Menu Plan Monday-June 30 edition

We're ready for another summer week around our house! Here's our menu:

Monday-Softball games out of town...we'll probably grab something quick. **UPDATE!** We've been invited to a friends' house...yippee!

Tuesday-Chicken quesadillas

Wednesday-Cheeseburger rice and veggies

Thursday-4th of July celebration out of town

Friday-Leaving town for a weekend away with friends-babies included! :)

Sweet Summertime

Paige loves playing with her Daddy in the pool.

As the weather permits (it's been rather rainy here this summer), we've been spending lots of time at the swimming pool. We're even thinking about enrolling Paige in the American Red Cross swimming lessons at the local community pool...she loves the water! She's branched out from just sitting on the pool steps to jumping into the pool from the edge with her Daddy waiting to catch her. She loves to sit on his shoulders while he bobs up and down in the water-she wants to do that over and over again! Paige has even ventured down the slide (with floaties and someone standing at the bottom of the slide to slow her down before she hits the water) 2 times...of course her Daddy is waiting to catch her there too. We love taking Paige to the pool because she absolutely wears herself out and she sleeps especially well that night! We hope that she continues to enjoy being in the water as much as she does this summer.

Paige swimming on her own!

She's doing it on her own!

BIG girl...

Paige swimming to her Daddy by herself

Menu Plan Monday-June 23 Edition

Our meal plan is simple and easy this week...we've got a lot going on during the days! It's VBS week at church, Stephen has a doctor's appointment, we're getting a new sleigh bed for our bedroom (WOO HOO!), and Stephen is going to work with his Dad one day this week for extra spending money. On top of all that, I'm in painting mode. I've completed our master bedroom, the hallway, and I'm working on the kitchen today. I still have the dining room and living room to do sometime this summer. We need simple, easy meals this week for sure!

Monday-Taco salads

Tuesday-Chicken and rice, green beans, fried squash, biscuits (our best friends are coming over to help put our bed together so I'm cooking for them as a thank-you!)

Wednesday-Beef Stroganoff with black eyed peas

Thursday-Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, veggie

Friday-Chicken, bacon, and ranch homemade pizzas

Our child...the Craps Stickman

While I was painting our master bedroom last week Stephen was in charge of keeping Paige occupied. Playing craps in his mini casino was how he chose to do that. Stephen would roll the dice and actually try to make bets with his chips while Paige was in control of the craps stick. By the way, why would someone name a game Craps? That's just horrible. Anyway, I took a much needed fresh air break and found these two involved in an intense game.

Is it normal to teach 2 year olds how to gamble? Better yet, is it normal to teach 2 year olds how to run the tables? She may have been better off sucking in paint fumes with me!

Peach Reach 2008

Last weekend our community hosted the annual Peach Festival. It's the typical Southern festival...street dance, vendors selling funnel cakes on the Courthouse square, pageants, and of course...A PARADE! It's not quite complete unless you have a parade. For the past 3 years our church has collected 5,000 bottles of water, iced them down, and passed them out during the parade. It's tons of work, but so much fun! Stephen and I have participated the last 2 years and it's our favorite service with our church by far. I can't wait for the day that Paige is old enough to take part as well. It's a fantastic time of fellowship with our friends and a wonderful outreach opportunity to our community without being pushy...we just offer water bottles to every single person lining the parade route. We have a banner that attaches to the trailors that simply says "FBC...At your service!" We strive to serve our community in the best way possible and during a hot summer parade, free bottles of water are a wonderful service!

Stephen and I before the parade began...Man, I need some lipstick!!!

I didn't get any pictures from this year's parade-this one is from 2006, but you can get the idea...we walk the parade route and hand out water! Jen is going to KILL me for putting a picture of her on here!

Another example of what we were there for!

The Bannings after the parade...needless to say it was HOT! We were thankful that we had freezing cold water bottles to hand out-they kept us halfway cool!

Our Anniversary

Today Stephen and I are celebrating 5 years of marriage! It's incredible how much we have changed and how our lives have changed over 5 years. Stephen and I have been together for almost 8 years now (WOW!) and on June 21, 2003 at 7 p.m. we created our own family. Our wedding was just like I always wanted it to be. I had been working at at bridal store for a couple of years when we got married, so I had everything picked out even before we were engaged. I loved my dress, my bridesmaid dresses, our cake, the decorations...everything! To say that our lives are perfect would be far from the truth, but we know that our marriage takes work on both our parts every single day. And it's HARD work...every single day. But we always remember that God brought us together and we're in this for the long haul. We want our family to be everything God wants it to be. These first 5 years have flown by and we can't wait to see what the next 5, 10, 15 years hold!

Me on our wedding day!

Stephen with my bridesmaids and junior bridesmaid (starting from bottom left)...Hannah (our oldest niece who's almost 16 now!), Laura, Cassie, Dinah, Andrea, and my sister Leslie (maid of honor).

Me with all the men in the wedding...(from left) Jordan, Josh, Dusty, Tim, Greg, Jody, Michael, Nathan, Scott, and Baylee (ring bearer).

My sister and I (she just got married on May 17!) She was about to go into the 11th grade...WOW...time flies!

Stephen and I toasting our Sparkling Cider at our reception.

Our beautiful wedding cake...loved it!

Feeding each other the cake-we were nice to each other!

Us with Stephen's groom's cake

Happy Anniversary Stephen! I'm glad we're journeying together!

Menu Plan Monday-June 16 Edition

Our week is going to be cut short in the meal planning department because Stephen has a conference out of town Tuesday-Thursday and I'm getting to go with him! We're leaving Paige with my parents, so it will be a mini-vacation of sorts for us. Our anniversary is Saturday, so we're celebrating 5 years of marriage on this trip too.

Monday-chicken strips & green bean

Tuesday-leaving for trip!

Wednesday-gone

Thursday-we'll be home, but not sure if it'll be in time to cook supper. We'll just wing it if we're home.

Friday-Mexican crockpot dish with Taco rice

Link to http://www.orgjunkie.com/ to find more Menu Plan Mondays!

Father's Day 2008

Happy Father's Day to my loving, wonderful husband...I'm able to say at home with our precious daughter because of your hard work and dedication. We're able to go on family outings and vacations because of your extra work. Paige and I are truly thankful that you take care of us so well.

Menu Plan Monday-June 9 Edition

Monday-Cooking dinner for friends; Chicken spaghetti, green beans, and cheesy bread

Tuesday-Sausage dogs on the grill, cheesy potatoes

Wednesday-going to friends house for dinner and a movie!

Thursday-Amazing Grilled Chicken sandwiches, french fries, veggie

Friday-Hamburgers, grilled potatoes, baked beans

Visit www.orgjunkie.com for more recipe ideas!

Skinny Dipping in the kiddie pool!

As promised, I'm devoting an entire post to Paige's first (and hopefully only!) skinny-dipping experience. After our fun Saturday last week, Paige was completely exhausted. We went home to take a nap and I promised her that she could go to Gran and Papa's to swim in her pool...and that's what we did! She loves swimming so much. Stephen's brother and sister-in-law have a large pool and we've been swimming in it several days out of the week. She will jump off the side to Stephen and can even keep herself above the water without help! She, of course, has floaties on. I love taking her swimming because it's great exercise for her, it occupies her for 2 hours at a time, and it wears her out! She gets a great night's sleep after swimming.

I realize I'm totally biased, but I think she's the prettiest little girl ever!

We're trying to teach her to hold her breath to go under water.

So relaxed!

My doodle-bug...

Swimming time turned into bathtime...Hey, you might as well take advantage of the water!

I just love the action shots!

Saturday of FUN!

Stephen went to mow with his Dad and brother on Saturday so Paige and I went to a Car Show and Family Fun Day with my parents. The local FFA chapter had several donkeys, sheep, and llamas there for the kids to pet and feed. Paige loved them!

Doesn't it look like the donkey is licking Paige's ear?

Paige was very concerned about the sheep when they said "baaa!"

Paige and Papa getting ready to feed the sheep or lambs...I can't remember!

Paige was more into throwing the feed at the animals than actually trying to feed them.

She finally got the idea...with Papa's help.

This was the best I could do for a picture of Paige and I together on Saturday-Paige was much more interested in seeing the animals and playing on the inflatable slides.

Speaking of inflatable slides...I think Paige is in love with them! I think the Family Day park had at least 5 different inflatable slides/toys for the kids to play on. You see my shirt in the above picture? That's how red Paige's face was after she was finished playing, NO, after I drug her away from the inflatable slides.

Our Saturday was fairly eventful...we also went to my parent's house and let Paige skinny-dip in their kiddie pool, but I think those pictures deserve a post all their own!

Menu Plan Monday-June 2 Edition

Today is Stephen's last full day at school, so our summer together will officially begin tomorrow at noon. I have a feeling that if it's nice outside, we'll take Paige swimming when he gets home. Our menu this week should be followed unless something unexpected comes up...which happens quite often during the summer! We decide to swim all day and not cook or we get invited to go out with friends, etc. Here's our Meal Plan for this week:

Monday-Pork chops & Potatoes, veggies, rolls

Tuesday-Mozzarella sticks with Ranch dip, homemade cheeseburger pizza

Wednesday-Beef stroganoff

Thursday-Chicken spaghetti (carry over from last week)

Friday-If we don't go out, I have black bean enchiladas in the freezer that I can cook!