends that show up. I have been so blessed to become a part of such a wonderful group of girls here in my life. We are lucky to all have children that are best buddies with either Maddox or Maggie or BOTH. We have become so close while doing Bible study meetings together each week, Sabbath School classes together, and playgroups together. I would not have such a full life today without all of these ladies who are constantly encouraging me as a mother and wife. 

From Left to Right: Gissela Kroll, Jessica Korzyniowski, Rebekah Davis, (Gissela), (Jessica), Ashlie Wright, Rebecca Larson, me, Anne Andrus (my wonderful neighbor & friend)

I had to include this photo of Jessica. She was so carefully perched on the edge of the windowsill in our sunroom where the party was held...and she's like 6 or 7 months pregnant here. It is such a great photo, and perfect example of her contagious smile & laughter as she totes around Baby #2, that I had to share it. 

I let Maddox invite his die-hard friend and neighbor, Lillybeth, to Maggie's party. I have a feeling she'll be a re-occurring character through his life. They've been buddies since they were under 2 years old and they fight like cats & dogs, but they love each other dearly. They are definitely fixtures in each other's lives, almost like siblings. I love this set of them together so much, it makes me laugh out loud! Haha! Their personalities are totally shining through here. 

My not-so-baby-girl, Magdalen Leigh.

Maggie really came through at this party with the expressions and hamming it up. I was totally shocked. She usually has such a solemn face and won't let others know what she's thinking, but she was a riot at the party. Here she is checking out her personalized "I'm 2" shirt with her initials on it from Heather Jamieson, trying on the adorable knit hat and scarf that Rebekah Davis made her, doing a surprise face at the book that came with it, and then licking the pretend wooden ice cream that Anne Andrus gave her. I was cracking up at her! She was LOVING the attention and I had never seen her like that before. 

Chad and I gave her a first American Girl Bitty Baby for her birthday that day. We had it all set up with a pram stroller, clothes, and a diaper bag. She took to it immediately and I was so excited! We have changed many, many pretend diapers since then. ; )

Showing Papaw Steve how to tuck the baby in the stroller. She was so proud of that baby!

All the 2 year olds and Maddox. If only you could have seen the song and dance routine in Portuguese that Gissela was putting on for them just to try and get this shot. I was dying! And, oh...we have it on video. Hahaha!!

After the party, Maggie was playing Ring Around the Rosie with Lillybeth and Macey. I snuck into the living room and took a few photos, not expecting to get anything good. And I ended up with one of my favorite shots of the day. I'm excited to (someday when I get around to it) blowing this up onto a canvas for her bedroom. 

My perfect, little, silly, prankster, mischievous girl. Growing too fast, as usual. 

(If you're wondering about Maggie's shirt for the party, I bought it from Oh Fiddlesticks! on Etsy.com. On the front is a Cow picture + a vintage Girl picture. Get it? Cow + Girl. On the back, which you saw in the earlier photo, it actually says Cowgirl. I love this t-shirt and have purchased another style of t-shirt from them for Maddox. He has the Bowtie/Moustache t-shirt that they make and loves it! Highly recommend! Skirt from Children's Place. Black cowgirl boots from Target.)

Stay tuned for photos from Maddox's 5th Birthday Party later this week! 

These Boots Were Made For Walkin'...

So I'm being bombarded for requests of photos from Miss Magdalen's 2nd Birthday Party. I never really shared anything about it because I love the suspense of guests not knowing what the theme is until they receive their invite. : )

(That is...most of the time. Maddox's upcoming February party is Legos. Big Surprise, huh?)

I totally stole the idea from one of the queens of party ideas - Kim at The TomKat Studio. I love her and pretty much everything she does on her blog and in her Etsy store. So fun!!

So, I'll share the invite with you now and hopefully wade through the over-550-photos later this week. I know, I know...you want to see it. I am definitely a person who takes pride in her parties and gets so excited to look at the details and see the honoree's face when they see it all. It makes my heart swell with happiness. Without further talk, here's the queen in all her sassiness. ; )

{photo by me; invite by The TomKat Studio}

More photos coming soon! Promise. ; )