Daddy Daughter Dance

 

I can't express just how much joy this picture brings me!  This is the third year Lauren has attended the Daddy Daughter Dance... and the third time she has taken John as her date.  It is so cute to watch how the two of them interact as they get ready and later recount the night's events.  Divorce leaves a giant hole; one caused by no longer getting to witness the bond between your child and the other parent.  I honestly think that's been the hardest aspect of divorce for me; knowing that no matter how much a step-parent loves your child, you will never truly share the same feelings that come from watching their birth, milestones and disappointments.  Anyway, back to the dance.  This year was a special one, because Lauren was able to be accompanied by both John and Mark.  She was one lucky girl!

The Simple Life

Obviously our weekends with four kids at home are chaotic and noisy, but I wouldn't trade the time we have with them for anything.  This weekend we decided while staring out the window at the winter wonderland that has consumed us that we wanted to do something summer-like.  We decided on indoor camping!  We pitched Max's tent for the kids to chill in and lined the living room with the kids' mattresses. 

It was fun but relaxing enjoying the fireplace while watching The Lorax and Holes.  We even roasted marshmallows and made smores.  The kids were geeked to have a slumber party... but going to sleep later than usual and waking up earlier than usual has resulted in slightly cranky kids.  I guess a little fun comes with a price! Lol

I saw a recipe for buttermilk pancakes on Facebook yesterday that claimed to be just as good as Cracker Barrel's.  I figured it was worth a shot and took a crack at them this morning while John made scrambled eggs and bacon.  Since I've seen a million posts on Pinterest for bacon pancakes, I went ahead and made one for each of the kids.  It's not my thing but they really seemed to enjoy them!  Oh... and while the pancakes were quite yummy they didn't even come close to Cracker Barrel's. ;)

Here's to making the best of what's left of the weekend.  Hope yours is great too!

Variety is the spice of life!

For those that don't know my husband very well... he's a very picky eater.  I love him to death but boy do I miss being creative and man do I get tired of the same ole same ole.  I finally sat him in front of Pinterest (I'm sure he was thrilled at the thought LOL) and asked him to look at pictures to see if anything sounded good.  Trying new things the past couple weeks has been so much fun and I'm thrilled that he's liked most everything.

 

Beef Enchiladas

This was the first recipe we tried off of Pinterest.  I was beaming that night as John, Zack, Lauren and Max all raved about how awesome it was.  Trying to please a family of six isn't easy, so I felt successful that only one of the four kids didn't like what I made. LOL  The best part about this recipe is its ease. Check out the recipe here.

 

 

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas 

After being naughty for a couple months after the wedding, I decided it was time to start eating healthier and John seemed excited about a recipe for chicken fajitas that just so happened to be healthy and my favorite... made in a crockpot.  With life as hectic as it is, I love throwing stuff in a crockpot before work and knowing that dinner will essentially be done when I get home.  If I made this recipe again, which I'm sure I will, I would use less onions for my crew but they were awesome.  Check out the recipe here.

 

Zoe



So... anyone that knows me well knows I am allergic to dogs and have never really been all that interested in owning one.  My family has been asking me for a puppy for YEARS now.  My response has always been, "No!"  Who knows if it was the great deal of love I have for John and the kids or sheer stupidity, but I finally decided to surprise John with the fact that I had changed my mind last weekend.  I'll just blame it on my mom and Danielle, since they helped persuade me on our IKEA shopping trip.  I bought a collar and a leash and brought it home from girls weekend.  I don't think John really understood what I was trying to say, as I'm sure he NEVER thought I'd cave.  Since I was the one "sacrificing" per se, I told him that we were getting a miniature dachshund, seeing as how I'd always wanted one.  I spent the next couple of days looking for local breeders and scheduled an appointment in Jackson on Thursday.  In the meantime, we all did our due diligence and researched the breed.  Much to my dismay, miniature dachshunds aren't known for being good with kids.  They don't have a lot of patience and usually connect with one person and refuse to interact with anyone else.  Wednesday morning, I decided that we needed to pick another breed that would be better suited for our family.  I looked up "top dog breeds for kids" and immediately decided on a beagle.  I had two beagle mixes growing up and loved them SO very much! 

 

Moments later, I was staring at a picture of a litter in Benton Harbor and fell in love. After seeing miniature dachshund prices of $500-$1,000, I was pleasantly surprised by the $175 price tag. I called the breeder in hopes of scheduling an appointment for Thursday to replace the one we had planned on going to in Jackson. I quickly learned that several people were visiting that evening and freaked out that someone might take "my" puppy. Lol I called my mom and talked her into a road trip (not that it took any convincing in this case). Once my dad caught wind, he cut out of work early and tagged along. I fell in love with the entire litter the moment I saw them... so did my parents! :) One puppy stood out though and really pulled at my heartstrings. When I picked her up and she nuzzled her head right under my neck, I knew she was "the one." 

We took her to Hudsonville that evening in order to surprise the boys.  They were so excited!  Zack and Lauren finally got to meet her on Friday.  They were both in utter shock and awe.  Lauren was excited, but Zack was beside himself.  He couldn't believe that Mom actually let him get a dog!  Zoe has been a really good puppy.  The whole thing is new to me, so I'm a bit worn out. Lol  Nighttime potty breaks aren't as time consuming as newborn feedings, but having to keep an eye on her at all times is exhausting.  I'd consider doggy diapers if it weren't so counterproductive! Lol

Invitations

While I just said that deciding on a photographer was probably the hardest part of the wedding planning process thus far, picking out our invitations trumped that.  I received a ton of samples from various companies but struggled with finding just the right one.  I wanted something fun and funky; John wanted something simple.  While he told me to find something that appealed to me, I finally decided that the price tag on fun and funky wasn't necessary considering they will simply find their way to the trash. 

I found a simple invitation from David's Bridal in order to match our color scheme and ordered them last night.  Deciding on wording and proofreading multiple times to make sure I didn't make any mistakes was stressful! LOL

Vendors

I am almost done booking all of the vendors for our wedding.  With only three months until the big day, that's a huge relief.

 

Catering

 

In order to make the day go smoother, we chose to use Bill at the Springfield Farmer's Market as our caterer.  While he runs Bill's Hot Dog Factory, his catering business is called It's All About The Food.  We are in the process of finalizing our menu, but at this time it consists of pulled pork sandwiches (one of my all time favorites), beef brisket, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, fresh fruit and cornbread.  We want the reception to feel like a casual backyard barbecue!

 

Photography

 

I just decided on and booked our photographer last night.  It was probably the hardest decision I've had to make during the wedding planning process.  We are working on a small budget but having professional pictures to enjoy years down the road is important.  I had individuals that are just starting out recommended to me that ranged from $400-500.  While I was a huge fan of the price, I just wasn't willing to risk it.  In the end, I chose www.colinhowephoto.com.  He was a vendor at the Wiser Productions Bridal Show in January, and I was impressed the moment we spoke.  After adjusting to the $1,100 price tag, I am extremely excited to see how his vision for our photos turns out.

 

Music

 

I was lucky enough to book a DJ that has been a part of my family since I was young.  While divorce meant he was technically no longer my uncle, I have never considered him to be anything but.  Now for the fun of creating a song list...

 

So what's left?  A baker!  I have a cake consultation at Bert's Bakery tomorrow, and I'm confident that I will be settling on them by the end of the day.  I fell in love with their almond poppy cake at the bridal show and can't wait to try their other cakes.

Ceremony and Reception Venue

I have selected the Springfield Farmer's Market for my ceremony and reception venue.  Weather permitting, the ceremony will take place directly behind the market in Begg Park. 

 

 

I envisioned decorating the pavilion with watermelon, pink and white paper lanterns or tissue pom poms.  These pages from the latest Invitations by Dawn catalog bring my vision to life!  The chairs provided by the market aren't for outdoor use, so I will need to rent them and have some decisions to make regarding what I want. 

 

 



I have always loved gerber daisies and am very excited about incorporating them into our summer wedding.  The bridal bouquets will consist of daisies as well as the table centerpieces. 

I still have LOTS of planning to do in terms of decorations, but I feel we have a good start.