...

I'm now at 16 weeks!!! This pregnancy is going quickly! Baby is growing. We've heard the heartbeat a few times and even had an ultrasound at 9 weeks (maybe I already said that before). On some blood work that I had done, we discovered that my thyroid is a little "abnormal". I had an ultrasound of that, and it looked fine....just a little enlarged. I'll have more blood work in a few weeks just to monitor my levels. Hope it all turns out okay. Prayers about that would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Jillian is now 1 year old! I can't believe it! She's started walking a little bit here and there but she's not overly motivated so if she falls down, she continues on her way on all 4's. It's cute.

Molly is going to be turning 5 soon so another cake and party is in the works. Time is just zooming by!!!

Every year I realize how we (parents) try to stop time and capture every intricate moment by pictures and memory books and saving every little piece of art work - in hopes that we don't let these precious moments slip from our overloaded minds. I'm learning to savor every moment and be a part of those moments instead of worrying about what I'll forget when they grow up.

5 years has almost passed with Molly and now having 3 kids, sometimes the memories get jumbled up and I can't quite remember who did what or when exactly something happened. It really doesn't matter. Every day she does something that amazes me. Every day she is learning more and more. Every day she is growing into an amazingly beautiful person that God has given to me. And every day I am here to see it all. Every moment. That is what matters to me.

Love your kids. Enjoy every moment that you possibly can with them.

God has created them specifically for YOU!

Long time....no post....

Hello! Things are going good around here! I am right at 12 weeks pregnant now. My nausea has almost completely subsided (Praise God!). I don't get it bad like some women, but any nausea on a daily basis is not fun! I had an ultrasound on August 15th and my due date got moved back to March 13th. Since Jillian was a big baby and since I've always been induced, my doctor told me to just plan on an induction again. I'm fine with that because I trust the expertise of my doctor. She is AWESOME!

We have a birthday coming up!!! Jillian is going to be 1 on September 13th! I absolutely cannot believe how the time has just flown by! She is clapping now and just the other day she took her first 4 steps (encouraged by her very proud Auntie). I've got to get some practice in for her cake because I'm going to be trying something new. I'm pretty excited!

Well, I'm going to keep this post short....it's lunch time, I'm hungry, and I've got a HUGE LIST to get done!

Have an awesome day!

~Amanda~

Baby #4!

Just when I thought I had it figured out, BAM, God caught me off guard!

I've learned that God's going to do with you what He wants, when He wants!

There was an episode of SCRUBS where one nurse was trying to get pregnant. She took a test (at work, I think) and it was negative so she tossed it out in disappointment. Moments later, someone came and emptied the trash (a friend of hers) and saw the pregnancy test, but it was showing a positive result. So, ever since then, if I have a negative test, I have been known to look at it a few times through out the day - expecting the same negative results.

This time around, I threw away a negative test and hours later it was still negative. I took another test a few days later and it was negative....but when I looked hours later, it was positive! So of course I HAD to take another in a couple of days. Negative. Then another negative turning into a positive hours later! WHAT IS GOING ON! So I googled it and read about why we aren't supposed to look at results after 10 minutes. Okay so I decided that I wasn't going to look after 10 minutes (dumb SCRUB idea!). Negative.  Okay, so I was certain I wasn't pregnant.

I counted 28 days (a normal cycle) from when my last "visit" was supposed to be which turned out to be July 11th....and waited....nothing. There was one more test in my bathroom....so naturally I took it. POSITIVE! Didn't even have to wait for the control line to show up. DEFINITELY PREGNANT! I could hardly wait to tell Trent the news since he had just called to tell me he was on his way home...but I did. :)

I had my doctor appointment today and we are probably around 8 weeks along. I am going to have an ultrasound at 11 weeks to make sure we know the estimated due date. Right now it is March 8th. 

Currently I am experiencing waves of nausea through out the day. No vomiting though with I am EXTREMELY grateful for. And, I'm tired. 

God is good!

Yay for BABY #4!!! 

to laugh!

Molly, Eli, & I were sitting around the table this morning eating our breakfast. Here is the conversation:

Molly: Mommy would you kill a moose?

Me: No....not unless it was hurting you or someone else.

Eli (trying to sound tough, he lowers his voice): I could kill a moose! I could kill a deer!

Molly: No, not my friend the deer! She doesn't even have any horns! (Molly really doesn't have a deer friend)

Me: Deer don't have horns. But boy deer have antlers. They are called bucks. Girl deer are called doe.

Both kids take a minute. Chew their food. Thinking about what they just heard...

Eli: I'll kill your deer so we can make cookies!! Cuz it's dough!

Hysterical!

Have a WONDERFUL Thursday!!!

Food Friday :)

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

I just finished my morning Bible reading and was thinking about the fact that it is Friday and that I haven't done a Food Friday entry in a while. A verse keeps popping into my head so I thought "I must share!"

Proverbs 26: 20

Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;

and where there is no talebearer (gossip/slander), strife ceases.

So, time for WEBSTER...

strife:  Angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict

talebearer:  A person who maliciously gossips or reveals secrets

gossip: 

1. Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true

2. A person who likes talking about other people's private lives

How do those definitions sound?

Uuummmm terrible!

Never do I want to have those definitions be words that describe me.

I am in fact guilty on all accounts!!!

Have I caused strife? Yes.

Have I maliciously gossiped or revealed secrets? Sure have.

Have I taken part or even started casual or unconstrained conversation/reports about other people, including possibly untrue details? Yep.

Do my ears perk up when I hear someone talking about someone else private life? Sadly, yes.

So, for Food Friday....here's some Food for Thought:

What are you using your words for? Causing strife? Gossiping? Talebearing?

Would your day be different if maybe you didn't share those "private", possibly true/untrue details of so-&-so's life over your lunch break?

Would you want that same gossip to be spoken about you.....or any gossip for that matter?

Use your words today for good! Compliment, encourage, listen (instead of talking!), disciple!!!

YES, friends it is possible that we can go an entire day without gossip & slander. Instead of partaking, walk away or just don't listen (if there's nowhere else to go). Change the subject! Say something nice about the person that's being slammed on - weird concept, huh?!?!

Are you possibly causing strife that you are unaware of due to words that have come from your mouth?

Today's challenge:  Cease strife today and choose your words wisely!

Our God is so merciful, just, and faithful to forgive!!!

Now that is awesome!

Have a FANTASTIC day!!!

final tonsil/tube update.

Day 14 came and went! Yay! We went to Eli's follow-up appointment for his tubes/tonsil surgery and the doctor said everything looked great! HOORAY! He healed, and I survived recovery!!!

So, overall it wasn't that bad. I guess being nervous that he would bleed out was the worst part....and trying to keep him calm so that he wouldn't bleed out....that was pretty stressful at times too.

But OVERALL, not bad.

Now, hopefully that was the end.

Hopefully you won't have to read about another one of Eli's ear infections!

That would be a MIRACLE!!!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers :)



to smile!

Jillian & oatmeal...

Hooray for oatmeal!!!

She makes me smile :o)

another update...

Today is post-op day 6!

YAY! We are almost half way! The doctor said 14 days of recovery which encompasses light activity and monitored diet. Eli continues to do really pretty good about every other day. I think that is due to maybe eating more and just plain over-doing it on those good days. He is SOOO ready to be better so he can run, jump, growl, yell, etc. - everything boys are made to do! It is really difficult to keep trying to restrict him but I know I need to.

Trent has his tonsils out about 2 years ago and on day 10, in the evening, he changed his breaks on his car. (I know, probably not a great idea, but like the current situation, how much can you restrict a boy/man from doing boy/man things!) We went to bed and then around 1:30a.m. I was woken up to my husband puking up blood in the bathroom sink! Maybe a little too much info for some of you, but that's what happened!! I called the ENT on call and we went into the ER. Trent had to go back in for surgery to stop the bleeding because it was so bad. Eli has the same surgeon and not a single appointment goes by without the doctor commenting on how terrible Trent's situation was. Doctor said "that was probably the worst one ever!"

Needless to say, I'm a little uptight about what "light activity" means. Who wouldn't be!

Eli has been waking up, from naps & in the morning, crying :( We haven't been waking him up in the night for meds and drinks because that was going horribly and I figured he needed his sleep. I think he's crying because his throat hurts. I feel terrible but when I would wake him up, he'd cry more which would just dry out his throat. So, I was not only drying out his throat more but I was interrupting his sleep! One had to give. We go to the pediatrician on Wednesday for well-child checks and the following week we have Eli's follow-up appointment with the ENT. I hope all goes well in between :)

No rain in the forecast for this week so hopefully we will get outside and do some fun "light activity". 

Have a great Monday!! :o)

update

Today is post-op day 2:

Yesterday was a good day. Eli ate pretty good - pancakes, ramen noodles, jell-o, pudding. He also drank fairly good. We were told that he should drink 2-3 times more than he usually does.....we didn't meet that. I didn't attempt to wake him up in the middle of the night since he doesn't normally accept that very well. At 5:30 Trent went up to have him drink and take some Tylenol. He refused a couple of times and then gave in.

Today, he isn't eating so well. I made him pancakes and eggs for breakfast and he only picked at it a little. Then mac-n-cheese for lunch and he only took about 3 bites :( Drinking hasn't been going so well either. I think he's about around 10 ounces! UGH! He should be at like 30!!! His pain is under control with the Tylenol. Today was also the last day for his ear drops - thank God because he doesn't really like those. (We had a bad experience with eye drops so when I say ear drops he freaks a little and is quickly reminded of the eye drops. I reassure him its for his EARS and that it doesn't hurt...it just kind of tickles...but I don't even really know). Right now he is eating string cheese. He doesn't really go for the really cold stuff so it's hard to entice him with ice cream and yogurt and mr. freeze pops...so hopefully he gets hungry enough here that he'll eat supper! Overall, he's doing pretty good and in good spirits. He woke up from his nap and said "Mommy I'm starting to feel much better....can I have some candy?"

Molly and I made homemade play dough today. Molly wanted purple but it turned out more of a mauve color and we made blue for Eli. It kind of feels weird, but it works and it says it should last 6 months!

Well, that's my update. Not much other than that going on around here. Just enjoying the fall-like weather :) Perfect for a little boy who can't really do a whole lot of running around.

Have a wonderful evening!!!

Check back for more updates & hopefully I'll have some fun posts soon!! 

Eli had surgery....hopefully his last!

Hello again!

Today Eli had his tonsils removed and had his 3rd set of tubes placed. I thought I'd keep a journal/update going on his progress. Just like I like to listen to other parents talk about how their child did with surgery, I'm sure I would have read a blog/journal/update about a child's recovery. So, here we go!

Let's start with a brief history...

Eli Daniel Thomas 3/4/2008 7# 10oz. 

Not a happy camper. This should have given us some insight as to what our next several months looked like. Okay, so it looked like this picture above....except it got bigger (as babies generally do).

November 2008

Eli had a "plugged tear duct" starting from about 1 month until 9 or 10 months. (the really yucky picture I have was possibly too yucky for some...this picture actually isn't too bad). I was always told it was plugged. It would ooze green goo and he'd get a runny nose, but it was still diagnosed as plugged. He was treated for his 1st (diagnosed) ear infection around July 2008. He was a fussy boy until he was on antibiotics - his attitude would be better while on the antibiotics (until about the 3rd day off), and his eye would clear up. Could it have possibly been a really bad ear infection that was just oozing out his eye because it had no other place to go? Maybe. 

July 10, 2008

Eli's 1st set of tubes. It went really good! We were expecting that he'd freak out when they came to take him back to the operating room, but he didn't! They brought a warm blanket in our room, wrapped it around his shoulders, and the anesthesiologist took him back. We were transferred to the recovery room and barely got settled in and the doctor came to chat with us. My heart sank! I thought there was NO WAY it was done. Something had to be wrong! CHILL-OUT AMANDA! We got a great report! The surgery was in fact done (approximately 15 minutes) and it had needed to be done because he was full of puss! EEEWWW! Note: at his check-up with the surgeon about 5 days before the surgery, I was told that the ear that was full of puss "looked clear"! Oops! Yes it's possible that it developed in that 5 days....but I just think it was so deep that the infection couldn't actually be seen by the otoscope. By the end of surgery day, he seemed like his normal healthy self  :)

 July 13, 2010

Just before Eli's 2nd set of tubes. This time, his adenoids went! Same thing. I thought he was going to spaz when the anesthesiologist came to get him....but he didn't! YAY! He kissed us and off he went....telling some story about his little monkey. This surgery went a little longer - maybe 30 minutes or so - due to the adenoids. Everything went as planned in the O.R. He came back to us with an IV and had to drink around 8 ounces of fluids before we left. He was pretty groggy, but didn't fuss much. He drank his fluids, his IV came out, and we headed home. Recovery was great. He was to be careful when blowing his nose, but otherwise it was pretty simple restriction-wise.

Prior to this surgery he was on Omnicef. After surgery we were advised to finish out the antibiotic +1 day...which turned out to be 11 days. 3 days after the antibiotic was finished (7 days post-op) we got this:

 Head to toe hives! UGH! It was concluded that Eli is probably allergic to Omnicef. The chiropractor says it was probably his body reacting to the stress from the surgery (which I tend to believe - having had a previous experience with stress induced hives). Everyone else ( among the health care providers that we see) says it was most likely the Omnicef. It took a couple of days to clear up. It actually started out on his torso and spread all over the rest of his body over the course of 3 days. On the 2nd day, we gave him Benadryl and it seemed to help quite a bit! By day 3 it was nearly gone.

In between each surgery, his tubes fell out and he had around 5 ear infections (between each set of tubes).

Which brings us to today...

June 21, 2011

Before surgery:

After surgery:

3rd set of tubes and no more tonsils! His surgery lasted around 30 minutes or maybe a little longer. The doctor said his tonsils definitely needed to come out. They apparently were HUGE! He was crying as he was starting to wake up, so they calmed him down a bit and then brought him to us. He was definitely NOT a happy little boy! He was crying :( and just looked so helpless! I felt TERRIBLE! He said he was going to throw up (which is normal), but thank God, he didn't! The nurse said that Eli had to consume 10 ounces of fluids before his IV could come out and if he was stable, we could leave shortly after that. We thought 1-2 hours, tops! WRONG! Surgery started at 7a.m. and we left around 1:30p.m.

Eli didn't want to drink. Understandable. He wanted his IV out. Understandable. He was tired. Also, understandable. And, he just wanted to go home... .ME TOO! Poor little guy! He was given some medicine to help with the nausea, and some pain meds to control his pain.

He drank a little of everything, ate some jell-o, watched some cartoons, slept a bit, read some books, and drank some more. Finally, he met the requirements and we headed home. 

He gets a little fussy as the medicine gets close to wearing off...so we are trying to keep on top of that. He ate pancakes, jell-o, and pudding tonight. Healthy, I know! Powerade and water have been his drinks-of-choice. Whatever works! 

We were told to wake him up in the night, every 4 hours, to drink and take Tylenol. I just attempted. I got him to drink, but he totally refused his medicine. So, I guess I'll either try to slip a little in while he is sleeping or not, and let Trent try again at 4:30. Overall, I feel like he's doing pretty good considering what he's been through. Thank You, Lord, for bringing us this far!!!

Please, if you have taken the time to read this, take just a little more time and pray for Eli.....and all of us....

Thanks! I hope to continue giving updates on his progress. Maybe this will help ease the mind of an anxious mom, or just give someone a general idea of what this entire process sort of looks like....I don't know.... 

Anyway, it'll be here. :o)

Adios!  

Okay, so it appears that I'm on somewhat of a blogger-break. I've got a ton of information zipping around in my head from the NICHE conference, it seems we are constantly filling up our calendar, and then of course are the normal household chores - grocery shopping, laundry, showering/bathing everyone, etc. You get it! Due to project overload, "It's a great day..." is getting put on the back burner - which is TOTALLY fine! Or I could just leave you in great suspense and say "I've got something brewing....it's gonna be good....stay tuned!!!" How does that make you feel?? Excited...right?

Truth: The first part. :o)

Since I'm here typing....and since you've come to visit my blog, I guess I could share a little tip or something....

OH! Got it! At the conference I went to a seminar about saving time or it may have been the one on saving money....anyway.... The speaker was talking about doing laundry. She has/had 8 daughters! so you could imagine the piles!!! When it came down to socks, it was just too much! So, she bought the lingerie mesh wash bags ($.97 @ WalMart) and tied a colored ribbon to each one (basically color-coded the kids) and when the kids took off their dirty socks, they'd go into their assigned bags. When the bags were full enough, the bag would go directly into the washer and then into the dryer....and then into their perspective laundry piles! NO MORE SORTING SOCKS! AWESOME!

There you go. There's my nugget for the day :o) Take it and run with it!!!

Have a great day!
xo Amanda

This has been a great week! Tuesday, June 7th, was my BiRtHdAy! I spent my day in town with my Mom and kiddos. First, we ate lunch at Red Lobster...YUMMY!!! During our meal, Trent showed up :) He cleaned off our plates, hung out a bit, then headed back to work.

After our delicious seafood meal we headed over to the mall to meet up with my sister and the little boy she takes care of. The kids rode the carousel (so did I :) ) and then played in the play-place while I did a little shopping - ALL BY MYSELF! Thanks Mom!! :)

When I returned to the play area that was totally hopping with kids when I left, I found Eli covered in sweat, passed out on the bench....the once child-infested, circle of fun was now barely crawling with a measly 5(ish) over-tired kids, a couple parents, and my smiling Mom. She's so great!

So, then we strolled back through the mall, grabbed a Milkshake from Chick-fil-a, popcorn from Target, and headed out to the van. When I turned the van on, my thermometer read "101"!!!!! It was HOT! Shortly after that, the temperature regulated and read "97".... still, it was hot! The kids zonked out on the way home. I pulled into the garage and opened the back door or the van....both Molly and Eli were dripping sweat! Once we all got into the house and settled down for a movie, Molly said "I don't ever want to go out there again, until it's winter!" Ha!!! Possibly a little too warm for her.

That night we had a little cook-out. My parents, my sister and her husband, and my sis-in-law and my 2 nieces joined us. The kids got soaked in the little pool, they made me a cake out of Little Debbie brownies & cool whip, we ate Trent's wonderful hamburgers, I opened presents, and we just had a great time. Happy Birthday to me :)

Wednesday we just stayed home. After Trent got home, we called a good friend to come help with the garden. He brought over 2 of his kids and a bunch of seeds. The kids and the dads worked together and got our little garden planted :) We're a little late.....but, better late than never!
Last night, we made sock puppets!

We really had fun. It was a little late and Trent was VERY tired, but it was fun :)
Today, packing, cleaning, laundry, movies (since it's supposed to rain all day), & baking! I haven't done much baking lately. Pumpkin pie for my brother's graduation party, pumpkin bars, & chewy bars. Oh, and pizza crust in the bread machine. YUM!

This weekend Trent and I are attending NICHE (Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators) for the first time. I'll fill you in on all that after we get back from the conference.

Have a great weekend!
xo Amanda

it's just another MESSY MONDAY!

Hello! Yes, it's MESSY MONDAY!!! I don't have a mess to feature...ya right! It's all a mess!

EVERYTHING!

When we first got married, I knew that keeping a house "in order" was going to take a little work. I figured we'd have our messy moments and then we'd get it straightened up in no time! I've never been an ultra-tidy person, but I thought "I can definitely do this!" One child, then two children, and now three children have come into our lives and have have completely thrown "I can definitely do this!" out the window! Seriously! Books, toys, movies, dolls, cars, baby-appropriate toys, Polly pockets, puzzles, papers, coloring books, dress-up clothes, Lego's (big ones PRAISE THE LORD), and the list goes on and on. On top of this is our mail, my "junk", and Trent's "junk", etc. WOW! 

I confessed something to Trent the other day....and now to you. When a storm is coming, or there are tornadoes in the area, or while the sirens are going off....it has often crossed my mind "I should clean up because if a tornado hit our house our "junk" is going to be EVERYWHERE....and I don't want to have to claim it all!" I know....pathetic! Don't worry, I don't dwell on it or actually even start cleaning. I think those thoughts while I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing (ie, seeking shelter). It simply just crosses my mind.

I don't want to be spending my days constantly picking stuff up, or trying to figure out where it should go. It could be a full-time job! I want to be playing with my kids, teaching them something new, blessing someone else, or just anything other than stressing about the stack of newspapers here and the pile of stuff in the entry way.

So, here's my goal:

ORGANIZATION!

Is it do-able? Is this something that I can actually wrap my head around and accomplish? I think so. Everyone may have a different idea of organization....so, I want my kind of organization. I don't know exactly what that is but when I get there, I'm sure I'll know :)  
This is where YOU come in! Share your knowledge! Share your ideas! Share, share, share!!!
What is your most prized organizing tip?

Food Friday!

FOOD ON THE GRILL

Yum!

This is just one of the beauties of summer. I get to plan the meals, and when I don't feel like cooking inside....Trent grills. :) I know how to grill, but it's kind of a man thing to stand over the hot coals & listen to the sizzle of raw/cold meat on the hot grill rack. Besides, our grilling tools all have CRAFTSMAN handles. Manly.

Trent makes AWESOME burgers. I think there was cilantro, tomatoes, cheese, and some seasonings in these burgers. He used to stuff the middle of the burger and now he just mixes everything together, creating a perfect bite every time. It's very delicious! 

I'd like to try grilled pizza! If you have a good recipe, share!! I'd love to have Trent give it a try :)

Have a FABULOUS weekend!!!

~amanda~

"My brethren, count it a joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (endurance or perseverance)." -James 1:2-3

I have joked around before saying "I used to pray for patience, and then I got Eli." What I mean to say, in all seriousness, is that "I prayed for patience and God gifted me Eli!" I truly believe:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." - James 1:17

Patience:
-the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complain, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
-an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
-quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence

When Eli is acting like a sloth, I say "be a cheetah!" It's time to go somewhere and we need to put shoes on, you'll much too often hear the words come flying out of my mouth: "Come on! Let's go! Hurry up and get your shoes on!" Oh, another good one..... waiting in line anywhere: "Be patient. Wait your turn."

I don't know why I'm in such a hurry most of the time! Why ask, no pray, for patience and push it aside just to beat the clock? So what if we're late. What's the worst thing that could happen? I might just have to practice patience and wait in a waiting room a little longer than I expected. Or, even reschedule an appointment with an even-tempered, quiet attitude - counting it all as a joy.

God wants my faith in Him to grow (expand; gain)! Growth is a result of trials. Trials test faith. Faith produces patience.

I, like many others, want a "giant neon sign from God" so I know what He wants me to do. I'm pretty sure I've got it....except it's not neon....it's not sucking electricity....and it's not only visible to me as I'm driving down the road. It's with me every single day! I trip over it often. It steps on my heels. It's in my house. It can be extremely loud. It follows me to the bathroom. Sometimes it even wakes me up in the night because of a bad dream or because something hurts. "It" is the good and perfect gifts that God has blessed me with. "It" is our children! My "giant neon sign" just happens to need help wiping, needs to be fed, climbs all over me, talks, humbles me, brings me to my knees, and loves me. 

Okay, so maybe I don't need an actual neon sign. I just need to recognize God's constant working in my life and let Him work through me.



Food....Saturday :)

Oops...I didn't do Food Friday. Please forgive me :) My parents took Molly & Eli over night so Trent & I (& Jillian) could have a "date night". Trent ended up having to work a little later so I stuck around at my parents longer. I didn't get home till probably 7:30ish. We ate dinner, worked on his homework, and put in the movie Fair Game. I think we lasted maybe 30 minutes and we were both zonked out on the couch. So romantic :) Praise the Lord for that sleep because Jillian was up at midnight and a couple other times. She's got a little cough and congestion :-( Poor Trent though, he had to work this morning. So here I am...no big kids, Jillian is in her crib (was sleeping but now I hear her) and I'm moving as slow as a SLOTH!
Eli likes to pretend he's a sloth sometimes. I'll ask him to do something and then he'll move in slow motion and say "IIIII'mmmmm  aaaaaaa ssssllllloooootttthhhh." See....he's hysterical!

Okay, so back to Food Saturday....or how about Sloth Saturday! Ha!
I've been wanting to get into some sort of meal schedule/plan. I need something that is going to be easy because I get a little overwhelmed when there are too many options. So, I found a schedule that I like.

Monday: Slow Cooker meal
Tuesday: 15-minute meal
Wednesday: Pasta meal
Thursday: Pizza meal
Friday: Casserole meal

Now the plan I found also had Saturday & Sunday as stir-fry meal & 30-minute meal. I choose to only plan 5 nights because most likely we will have leftovers some night and Sundays we generally keep it very simple (it's the day of rest!). I'm also going to rotate stir-fry night and grill night in when I want to change things up a little.
My overall plan is to use this as a guide and compile a list for each category and then as time goes on, I'll just pull meals from the "master lists".
For the next 2 weeks here is how my meals look:

Monday: Roast - vegetables + fruit
              Chicken - green bean casserole + fruit + potatoes
Tuesday: Hot dogs/Brats - pasta salad + fruit   Sesame Beef & Egg rolls + fruit
              Chicken fajitas (use leftover chicken from Monday) + fruit  Hamburgers + spaghetti salad + fruit
Wednesday: Spaghetti - bread, corn dish + fruit  Hot dogs/Brats + pasta salad  +fruit
                    Tortellini Soup - bread + fruit + Spaghetti + corn dish
Thursday: Pepperoni Pizza + whatever vegetables + fruit
                Sausage Pizza (use extra sausage from Wed.) + whatever vegetables + fruit
Friday: Leftovers
           Leftovers

Friday's in the summer are busy, so I figured I'll just leave it for leftovers :) Also, fruit doesn't always compliment a meal, so I'll give the kids a fruit "snack" sometime before dinner.

Have a great Memorial Weekend!!!

xo Amanda
                   

100 things about me :)

Enjoy, laugh, and still be my friend when you are done reading this and realize how big of a dork I am :)

100. I've always wanted to be a mommy.
99. But for a money making career, I always wanted to be an OB-GYN.
98. I keep my LPN licence up to date, but never really intend on using it again.
97. My favorite color is PURPLE! - It has been for as long as I can remember - I actually think I was brainwashed into liking it :)
96. I went to school - K-12 in the same building
95. And married my high school sweetheart.
94. We've been married 5 years & 8 months.
93. And I'm still VERY much in love with him :)
92. I want to have 4 or 5 kids - or more if that's God's will for us. 
91. My favorite food changes all the time.
90. I'd pick something fruity over chocolate almost any day!
89. I am totally in love with my kids.
88. I want to open a family bakery some day.
87. I truly believe I could eat cookies for every meal of the day, every day.
86. I like cold hot dogs...and grilled hot dogs....pretty much I like a hot dog any way!
85. I played the flute in band.
84. I live like 1 block away from my sister.
83. I can actually see her house from my back door.
82. And I hope that never changes.
81. I wish my brother lived closer.
80. I miss my nieces & nephews all the time.
79. I wish they ALL lived closer too!
78. I love hugs, REAL hugs.
77. My favorite movie is The Proposal.
76. I LOVE to laugh.
75. Hearing my brother laugh - even from another room - makes me laugh too - it's contagious!
74. I don't think I could ever be a vegetarian.
73. And I don't ever want to be.
72. I used to work on a post-surgical floor & I like packing wounds. gross, I know.
71. I cry at movies.
70. My kids crack me up!!! Especially Eli. He is very witty - especially for being only 3.
69. I would LOVE to go to Italy.
68. Trent proposed to me in the woods, right after he woke me up...I fell asleep right after he grilled me lunch.
67. And I said "Is that real? Where's the box?"
66. I'm a romantic, I know.
65. If I could have a re-do, I'd gasp, hold my hands over my mouth, cry, and say yes!! fling my arms around him and then hold out my shaking hand while he slipped the ring on my finger. :-)
64. But then again, that's too much like the movies....so I don't want a re-do :)
63. I like chick-flicks (as I'm sure you guessed from #65)
62. I am not good at baking bread.
61. I can say the alphabet backwards.
60. I hate wearing tennis shoes.
59. I'd wear sandals everyday! If only it didn't snow in Iowa....HA!
58. I get Trent a bag of Dove dark chocolate for almost every holiday.
57. I started drinking coffee so Trent & I could drink it together.
56. I don't actually like coffee.... It's more like "Yes, I'll take a little coffee in my creamer."
55. Caramel Macchiato :)
54. Actually, I prefer tea.
53. I love getting flowers.
52. I used to be a control freak. (weird?!?)
51. Now, I'm just a little sweeter ;)
50. I have a blind cat. Haylee. She actually doesn't really even have eyes....just nastiness in her eye sockets.
49. One of the coolest things someone ever told me: I was drawing blood from this 101 year old lady and I was pregnant with Molly and she said to me "You're just starting your life, and I'm just wrapping mine up." The perspective was, and still is, amazing to me.
48. Please tell me if I have something in my teeth or hanging out my nose. I'd tell you!
47. Sometimes I can be a little obsessive about cutting and folding paper straight.
46. So, you're learning that I'm a little weird.
45. I don't like to wear shorts.
44. I'm not a great housekeeper. I tend to get caught up in going through things (i.e. looking at pictures, or over-organizing) and before I know it, it's time to make supper and the evening routine kicks into full gear.
43. I am pretty good at fixing toilets.
42. When I was little I loved going to work with my Dad.
41. Forever and ever I thought my Dad was the strongest & tallest man & that he could fix ANYTHING!
40. Some things never change :)
39. I had a crush on Billy Ray Cyrus when I was little.
38. What can I say.... it was the mullet that stole my achy-breaky heart!
37. I ate sand when I was really little... A LOT of sand.
36. Ice cream falls into all categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner, & dessert!
35. I think eggplant is disgusting. Pretty, but not good.
34. I don't like talking in front of large amounts of people.
33. My knees get shaky and my voice warbles and I feel my face start to turn lovely shades of red.
32. I love to swing. REALLY high!
31. When I was little (like before I went to school), I used to swing in our backyard, singing at the top of my lungs "I was born in the U.S.A!" - Thanks Bruce Springsteen for those powerful words.
30. My favorite musical is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. 
29. Oh, and Mary Poppins.
28. AND Meet Me in St. Louis
27. I like watching sports on T.V. 
26. Football season is my favorite because Trent & I snuggle on the couch and watch the games. 
25. And there are a lot of games.....so we get to do that a lot. 
24. I only like baseball because he does.
23. Cheesy, but whatever!
22. Trent took me for a hot air balloon ride in Colorado when I was 5 months pregnant with Molly.
21. I am very fascinated by how the human body works.
20. I like to do crafts.
19. I really like office supplies... there's just something about clips, staplers, organizers, & post-it notes that scream FUN!!!
18. I love pina-colada scented everything!
19. I like bags.
18. Tote bags. Purses. Book bags. Laundry bags. pretty much anything that you can put the word "bag" after....that carries things.
17. I really want to run.
16. I used to run a lot, but now I don't.
15. My nose has been broke 3 times. - Once in high school during volleyball, Trent broke it once & Eli broke it once.
14. I like the smell of bleach.
13. Squirrels freak me out a little bit.
12. I'm a little sarcastic. 
11. I talk to my Mom pretty much every day.
10. Dilbert is my favorite comic.
9. Just the thought of biting down on a dry washcloth makes me cringe.
8. I like numbers.
7. My favorite number is 7.
6. My middle name is June, I was born in June. It's my Grandma's first name & she was born in June. My Aunt's middle name is also June (she wasn't born in June), and Jillian's middle name is June too :)
5. I like lists. 
4. I LOVE JESUS!
3. I think you should too.
2. I'm going to heaven when I die.
1. And I hope to see you there :-)

~Amanda

Messy Monday!

I loaded the gang up and we headed out for Messy Monday!!!

What a beautiful day!!!

Off we went to Gramma & Papa C's.

Mom was spring cleaning today and I wanted to get out of the house for fear that another bat may claim my home as it's own. EEEWWW! Yes, there was a bat in our house last night.

So, I decided to take Messy Monday on the road :)

I took some paint tape down, washed a screen, put the screen in place, and cleaned up a potty accident.

Pretty intense :)

Trent is the one who really took charge this Messy Monday! Since we had the bat in our house last night, his job tonight was to check the roof to see where it came in at. While up on the roof, he found the entrance to the bat cave & he knocked down 10 wasps nests!!! Yuck!!!

Hopefully our wasp & bat problem has been solved.

Hope you found a mess today and cleaned it up!

Food Friday!!!

PESTO - YYYUUUUMMMMM!

Garlic, Pine Nuts, Basil Leaves, Parmmigiano-Reggiano, & EVOO

I've never made it before but you can google a recipe to try it if you've got mounds (yes mounds, you're gonna love it!) of basil leaves just laying around.
It's WONDERFUL!
I love it on pizza & noodles (and I've found out so do my kids!).
Give it a try.

You can find this nice little 8.1oz. jar (that goes a long way) in with the spaghetti sauces at Wal-Mart - just under $2.00!!

Have a fabulous weekend!!!

XO ~ Amanda

to embrace blessings!

I was in the living room spotting Jillian as she used every muscle in her body to pull herself up to the coffee table that sits in the middle of the living room. The weather yesterday was so nice that we were able to open the front door, which opens up to an enclosed porch. This is where we put the overflow of toys so it's a nice "new" place for them to play when the weather allows. So, I'm with Jillian and Molly and Eli are out on the porch make-believing something. I decide to start listening to them:


They are both kneeling down in front of the door that actually goes outside.
Eli grabs Molly's hand.
Eli:  "Molly, you are SO beautiful! I just want to marry you."
Molly: "I want to marry you too!"
They embrace each other with a very heart melting hug.
End Scene.


Okay so they REALLY love each other. That makes me very happy. I'll fill you in a little on what goes on in make-believe land. So, ever since Eli could practically talk (which was VERY early - like 16-18 months) he has called Molly, Mom. She in turn calls him, Dad. We used to answer them when they would run around saying "Mom" or "Dad" but they quickly informed us that they were talking to each other and if they wanted us they would say "Mommy" or "Daddy". They are like those old cute couples that call each other Mom & Dad! They kiss each other, they hug ALOT, they get married almost everyday, there is usually a tragic incidence where someone dies (I know - morbid), they fight & make-up, and fight again, they truly are BEST FRIENDS! Currently, Eli is playing Pretty Pretty Princess with Molly. Adorning himself in blue plastic jewelry - even clip-on earrings.


Last night we put the kids to bed and they still had a little more energy to burn so we figured we'd hear them talking a little bit. Usually we hear Eli run across the floor to quick grab something and then dart back into bed. They know they aren't supposed to be out of bed unless it's to go to the bathroom...so if they think they need yet another stuffed animal or book, they first must scope it out, make a break for it and get back into bed as quickly as possible. So after about 30-45 minutes, I was settled in on the couch feeding Jillian and we hear the kids moving around way more than usual. Trent goes up peeks in the door - Eli is kneeling next to Molly, on her bed. Eli slithers his feet down to the floor and slowly walks back to bed. Nothing said. Trent comes back down. Not more than 5 minutes later, we hear him up again! Trent goes up to find Eli in the same spot!! Trent asks "What are you doing?" Eli says "We are playing Rapunzel!" 
What else would they be doing at 10 p.m.?? Ha ha! They are so funny!


There was a time when I wondered if having kids so close in age was a good idea. It is. It's WONDERFUL! They are 16 1/2 months apart. They don't know life without each other. Like me and my brother (we're 20 months apart)....even my sister for that matter and we are 3 years & 3 months apart!
I can't wait to see how they all 3 play together.

Siblings are such blessing!!

Have a great day!

..Yes! It's Messy Monday!

Happy Messy Monday to you! Well, today we are dealing with a mess that I will NOT have any before and after pictures. Why? Because it has to do with our sewar system! YUCK! This is the 2nd time that our drains in our house have backed up. You flush the toilet and the kitchen sink gurggles. You wash laundry and when the washer drains, all the water comes up in the floor drain in the middle of the basement. SO, as you can see....there is a serious problem! At least it doesn't smell!!! Last time we called the local plumber and they were able to fix the problem likety-split! We had some roots growing in through our pipes out past the house. A few weeks goes by....which brings us to this last weekend. The plumber comes over and fixes the problem but says he doesn't know the cause this time. Tomorrow a man will be coming over with a camera to stick down in the pipe thing in our front yard to figure out why we keep backing up! Gross!! Hopefully it is something that can easily be fixed. If not...our yard gets torn up & we get new pipes.

Today I folded towels & YES! I put them away!! :) Yay me!!! I'd say that was an avoided mess.
Pizza crust is being made in the bread maker.
More laundry is washing.
Kids are still sleeping :)

Yesterday Molly & I went took part in a paint-a-thon fundraising event for a little girl that has been fighting cancer and is currently in remission. The kids were invited to come and paint a canvas that will be sold at free-will prices. It was pretty fun. They had a great turnout!

It was a good day :)

Food Friday!

This last week I made Sesame Beef. YUMMY! I forgot how good and easy this is!
After we got married, I started working at the local family practice clinic. A co-worker/friend started sharing recipes with me. I couldcook and I enjoyed it but I just didn't know what new recipes to try. So she would search for some recipes that she liked and printed several off for me to try on Trent. That actually motivated me to really dig in and cook more! So, here we have Sesame Beef:

(slightly modified from allrecipe.com)
1 pound of steak (I use whatever I have on hand)
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp white sugar
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
onions, chopped
sesame seeds

Directions
Mix soy sauce, sugar, oil, garlic, and onions in a ziplock bag or bowl. Set aside.
Cut up steak into pieces and add to bag/bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 30 minutes.
Cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Add sesame seeds and cook for additional 2 minutes.

I like to serve this over noodles....just regular or whole wheat spaghetti noodles works great!

I doubled this recipe the other day and there was enough left over with 4 of us eating it....well 3 of us (Molly didn't like the beef) to send Trent with leftovers for his lunch.

Hope you give this a try!

Have a great weekend!

The Triathalon...

The last week has been a rather interesting one! Actually it started out April 20th with a visit to the pediatrician....

Jillian had not been sleeping very well, had run a temp, and she had been messing with her left ear pretty consistently. I called the doctor and made her an appointment. Results: "She does have some fluid in that ear. If she gets a fever again or gets worse, fill this perscription." So, I waited a sleepless night and proceeded to get her script filled the next day. Amoxicillin. 

She continued to play with her ear, her eye was goopy, and she was still waking up repeatedly in the night. May 3rd came and I took her back to the doctor. Results: "Her left ear is definitely still infected and her right seems to be heading in that direction." Omnicef.   

We are now to Thursday May 5th. Jillian still is waking up in the night! Eli wakes up with red/pink eyes! Molly's eyes are very slightly pink too! : ( So, I get on the phone and their doctor is out of the office so we see our 2nd choice of provider. Only one child needed an appointment. They wanted to see Eli because of his history of ear infections. Results: Eli definitely had an eye infection. Ears looked fine. Molly's perscription had already been called in so we were advised to just use the same drops on all of the kids (just don't touch their eye with the tip). Okay. Off to Wal-mart for meds, again! We got there and they hadn't received the script. The pharmacy guy called and the nurses/doctors/receptionists were in a meeting for another 30 minutes! FORGET IT! We loaded up and I had Trent pick up the eye drops after he was off from work. After naps, Eli looked and acted miserable :(

Eye drops went very smoothly with Molly & Jillian. Eli on the other hand....well, lets just say he continued his "spirited" attitude. (For those of you who don't know the little man - he was born with this deep deep deep passion for leadership - that's what we keep telling ourselves :) )

Saturday comes. Jillian's eyes are a bit better. Molly's eys didn't get worse. Eli's eyes were definitely improving. Jillian didn't sleep pretty much at all the night before. She was still messing with her eyes, and she got a fever the night before. Back to yet another doctor! Results: "She still has a bit of an eye infection. Her left eardrum is bulging. Her right ear doesn't look so good either!" Augmentin. My parents come to watch the kids that evening so Trent and I can go to our Bible study. About 15 minutes before we leave, Jillian decides to share her supper with my Mom! EEEEWWW! All things considered, that night was the first night Jillian slept 10 hours!!! YAY!!!!

Sunday - MOTHERS DAY. I got a patio fire pit, flowers, and a full nights sleep - my kids also sang me Happy Birthday (it's not my birthday)! :) We went to my parents for lunch. For naps, the kids usually just lay down there and watch a movie and/or fall asleep. Well, Jillian went to sleep and Molly was sobbing! Her ear hurt! Eli was just irritable.

Monday, May 9th. I call the doctor for Molly. Results: "Her eardrum is bulging! I'm surprised it hasn't burst. The other ear doesn't look good either." Omnicef. "Eli's eyes look good. He has fluid in both ears. If he gets worse, give me a call and we'll get him something too." GREAT!!

So, here we are on Wednesday. Otoscope in hand........ Molly's ears look like they are getting better. No bulging bubble thing. Eli's ears don't look too good. Jillian doesn't let me get a good look into her ears, but we are on our 4th night of 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep....so, I would guess that she is doing better.

Results: I will most likely be giving the doctor a call for Eli.

We have 3 kids. I like to think of this as an ongoing triathalon :-)

Happy racing!

WOW that came fast!

Looks like MESSY MONDAY strikes again! Yikes! Sitting here  I just remembered that today I need to blog a mess.....oh lets see which one do I tackle today??? ..... Okay, got it!

I know this isn't technically "a mess" but it looks messy and it drives me crazy....so to me - It's a MESS!

We don't have a dishwasher so our dishes get stacked pretty high!

Sometimes even little tasks take great effort to accomplish.

Here I go!!

Results to come...

And here are the results ALL (4) of my followers have been anxiously awaiting...

WAH-LA

 

It's Friday!

I think I will declare Fridays as FOOD FRIDAY! I really enjoy baking - mostly desserts...especially cookies :) I, as far back as I can remember, have always had a rather untamable sweet tooth. I'm not big on chocolate (but will try it) or peach stuff, but pretty much everything else is a go! Enjoy these yummy pictures!

Molly's 2nd birthday cake

Eli's 1st Birthday cake

Molly's 3rd Birthday cake

Eli's 2nd Birthday cake

Molly's 4th birthday cake

Eli's 3rd birthday cake

Strawberry cakies (aka whoopie pies - I don't like that name)

Better than ... cake (you can fill in the ... with whatever you want!)

The birthday cakes Trent and I work together making. We usually stay up late the night before the party and finish decorating the cakes so that when the birthday kid wakes up, they get to see their cake! It's fun :)

I guess I've mostly taken pictures of the birthday cakes and I just recently started taking pictures of my other desserts....and a couple are on my phone which I don't know how to get onto the computer (I'll leave that to my"Geek Squad" friends to help me figure that one out).

Be daring! Find a recipe that looks/sounds good and give it a try!

Happy Friday!