A Walk Down Memory Lane - Our First House

Grant and I have been together forever! We met as teenagers, we married young, and we moved into our first house while our friends were still living in dorms. It wasn't the perfect house - actually, our parents HATED it at first - but it served us well!

A few weeks ago, we took on the task of cleaning out from under our king size bed. It involves moving the mattress and box springs, so it isn't something we do often. We ended up finding a big box of old pictures, and we've been having so much fun going through them with our kids! I started sharing one old picture each week on Instagram for Throwback Thursday, and I thought it would be fun to make it a regular series on my blog, too. Just one picture, with the story behind it, every Thursday!

Just a few nights ago, after the lights went out, I found myself in tears thinking about my grandma. On February 18th, it will have been 20 years since she passed away. I have lived my life longer without her than I lived with her, but I still miss her so much. I was too young to think to ask the important questions about her life, so everything I know about her history comes from other people. I just kept thinking how I would love to go back for just one day, and ask her all the questions I didn't think to ask while she was here...and give her one last hug and tell her thank you for loving me so fiercely. Although this blog is part business, I also want to share these stories so my children and grandchildren can read through them one day, and know that these stories came directly from me! So let's kick it off with our first house...

I Am Loved - Our Love Story

This post is sponsored by Helzberg Diamonds but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I AM LOVED. 

We met in the Garden of Eden. He was Adam, and I was Eve. We were just teenagers, but that was the beginning of our love story, which has already spanned 20 years!

Grant and I were still kids when we were cast as the leads in The Apple Tree. We started dating while we were rehearsing the musical, and we fell in love. We married young, and many people thought it was just a fling. I'm absolutely certain that some of the people who loved us had their doubts, and thought we would fail.

A year of marriage turned into two...then three...then four. Shortly after our 4th wedding anniversary, we bought our first house and had our first child. While all of our friends were going to college and starting their careers, we were new parents, who were creating a home for our little family.

The 15 Absolute Best Netflix Originals of 2017

This post is sponsored by Netflix. I am a member of the Netflix StreamTeam, and receive service and promotional items in exchange for my review.

I can hardly believe that it's the end of 2017! Is it just me or was it the fastest year EVER?!? I sure hope 2018 goes by a bit more slowly!

Our fastest year ever was also the busiest year for my family. Even though there wasn't much free time, we still managed to make our Netflix Date Nights and Family Movie Nights a regular priority. And throughout 2017, we continued to watch our tried and true favorites, and also discovered a few new shows to add to the rotation!

How To Live In The Now With Your Spouse AND Save For Your Future

My husband and I don't get out much for date night! With four children to raise, including one who has special needs, there's never enough time, and we can always think of so many ways that the money could be better spent. Date nights only occur 4-5 times a year for us, and truthfully, that's not ideal. We NEED to be able to briefly escape from our children to reconnect as a married couple more often. Being able to live in the now is every bit as important as saving for our future!

A Few Of My Favorite Things: End Of Summer Edition

DISCLOSURE: I received several of the items below free for review, but loved them so much that they made it into my favorites list!

Happy Monday, my friends! I spent the past week fighting off a nasty migraine each day, so that's why I've been MIA. Thankfully, the pain has decreased to a dull ache, which means I can actually function. I figured I would ease my way back into a full blogging schedule by sharing a few of my favorite things!

I don't know about you, but I can't believe Summer is coming to an end. I'm feeling very sad about it! Technically we still have over a week left of Summer, but the kids have been back in school since August 24th, and it's starting to FEEL like Fall. Although the afternoons warm up, and we typically have temperatures in the seventies, mornings and evenings are cool. Yesterday morning we actually had to turn on the electric fireplace in our living room!

So without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things that I'm loving right now!

Mom Love Fellowship

Just before Summer began, I signed up with Little Dove Blog to participate in the Summer Mom Love Fellowship. My partner for the Summer was Courtney! Last week, Courtney sent me a sweet care package. I have plans to wear those earrings this week for Moms Night Out, and I'm excited to try the Rodan + Fields samples that she included!

Flats

After a Summer of sandals and flip-flops, I'm starting to wear flats again. I rarely shop at Walmart, but I scored these on clearance for $3! I spotted them as I was walking through the store, and these ones (and a pink pair) ended up in my cart. They match everything, and I seriously couldn't pass them up for that price!

TotLogic Products

I am always on the lookout for great, natural products for my kids. Logic Products sent over two products from their TotLogic line for us to try! TotLogic products are gentle and non-toxic. The products are free of sulfates, phthalates, and parabens (to name a few).

I love the 2-in-1 Wash & Shampoo for Liam. It is gentle on his sensitive skin and has a very light scent.

While we were at the beach, we also used TotLogic sunscreen on Lily and Liam. The natural zinc oxide formula is SPF 30 and water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Not only did it protect their skin from the harmful rays, but it also kept their skin moisturized!

Currently Reading

I branched off from the type of books that I usually read to try The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey. I like it more than I expected, and I'm almost finished! If you are a fan of The Walking Dead or Fear The Walking Dead, this is a must read. But even if you're not, it's still really interesting!

And while you're at it, buy a Bubba cup! It keeps my drink cold for HOURS.

Halloween Attire

Trendy Bubs has some adorable Halloween attire this year!!! Too soon? I think not! As always, use the code liamff to save 20% at checkout.

{Leggings & Hat - Trendy Bubs / Shirt - Target / Shoes - H&M}

Bunny Love

Last week, I shared my new baby bunny, Arya. She has been with us a little over a week and is settling in nicely. Arctic, who is completely separated from all of her babies, happily took over mothering this little one! (They are big fans of Liam's new train set. I'm not even kidding. Arya climbs the tracks and Arctic pushes the balls around!)

Lovebug Probiotics

I am a fairly new probiotics user, but I am loving the line from lovebug probiotics. With lovebug probiotics, you are able to choose your plan, so everything you want is delivered to your door each month.

Now that my kids are back in school and cold season is approaching, I am a big fan of Colds Suck. Three of my kids already fell victim to the back to school cold, so I am taking Colds Suck each day! Lovebug Probiotics also offer products for kids. I can't wait to try them for Liam, who has a delicate digestive system!

Clutch Love

A dear friend of mine bought me the sweetest gift! I think he felt bad for me after watching me haul my 20 pound purse around. I keep this beautiful baby in my purse, filled with all the necessities, and take it out when I go somewhere alone (or into a store alone). It isn't often, but when I'm without kids, it's nice to leave my gigantic purse behind!

Perfectly Posh

I was recently introduced to the Perfectly Posh brand! Perfectly Posh pampering products are naturally based and made in the USA using sustainably sourced, cruelty-free ingredients. Everything is free of phthalates, parabens, paraffins, and soy-gluten and there are many vegan options as well. Jordan, who is a fellow rockin' mama (she also has a child who is rocking an extra chromosome), sent me two products to try.

The My Hands Are Thaied hand creme leaves my hands feeling so soft, and I absolutely love the scent! This hand creme is richer than many others I have tried, but absorbs into the skin quickly, and leaves my hands feeling hydrated.

When I put on the Hot and Gold face mask, my girls couldn't stop looking at my face. They loved the gold shimmer! I loved the fact that the mask didn't make my skin feel tight, cold or uncomfortable while I was wearing it, which is why I tend to avoid masks. It just felt nice, and it left my skin with a soft glow after I washed it off!

To browse these products in Jordan's shop, click HERE! You can also join her VIP Facebook Group!

Soccer Mom

I am officially a soccer mom! Haha! My sweet Lexie decided she wanted to play soccer, and that landed her on a travel team with girls who have been playing for 4-5 years. We were worried about how she would do, but she loves it!

Lexie's first game was on Sunday. Her coach originally said she would sit on the bench for the entire game to observe, but she ended up on the field for half of the game and even had control of the ball several times.

Lexie is fast and has the endurance. Once she understands the rules of the game, I have a feeling she's going to be fierce on that field!

Mug Love

I recently added another mug to my collection! (Can't stop, won't stop!) It was on clearance at Cracker Barrel and I couldn't pass it up!

Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Mat Section Plate

Even though Liam is 4, he still likes to toss his plate if you don't take it from him fast enough when he's done. Suction tableware is officially my best friend! From plates to bowls, we have it all. A recent addition to Liam's meals is the Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Mat Bear Character Section Plate.

This 100% silicone section plate sticks to flat, smooth surfaces. It's perfect for kids 6 months and up, and is safe because it is BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free. It wipes clean easily, and is also dishwasher AND microwave safe!

The section plate is perfect for picky kids who don't like their food to touch! Liam is a big fan of the bear shape. Using the Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Mat Section Plate eliminated messes for me to clean up, and makes mealtime more fun!

(Available at Babies R Us)

Connect with Nuby:

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17 Years

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that Grant and I celebrated 17 years of marriage on Saturday! We were teenagers when we started dating, and we were married young, so it truly feels like we've been together forever!

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Sep 9, 2017 at 9:49pm PDT

For our anniversary, we escaped from the kids for a few hours to go out to dinner, then we all went to watch our township's community day fireworks (which were AMAZING) together as a family!

A sweet family member gifted us with a thoughtful present for our anniversary. It just serves as a reminder of just how much we have accomplished in 17 years. We are incredibly blessed!

On that note, I should probably crawl out from under my warm blanket, and get on with my day! If you try (or have already tried) a few of my favorite things, let me know what you think!

On another note, you can find an interview with me on The Sirois Family today! If you don't already read Johanna's blog, head over now to meet this sweet mom blogger!

You might also like:

A Few Of My Favorite Things: July Roundup

TUESDAY TALK

It's time for Tuesday Talk! Grab the button, link back to your hosts and add your blog post link on the widget below!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Husband Behind The Blog

Happy Monday, my friends! Today is a special day. Today, the husband behind the blog is celebrating his birthday!

In honor of this special day, I decided to dedicate this post to my hard-working husband! Grant is very supportive of my blogging endeavors, and proud of my accomplishments, but he rarely makes an appearance on this little space of mine. He just prefers to stay behind the scenes, and I completely respect that.

Today, however, he deserves a shout out! I'm going to share a few fun facts about my sidekick for the past 18 years. (Yes, we really have been together THAT long!)

• Grant and I met when we were teenagers, when we were cast as the leads in a musical. He was Adam. I was Eve. We were destined to be together.
• We (obviously) have a shared interest in musical theater!
• Grant has 1 brother, Eric, who is 3 years younger than him. I am the baby of 8 kids and have 25 nieces and nephews. Holidays with my family was like culture shock for him.
• Grant's dad passed away almost 5 years ago, and he misses him every single day.
• Grant wanted 1 kid - maybe 2. I wanted 4. Guess who won? 
• When we received Liam's suspected Down syndrome diagnosis, Grant just smiled and told me, "It's okay. We got this. We can do this!" He was so brave and in control, while I was losing my mind, even though he was unbelievably scared, too.
• When it comes to parenting, Grant excels at making each child feel important. He goes out of his way to spend one on one time with each of his kids.
• Grant wanted to be a history major in college, but ended up taking computer programming and business courses instead. 
• If you're wondering what Grant does for a living, he's a mortgage guy! It's incredibly stressful at times, but he made a complete career change 5 years ago and worked his way up in the company. I am so proud of how far he's come and have no doubt that he will climb even higher!
• Grant loves baseball, and even though we live in Pittsburgh, his favorite team is the Detroit Tigers.
• When it comes to football, however, he bleeds black and gold. Go, Steelers!
• Grant taught himself how to play guitar and he really is quite good! He plays every weekend. He has a beautiful voice, too.
• If  you need to know anything - and I do mean anything - about music, movies and TV shows, just ask Grant. He knows trivia like no other!
• Grant LOVES Charles Bukowski and Charlie Chaplin.
• His favorite TV show is Game of Thrones. He's a happy camper right now!
• Grant has 3 tattoos: the Misfits logo, Dylan's initials and Lexie's initials. He isn't really into tattoos anymore, but wants to add Lily's initials with a tiger lily, and Liam's initials with boxing gloves.
• Grant likes to play video games, but it doesn't consume his life. He really likes Fallout, Skyrim and Madden.
• His favorite color is hunter green.
• His favorite animal is a bear.
• Grant despises mowing the grass and was more than happy to pass that chore onto his oldest son this Summer!
• Grant loves iced tea. So much that he goes through 1-2 gallons of homemade sweet tea each week! 
• Grant is a fan of weird drinks. Aloe water? Check. Drinks with chia seeds floating in it? Check. Drinks from other countries that have the texture of lumpy jello? Check. I think it's just his way of not having to share with his family! He's like that with unusual foods, too. His birthday lunch choice for today is a green smoothie, coconut chips and sunflower seeds. (I threw in his favorite sour candy to even things out.)
• Grant's family is a Chevy family. His family owns a dealership, and his uncle just retired from GM, and is very well known among Camaro enthusiasts. Grant dreams of owning a Camaro one day!
• Grant loves to just get in his car and drive around. (That's exactly how we celebrated his birthday together last night! Dinner at Moe's, a trip to the grocery store, and hour drive and ice cream. It was a wild date!)
• Grant did not push himself in high school, but he's actually very smart. He's very well read, knows a lot about politics and current events, and he excels at word games, geography and history. 
• Grant loves the beach as much as I do. We hope to retire to the beach one day...or maybe sooner!
• Grant is very personable, and can easily make friends with everybody. It's one of the things I love most about him!

I hope you enjoyed the condensed version of getting to know Grant, and learned a few things about the husband behind the blog. Happy Birthday, Grant! We love you SO much! 

A Love Story

We met in the Garden of Eden.  

From that moment on, my life was forever changed. We met in the Garden of Eden, and we fell in love under an apple tree. Every love story has a beginning, and this was our beginning. Our story begins with Adam and Eve.

I'm not getting biblical here.  Our story really DOES begin with Adam and Eve. Grant and I met in a musical called "The Apple Tree."  I was the Eve to his Adam!

Not many couples can claim that they met when they were cast as Adam and Eve!

It all began when my dad told me about auditions for an upcoming musical.  He thought it would be a great idea for me to become involved in theater again after a short break. I really didn't want to audition at first, but on the day of the auditions, I felt compelled to go.  I was very surprised when I found out I was cast as Eve, which was one of the female leads. 

During the first read-through, I sat near the stage.  "Adam" was behind me. When I think back, I can't even remember our first meeting.  I'm sure it was a handshake and a "I'm happy to be working with you!" He was just a cast member. I had NO idea that my "co-star" was going to become my husband!

Over the course of the next few weeks, as we learned our lines and our songs and our blocking, we began to feel a spark. That spark grew and we were officially a couple by opening night!

We fell more in love as the weeks passed by, and 5 months after we met, we got engaged.  I know it sounds crazy.  We were SO young. I was barely 18. But it felt so right.

When Grant proposed, I didn't even hesitate.  I didn't even think about what he was asking.  I just immediately said yes.  

Our theater friends, who played a huge role in our story, were thrilled for us. My family was supportive, but worried. They worried that it was just a brief romance that wouldn't last, and that I would end up getting my heart broken. And I'm fairly certain the rest of the world automatically assumed that pregnancy was the reason we were getting married.  (It wasn't, and we enjoyed over 4 years of married life before we had our first child.)

Grant and I knew we were meant to be together.  We immediately began planning our wedding and planning for the future.

A year and a half after we got engaged, Grant and I got married.  Our wedding was absolutely perfect, but I will save that for another day.

Grant and I stood in the front of a church crowded with our family and friends, and prepared to love each other forever. The room was completely silent for a few seconds.  Then the Pastor spoke.

 "They met in the Garden of Eden and they fell in love under an apple tree."

Over the course of 15 years, we created our story.  It wasn't always perfect. There were many times when it would have just been easier to walk away. But for every challenge thrown our way, there was an incredible moment that followed. 

There's something truly special about "growing up" with your spouse.  I have been with Grant for my ENTIRE adult life.  I watched him change from a teenager to a young adult.  I watched him become a father FOUR times. I watched him remain completely calm and stoic as we were told that our 4th child was far different from what we expected. I watched him grow into a responsible man who works hard for his family and loves his children with all his might.

  

Life may not always be perfect, but I am so proud of how far we've come.  I truly can't imagine life any other way.

15 years and 4 kids later, we made it. We stayed together, despite every hurdle along the way.  My best friend is at my side and our story continues with our four amazing sidekicks!

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Linking up our love story with Our Pretty Little Girls for Tuesday Talk!  

Thirteen Blessed Years

Fourteen years ago we met in the Garden of Eden.  

For those unfamiliar with our story, we met when we were cast as Adam and Eve in a musical called "The Apple Tree."

Two months later we began dating.

Two months after our first date we got engaged.

Everybody was shocked at our whirlwind romance and the fact that we were so young (18 and 19). 

One year later, on September 9, 2000, we were married.

In 2002 we moved into our first house and got our first dog together.

In 2004 we got the biggest surprise when I became pregnant with Dylan.  We didn't plan on having children until we were 30, so at 23 and 24, our plans changed!  He ended up being the biggest blessing.  We bought our first house and moved in one month before he was born.  Bringing our preterm (but healthy!) baby home was the best thing that had ever happened to us.

In 2007 Lexie joined our family.  We were absolutely thrilled to have a baby girl!  As I mentioned, our plans for having children had changed!

In 2011, Lily came into our lives.  The previous year had been horrible for us.  We thought we were done having kids, but decided on trying one more time.  After such a rough year, she brought so much joy back into our world!

2012 was another rough year for us.  Grant's best friend passed away unexpectedly,  Grant was laid off from his job after nearly a decade of working there, and Grant's father passed away.  Our three children kept us going and brought happiness into our lives. As a family of 5, we felt complete.

But life has a way of constantly changing. 

At the very beginning of 2013 we got a huge surprise when we found out Liam was on his way.  Everything miraculously fell into place, and we waited eagerly for our 4th child's arrival.  We were in for an even bigger surprise when our beautiful son was handed to us with the unexpected Down Syndrome diagnosis. 

Fast forward 3 weeks 1 day.  Today we are celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary.  The past 3 weeks have changed us in so many good ways.  The surprise that rocked our world ended up being the biggest blessing.  We are so in love with our son and so in love with the beautiful family that we have created. Liam is the one who completes us. Over the past 3 weeks, I have fallen in love with my husband all over again. 

We have come such a long way since we met "under the apple tree."   We have had many ups and downs, but we stuck together, and made it through all the detours.  I am so thankful to be on this crazy adventure called life with my amazing husband!

 

Birthday Wishes

Today is Grant's 34th Birthday!

In 1999, when we celebrated his 20th birthday as an engaged couple, I couldn't even imagine where we would be 14 years later.  14 years, 15 birthdays, nearly 13 years of marriage, and 3.75 kids later...life is good! 



He leaves for work by 6:30, so I woke up early to make him breakfast, and sent him to work with a bag of his favorite drinks and candy.  When he got home, each kid gave him a present (baseball cards for his collection...in addition to the new xbox that I gave him a few months ago!) and homemade cards.  We all enjoyed his favorite dinner of steak, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob, followed by vanilla pudding pie for dessert!  Even though he put in a long day at work, I think he had a great birthday!

Happy Birthday to my best friend!

12 Years

Grant and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary today!



We were practically babies when we married!  I don't think many people had faith that we would last.  We proved them wrong! 








We're still going strong 12 years and 3 kids later!

 

Life is good!