Weekly Menu - A week with a birthday AND Christmas!

 Friday - Coconut Chicken, sweet potatoes and veggies

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's

Sunday - Nate's birthday!  He gets to chose dinner :-) 

Monday - BBQ Cups and Chips

Tuesday - Christmas Eve at my mom's.  This has become a well loved tradition!

Wednesday - Christmas Day :-)  I decided to go a different direction this year!  We are going to have Homemade Lasagna, a great Olive Garden inspired salad, and garlic bread.  I have a few dessert ideas as well including my favorite Christmas Cranberry Cake.   

Thursday - Honestly, I'm not sure HA!  Maybe leftovers or maybe I'll stick a little bit of money aside and we will order Little Ceasers. 

Christmas Traditions - The Christmas Tree

 Are you a fake tree or a live tree person?  We are live tree people.  It is what Darryl and I both grew up with - going out to a tree farm, finding the perfect tree, cutting down, and hauling it home.  Most of our married life we have also had a live tree.  There were 2 years I believe that we had a fake tree - the years that Darryl was dealing with a back injury and then surgery.  Our guys were little so I'm not even sure they remember those years.  We were laughing recently about the fact that the year Nate was turning one we actually picked out a 3 foot tree.  Why?  Because he was into EVERYTHING!  So, we put a card table behind the couch and set the tree on the table.  Looking into the living room it just looked like we had set the tree in front of the window, behind the couch - no one knew it was short!  

For quite a few years we had a wonderful tree farm about 40 minutes away that we visited every year.  They had beautiful trees, a campfire burning, hot chocolate, and horse drawn wagons if you wanted a ride.  We loved seeing the workers every year including the elderly owner.  Eventually we learned that the owner had decided to return and sell the land so we visited their last season and made one last memory at that wonderful farm.  It took us over a year to find another "perfect" tree farm (that year in between - we found a farm that we would NOT visit again HA!).  Rainbow's End is wonderful.  Their prices are great (when we started going the price for any pine, any size was $18.00  . . . now it is $24.00 so still reasonable), their trees are beautiful, and the owners are just great!  They have alpacas and other farm animals to see, lots of photo ops, and a warming barn with crafts and treats.  

Josh picked out the tree this year - a big fluffy white pine.  I'll be honest, we weren't sold on it because this type of tree has more flimsy branches for ornaments but in the end (as you will see) it was beautiful. 

The last few years Nate has cut down the tree but he decided to let Darryl relive memories and cut it down this year.  (The snow on the ground might have had a part in that decision LOL) 

And it is down!  

Josh and Nate loaded it on top of the blazer so we could take it up to the barn and get it baled, shaken, and drilled. 

 Our traditional selfie with the tree on the truck :-)  It was windy but thankfully not too chilly.  

Weekly Song - Tasha Layton -Comfort and Joy

Tasha Layton has such amazing, heart felt songs and this Christmas Song doesn't disappoint.  This was a new song to me in the past few weeks and it really spoke to my heart.  The reminder that despite everything that goes on around us - God sent his son to bring us comfort and joy.  

Weekly Menu

This next week is probably our busiest week of the month with the Homeschool Library program and Leadership Meeting for our Co-Op plus the normal lessons and such but then everything stops!  (Yeah!)  We will have two full weeks of just holiday things!  

Friday - Roasted Pork Loin, Homemade Mac and Cheese, and Green Beans

Saturday - We are headed to my Father-In-Laws today.  He usually treats us to pizza :-) 

Sunday - BBQ Cups and Fries (before we head out to my last concert for the season!) 

Monday - Tortellini Soup and Bread

Tuesday - Beef Tips and Noodles and salad

Wednesday - Pot Pies

Thursday - Homemade Waffles, Bacon and Sausage

Christmas Traditions - How the Grinch Stole Christmas Storybook Advent Calendar

We all have wonderful traditions that we look forward to each Christmas.  One of our family favorites is the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas Storybook Advent Calendar" that I found on a blog about 10 years ago.  There have been a few years that I wondered if my guys really still wanted it but they always ask to make sure that it will be up by December 1st! 

One of my favorite things about this advent it was that I didn't have to do much to put it together!  On the blog post at Chica and Jo you will find the storybook cards all prepared.  They just have to be printed, cut, and then glue or write the dates on the back of each card. I started my cards with one and they end with 24 but by about the 3rd year I realized that an advent calendar is really like a countdown so you could also do the first card as 24 and then count down to 1.  Whichever way you prefer works!  The shoe organizer can be decorated as much or as little as you desire.  Mine is old enough that I need to reattach/update the ribbon!  I'd love to find some fluffy green "ribbon" or maybe some red glitter ribbon to make it a little more fancy.  

To use this calendar is super easy!  Each day you or your children pull out the card for the day and read whatever part of the story it shows.  Some days (like day 1) it is just the title of the story or a small snippet and other days it is a paragraph or two (just like the pages in the book). I have never found a small Grinch doll to use so I printed one from on-line and attached him to a straw and he moves day to day! Then, I always put something in each pocket as the "gift" of the day.  Now, every year it is different.   When my guys were younger I did a lot of activities.  There were a few years that I did all gifts and candy ($5.00 gifts which add up fast with two kids).  One year funds were super tight so I did gift certificates for a morning or afternoon off school (we homeschool so this is doable).  Little did I know that those would become the favorite - so much so that the next year they asked to ONLY have those HA!   It's what ever works for you and your family.  

This year I tried to be a little more creative but also not spend hardly any money.  Day 1 is always a normal countdown calendar.  You know the ones - with chocolate behind the doors or a few years they did the Lego calendars.  This year though I got one of the countdown puzzles.  Each day they open a box and do that part of the puzzle.  It's been fun to do AND I won't throw way a half used chocolate calendar that no one eats.  I still have done some of the afternoon or mornings off of school.  Then I pick up favorite candy - m and m's, kisses, gum, push pops, etc and use those on some days.  I still add activities - such as "It's time to get our Christmas Tree", or "Lets make cookies today!".  This year some of my newer ideas are "Let's play a game - Mom's Choice" (or Josh's or Nate's) depending on the day, I printed a Christmas puzzle and we competed to see who could finish it first.  I also have a printable Christmas game to play one day and a Christmas ornament for us all to make.  So, again, as you can see, the ideas or limitless.  I use Pinterest a lot to search for fun ideas.  Oh!  Some years I've done money.  For example if I decide to incorporate $10.00 each over the course of the days I might do $1.00 one day, $5.00 a different day until I've put all $10.00 in the pockets. 

Sometime over the course of December we also watch the movie together - well I try to get them to watch it with me but teens are funny like that LOL!   

Can you guess what we played for "Let's play a game - Mom's choice!" ?  Dutch Blitz is one of my favorite games but I don't get to play it often.  Joshua actually ended up winning. 

The guys working on the puzzle countdown.  We live in a small house without lots of space to set up a puzzle table so I cleaned off my desk and they are putting it together in that space.  It is harder than I expected but they are doing great! 

Weekly Song

It's been quite awhile since I've shared a weekly song and what better time to return then Christmas!  I love Christmas music - maybe it's because we don't hear the songs over and over all year so it is like a special gift.  

I heard this song by JJ Heller called "Star of Wonder" last weekend on the radio and just loved it.  JJ Heller has been a favorite artist of mine for a long time due to her voice and the songs she sings that always carry so much emotion.  So, I hope you enjoy it as well! 

Hopefully over the coming weeks . .. months . .. the next year I will continue to share more songs.  I have a super long list in Spotify of songs that I love and that speak to my heart. 

Weekly Menu

We got hit with our first snow of the season after Thanksgiving and then with a little bit of a snow storm this past week.  It was nice to use leftover Turkey to make some comforting food - Turkey and Dumplings followed by Turkey and Noodle Soup!  Yum!  We are enjoying a quieter December without a lot going on, which is actually nice.  We were also blessed with a "fill the freezer" gift of meat which is great for meal planning!  Here's the plan for the coming week: 

 Friday - French toast sticks, bacon and sausage 

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's

Sunday- roast, potatoes, and carrots

Monday - stuffed shells and biscuits 

Tuesday - pork chops and rice 

Wednesday - Soup and Sandwiches

Thursday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn

Weekly Menu

Whew - it is basically December.  This time of year I always want to slow way down and just savor the last month of the year.  Daily life can get overwhelming but the lights and sounds of Christmas can be so peaceful.  I have created my menu for the month of December so I can plan accordingly including Christmas Day.  We do have family visiting at the end of the month which will be nice as well.  For now, here is the plan for the next week.  

Friday - Leftovers at my moms - this has become kind of a tradition. 

Saturday -spaghetti and garlic bread

Sunday - crockpot chicken and butter noodles

Monday -Breaded Chicken, acorn squash and green beans 

Tuesday - Chicken Quesadillas and Salad

Wednesday- Youth group is back - Pot Pies

Thursday - French toast sticks and sausage 

Weekly Menu - the one that includes Thanksgiving

 It's officially a holiday week!  Yeah!  This is the time I try to really slow us down to enjoy the season. 

Friday - We have our semester presentation night tonight so dinner is there or on the run. 

Saturday - Dinner at my moms

Sunday - Pork Roast, mashed potatoes, and corn

Monday - Lasagna Soup and bread sticks.  (This is a new recipe- I hope it is good) 

Tuesday - Roasted chicken, Amish noodles, and acorn squash

Wednesday - With it being the night before Thanksgiving we are going Mexican!  Crock Pot Fajitas for the win! 

Thursday - Thanksgiving Dinner!  

Weekly Menu

 We are coming to the end of our semester at our Co-Op.  As much as I enjoy it all, it is nice as the semester ends and we get almost 2 months off before the next session.  :-) 

Friday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls and corn

Saturday - Dinner at my moms

Sunday - Roast and Noodles

Monday - Meatball Soup

Tuesday - Chicken Alfredo and garlic bread

Wednesday - As normal, the guys are at youth group.  Not sure what we are doing yet

Thursday - The plan is Crock pot Fajitas - this is one of my mom's favorite so I plan on her for dinner! BUT there are multiple things going on this date including things my kids have planned so depending on timing, this meal might get pushed ahead to next week and Darryl and I will just eat whatever I make HA! 

Weekly Menu

 We have settled into our more quiet weeks now that it is November.  We push harder through school with goals of wrapping up semester classes early and we stick closer to home (well as much as we can with lessons and youth groups).  

Friday Pasta Carbonara and French bread 

Saturday - Dinner at my moms

Sunday - pulled pork sandwiches and baked potatoes 

Monday - Tortellini Soup

Tuesday - BBQ Chicken Quesadillas, Salad, and Chips and Salsa

Wednesday - The guys are at youth group so Pot Pies for Darryl and I

Thursday - Stromboli and Salad

Weekly Menu

 It is time to shift into holiday and winter mind set.  Why?  It is officially November!  Really, not a whole lot changes HA!  

Friday - Today is a "3 different direction" night.  Darryl is at work, I have to get Nate to a friends church for an overnighter and get Josh to a camp for a weekend retreat.  It should work out well as far as timing - we just might spend extra time driving in order to everyone to their locations on time!  

Saturday - Nate come's home early but Josh is at camp.  We are having dinner with my mom :-)  

Sunday - There is a potluck at church.  Darryl and I have to head out to pick up Josh so, again, timing will determine who eats where. 

Monday - BBQ Cups and Chips.  This is easy when we are all eating at different times. 

Tuesday - Our menu shifted a little last week so we are still finishing up Josh's "birthday picks".  Tonight is shrimp and grits with corn bread. 

Wednesday - My guys are at youth group so dinner is just Darryl and I.  Soup is on the menu. 

Thursday - Josh's final meal request (unless it shifts again HA!)  Chick-Fil-A nuggets (homemade) and homemade  French Fries! 

Weekly Menu - Wrapping up the month of October

 It has been a beautiful October (so far!).  The colors are at about peak so anywhere we drive it is just beautiful!  The nights have been crisp and the days near perfect!  I just love it :-)  We will be continuing on with Josh's top 7 menu picks this week.  It has been very nice having someone else plan meals for a few weeks HA!  

Friday - Meal #3 Chick-Fa-Lay Nuggets (homemade) and homemade fries.  He has requested a new way to make homemade fries based on a recipe he found so we shall see how that goes!  

Saturday - Today is Josh's 16th birthday party.  We don't throw birthday parties normally but this is a big birthday and he wanted one so we said yes.  He planned it so, again, it has been easy.  He really just wanted a "Sweaty 16" HA!  Pizza and games.  So once the party is over and we come home, we are just planning to relax for the evening :-) 

Sunday -  Meal #4 - Roasted Chicken and Cheesy Potatoes

Monday - Meal #5 - Pork Chops and Souper Rice

Tuesday - Meal #6 - Homemade Sausage and Egg McMuffins and tater tots

Wednesday - It's just Darryl and I - so maybe soup. 

Thursday - Meal #7 - Shrimp and Grits and Cornbread.  

Lots of good food this week!  

Weekly Menu - the one with family visiting and a birthday!

 I'm finding it slightly hard to believe that we are nearing the end of October.  I always look forward to the schedule slowing down as we hit November (my kids now know it as "No-November" HA!)  This past week was a very busy week; we try to keep those limited now days so that my teens/high schoolers can stay current on all of their work and projects.  As we tuck into the cooler months with snow on the way eventually, we like to stick closer to home for sure!  

This week we start with family and friend and then throw in a special birthday! Last year Joshua decided to plan the menu for 7 days surrounding his birthday.  He really enjoyed that and is doing it again.  This year though, it is a little more spread out as our evenings seem to be fuller this time around. 

Friday - Dinner at my mom's house with my brother and sister-in-law, Kel and Deb.  This is the last time we will see them before they head back to Brazil.  

Saturday - The plans are to go to a friends house for a bonfire and dinner.  

Sunday - Pork Roast in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, and corn 

Monday - Ham and Cheese Quiche and "Kens Fruit Salad".  (this is meal #1 on Josh's list) 

Tuesday - Today is Joshua's 16th birthday!  His birthday dinner of choice is Burgers on the grill.  He said everything else was up to me because he just eats the burgers HA! I might do fried zucchini as a side.  Then we will have Josh's favorite - Carrot Cake - for dessert

Wednesday - My guys enjoy food at youth group (just snacks but that fills them up!).  Darryl and I enjoy dinner at home.  I keep it simple so Grilled Cheese and Soup tonight. 

Thursday - Josh's 2nd meal choice is homemade mac and cheese.  Again, I get to add the "extras"  So, ham and green beans will round this meal out for us. 

Wednesday - 

Thursday - 

Weekly Menu

 Last week I had a new recipe on my plan - A Chicken Cobbler.  It was pretty good.  I will say it needs to cook much longer than the recipe says; and maybe a higher temp.  The recipe states to cook it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  I cooked it for 55 minutes and it was still slightly under baked as far as the biscuit topping.  If interested you can find the recipe HERE. 

Now, on to this weeks menu!

Friday - BBQ Cups and French Fries

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's

Sunday - We get a treat!!  What is it?  My brother, Kel, and sister-in-law, Deb PLUS my mom are all coming over to watch the Lions game around 4:00p.  We are going to have some fun football snacks.  :-)  After church we will just have something simple - maybe just soup and sandwiches. 

Monday - Creamy chicken soup with pasta and spinach

Tuesday - Pork Chops, Mac and Cheese and Applesauce

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Community Dinner

Weekly Menu (On Time!!)

 See, I AM on time this week HA!  I'm looking forward to some things slowing down (maybe).  That is always my goal as we start to get the shorter days and cooler temps - to buckle down and focus on school and enjoying our time at home. 

Here's the plan for the coming week: 

Friday - Pot Pies.  Here's the truth - while our Co-Op is in session, if I don't play super simple dinners OR put something in the crock pot, it is WAY to easy to order Little Caesars Pizza.  We are all tired from a long day and the last thing I want to do is spend too much time getting dinner ready!  Nachos are easy because I can make the meat/bean mixture the day before! 

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's house.  :-) Maybe.  Darryl has shingles so we are waiting to decide on this until a little later to decide

Sunday - We have a church pot luck. 

Monday - Chicken Cobbler and Salad - I saw this on-line and everyone said it was good so we shall see if "everyone" was right - I'll let you know how it turns out!

Tuesday - Maybe pot pies again - or something I can leave for the guys.  I have a "Mom's Night Out" event with our co-op that I will be attending while the guys enjoy soup and bread :-) 

Wednesday - Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Thursday -  Ham and Cheese Quiche, Crash Potatoes, and Cinnamon Rolls.  This is been planned for three weeks specifically because my mom loves it (we do too!) so she is coming for dinner! 

Weekly Menu (A few days late)

 I think if I looked back a year ago I would find that this time of year I post menu's late HA!  September always seems super busy as all of the "things" begin again and we have to get back into a routine.  This year seems a little bit harder has High School requires more time, more focus, and more thinking!  Don't get me wrong, we all enjoy being home; it is just the reality that high school takes more work AND there is a very definite end goal.  So, with that, sometimes simple things like getting a menu posted (that is just SOOOO exciting) doesn't happen on time.  It is also why there aren't many other posts during the school year even when I have intentions of writing some!  Anyway, here's the menu plan for the week - we have a busy week so it is simple. 

Friday - (we had) Meatloaf (I make mine with stove top stuffing and BBQ sauce), Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

Saturday - My mom treated the boys to lunch as Darryl and I were both gone in opposite directions for most of the day.  I attended a Ladies conference with my Sunday School class and Darryl worked and then went to his dads. So, we didn't have  dinner at my mom's like normal.  We all had leftovers for dinner. 

Sunday - Pork Roast in the crock pot, mashed potatoes and a veggie 

Monday - We will either have leftovers from Sunday OR I'll make Eggs, Bacon and Toast

Tuesday - My mom, Josh, Nate, and I are attending my Aunts funeral.  My plan is to try a new crock pot recipe - so I'll be putting some ribs in the crock pot.  Then I cook Acorn Squash and corn.

Wednesday - Pot Pies for Darryl and I while the guys are at youth group.

Thursday;  Nate and I are heading to a concert (the last of his birthday gift from almost a year ago) so we will grab dinner on the way.  Darryl and Josh are on their own! 

I'll try to remember to post on time next week HA! 

Weekly Menu

 This is our first week of co-op.  While we are all excited to get back to our group, it also means Fridays are busy and tiring!  

This weeks menu is: 

Friday - Shrimp and Grits and Cornbread

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's

Sunday - I have a choir concert in the afternoon.  I plan to have a pork roast in the crock pot to have with mashed potatoes and corn. 

Monday - Beef and Pasta Soup (carried over from last week) 

Tuesday - Quiche, Sausage Balls, and cinnamon rolls

Wednesday - Pot Pies

Thursday - Stuffed Shells and Garlic Bread

It's hard to believe that when this week ends we will just be days away from October.  

Weekly Menu - Getting back in the Groove

 All of the things are getting back into the swing of things.  We have a couple of nights that we eat in shifts so I have to try to be a little more creative (or at least plan well) so that we still eat well.  I would say it is time to start cooking the comfort food dishes but it is close to 90 as we wrap up this week HA!  Crazy hot weather.  

Here's the plan for the coming week: 

Friday - Easy Spaghetti Pie, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's 

Sunday - Creamy Crock-Pot Chicken Tuscan Style over Pasta served with French Bread

Monday - Beef, Tomato, and Pasta Soup

Tuesday - Roasted Pork Loin, Baked Potatoes, and Green Beans

Wednesday - Stuffed Shells and Bosco Sticks 

Thursday - Chicken Rollatini stuffed with zucchini and  mozzarella, crash potatoes and corn

Weekly Menu

 We just wrapped up our first week of school.  To be honest, I love routine so being back in the routine of school is great!! 

Friday - my guys have a bonfire with friends today so, unless it rains, they will be gone. Darryl and I are having chicken, potatoes and corn. 

Saturday- dinner at my mom’s.  

Sunday- the first football Sunday!  So it will be more snacks. BBQ cups, cheese, crackers, crescent wrapped little smokes, chili cheese dip,  Lots of goodies! 

Monday - beef noodle soup

Tuesday - chicken enchiladas 

Wednesday - Mushroom, spinach, and Swiss quiche with sour bread toast

Thursday - baked penne with chicken, broccoli, and smoke mozzarella and garlic bread 

Summer Fun 2024 - week 13

 Well, this is the last official week of summer!  I’ve enjoyed our quiet pace and thankful for the opportunities that my guys had throughout summer for fun, fellowship, and time with friends.  

On Sunday evening we had the annual Night of Praise.  The teens were some of the crew that carried praise signs. 

Monday was National Dog Day!  Here is our sweet pooch!  

We got to enjoy another family dinner on Wednesday!  

On Friday and Saturday Joshua and Nate dog sat for a lady from church while she was at a wedding.  She treated them to a pizza delivery too!  I checked in on them and the pooch and Nate sent me this photo - I think they all enjoyed their time together 😊

Werkly Menu

 Just like that summer is done.  While it’s always a little bittersweet to see it end I am ready for things to cool down!  Whew!! It was hot this past week.  

Friday - my guys are dog sitting for a friend so I think the plan is to get a pizza. 

Saturday- after a busy few Saturdays we are back to enjoying dinner at my moms. 😊

Sunday - Brats, French fries, and zucchini 

Monday - we are celebrating Labor Day at my moms 😊

Tuesday - a few repeats this week as our schedule shifted last week.  So it’s sheet pan nachos tonight

Wednesday- youth group begins tonight so Darryl and I will have pot pies. 

Thursday - another repeat - meatball soup and biscuits. 

Summer Fun 2024 - Week 12

 We had a great week last week as we are wrapping up sumner fun! 

My brother Kel was in town so on Tuesday we enjoy coffee together. 

Then he and my sister-in-law came over for dinner and a game. 

On Wednesday we went to my mom’s for dinner and a game. 

Friday started with a teen brunch with our co-op.  This was the boy table. 🤪

Then Nate spent the night with his friends at Monty’s family farm in their cabin.  

Finally, on Saturday we spent the afternoon at my father-in-laws with family to celebrate his 84th birthday! 

So lots of family!!  

 

Weekly Menu

 How is it Friday already? 🤣 we had a pretty busy week and I’ve been off on days since Tuesday because Darryl was home which made it feel like Saturday!  This next week is our last semi-quiet week before school begins which also means all the extra stuff starts too!

Friday - Nate is staying at a friends.  The other three of us are having grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. 

Saturday- we are celebrating my father-in-laws birthday with family so dinner at his house. 

Sunday- Angel crockpot chicken, pasta, green beans, and garlic bread

Monday- Meatball soup

Tuesday- Sheet-pan Nachos and salad

Wednesday - waffles and sausage 

Thursday - chicken enchiladas, rice, and salad

Summer Fun 2024 - week 11

 We had a great but quiet week!  Joshua and Nate enjoyed a werk at home to play online with friends who return to school this coming week.  I enjoyed tackling a few projects and reading 😊. Lazy days of summer at its finest! 

Sunday -  we attended our last WOW concert of the summer and it was beautiful- the weather and the music!  

Monday-Friday - quiet days at home

Saturday - we had lunch with my mom and then attended a friends birthday party.  

We have two weeks left before we start back to school! 

 

Weekly Menu

 We had a super quiet week which was really nice.  This next week has a few more things going on including seeing my oldest brother and sister-in-law!! 

Friday - Mississippi Pot Roast, noodles, and corn. 

Saturday- we are attending a birthday party. 

Sunday - Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans

Monday - meatball soup

Tuesday - Kel, Deb, and my mom are coming over for dinner so, per Kel’s request we are having crock pot fajitas and chili cheese dip 

Wednesday- My mom is cooking dinner tonight 😊

Thursday - chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn

Summer Fun 2024 - Week 10

 This past week my guys attended “Nana Camp”. My mom picked them up on Monday and brought them home on Friday.  They all enjoyed their week.  Here are the only photos I received - can you guess what the theme of camp was?

Yes, the theme was “games” ha!  

I’m glad they had a great week! 

Weekly Menu

 This next week is a pretty quiet week overall.  So not much else to say before posting the menu! 

Friday - Crockpot Sesame Chicken with rice.  The guys are headed to a youth activity with bowling and pizza so it will just be Darryl and I again! 

Saturday - My teens are busy. HA!  They have a youth activity today - the annual Lake Party (they attend two youth groups; both youth groups had their one summer activity on the same weekend!) Darryl and I may grab something easy or have leftovers :-) 

Sunday - Cube Steaks in the crock pot with gravy and mashed potatoes and corn

Monday -Easy Peasy Broccoli Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Biscuits and Ham

Tuesday - Spaghetti Carbonara and French Bread

Wednesday - Classic Brioche French Toast and Sausage 

Thursday - Swiss Chicken Breast Supreme, Green Beans, and Stuffing.

That's it folks! 

Summer Fun 2024 Week 9

 This past week was one of our “quiet” weeks were there really wasn’t anything going on and we enjoyed it.  The timing worked out well because it has been super hot and humid the past week or so! 

Then on Saturday we attended my college reunion and reconnected with a few friends.  

The slow down weeks are nice as we start to close out summer because September will bring busy days! 

 

Weekly Menu

 Welcome to another week! This next week my teens are going to "Nana Camp" for a week HA!  What is Nana camp?  Well, they are going to spend the week with my mom and just hang out with Nana.  Since she lives close by and we normally (not always) have dinner at her house once a week it is easy to not set aside time for them to "go to Nana's" like they would if she lived a few hours away.  So, this summer, we decided to make sure that happened!  :-)  They are getting picked up on Monday and returning on Friday! 

Darryl and I still have to eat though and yes, we will eat at home for the most part.  Inflation is real so the budget is super tight meaning we need to not eat out! 

Friday - Stromboli and Salad.  This was slated for this past week but I needed to switch a few meals around.  

Saturday - I have a college gathering that we are all going to attend so we will have dinner there.  

Sunday - Crock -Pot Swiss Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

Monday - Creamy Chicken Soup with Pasta and Spinach with biscuits. 

Tuesday - I have a ladies dine out with my Sunday School Class that I am planning to attend so Darryl wil probably grab something or come home and eat leftovers (which is often prefers to do!) 

Wednesday - Shrimp Scampi with Linguini and French Bread. 

Thursday - Chicken Scaloppini Pasta, Biscuits and Green Beans 

Summer Fun Week 8 - 2024 (A little Late)

 Well, I forgot to post this earlier this week so I will post it now!  

Sunday - We attended another Summer Concert and it did not disappoint.  This time we got to See Micah Tyler and he was awesome.  

Monday and Tuesday were both quiet days without a lot going on which we actually enjoy.  

Wednesday - I had a Leadership Team Meeting and then after that we went and volunteered at a place called Manna's Market with friends from our Co-Op. 

Later in the evening, I had a Ladies Dine Out with my Sunday School class to celebrate the birthday of one of the ladies.  

On Thursday, we attended the final Teen Summer Library program of the summer.  It was a glow in the dark nerf gun party (Thus the paint on the faces) followed by BoBo Lemonade and Popcorn.  

On Friday we took pizza to my mom's for lunch and then the guys mowed her lawn.  After hanging out there for a bit, we headed over to another Library event - this one was at the beach where they got to learn about and then practice skipping stones. 

Saturday was a quiet day at home before heading to my mom's for dinner and a game! 

Such a fun week! 

Weekly Menu

 Whew!  It's August.  How crazy is that?  My oldest brother and sister-in-law come home from Brazil for a few months and that is always a treat!  We cherish the time we get to have with them when they are home.  August is also when I start working on school related plans and planning my homeschool classes.  We are racing towards fall and I'm not just quite ready for that!  Anyway, we still have to eat so here is the plan for the coming week!  I do have several carry overs from last week as plans changed throughout the week! 

Friday - Orange Crunch Chicken and fried rice 

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's 

Sunday - Crock pot Fajitas 

Monday- Tortellini Soup  

Tuesday - Stromboli and Salad

Wednesday - Breakfast Enchiladas and Fruit

Thursday - Ranch Chicken Club Roll-Ups and French Fries 

Summer Fun Week 7 - 2024

 

This was another great week of summer!  Josh and I kept busy with some things while Nate was at camp!  

Sunday - For the first time ever, our whole family played on the praise team at church.  Darryl and I play often, Nate has played a few times but Josh finally played drums!  It was great. 

Monday - Darryl and I took Nate to camp!  This is Nate's favorite week of the year!  After dropping Nate off, Darryl and I did some things related to driving for Uber (there is a car rental program Darryl was checking into but we learned it is not a good option as it is not run well)  and enjoyed our favorite lunch at the Adobe.  

Tuesday - Joshua and I enjoyed a great lunch with my mom.  Then later in the day Josh and his friend Ty helped some men from our church set a large bank of mailboxes.  

On Wednesday Josh and I spent some time with my Father-In-Law helping him with some errands.  He treated us to lunch too which was nice.  I didn't take any photos though!  

Thursday - I convinced (HA!) Josh to help me a little with cleaning the church before we headed to the Library for the teen summer library event.  He enjoyed a little "Amazing Race" fun with a friend.  The librarian took photos but I haven't seen any posted as of yet. 

Friday - This was our self proclaimed "do nothing" day and we enjoyed it!!  Darryl grilled some amazing steaks for dinner to top off a great day. 

Saturday - Darryl and I got to pick Nate up from a great week of camp! 

Nate and his counselor :-) 

Nate's cabin. 

We also had some days with amazing weather - not the super hot days we've been having!  The next few weeks will be a little less busy (I think!) .  Then it will be time to start thinking about school again!