A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Just thought I would share a few of my favorite things lately... 

*Ruy in his adorable baseball outfit.

 *Watching him play baseball.

*Watching my two "littles" playing in water out on the back deck!

*My new mason jar lids.  The kids and I are loving these!

*The kids painting pictures for me.

...And spending time with my three beautiful babies!!!

Menu for April 24 - May 1

Here is our menu for this week.  

In review of last weeks menu.  The kids and I LOVED the Cake Batter Oatmeal but none of us liked the Coconut Blueberry Zucchini Bread.  It came out so gooey and just tasted really weird.  I ended up throwing it all away.  I'm hoping I have better luck with the Spiced Banana Muffins and the Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake! :)

Friday April 24- Friday May 1

Friday-  

Breakfast - Omelets, fruit with frozen berries (S)  (Everyone)

Lunch - Leftovers (Everyone)  

Dinner -  Bean Soup (E) Everyone

*Make Pizza Dough

Saturday- *Ruy's Game 10:30AM

Breakfast- Me & Nathan:  THM Pancakes (Recipe in THM Book) (E) Kids: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Lunch - Grilled Cheese & Ham Wraps, shake (S) Everyone

Dinner:  Gwen's Nest Pizza, Salad (E) (Everyone)

*Make Casserole for tomorrow morning!

Sunday *Nathan Class at Church, Small Group 6PM

Breakfast-  Egg, sausage,hashbrown casserole (Cheat) Everyone

Lunch- Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup (E) Everyone

Dinner-  Leftovers, fruit, shake

*Make Bread in Bread Machine

Monday 

Breakfast- Carrot Cake Muffins (Crossover from carrots & eggs) (Everyone)

Lunch- Me: Turkey Sandwich, yogurt with fruit (E) Kids:  PB & Jelly, fruit,

Dinner- Dinner at my Dad's house

Tuesday

Breakfast- Overnight Cake Batter Oatmeal (E) Everyone

Lunch- Me: Taco Salad with beans and rice (E) Kids:  Beans and rice, fruit salad

Dinner- Cheeseburger casserole with Cauliflower & Cheese, veggie (S) (Everyone)

Wednesday *Awanas & prepare oatmeal for tomorrow

Breakfast- Me & Nathan: Trim Healthy Pancakes (E)  Kids:Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Lunch- Me: Salad, sweet potato (E) Kids:  Sweet potato, fruit, ham

Dinner-  Grilled shrimp, chicken, zucchini & pineapple (E) (Everyone)

Thursday

Breakfast- Overnight Oatmeal (E) Everyone

Lunch-  Hot dogs with Gwen's nestbread, fruit salad (E) Everyone

Dinner-  Leftovers (Everyone)

Friday  

Breakfast- Eggs, shake/ Smoothies  (S) (Everyone)

Lunch- Turkey Sandwich (E) Kids: PB & Jelly, fruit

Dinner-   Homemade Pizza & Salad (E) Everyone

 Snacks:

Peanuts (S)

String Cheese (E)

Spiced Banana Muffins (E)

Yogurt with Fruit (E or S)

Smoothies/Shakes (E, S, or FP)

Fruit (E or FP) 

Pretzels (just for the kids)

Cottage Berry Whip (Recipe in THM Book)  (FP)

Tummy Tucking Ice Cream (Only for me) (S, E, or FP)

Skinny Chocolate (Only for me)  (S)

Brownies (Only for kids) 

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake (S) ...I've been trying to find a chocolate cake that is on plan that I love.  I haven't found one so far, so I'm trying this one this week.  Hoping I will love this and not want to eat all of the kid brownies :) 

Menu Plan for April 17-24

Here is our menu plan for this week.  

Friday April 17- Friday April 24

Friday-  

Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon (everyone)

Lunch - Me:  Fotato Soup pg. 294,  Slice of Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread (E) Kids:  PB & Jelly, yogurt with strawberries

Dinner -  Gwen's Nest Pizza &Salad (E) Everyone

Saturday- Game @ 10:30AM

Breakfast- Overnight Cake Batter Oatmeal (E) Everyone  

Lunch - Me & Nathan:  Salad with chicken (E or S), Kids:  Ritz crackers, ham, apple slices

Dinner:  Chicken Noodle Soup (E) Everyone

Sunday  *Nursery & Small Group

Breakfast-  Pumpkin Muffins (E) Everyone

Lunch-  Creamy Taco Soup (E) Everyone

Dinner- Me: Salad (E or S) Kids: English Muffins Pizzas    

Monday  *Game @ 6PM

Breakfast- Blueberry Zucchini Bread (S) Everyone

Lunch- Turkey Paninis, & yogurt with fruit (E)  Everyone

Dinner- Chicken, shrimp, pineapple & Zucchini grilled (Everyone)

Tuesday

Breakfast- Ham & cheddar cheese omelets (S) Everyone

Lunch- Me: Taco Salad (E) Kids: Beans & rice with veggies

Dinner- Lasagna Casserole & Salad (S)

Wednesday

Breakfast- Me & Nathan: Trim Healthy Pancakes (E)  Kids: Pancakes with fruit

Lunch- Me: Sweet potato & Salad (E) Kids: PB & Honey sandwich, banana

Dinner-  Tacos (E or S) depending on toppings; Everyone  

Thursday

Breakfast- Overnight Oatmeal (E) Everyone

Lunch- Tuna fish sandwiches, broccoli & ranch, fruit salad (E with crossover from Ranch) Everyone

Dinner-  Melt in your mouth baked chicken, veggie

Friday  

Breakfast- Eggs with sausage, fruit salad (S) Everyone

Lunch- Chicken Drumsticks baked in Ranch, smoothies (S) Everyone

Dinner- Gwen's Nest Pizza & Salad (E) Everyone  

 Snacks for kids:

1.  Homemade granola bars

2.  Apples dipped in cinnamon yogurt

3.  Smoothies

4.  String cheese & peanuts

5.  Almonds

6.  Spiced Banana Muffins

7.  Fruit with homemade cool-whip

8.  Popcorn

Snacks for me:

1.  Apples dipped in yogurt

2.  Shakes

3.  String cheese & peanuts

4.  Almonds

5.  Spiced Banana Muffins

6.  Yogurt & peanut butter

7.  Fruit with homemade cool-whip

8.  Popcorn 

Desserts for Kids:

Healthier Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Desserts for Me & Nathan

1.  Tummy Tucking Ice-cream

2.  Cottage Berry Whip

3.  Skinny chocolate dipped banana bites

Ruy's 8th Birthday

Ruy's birthday this year was one of my favorites of all his birthdays.  I asked Ruy if he wanted to go anywhere special and he said all he wanted to do for his birthday was to go get breakfast and then go home, open presents, and play with them the rest of the day.  That all seemed easy enough for me :)  He picked IHOP for breakfast.  Nathan entertained the kids by making paper hats and boats out of the kids menus while we waited for the food.  Eating out is so much easier when he is with me!  And then we all enjoyed some delicious pancakes, eggs, and sausage.  

We left IHOP and went home to let Ruy open his presents.  We were way too full to eat any cake just then, but Ruy didn't want to wait any longer.  So we decided to blow out candles and then just wait till after lunch to have cake.  Ruy asked for an ice-cream cake from Dairy Queen this year.  I asked them to try to make it look like a "camo" cake since that's one of Ruy's favorite things right now.  He loved how it turned out.  Nathan added some army men to it before he blew out the candles. 

 

Liam was so excited for Ruy's birthday and birthday cake, and singing Happy Birthday.  He really wanted to blow out some candles.  Ruy actually asked Liam if he would help him blow out his candles.  It was really sweet.  Now that might not seem like a big deal to some people but if you knew Ruy a few years ago...he cried at every birthday party we went to because he wanted to blow out the candles and then would cry because he didn't get the first piece of cake LOL.  And he certainly would never have thought about sharing his candles with anyone else.  So it just really showed  how much he has grown up, how much he has learned, and how much of a great big brother he is.  So proud of him. 

He has really been into Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone the past few months so we got him a coonskin cap and a powder horn.  He loved them. 

We also got him camo flip flops, crocs, a new bike, and roller blades.  He had never heard of roller blades until a few months ago when I mentioned something about them, so we had to show him a movie about roller blades and then he really wanted some.  He was really excited when he opened up his roller blades.  

Alanna was clearly not very impressed with the whole birthday thing.  It was her nap time and all she could think about was going to bed. 

Liam thought it would be fun to wrap himself up in some paper. 

After presents Ruy wanted to try out his new roller blades.  It took him a little while but within a few hours, he had really started to figure it out.  Liam was even cheering him on.  It was pretty cute! He was saying "Come on Ruy!  You can do it!" 

 

And of course, you can't be outside without one of your "littles" bringing you a "pretty flower."

 I asked the boys for a quick picture and was very happy to get such a sweet picture of them!

 A few minutes later Alanna woke up from her nap and by that point neither her or Liam were interested in a picture.  This is what my attempts at pictures of the three of them typically look like.  Oh well. 

We ate lunch outside because Ruy didn't want to even take his roller blades off long enough to come in and eat.  But it was fun eating out on the front porch. 

After lunch we had cake and then went on a walk. 

It was really just a fun, relaxing day celebrating another wonderful year with Ruy.  So thankful for every moment with this amazing little boy!  I love you so much!  

I hope you loved your birthday as much as I did!!!