If you want change, be the CHANGE 2020

Merry December 26th!

What a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day our family had together, a time of laughter, remembrance, and much sought after PEACE.

The holidays allow us a time to be amongst our family, friends and neighbors to share precious time and also individual opinions....some we agree with whole-heartedly, some.....we don't.

I make a "plan" every year prior to the start of the new year.
It helps hold me accountable...um..usually...
Mostly, it helps me write out my truths for the coming year.

As I set forth on my 2020  "plan", I wanted to share my opinion on opinions
My dad has some silly joke that includes a swear word about opinions...you know it...
"Opinions are like _____________, everybody has one."

Truth...without the cursing.

I feel like my husband and I do an ok job with "living out what we speak about".


In 2020, I plan to be better at "doing something" when it comes to all of the things that I share my opinion with others,and in the things I place concern in general.

Here's the thing, I hear a lot of opinions on: our country and its leaders, veterans, homeless, addiction, our community, the poor, healthcare, immigration, our schools, pollution, global warming, animal cruelty...and SO MANY MORE.

But when I ask folks "what are you doing about it?" CRICKETS.....

Friends, if you have an opinion, you also need something to stand behind your opinion.

If you SHARE on social media about your opinions on the injustice our veterans go through but you aren't helping to feed them or find them a home if you are passing them by and hoping that someone else will help them....your opinion is flat. Do Something. Put your actions where our Opinion is!

If you SHARE pictures of starving animals but haven't dropped off a bag of food to a local animal shelter...again flat. Locally, we have many wonderful organizations that only thrive when we the local people help.

If you don't like the traffic, sidewalks, new location of Starbucks.....but you have never been to a township meeting to speak your opinion...flat. If you talk about how you want our downtown to thrive but you haven't patroned it's businesses...flat.

If you don't like our president or any elected but "forgot to vote"....FLAT!!

Here is my point...in 2020 ....stop talking and start doing.

My dad also says: "There are two kinds of people...talkers and doers."  Now friends, I am a talker, but those of you that truly know me also know I am a doer." Doer's change the world, talkers don't.

In 2020, START DOING!

I challenge you all to make this your resolution, alongside me. You have 5 days to think about what really truly matters to you and then to make a plan to DO SOMETHING!  It doesnt have to be something HUGE, but it does require doing something.

Before you state your opinion all over social media and at social gatherings, ask yourself if someone asked me "what are you doing about it" what would I answer?

Then....go do it!

DO Something. BE SOMEONE for somebody else.  Be the Change you want to see in this world.

This life that we all have here on this earth is SHORT, fleeting...make your days count!

Amen! Amen! Amen!

Merry Christmas 2019

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!
This year has been filled with amazing changes, busyness, and so much more!
We wish all of our friends and family a blessed new year

Happy 10th Birthday Audrey

Happy Happy Birthday Audrey Joy Salter. You are a double digit diva!

You love sketching and baking. You love cheese...dear lord do you love cheese!  You eat Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunch for Breakfast!  You have gorgeous freckles on your nose and forehead. You try your hardest to do a cartwheel. You love to swim and can do everything you dream you can do on land in the water!

If I could find a song for everything you have to learn, you would get an A on every test. You love people without bias. You stand up for the little guy. You love babies and animals!  You make me laugh every single day...and some days you make me scream. I hope you remember much more laughs than screams.  You can play dodge ball better than any other girl your age I have ever seen.  You are silly and sometimes I have to remind you to not push silly into obnoxious...so you are just like me. 

This year, you learned Tap Dance, Piano, and the recorder ( ugh...that recorder) You learned your times tables...by song, of course.  You are like a grandma when it comes to making sure you always have a bra on.  

You went to Zoo Camp, Overnight Girl Scout Camp and we went to Puerto Rico, St Maarten, St. Lucia, St. John, St Kitts and Barbados.

You struggle with a little anxiety and that scares me sometimes. Some days I have to pray for more patience than others....and then I remember that I struggle sometimes too...we are a lot the same.

You ask me "can I ask you a question" 100 times a day.

You want to be grown and independent but you still want to snuggle and sleepin my bed when Dad goes on business trips.

You are stubborn...like your dad...

You are a leader....like me.....oh and your dad.

You roll your eyes and some days I want to slap them and make them stick that way.

and some days I have to remind myself that you are 10!

You are beautiful goose...just magnificent...and I can hardly believe that we are more than 1/2 way through your childhood. I blinked.

We love you Aud, beyond measure. Our hopes for you are great...but simple....be kind, show people the Jesus in you, be a friend to everyone, try your best.

Happy Birthday!

We love you!

2018 Christmas

Hello Friends and Family!

Once again this year, we opted out of Christmas Cards and instead I decided to post here on our very seldom used blog.

What a crazy whirlwind 2018 has been for the Salter Family

Audrey started 3rd grade. This summer she experienced Zoo Camp at Hershey Park's Zoo America. I think that was just one of the highlights of her year. She is a sassy, fiercely loyal, kind, giving, did I mention sassy, 9 year old.  For her birthday, I took her and her friends Abby, Kenzie and Claire to Hershey Park.  What a fun time! She loves to draw, watch American Ninja Warrior, pretend she can speak British, create, practice cartwheels, Watch You Tube, bake and so much more.  She has some serious dance moves, which I will take the blame for. She keeps me laughing and sometimes crying.  She is truly the JOY that we named her.

This spring Jim and I celebrated 10 years of marriage with a vow renewal. We have about 120 friends join us at Maple Shade Barn in Dillsburg. It was intimate and beautiful and the celebration we hoped for.  1 month later, we set sail with a large group of our closest friends for a 9 night cruise.  22 in all in our group; it was a blast. We traveled to the Bahamas and Bermuda.
We swam with Dolphins and Stingrays. We snorkeled and enjoyed Jim in the belly flop competition.
It was a great time!

We also camped this season, spending quite a few weeks as seasonal campers at Mountain Creek Campground.  It was a nice routine while we were there: pool, creek, repeat!

Jim continued work at Equipment Depot.  This is his 15th year ( I think). He worked a bit serving as an EMS for Yellow Breeches. He also worked at BAPS Motor Speedway, wherever he was needed.
2018 will officially be Jim's last year as Upper Allen Fire Department Fire Chief. To say this will be an adjustment is an understatement, BUT we trust that God has some pretty big doors opening as always for my ever-busy, ever-serving, community-loving husband.  His heart for the people in our community is too big to measure. I am so proud of the example he has been to our daughter.

I stepped down as a Pre-school teacher at ECC back in June.  I decided I wanted to focus my attention on our ever-growing Bring Your Own Apron business and to focus on more events through my newly founded company Joyous Commerce. I haven't had a lull in business since I made that decision.  I have been crazy busy with those two businesses and continuing photographing folks at Just So Stacy. I am blessed to be able to get my kid off and on the bus, meet friends for coffee, finally be a part of a bible study at church since I could never make the days AND run all 3 businesses.

2019 will have one addition to my schedule that I am greatly looking forward to: Women's Ministry Leadership at Daybreak.  I felt strongly about seeking out the opportunity to lead the already amazing women leaders at my church. I am trusting God to lead me as I lead them.

We are greatly anticipating God's next steps for our family in 2019, as we trust him to take us where we need to go. We hope to see you all on that journey.

May you always remember the reason for this season, the precious king born humbly in a manger to save the world.

With love, great expectations, and blessings

Stacy, Jim and Audrey

To my daughter on her 9th Birthday

Dear Audrey!

Some days are so much harder than others.  Being the mom to you is a job that is not for the weak at heart. You are fierce, you are fire...and then...you are compassionate, imaginative, strong.
And you are mine.....even when I have a hard time parenting you, even when I want to throw in the towel, when you literally make me cry and bring me to my knees, wondering how you got this bold.....so much of me lives inside you.
I just keep praying God will take all that sass and grow it for his glory, for the good, into something even I can't imagine for you, Audrey.
I just keep praying that God can fix anything I may have failed to hold together.
You love Star Wars, Wonder Woman, drawing pictures, making paper airplanes, playing outside the the Lander Boys and The Steele kids. You have an imagination that is bigger than the sun.  You love Roblox on the computer, you love notebooks and cartoons.
Every night we read Harry Potter before bed. 
You are just 2 weeks away from 3rd grade.
You are celebrating your birthday with Claire and Abby and Kenzie today at Hershey Park.
You are so grown and yet so young.
You and Pop have started "Audrey's Cup of Sunshine Cafe" and you launch in a few weeks.
My hope is that you grow this food truck so big that it carries you through life and that your "start" in business started with this $200 trailer.  I love to watch how much you and pop love to interact together.
And you love to paint with Mom Mom.
You are always excited for the days when your dad is home with us for more than a few minutes
And you still ask for me to snuggle sometimes. So I will take it.
I love you Audrey, even during the days when it doesnt seem like I like you very much.  I love you more than all the breath in my lungs.  I am proud of the person you are.

Happy 9th Birthday!
Its hard to believe that 1/2 of the summers I have you at home are gone.

Mom

2017 Christmas

What a whirlwind 2017 was.
Every year seems to get shorter.
Every year, we add some gray hair to our heads and my kid gets taller.
This year, as I look back, wasnt really as fast as it seems.

This is my 4th year at Early Childhood Center at Country & Town Baptist.
My group of kiddos this year are absolutely wonderful.
I enjoy them so much.

Jim continues at Equipment Depot in his 13th year.
He is also on the start of year 8 as the Upper Allen Township Fire Chief and the finish of year 22.

Audrey is in the 2nd grade.  She is  8 going on 21.  She is sass and Sweetness all mixed together, some days a bit more sass than we'd like.

Audrey started playing softball in the Spring and continued again in the Fall.  Jim enjoyed being an assistant coach and we all enjoyed watching the girls build a team and enjoy the game.

This year, my mom and I stayed incredibly busy with Bring Your Own Apron.  We saw thousands of new artists. We hosted art camp in the summer and had huge Santa events in the last few weeks.  We haven't killed each other yet, and we still enjoy what we are doing, so we will keep it up!

My photography business continued to grow. This year, I felt like it grew exponentially. I am grateful for the clients that seem to turn swiftly into friends.  I am blessed to do what I love in all facets of life.

In May, we headed to Pensacola with the fire department for training.  It is a vacation for Audrey and I, but they mix in some incredible learning for us.  Jim learns lots of new things in training, and manages an hour or two enjoying the beach with us for the week.

This summer, Audrey and I did a lot of camping.  I continue to take the summer off and I am blessed to be able to enjoy my days with my kiddo.  We did a lot of swimming, creek tubing, fishing, ice cream every day kind of days. It was great!

We spent some great times on our boat on the susquehanna.

In August, I went on a Missions Trip with our Church to Allison Hill in Harrisburg.
It was an amazing time and I felt a new sense of purpose when I reflected back.

This Fall has been the busiest ever for us.

Jim planned and executed the 75th anniversary of the UAFD.  The year ahead brings with it a new fire house. Jim continues to pour his heart into our community.

Audrey joined the kids worship team at Church.

In the Fall, I felt led to facilitate a women's bible study online for our church.  It was very full-filling and I decided that I would create my own Advent Bible Study for the 25 days of Christmas. The devotional has given me an outlet to write, which I have always enjoyed doing and I feel like it has brought a little light to the people who have joined.  I am wondering now if I will continue on this journey, as I have led a study now for 85 days in a row. It has become a routine for me now.

The first few weeks of December brought a lot of heart-ache.  We had to say goodbye to our 13 year old fur -baby Molli.  It was a terrible loss for us.  We decided within 2 days that our house was wayyy too quiet with just one dog. We are adding a new little Dachshund to our family, Delia.  She will join her big brother Dasher on January 19th.

On December 10th, my cousin Justin went to be with Jesus.  The loss was sudden. Throughout my 40 years of life with him, we had quiet an up and down relationship.  We fought a lot, disagreed often, and laughed and watched our families grow all at the same time...in the mix of that was a relationship where we always knew that no matter how mad we would get at each other, we still always had each others backs. He will be missed.

This year has taught me so much about myself, more than any year before. This year has taught me just how fragile this life really is and also how absolutely joyous life can be.

As we look ahead to 2018, we look forward to celebrating 10 years of marriage( I guess I will keep him), a cruise with 22 friends and family who have decided to board our crazy boat, a new camper to enjoy, wonderful changes to look forward to.

We do not forget the reason for the season.
A Baby who changed everything. Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

The Salters

2016 Merry Christmas Friends

I didnt do Christmas Cards this year.  To be honest, it truly wasnt due to lack of time. It was due to the fact that during the previous two years, I have only received half of what I used to get. I blame this on Social Media, of which I am a junkie...although I always hope to reform.  People are less and less inclined to connect with handwritten notes anymore and more and more likely to put themselves and ALL of their feelings out on the internet for everyone on earth to view.  I hope I can change that for myself.
In the meantime, here is our social media broadcasted Christmas Card/Letter to everyone.
This has been the fastest year of my life.
Perhaps, it is because I feel that 2016 has kept our household in a constant busy state with no time to even idle.
Audrey is in first grade.  I blinked.
She is 7 going on 19. She asked for her own phone for Christmas...umm...no!
She loves music and singing and dancing. Her body is in a constant state of motion.
She learned to ride a bike without training wheels and just recently to jump rope.
She loves school. She loves to read. She loves to write stories and draw pictures.
Most days, she drives me crazy...and most days I am simply amazed at the person she has become and is becoming.

 This year has been a busy one, like always, for Jim. He has had a building year at Equipment Depot, working hard to establish new customers.  He spent quite a few days at Susquehanna Speedway working in various roles at the track. He enjoys his time there on the dirt track.  Although I will NEVER understand why he has to wear white pants while working in dirt.
Jim celebrated his 20th year as a UAFD Member. He is about to begin his 8th year as Upper Allen Township Fire Chief. I realize that I introduce myself as Stacy Salter, the Fire Chief's Wife, Its just easier...everyone knows the Fire Chief.  I am so proud of him and I hope he knows that.
This past May, Audrey and I traveled with Jim to his training in Pensacola Florida.  It was a great training opportunity for him and a small vacation for us all. It was even an opportunity for me as a wife to be amongst other fire-wives and share and learn from them.


For me, this has been a year of a packed calendar, too many meals at the drive thru, growth, and excitement.  My photography business has had the busiest year yet. I cant believe that I am coming up on 7 years and I also cant believe how much I still have to learn.  I am so grateful for loyal customers and the occasional opportunity to feel like I am blessing someone.
It has been 21 months since my mom and I began Bring Your Own Apron Paint & Craft Events. We continue to stay busy and blessed with faithful clients and new folks each week. We partnered with Adams County Winery this year and so many fantastic fundraising groups. We are excited to see BYOA grow in 2017.
I am in year 3 at ECC! I have a great class this year, 21 wonderful kids.  I have finally found my groove in the classroom and truly feel like I have a ministry and not just a teaching job.  I love my "every day" job so very much.
I also continue to work at DeHart as a contractor with clients around our home.
Honestly, I am looking forward to a few days with nothing to do.  As I get older, I have learn to appreciate those kind of days more and more. There is something wonderful about waking up with no plans and just enjoying a quiet day.
As I round the corner to the final week of Christmas, I am taking that time to focus on the reason for the season...a king that came to earth as a baby, born in a lowly manger. How awesome is that, friends? It is that hope that carries me through this crazy life. every. single.day.
I hope that you also take the time to soak up the blessing sent down at Christmas!
Happy New Year and Much Love to each and every one of you,
Stacy, Jim, and Audrey Salter