Saturday, April 25, 2015

Picture update


We went to the Children's Museum with my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group a week ago and the kids had a blast. Of course Preston loved the construction area.

The have a new Transformers exhibit and it was really cool - Optimus Prime was HUGE!

In the China exhibit, Reese leaned to write Chinese symbols. She wrote "mountain" "Sun" and "four"

We purchased a used Gator for the kids to goof around on, and havent been able to get them off it much:) Its a struggle when it comes to who gets to drive!

Reese is still loving gymnastics- we will take the summer off though so she can try t-ball.
 

We have been loving the warmer weather, and the kids like to throw rocks in the stream at our park. 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Monthly update

Another month has gone by. Where did it go? Here's a re-cap of what we have been upto this past month.
The last weekend in March Reese and I flew to Minnesota to surprise Aidan (7) and Aubrey (5) for their birthdays. Reese was so excited to fly on a plane. The last time she was 18 months old, so she doesn't remember it. She was really excited getting on the plane, but once we had to sit and wait, and then taxi, she was kind of over it by take off. She still thought it was fun, and did great on both rides. She kept herself entertained coloring, doing her Leap Pad, and asking questions about the plane. The kids didn't quite know what to think when my sister showed up at their house with us in tow. Shocked and speechless might be good words :) Kyle and Preston held down the home fort while we were gone. They did an egg hunt at the YMCA and I think ate dinner out every night :) Here are some pics from our weekend visit.

Aubrey and Reese at Chuck E Cheese for the kids birthday parties

Cousins :)



 Our first time ice skating! I was a tad terrified- but did quite well I think! Reese made a lap around the rink with Aunt Courtney, and that was it :)

On the plane

After a fun weekend, it was time to go home- note Reese's tired eyes. We had a blast! I think our girls trip should become a yearly event :)

The weekend after Minnesota was Easter, so we packed up and headed back to IL. Nana and Poppa got to see us both weekends- that's rare! We had a wonderful weekend with both families celebrating Easter and had wonderful weather to enjoy as well. The kids played outside alot, hunted eggs at both Nana and Grammie's houses, and came home with WAY to much candy- nothing Kyle and I can't help with though ;-)

Reese has been busy with gymnastics and I just signed her up fro spring t-ball at the YMCA starting in May. She told me she wants to do soccer- but Kyle talked her into T-ball. Preston is quite the stinker lately too, and we have been having some behavioral issues with him. He is just so darn aggressive and we have really been having to crack down on discipline with him. He is surely testing those boundaries and is looking to see what he can get away with. Most days, I'm exhausted come bed time after being with him all day, and I hope its a phase that passes. I HOPE! 

This coming Friday-Saturday I am headed to Chicago to celebrate one of my college girlfriends baby shower. Its her first and she is having a boy. I can't wait to see all my college girlfriends even though it will be a quick trip. It always good to see them no matter what. Plus, I get to rub a baby belly- whats not to love about that?! Kyle heads to Brazil all next week for work, so pray for patience and sanity to get me through the week alone!



Tuesday, March 17, 2015

March Madness

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Reese missed school today because she has a bad cold/cough and was really coughing up a storm this morning- so I figured best to keep her home and not get any other kids sick. She was bummed to miss her St. Patty's Day party, but there is always next year!
I titled the blog March Madness because March is a pretty darn busy month for us. We have been on the go non stop since March 1, and this weekend will be our weekend to relax and do whatever we want. Here's a little re-cap of what we have been up to:
The first weekend in March Kyle and I trekked up to Chicago to visit Kelsey and Steve and met up with Jenna and  Mike as well. We, luckily, have AWESOME neighbors who agreed to keep the kids Saturday and Sunday for us. We had such a good time catching up. We had yummy drinks, yummy food, and great conversation. Kyle had to fly out Sunday to go to South Africa for work, so he ended up just flying out of Chicago, while I went back to Indy on my own Sunday to pick up the kids. Kyle flew back Thursday morning, and then Thursday afternoon I headed to Bloomington, IL with a friend of mine to go to the Hearts at Home conference. Kyle then loaded up the kids Friday morning and went back to IL for the weekend with our parents- whew, did you catch all that??
The Hearts at Home conference I went to was AWESOME. First, it was 3 days with no kids, sleeping in a hotel with no interruptions, showering in a hotel with no interruptions, eating meals with no interruptions- are you sensing the theme?! ;) But besides being a break from the kids, it really was a great experience for myself. I, along with 5,000 other Moms, joined together for the weekend to attend workshops put on by Nationally recognized Christian speakers to help better our lives, marriages, and relationships with our children. Hearts at Home's mission is to encourage, educate, and equip every mom in every season of motherhood using Christian values to strengthen families. If your a mom, I recommend going to heartsathome.org to check out their website and many resources. I learned of them when the founder of HAH came to speak at my MOPS group last fall.  Here are the workshops I attended:
*Understanding and processing Anger with Dr. Gary Chapman (author of The 5 Love Languages)
*31 Days to a Happy Husband by Arlene Pellicane
*How to fight for your marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery
*Parenting as a Team by Dr. Juli Slattery
*Finding God's Peace in Your Beautiful Mess by Tracey Eyster
*UnGlued No More by Lysa TerKeurst (she is HILARIOUS!)
*10 Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs by Jill Savage (founder of Hearts at home)
*Chill OUT! by Rachel Harmon
I got something out of each workshop that is a tool I can use in my daily life to better strengthen the relationships around me- whether it be friends, family, etc. I do have to point out that there are MANY workshops women can attend. You choose what fits you best. There are some for moms of younger kids (like mine) up to moms with grown children out of the house and grandparents as well. There really is something offered for every kind of Mom.
They all did a great job and I was just overwhelmed with hope when I left- that I can be a better mom and have more patience/understanding in my day to day life based on things I have learned.
We also got to listen to Christian comedian Ken Davis on Friday night for our Moms Night Out. I was laughing so hard my cheeks hurt! If you ever have a chance to hear him- DO IT! Such a great time. I was lucky to get home late Saturday night after the conference ended, and have all day to myself Sunday while the kids were in IL with Kyle, to reflect on the days and what I learned and just get some peace before they returned :)

Next weekend- the 27th- Reese and I are going to fly to Minnesota to SURPRISE Aidan and Aubrey for their birthdays!! I am so excited, as is Reese. We are going Friday until Monday, and Reese is really excited to fly in an airplane. My sis knows we are coming, but I cannot wait to see the kids' faces when we get there since they do not. Should be an awesome time!!

Side Note: I have read some great books lately. The Swan House By Elizabeth Musser, The Girl on the Train (I finished it in ONE day! when the kids were gone on Sunday), and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriaty.



Monday, March 2, 2015

Bound to happen

After Kyle traveled all last week in Brazil for work, I was ready for the weekend. Friday night we went to friends for pizza. Saturday Pete (who was the best man in our wedding) came to visit with his wife Sandy (who is 7 months pregnant) and their daughter Phoebe, who is 4 1/2. The kids had a blast playing. It was funny because Preston called Phoebe- Stevie. Phoebe called Preston- Kristen and Reese- Rice. So we had Stevie, Kristen, and Rice this weekend- haha!! On Saturday night into Sunday, it was quite the snowstorm. We got 8 inches and the kids had a BLAST sledding. Here are a few pics from the weekend.

Preston assuming that is he sits on Dads suitcase and holds his keys he wouldn't fly to Brazil :)





Kristen, Stevie, and Rice- :)

Snow up to his belly button

Well, we had the inevitable happen this weekend. Preston shaved spots on his head! I was taking a shower Sunday afternoon and Reese was downstairs with Kyle (I thought Preston was too.) I get out of the shower and hear "buzz" (the sound of Kyle's trimmers.) Then I look down and see clumps of Preston's hair on the tile. Oh great. I run to the sound of the buzz, and find Preston in Reese's room going up to shave more of his hair. I look and he had a bald spot on the right side of his head, and small spots like a spotted leopard on the left side- Oh lord. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later! Thank goodness it was Preston as his hair grows back pretty fast. Never a dull moment in the life of Preston!!

Monday, February 23, 2015

Sledding and Painting

This past weekend my parents came out to visit. They arrived Friday early afternoon, and the weekend didnt start out as planned. Reese started complaining of an ear ache about an hour after my parents arrived. She is still coughing from all the junk she had last week when we went to urgent care for possible croup. But, after an hour of complaining and crying her ear hurting, I took her to Urgent Care while my parents stayed with Preston. Sure enough, double ear infection and she had a fever. I had no idea! She was fine all day and then all of a sudden she was saying her ear hurt. So, she is on 10 days on antibiotics. Within the first 24 hours, she started to feel much better. Her cough is pretty much gone now as is her runny nose. 


I had roped my Dad into painting the playroom for us, so that consumed our day (and by our, I mean his) day Saturday. The kids had fun helping out a bit, and Reese did a pretty good job! We also had 4 inches of snow Friday night, so we got to sled outside on the hill in our backyard (finally!) They had a blast sledding. We went sledding more on Sunday and the kids just loved it. Here are some recent pics:

Painting during one of the super cold days we were stuck inside!

It's more fun to paint on yourself than the paper!


Preston LOVED Poppa's boots- he carried them, wore them, and even slept with them all weekend.

Our snow adventures!









 Poppa's painting helpers



Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Recipe Edition

I always love when I find a good recipe or when a good one is recommended to me, so I thought this post could be dedicated to a few good recipes I have made lately.
First- update on Reese. She is still coughing, but her fever broke, so we did not go in for chest x-ray. I was given a steroid prescription for croup, but did not fill it because he cough is getting better, but is not yet gone. Glad the kids are finally on the mend though, that's for sure.

Recipe #1:
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup- Serves 5
Super easy recipe- and I love anything you can toss in the crock pot and eat anytime you want.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 avocado
1 can black beans
1/2 tsp of dried cilantro (I did not have this, and it tasted just fine)
2 cups frozen corn
1 green onion
lettuce
tomatoes
2- 10.75oz can cream of chicken soup (I used Campbells Healthy Request)
1 cup salsa
1 tsp. Cumin
Tortilla strips (found by the salad dressing)
1 cup cheddar cheese
Sour cream
1 1/2 cups water

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chicken to the bottom.
In medium size mixing bowl, mix cream of chicken soup, salsa, corn, black beans, water, cumin, and cilantro. Pour over the top of chicken.
Cook on low 4-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Place back into slow cooker and add shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with favorite toppings (sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips, tomatoes, etc.)


Disclaimer- this is Reese's bowl, that's why the portion looks so small :)


Recipe #2 
One Pot Pasta with Spinach & Tomatoes- Serves 4 (we had just enough for us- no leftovers!)
Total time: 29 minutes

1 Tbls. olive oil
1 chopped onion
6 garlic cloves finely chopped
1- 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried oregano
8 oz. spaghetti noodles
1/2 teas. salt
10 oz. fresh spinach
1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat- add oil. Add onion and garlic to pan, saute 3 minutes or until onion starts to brown.
Add tomatoes, broth, oregano, and pasta- in that order. Bring to a boil. Stir to submerge noodles in liquid.
Cover- reduce heat to medium-low and cook 7 minutes or until pasta is almost done. Uncover, stir in salt.
Add spinach in batches- stirring until it wilts. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

This was really good- but next time I would add more broth as it was a little dry in my opinion. I may also add more tomatoes and spinach!



Recipe #3
Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice Casserole- Serves 4
Total time: 30 minutes

2 (3 1/2 oz) bags boil in bag brown rice- Uncle Bens brand
1 Tbls. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 oz. presliced fresh mushrooms
8 oz bonelss skinless chicken breasts
3/4 teas. salt
1/4 teas. ground pepper
1 (12 oz) bag microwave in bag fresh broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
3 Tbls. flour
3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese- shredded

Preheat saucepan to high with water- Follow directions according to rice package; drain.
While rice cooks, heat large 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to the pan, swirl to coat. Add onion, mushrooms, and chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until chicken is cooked.
Cook broccoli in microwave according to package directions. Open and release steam.
Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk or fork until smooth.
Stir milk mixture into chicken mixture in skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, rice, and broccoli. Sprinkle with cheese.
Cook one minute or until cheese melts.



There ya have it- three really easy, pretty healthy, under 30 minute (prep) meals. Enjoy!





Saturday, February 14, 2015

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! We are celebrating today by wearing red, eating heart shaped cookies (made by Nana) and heart shaped brownies (made by Grammie) and relaxing while its cold and windy outside. Unfortunately, we are living in a germ infested house right now, so we are taking it easy and hoping our health returns soon.
Kyle jetted off to Philadelphia last Sunday to an executive education class in Mergers and Acquisitions at Wharton School of Business (the top business school in the country.) I was very proud of him for getting accepted into this class- only 40 attendees got to go from throughout the US and Kyle was one of them! He spent the week in what was a semesters worth of information packed into one week. He was in class/sessions everyday from 7 am to 8-9 pm, along with doing homework and case studies. It was intense! He was very grateful to go, and learned a lot throughout the process.
Of course, while he was gone, the kids got sick. I mean, why not?! Preston came down with a cough/runny nose on Sunday, and by Tuesday, he was feeling really bad. I took him to the doctor in fear of an ear infection, but it was just a virus and he is still coughing today. It's not nearly as bad, but it is taking forever to go away. I spent a few nights sleeping on his floor as he was up every few hours or more coughing and not being able to catch his breath. He was doing better on Thursday, so he got to attend his Valentine's party at school, as did Reese. Reese woke up with a little cough on Thursday morning, but nothing I would keep her home from school with. But, come Thursday afternoon (after school) she started feeling really crummy and had gotten a fever. Her cough was much worse than Preston's and she had no appetite and was pretty tired. She slept so awful on Thursday night. She was up about every 40 minutes coughing and when she would fall back asleep, Preston would wake up coughing. It was the worst night ever. I think I got maybe 3 hours of sleep total- but not more than 40 minutes at a time. It was worse than having a newborn! Yesterday we hibernated and laid around watching movies trying to get better. Last night was again super rough for Reese. So, this morning I took her to the walk in sick clinic. I have to say, I love our peds practice. They are open 7 days a week, and have same day appointments. The sick clinic was from 8:30 - 10:00 today, so we went and had her checked out. Strep test was negative but the doctor was worried about croup or pneumonia.  She gave me a steroid to start if Reese doesn't get better in the next 24-48 hours, and then we have to go back in for a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia. So, again today, we will hibernate and lay around trying to get healthy. I luckily haven't gotten it yet, but Kyle has had a cold for over a week now, coughing as well. I am drinking lots of vitamin C and washing my hands like crazy!
So, a rough week in general for us while Kyle was gone. It always seem to go that way. I am so exhausted so hopefully getting some naps in today.
Hope your family is healthy and staying warm today as you celebrate Valentine's Day!!