I'm still alive

Okay so I haven't blogged in YEARS!!! I'm not even sure that I want to start blogging anymore... I mean would ANYONE even read this? I do have to admit that I find myself googling this site multiple times a month to look up an old photo or find a recipe that I want to make again... THAT OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE! 

As a little update... I now have FIVE kiddos. We welcomed Stirling Fox Park into the mix in 2018 (Yes... he is already two years old)! 

I also own my own event planning company, Birch Event & Design, and while things have been SOOO hard during COVID we are making it through and we have a few couples who will be getting married in the next month. So excited to start to celebrate love again! 

A little update and a meal plan

I feel like with Lincoln soon approaching 2 months that I'm finally hitting my stride and beginning to function like a human again... well at least part of the time. I mean this sh*t is difficult! Between being a mom for FOUR, having a newborn, working full time (with baby in tow), and having EVERYTHING around our house fall apart at the same time (we are up to FOUR expensive leaks since Lincolns birth) things have been hard. I've had lots of tears and frustrations in the last month and a half! I just haven't felt myself, which isn't unusual after the birth of a little one.

One thing that makes me happy is cooking for my little family. However, with everything going on I just had the time to cook and we've been too dependent on delivery from restaurants using AmazonNow...

Last week though I pulled out my Keepers Cookbook and managed to actually cook!

All of the dishes that I made were so yummy and fast!So I've decided to cook from this cookbook again this week!

Here's the plan:

Monday:

• Our Favorite Meatloaf (p.86) 
• Parmesan Broccoli (p.150) 
• Mashed Potatoes 

Tuesday:

•  Salmon in Foil with Spinach and Cream (p.40) 

 Wednesday: 

• Left overs 

Thursday:

• London Broil with Mustard Butter (p.75) 
• Skillet Asparagus (p.148) 

Friday: 

• Roasted Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes (p.60)  
• Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (p.155) 

Happy Valentine's Day from the Park Boys

The boys were both VERY excited about Valentine's Day! They have been talking about it for the last two weeks and they wanted to do LOTS of crafting!

Since they both LOVE dinosaurs I picked out this super cute kit from Paper Source

It was great to see Hunter write his name on each dino and as I put on the name of each friend he took so much pride in decorating each one just for them! There was glue everywhere but it was worth it.  

Gibson also enjoyed adding all of the individual hearts. The dinos are attached to a bag full of Valentine goodies! There is a pencil, heart eraser, Hershey kisses, lollipop, bubbles, and a mini rice crispy treat. 

I was a crazy person on Sunday morning... Emma was sick and Matt wasn't feeling well either so I wanted him to sleep in... I thought that the boys wouldn't make a lot of noise if they were painting... of course the instant they started Lincoln woke up and needed to eat. There I was sitting on craft paper, nursing, and surrounded by two crazy boys with paint! It was high stress trying to make sure that paint didn't get everywhere and helping to clean off brushes and pass different paint colors. In the end it all turned out okay and all kids had a blast and thank goodness the paint was washable!

For their teachers, the boys made little ring bowls out of play-doh and we heated it, slowly, in the oven to harden. We put them in little Valentine boxes that we found at the dollar store.  

I tried to get Emma to do a Valentine but she is "over it"... she did however help with some of the crafting when it came to the boys.

The stroller that saved me this week!

I think that the goals of posting and cooking for this week were a little lofty.. All of my energy was devoted to work and little Lincoln... he went to work with me and let me tell you 11 hour days with a baby were draining. By the time I got home I had NO energy to cook dinner or write a blog post.

Let me tell you though Lincoln was SOOOO well behaved! He still sleeps of a majority of the day so he slept in his new stroller and when I needed to go brief the boss or pack things up he just went with me.

I had purchased a bassinet to keep at work but it was really the stroller that I used the whole time due to the fact that I was in and out of my office the whole time. The BabyZen YoYo+ stroller is AMAZING. 

I didn't think that I needed another stroller with number four but this stroller is GAME CHANGER! 

So compact, easy to maneuver with just one hand, comfy for baby to sleep in the pram, folds up SUPER small, and easy to fold/unfold.

I HIGHLY recommend!!!!

Monday Meal Planning: The Quick Six Fix

I haven't been regularly cooking for about 1-2 months now and so I'm really excited to get back into meal planning and cooking from a different cookbook each week. This week our dinners will come from The Quick Six Fix by Stuart O'Keeffe.The basic concept is that each recipe uses only 6 ingredients, takes 6 minutes of prep, and 6 minutes of cleanup.

Monday: Lemony Artichoke Spaghetti (p.75)
Tuesday: BLTA Steak Salad (p.41)
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Chicken Risotto w/ Asparagus (p.106)
Friday: Chowdered Scallops (p.92)
Saturday: Cider Pork Chops with Broccolini (p.131) and Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Sunday: Dinner out

January 2017 Goals

The original plan was to post Lincoln's birth story today but I haven't finish writing it. So instead of not posting at all I decided to go ahead and share my monthly goals.

I pulled out my newest notebook, from my friend Kim, and started my very first list within its pages... She knows that I love making a list!!!

So here they are! 

Already accomplished that first one!!!

Finish Lincoln's Room: Need to add a little more artwork and a bumper

Update Emma's Closet: Emma no longer wants the chalkboard doors and she has a ton of clothes/activities/games that she has outgrown over the past few years... so it is time for a little update... plus the walls have come off the track because each night Sophie sneaks into Emma's closet to sleep and has been pushing the doors the wrong way to get inside.

Touch-up Paint in the House: There are a few walls in the house that are in need of a touch-up and I figure that each day, after the 20th, I will pick one room and just spend 30 minutes with a little refresh.

Blog 10 Times: This s post three so I'm on the way.

Read Two Books: I received a few books for Christmas and I want to take the time to read them.

Start Business Planning Again: I was doing so well with getting Birch Event and Design up and running UNTIL I started my new job in October... But starting Friday my workload will greatly decrease so I need to get back into the swing of things! I hope to have the website live by early February and need to get my name out there!

Create a Budget for the Year: New Year... New Budget!

Park Family Fall Photos

I had every intention of getting this posted earlier in the day but Lincoln and I had our first full day back at work. He did a great job and with only three work days left until the end of the Administration... I feel like it is the right thing to do.

So I LOVE taking family photos. It is fun seeing, via photos, how much my kiddos have grown up in the last year and I needed a photo for our Christmas card. I do admit that I was second-guessing myself as we were standing in the streets of Old Town in the wind and it was only 35 degrees out...but again totally worth it after seeing the images.

All photo credit goes to the talented Virginia of House of Maps Photography.

Cannot wait to get some of these printed and up on our gallery wall!