Wednesday, November 30, 2011

There are days...

There are days when you have your "big girl boots" on, but you still want to be the baby. Today is one of those days at our house. Man, being a toddler is HARD work. :)


I know I didn't "Meal Plan Monday" this week, and I will do a post later with more details of why I didn't. It isn't because I wasn't planning...that seems like all I have done this week! We started a cleanse that we have done before that is gluten free, corn free, sugar free, yeast free, peanut free, soy free, and more. :) We loved the way we felt last time we did it, and I needed to get off the sugar for a little while...I was gorging myself with sweets every single day, and I felt blah!! Anyway, more details to come. Hope you are having a great week!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Giving Thanks...

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We spent the day in Lavaca with the Gibson side of the family. We decided this year that we were not going to try to be everywhere and that we would start switching off Thanksgiving and Christmas day with our families. Since our families only live an hour apart, it IS possible for us to see everyone in one day, but it is never any fun to have to rush from one place to the next. We want Landry and Collier to be able to spend quality time with their cousins wherever we are, and the only way we can do that is to choose to be one place and stay there. So far, our reasoning is proving true because Landry had A BLAST getting to spend time playing with Jackson (4) and Avery (3)! So much fun that we could hardly get her to go to bed Wednesday night or take any naps...she knew there was more fun to be had! :)
I am thankful this year that we have TOO MUCH FAMILY and too many choices to make it everywhere on the holidays. What a blessing that burden really is!

Cowgirl Landry on Wednesday night. Aunt Emily helped her use her tights as a holster for her gun! Ha!!

Jackson and Landry telling secrets. :)

Landry and Avery..."On top of the world!"

Landry swinging at Gigi and Papa-D's barn...

Woo Hoo!!

Sweet Collier at the Thanksgiving meal. He wanted to be right in the middle of it, and did not want to let Mommy sit down! :)

Our family...
Emily, Jackson, Avery, Kyle, Papa-D, Gigi, Landry, Me, Micah, Collier
 Yes, we are rednecks, and my husband and brother-in-law showed up to Thanksgiving dinner in their camo. That wasn't the plan, but Micah shot a deer that morning, and they were running late. I guess just another thing to be thankful for...fresh meat in our freezer! On a side note, I really wasn't thrilled in the beginning thinking about eating deer meat. Then, Micah used his magic to convince me that I spend extra money to buy organic products a lot of the time, and how much more organic does it get than a wild animal? Ha...he is good!

Daddy with his little man...
The kiddos got cookies as a reward after we took pictures...

Landry was is "Cuuuuuukie" heaven. :)

Today, we are relaxing and watching Razorback football! We did get up and do a quick Black Friday trip to our hair salon at 5:30 this morning to buy half price giftcards! :) We have purchased these the last 3 years, and we have it down where we can get our hair done all.year.long for half the price! In the past, we have even had some extra left on the cards to get a few massages, manicures, spray tans, etc. Hoping that we added wrong again this year!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

These two little people...

 These two little people light up my life. They are so sweet, cuddly, and love unconditionally. I love watching their relationship grow. Each morning, Landry likes to have cuddle time with her brother. She loves to hug, kiss, and tickle him. It is so sweet, and Collier is such a sport! :)


Honestly, this poor boy has no time to himself unless his sister is locked away in her crib. :)


Landry is a proud big sister, and I hope that never changes. Little brothers are special...I know because I have one. :)
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are excited to head down to my in-laws to spend tomorrow. Thankful that we have family to spend the day with, food to eat, and a warm place to celebrate our many blessings.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Meal Plan Monday and more...

Happy Monday! I hope your week is starting off well! Our's is off to a little bit of a rough start, but more about that later...
A few of you have asked if Landry eats what we have planned to eat on our "menu." Yes, she does. Since she was little, we have tried giving her a wide sampling of different foods. She is not very picky, and will eat just about anything. Here is an example of one of our super simple meals from last week...Spinach Salad and Baked Sweet Potatoes.
My plate...

Landry's Plate {Before}

Landry's Plate {After}
She did a great job eating almost everything! She was not a huge fan of the sweet potatoes because they were hot when she first tried them. She kept blowing on them, but she wasn't able to convince herself that they were okay. :)

This week's meal plan is:

Monday:
Lunch-Black Bean and Feta lettuce wraps {recipe below}
Dinner-Dinner meeting for church

Tuesday:
Lunch-Lettuce wraps (again!)
Dinner- Parmesean Crusted Chicken with steamed veggies

Wednesday:
Lunch-Baked sweet potatoes
Dinner- Pasta Toss with Broccoli
(basically whole wheat pasta boiled with broccoli then tossed with butter, parm, salt and pepper)

Thursday:
THANKSGIVING!

Friday:
Lunch- Leftovers
Dinner- Homemade Pizza

Saturday:
Brunch- Quiche
Dinner- Probably having a bonfire with friends, so hotdogs!

Sunday:
Lunch-Spinach Salads
Dinner- White Chicken Chili


Now...a recipe! 
We eat this a lot. It is a super easy and light lunch or dinner. It is great leftover, cheap, and healthy!

Black Bean and Feta Lettuce Wraps
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup italian dressing
6-10 lettuce leaves

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. I like to put mine in the refrigerator and let it cool completely before serving in the lettuce leaves. You could also just cook the rice ahead of time, cool it, and then mix all together right before serving. I just like it cold, you could really do it either way.

 We seriously love this! The pictures might look a little yuck, but I promise, these are great!


Okay, so here is what is going on at our house today that is making things a little rough...


See that rash?! Landry woke up with it this morning, and we have no clue where it came from. She has had a cough and congestion for about 2 weeks now, and we luckily had an appointment with the Naturopath today. She was running fever on Saturday night, and threw up twice through the night. Seriously, it is like she had a little touch of EVERYTHING that was floating around. Anyway, we had a visit today, and got a few answers.
The cough and congestion is probably just from the weather change and nothing serious. 
The throwing up was either a little virus (bc she did have a tiny fever with it) or was possibly due to us receiving the wrong dosage instructions over the phone for some herbs we were giving her. Nothing dangerous, probably just an upset tummy. 
The rash is kind of the mystery at the moment. It could be from everything else she has going on, could be a carry-over reaction to something she ate, or it could be from pulling her sheet off her bed and laying right on the mattress that I used cleaner on when she puked all over it Saturday. 
Poor girl! :( She acts like she feels fine though, just a little extra clingy to daddy.  
Love that sweet little thing, and hope she feels better soon!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Collier is 3 months old!

My precious little bundle turned 3 months old this week! It is so hard to believe how fast time is flying by. Collier is such a sweet boy...a spoiled rotten sweet boy. :) Not that I wasn't attached to him from the beginning, but he and I have really seemed to bond over the past month. He is getting such a personality, smiles at everything, and definitely KNOWS WHO HIS MAMA IS. He wants to be held as much as I will hold him, loves to nurse to be comforted, and is a huge fan of his big sister! Here are a few things that are going on at 3 months...
  • Collier starts the night sleeping in his Moses basket by our bed. He goes down around 9:00 and sleeps until 1 normally. When he wakes up, he moves to our bed to eat and sleep the rest of the night. I fall back asleep almost immediately after I put him in our bed, and I honestly can't tell you how many times he wakes up after that. He will sleep until about 9:00 in our bed if I sneak out and put pillows around him where he still feels snuggled up. We love having him in our bed, and will probably keep him there until the first of the year.
  • He still won't take a bottle or a pacifier, but we are working on it. Honestly, instead of getting better, he seems to get worse some days. He is even particular at this point about which side he wants to nurse off of. If he is really sleepy and wanting to nurse for comfort, he only wants to be on my right side. I think it is because I produce less on that side, and he is totally using me as a pacifier. If I try to get him on my left side, he will arch his back and be stiff as a board. Micah and I giggle and say that he is "planking" and we should take a picture. LOL. Silly boy...I know this won't last forever. Taking it one day at a time!
  • Collier currently has red hair. :) Landry went through this phase too as her hair went from brown to blonde. I don't see it as much, but total strangers will say, "where did he get the red hair?"  No one that I can think of on either side has red hair, so I figure that it will just end up being blonde like Landry's. We will see! He is also going to get his first hair trim in the next few weeks. That boy has some long random hairs that hang over his ears...I think his hair is going to be thick like his daddy's. Why do the boys always have the gorgeous thick hair!?
  • He rolled over for the first time this morning! From his stomach to his back. He loves being on his belly, and his is great at holding his head up.
  • He weighs somewhere close to 19 pounds now. He is a big, chuky boy. Wearing 6 months clothes and size 2 diapers.
  • Collier naps pretty well during the day. He isn't napping in his crib yet, but he will after we get an additional camera for our monitor at Christmas. He takes around a 2 hour nap in the morning in his swing. This is a great time for me to get showered or several things done for the day if I can get Landry down at that same time. Sometimes in between Landry's naps, I will let Collier lay in her crib and sleep/play. He loves her music machine, and I love that I can see him on the camera. It is a good way for him to get used to being away from us for a little while.
  • He loves watching TV. This was kind of an accident, but when he would cry and Micah would pick him up, his eyes would be GLUED to the TV and he would stop crying. He loves watching football, but especially likes Nick Jr. and shows with lots of music. Our TV is a little high for him to see unless he is on the couch, but he layed on the floor at my mom's yesterday for a whole hour playing with toys and giggling at the music on TV.
What a sweet blessing Collier has been to our family! This week has been a little rough for us with several things going on. A young mother that I was in Bible study with passed away from a brain tumor...she left 3 babies (6, 4, and 2) and her husband behind. I also met a girl last night that lost a baby 4 months ago when he was 3 months old...a precious baby boy, just like Collier. A good family friend was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer along with having many heart issues...cancer treatments can be hard on the heart anyway, so that makes their situation extra sensetive. And, a former co-worker of mine and Micah's is in her last few days of a long battle with cancer and will be leaving behind a 4 year old daughter and husband.
Y'all...I am blessed. I am blessed each and every day to be a mother to these babies and a wife to Micah. Let's all remember to count our blessings today and to thank God for the time he has given us with those we love. I don't know that I will be here tomorrow, so I will try today to give my children a little extra love, slow down and enjoy the little things, not worry so much about the laundry and dishes, kiss my husband an extra time or two, and thank God that I have a warm couch to snuggle with my family on. Really, what else matters? Thank you, Jesus, for today!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Where's Landry?!

Where's Landry?!

 There she is!

Silly girl was trying to put on her baby brother's pajamas. She thinks that everything should fit her, no matter how small it is. :) She is constantly trying to squeeze into his shoes, sleepers, hats, etc. Always entertaining! I just love her sweet little personality!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Meal Plan Monday

We have a busy week this week, so our menu is a little bit boring. BUT, the sweet pictures of babies below are NOT. :) Enjoy!


Monday:
Lunch-Black Bean and Three Cheese Quesadillas
Dinner- Baked Sweet Potatoes and Spinach Salad with Carmelized Onions

Tuesday:
Lunch- Chicken Salad on Croissants
Dinner- Having my SIL's family over for dinner so that the guys can grill venison. We will also grill hotdogs for the kiddos.

Wednesday:
Lunch- White Chicken Chili
Dinner- We have a 1st Birthday Party to go to!

Thursday:
Lunch- Leftover Chili or Chicken Salad
Dinner- Mini Apple and Cheddar Meatloaves (we were supposed to have these last week, but ended up eating out one night!)

Friday:
Lunch- leftovers
Dinner- WE HAVE A DATE at Ruth's Chris! :) Thanks to my mama for offering to watch the babies and run Collier up to us if he breaks down while we are gone. Ha!

Saturday:
Brunch- Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Lunch/Dinner- Game Food while we watch the Razorback game!

Sunday:
Lunch- Family Thanksgiving at my grandparents
Dinner- Probably salads because we will be so stuffed from lunch






Thursday, November 10, 2011

Little twinkies...

There are days where I think Landry and Collier look totally different, and then there are days where he is almost like her little clone. Here are some sweet, sweet pictures that I found where I think they look a lot alike...what do you think?  


Landry-4 1/2 weeks

Collier-2 weeks

 
Collier-3 weeks

Landry-4 weeks


Landry-3 weeks

Collier-1 week 

Crazy, huh??

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Collier's Birth

Ok, so I know this has been a long time coming. I have had several emails and questions about when I was going to share Collier's birth story, but I just wasn't ready yet. He was 12 weeks old on Friday, so I thought I better do this before I forget everything! To be honest, I have sat down to type this several times. The story would have been different each time. I have gone through emotions of never wanting to give birth to another baby, feeling that God has it planned for us to have another one at some point, and everywhere in between! Collier's birth was VERY different from Landry's, but the perspecitve that I am typing this from today is....it was one rough day to get my sweet boy here that has brought my life so much joy already! I know we are blessed. We had a FABULOUS pregnancy, a birth (period), and a healthy baby boy and mama as a result. Our God is good! There are some details, so only read if you want to know those!
I think I should begin the story after Landry was born. We had a wonderful midwife, Nancy, who has become part of our family. Without a doubt, she will be part of our lives forever. Our pregnancy was easy, our labor was long (55 hours), but everything was smooth and calm. After Landry was born, I didn't even feel like I had a baby. I was up and walking around within a day, and I felt great! After the birth, I remember talking with Micah about how great Nancy had been and saying, "We couldn't have done this without her!" I was immediately convicted, and I know God was saying, "What about me? Who were you trusting?"
Fast forward to when we found out we were pregnant with Collier. Of course, Nancy was one of the first people we told. Landry and I were out helping at her pregnancy center the morning that I took the test. We couldn't wait to get there to tell her! She was, of course, excited for us, but she knew a secret she wasn't ready to tell us yet. It took her a few months, but she finally told us that she had a HUGE family vacation scheduled the 2 weeks around our due date to Ireland. She was sad about the possibility of not being here for Collier's birth, and she was afraid that I would get really upset....she was waiting for time when Micah was with me to break the news. Surprisingly, she told me, and I was so excited for her about the vacation that I didn't even think about her missing the birth. God gave me SUCH a peace knowing that the timing was all in his hands. At that point, I felt like God was saying..."I'm going to prove it to you. All you have to do is trust in me. I am the one you need there." We started talking about backup midwives and a plan for who would assist us during the birth if Nancy wasn't here. About 2 weeks before our due date, we settled on a sweet lady, Teresa, that we had taken birthing classes with during Landry's pregnancy. We knew her, we were pretty comfortable with her, and we slipped right back into a quick relationship when we met with her a few times over those few weeks. Nancy left the country, we had our backup plan all lined out, and it was the week of Collier's due date. We had an appointment scheduled with Teresa for the Wednesday before our due date (we were due on Thursday). Teresa texted and asked if we could reschedule for Friday because she was pregnant and in the beginning stages of having a miscarriage. She wasn't feeling well, but was confident that we would hold off until at least Friday and she would be back up and running by then. My heart was broken for her! I knew how much she loved and wanted this baby, and I wanted her to rest and do whatever she could to feel better. It took me a few minutes to realize that we were due the next day and had NO MIDWIFE!
We were able to get the name and number of another midwife that we knew Nancy had worked with in the past, Beth. We called her Wednesday night right before our due date, and begged her to be our new midwife if we went into labor before Nancy got back in the country on Monday. She agreed and said she worked until 9 pm on Thursday night, but as long as we went into labor after that, she was available until Monday afternoon (and Nancy would be back then!). No pressure...that was only 24ish more hours. I was confident that we wouldn't go into labor before that. I mean, really, only like 20% of people go into labor ON their due date.
Well, I woke up around 6:30 the next morning to contractions. They seemed pretty regular, so I started timing them. 10 minutes apart! Contractions and labor on my due date?! Micah went on to work, and I called my mom to tell her. While we were on the phone, I passed my "plug." Maybe TMI, but that never happened with Landry. I was terrified that I was about to have the baby and no one was here! My mom wasn't working that day, so she came up and spent the day. We timed my contractions all day long, did all of our last minute to-do's, and just hoped that we would make it to 9:00. By 5:00 that evening, the contractions were getting stronger, and they were within 5 minutes of each other. We called Beth to give her a heads up, and she said she would come the minute she got off work. She got here about 9:10. We had Landry in bed for the night, and 3 of us were outside walking on the driveway. It was a gorgeous night, and we were trying to get this baby to come soon since we had tried holding him off all day long. :) Poor Collier, he was probably so confused by this point! We introduced ourselves to Beth, shook hands, and helped her carry in the 6 loads of "stuff" from her car for the birth. At this point, we were all looking at each other wondering WHY she had all these things. Nancy came with one bag, and that was it. Beth had an oxygen tank, scales, a bag, a bag, and a few more bags. She was prepared and super thorough. She asked a lot of questions to get to know our pregnancy a little better, and then she checked my dialation. We were only at a 4 after a day full of contractions! She said the "checking" would probably make things progress, and for us all to rest a little bit...by this time, it was already after 11:00.
Micah and I got in bed, Beth made a place on the couch, and my mom went to the guest room to sleep a little bit. It didn't take long, and the contractions started getting strong. By 1:00, we were all in the bedroom together and working through the labor. I forgot to mention that Teresa had a "helper" that she was going to bring with her to the birth. While we were outside walking, Micah got a call asking if she could still come and assist Beth instead. She seemed to be a sweet girl, and we were told that she was training to be a doula or a midwife. When Beth got here, we asked, and she said that would be great. She had actually worked with "Jill" before. So, Beth called Jill and told her to come on over around the 1:00 time. When she got here, it was Jill Duggar. :) Ha! What a surprise! She was honestly the sweetest, most hard-working, calm person. It was great having her here! We never watch the show, so it was funny that Micah and I were asking her questions about her family while we were in labor. They are so down-to-earth and normal! Anyway, sorry this story is all over the place...that is how it seemed that night too! :)

So, here we are...well into labor, exhausted already, and getting to know two strangers that are in our home for the first time. The contractions were strong, and I was having back labor...again! My lower back felt like someone was beating me. It was unreal. We had warm cloths in the crock-pot, and they kept holding those on my back during the contractions. That seemed to ease the pain a bit. It was still tough. I threw up a few times because of the pain. That didn't happen with Landry. Things were different, and it wasn't "easier" like everyone said my second baby would be!
Fast forward again to around 6:00, we were dialated to a 9 1/2 and stuck there. Collier's head was stuck under/beside/between (I can't remember!) my pelvic bone. It didn't feel great, and I was not going to progress further until he was able to move. Having been a midwife for 35 years, Beth had seen it all. She said she knew how to get him to move, but that it would be very uncomfortable. She said as soon as it was done, he should come quickly. They stacked up pillows on the floor and had me lay flat on my back with 3 or 4 pillows propping up my lower half. I needed to stay there through a few contractions, and she said I would KNOW when he moved. Thankfully, it happened during the first contraction. Wow...she was right about knowing that it was happening, but my contractions had been so tough, I was just thankful to be moving forward! He was now in position, we were dialated to 10, and it was time to get ready to push.
It was around 6:45, and I told Micah to call our families and tell them it wouldn't be long. We were so excited about the timing because we thought we would have him before Landry woke up around 8. How perfect!? We didn't even have to worry about her having a place to go or someone stepping out to take care of her. About 7:30, we were still pushing, and Landry started screaming over the monitor! We knew it was probably going to be a little while longer, so we called my dad (who luckily lives down the street), unlocked the front door, and he came down and got Landry out of bed and took her to their house for a while. I figured she was going to be super confused, but she did really great!
During the pushing, my water finally broke. With Landry, that was the first thing that happend, and then she was born 55 hours later. It was the complete opposite with this labor! 26ish hours later, Micah "Collier" finally arrived at 9:00 AM on the floor in our bedroom. No ripping, no tearing...thank you Lord! He was 1 1/2 inches longer than Landry and almost a pound heavier. They immediately threw him in my arms, and he screamed and screamed. Micah called our parents, and they rushed over. We were still in the bedroom getting the baby cleaned up, and Beth and Jill were still working with me. The placenta didn't pass immediately (like it did with Landry). It was taking a while, and they seemed to start getting worried. Our families were waiting outside to see Collier, but I didn't want him taken out of the room until I actually got to hold him and see him first! The stress level was getting a little high at this point. I felt pressure to hurry, but I had no control over the situation. No one was trying to make me feel that way, I just hate making people wait. :) We tried moving around, sitting on the toilet (I had to pee so badly, but I couldn't with the way the placenta was sitting), getting in the shower, and numerous other positions. Finally, my mom went out and told the families that it was probably going to be a little while. She explained what was going on and told them that maybe they should leave the house for a little while and we would call them when everything was ready. They left, and within 5 minutes, it passed and I was able to pee! :) It was honestly so exciting...I finally realized that I had a sweet baby that was ready to be loved on! Thank goodness for Jill, in addition to taking care of me during this time, she was taking sweet care of Collier and getting him cleaned and dressed. She even took one of his first pictures for us on her phone! Beth and Micah helped me get cleaned up while my mom and Jill loved on Collier. I finally crawled back into bed and was able to hold/nurse/kiss/stare at my precious little boy! What a miracle and blessing he was!


We called our families back, and everyone got to see the new addition. We wanted Landry to be the first one in, and she loved, loved, loved the baby. We had been trying to prepare her by talking about him a lot before, but I don't think she really understood until she saw him.
I am a little foggy of exactly what happened after this. I know that my mom went home for a while and Micah's parents stayed and played with Landry. I was totally drained and took a nap for a few hours late that afternoon and Gigi took care of the baby for a little bit. Everyone went home, and we spent that first night as a little family of 4. It was such a new and exciting time for us!!

Over the next few days, I was sore. I kind of felt like I had been hit by a truck, honestly. My whole body ached. Again, totally different from the aftermath of Landry's delivery. I was weak, a little dizzy, and I just felt drained. The pushing was harder with Collier, he was bigger, things were just a little more difficult. Shorter, but more difficult. I would take the longer labor in a second!
Overall, the labor was fine. I know my nerves were on edge because I had a midwife I had never met before. I know I was a little nervous thinking about Landry during the process. I know the pain was worse, but the result was so sweet.
Would I do it again? I don't know. If I get pregnant again at some point, I would definitely choose this over a hospital birth if at all possible. This is an opinion that has changed over the past 12 weeks. At first I was saying things like, "No more kids!" or "If I do this again, I am going to be drugged heavily!" or "Micah is getting snipped! :)" However, our sweet Lord gives us the ability to forget some of the struggle, and I know I have already forgotten a lot of the pain and discomfort. Even with the pain though, I keep telling myself that it was just one rough day that brought this precious baby to us. He is so, so worth it...and more!
After the birth, we texted Nancy's son in Ireland to let him know. She called Micah that evening to get details, and she stopped by to see the babies on their way home from the airport on Monday. It was such a relief to see her and for her to be back to answer the million questions that I had.


So, there it is...the birth story...give or take a few details.
I know some of you care nothing about home births, but that others are really interested. If you have more questions or want more details, feel free to shoot me an email or comment on the post. It isn't for everyone, but has been a blessing for our family! 

Monday, November 7, 2011

It is Monday...

It is Monday, and my brain is scattered. I feel like I am all over the place...mentally. Physically, we are at home, and we are staying in! It is cool and rainy today, and that means it is the perfect day for cuddling on the couch and loving on babies.
I feel scattered because I have so many things to do. Instead of doing anything on the list below, I am blogging while lunch is in the oven and the babies are napping...how appropriate. :)
-Order invitations for a baby shower
-Call the heating and air guy...again!
-Unload the dishwasher
-Iron clothes
-Finish the kids Christmas list
-Catch up on my daily Bible reading
-Go to Wal-Mart (not happening today!)
-And, the list could go on and on...

We had a wonderful weekend full of family time, tailgating, and church. Below is the sweetest picture ever of my little man bundled up at the tailgate on Saturday. He went to his first game, and even made it through the all-day tailgate! We left that house at 11 am and didn't get home until 11 pm. He was a trooper! Landry stayed home with her little friend, Jackson, and our wonderful sitter, Laura. I know she had a great time playing at the park and Chick-fil-A with the big kids! :)

So, today is the day I am going to start my Meal Plan Monday posts. I stole this idea from my friend, Kari Beth. She has the cutest blog and the sweetest little girl, Elle Louise. Check them out here. I always plan our meals for the week and do grocery shopping based on our menu. I LOVE cooking (and eating!) yummy meals for my family...it makes me feel good! I get a lot of my recipes from cookbooks, other blogs, online searches, and magazines. I will try to share at least one recipe from the past week when I post our new menu on Mondays. If you have a question about a meal or would like a certain recipe, just email or comment on the post! Hope you enjoy and are inspired to make new things...I know I am always getting new ideas from KB!
Micah comes home for lunch almost every day, so our menu is full! I made a big dish of baked oatmeal yesterday that we will eat on for breakfast all week. It is delish, and one of our new favorites! I will post the recipe below...

Monday:
Breakfast- Baked Oatmeal
Lunch- Squash Casserole with Spinach Salads
Dinner- Poached Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce

Tuesday:
Breakfast- We have Bible study, so Landry will likely have a squeezable apple sauce on the way out the door and I will eat at church. :)
Lunch- leftovers from Monday
Dinner- Ham and Grits Pie (an old Rachael Ray recipe that is a favorite!)

Wednesday:
Breakfast- Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Lunch- leftovers
Dinner- Swiss Chicken with Brown Rice and steamed Broccoli

Thursday:
Breakfast- Baked Oatmeal and/or Smoothies
Lunch- Spinach Salads
Dinner- Mini Apple and Cheddar Meatloaves

Friday:
Breakfast- Smoothies
Lunch- leftovers
Dinner- To the in-laws for the weekend! :)


Here is the link to the Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal recipe...yum! We make our's with apples in the bottom instead of bananas. This time, I also added some dried cranberries and walnuts. You could use this basic recipe for any "type" of oatmeal, really. The pumpkin isn't a must, but I love it! This would easily feed 6-8 people, and it is honestly even better leftover with a little milk poured over the top!  

Friday, November 4, 2011

This girl LOVES shoes!


Since Landry was little bitty, she has really loved shoes. When she started wearing them, she would play with her feet, chew on them, etc. She is constantly getting in our closet and putting our shoes on (on her and on us!), and if she sees a pair of her shoes around the house, she wants them on her feet! If I take my shoes off at the door, she will bring them to me and try putting them back on my feet. In a weird way, it is really sweet. She puts her shoes on Collier, on her baby dolls....you get the point. She loves them!
Anyway, she is to the point now where she can put almost all of her shoes on herself, and she loves putting them on, taking them off, switching the feet, unbuckling, and looking in the mirror at the different ones she puts on...we are really in for it as she gets bigger! :) 
So...I say all that to share these next few pictures. I found these cute pink boots at the Rhea Lana's sale in Springdale. They were only around $4, and seriously one of the best items I have even spent $4 on. They are Landry's new favorites. No matter what shoes I have on her, if she can get to her boots, she switches and puts them on. The other day, she even hid the original shoes I had on her so that she didn't have to take the boots off. Ha! What a mess, but a precious mess!  


We have the boots in brown too, but I am not sure that they will get as much use this winter...we will see!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Lazy Saturdays are the best!

My posts are a little out of order since I posted about Halloween yesterday, but I had these cute lazy pictures from Saturday and a yummy recipe that I couldn't resist sharing!
Since the Hogs played away on Saturday, we were able to stay home and relax that morning. Micah got up and went hunting around 5, and I didn't expect him back until late morning. I woke up at 8:30 when he came back in the door and set the alarm off...lol! Who knows how late the kids and I would have slept if that wouldn't have happend! :)
Anyway...he came home early, we stayed in our pj's, ate a yummy breakfast, and watched the Razorbacks play on T.V. That night we had another bonfire with some friends....it was a fabulous, lazy Saturday at the Gibson's!
Here are a few sweet pictures of my babies!




For breakfast that morning, I made a new recipe I found for Pumpkin Spice Pancakes. They were delicious! We ate our's with scrambled eggs and thick sliced bacon. The pancakes weren't too sweet, so they were just perfect with cinnamon sugar and warm maple syrup on top. Yum!  
Here is the recipe:
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a fork to combine. Mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil or butter in a liquid measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine. (The batter may still have a few lumps – that is okay.)

. Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan. Let cool until bubbles begin to form on the top surface. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, a couple minutes more. Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed. Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.


We made our's with half whole wheat flour, and they still turned out great. Hope you enjoy!