Hockey Game

I wanted to post these sooner but just haven't gotten around to it. I have pictures from a hockey game we went to this past Saturday night. Eian was really looking forward to it since it was just the three of us. We all love having my niece live with us but have come to value one another more. Our time seems a little more limited to spend with just Eian since a busy toddler has come into our lives!
I wasn't sure how I would like hockey but I have to say it was quite entertaining. I was very thankful for the seats we had. We had a perfect view... not too far away BUT not too close to the action and have little ears hear colorful language! There were a few heated confrontations to say the least. It was funny when Eian asked where they were making the two guys who just fought go. David explained it was a penalty box. That was my opportunity to say, " See bud, even grown men have time outs!" My son then preceded to say, "Mooom, they're not full grown. They're probably only like 16 so it's okay for them to have time outs. They're technically still kids." Little does Eian know that in just a few (too short) years he will claim and protest that he IS fully grown at 16! Oh, David and I laughed our head's off later on that one!
We had a great time and are so grateful for the free tickets our friend gave us. Thanks Aaron!

Menu Plan Monday

It's Menu Plan Monday again already. I have to say that so far (it's only week 2 though) I look forward to Monday's because it's when I get to share my meal plan with all of you! It was time consuming to go grocery shopping Saturday (6 stores in 4 hours, but NO kids!) because I had specific things I needed and they were on sale at certain locations. The good news though is all the stores I went to are only 2-3 miles from one another so it's not like I was wasting money on gas or it would not have been worth it! I think I did pretty good. I spent $132.00 for two weeks worth of groceries!

I went ahead and made a menu plan for two weeks instead of just one for the simple fact of saving time and less trips to the store means less cash coming out of my pocket! It felt good and a weight was lifted. I guess just knowing what you're eating for two weeks and knowing that you're saving money by going to the store with a plan makes a huge difference!

So here is what our dinners look like for the next two weeks:

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches with Curly Fries

Chili and salad

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Chicken Quesadillas with Spanish Rice

Tater Tot Casserole & Salad

Chicken Pot Pie

Stir Fry

Sloppy Joe's with fries and veggies

Herb baked chicken thighs w/ garlic,parsley & butter noodles with broccoli

Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

Pizza

Hamburger Helper (what can I say, I need an easy one at least one night of the week!)

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup

As you can see I haven't added which days we're eating what, like I did last week. I kind of just pick what will work for us on which nights. For example, I don't pick something like Chicken Pot Pie that takes 45 minutes to bake, when I know we have church, play dates, appointments, etc.

So there you have it! I hope to link to my recipes once I get some added.

Baby Update

I have to say, I love my blog, especially now after my preggo checkups. Friends and family are always anxious to hear how it went and I would love to call each and every one of them. Working full time and two kids doesn't allow much time to call 10 people though! So I'm going to start posting updates, starting with this one.

We went today for my 16 week checkup. My once tilted uterus is normal for now and allowed us to pick up the baby's heartbeat right away through the regular hand held thingy. It was a healthy 140 beats per minute! The doctor said all my labs came back normal, she says I seem to be in great health and everything seems to be progressing normally.

Our next checkup is the BIG ULTRASOUND where we can find out the sex of the baby. We have decided to find out, we're impatient people what can I say! No really, we had thought about not knowing but it would be nice to know if we can use Eian's old baby clothes or do we need a new wardrobe?

The doctor did briefly talk with us about labor and delivery. I went so quick after my water broke with Eian (dilated from 3 cm to 10 cm in 2 hours!) that she said we may want to schedule it just to be safe but it was our decision. Apparently your labors tend to go quicker with each additonal child. I don't know, I don't like "making" things happen unless absolutely necessary. I want it to be the Lord's time not mine or David's just because it's what's convenient for us. It would be different, and would pose a health risk, if we lived an hour from the hospital but we only live about 15 minutes away.

I did tell her that my goal is to go all natural with childbirth, no drugs. This may be the last chance God gives us for a baby and not going naturally with Eian was something I kind of regretted. Hubby and I definitely need to hone in on our pain management system though(breathing, massage, etc.). Do any of you have stories (good and bad) of going naturally? What kind of pain mngt method did you use and did it work? Please share!!

Word Filled Wednesday- Trusting the Lord

Yay, it's WFW's again! I haven't participated in awhile just simply because of a crazy schedule but I'm so glad I'm doing it again today. Sometimes I can get carried away with the blogging thing (addicted at times you may say) and WFW's gives me a way to honor and glorify God through blogging. How cool is that? If you would like to join just visit 100AcreWoods.

So my verse this weeks is Proverbs 3:5-6. This is one that the girls in my accountability small group suggested for me. I have been trying to memorize it by carrying it on a note card in my pocket with me all day. I pull it out and read it at times I feel myself getting stressed, angry, worried or pretty much any emotion that's conveying that I'm not completely trusting Him.


This verse is such a great reminder to me that God loves me so much and wants to bless me if only I would trust in Him and follow His lead. He will guide my path and set me on solid ground but I have to be willing to follow Him instead of making my own trail. I find it tempting to just forge ahead through life without really stopping to reflect on God's word or pray before a decision is made. I have learned many lessons that are a result of doing the OPPOSITE of this verse. So I can tell you going your own way and trusting in yourself to do things does not work! Thank you Lord for being my great Counselor!

Menus Plan Monday

It's my first week back to meal planning and I'm kinda excited. I guess it makes me feel like I have a little control in my crazy life!! No really I'm mainly anxious to get back into it because I won't have to stress about forgetting to leave something out for dinner and wondering what I'm going to make and the added bonus is saving some green! I used to be a meal planner and a weekend cooker which meant on I would make enough meals for the week and freeze some and leave the rest for leftovers through the week. I got away from cooking all day because it was a lot of work! I think though if I plan out simple, low cook time recipes that will take a lot of pressure off. Do you know how stressful it is to come home with two starving kids (and I mean ravenous and I give them snacks to eat on the way home!) and I can never seem to pull in the driveway before 6pm?

So my stressful days are over thanks to the encouragement of the ladies who are involved in Meal Plan Mondays!

So enough talk, here's my menu:

Monday: Pot Roast in crock

Tuesday: Ham, Cheese, Potato, and Broccoli bake

Wednesday: "Crazy Dinner" It's my son's way of saying we're having breakfast for dinner. He loves it!

Thursday: Herb Roasted Chicken thighs, butter & parsley egg noodles, and veggies

Friday: I don't have anything here yet because I have to go to the store really bad! We'll probably have pizza!

I'll try to post pics and recipes after I make them. Have a great start to your week ladies!

Getting Organized: I'm on a role!

Like many of you, I too have been bit by the organization bug! My girl Bethany has been going crazy getting her house organized and she's asking her readers to share. I had planned on posting my before and after photos anyway and now this just gives me another excuse to give her a plug!

It seems I can't turn a corner without seeing a pile of useless things we don't need taking over our home! I wish I could just lock myself in my house for a week and have at it but I just make do with a few hours here and there.

I have several hot spots in my house. You know, the places that seem to be overflowing with junk that you look at everyday but it's too overwhelming to actually do anything about it! I'm only going to share two of them with you tonight and hopefully I'll continue to stay motivated and post more.

Hot Spot #1- My Jewelry

AFTER

It may not look that bad from where you're sitting but trust me, it is NO fun hunting through a jumbled pile of earrings when you're running late to work! The pic to the left is showing my necklaces taking over a picture in my bathroom. I have to be careful when I pull one off that I don't pull them all down, which I've done. So awhile back I purchased a door hanger style jewelry organizer from Avon and finally decided to put it to use. I love this thing. It even has an empty pouch at the bottom for me add more jewelry (hint, hint to my hubby!).

Hot Spot #2: My niece's toy corner

It may also not look bad from where you're sitting. If you look close though, there's a lot of empty and unused space on the shelves which means she has toys strewn over the house! Plus you might see a white basket with a pink liner. That's a basket I let her put toys in until I could get the shelf organized but I really want to use the basket in another part of the house.

BEFORE

AFTER

Just those two little things make a big difference.

Blog Makeover Giveaway

Do you get tired having to pick from blog layouts that don't necessarily reflect the REAL you? Plus, isn't it disappointing when you spend an hour searching layouts and backgrounds, find one you like, and then a few days later see that someone else has it?

Well Alicia over at More Than Words is celebrating her 250th post by hosting a giveaway for a custom blog design. How cool is that? Hurry, it ends midnight tonight (West Coast time). Go check it out and good luck!