life lately

We are in the middle of so many projects. I just feel like I'm twitching - everywhere I look around I see piles of stuff. We are working on re-doing the front deck so there is a pile of boards on the deck and in the garage, we are turning Steve's room (we still call it Steve's room from before we got married when Doug's friend Steve was renting a room), anyway we are turning Steve's room from the treadmill/guest bed/Doug's closet, storage place, into Jeanie's room so we are trying to figure out what to do with all the stuff that was in there. We need to find 'home' for everything that was on a huge bookcase, a closet full of stuff to give her a space, and piles of crap that's been in there for years. So I am stressed. Doug keeps saying 'we're not going to buy a new house just to have a place for our treadmill!!', but more and more I just feel like our house is too small! Anyway, we are making due, but in the midst of it, it feels messy and cluttered.

Some random goings on:

We see the same little boys at the park almost every time we go, that's fun.

We have a hole in the yard where bees are flying out. Any ideas?? This worked for a bit, but they're still there. Poor Doug got stung on the back of his leg and it was red, swollen, and painful for several days.

Mowing boys!

Jeanie had her 4 month appointment and the doctor said she has a little reflux, so we are trying probiotics and she'll go back to the chiropractor

We went to the hot air balloon festival with some friends, it'd be fun to go up in one someday!

Jeanie hanging out on the deck while mama and daddy were working on it.

I just love these 2 little faces in my rearview mirror. We went to TJ Maxx today. I pretty much held her the whole time while August sat in the cart singing Baby Baluga at the top of his lungs. Haha, full hands, full heart!

In other news, meal planning is back! I'm tired of it getting to be dinner-time and me scrambling to make something. We also somehow spend nearly $450 a month on food (and that doesn't include going out), how is this possible for 2 adults and a toddler?!?! So a couple weeks now on Sunday I'll sit and look at the calendar and see what's going on and then what to make. And then we go grocery shopping together. I'm hoping to use up all the extras in the pantry and freezer first, and then eventually we'll pretty much just stock the necessities for breakfast and lunches and then whatever I'll make for the dinner meal. And hopefully we will save money too.

This week looks like this:

Monday- Honey garlic chicken stir fry

Tuesday - tacos

Wednesday - (mom babysits/ Anne work) vegan meatball (from Aldi) hoagie sandwiches with mozzarella and roasted cauliflower

Thursday - Pesto chicken stuffed shells

Friday - (Lake day at a friends) bring: Lentil and Wild Rice salad and rice krispy treats

Saturday - (Anne work) Chipotle

Sunday - (Anne work) freezer pizza and salad

Monday - (Anne work) Chinese freezer kit and rice

Poor Doug will have the kids for three 13+ hour days in a row while I work the weekend and the holiday, so definitely want to go easy on him with freezer meals.

I can't tell if it's cheaper yet, but it has taken down the dinner-stress level a lot already!

dreams crushed

My parents sold their house so I've been working on getting all my stuff out of my old childhood room. These are the times I wish for a basement of my own! I went up on Saturday with the kiddos while Doug was on a guy's jeep trip. It was a nice visit with my parents.

It's so hard to get rid of stuff! I got a 18 gallon tub and told my dad I was going to be ruthless about throwing stuff away. It got pretty much 80% full of just old binders full of pictures and stuff, and there's more I still want to keep. I came home with an armful of prom/bridesmaids dresses that I don't even fit into right now (thanks nursing boobs) but Doug wants me to keep for who knows when. I think a friend will take a bag full of old loved stuffed animals to give them a new home, I feel so bad throwing those into a landfill. I remember being a kid and feeling like I had to tell each one goodnight or I couldn't sleep stressing that one would feel left out!

Anyway, I came across a gum wrapper chain that I made all through high school, each link is from one stick's wrapper. I brought it home and thought, I'm going to submit this to the Guinness Book of World Records, why not, how many other people are making gum wrapper chains? So I make a profile and go to apply and see this guy:

Oh my gosh, this guy spent 50 years making a 16+ MILE long chain wrapper?!?

So yeah, my almost 12 foot chain is not going to beat that record. Dreams crushed.

haha

38

Another birthday in the books!

Woke up to these little love notes and wildflowers all over the house, so sweet.

My birthday morning was a nice one seeing an old friend and letting our boys play together.

He was all ready to test out his new pool floaty, but it was so cold!

Using their punching muscles

So adorable in her swimsuit.

Ended up mostly playing inside with trains.

Cuties. We had lunch together and were going to go out for icecream, but baby girl started to lose it. So we went home, kids napped, and I got some quiet reading time in.

In the evening we spent time playing outside and chatting with our neighbors. Then my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and bf Liz and husband came over for dinner. They all brought stuff so I didn't have to make food or clean up :) We ate, talked, and had birthday (my favorite oatmeal) cake and icecream and opened presents. It was very nice, and I am thankful for the opportunity to grow older!!

Last week

We've been busy lately.

Jeanie girl turned 3 months a couple weeks back

oh my gosh, these two <3

This guy cracks me up (he wanted his monkey to give him a hug)

We started potty training!

And failed.

He was squatting on the couch telling me, "I not poopin', I not poopin'." Turns out he WAS peeing. Whoops!

Love being with my babies. I have been back to work a couple weeks now, and it is busy. I am busy at work, and I am busy at home. Both places I am struggling to prioritize who needs me the most and managing time effectively! So that kinda stinks I can't really get a 'break' from that. But oh well. Two days a week does seem to be a good amount to work. (Unless it could be one day + health insurance, I'd do that in a second!)

Our biggest adventure this last week was being without power from Saturday to Wednesday.

After it had been 24 hours, closer to 48 we went out and got a generator. (under the tarp because of rain)

This beast was much more $ than it would've been to replace all our food, but 3 months frozen pumped breastmilk = priceless. It was also nice to have lamps and be able to use the toaster, haha. It was crazy how often I would go to switch on a light, over and over and over. It was also kind of nice because everyone was out of their houses walking, riding bikes, talking more with each other, very 'neighborly'. Anyway, power back on and back to normal life- with the lesson to be thankful and to look out for others.

Play date with friends:

This sweet innocent face woke me up every 2 hours all last night.

Such a pretty girl.

Summer family fun

After dinner family walk at this little nature area by our house.

Downtown Detroit morning on 4th of July

Doug's parents came over on Saturday to hang out a bit with both kiddos since they would be babysitting the 2 for the first time on Monday when I went back to work. We had asked them to spend a couple hours and were dreaming of going out to brunch or a matinee movie, but they got here and somehow didn't think they were going to stay more than an hour.... ok... no fun for us. Anyway, no fun for anyone actually. Jeanie was SCREAMING and wouldn't take a bottle or nurse or sleep. Everyone was very worried for Monday, I was even thinking I might have to quit. But, by the end of the day Doug got Jeanie to take a bottle, AND the binky! He says his secret was prayer! I don't doubt it. Anyway, off I went to work yesterday and so worried, Doug called in a couple times to check in, and they reported that Jeanie was "easy". Woohoo! It's already a struggle being away from them, and I'm so blessed that if they're not home with me they're either with Dad or their grandparents, so I was just glad that it was going well. Hoping it stays that way!

Sunday we went over to a friend's for dinner and lake fun. It was our annual time out on the lake, wish it happened more often!

I got to wakeboard (and am still SO sore 2 days later)

Jeannie and Jeanie!

And we had a little family tube

Pictures from our walk to the park today:

freshly picked roadside black raspberries!