Days on the Soccer Field

We have been spending lots of time on the soccer field this fall! Ryan is coaching Emma Grace's team at the YMCA. It's lots of fun and Ryan is a natural when it comes to having fun and coaching:)

Is Summer really over?

I don't post often, but I know one I will want to account for all those "busy years". Here is to the Summer ending and a new school year beginning!

Really, where did the Summer go? I can't believe next week my kids start back to school. Kiley will be going to Sun Valley and will be a rising 4th grader, Emma Grace will be going to Queens Grant and will a raising 1st grader, and my not.so.little.guy will be going to CLCC (my mom's pre-school), he will be in the half-day, 3 day 3's....not sure how I feel about all my kiddies growing up:/

I will have Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, to myself........that hasn't happened since Emma Grace was in preschool. I have my whole agenda planned out. I am hoping to hit up the gym at least 3 days a week. I feel soo much better when I am on a regular work out routine. I have found the cycling classes are just what I need and love. I can rest my bad hip and back (geezz, I am getting old) and still burn lots of calories while doing cardio. I have pretty strong legs and can actually "out bike" my extremely fit husband:) On Tuesdays and Thursday, I plan on getting the laundry and house kept up (really, both of these take daily up keep), and errands ran, plus I am planning to volunteer at the girl's schools. The evenings are going to be crazy, between, church, Kiley's cheer and Emma Grace's soccer, I will be glad for the Fall to come to an end, just in time for Holidays!

Saving Money Grocery Store

So many people ask me how I save so much at the grocery store buying healthy food. Well, I do a lot of preparing. I usually shop at Wal-mart, Harris Teeter, Aldis and Trader Joes.

Meat:
I try to get most of our fresh meats at Harris Teeter, the quality and fresh cuts they offer are so much better (in my opinion) than the prepacked, frozen stuff at other stores. The only meat I do buy at Wal-mart is the organic ground turkey. I like to buy organic meat, which can get expensive, so I have found that buying the chicken thighs vs. breast saves a ton. I also do a lot with the ground organic turkey. We do not eat much red meat, my husband doesn't like it and I am a border line vegetarian. I also like going to Trader Joes to get meat. I have join a local farmers meet, all the meat is from local farmers but I have yet to use it. Our freezer died in the garage and we lack space.

Fruits/Veggies:
I try to buy organic but it can get very costly. I try to hit up the local fruit stands and farmer's markets during this time of year. I buy lots of fruit/veggies from Aldis. They do not carry organic so I try to get fruit and veggies that you can peel the skin off, ex. apples, bananas, oranges, carrots, potatoes, etc. I love Trader Joes, they are just a hike from my house but they offer very affordable produce that is organic. I do watch out though because throughout the store there are many things that are the TJ brand and are not at all organic.

Dairy:
I try hard to buy organic milk, it's just very costly and we go through about 3 gallons a week. If I don't get organic I always get the kind that doesn't treat their cows with antibiotics, etc. Cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, etc. I usually get at Wal-mart and Harris Teeter. Harris Teeter has lots of good deals on cheese and I stock up, when they do. I always buy organic yogurts. My kids consume way too much not to and they carry it everywhere, usually on sale plus the coupon match-ups. Eggs I buy organic, again you can find them everywhere, plus coupon match-ups.

Cereal/Breakfast:
This is my biggest down fall. Because I don't buy much junk food, my kids and husband always go crazy on the cereal row. I try to persuade them to get the less colorful crap filled and get the boring kind with lots of fiber and vitamins but that colorful crap usually wins. We do eat lots of oatmeal and grits (super cheap). I always make and never buy pancakes, waffles, and biscuits. So much cheaper and healthier.

Snacks:
Like I said before, my kids LOVE fruit, so they snack on that a lot. I make tons of smoothies. I freeze a few of each fruit I have and then use almond milk and ta-da, a healthy milkshake. Cheese cubes, cheese sticks, fruit and veggies, fruit cups, fruit leather, organic fruit snacks, dried fruit, trail mix, popcorn, granola bars, etc. I find that the that is definitely where I save money. The boxed and bagged stuff is expensive and really full of crap. I make my own version or buy the organic version or we just skip out on it.

Drinks;
Milk, juice, water...that's what my kids can choose from. I always buy the no sugar added juices. I drink water and Ryan loves sweet tea, which is super cheap and so easy to make.


For my coupons, I simply get my weekly emails for the local stores and do match-ups. I don't buy stuff I will never use. I rarely pay for soap, tooth paste, tooth brushes, shaving cream, shampoos and conditioners or cleaning products.

I save a lot and it's pretty easy. I spend about $400.00 a month which includes my husband taking his lunch everyday to work and us eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in. We eat out about once a week. We allow out dining out budget to be $40.00 a week. I plan my meals around what I already have and what's on sale at the store. I cook A LOT.

Meals July 17-24

I am trying to cook as much as possible at home, it's healthier and much more affordable:) This helps me keep track of successful meals I have made, along with ideas for weeks to come.

Sunday: stuffed biscuits with hamburger and cheese, mac-n-cheese, steamed mixed veggies and fresh tomato slices and cucumbers
Monday: Chinese, my homemade version, steamed Chinese veggies, brown rice, egg rolls and Chinese pasta
Tuesday: Crockpot chicken Parmesan, pasta, Caesar salad and garlic bread
Wednesday: Chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice
Thursday: Turkey lasagna, house salad
Friday: Dinner Out:)
Saturday: Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon and scrammed eggs
Sunday: Turkey Loin, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob

Weekly Meals

Monday- Forth of July, bringing mac-n-cheese and deviled eggs to bring to family get-together
Tuesday- Angle Hair Pasta with ovoo and Parmesan cheese, cooked carrots, seasoned chicken and garlic bread
Wednesday-Pizza Biscuit Pockets with Salad
Thursday- Homemade Chinese, chicken, steamed veggies, brown rice and egg rolls.
Friday- Dinner Out
Saturday- French Toast Bake, eggs and bacon
Sunday- Tacos and rice

Easter 2011

Well, I did get as many pictures as I wish I had, but at least I got these:) We had such a wonderful day with all my family, cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents. I feel so blessed to have such a big family!

10 Years!

Has it really been 10 years of marriage? I love you Ryan and I am so glad we got to get away for a week and celebrate this thing we have! You are an amazing husband and father. I really lucked out:)

Updated...downloads from phone

Happy Halloween
My cool man

Kiley getting ready to get her ear's pierced, finally....this has to be at least the 5th attempt

And he went through with it

Lathan's new big boy bike

Kiley and her friend, Dana Cheer

Updated..August- December

Emma Grace broke her arm at school, this is her showing off her green cast, with LOTS of signatures:) She had to wear it for 4 weeks September-October.

Kiley did cheer this year and feel in love with the sport. This is her team competing at Cheersport, in October.

This was Sun Valley's Homecoming Game, for the middle school. Kiley was escorted by her Daddy.

More of the homecoming...

Emma Grace turned 6! She had a big party at her most favorite place, Kate's Skates!

Blowing out candles!

Lots of friends.

Cheer season was May-October, so Kiley had lots of practices and lots of games.

Sunny, our CRAZY dog, we got her in July, for Lathan's Birthday!

I took a long blog break, but realised I really want to keep this blog updated for my kids to refer back to one day. I think it will be really neat for all of us to go back and look at what happened, during the crazy, busy, yet memorable and fun times....so this is me playing catch up:)

Emma Grace's First Day of Kindergarten

Wow, how can my baby girl be going to school.....really, when did she grow up? Well, let me be honest, I have been praying and praying and praying, that she would be ready, that I would be ready and there would be no tears and guess what "we" were ready and Emma Grace had not one tear! She seemed to really love school. A few weeks ago she was having many "moments" about going to kindergarten and I just couldn't imagine her being okay on the first day. I turned all my worry and all her worry over to God and he took care of it, isn't that neat, how God works;)

HaPpY 2nd BiRtHdAy Lathan!

Newborn

1st B-day

2nd B-day

Happy Birthday to my Little Man!!! How can it be that you are already 2 years old!?!?!

Lathan, you are just an amazing little guy. You are so smart, you know how to say your ABC's, how to count to 20, a few of your colors, how old you are, all the animal sounds and body parts, you know when you need a diaper change (now just know when you gotta go), and the way you scream, I wove you tooooo, oh my heart melts.... you love to sing, color, play any and ALL sports. You LOVE being outside and more than that you love the pool! You are trying to swim but haven't gotten the breathing part down (kinda essential), you are a little fish, that gives mommy a near heart attack! You are ALL boy! You love your whole family and I can't say you are, either a Mommy's boy or Daddy's boy, because you are both...you play us like cards! Your sister can annoy you because they always try to be your mommy and treat you like your their baby....you get SOOO mad! You play them too though.

Oh, my little man, how you have made our family so complete! I just love you and all you have become I remember the first time I held your little body and I just cried with pure joy. I would give you the world if I could. Please stop growing so fast!

July 4th

Happy 4th of July!

Lots of FuN, with great, family and friends. Lots of pictures in particular orders. The kids had a BLAST and so did the adults!