tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26333377367600568612024-03-13T14:52:58.134-05:00Moments with the MaysLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.comBlogger983125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-32381828188149378032019-01-05T11:02:00.000-06:002019-01-05T11:02:28.937-06:00a word for 2019<div style="text-align: center;">
I am awful at New Year's Resolutions. Like, truly awful. I usually try and think of a word to focus on each year. I can do better just focusing on one word. This year, my word is <b>growth</b>. </div>
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Growth.</div>
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This is what I want to focus on in 2019. </div>
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I want to grow in many areas, but one huge area that I will continue to pour into is my little travel business. This was something I started doing halfway through 2017 and I was thinking it would be a small side hustle. Something to help pay for the Disney trips our own family wanted to take. This little side business has become a huge passion of mine in the last 18 months. This year I will really focus on my business -- growing my business and growing as a travel agent. It has been so important for me to have <i>my own thing</i>. To watch it grow as I put in the work. To help our family financially. To know that I am helping other families and playing a small role in the memories they make. It's a huge bonus that I LOVE my agency and I LOVE what I do. As cheesy as it sounds, it really lit a fire in me that I didn't know existed. </div>
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After being a stay at home mom with 3 very young kids, I felt like I had kind of lost that part of myself. My word of advice to all the moms who even slightly feel that way: find something for yourself. It can be anything, but find something that brings you joy, challenges you, and helps you grow as a person. </div>
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I am so thankful I found something that does all of that! Here is to a joyful, fun, & prosperous 2019! </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-90657193802828910062018-12-01T16:22:00.000-06:002018-12-01T16:22:43.728-06:00december traditions<div style="text-align: center;">
I can't believe it is already December! I'll be honest, I had kind of forgotten that today was the first day of December until yesterday afternoon. Grayson reminded me that our elf, Doodle, always comes back on the 1st AND we could start unwrapping our 25 books of Christmas. You know what that meant? All 25 books needed to be wrapped. oops. So I went to bed at midnight last night. </div>
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I really do love this season & experiencing it with kids is just so much fun. Even at age 8 (and sometimes acting way too cool for school), Grayson still believes in the magic of Christmas and gets so excited for December. I love it!</div>
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He is my traditions kid. He <i>loves</i> a good tradition and remembers everything year to year. Most of his personality traits are from his daddy, but that traditions loving part? That is<i> all</i> his mama. I love hearing about Christmas traditions that other families do & thought I would share some of ours! </div>
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One of my favorite things we do in November to kick off the season is fill up our shoeboxes for <a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/" target="_blank">Operation Christmas Child</a>. We have done this each year with our kids & I think it is a really simple way to teach them about <b>giving</b>. We typically let the kids pick the age and gender of the kids that we are buying for and they pick out the items for their box. You can even add tracking to your box and in a few months, you will find out where your box went! Two years ago, we came back from our beach trip with a letter post marked from Africa. It had a hand written thank you note AND a picture of the sweet girl that had received our box! Our kids thought that was so neat. </div>
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This year I really wanted to volunteer as a family with a local organization. It can be hard to find a way to serve with young kids, but after searching, I discovered a local ministry that we can help with! <a href="https://www.graceworksministries.net/" target="_blank">GraceWorks</a> is in Franklin and each year they have volunteers sign up to shop & deliver Christmas dinner to a local family in need. We will be doing this a few days before Christmas and I hope it will be something we can do each year! </div>
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One of my favorite traditions is our 25 books of Christmas. This sounds a little overwhelming, but if you stock up on books after the holidays, it really isn't bad! We now have collected way more than 25 but I wrap our favorites and it is a fun way to countdown to Christmas. The kids take turn each night opening a new book and we read them before bed throughout the month! Some are new books, but my favorites are the ones that I had when I was a kid.<br />
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Today was one of my most favorite things to do in December: the Franklin Christmas Parade! I have always loved downtown Franklin and it is especially charming at Christmas. The parade has the local high school bands and a bunch of businesses with fun floats. It ends with Santa Claus and fake snow...fake snow and downtown Franklin...it's magic!<br />
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We have so many more--Doodle the elf, drinking hot chocolate and driving around looking at Christmas lights, decorating the trees together, the candlelight Christmas Eve service at church. Truly, I could share so many special things that I hope <i>continue</i> to be special to our kids. Things that they request to do when they are young adults and come home for Christmas. Those are the traditions I hope to create!<br />
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So now I am curious...what are some things your family does each year that are special traditions? </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-76044803459652577052018-11-25T19:57:00.000-06:002018-11-25T19:57:07.977-06:00a life well lived<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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88 years. That is how long my Granddaddy lived on this earth. We actually went down to Georgia this past summer to celebrate his 88th birthday with him. He was battling leukemia, but he looked good & he felt pretty good. We ate chocolate cake and spent the day with him. I actually have a video of my kids singing "happy birthday" to him as he blew out his candles and it is a video I will cherish forever. </div>
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Grief is such a weird thing. I have felt so many emotions over the last week but the sadness really does just feel like a gut punch every now & then when I least expect it. I sat on my front stoop last Sunday while hanging our outside Christmas lights and just cried. I knew the end was near & I just sat down and wrote out all of my thoughts that I wanted to say at the funeral. He went to be Jesus the next day. It is sad, <i>like, the very thought of never seeing him on his couch at his house makes me just want to fall apart, </i>kind of sad. BUT, my Granddaddy was a man of God--he loved the Lord. I know he is with Jesus & he is no longer suffering from that awful disease. The many emotions I have been feeling? That's where that comes in. Relief, because I know he no longer hurts. JOY, because I know that it is not a forever type of goodbye...I will see him again. My heart is full knowing that he is reunited with his wife of 63 years. </div>
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There are so many things I will always remember about my Granddaddy's character. He was <i>such</i> a good man. He was a generous and kind man; even as he was getting poked and prodded ALL the time these last few months, he always told his nurses "thank you." His caregivers all spoke about how kind he was. I remember the lawn guy telling my dad last month how sorry he was that Granddaddy was so sick because he just really enjoyed him. I never once saw him get angry. He was gentle and patient. Those are the ways I hope that I can be more like him. He left quite a legacy & I am so thankful our kids got a chance to know him and love him. Cheers to 88 years of a life well lived! </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-32116395197988490542018-11-21T14:05:00.001-06:002018-11-21T14:17:30.754-06:00Mic check. Is this thing on? oh, hi.<br />
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remember me? it's been a while. actually close to 2 years. <i>yikes.</i><br />
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This has been something I have thought about resurrecting many, many times but I often get overwhelmed and just push it aside. I also think, "who actually reads blogs anymore??" -- well, you know, the real blogs with real content -- those seem to be hard to find these days. I started this blog as a newlywed who had just moved to Tennessee and didn't have a single friend or family member nearby. Thank God I made actual real-life friends soon after that, but this little blog? It brought me so many lifelong friends who have walked this motherhood journey with me & I still love this little space of mine so much.<br />
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My Granddaddy was one person I could always count on to read my blog posts. He always told me he enjoyed them and once they started to fade away, he tried to get me to continue my blog because he liked the little life updates he could read. My Granddaddy passed away on Tuesday and in some sort of way to honor him, I am going to try and bring this blog back to life. I don't care how many readers I actually have & you certainly won't find gift guides or sponsored posts here, but I do want this to continue to be my life scrapbook. A place where I can come to pour out my thoughts; believe it or not, I have a lot of those. A place where I can share what we are doing as a family. A place where I can just have my own little piece of the internet.<br />
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A lot has changed since my last post. <i><b>a lot. </b></i><br />
Grayson and Griffin are both in elementary school now--kindergarten and 2nd grade.<br />
Cheney is in pre-k & could actually go to kindergarten next year. <i>HOW?</i> spoiler alert: she's not.<br />
We have continued to make our beloved money pit <i>a home.</i><br />
I am still teaching preschool part-time but also now have a 2nd job; I am a travel agent with FTM Travel and I am<b> loving it</b>.<br />
We lost my beloved little chihuahua in July 2017 and I still miss that feisty little Jack.<br />
We've joined a new church, met so many wonderful friends, and just feel very content.<br />
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So, here we are. Dusting off the ol' blog. I'm happy you're here!<br />
<br />Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-75706872563433357572017-02-24T08:47:00.001-06:002017-02-24T08:47:30.557-06:00Friday Confessions<div style="text-align: center;">
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I still can't write these kind of posts without singing Usher "these are my confessions..." in my head. Some things never change I guess...even when you are in your 30s! ha!<br />
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SO, here are my confessions. <br />
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-my house has been a WRECK since Cheney was in the hospital. okay. If I am being honest it wasn't super tidy before she was in the hospital. but now? geez. I just can't seem to catch up on cleaning<i> or</i> laundry. <br />
-speaking of messy houses, is anyone else's master bedroom & bathroom the dumping ground for ALL THE THINGS?? no? just us? If you walked in to our room right now you would find a Bitty Baby double stroller, random toys, a coffee cup, Cheney's still packed up hospital bag (oops), an assortment of stickers, & many other random things. <br />
-we have a fully fenced in backyard. our dogs still manage to run away on a weekly basis. I came home this morning from the bus stop & the door to the garage was wide open. Clearly, we will accept our Pet Owners of the Year award at any time. <br />
-We went out to dinner earlier this week and I totally forgot I had sweet potatoes roasting in the oven when we left. big time oops. Thank the Lord our house did not burn down. I did, however, ruin my sheet pan & our house reeked of burnt to a crisp sweet potatoes.<br />
-I'm back on my Diet Coke habit. I just can't quit it. <br />
-my van looks like a homeless person lives in it. <br />
-I used to think those Disney obsessed people were <i>crazy</i>. I am now one of them. We are venturing back to the happiest place on earth this summer & I have been researching Cheney/mama matching shirts and vinyl decals for our magic bands. WHO AM I? Don't worry. I won't be getting Mickey Ear stick people for the van.<i> nope</i>. <br />
-As I am typing this at our kitchen table, I am realizing we still have a sled sitting in our backyard. It is 75 degrees out. <br />
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I feel better now. Maybe I should stop procrastinating and start cleaning:) </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-85793230166265300642017-02-22T09:02:00.000-06:002017-02-22T09:02:46.080-06:00our brave Cheney <div style="text-align: center;">
I am mostly writing this just because I need to remember it. I have honestly been putting this off because I don't want to think about it. Our little girl is as tough as nails. You probably remember how she spent most of last winter super sick. She earned herself a trip to our local hospital for lots of bloodwork & then on to Vanderbilt for a consult with the infectious disease department for more bloodwork. Thank the Lord, nothing serious was wrong & we got everything figured out. Well, February proves once again to just not be her month. </div>
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In the middle of the night after we went to a Super Bowl get together, she was up most of the night acting uncomfortable. Cheney came downstairs that next Monday morning saying, "my belly is hurting me." This is not something she had complained about before, but I just chalked it up to a potential stomach virus. I took her to our pediatrician late that afternoon for his last appointment & he assumed the same. He listened to her stomach and said based on the sounds he heard, he did not think it was appendicitis. Late that night she declined in a big way. She could not sleep, she had a fever, & she was clearly hurting. I took her back to the doctor first thing the next morning & he ruled out all the other things--flu, strep, UTI. Y'all, I have never seen Cheney act so miserable. She had not eaten or had anything to drink in 24 hours. The pediatrician knew something was not right & sent me to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for an abdominal ultrasound. </div>
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That drive was terrible. It was raining & she was so uncomfortable in her carseat. She just moaned the whole way. The radiologist & our doctor confirmed what I had already assumed: appendicitis. Our little baby girl would need emergency surgery in the next few hours. I felt awful. She had been hurting for about 36 hours--I can't even fathom what kind of pain she was in. </div>
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I sat with her in a hospital room by myself for a while. Cheney was lethargic, dehydrated, & in so much pain. She was laying on an exam table with rosy red cheeks & those beautiful blue eyes would open every now and then & she looked so scared. I would have given <i>anything</i> in that moment to trade places with her. To be the one in pain. For the first time ever, I feel like I really understood something that I have known for as long as I have been a mama. These children are not mine. They belong to the Lord. We are responsible for them, but ultimately, we have to entrust them to God. Part of me was so angry. I was mad that she had been sick for a long time and mad that this tiny little girl was about to have surgery. The other part of me was so thankful that Cheney belongs to the Lord. I knew deep down that He had this. He had walked before us. He had her in the palm of his hand. Letting go of her as she screamed for me & trusting those doctors with her precious life was the hardest thing I have ever had to do as a mama. <i>I want to be in control</i>. I want her to stay in my nest so that I know she is safe & taken care of; but I know that is not how it always is. I had to surrender my control & my little girl that afternoon. It was hard. </div>
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Cheney's appendix had ruptured. No wonder she had been in so much pain. We stayed on a surgical & trauma hall for 3 days while she recovered. I saw so many children that week that had been through much more than Cheney. It was heartbreaking. That was a really rough week but I am just SO thankful that we got to leave that hospital with a healthy girl & that we don't have to worry about her appendix ever again. </div>
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Cheney is the bravest girl I know! </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-11844849312171693312017-01-23T06:30:00.000-06:002017-01-23T06:30:09.891-06:00Menu Monday<div style="text-align: center;">
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Well, Whole30 was going great. Until it wasn't. I made it 16 days in and was just so grumpy about it that I decided to quit. I think 2 failures means it just isn't quite for me! I am doing whole-ish30 but not obsessing. The worst part of quitting on day 16 was that I had gone to MOPS, skipped the most delicious brunch because it was not-compliant, and then decided that night that I was done. MOPS brunches are my favorite! I'm still trying to limit my bread and dairy & drink lots of water. SO, here is what we are eating this week!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Chicken Zucchini Casserole" class="size-large wp-image-19908 aligncenter pib-hover-img" data-pin-media="http://media.sixsistersstuff.com/uploads/2014/07/Chicken-Zucchini-Casserole1.jpg" data-pin-url="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/chicken-zucchini-casserole.html" height="320" src="http://media.sixsistersstuff.com/uploads/2014/07/Chicken-Zucchini-Casserole1-700x1050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/chicken-zucchini-casserole.html" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Monday:</b><a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/chicken-zucchini-casserole.html" target="_blank"> Chicken Zucchini Casserole</a> (this is an old favorite of ours!) </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Swapping bread for sweet potatoes makes eating a Sloppy Joe so much healthier! One serving is just 259 calories, and also happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, whole30 compliant and paleo." class="alignnone wp-image-31677 size-full pinit-hover" data-jpibfi-indexer="0" height="320" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" src="http://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Sloppy-Joe-Sweet-Potatoes-1-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Sloppy-Joe-Sweet-Potatoes-1-2.jpg" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Tuesday:</b> <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Sloppy-Joe-Sweet-Potatoes-1-2.jpg" target="_blank">Sloppy Joe Baked Sweet Potatoes </a></div>
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<b>Wednesday:</b> Chicken & veggie stir fry over rice noodles -- using the Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce! </div>
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<b>Thursday:</b> Burgers (I love this <a href="http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Fuddruckers-Hamburger-Seasoning-Copycat-Recipe.html" target="_blank">copycat Fuddruckers burger recipe</a> but I have been omitting the brown sugar!) I put an egg on my burger last week & some compliant chipotle mayo. I think I will try the sweet potato bun this week! Serving with roasted Brussel sprouts. </div>
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<b>Friday:</b> <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/thai-coconut-curry-shrimp/" target="_blank">Thai Coconut Chicken Curry</a> over rice noodles -- this is a Skinnytaste recipe & she uses shrimp. Sadly, I am the only one in this house that loves seafood so I switch a bunch of her things to chicken! It is really good!</div>
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<b>Saturday:</b> homemade pizza night! (I will probably skip this meal and do meat sauce over spaghetti squash) </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-81110604172686499502017-01-09T06:30:00.000-06:002017-01-09T06:30:13.523-06:00Menu Monday<div style="text-align: center;">
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I have made it to my second week of Whole30! I have to say, I didn't love some of the meals this last week & that makes it a lot harder. I'm more excited about the food this week...let's hope the new things turn out the way I want them too! Whole30 is a huge mental thing for me. Learning when I am truly hungry and not just stress/comfort/bored (I haven't been bored in 6 years. who am I kidding?) eating. I had some people ask where I find meal ideas. Most of my recipes I have found while scouring Instagram. I follow a lot of really great whole30/clean eating/paleo people & they post recipes a lot. Here are some of my favorite IG accounts:</div>
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@hungryhungryhaneys</div>
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@livewhole365</div>
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@whole30recipes</div>
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@againstallgrain</div>
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@moorefitfamily</div>
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@emilyeatsrealfood</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XpKO67eZ0Q/Uokkh3fezKI/AAAAAAAAHGo/2vtrj6BBs0A/s400/Menu+Plan.jpg" width="277" /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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Here is what we are eating this week!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde | 5 ingredients | The Real Food Dietitians | http://therealfoodrds.com/slow-cooker-chicken-chile-verde/" class="aligncenter wp-image-5423 shareaholic-media-target-hover-state" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://i2.wp.com/therealfoodrds.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Chile-Verde-2-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1152" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://therealfoodrds.com/slow-cooker-chicken-chile-verde/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Monday:</b> <a href="http://therealfoodrds.com/slow-cooker-chicken-chile-verde/" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde</a> -- Ben & the kids will make soft tacos with the chicken & I will eat over cilantro lime cauliflower rice!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Whole30 Sticky Pineapple 5 Spice Slow Cooker Chicken Wings - Let the slow cooker do the work for you with these Asian-inspired chicken wings! You'll never know they're secretly whole30 and paleo compliant! Perfect for game day! | Foodfaithfitness.com | @FoodFaithFit" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15039 lazy-loaded" data-src="http://cf.foodfaithfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slow-cooker-chicken-wings-photo.jpg" data-srcset="http://cf.foodfaithfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slow-cooker-chicken-wings-photo.jpg 1200w, http://cf.foodfaithfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slow-cooker-chicken-wings-photo-200x300.jpg 200w, http://cf.foodfaithfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slow-cooker-chicken-wings-photo-768x1152.jpg 768w, http://cf.foodfaithfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slow-cooker-chicken-wings-photo-683x1024.jpg 683w, http://cf.foodfaithfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slow-cooker-chicken-wings-photo-300x450.jpg 300w" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" src="http://cf.foodfaithfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slow-cooker-chicken-wings-photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foodfaithfitness.com/sticky-slow-cooker-chicken-wings-with-pineapple-5-spice-sauce/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Tuesday:</b> <a href="http://www.foodfaithfitness.com/sticky-slow-cooker-chicken-wings-with-pineapple-5-spice-sauce/" target="_blank">Sweet & Sticky Asian wings</a>, sautéed sugar snap peas, & roasted sweet potatoes<br />
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<b>Wednesday:</b> Tacos for the family & plantain nachos for me! (Making the taco meat with my own compliant seasoning & topping with tomatoes, avocado, & red onion.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="this paleo chili recipe is all meat, lots of veggies, full of flavor!" class="aligncenter wp-image-4260 size-full" height="266" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" src="http://www.laurafuentes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/paleo-chili-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="grain free paleo chili recipe" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.laurafuentes.com/paleo-chili-recipe-all-meat-veggie/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Thursday:</b> <a href="http://www.laurafuentes.com/paleo-chili-recipe-all-meat-veggie/" target="_blank">Meat & Veggie chili </a><br />
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<b>Friday:</b> Chicken & Veggie stir fry (chicken, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, & broccoli sautéed with coconut aminos) <br />
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<b>Saturday:</b> leftover chili<br />
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<b>Sunday:</b> Burgers (mine with no bun or cheese) and roasted potatoes</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-27248147346879203062017-01-07T09:02:00.000-06:002017-01-07T09:02:16.717-06:00it's a snow day! <div style="text-align: center;">
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I never know if I should listen to the weather people when they predict we will get snow. We live in what people jokingly call "the snow dome" and it seems to snow everywhere around Nashville but misses us. Well, they predicted snow for us earlier in the week and I woke up to Grayson yelling, "MOM!!!! IT SNOWED A TON!" I stumbled out of bed at 7am, looked out my window, & it was snowing but definitely <i>not</i> a ton. Luckily for the kids, it kept snowing all morning and we ended up with about 2 inches (us Southerners think that is a lot, ya know) of fluffy snow! We also ended up with a high of 18 degrees. yikes!</div>
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I do love the way our house looks when it snows! Even if it is missing a shutter and we still have our outside Christmas decorations out. </div>
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The kids were SO EXCITED to go outside. I don't mind playing in the snow. However, I do look forward to the days where my kids can get themselves ready for the snow. No joke it took about 40 minutes to round up all the gear and get all 4 of us prepped for 18 degree weather and snow. It was exhausting!</div>
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It was <i>so cold</i>. But, we trucked along in the backyard for about half an hour. The boys played on the playset and Cheney rode in the dune buggy with Griffin. Ellie and Hudson LOVE to frolic together in the snow. They were so funny! </div>
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Grayson loved making snow angels!</div>
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Cheney loved the idea of the snow, but did not love the freezing wind and the fact that she couldn't really use her hands. There was lots of, "I cold, Mama!"</div>
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The one thing that Griffin has been asking about since our huge snow storm last year is snow ice cream! We came in to warm up & made a batch of snow cream and they pretty much licked the bowl clean. I am still doing Whole30 but I was bad & gave it a taste test. shhhhhh. </div>
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Ben even got to come home early from work! </div>
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Griffin enjoyed the snow the most! We were all freezing after our second round & came in to warm up. He stayed out for about an hour and a half playing in our yard with the older neighbor kids. This boy just loves people and loves being included. He had so much fun! He looked like an icicle when he finally decided he was ready to come in! </div>
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The kids are already wishing for more snow later this winter so we can actually build a snowman! </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-59505477189524591722017-01-02T07:47:00.000-06:002017-01-02T07:47:51.141-06:00I got goals, y'all.<div style="text-align: center;">
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I am not usually a resolution person. I've just never really made big, specific goals for a new year. This year is a little different. I have decided that 2017 will be <i>the year of me</i>. That sounds a little narcissistic. I don't mean it in that way, <i>promise</i>. I just mean that the past 7 years have been all about housing babes in my body, caring 24/7 for very small children, and pouring myself out for my kids. I don't say any of that like I didn't appreciate it; it is just hard to focus on yourself when you are in a cycle of having small humans. Are you with me on that?! Well, the baby days are ending at our house & I feel like I can really set goals for myself & not feel overwhelmed about achieving them. I can put a little more time in for <i>myself</i>. </div>
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My first goal is to read the entire bible in 2017. Cover to cover. I have tried to do this a couple different times but have never succeeded. My soul has just been hungry for the Word. I'm craving it. What better way to dive in than read the entire bible? I have the Bible app on my phone and downloaded a reading plan. It's even going to send me push notifications every morning reminding me to stick with it. I really feel like the Lord has made me step out in faith a lot over the last several months. He has opened doors for us & it has just been a big season of growth for me. I want that growth to continue. I've gotten back into journaling -- something I had not really done since high school -- and it has been good for me. I love writing & looking back at how things have changed over the last year. How God has answered prayers. How He has paved the way for certain things to happen. If you see me, hold me accountable! Ask how my reading plan is going...I know I will need accountability. </div>
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My second goal kind of goes a long with the last. I want to get back into blogging. I hate that I have been so inconsistent since Cheney was born. I did not do well at actual baby books & I haven't made a Shutterfly memory book since Cheney was born...this was supposed to be how I kept track of memories! oops. I know; life happens. But, I really love having this as a way to look back at our life and I will always love my little blogging "community." I need to make time for things that are important to me & even though it may sound silly, this is important to me. I think it would make my Granddaddy happy, too. Hi, Granddaddy! </div>
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My third goal is to be more intentional with my time. I mean this in lots of different ways. Not spending my nights after the kids go to bed watching meaningless tv (looking at you, House Hunters & Hoarders). Not wasting time on social media. Just being intentional with my time regarding getting stuff done around the house & with people. Filling that alone time at night with more meaningful things...spending time with Ben where we actually talk, reading, being creative. </div>
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My last goal is to change the physical part of me. I am starting Whole30 tomorrow. I tried to do it in December and made it 10 days. I will finish this round. I just need to take better care of myself. I'm really doing it to adjust my lifestyle. I have never had a great relationship with food and need to change that. I have also been using my kids as an excuse to <i>not</i> go to the gym instead of making them my reason<i> for</i> going. Even if it is not their favorite place, it is something I need to do for myself. I have to remind myself that I am allowed to do things for me. One thing that is also so important to me (especially having a little girl) is to teach my kids about being healthy. Making good food choices, taking care of your body, exercise. God gave us ONE body and we need to take care of it. I want to clean up my diet and <i>feel</i> good. </div>
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I am excited for 2017. What are your goals??</div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-91536092168052999812016-12-31T17:59:00.000-06:002016-12-31T17:59:14.547-06:00looking back at 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how little they look at the beginning of 2016!</td></tr>
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One of my favorite things to do at the end of the year is to go back through my pictures and see all of the fun things we did throughout the year. 2016 was a good one for our family. Our kids all grew up so much over the last year! </div>
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In January it snowed. A LOT. I'm talking a blizzard for the south! We got like 7 inches and the town pretty much shut down. It was beautiful & the kids loved it...but 4 days of being homebound was a bit more than we can handle. I look forward to the days where it doesn't take 45 minutes to get the kids ready for snow. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uzK9XRHwvZU/WGhEWklJm2I/AAAAAAAAJvE/mW5dZcjMls4GVn55CK1mV4RQ_ERQmxvagCLcB/s1600/DSC_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uzK9XRHwvZU/WGhEWklJm2I/AAAAAAAAJvE/mW5dZcjMls4GVn55CK1mV4RQ_ERQmxvagCLcB/s400/DSC_0284.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl was sick a majority of February but she knows how to rally. She is the toughest girl I know!</td></tr>
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February was hard. We started a rough 6-7 weeks of constant sickness for sweet Cheney. She had lots of high fevers & lots of stomach viruses. She and I missed a bunch of school, spent lots of time with our favorite pediatrician, & even some (not so fun) times at the hospital. We also learned that my mom had lung cancer. February was full of scary & unknown things but it really taught me to lean on the Lord. He is good <i>all the time</i>. (and also? we got some answers about our girl AND my mom is now cancer free. YAY!) I also got a minivan in February and it was a GAME CHANGER. I never thought I would be excited about a minivan....but I am obsessed. </div>
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In March it finally warmed up; a time our family always appreciates because we love being outside! Baseball season started for Grayson & he had a fun time playing with several friends. We went to Georgia for spring break and spent the week at my old house hanging out with family. We also celebrated Easter with lots of egg hunts with friends!</div>
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We spent our weekends at the ball fields in April. Cheney was finally HEALTHY. Grayson got to have kindergarten sneak a peek at Lipscomb & we all got to ride the bus and take a tour of the school. He LOVED the bus and was officially ready to start in August! </div>
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May was a fun & busy month! We spent Mother's Day at the Sounds game with Grayson's baseball team! They got to go out on the field with the players and stand out on the field during the National Anthem. It was so fun! The little kids also finished out their preschool year with the preschool program (Cheney totally stole the show--little performer) & Grayson graduated from pre-k! </div>
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In June we spent a week in Hilton Head with my parents! We had so much fun that we booked our 2017 trip almost immediately after! Grayson really learned how to swim & really enjoyed the water. The kids also did a day camp at church called Playcation & it was awesome. They had a blast and it gave me 3 days of kid-free time. THAT IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF! </div>
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In July we celebrated the 4th of July at our favorite little downtown Franklin festival & then went to see fireworks with friends. Sadly, it thundered right before it started so we had to wait a night for those. We also started celebrating our family birthdays! Ben turned 32 and Griffin turned 4! We did a combined birthday party for Cheney & Griffin and had a petting zoo in our backyard. Ben thought I had lost my mind but it was amazing! Now I would like a small farm. </div>
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August brought about a huge change for our family: Grayson started KINDERGARTEN. He wasn't really nervous & loved it from the start. He has done so well, is learning so much, and has already made lots of new friends. I love his teacher and his school! He is also obsessed with his bus driver, Ms. Andi:) Our Cheney girl turned TWO on August 6th & is turning into such a big girl! Grayson also starting playing baseball in the 7 year old league. I was apprehensive about bumping him up, but he did so great and improved so much. Their team was a great group of boys & I am hoping they will get to play together again this spring! </div>
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In September we let our kids in on a little secret we had been keeping from them. We were planning on spending a week in Disney World during the week of Grayson's birthday! As if that wasn't a fun enough surprise, Mimi and Pops showed up in our resort lobby--the kids were pumped! It was a magical week with our crew & we definitely have become <i>that</i> family that is Disney obsessed. Grayson turned 6 & is so grown up. He is sports obsessed & so athletic. The little kids started preschool & love their new classes. I became lead teacher in my preschool class & still love spending two days a week with a group of 3 year olds! </div>
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October was spent exploring all of the local pumpkin patches (it is our favorite thing to do) and going on hay rides. We spent Halloween with some neighbors at a block party & then went trick or treating. We also went to our first Trunk or Treat with some friends & had a blast! </div>
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November as a sports-free month which meant some relaxing weekends! We of course started decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving because that is how we roll. We spent Thanksgiving in Alabama & got our bellies full of yummy food! Hudson gave us a scare when his back started hurting again, but thankfully he was fine and it just meant he got to tag along on our road trip. </div>
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December was so much fun with all of our Christmas activities! The kids all had classroom parties, we went to Opryland to look at lights, we saw the Jellystone lights for the first time, watched way too many Christmas movies, & got lots of fun new toys. </div>
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I am so ready for 2017. God has opened new doors over the last couple of months & we are excited to see what He has in store for us. Happy New Year! </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-62478798658451501282016-12-30T07:42:00.001-06:002016-12-30T07:42:08.341-06:00our Christmas<div>
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We had such a wonderful Christmas with my parents in town! </div>
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This is such a fun age with each of the kids. Grayson is all things Christmas obsessed. I feel like he is our very own Buddy the Elf! He was so excited about Christmas Eve this year so he could track Santa's sleigh on my computer. We had been watching Santa and the reindeer on ReindeerCam & he is just so intrigued. </div>
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My parent's got here the afternoon of Christmas Eve & we let the kids open up the gifts from out of town family. They were super excited!</div>
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They sure do have a lot of people that love them! </div>
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We went to church on Christmas Eve before dinner. It was a beautiful, candlelit service. </div>
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Cheney slept through about half of it. She was worn out! We sang Lauren Daigle's "Noel" and those words are just powerful. That has been one of my favorite songs this advent season. It is beautiful. </div>
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We ended Christmas Eve with the Pioneer Woman's pot roast (make it!), tracking Santa one last time, & finishing our Storybook Bible advent story. </div>
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Christmas morning started bright and EARLY. I had told the boys not to wake up before the sun on Christmas morning. Well, I heard them in the hallway walking towards our room & I got up to take them back into their room. I looked at the clock and said, "guys. seriously. it is 6am!" Grayson immediately looked at his clock and said, "NO IT ISN'T! It is 6:01." ha! They stayed in their room for about half an hour while the adults got ready & then it began!</div>
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Santa came!</div>
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One of the only things Grayson asked for this year was some athletic leggings. He is OBSESSED with only wearing basketball shorts & this was something he wanted so bad. He cracks us up! Look at that face. He was so excited!</div>
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Griffin is just the sweetest. The smallest things make him so happy. He was honestly just as excited about giving me this snowman he made at school as he was about opening his own presents. He was so proud of this snowman!</div>
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All Cheney has said that she wanted for Christmas was "TWO BABIES!" Well, she is a lucky girl because I found these Bitty Baby twins before they discontinued them. They look like a little Cheney & Griffin. She loves them!</div>
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We spent the day playing inside & outside -- we had beautiful weather -- and eating way too much yummy food. The perfect way to spend Christmas!</div>
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We ended Christmas by taking Nana and Poppy to see the Sunnyside lights. We love Sunnyside & are so sad that next year is his last year. It was a great Christmas...I can't believe it is already over! </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-45533385314478241572016-12-14T06:54:00.000-06:002016-12-14T07:01:21.783-06:00on Christmas & traditions<div style="text-align: center;">
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I love family traditions & Christmas is just about my favorite. I vividly remember so many things about Christmas with my family growing up. I loved digging out all the decorations with my mom, turning on our favorite Mitch Miller Christmas cd, & decorating the house and tree. The candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church was one of my favorite things. It was beautiful & I loved spending Christmas Eve singing "O Holy Night" by candlelight. </div>
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I have become especially sentimental since becoming a mom. Our mentor moms at MOPS last week talked about traditions they started when their children were younger & which ones have lasted now that their children are adults. It got me really thinking about how the things we are doing with our 3 now will carry on & even may continue on as we eventually add grandkids to our family. (how's that for thinking ahead?!) I wonder about the things that I do to try and make Christmas more special and memorable & about what the takeaway will be for my kids as they grow up. What will they actually remember? What traditions that we do now as a family will they continue to do with their own families one day? I love the magic of Christmas & I love how fun it is to celebrate with my kids but I have been really convicted this year about making sure that the focus of the season is on the reason why we celebrate in the first place. Looking back on their childhood Christmas traditions I want my kids to remember that Jesus was the focus of our holiday season. His birth is the whole reason we celebrate & while there are lots of fun things that also get thrown in, I hope they can look back and say that Jesus really was the center of our Christmas celebration. </div>
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I always wrap 25 Christmas books before December & the kids take turns opening one book a day. That has been a fun way to countdown to Christmas. We have so many great children's books about Christmas but I wanted to add something else this year. I searched for Advent readings that were appropriate for young kids & found this great <a href="http://www.faithgateway.com/jesus-storybook-bible-advent-calendar-printable/" target="_blank">one</a>! It is a Jesus Storybook Bible Advent reading plan & we have been reading it each night before we do our bedtime books. It even has a cute free printable that goes along with it!</div>
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One of my favorite things we do in December is drink hot chocolate while driving around looking at Christmas lights. Grayson LOVES all things Christmas and he gets so excited when he sees lights. Even if you have one tiny bush with lights, he loves it. He is the one that I think will remember helping me decorate one day:) We also love going to Opryland each year and looking at all the beautiful decorations. We will be adding the drive through lights at Jellystone to that event this year! <br />
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I also look forward to Operation Christmas Child each year. Samaritan's Purse does Operation Christmas Child and it is a great way to teach your kids about serving others & that giving is better than receiving. We love filling up a couple shoeboxes every November to send off to children in need. It's fun for Grayson, Griffin, and Cheney to shop for these kids & pic things out that they think will be fun and useful. We even have them track our boxes and they will eventually email me & let me know where the boxes end up! Last year they went to Ghana & they traveled to the Philippines the year before last. <br />
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One thing that my kids look forward to each year is getting their special ornament from Ben & I. I add it to their stocking and it is special for that specific year. They get to hang it on their own tree and one day all of those ornaments will go with them to their own home! I love pulling them out each year and seeing what all they have. </div>
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Christmas is pretty spectacular as a child, but it is even better as a parent. I love starting special traditions with these 3 & seeing the magic of it all through their eyes! What are some of your favorite traditions? </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-78502861221979698222016-12-14T06:17:00.002-06:002016-12-14T06:17:38.439-06:00brain dump<div>
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Somehow it is already the middle of December. I am still racking my brain at how that happened. This year is going by so fast! </div>
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We have been a fun kind of busy--here is what we have been up to!</div>
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Preschool has been so much fun! I have a great class this year & the littles are both loving their classes. Griffin is doing great in his Alligator class & it has really helped him become more independent and confident. It is easier to not follow in your big brother's shadow when he isn't at your school anymore:) Cheney has the sweetest little class & talks about her school friends a lot. </div>
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Grayson is still LOVING kindergarten & got to go on his first field trip in October. The kindergarteners went to Walden Farm & he had a blast. I was sad it was on a school day for me - I am learning to deal with that mama guilt since I can't be at everything! I'm glad other sweet mamas send me pictures:) </div>
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Our fall has been super warm and we have gotten to enjoy lots of outdoor things. We went to the zoo with some friends which is always fun! Grayson is still not used to the fact that we go places while he is at school. Griffin and Cheney had fun with their friends! Our zoo is getting renovated and will be so awesome when it is all done. </div>
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Ellie and Cheney are best friends & are so cute together. They are both surrounded by brothers so they love having their girl time!</div>
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We spent fall break in Atlanta with my family. My mom continued our Disney obsession with tickets to Disney on Ice! It was so good and the kids loved it. Cheney even sat through the first half! </div>
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They even convinced their mama to spend their college tuition on these swords and Elsa wand. Oh, Disney. </div>
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We had to take them to the Varsity for lunch afterwards. I'm not the biggest fan of the favorite Atlanta grease pit but the kids thought it was great! I love how the simplest things make Grayson so happy!<br />
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We spent our Thanksgiving in Alabama with Ben's family. Our kids love going to see Mimi and Pops & Uncle Thomas! Lots of football was watched and lots of front yard baseball was played--the boys dream come true!<br />
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Our fall has flown by & I still haven't figured out how to slow time down. Life with these people is the best kind of busy!</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-38549052907823833222016-10-29T19:24:00.000-05:002016-10-29T19:24:03.010-05:00Two baseball boys<div style="text-align: center;">
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This fall was the beginning of a crazier schedule for us. We have always just had one kid involved in sports but this year Griffin got to play, too! We kept asking him in the spring if he wanted to try soccer or baseball & we were actually surprised when he kept saying baseball. He never seemed interested in Grayson's games but we gave it a whirl!</div>
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Griffin played in the 4/5 year old league and was on the Threshers. Our league doesn't start off with tee ball; it is a combo of coach pitch and tee ball. The kids always get 5 pitches and then they use the tee if they have not gotten a hit. Griffin only used the tee a couple of time this season--I was so impressed!</div>
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This season was so great for his confidence. He had a great time (which is the most important part) but I loved watching him play & seeing how excited he was every time he made a good play or got a hit. He was so proud! </div>
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The Threshers favorite part of every game was ending with a snack! </div>
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Griffin finished the season strong & got the game ball after his last game! He is already talking about playing again in the spring. I love his enthusiasm! </div>
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Grayson moved up to the 7 year old league this fall & played on the Sea Dogs. They didn't keep score in the fall but they did start doing outs. It was a big learning year for him! </div>
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Grayson learned so much this season. He struck out for the first time (and handled it way better than I imagined) AND he hit his first homerun! He is so determined to improve & I just love his drive! He is asking Santa for a batting cage--we are baseball obsessed over here. </div>
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This was the sweetest group of boys! They got along so well & I really hope most of them can be together again in the spring. As hectic as life was during baseball season, we sure do miss playing! </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-46587933601104377332016-10-17T06:30:00.000-05:002016-10-17T06:30:00.681-05:00Menu Monday<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, I haven't quite gotten my blogging groove back, but it is getting a little better. <i>Right?</i> sigh. I'm trying! I am doing something different this week in hopes of making my hectic Sundays a little easier: Wal-Mart grocery pickup! If you know me at all, you know that I would rather stick hot needles in my eye than shop at Wal-Mart. Grayson has called it "Dirty Target" since he was 2 and he couldn't be more spot on. BUT, if the Wal-Mart people want to shop for me, who am I to say no?! I am hoping it is the greatest thing ever. Here is what the Mays are eating this week!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/monday-night-dinner-pasta-alla-marlboro-man/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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Monday: <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/monday-night-dinner-pasta-alla-marlboro-man/" target="_blank">Marlboro Man Pasta</a> w/ garlic bread<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46964/tamale-pie/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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Tuesday: <a href="http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46964/tamale-pie/" target="_blank">Tamale Pie</a> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="chicken zucchini casserole 2" class="wp-image-19909 aligncenter pib-hover-img" data-pin-media="http://media.sixsistersstuff.com/uploads/2014/07/chicken-zucchini-casserole-2.jpg" data-pin-url="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/chicken-zucchini-casserole.html" height="400" src="http://media.sixsistersstuff.com/uploads/2014/07/chicken-zucchini-casserole-2-700x705.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="397" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/chicken-zucchini-casserole.html" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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Wednesday: <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/chicken-zucchini-casserole.html" target="_blank">Chicken Zucchini Casserole</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Bang Bang Chicken - Amazingly crisp chicken bites drizzled with sweet chili mayo - so good, you'll want to double or triple the recipe!" class="alignnone wp-image-8926 size-full pib-hover-img" data-pin-url="http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/06/bang-bang-chicken/" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" src="http://damndelicious.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_1476edit2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/06/bang-bang-chicken/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
Thursday: <a href="http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/06/bang-bang-chicken/" target="_blank">Bang Bang Chicken</a> with jasmine rice<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Taco-Filled Pasta Shells Recipe" class=" photo" data-rd-fb-recipe="" data-share-fb-imageurl="http://cdn1.tmbi.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/300x300/exps13814_EFM1339618D5B.jpg" itemprop="image" src="http://cdn1.tmbi.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/300x300/exps13814_EFM1339618D5B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Taco-Filled Pasta Shells Recipe" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/taco-filled-pasta-shells" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
Friday: <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/taco-filled-pasta-shells" target="_blank">Taco Stuffed Shells</a><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-75914329935444769582016-10-03T06:58:00.000-05:002016-10-03T06:58:06.785-05:00Disney World {Days 5 & 6}<div align="center">
Our 5th day was spent at Hollywood Studios. I was excited for the boys to go there because they are currently loving all things Star Wars. </div>
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Right when the park opened we headed back to the Pixar area. We had fast passes for the Toy Story ride & we wanted to meet Buzz & Woody. </div>
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I really loved the Photo Pass people. This was first time we had used Memory Maker & I am so glad I got so many family pictures! </div>
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I was a little worried that Cheney would be afraid of Buzz & Woody because they are <i>huge</i>. But, in typical Cheney fashion, she loved them and gave them hugs!</div>
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We had breakfast (or really brunch) reservations at Hollywood & Vine at 9:45 that morning. They do a great Disney Junior character breakfast!</div>
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we met Jake!</div>
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..and Handy Manny!</div>
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Griffin was enthralled with Sophia the First just like when he was a toddler;)</div>
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and Cheney met her very favorite, Doc McStuffins!</div>
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They have a good breakfast buffet & the characters are so fun. We are big fans of Hollywood & Vine!</div>
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We met Olaf after breakfast & gave him a nice, warm hug. He still loves summer:)</div>
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Grayson & I rode the Star Wars ride together & he loved it. Griffin was about an inch too short...I hate when that happens! BUT, Griffin did get to watch a Jedi fight Darth Vader (who he calls Darth Mader) and he was obsessed. He also loved that Storm Troopers just walked around the park frequently! Everything is so magical to him right now. I love it!</div>
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Our live for the thrill 6 year old was obsessed with Tower of Terror. He rode it twice!</div>
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While he rode with Mimi & Ben, the rest of us went to the Little Mermaid show. It was nice and cold (hooray!) inside and the show was great. Griffin loved it! </div>
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He was also really bummed that he was a couple inches too short for Aerosmith's Rockin' Rollercoaster. Ben, being the clown that he is, nailed his rollercoaster picture. <i>Again.</i> That one was really fun!</div>
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The last thing we did that day was meet Chewbacca! He is ENORMOUS. He also doesn't sign autograph books. hmph. This made their day! Poor Cheney girl fell asleep in the line so she didn't get to see him. </div>
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We left the park at 4:00 and hopped on a bus to Disney Springs. We had reservations that night at the T-Rex restaurant! We walked through there last time we went to Disney World & with Griffin's current dinosaur obsession, knew we had to try and get reservations! It is the craziest place. Huge (some lifesize) dinosaurs everywhere that move and make noise. Every 20 minutes there is also a "meteor shower" & it gets really dark & really loud. The boys thought this was awesome; Cheney kept saying "no like that. too loud!" </div>
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We sat right by this lifesize Triceratops. It was pretty cool!</div>
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We ended our night celebrating Grayson <i>again</i>! They brought out a volcano of dry ice and a really good dessert! Hooray for birthdays at Disney World!</div>
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Our LAST (boohoo) day was spent at Magic Kingdom again. I don't think I could end a trip at any other park! 3 Magic Kingdom days was <i>perfect</i>. </div>
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G had to rock that birthday pin one last time!</div>
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The little ones rode the rockets first thing that morning while Ben, Mimi, & G rode Space Mountain. Cheney thought that was super fun! I even got a real smile!</div>
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She also rode Dumbo with me:) I love her little Snow White outfit!</div>
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We met Chip & Dale in the carnival area & they were hilarious! They spent a few minutes making the kids laugh. </div>
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we also<i> finally</i> met Daisy! </div>
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who was with her best pal, Minnie. Cheney loves her some Minnie Mouse! </div>
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We rode the Teacups one last time & I want to bottle up these sweet, magical faces forever! </div>
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We rode Buzz Lightyear several times because the boys were trying to max out the score--this is seriously their favorite!</div>
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Sweet Cheney took a hot & sweaty stroller nap. The City Mini is the best because it reclines all the way back!</div>
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Grayson & Ben did more posing on Space Mountain...I need to make a collage of all their roller coaster pictures. Haha!</div>
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The one thing Griff was so excited about was "doing the rollercoaster I can do!" He loved the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & his face lit up when he found out he got to ride it twice that day! He was such a good sport about G getting to ride more things than him & the joy he got from this ride was the best. Look at that face! </div>
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One last picture before we left Magical Kingdom! Put a fork in us...we were done! </div>
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We ended our trip at the House of Blues restaurant in Disney Springs. The food is great & we sat right on the water. It was a beautiful night! </div>
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Disney World, you were magical & so much fun. If I had a money tree, we would go every single year! </div>
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Here are my tips from our trip:</div>
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-rent a stroller!!!! We used Apple Rental Company & they were fine. The first stroller we had was hard to fold up and they replaced it immediately once we called. </div>
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-bring a misting fan. I forgot ours and ended up with the $25 Disney one. </div>
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-bring at least one Brita water bottle. The water tastes funky & that filters it out and makes it taste normal. You can also get free cups of ice water all over the park to refill your own bottle. </div>
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-Do the Memory Maker package! We did not do this for our first trip & I wish we had. The pictures they took at each character experience are so great. We have almost 400 pictures just from them! So worth the money!</div>
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-<a href="http://ftmtravel.com/" target="_blank">Here</a> is the planner we used. Jami Hill is awesome & has been doing this a long time! She is FREE and so helpful! </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-44385762382204374942016-09-28T06:25:00.002-05:002016-09-28T06:26:25.320-05:00Disney World {Days 3 & 4}<div style="text-align: center;">
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The one thing we wished we had done differently on our last Disney trip was add in another Magic Kingdom day. Two days there just wasn't enough! Honestly, I could spend a whole week just going to that park--it really is the most magical! So, we did just that. Our 3rd day was spent at Magic Kingdom again!</div>
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You know Grayson is loving life when you can get him to happily wear a Mickey shirt and not a neon Nike shirt! </div>
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See how magical it is?? You can also see Cheney's new Disney smile that she did in 75% of our pictures--goofy girl!</div>
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One of our favorite rides is Pirates of the Caribbean! </div>
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The boys just really loved the gift shop--all things pirate! </div>
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We rode on the Jungle Cruise and I forgot how hot that boat ride is!</div>
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We rode the Little Mermaid ride (and maybe I sang along the whole time) & then met Ariel in her Grotto. She is my favorite princess & Cheney is starting to love her, too. She picked out an Ariel doll before we left!</div>
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We took Grayson on Splash Mountain & he <i>loved</i> it. We had front row seats and got pretty wet...but when it feels like 100 degrees outside you don't complain! </div>
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One of the highlights of this day was watching the Festival of Fantasy Parade down Main Street! We got some popcorn & had front row seats. The kids all loved it--Griffin said it was his favorite part! </div>
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These three were mesmerized the whole time & just giggled and danced. It was fun to watch!</div>
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We spent the entire day at Magic Kingdom & Ben and Grayson rode Space Mountain several times. I think this picture was my favorite. G is currently all about dabbing in every picture--ha! <br />
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We headed to Disney Springs that night for a little shopping & eating. We ate at Earl of Sandwich which was really good & explored the toy store. The kids were delirious on the way home--Disney World equals many late nights! All the kids were sleeping in the living area of our suite. The boys had the sofa bed & Cheney slept on the murphy bed. I would check on them before we fell asleep and before I started getting ready in the morning--they literally never moved each night! <br />
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Our 4th day was spent at Animal Kingdom. I like Animal Kingdom, but it is not a place that we could spend the same amount of time at as Magic Kingdom. We did a half day there which worked out perfectly because we had late night reservations with Chef Mickey!<br />
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The first thing we did at Animal Kingdom was the Kilimanjaro Safari. Our kids all love this--especially Griffin! <br />
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Griffin is obsessed with the Lion Guard right now & couldn't wait to see a real lion. They were all snoozing on the rocks but they are just so beautiful! <br />
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We also did the "It's Tough Being a Bug" show. Grayson and Griffin thought it was awesome but Cheney said it was "too loud" and she "no like that." <br />
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I was excited to ride the Everest roller coaster this time! It did not disappoint--my little ride buddy loved it, too!<br />
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While Grayson & Ben rode Everest together, the rest of us met safari Mickey and Minnie! Griff and Cheney love every single character meet & greet. I love watching their eyes light up!<br />
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We ate lunch at the Flame Tree Barbeque place and it was really good! They had a covered area by the water overlooking the Everest ride. It was a nice, shady spot!<br />
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Before we headed home for naps, we hit up the DinoLand! We played in the gigantic playground & rode the Triceratops Spin. <br />
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They had tons of carnival games & Ben made Griffin's dream come true when he won him a gigantic snake stuffed animal!!<br />
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We headed back to the resort around 2:00 that day because we knew the kids (and adults) had to nap since we had such a late dinner planned. Everyone slept for over 2 hours!<br />
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We explored the Cars section of the resort before we headed to dinner. It really is such a fun place to stay!<br />
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We had reservations at Chef Mickey's at 8:25 that night. I thought we were crazy to start an evening that late with 3 littles, but we couldn't pass up Chef Mickey's! <br />
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The food was pretty good & the character experience was so fun. They even brought out a signed birthday card for Grayson! <br />
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We ended our {very late} night celebrating Grayson's birthday again. You get to celebrate all week when you are in Disney World! </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-5923339804988803162016-09-27T06:27:00.000-05:002016-09-27T06:27:01.565-05:00Disney World {day 1 & 2} <div style="text-align: center;">
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Last time we went to Disney World Grayson was 3 and Griffin was 21 months old. I was big & pregnant with Cheney and <i>could not wait</i> to bring her back to experience the magic. Well, we booked our trip at the end of April and decided to keep it a secret from the kids! Ben's parents spent the week with us again & it was such a fun trip! I'll break up my posts over a few days but I want to make sure I don't forget anything. We booked our trip with Jami Hill of <a href="http://ftmtravel.com/" target="_blank">FTM Travel</a>...she was awesome! We originally wanted to try a different resort but decided to stick with Art of Animation because we love having the suite AND we just could not beat the price. Plus? We really only sleep in our rooms--we spent every day at the parks! We stayed in a Lion King suite this time and it was super cute. Griffin is obsessed with Lion Guard and Lion King & we knew he would love it! That resort is just so much fun for little kids. </div>
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We left on Saturday, September 17th and told the kids that morning. We had spent the night at my parents house in Atlanta since we were flying out from there. I wrapped up the magic bands and had them open them up after breakfast. I expected screams and jumping for joy--and, well, I didn't get that. Ha! You never know what you will get with kids! I sat with Griffin and Cheney on the plane and she was a little bit wild. We are still working on our quiet voice (she can be a yell talker-ha!) but she loved the airplane! </div>
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We got to the resort in the early afternoon on Saturday. We explored our Lion King section & Griffin was so happy. </div>
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We had plans that night to eat at the Wilderness Lodge at Whispering Canyon. We had not yet told the kids that Mimi & Pops would be joining us. I waited with them in the lobby and when Ben walked over with Mimi & Pops, Cheney flipped out. She ran screaming with joy towards them--it was so cute! </div>
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Whispering Canyon was good & Cheney and Griffin enjoyed having stick horse races around the restaurant. The Wilderness Lodge looked awesome--it is on my list of places to stay eventually! </div>
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Sunday was our first full day & we spent it at Epcot. </div>
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I was really excited about our breakfast because we had reservations at Akershus & would finally get to meet some of the princesses! It definitely did not disappoint. The food was good & the princess meet and greets were great! </div>
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The kids all loved meeting the princesses. We brought autograph books (I found 3 Disney journals at the Dollar Tree!!) this time and they loved collecting all their signatures. Griffin was enamored by all the beautiful girls--it was so sweet! </div>
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They did a parade around the restaurant and Griffin and Cheney participated. They frolicked around waving to everyone! </div>
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We rode the new Frozen Ever After ride after breakfast before the line got crazy. It was fun! We also met Princesses Anna and Elsa. </div>
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Cheney LOVED Anna and immediately started jumping up and down when she met her. Anna held her hands and hopped with her--made her day! </div>
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We rode the Nemo ride and saw Turtle Talk with Crush. I am a fan of anything inside with cold air conditioning! Grayson also got to ride his first "big kid" ride. Last time we went he was just under 40 inches & could not ride any of the bigger rides. He is a thrill seeker and we were excited for him to ride the big rides with us! </div>
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We rode Soarin' and he LOVED it! The new revamped one is amazing!</div>
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We also did a character meet & greet that afternoon with Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy. Cheney was super pumped to meet Minnie!</div>
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I was curious if Grayson would act interested in the characters. He tends to act more like a mini teenager than a 6 year old. BUT, the magic was definitely still there and he loved every character meet & greet!</div>
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Our 2nd day was super special because it was Grayson's SIXTH birthday! </div>
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We started off our day with an early character breakfast at Ohana. We heard great things about this one & it did not disappoint either! The food was good & the characters were wonderful.</div>
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The servers passed out maracas & they did another character parade. Grayson was way too cool for that but the littles loved it! Love their enthusiasm:) </div>
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We spent the rest of the day at Magic Kingdom--my absolute favorite!! We picked up G's birthday pin on Main Street first thing when we got there & he wore it proudly all week! He has been looking forward to turning 6 for what seems like forever & I know he loved how all the cast members told him "Happy birthday, Grayson" all week!</div>
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One of the boys all time favorite rides is the Buzz Lightyear ride! They are so competitive & love shooting the lasers and trying to beat everyone else. We rode it like 8 times all week..ha! </div>
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Griffin is the easiest kid to please. He gets excited about just about anything. The simplest ride in all of Disney World (The People Mover) made him so happy. Love his little heart!</div>
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I was happy that I could actually do the Teacups this time! </div>
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This was one of my favorite pictures from the whole week. Griffin was just tall enough to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster and was thrilled. I was a little worried that it would scare him but he rode it like a pro! Those little hands up in the air and that sweet grin--can't handle it! Our boys both love roller coasters! He repeatedly asked all week when we could ride on the "roller coaster I can do!" It was a really fun one!</div>
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Grayson's favorite ride at Magic Kingdom was definitely Space Mountain...he & Ben enjoyed the cameras a little bit! </div>
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Cheney loved all the rides (except for the Tomorrowland Speedway--"too hot!") but she was particularly mesmerized by Prince Charming's Carousel! She wanted to ride every time we walked by!</div>
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We had Grayson's birthday dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern. It was yummy family style food that reminded me of Thanksgiving! Grayson got a special birthday cupcake! </div>
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We wanted to stay late that night and watch the fireworks but a big storm rolled in during dinner. It POURED as we left but luckily we were right by a big pavilion. We tried to wait it out but the thunder & lightning kept coming. We ended taking our super exhausted back around 9:00. </div>
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We didn't see the fireworks but we did see the beautiful castle! It is just as magical as an adult! </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-57701242310578321832016-09-26T06:11:00.000-05:002016-09-26T06:11:42.062-05:00Menu Monday<div style="text-align: center;">
We are back from a week at Disney World & I can't wait to get back in the kitchen and cook this week. We are ready for some homemade meals! Here is what we are eating this week:</div>
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<b>Monday: </b>Grilled cheese - baseball night means we eat fast & easy food! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken I howsweeteats.com" class="aligncenter wp-image-19510 pinit-hover" data-jpibfi-indexer="6" src="http://www.howsweeteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bbqckn1-1.jpg" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken I howsweeteats.com" width="270" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/10/crockpot-bbq-beer-chicken/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Tuesday: </b><a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/10/crockpot-bbq-beer-chicken/" target="_blank">BBQ Beer Crockpot Chicken</a> - baseball night round 2 & this is a staple at our house! Ben loves it as leftovers for lunch at work. <br />
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<b>Wednesday:</b> Pancakes<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole - Creamy, cheesy and comforting! Loaded with Ranch chicken, homemade alfredo sauce and bacon. Can be made ahead of time!" class="alignnone wp-image-21718 size-full pib-hover-img" src="http://damndelicious.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_0741edit.jpg" data-pin-url="http://damndelicious.net/2016/01/03/chicken-bacon-ranch-casserole/" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://damndelicious.net/2016/01/03/chicken-bacon-ranch-casserole/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Thursday: </b><a href="http://damndelicious.net/2016/01/03/chicken-bacon-ranch-casserole/" target="_blank">Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole</a></div>
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<b>Friday: </b><a href="http://pioneerwoman.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/3321932002_cf4d25e777_o.jpg?w=630&h=419" target="_blank">Marlboro Man Pasta</a> </div>
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<b>Saturday: </b>Tacos</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-37615528789282259222016-09-19T06:30:00.000-05:002016-09-19T06:30:17.351-05:00SIX!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Six years ago the most precious 9lb sack of sugar made me a mama. It was the craziest and one of the best days of my entire life. Grayson was the most alert & active baby and to this day is <i>always</i> busy. It is hard to remember him being this little!</div>
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At 6 years old, this boy is a harder worker than any kid I know. He is driven, determined to do his best, & always looking to improve. His two biggest loves are baseball and American Ninja Warrior. Grayson's dream is to be a professional baseball player & become a Ninja Warrior--he dreams big & works hard so I have no doubt he could do both! </div>
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I remember when Grayson was 4 and I prayed confidence over him. He was so unsure of himself & that was my word for him that year. Two years later & he is a different kid! He is so confident (we may even be working on that whole humble thing-ha!) and that makes me so proud. I love that he doesn't care what others think of him. Two different color Nike socks? no big deal. He thinks it looks cool and that is all that matters! </div>
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I love this little guy's personality! He has such a funny sense of humor & is an old soul. And sometimes he thinks he is a 16 year old trapped in a 6 year old's body! He is opinionated & can be a perfectionist. He is the best big brother to Griffin and Cheney. He is super independent and loves picking out what he wants to wear every day. I feel like he has already grown up so much this year since he started kindergarten. I think 6 will be a big year for Grayson--lots of learning and lots of growing! </div>
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Happy SIXTH birthday to our baseball playing, monkey bar obsessed, always climbing or running, tender hearted firstborn. Grayson, you are a natural leader & I know you will do big things in life. We love you, G! </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-21016509929029642712016-09-12T08:29:00.002-05:002016-09-12T08:29:57.952-05:00back to preschool! <div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
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We can officially say that summer is <i>now</i> over. Griffin, Cheney, & I all started back to school last Tuesday! </div>
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This will be my 2nd year teaching a 3 year old class at our church. I would have never thought that I would enjoy teaching young preschoolers, but I am so happy I took a chance last year. I love it! We have a really sweet class this year & I am looking forward to spending a year with them and watching them grow!</div>
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Griffin is in the Alligator class this year!</div>
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I was a little worried about Griffin being in the 4 year old class. It is a big year of independence and our middle boy has a funny way of still being the baby in the family. However, he is with a lot of his best buds again and he is doing so well!! He tells me all about the fun things they do in class & is loving going to centers. I get to spend some time with his class at recess & I love watching him play with his friends! </div>
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Cheney is in the Panda class this year! This is the class that the boys both started in & I love it so much. </div>
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This little lady is LOVING school. She tells me all about the friends she plays with & sits next to at lunch. She is such a social butterfly and I know she loves being there. Her sweet teachers have even gotten her to nap on her mat!!! I was shocked and amazed. </div>
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Our little school is the most precious place for children. I'm soaking up these years before my babies go to the big school with their brother! </div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-85418248137489305862016-09-04T15:38:00.000-05:002016-09-04T15:38:36.158-05:00New House Tour: the play room<div align="center">
One thing that was on my wish list for looking at houses was having a big bonus room that had a door. Our old house had a great play room for the kids but it was out in the open and there was no way to hide all the toys. It drove me crazy once we started accumulating more & more large, plastic toys. If the room is messy at the end of the day, I want to close the door and not think about it!</div>
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I was so excited to see the big bonus room at our new house. It is upstairs, above the garage, away from the bedrooms, AND it has a door. Hallelujah! The only problems? Well, it was dark brown & had a horribly obnoxious UT vinyl sticker on the wall. <br />
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This is what the room looked like when we first saw it. Thank goodness the owners took those decals with them. The door on the right is the laundry room & has a walk in attic. There is also a door to the left with more walk in attic space! HUGE bonus points. </div>
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This was the first room we painted after we moved in. I could not handle that dark brown paint. We also changed out the light fixture--that one was<em> so dark</em>. Griffin had to wear a head lamp to pick out bedtime books--not even kidding!</div>
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Here is what the room looks like now!</div>
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We painted a very light grayish blue. It makes the room look so much brighter! </div>
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You will notice that we are still very much in the stage of HUGE toys. </div>
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This used to be our sectional. Our movers tried moving it upstairs but the corner piece would not make it through the doorway. SO, we ditched that piece and now just have a <em>really</em> long couch. I need to hang our Ikea art wire and hang the kids book covers above that couch! </div>
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This is my favorite little corner of the room...Cheney's girly nook! That is the baby crib that Pops made her & my mom refinished my old baby bunk beds and made them quilts! Cheney loves to read in her little Owl chair and play with her babies. </div>
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That door goes to our other huge storage space. It is no nice not having to go up in the actual attic to store stuff! </div>
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Well, that is our play room/bonus room! Now if only I could get the kids to always keep it this neat! </div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-34444063852179225762016-08-29T08:31:00.003-05:002016-08-29T08:31:58.683-05:00Menu Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--mZgQjO8oFg/VR1IkzgrtrI/AAAAAAAAcDY/yGh1FTG6vy4/s1600/Mississippi%2BPot%2BRoast%2C%2Bfinished%2B(copyright%2C%2Bwww.thecountrycook.net).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--mZgQjO8oFg/VR1IkzgrtrI/AAAAAAAAcDY/yGh1FTG6vy4/s400/Mississippi%2BPot%2BRoast%2C%2Bfinished%2B(copyright%2C%2Bwww.thecountrycook.net).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thecountrycook.net/2015/04/crock-pot-mississippi-pot-roast.html" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Monday: </b><a href="http://www.thecountrycook.net/2015/04/crock-pot-mississippi-pot-roast.html" target="_blank">Mississippi Pot Roast</a>, mashed potatoes, & rolls. I am not a huge fan of the crockpot but I do use it quite often for baseball nights! This is a new recipe for us that I am hoping will be tasty! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken I howsweeteats.com" class="aligncenter wp-image-19509 pinit-hover" data-jpibfi-indexer="5" height="265" sizes="(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px" src="http://www.howsweeteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bbqckn-6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken I howsweeteats.com" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/10/crockpot-bbq-beer-chicken/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Tuesday: </b><a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/10/crockpot-bbq-beer-chicken/" target="_blank">BBQ Beer crockpot chicken</a> (making nachos with the pulled chicken!)-- this is a staple at our house because the leftovers are great & we can use for lots of different things! </div>
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<b>Wednesday: </b>Chicken cutlets with brown gravy, mashed potatoes, & peas</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46964/tamale-pie/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Thursday: </b><a href="http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46964/tamale-pie/" target="_blank">Tamale Pie</a> -- this was a recipe that Ben did not have high hopes for but ended up<i> loving</i>. </div>
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<b>Friday: </b>using the leftover chicken to make BBQ chicken pizzas</div>
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<b>Saturday: </b>Pancakes and bacon<b></b></div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633337736760056861.post-28811434193491309542016-08-22T06:30:00.000-05:002016-08-22T06:30:23.062-05:00Menu Monday<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
We are almost fully back into the swing of things around here. School has started and so has baseball practice. Both boys are playing now so we will have double the practice & games this fall! A hectic schedule and late nights at the baseball fields make menu planning a little more difficult, but I am determined to not eat out during the week! When we looked at our budget over the summer and saw how much money we were spending on food, it made me sick. We have been doing a lot better about eating at our house. And let's be honest...eating out with 3 kids isn't exactly easier in the long run. Here is what we are having this week! </div>
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<img alt="Taco-Filled Pasta Shells Recipe" class=" photo" data-rd-fb-recipe="" data-share-fb-imageurl="http://cdn1.tmbi.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/300x300/exps13814_EFM1339618D5B.jpg" itemprop="image" src="http://cdn1.tmbi.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/300x300/exps13814_EFM1339618D5B.jpg" title="Taco-Filled Pasta Shells Recipe" /></div>
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<b>Monday:</b><a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/taco-filled-pasta-shells" target="_blank"> Taco Filled Pasta Shells</a> -- I have blogged about this recipe before. It is a family favorite! It is also great as leftovers! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://designerbagsanddirtydiapers.blogspot.com/2013/03/best-stir-fry-chicken-fried-brown-rice.html" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<b>Tuesday</b>: <a href="http://designerbagsanddirtydiapers.blogspot.com/2013/03/best-stir-fry-chicken-fried-brown-rice.html" target="_blank">Chicken stir-fry</a> & veggies (I saw this posted on Instagram--hoping it is good!)</div>
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<b>Wednesday:</b> Grilled chicken, white cheddar macaroni and cheese, sautéed squash & zucchini</div>
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<b>Thursday:</b> Leftovers! </div>
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<b>Friday:</b> Burrito Bowls (rice, chicken, corn, black beans, avocado, salsa, & a little shredded cheese) </div>
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<b>Saturday:</b> Pancakes and bacon<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11827364328769026492noreply@blogger.com0