Busy Time of the Year

You can tell it's the busy time of year when I haven't blogged since September! Yikes. I don't have time to write much now, but I am still alive and kicking (just in case you were wondering). :) I hope to back to blogging after Christmas.

Raspberry Picking

Today we headed out to Spicer's Orchards for some good ol' fashioned raspberry picking with our friends the Stevens'.

The kids all had a blast picking (or more realistically, eating) raspberries, playing on the zip lines and racing down the huge tube slides.

We finished of the morning with yummy cinnamon donuts from the cider mill - perfection!

These videos and pictures were all shot with my handy-dandy Centro, so the quality is as good as you'd expect from a camera/video phone. :)

Menu Planning Monday - XXI

Here is our menu for the week of September 7 - 13:

• MONDAY - Celebrate Labor Day with the Jebson's
• TUESDAY - BBQ Chicken, Homemade Macaroni & Cheese (thanks, Grammy!), Sauteed Zucchini and Summer Squash Medley, Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• WEDNESDAY - Tacos, Cornbread Casserole, Tossed Salad
• THURSDAY - Chicken Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice, Oriental Vegetables, Dinner Rolls
• FRIDAY - Leftovers
• SATURDAY - Lasagna, Corn, Crescent Rolls
• SUNDAY - Basil Tortellini Soup, Dinner Rolls

Delanie Sings!

We seem to be very into video blogging recently, but with kids it is a great way to capture their cuteness! Recently Delanie has started cooing and singing all the time. She is very vocal, especially to her daddy - they are the sweetest moments and I had to capture it on film.

Sorry for the crick in your neck since the video is crooked. :) Anyone know how to rotate a video?

As if you haven't already seen enough of our kiddos, here is another video of Delanie and I "talking". It's not all that exciting, but still adorable, if you ask me. :)

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

Just a quick video of us wishing Ethan a happy birthday!

Menu Planning Monday - XX

photo courtesy of cafesiam

I can't believe that by the end of this week my second born will be half way to double digits! That's right, Ethan turns 5 on Saturday. My how the years fly by! I am so blessed that I am able to spend so much time with my children since their childhood years seem to be passing so quickly. Wasn't it just yesterday that Ethan was born - wait a minute, on that note - wasn't it just yesterday that I turned 5?!?! I still remember many fond childhood memories from those early years. I don't want to miss out on these important and fun years with my own children! I hope Kevin and I are able to give the boys a fun, loving and encouraging atmosphere to remember when they are grown.

Well, our school year has officially begun . . . although it has been a very slow start. Many thanks go to my mom for taking the time last week to work on science and social studies with the boys so that I could complete a few work assignments. After studying with Mimi, the boys even got to go to the dinosaur exhibit at the zoo to reinforce what they learned about those "terrible lizards"! They had a great time and really enjoyed the fun subject. I hope the whole year can be this fun and inter-active for them.

Ok folks, it's Monday and that means it's meal planning time. Here is our menu for the week of August 31st - September 6th:

• MONDAY - Grab a bite after viewing a house in Milford
• TUESDAY - Tomato & Spinach Pesto Pizza (gotta use up the little bit of pesto sauce left over from last week's meal), Mini-pizza's for the boys, Raspberry-Pineapple Jello
• WEDNESDAY - Slow Cooked Roast Beef, Potatoes, Carrots, Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• THURSDAY - Garden Pasta Primavera, Parmesan Zucchini Strips, Crescent Rolls
• FRIDAY - Leftovers
• SATURDAY - Celebrate Ethan's 5th Birthday with a Picnic at the Park with Family! Hamburgers, Baked Beans, Watermelon, Fresh Veggies, Potato Chips and of course, Cake and Ice Cream!
• SUNDAY - Lunch Out With Family

Menu Planning Monday - XIX

Camping was a great success and I hope the boys had a great time building solid family memories! I love these together times of life. Now, we are back to the routine busyness of life as we face starting school, selling our house, business commitments and responsibilities, as well as enjoying much needed family time and the daily family responsibilities.

Feeding my family in an efficient, healthy, low-stress, cost-conscious way is a top priority. With that said, here is our menu for the week of August 24th - August 30th:

• MONDAY - Amish Potatoes and Green Beans, Crescent Rolls, Applesauce
• TUESDAY - Tomato Pesto Chicken, Whole Wheat Pasta, Green Beans, Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• WEDNESDAY - Basil Tortellini Soup, 90 Minute Dinner Rolls
• THURSDAY - Lemon Herbed Chicken, Savory Noodles, Sauteed Zucchini and Summer Squash
• FRIDAY - Loaded Baked Potatoes, Applesauce, Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• SATURDAY - Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet, Skillet Potatoes, Toast
• SUNDAY - Lunch Out with Family or Leftovers

P.S. I will post pics of our camping trip soon.