Menu Plan Monday: November 26-December 2

 

I haven't menu planned in several weeks ... we have been traveling the last several weekends and eating things from the freezer in between.  We are actually going to be home this whole week so I thought I would try to get back into my menu planning routine. 

My sweet mother-in-law sent us home with a ton of food from the weekend (none of which involves turkey surprisingly) so all of the meals were made by her to be eaten by us.  My favorite kind!
 

Breakfasts: pumpkin pancakes; oatmeal; pumpkin chocolate chip muffins; whole-wheat biscuits w/chocolate gravy

 

Lunches: turkey sandwiches; pb&j sandwiches, leftovers, grilled chicken salad
 

Monday: Beef & cheese enchiladas, black beans, salad

 

Tuesday: Vegetable Beef Soup, cornbread muffins
 

Wednesday: Mexican beef & rice bowls, cheese quesadillas, salad
 

Thursday: roasted chicken & peppers, wild rice, green beans, whole wheat rolls

Friday: Beef & cheese enchiladas, black beans, salad (or we may have a date night ... still working on that one!)
 

We are headed down to the SEC championship game over the weekend.  I've got to come up with some kid-friendly foods for the kids and babysitter while we are gone!  I'll save that for later in the week!

 

Check out Laura's blog for more Menu Plan Monday.

Happy Thanksgiving (the day after)

 

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."  Psalm 100.

 

So thankful for my Lord and Savior, my sweet family and dear friends.  God has truly blessed me this year and I have a lot to be thankful for.  I pray that I express my gratitude daily and never take my any "gift" for granted.

Fall Festival (i.e., more pumpkins)

I took the kids to a Fall Festival at our country club while Will was in Boston for training.  It was a little hot for October, but a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  We had a lot of fun!

 

{Well, except for when David got stung by a small bee (in his ear) and screamed loud enough to break the sound barrier.}

 

First up, pumpkin decorating.

 

 

Claire's friend Maggie.

 

 

Luke even got in on the fun.  He liked all the glue and glitter.

 

Finished pumpkins.

 

Luke spent a lot of time crawling all over the haystack/pumpkin display.  He thought it was his own personal jungle gym.

 

There was plenty of candy for the kids to make up a goody bag.

 

Claire patiently waited a really long time to have her face painted.

 

Doesn't she look thrilled.  This is the face she makes when I fix her hair in the morning.  Ha!

 

Her reward?  A horse on her cheek and a spool of cotton candy.

 

I'm not sure why we decided to put the kids IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT to take a group photo.  Maggie and Sam belong to my friend Laura.

 

Time for the hayride.  The mommies enjoyed the "tour of homes" through the very nice gated neighborhood where the club is location.

 

Another wait in a very long line produced balloon art.

 

 

There's me with the kids.  David was clearly ready to head home.  Note to self: take the group photos first before everyone is tired, moody and dirty.

My 3 little pumpkins.

Tiny Olympians

I volunteered to help with the "Olympics" at David's preschool back in October. 

 

{I really just volunteered so I could go take pictures.}

 

Here is David's class marching out to the playground.  (Each class had their own sign.)  I love the hand print owl!

 

 

Class photo.

 

 

David and his best buddy J.  He is dying to have him over to play.  The mommies need to get it worked out.

 

A better picture of the sign.  So cute!

 

 

Time to get started!  There were 4 Pre-K classes and 4 events.

 

 

 

First event: parachute play.

 

Event #2: Hit the bucket (I'm not really sure what it was called ... they were trying to throw a spear made of drinking straws into a wastebasket.)

 

 

Event #3: bag toss.  It looks like he threw his bag behind him, but he really didn't.

 

Event 4: obstacle course

 

David's friend J.

Claire was an excellent helper!  Doesn't she look thrilled to be there?

 

Balance beam on the obstacle course.

 

Running with the torch on the obstacle course.

 

David receiving his medal from his teacher.

Fall Service Project

Claire and I did a little service project (which counted as school for her) on Tuesday morning while the boys were at preschool.  We volunteered at a local pumpkin patch.  Not the kind we went to here, but a "wooden pallet" patch ... where you go buy pumpkins at a stand in town.

 

This pumpkin patch is the main fundraiser for a great cause: The Cooper Trooper Foundation.  This organization puts together kits for siblings of children who have cancer.  It is a great organization founded by our dear friends from Alabama, Rod & Missy Cook.  (Rod and Missy moved to Tennessee shortly after we did and Rod is Will's boss at his new job.)   They started this organization after their youngest son (of 3 boys) was diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumor.  It is such a great ministry and I was glad to be able to help out this year.

 

I took my camera and had fun practicing shooting in manual with a still subject!

 

Look at all the pumpkins ... these two photos are of opposite sides of the lot.

 

Since the local school district was out for fall break that day, Claire had lots of buddies to play with while we were working on the patch.  They were busy gathering and counting pumpkins for some larger orders that were being picked up the following day.

 

After we finished our shift, I picked up the boys and we went back to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins.

 

David wanted his picture made with this ghost cut-out ... and I just realized he has his eyes closed.

Luke sat in the wagon and drank/spilled my water.

 

Hunting for the perfect pumpkins!

 

Another big FAIL at trying to get a picture of all 3 together.

 

My sweet boys!