Six Years

 This coming weekend Matt and I are celebrating 6 years of marriage. 

 I love our anniversary, not because we do anything super romantic, or give extravagant gifts.  It is always a time where I look back to see how far we have come. 

 We were so young when we made the commitment to spend our lives together, I know there were many looks of doubt at us.  Wondering what we were thinking.  Wondering if we were pregnant (we were).  Wondering how the story of us came to be.  A lot was unknown to everyone around us, but we knew, and still know that it was meant to be from the moment we met.

Ant here we are 6 years, 3 kids, a house and a mini van later.....

.....he really is my best friend still. The life we imagined all those years ago is a reality now.  Yea, we have bad days, no our life isn't perfect, but there is more good than bad, and more happy than sad.  

And that is all you can ask for.

Oh How Pinteresting!

As a stay at home mom of now 3 young children, I think it is so hard to find a sense of style.  I mean my days are spent either at home, at the library, at the park, on a play date, or running errands.  I mean I wear my "stylish" clothes on days I am going to Target or Costco.

Once the baby weight is gone, at a point where I am ok with what pudge is left I would really like to start building my closet back up with normal, adult looking clothing.

So where to turn for inspiration?  Pinterest of course!  Here is a peek of what I feel a busy stay at home mom style should be, because lets face it, heels while pushing your 3 year old on the swings just would look ridiculous!  I will say though that I have seen some mamas a little over dressed for Chuck E Cheese in the past, I am sure it is a great place to pick up guys though ;)

So today I am linking up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple to share.....

I put mostly spring/summer because I am so over winter weather! I can't wait for the sun to start shining!

Oh and I could add this to my collection, just because!  (It looks like the perfect 6 year anniversary gift to me, right?)

Any other SAHM's or moms in general find it so hard to have any sense of style?

A Fresh Start.

For a few weeks now I have been feeling the need for some changes to make things run more smoothly in our house.  There are some things that go really well in our routine, like our bedtime routine, but others that need some attention.  Hopefully within the next month or so I will feel better about the things that need some help.

1.  My kids are such picky eaters.  Me being a short order chef at dinner has GOT to stop.  For the past week I have been making one meal for the entire family, and there is no other option.  It has been hell so far.  Matthew has done really well, and eaten somethings I would have never even put on his plate.  He ate more vegetables this week than I think he has in his life.  Lilly on the other hand....is making this a nightmare.  She refuses to even try anything new.  I think it is the age difference.  Matthew understands that if he just eats it, then it isn't that bad, and he can be done.  Lilly screams, cries, yells, hits, makes us feel like the worst parents in the world.  I am really hoping that if we stick to the plan that she will come around.

2.  This mama needs some time to herself.  I have got to starting eating meals throughout the day, and not just forgetting because I am too busy/tired.  Since we know we are done having kids, I really want to lose the baby weight that has lingered between children for the past 5 years.  Taking the 45 minutes to an hour to work out once a day should not be that difficult.  Yet I seem to never make the time.  This is going to change. I feel so much better once I work out and have so much more energy.

3.  I also need to start taking at least 1 day a week where we just stay home.  Where we get Matthew off to school, then come home and stay until we pick him up.  Play dates are fun, but when we are out of the house every single day, my house becomes a disaster.  I have also noticed that Lilly enjoys being home, playing with toys to herself.

I guess I just feel like now that Joshua is sleeping through the night (yep, my 7 week old is sleeping in his crib, in his room, through the night!  Lucky me) I need to get myself out of that "I have a newborn" phase.  I have no excuse to be tired.  It is time to regain some control over things, and have a little less chaos in our life!

Wish Me Luck!

Menu Plan Monday + Tilapia Recipe

I have been so off on my meal planning, but it is time to get back on track!  Here is the list of our meals for the week.

Monday 2/25 - Taco Bake - Recipe Here

Tuesday 2/26 - Leftover Night

Wednesday 2/27 - Pasta Casserole (it is a freezer meal I made while pregnant, I am trying to use them up)

Thursday 2/28 - Ham/Noodles/Mixed Veggies

Friday 3/1 - (No meat for us) Shrimp/Rice/Veggies

Saturday 3/2 - Chicken Wraps/Salad

Sunday 3/3 - Out to Eat.  It is our SIX year wedding anniversary, so we are going to go out as a family for some shopping and dinner.

Fridays mean no meat for us during lent.  We don't usually eat a lot of fish, so it is a struggle for me sometimes.  This past week I made Tilapia.  It was so quick, simple, and very yummy!

Pan Cooked Tilapia

Ingradients:
1-2 pieces of fish per person
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Spary
Butter
Mushrooms

1.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Spray a non-stick skillet and add about 2 tablespoons of butter.
2.  Place fish in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Remove the fish.
3.  Add 2 more tablespoons of butter and saute the mushrooms.  Once softened, add fish back into the pan.

I served this with roasted asparagus and rice with green onion.

Enjoy!

Joshua's First Trip To PA

Making trips back to PA seems to get harder as the kids get older.  The actual traveling is easier, but finding the time is challenging.  We took advantage of the long weekend and extra day off school, and made a trip to my in-laws.  It was Joshua's first long car ride and he did great.

Matt and I took advantage of being at my in-laws, and went out to dinner and a movie.  We went to our favorite local restaurant and then I dragged my husband to see Safe Haven.  We had a great time, I just wish we could have date nights more often.

 


 

Full of Love

Our Valentine's Day/weekend was fabulous.  

Matthew spent his day at school.  He exchanged Valentines and had a small party with his classmates.  I packed him a heart filled lunch.

Lilly and I spent our day making Valentines for the boys, and decorating the dining room for our little Valentine's dinner.

Her lunch was also full of love.  It is kind of dun trying to figure out how many things you can shape into hearts. {For me it was a PB sandwich, Grilled Cheese, Carrots, Potatoes, and sprinkles on plain yogurt.}

 Joshua spent his day doing what he does best, being adorable!

I spent the day making it as special as possible for my hubby and little ones.

 I made cupcakes

Oreo Balls

And a yummy dinner.

 It was a great family day.  Not the most romantic for Matt and I, but so worth it.  We did get to have a nice date night out this weekend when we were staying in PA with family. 




 

One Month!

Happy 1 month to Joshua!

The biggest milestones so far are smiling, and being awake for a few hours a day.  He is sleeping really well at night, only waking once to eat, and one other time for a fresh diaper.  He loves the swing we have upstairs, but hates the other we have in the living room.  He can't stand tummy time, and we probably don't do it as often as we should.

We are settling back into our regular life, and Joshua is fitting right in.  Library storytimes, play dates, meetings, and such don't seem to phase him.  Although he isn't too fond of the car seat unless the car is moving.

This past weekend we made a trip into DC for a very COLD Saturday going to museums.  He slept in the car seat, ate, then slept in the Boba carrier (which was the first time using it).  The kids loved the museums, and we had a great family day, with little to no problems, other than loosing a sock, but that always seems to happen!

I don't have any stats on growth, because we don't go back to the pediatricians office until 2 months, but he seems to be growing.  He is now on to size 1 diapers, and is quickly outgrowing the newborn sleepers and onesies.  The 0-3 month clothes are still big, but he is just too long for the newborn things.

Matthew and Lilly are still very excited about him, and the cutest thing is Matthew giving him kisses before he jumps out of the van during school kiss and ride. Lilly could sit and read to him all day long if I let her.  She also seems to get the most smiles out of him.

We are very lucky and blessed to have yet another wonderful, healthy baby, and are excited for the months to come!