Time to catch up....

So much has happened in the last few weeks and I want to share all of that here.

I will try to start in order and make my way through the list of things I want to remember.

It has been a really busy season for us and we are hoping that with Christmas right around the corner it will start to slow down.

so here is my list

1. I catered a wedding! It was a great success! Very stressful as there are soooo many details to be looked after. In all everything went very smoothly, and we pulled it off without a hitch. I had an organized team of 10 ladies to help me. It was a grueling 4 days. But I could not have done it

with out their hard work. I also catered the rehearsal dinner.

here is the menu for these 2 events

Rehearsal dinner:

Spaghetti marinara

Spaghetti sausage marinara

spaghetti alfredo

grilled chicken

ceasar salad

garlic bread

Ice cream with hot fudge and a cookie

Reception:

appetizers~

mini pigs in blanket

cheese skewers

fruit skewers

shrimp cocktail

caprese sticks

baby dill pickles

mini quiches

Dinner buffet:

harvest salad with Dried cranberries, pears, candied pecans, and citrus vinaigrette

wild rice pilaf

roasted red potatoes with rosemary and olive oil

green beans with almonds and bacon

cider glazed pork medallions

chicken cordon bleu

bread rolls

herbed butter

cinnamon butter

Dessert buffet:

Brownie bites with butter cream icing

chocolate dipped strawberries

mini cheesecakes

fruit skewers

wedding cake

wedding favors:

my homemade peanut butter cups

2. Last week when I went to my ladies bible study I was told I had a surprise!

This very, very, special group of women, had something for me that I never would have imagined in a million years. They presented me with a box and inside this box was a dress. But not just any ordinary dress. It is the dress I get to walk down the aisle in when I renew my wedding vows to my husband in 12 days. I can't tell you how much I was dreading shopping for a dress. A few months ago I found one I liked and thought that it would be perfect for the occasion. However I would never spend that kind of money on a dress so I put it back. My best friend got together with the ladies of the church and they surprised me with this very dress. It will be altogether different wearing this dress. Than if I had just went out and purchased one.

This way I will feel as if those beautiful women are walking with me down the aisle.

I think this is the most special gift I have ever received!

3. Last week Justin and I went down and got our tattoos. We had been planning this for about 8 months. We knew we had to do this during the Thanksgiving holiday to give Justin time to heal before going back to work. Justin does not wear a wedding band due to the nature of his work.

we thought that it would be a perfect solution to get wedding band tattoos. So for our 15th wedding anniversary instead of exchanging rings when we renew our vows, we got tattooed!

4. Thanksgiving was a really nice affair. We had dinner over at Justin's brother's house with family from out of town joining us. Everyone was so kind, I pretty much was just allowed to sit and do nothing and all they let me bring was a pumpkin pie! So I had to spice up the cool whip by stirring in some cinnamon. Also Elyssa and I made some sugar cookies as place cards for the dinner table. After dinner we went to see my best friend's new house and have dessert. I had been so consumed by the wedding and they had just got the keys to start moving in during the weekend of the wedding. I was so bummed that I didn't get to help her move in! Her home is gorgeous and it fits her perfectly! I am so happy for them!!!!

5. I hosted dinner at my house the night after Thanksgiving, Everyone brought some sort of leftovers from the day before. I made stuffed mushrooms, and cream cheese wontons. The wontons were a hit. We devoured about 50 of them in 10 minutes. They were super simple and delicious! After dinner we played cards there were 4 couples and we had a great time. The kids were playing very good together as well. It was very nice to have adult conversation and play some games.

6.Saturday my mom hosted her Thanksgiving dinner. It was really nice very laid back and yummy! I was still trying to get rested up from the previous weekend. So we called it an early night and went home to veg out in front of the tv. Elyssa was also exhausted from all of the recent events and she needed to go home to bed.

7. I have recently introduced my kids to Star Trek the Next Generation. They LOVE it. We watched part of season 2 in the last few weeks. We can't get enough. Justin thinks I am a nerd. I am sure of it.

8. I am still trying to prepare for our ceremony. 10 days away and I have so much to do, to get ready. Fortunately we all have our clothes ready for that day. I have 2 of the most fabulous decorators in the whole world, working with me. Just details to attend to... I wrote my vows last night, I am a slacker, Justin had his done over a week ago.

so glad you could stop by for a bit and catch up with us!

New sign

Recently I had the privilege of going to the Family Christmas Gift Show at the Southtowne Expo Center. We had a very good time shopping and enjoying each others company. My most favorite thing at the show was the sign below.

I fell in love again. It is the most perfect thing for our family during the holiday season. It echos our sentiments exactly.

So I ran right up to the lady and told her, "I want that! That one right there is going home with me!!!" She was great she took it down off the wall and I made my purchase and walked around the rest of the exhibits with a great big smile. I have already put it out on display!

Today's post from heyrachiekae.com

This was my post from today, I guest blog on Wednesdays at www.heyrachiekae.com

This is Miss Cheva's Beef Stroganoff....

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Well it's time to get your crockpot out and let it work for you! Today I am going to post my Mother in-law's Beef Stroganoff. This is a tasty treat, and my kids absolutely love it. It is one of my most favorite comfort foods. The best part is, how easy it is to prepare!!!! That makes me happy.
I serve this with a green salad, and a loaf of french bread, and call it good. Prep time is less than 10 minutes in the morning, and then you have about 10-15 minutes of prep before serving.

Easy Beef Stroganoff
1 package beef stew meat (fresh or frozen)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper
8 oz. sour cream
egg noodles cooked

Turn crockpot on low setting if you will be gone all day and then load in the meat and soup, no need to stir....add about 1/2 cup water, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover and let cook all day long. Before serving cook egg noodles and drain, set aside. Stir sour cream into the mixture in the crockpot, serve over hot noodles.Don't forget the salad and the french bread to round out this meal.

I love the rich wonderful taste this recipe delivers...perfect for a busy fall evening!
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stacey

Our Favorite Picture

Elyssa has snapped a few more pics and we have counted these ones as our new favorites. Every time we see them we laugh really hard.

Last week I walked outside to hear a horrible meowing sound. I decided to check it out and found a young cat. I think perhaps she might have been very hungry. Eyssa walked right up to her and picked her up. She was a gorgeous sleek gray with a really cool tail. We put her in our spare dog kenel and gave her some food (tuna) and water. After the cat ate she started howling and making a ruckus. I called animal control so they could find her a good home. She was young and had sweet disposition and was very adoptable. Before the shelter people could get here, Elyssa started taking pictures.

ENJOY!!!

Time to get all caught up....

Well it has been awhile since I posted anything of real substance... and I feel like I have been caught up in a tornado of activity and it is only going to get worse!

Since I am making time to blog I thought that I would post some pics and some updates!

First of all Fall is here and we have finished harvesting the garden for the most part. What is left are the tomato bushes left to wither after the frost. Hopefully one of us will have some time to go and pull those out before it snows. Our grand total for our garden harvests this year: 273 lbs. 3oz. That does not include the 5 pumpkins or the giant snake melon we found hidden against the fence. This melon was about 5 ft long and weighed close to 15 lbs. we estimated. This total does not include the crate of green tomatoes I harvested and put in the garage. Keeping a record of all our harvests was a project we have decided to do for school. And it has been fun!

Justin and I went on a motorcycle ride up to Alpine loop. We made a day of it with his brother and sister in law. We stopped and had lunch on the way home at Iceberg. The scenery was gorgeous and it was the absolute best week to see the colors. I realize in this picture I am not wearing a helmet.... I don't wear a helmet and I am OK with that, but most people are not. I have surrendered myself, my husband and my children to the Lord! This leaves me at peace.

But don't look at the fact that I am not wearing a helmet look at the gorgeous colors we got to enjoy!

Justin left to go hunting in early October. I cry horribly when he leaves, this time of year makes me crazy until the hunt is over. This year was different though, I was talking with a friend and "abandonment issues" came up in the converstion. This was a wake up call!!!!! All of a sudden I realized what my problem was. And that day, about a week before the hunt, I started giving that over to GOD. I am happy to report that I did not cry this year!!!! That is such a victory for me.

Here is a photo of the happy hunters.

Justin's dad, Justin, and Rick (Justin's BIL)

Justin shot both of the elk.

The really cool story here is, Rick's 7 yr.old, Micah asked to talk to Justin one night on the phone during the hunt. He told Justin he was going to pray that Justin would be able to shoot his elk the next morning. And guess what? Not only did he shoot 1 he shot 2. I think it is so great that a young child can see that GOD answers his prayers!

While Justin was gone I decided I needed to paint something else in the house!

So I painted our bedroom ceiling, closet doors, door trim and window ledge....Purple! Yes, purple. It is a delightful muted shade that is a little dusky and a bit cozy maybe even romantic. I found some shutter closet doors that have been in our laundry room since we moved in. They were white and I took some burt umber paint to them and distressed them. Then I bought 2 new lamps one for each side of our bed. Also a few weeks ago I purchased a sign that says "always kiss me goodnight" it matched perfectly!!!! I now just need to get the bedding to match and some decent night stands and maybe a nice dresser.

eventually these doors will be turned on their sides and used more as a headboard right above our bed. but until then this is where they stand...
Total cost of make over so far.

paint ................................. $12.00

lamps 2 @ $7.49 each ......$14.98

brushes, rollers etc............ $10.00

burnt umber paint.............$ 2.91

Sign ....................................$ 2.00

shutter doors ......................Free

grand total...........................$41.89

Lastly but certainly not least...Just most recently.

Our little Ashton needed to have glasses, he could not see so well.

He has been such a great sport about it too! He has been excited!!!

His most important discovey with his new eyes...."Watching tv is like watching in High Def now!!!!"

I hope to blog more frequently mid December! Until then it may be a bit sporadic, I am hosting our 3rd annual pumpkin carving party this weekend, helping with a bridal shower next weekend, catering a wedding just before Thanksgiving, homeschooling the kids, and renewing my vows with my husband in early December. All in the midst of the holidays!!! You can check me out on www.Heyrachiekae.com . I will be guest blogging on Wednesdays sharing recipes and kitchen tips....

Love to you all my friends

thanks for dropping by,

Stacey

U of U Kitchen Towel

So I posted last week that my mom was making these towels. And while we were out shopping this weekend I convinced her she needed to make this one.

It is up for grabs and I can ship it tomorrow if you want it!

$12.50 includes the shipping. I think it would be the perfect hostess gift for the next game!

Thursday Give Away at Heyrachiekay

Yesterday started the giveaways at

http://www.heyrachiekae.com/

The give away is a really cute pendant. It is a Sterling silver tag stamped with a Jesus fish and a gemstone. They are cute. Go on over and check it out. First click on my link to Hey rachie kae, then read through her instructions to enter the contest....(you will need to click on her post title for the giveaway which will take you to the site of annas jewelry, choose yor favorite item, and then comment back on rachie kae's blog to enter. It is that simple! the contest is still open!!! Hurry!!!!