Meal Planning Monday

I follow a lot of blogs that do Meal Planning Mondays, and I love seeing what everyone is eating.  I plan our meal every.single.week and I'm just now starting my bloggy version....It's our last busy week of summer, thankfully, so it's a bit jumbled...

Monday:  Sloppy Joes, potato chips and Ramen slaw

Tuesday:  Breakfast for dinner, main dish...biscuits and gravy, per Kyle

Wednesday:  Rice pilaf chicken bake, Kyle and Josie are on their own as it's my Mama's B-day and we're doing happy hour/dinner

Thursday:  Homemade pizzas {I'm hosting bunco} Flavors: Garlic Cheese, Pepperoni and Veggie

Friday:  ???  Headed to Aspen, I'm sure we'll grab something in town

Josie's 1st purchase

After dinner last week Josie and I were sitting on the floor playing and Kyle was on the couch watching tv.  Next thing I know, Kyle is saying, "NO, NO, NO..."  I had no idea what was going.  I look up at the tv and see that The Adjustment Bureau had just been purchased.

Josie LOVES remotes or anything with buttons she can push.  We stopped letting her play with the Comcast remote after she kept turning on closed captioning {neither of us know how to turn it on}.  Every now and again she'll get her little hands on the remote, and that is how it started.  The On Demand button is the largest and her favorite button.  So...if you push that button and then continue to push "ok" {5 times} you will eventually purchase Adjustment Bureau, because alphabetically, it's the first one on the list. 

Needless to say, since she made the $6.99 purchase, Kyle and I decided to watch it.  Begin movie review:  It worth your time!  We both liked it and it has an ending that I wasn't expecting.  Plus I like Emily Blunt, which I figured out half way through the movie she was also in Devil Wears Prada.  So....if you are bored at home, hand your kiddos the remote and they'll purchase a movie, you otherwise wouldn't have seen!

Girls weekend, with kiddos!

We met 13 years ago and haven't missed our yearly reunion yet!  This girl's trip was different because we decided to add the kiddos to the fun.  The attendies were:

Hunter, her mom Sherry and daughters Abby and Karly

Erin

Teresa

Jaime and daughters Parker and Riley

Me and Josie

The five of us are planners, but with kids in the mix, we definitely had to have a plan.  The itinerary was fun, included time for naps, allowed us "big" girls to get away for one night and a happy hour with three of our Moms and one Dad!

Thursday we went to The Denver Zoo.  We packed our lunches, strollers in the cars and we were off.  Outside of it being sweltering out, we had a great time.  Abby and Karly (the two oldest of the little girls) wanted to see every-single-animal, so we spent 4+ hours peering into cages.  Then it was home for naps and make your own pizza night.

All the little girls...Karly, Abby, Josie, Parker (in front) Riley (in back)

Friday Erin arrived and the whole gang was there.  We had plans to go to a neighborhood pool that is great for kids.  Again, we packed lunches and had a really fun time playing in the water with all the little girls.  How our lives have changed from laying out at the pool to splashing around with little ones in floaties at the pool!  Again it was naptime for the little girls and time to get packed for the big girls.

The 5 of us with three of our babies

5 girls, 3 of our Moms and 3 babies

Erin's family has a place in Frisco and the five of us had a quick overnight at their condo.  Erin's parents stopped by my mom's house and we all had happy hour which was really fun.  We hit the road about 5:30 had great conversations on our drive up and then it was happy hour time for us!  Dinner was at the Boathouse, followed by a stop at Frisco Liquors….need I say more?  

We attempted the late-night-talks, but we’re getting old.  It was a beautiful morning in Frisco and Erin’s mom made us an awesome breakfast casserole.  We dined and hit the road to see our little girls and they were so excited to see us.  Sherry, Hunter’s mom, made a southern meal for us at Jaime’s house…Fried chicken, biscuits, salad…it was awesome!  

Sadly, Sunday came too quickly and it was time to say goodbye.  Until next time…!

My first weekend away

Josie was 14 months and 1 week when I left her for the first time overnight.  I know most mom’s have done this long before I did, but that is a choice I made and I’m fine with it.  I am happy as a clam at home with her, playdates, pool adventures, going to the zoo and whatever else we can come up with.  She and Kyle are the loves of my life and I just don’t want to be away.  So, the though of leaving her for a few days was TERRIBLE.  I had a pit in my stomach for weeks about it, didn’t want to talk about it, and avoided conversation about it.

I decided it would be good for me to go to a convention in San Francisco for Stella & Dot.  So…that meant 4 days and 3 nights away from Josie.  Kyle was taking Thursday and Friday off of work and of course he would be with her over the weekend.  I knew she was in perfectly capable hands, but that didn’t matter.  That wasn’t the point.  I was going to be away from her without access to those kissable cheeks, hugs, giving her a bottle before she goes to bed – my favorite time of the day, playing on the floor until my bum was numb…I just didn’t want to go. 

Kyle and Josie took me to the airport Thursday morning and I sat in the back of the car with her.  We played and talked and then we were there….DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  I’m the first to admit, I was hysterical, tears pouring out of my eyes and was a second away from getting back in the car to go home.  Thankfully I had checked in online so I didn’t have to show my red, make-up streaked, puffy eyed, face to anyone yet.  I composed myself, made it through security and then I saw my friend Kelly, and it started all over.  All she did was ask me how I was doing. 

Once we arrived, I was doing better.  I didn’t shed another tear and it really was a good weekend for all three of us.  I knew Kyle and Josie could survive without me, and I survived too. 

4th of July

This year we were all over the place.  Kyle was in Tennessee for Gray and Abbie’s wedding and Josie and I, along with the rest of the family were in Aspen.  We had an awesome time, playing around town, walking the Rio Grande trail, going to the farmer's market, meeting up with Kel and Dan in Basalt for brunch and of course the 4^th of July parade, and of course hit the pool!

It’s such a great time of year in the mountains, hot during the day and it cools off at night.  I just love that town!

Brunch in Basalt after Dan and Kel rode 25 miles down valley!

"oh please stay seated in the high chair..."