Monthly menu

I saw something like this on pinterest last November sometime.. and loved the idea of menu planning for an entire month. So I started doing it and made it my own.

It usually takes me 2-3 days to get everything together and organized for the upcoming month but once its all done I'm done for a month. I've been really good about doing it... it was most especially helpful right after having Curtis... it kept me organized.
I start by looking up new recipes... I've really enjoyed trying new recipes... some don't turn out great but.... hey I tried... some we loved! So, once I have some new recipes I start to piece each week together... I typically have one "left over" night each week as well as 2 "freezer meal" nights a month... I have tons of homemade freezer meals in our huge freezer in the garage ready to go... delicious :) so its like a big puzzle putting together each week... I try not to do too many chicken dishes or Mexican or Italian themed dishes...etc  so I try to spread things out so it keeps things exciting and delicious.
The next step once my calendar looks good... I make my grocery list for each week down to every detail according to the recipes for each dinner from both fry's and Sam's club... so then I have 4 grocery lists for the month... and each week I just add what we need for lunches and other misc. things...
Then each week its nice knowing what's on the menu and I know we have everything in the house (hopefully....I'm always forgetting something :(  )
I think.... no I know... Kiel thinks I'm crazy but whateves.... I would rather work on it for 2-3 days each month instead of every week... and its pretty :) I love my laminated pieces on my white board calendar.... silly I know but it brings me such joy!!

7 Months

Our Curtis is now 7 Months!! Every day I think to myself to take a picture of Curtis but every time I think of it he looks like this….

or looks like this….

so I gave up on a cute, clean picture  : ) We walk Connor to kindergarten every morning but since the weather was tolerable enough Chloe, Curtis and I walked a little further down the street to the post office… and on the way home I heard Curtis singing to himself (which is a sign that he’s going down for a nap) and sure enough that’s how he fell asleep… he just melts me.

At 7 Months we are now crawling, pulling himself up everywhere!!! and getting around! yikes. Thank goodness for Connor and Chloe to be my extra eyes to make sure Curtis is safe.

 

I know it’s inevitable but I hate the idea of putting our gate up on the stairs again!! 3rd and last time : )

Now that schools in session things have defiantly slowed down around here which is really nice. While Connor is at school it’s been nice to spend more one on one time with Chloe.. Curtis passes out right when we get home from our walk and Chloe and I have some time together. She misses Connor but I think she enjoys the extra attention.

 

Last weekend, I forgot to blog about… due to lack of pictures but we went up to Payson for our ward’s annual campout. The kids had fun running around getting as dirty as possible for me it was wonderful just being with Kiel. He took Saturday morning off from work so he was relaxed and we were able to escape the heat for a moment. It was fun. I can’t say I love camping… but I tolerate it with 2 kids, 1 baby,all the dirt and bugs for one night : ) it was a good time though.

First Day of Kindergarten

Connor would be SO So embarrassed if he knew I was writing this… but luckily for me.. he doesn’t know how to ready yet : ) so this morning started off with a big breakfast… I made him eggs, toast, bacon and grapes and a Big cup of Milk. After he gobbled it all up we got dressed…

*Side note…. it’s not as much fun with a boy.. he doesn’t really care what he wears or looks like… I know when Chloe goes to school we will have each outfit for the first week laid out with the accessories and bows.  But for Connor I didn’t really put that much thought into it…

Right before it was time to go Kiel came home from his pull ups and he joined us on our walk to school!!!

Connor and Chloe in our yard before our walk.

Walking to school only takes about 5 minutes so it’s really nice we don’t have to fight traffic. We were a little early so we along with a million other parents waited outside the gates. Then at 8:15 the Bell rang and over the loud speaker the principal announced “Teachers, Here we Go!! All hands on Deck!!”  It was a crazy with all the parents and siblings but it was fun. We went back to his class room and he put his backpack in his teacher’s line and he had some time to play before the next bell rang for everyone to line up in their class lines.

Connor playing on one of the many playgrounds.

8:33AM- Ring, went the bell and all the kids started to head towards their class lines

Connor in line!!!

Then his teacher headed them off to class. With a quick wink and an I Love you, my baby was off. So excited.. he never looked back.

Leaving the school I noticed a lot of parents were wiping their faces… not from tears of sadness or joy.. but from sweat under their sunnies…. of course it was a 110 degree day : ( but I thought of Connor the entire time he was away hoping he was doing well, being kind, and most of all being patient. I told Kiel… from the minute we become parents you can never turn that off.. you always worry about your kids… For better or worse.. Connor, Chloe and Curtis will be in my heart and on my mind.

11:23AM I was out front of the school waiting for my Connor… Mrs. Giannetta (his new “favorite” teacher… well not yet… ) comes out leading her kindergarten class with her arms in the air she says, “We made it!!”

I was excited to see my Bubba.. with camera in hand, ready to go for smiles and excitement.. this is what I found….  : (

Mrs. Giannetta said “he had a rough day”… which I have heard before from his preschool teacher Mrs. Newitt last year…. as he came to me I saw that he had a sad little tear coming down from his face and all I found my self doing was embracing him and wanting to fix it…. I hate seeing him sad… I think he was just a little overwhelmed with everything… he’s so tenderhearted… I think sometimes when he gets overwhelmed he just shuts down. I said he didn’t like school and his teacher and it was too hard…. so I did all I could to pick up his spirits. Right after we went out and got new sneakers and a couple of other outfits for school… a new water bottle for his backpack so he wouldn’t get too hot… and we just talked just the 2 of us… I know it’s going to be tough for him being one of the younger kids but I know he can do it!! This is a very tough, strict school but with a little at home help from Kiel and I, I know he will do great!!! I am excited for him and I know it will be a fun year!

Pizza Party!

The afternoon started off with Aunt Erin’s gift… I tried to wait until the last minute for her to open it up…. she loves trying on new clothes… so we put it on, did her hair and a little glitter on her eyes (which she calls sparklies ), while we waited for Daddy and Connor who went to a baptism we had a little photo shoot…. she knows how to pose for a picture! So cute… Good work Erin. And thus the Hello Kitty madness begins!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took Chloe to Sam’s Club earlier in the week and she picked out her Hello Kitty Cake… she wanted “Black” (Chocolate) on the inside and white on the outside…. She’s a girl that knows what she wants.

Summer birthdays are either a pool party or at Peter Piper Pizza in the Wendelschafer family. It’s easy…  minimal cleanup and the kids just love running around being silly. Perfect for Chloe’s party this year!!! When it was time for Cake we started to sing happy birthday and Chloe blew out one candle every time we sang Happy Birthday… not a patient girl…. I wonder where she inherited that trait…..hmmmm…… But I tell ya… this girl can handle all the attention. She loves it!! She was in heaven.

Connor and Chloe love their cousins and we love that we live close enough that they get to play all the time!!

Connor and Caleb eating cake!!! Surprisingly the boys loved their Hello kitty rings….  : )

Chloe and Gideon being silly.

And then the presents…. more presents… and more……..

Hello Kitty Shoes all the way from Grandma and Grandpa Miller!!

Taylor was Chloe’s big helper with all the presents… Taylor helped read all the cards and help open presents. Chloe needed and loved the help!

More and More…..

Silly Uncle Alan… Hello Kitty looks good on him though!

Every little girl needs Hello Kitty Band-Aids…. right….??? I think we all went a little Hello Kitty crazy!!'

Hello Kitty Bubble Bath… so cute!

And since we were in Utah for Connor’s Birthday Grandma Theresa and Grandpa Mark brought him his gifts and as well as Uncle Alan… He was a happy boy!! Needless to say our truck was full on the way home….. a little overwhelming!!! 

Shush…. don’t tell but most of their presents are hiding in our room…. I will pull them out one at time… I know I know. I’m such a mean Mom but I think they appreciate things more that way… They don’t remember all they got anyways….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a great night, everyone fell asleep on the way home. They were so tired from all the craziness, that’s always a sign of a successful party!! Thank you to everyone that came and contributed to a great night!! 

Happy Birthday Chloe!!

Happy Birthday Chloe

Yesterday morning I woke up thinking about Monday, August 3rd, 2009. I sometimes wish I could go back and relive certain days in my life again and again.

 

And that day would for be one of of those days.

The day Chloe was born I was so nervous and scared.. due to Connor’s complications all we prayed for was that everything would go well and Chloe would be healthy. Our Heavenly Father truly blessed us with such an easy delivery and healthy baby girl. Chloe was the easiest delivery out of the 3. I can’t believe it was 3 years ago, it seems like such a blur. And just along with those emotions I quickly went through some of her baby clothes to give to a friend and I started to get emotional…I am so grateful for this blog and pictures because I feel like I have a bad memory and things change so quickly with babies…

Well yesterday we didn’t do a ton for her birthday… today is her party with family but this is what we did…

*Chloe loves getting her nails done, so I painted them pink and attempted to hand paint hello kitty on her thumbs.. it turned out ok… but she loved it…

*We went to a friends house to go swimming.. the kids love love to swim!!!

*I got Connor and Chloe a happy meal on the way home… everyone knows how much she likes her hamburgers : )

*In the afternoon Chloe opened her gift from Great Grandma Miller.. which she immediately wanted to put on… she loved it… the hat didn’t last to too long but she loved the outfit!  (That’s Connor’s $$ for his birthday from Great Grandma and Grandpa Miller as well…. fresh $2 bills… so cool )

*And then right before bath time I gave everyone hair cuts.. and usually Chloe is excluded in this event but last night she got her 2nd hair cut… she’s such a girly girl. Love it!!

*Daddy read them Chloe’s new book from Grandma and Grandpa Miller and went to bed.

Today she will be in heaven at her birthday party with all her presents and cousins!

Happy Birthday baby girl. We Love you!!!