Mommy Mondays {An Extra Day}

Ahhhh.... We just returned from such a fabulous and relaxing spring break in Jacksonville.

The pool, the beach, the zoo and lots of F-U-N family time :)

Micheli got her first set of water wings and Hudson assisted in her crash course swimming lessons.

After a fun day at the beach we were barely out of the parking lot when the last little set of eyes closed and the ride home was oh-so-peaceful!!!

Even had time to squeeze in a new shorter haircut and a pedi date with my little sis. It was heaven!

It's funny how even after a full week of this splendid relaxation I still needed one extra day to recover from packing, unpacking, repacking, traveling back home and unpacking once again- Agh! But, no worries... after all, that's what Mondays are made for.

Happy Monday!

Mommy Mondays {Simple Recipes}

My mom would be soooo proud!!! Last week I did it....I finally found a recipe for chili that I liked and tweaked it a bit to better suite our family's tastes. Hudson ate nearly three helpings and Adam is still going on about it :)

The inspiration came while shopping at Publix one day. I passed the Apron's cooking demo and tasted their version of Ground Beef Chili. I really liked it so I grabbed the card and filed it away for a nice cold day. I made a few adjustments based on what I had in the pantry at the time and also to take it to the next level.

In my opinion it is the BEST I have ever had and much of that is because once the ingredients have simmered and married together the finished product is rich, chunky and not too tomatoey (not sure if that's a real word, but it fits- ha!)

Here's the recipe and hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

1 lb. ground beef

1- onion (or sub dried diced onion)

1- 15oz of crushed tomato w/ oregano

1- 10oz can of mild diced tomato/green chiles (drained; I used Rotel)

1- 15oz can of black beans (drained)

2- 16oz. can of spicy chili beans

1- 10oz can of condensed tomato soup

The following Seasonings are approximate and can adjust...

1 tsp. Season Salt

1-2 tsp. Celery Salt

.5-1 tsp. Garlic

2 tsp. Paprika (for spicier Chili can sub chili powder)

2 heaping table spoons Brown Sugar

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

Serves. Approx. 8-12

For me, it's the Brown Sugar that helps smooth out the tone of the tomato base and adds a light sweetness. I simmered all the ingredients together for about 3 hours before starting on the ground beef. When cooking the beef I added in Salt, Pepper, Diced Onion, Season Salt and a bit of Garlic while it browned. Drain cooked beef and then add to the sauce, let simmer for another hour or so.

The more the sauce simmers the more flavorful it becomes so this is an ideal recipe to prepare in a crock pot or even make a day in advance.

We plate ours on a small bed of crushed Frito's with fresh shredded Colby Jack cheese and a dab of Sour Cream on top.

And if there is any leftovers it's excellent for chili cheese dogs...but...that's "if" there are any extras :P

Mommy Mondays {Something New}

These past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind from surgery and recovery at Duke, Christmas, New Years and Adam's current stay at Northeast Georgia Hospital for Physical Therapy Rehab. We have adjusted to a new temporary routine and the kids have been amazing every step of the way. In the light of my new #1 job of taking care of Adam (and of course the kiddos) I am going to do something a little new for the next several weeks for Mommy Mondays...Movie Reviews, ha!

Movies have been the one easy thing to do as a family with Adam in the hospital that accomplishes many things at once for the kids...
1) Spend Time with Daddy
2) Entertain (without the boys fighting)
3) Quiet

Through the help of friends and family we have been able to have family movie nights where me and the boys spend the night with Adam and pick a movie, have popcorn and hot chocolate (and Micheli gets to have a night out without her brothers playing with friends and cousins).

We mostly make due with the Blockbuster Express rentals (we cancelled our DVD by mail from Netflix and still have streaming but the wi-fi connection at the hospital is no where near fast enough to keep the movie streaming online). So, the movies may be a little older than new releases, but hopefully the reviews will be helpful and at the very least entertaining :)

First up is COWBOYS AND ALIENS starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford

Rated PG-13

Adam and I previewed this first to make sure it was ok for the boys (well, I mainly previewed and Adam slept, ha!) Besides from the aliens and a little bit of fighting it was pretty tame for the boys but may not be everyone's ideal family movie. They love action anyway and when you throw in Cowboys, Indians and Aliens it makes it really exciting.

I will be honest though, when I saw the previews for this I thought it was a little out of reach and something that I would definitely not waste my time watching but Adam wanted to see it so I went for it.

A quick, very basic summary: [For movie trailer and a more details click here]

Set in 1875, A cowboy (Daniel Craig) wonders into a mining town from the wilderness without any memory of who he is. It quickly comes to light that he is an outlaw wanted for various crimes. Not too long after the aliens attack and begin snatching up the people with very unique mini planes and harpoon type harnesses. Because the cowboy has a pretty awesome bracelet on his wrist that can fight the aliens and a respectful/hero-like demeanor the townsfolk choose to trust him and let him lead them to save their loved ones. Harrison Ford plays the part of a wealthy Cattle Owner (and former Colonel) whose son is among the taken. He pairs up with Daniel Craig and a few other brave volunteers to help organize the rescue efforts.

Surprisingly, I really liked it (and enough to watch it twice!). The beginning is a tad slow for the kids, but once the alien mini invasion started their eyes were glued to the movie. Over all the characters were well written and defined, the acting was great and the special effects were realistic even in the old west setting. Somehow they managed to make it all work and create a story line that really keeps your attention and tugs at your heart. I would definitely recommend watching it :)

Kids Rating: 4 Stars

This would be a combined total- Noah would give is a 5 for all the Cowboys and Indians, Hud would probably give it a 3 or so because he wanted to see more Aliens.

Mommy Rating: 4 Stars

I really did like it and despite my initial assumptions I was really surprised. We are all Harrison Ford fans (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.) so that was a very good turnout :)

The last 80% of the movie kept the kids attention and for a PG-13 rating I really can't recall anything I winced at while the kids were watching it.

Rent it or Buy it...Definitely rent it first and it just may be a candidate for adding to our DVD library (or we could just wait for it to be streaming on Netflix).

Notes on Ratings:

We are a big moving family and with Adam and the Boys definitely lean more towards action, adventure and comedy. A 5 star movie for our family would be movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. I personally base my ratings on entertainment and the amount of attention it keeps for the boys. Additionally a 5 star would be one that we can watch over and over and not get too tired of.

Mommy Mondays {Still at Duke}

This one will be a quick one, I am saving up for tomorrow's post for Adam. We are all doing well and it has been an unbelievable relief to have the kids here. Not having planned on being here this long it was a bit of a shock to actually realize amidst all the craziness going on how much I didn't realize I missed their hugs and kisses- and they missed and needed mine.

It's amazing the rejuvenation of energy and strength that is contained in their hugs, kisses and smiles!

Mommy Mondays {Surgery Scheduled}

It's been a few weeks since our last update for Adam and there's been so much that has been going on- Thanksgiving was wonderful and a nice break out of the normal day to day reality. Christmas lights shine bright outside, the tree is up and stockings hang on the mantle. Now we stand just one week out from Adam's surgery at Duke.

After speaking to 5 neurosurgeons, 3 of the 5 had the confidence in surgery. Adam has decided to go to Duke and have the surgery on December 12th. We will arrive early for all the pre-op procedures and most likely be there the remainder of the week. The overall recovery time is estimated between 6-8 weeks. So hopefully we will have a very relaxing Christmas and New Years.

We are so thankful for the constant encouragement and peace God lays on our hearts and sends our way through family and friends. Looking back through the stages of fear, overwhelming emotion, and the bitter education on something that I wished with every part of me was not a part of our lives I see all along God's gentle hand leading us to hope.

Despite the thousands of surgeon options around the nation one had always stuck out to us and from day one impressed Adam and I with their response time, kindness, commitment and compassion. Through appointments and even our week away for surgery lining up care for the kids has been easy, with so many willing and eager to help in any way. Each day was like a roller coaster of emotions- some good days, some bad days. And without fail it seemed the bad days were limited to only a few frail hours of worry and fear because God would find a way through our devotions, bible verses, a note from a friend or text from family to remind us that He IS with us. It's so humbling to feel so powerless in the eye of the storm but so unbelievably peaceful when we remind ourselves who is carrying us through.

Here's just a few verses from our ever growing collection that I have found constant relief from. Over these past few months I have truly learned the powerful meaning behind the declaration of Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Purely and simply because it IS NOT by my own strength.

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. - Psalm 119:28

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness ” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. - Romans 4:16

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:31

So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

Thank you again to everyone who has been and is continuing to pray. We will continue to share updates and would love for you all to band together with us on Monday the 12th and the week that follows Adam's surgery. We are praying for a smooth surgery, wisdom and clarity for the surgeons and rest and healing for Adam.

Mommy Mondays {Thanksgiving}

I hope everyone had a fabulous thanksgiving- we all have so many things to be thankful for!

This year we took the family up to New York to celebrate the holiday and the wedding of Pappa Brown :)

One day as we were riding in the car on our way to visit family we all took turns sharing 3 things that we were especially thankful for this year. Below is what everyone had to say...

Hudson

1) Momma & Daddy

2) (hopefully) a new bike for Christmas

3) Baby Sister & Family

Noah

1) Momma & Daddy

2) Legos

3) His Family

Adam

1) A great job (Yes, we L*O*V*E WD-40!!!)

2) Health and his upcoming surgery

3) Our family and new house

Me

1) A great husband

2) Fantastic Kids

3) God's love and Jesus :)

Of course there's loads more to continually be thankful for- even another surprise later in the week that the boys had been begging for... snow :)

Mommy Mondays {Everyday}

This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving and finally take some time away from all the "to-do" lists of work, home and little projects I thought that today's post could focus on some of the everyday blessings that fly by in a blur as we are on our mission of crossing the next thing off the list. It really is stunning how time seems to pass by way too fast when we do finally stop just for a brief second to take it all in.

My wonderful friend Shain took these photos when he visited us and I am so thankful! It's these everyday moments that really mean the most and encompasses pretty much everything that we work for!

Happy Thanksgiving and hope you enjoy the everyday moments with your family :)

Mommy Mondays {Inspiration}

This weekend we picked up the new Mercy Me album. From our days of youth summer camp with our church we have LOVED Mercy Me!!! Adam and I both count it one of our many blessings to have had the pleasure to sing praise and worship music along with the band so long before they found wonderful success sharing their gift or worship music. Those summers are still so fresh in my mind and are certainly some of my best memories!

One of their songs stands out amongst our many, may favorites and has become somewhat of an anthem for us, below are the lyrics and a link to their website. Thank you Mercy Me for following God's plan for your lives and trusting Him... this is such a spot on reminder of our purpose and source of strength!

IN CHRIST ALONE

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength my song;

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fieriest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are still, when striving cease!

My comforter, my all in all, Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone!

Who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save.

Till on the cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.

For every sin on Him was laid.

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay.

Light of the world, by darkness slain.

Then bursting forth in glorious day,

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sins curse has lost it’s grip on me.

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ…

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me.

From life’s first cry to final breathe

Jesus commands my destiny…

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

Mercy Me

Album: The Worship Sessions

Mommy Mondays {Good Scary Fun!}

This Monday was the close of an extraordinary week of fun. Hudson's birthday is in October, so it's quite the month of celebration. With a late October birthday, we really love getting to tie in some good ol' scary fun in with his birthday parties. This year the monster eyeball cupcakes were a pretty big hit (with the kids and me...because they were really super easy to make!)

This year we were in a new neighborhood but decided to hit the streets with my big sis, her kiddos and a few other parents and kids in her old neighborhood that had become quite a tradition- So, with 2 pirates, a soldier, batgirl and a pink lady we were off!

After burning some energy at the neighborhood Halloween bash, we headed back to a friends house for some snacks before heading out for trick or treating.

Then....I don't know how it happened but all the Dad's took the lil' monsters door to door and let the Momma's have some time together catching up over some glasses of wine- as simple as that- no tricks, ha!!! Wowza what a GREAT ending to a fantastic Halloween :)

Mommy Mondays {Answered Prayers}

Today we are preparing for the next steps in our journey together for Adam's treatment. We have been researching and finding out more and more (so much more than I care to know) about brain tumors. Many of you have been praying along with us for strength and guidance and we thank you! We are continually receiving both :)

After our last appointment with the local neurosurgeon we sent out several copies of Adam's scans and doctors notes to neurosurgeons at Duke, Emory and MD Anderson. Even though Emory is the closest we did not want to rule out other plans God may have for us even if it meant traveling a bit- as long as it was a Doctor of His choosing.

This week we get to meet with the surgeons at Duke (and hopefully Emory soon after). and our local neurosurgeon is having a conference call with the surgeons from MD Anderson. So, there's a lot to be thankful for!

When we began research there was not a big clear sign or direction, just a sea of links, websites, hospital and surgeon reviews that spanned the whole United States and beyond. To have a clear path to three of the top surgeons who are all within the top one percent of their specialty fields (glioma brain tumors) is a huge answer to prayer and an even bigger reminder of who is ultimately in control.

Adam has a wonderfully strong feeling and peace already towards Duke so we are very, very excited to meet with them this week. Please continue to pray for Adam and God's guidance in the many decisions that will come as well as us finding the surgeon that He has for us.

In closing I would like to share a verse that a dear friend sent us that is a wonderful reminder for us everyday to find strength and encouragement in Him! Adam and I have both been so appreciative of the numerous words of encouragement that we receive daily from those who are thinking about and praying for us. Through texts, emails, messages, calls, comments and facebook it is clear that God is using so many of you to rally around us as an ever constant reminder of His love for us...He is with us in every step of the way!

2 Corinthians1:3-4 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Thank you all and hope you have a GREAT week :)

xoxo

Mommy Mondays {Our Little Family}

Oh how the tables were turned a couple weeks ago when our family was the one in front of the lens. I have to definitely thank our V-E-R-Y patient and awesome friend Shain for taking what little bit of time the kids gave him to capture some pictures of our family while he was visiting :) (Thank you Mr. Shain!!!)

There is not much else here on earth that brings me more joy than their smiling (and even sometimes pouty) little faces. Love became so much more than a simple word when those three very energetic sweethearts came into out lives....ahhhh, so thankful!

Happy Monday! xoxo

Mommy Mondays {Walk By Faith}

I have been over and over in my head about writing this (...or not) and finally decided that it needs to be shared. Many of you may already know, many more are praying and hopefully many more will join us in praying. I apologize in advance for the extremely long post...

Any one who knows me knows one thing- I am an eternal optimist. But recently my perfect little world was shattered, blown to bits, more like a huge atomic bomb went off (and I was left walking through the smokey mess)...but at least I was walking!

Two Sundays ago I woke up to my husband, Adam, having (what I consider) a violent seizure and called 911. I was a mess. On one hand I had the 911 operator on speaker phone and frantically dialed my sister's cell phone in the other. I honestly do not know how much sense I was making- it was a blur and I described everything in broken fragments between sobbing as best I could- stroke was the only thing that came to my mind and all it's devastating results. Only by the grace of God was I able to calmly communicate with the kids that Daddy would be alright and to go in the playroom (and thank God they did without any question or hesitation).

Though I tried my best to catch Adam's attention or to calm him down, I was helpless until the seizure ended and he just rolled over and went into a deep sleep. I met the EMT at the door and took them upstairs. Thank goodness he woke up, though clearly confused it was the first time since the seizure he had clearly had control of his body. Then a new fear consumed me when they asked him how old he was... "I don't know" - followed by another wrong answer as to what day was it..."Tuesday?" he said. I could almost hear the angels singing though when the third question came- What year is it... I held my breath until he answered and then breathed the biggest sigh of relief when I heard it, "2011".

I had to wait for my sister (April) to arrive to take care of the kids so Adam went on with the ambulance. Later, I would find out that he did not remember a thing about Sunday morning except for waking up in the ambulance. I rode to the hospital with my brother in law (Ronald) and by the time we reached the ER we (non-doctors) had already diagnosed him with dehydration- phew, what a relief! This was an easy assumption because the entire night before Adam and the boys were all up pretty much every hour on the hour throwing up. We go through this virus at least once a year so it was pretty much just going through the motions until it ran it's course...but seizures had never been part of it's course.

It took everything I had not to suffocate Adam from one big endless hug when we walked into his room to see him smiling in a hospital gown. Slowly, I began thinking "thank goodness the worst is over" as they hooked him up to his second bag of IV fluids. A few minutes passed and they came to roll him back for a routine CTscan for seizure patients. Ronald and I talked more about the dehydration and how nice that was all it was. He explained more to me about seizures (from growing up with his Dad who had epilepsy).

It didn't seem like too much time passed before they were wheeling him back in. Ronald had stepped out to call my sister and get a plan together because she had decided that no matter what she was not going to let me stay up there by myself. We laughed at how Ronald was pumping himself up to go look after a brood of 5 kids (theirs + ours). About that time the ER doctor came back and updated us on everything that had been going on but had more information that pretty much not only caught us all off guard, left us completely speechless. It only took the few words of "we found what appears to be a mass on your brain" to send my fears spiraling again but I some how managed (in the very loose definition of the words) to maintain some composure. The next step would be an MRI on the recommendation of the neurosurgeon that had already looked over Adam's CTscan remotely. I was impressed with the speed and flow of information and how quickly the staff reacted and cared for Adam.

April arrived and Ronald headed home with all the kids by the time the nurses came to take Adam back for the MRI. As she wrote down phone numbers and names to call I just had to take a walk in the hallway and found a momentary escape around the corner in a small bathroom. Only for a moment I allowed myself to let go and cry, cry louder and then cry more. Knowing that more tears would come I did the best I could to wash up and prayed with all my heart. I walked back in the room to give Adam a hug and a kiss.

While Adam was in the MRI, April and I took a walk to the general waiting room. While she called, I texted (I just could not talk without breaking into tears again). I texted updates and could feel the prayers of everyone who was already praying for us. I remember just telling myself, we are in God's hands over and over again.

We were already in the room when they brought Adam back. The medication that they had given him to help prevent any further seizures was already settling in as his memory of earlier conversations became a little fuzzy. Though the one thing he could remember clearly was that he had a mass on his brain. Again, time passed quickly and it seemed like in no time the ER doctor was back to share the results of the MRI. He had already conferred with the neurosurgeon who again viewed the scans remotely and confirmed to us what they labeled as a low grade mass. We held on to every word- clinging to the positives "low grade", "front right of brain", "small", etc. We were informed that Adam would be admitted overnight and the neurosurgeon would be around to see us soon and discuss a little more.

That is where time slowed down. The minutes on the clock seemed not to progress much at all. In my mind, we were moving in slow motion- almost frozen in time. I was relieved that Adam found distraction by watching the Giants game on TV and checking his fantasy football team. That let me know that he was ok- frustrated a bit and yelling at the players on the TV, but to me that was peaceful.

By the time the neurosurgeon came I think we had both had all the news we could stand for the day. It seemed like I had been through every emotion humanly possible and I was exhausted. We both listened to the semi-scientific explanations. I was impressed with the doctor's patience with our questions and his calm voice. Again, I hung on to every positive word and let the others go in one ear and out the other...low grade, small, right side...followed by the information that I know God just needed us to hear- "it appears to have been there for a while and not a result of the seizure, the brain is not negatively reacting to it". In a summery he told us that we were in a very positive situation having discovered it in this manner and that there was no emergency action needed so scans and medications can be used to figure out what the next steps would be.

When we settled in Adam's new room in the tower (with a much bigger TV for watching football!) I started to google the term that the neurosurgeon had used but I could not remember it exactly so I typed what I could remember... it sounded like glaucoma (but of course I knew that was not it). So I typed in the search "brain gl"... and glioma quickly filled in the rest. I clicked one of the top links and got as far as a definition of "A glioma is a type of tumor..." then I closed the browser. I had enough for one day and was just going to let that sink in and hold onto all the positive information that we had received as long as I could.

I spent the night with Adam just so I could hear him breathing, the same as I did with all our children when they were newborns, I knew that if I just heard them breathing or wiggling around that they were ok. The next day went pretty quickly with the routine shift changes, blood drawing, medication and meal deliveries. Adam was in great spirits, felt normal and was ready to go home. We made it through the day with the stash of chocolate and snacks that Farise had brought us the day before and a nice morning Starbucks that April had brought us. I really do not know how the hours would have went without the thoughts, prayers and support of our family and friends- I am literally astounded and humbled at the amount of love they have for us. Though clearly not his favorite arrangement, that afternoon I drove us home (he can not drive for six months) and we have been adjusting to our new life ever since.

As a long story comes to a close, we are just beginning on a new journey for our family that while at first was extremely frightening we now appreciate our life and our family at an extremely different level. For that and so many other things I am thankful. When things like this happens you find yourself thinking about the worst possible scenarios- but we are glad that those fears have been replaced with hope for the future and appreciation for the present. Time spent together is so much more important now, even if it's just watching Monday night football together. The little things that may have caused an argument suddenly are not worth the time we give them to interrupt our day. Playing catch with the kids, a sweet kiss on the cheek, even washing the dishes I treasure each and every moment.

We have always been aware and acknowledged God's plan for our lives- we met in middle school, began dating in high school, married after college, started a family, started a business, moved into our first house and so much more with our fate in God's hands. So we will not take a step further without the same blind faith that we have always had. We are both extremely thankful for everything God has blessed us with and know without a shadow of a doubt He has a wonderful plan for us!

Jeremiah 29:11-12
‎"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you".

** Our first appointment with the neurosurgeon is on Thursday, we will continue to keep everyone updated and appreciate all your prayers and very kind words! Love you all :)

Mommy Mondays {The New Shopping List}

So the last couple of weeks have been completely outside my comfort zone. As a sort of unwritten personal rule only certain areas of my life (aka the "business" side) are super organized and planned out as best as possible to be the most efficient. In the past, I have pretty much been somewhat of a free spirit when it came to home life- I figured I would just shut off the organization switch and reeeeeelax a bit :)

Then one day a thought came (well, I really did not have too much of a choice, ha!) With two different school schedules, travel schedules, shoots, weddings, appointments, location scouting, AND fall baseball season with an extra special bonus of the boys being on different teams this year (yippee!) our calendar looks like someone went at it with some sort of automatic weapon- obliterating multiple days at a time with one easy sweep (and many times right down to the minute).

So, as a result I am in hyper home organization mode and honestly having a lot of fun with it! It was a pretty simple start with a weekly menu, then expanded into a family binder, now I have discovered the art of strategically coordinating coupons with our grocery lists and weekly sales. By no means will I put in the hours to get $100 worth of groceries for $2 but will easily add $10-$15 of savings to each shopping trips- and all with just a few clicks of the mouse (and Google!)

Here's a few sites that I found the most helpful

Target Coupons : Most stores accept competitors coupons- so this is a great start)

Red Plum : Same company that does the Sunday Paper inserts

Frugal Coupon Living : This site actually has tied the weekly ads of local area stores with links to printable coupons- they have pretty much done all the work!

Shopping Tips & Tricks : Great site for simple fast info and even has it grocery store specific to weekly ads for Publix, Kroger and Mijer!

There are a ton of sites out there but I preferred the ones that you did not have to enter all your info or sign up just to have access to the coupons- if you have some favorites please do share!

As always Happy Monday and we'll see what next crazy organization item is next on my list :)

xoxo!

Mommy Mondays {What's For Dinner}

It's really hard to find the right words to start out this week's post for Mommy Mondays so I am just going to dive right in and say it...Aggghhhhh!!!!

Before school started I had these preconceived notions of quiet days at home getting tons and TONS of work done (both around the house and for the business) and well, that just has not been the case at all- so what gives???

From the new morning routine, the car line, traffic, back home, cleaning, breakfast, tending to baby girl, checking email, editing, following up with brides, working on new marketing campaigns, laundry, dishes, squeezing in a workout, phone calls, more emails, blog posts, story time, diaper changes, album designs etc...and that's just the first half of the day- phew...by early afternoon I was on auto pilot but without actually making any headway or progress on my to do list, much less keeping up with the kiddos PTA meetings and TBall practices and then the question comes...what's for dinner (uh-oh!)...

So today Adam and I sat down and created a weekly menu- yes, VICTORY!!! After searching online for a simple template I decided to make my own and am so proud of how it turned out. A small win for today, oh but what a fantastic start to the week!

Tomorrow I will tackle the "Brain" binder (details to come on that fun project) and the ever changing family schedule as TBall season kicks off, Early Holiday Sessions begin to book and Special Fall projects take us on the road....whoo- hooo, it's never a dull moment and though at times it may seem like life is a bit of a whirlwind I am so thankful for each and every moment :)

Mommy Mondays {Organized Chaos}

Well, the boys are back in school which means more time for those little projects around the house (yaaaay!!!). With almost a full month in the new house without traveling this is actually something I have been looking forward to. Today the main focus is going to be organizing the play room closet with a new storage and game shelf (and getting rid of those moving boxes!). I am beyond excited to get all their books and games organized in a way that they can easily clean them up themselves (yes, it is possible and they actually do pretty well).

Tomorrow I will share the after "taaaa-daaaaa" with you :)

Happy Monday and God Bless!

Mommy Mondays {Just for Fun}

I came across this cute cartoon by Rod Maclean on a teacher's site and thought it was just perfect. Back to School time is so bittersweet for me as a mom; I miss the kiddos, but boy do I get a lot done :)

Happy Monday!

Mommy Mondays {Back To School}

Over the last month or so we have been preparing for back to school and today we spent the most part preparing for Hudson's first day of Kindergarten (insert tears here...)

We have checked off his school supplies, visited the school, picked out his new shoes and back to school clothes, thoroughly researched the most durable backpack (LL Bean took it hands down) and tomorrow is open house...ahhhh, where did the summer go and why does it seem like only yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital.

So this week is a mixture of emotions- happy, sad, proud and soooo very, very thankful for a bright, loving and energetic kindergartner that has been just a blessing and a joy!

Happy Monday and hope everyone has a wonderful week- please pray for me not to cry daily, ha!

xoxo :)

Mommy Mondays {On Vacation}

This week I am happy to say we are on vacation (well, sort of). As always, the work just goes with me as we continue to wrap everything up in preparation for back to school. So this week I will be working from Virginia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and a few states in between :)

As always Happy Monday and have a great week!

Mommy Mondays {Things I Love}

As summer begins to wind to an end and we attempt to squeeze in every bit of vacation we can get around the weddings and sessions it's those short day trips or mini get-aways that become so precious.

This week I wanted to share with you one of my favorite things about growing up in a small town and going back for visits. Besides the friendly hello's you would get almost anywhere you went and short distances to the grocery store or gas station...the local favorite little restaurant that is worth waiting in line for- yep, we had one and it's worth a trip to try it out- TRUST me :)

Known locally as "The Chicken House" but officially as Callahan BBQ this was and is THE place to be and is always packed at lunch. Simple southern BBQ and the fact that every item is made fresh is the staple of it's goodness. Not to mention a small town tradition and a wonderful family that has owned it for years...well, and they serve corn dogs (Noah's favorite).

Hands down the BEST fried chicken sandwich anywhere! I love errands that take me back through, somehow it usually always ends up being around lunch time (ha!) All I can say is yummy, hope you are able to enjoy it one of these days :)
xoxo and Happy Monday!

Mommy Mondays {Things I Love}

Today I just wanted to highlight one of my favorite apps as a mom (and as a photographer)...

I L*O*V*E Instagram!!!!!

It's perfect for those everyday moments that are precious keepsakes that is pretty much the only way that I am going to be able to "freeze" the kids' childhood...even just for a brief moment.I struggled for a long time with feeling like I was missing so much with the kids because I was not lugging my huge professional camera around with us (and I really do not like point and shoots). So I thank God for the iPhone and Instagram :)

as always xoxo and Happy Monday!!!