Happy Hearts

Funny

While we were in CO, I took the time to make a list of all of the meals that I know how to make and then made out a menu for the whole month of January.  When we got home, I went grocery shopping for the following 2 weeks and only had to return the next week for some milk, bread, and a little bit of produce.

Having my menu planned out saves me so much headache and frustration.  There's no more staring at the pantry at 5:00 p.m. to try to figure out what we might have that sounds good for dinner.  There's no more calling my husband on his way home from work to pick up that one ingredient we dont' have.  We are saving money with our grocery shopping because I don't aimlessly wander the store looking for what might make a couple of good meals, only to return in a couple days to repeat the process.  I'm absolutely loving the routine of this new process.

*I have also been making sure that once a week I plan a meal that can be doubled so that I can put one meal away in the freezer for when Evangeline arrives.  I've been a little bit ambitious and actually have 5 meals in the freezer already!

So, while I have been loving this new change in our lives, apparently my husband has been loving it even more.

Last night, Ryan and I were going through some questions from our Gary Smalley marriage study from our small group.  The last question was, "What is one thing you would change about me?".  Ryan thought for a minute, while I waited wondering what in the world I was going to have to change about myself for my sweet husband.  He said, "well, actually, for the last 8 months the way you've been so unorganized about our grocery shopping and meal planning has really been driving me crazy.  So, I really appreciate the effort you are putting in to the new menu plan."

"Seriously?" I say.  "that's easy, I've got it fixed already."  :-)

Now, if Ryan would have told me 3 months ago that I needed to be more organized with our menu planning, he would have ruffled every feather on this mama bird.  I would have gotten really irritated and bent out of shape, and I definitely would not have made the change.  So, thankfully, I received some prompting from "someone" else (when I didn't even realize it) and did it "on my own". 

Funny how the Lord works in our lives when we don't even realize it.  Sometimes, it's the small things that make the biggest difference.

Colorado 2009

We spent the week after Christmas in CO at my parent's mountain home.  Every year we make more memories and enjoy the beauty of God's handiwork.  

 

Trent spent way too much time playing his new Wii game... Monster Jam, of course.

 

Yet, he thoroughly enjoyed sledding...

 

  

While he was a little timid with skiing at first...

 

 

  

... he LOVED it after awhile...

 

...and was doing it all by himself at the end!

 

We are now saving our pennies because this ski bum...

 

...is ready for ski school!  We were so proud to see the progress he made this year. 

 

Maggie was definitely NOT interested in skiing or sledding. 

While she gave both a try...

 

... she was much more interested in playing with the snow and on the playground!

 

 

We were thrilled that she was able to stay out in the cold with us without turning blue.  This was a definite first for her and was wonderful to see.

Ryan and my Dad enjoyed 2 days on the slopes, while I enjoyed reading a book by the fire and spending time with my favorite people.

 

 

  

 

  

 

Fall Catch Up

I've gotten a tad bit behind in my blogging.  Amidst the dr. appointments, we've done a lot this fall and have enjoyed lots of fun family time together.  Trent and Maggie play together more and more and with that comes more and more fighting/arguing.  Maggie misses her bubby when he is at school and always wants to know when he is coming home.  Trent is doing very well in school (after a little extra discipline at home).  He can write his whole alphabet and is sounding out and spelling lots of words.  He has a lot of maturing to do before he starts Kg so I am very glad that he has an extra year before starting.  Maggie is quite the little "helper" and is as always full of life.  She is enjoying being able to eat lots of yummy food again!  This week we are working on getting her re-potty trained.  You may remember that my sweet girl potty trained herself the week before she turned 2.  However, this last surgery and the lasix and diuretics she's been on have really shot that one out of the water.  We have rearranged her med. schedule with hopes of being able to get her back in panties again.  Today has been a success so far and for that I am sooooo thankful! 

So, take a look at what we have been up to in the last couple months:

Trying their best to keep Ryan from going on his business trip

Maggie's first big time owie (other than surgery).  While Ryan was out of town, she fell off of the bar stool and her ear hit the other bar stool wrung as she came down.  Ouch!!!  She was mighty tough.  This picture doesn't even do it justice.  It looked even worse.  Poor Baby!  It's all healed up now, though.
 

Enjoying some spaghetti!  This girl can eat!

Ryan is so good at coming up with fun things for them to do! He's an amazing Dad.

Carving pumpkins on Halloween.  Trent wasn't very interested.

Maggie wanted a princess pumpkin so Ryan carved a crown.

Princess Cinderella

Trent, the famous golfer

My sweet nephew, Seth Robert, the Rodeo Clown

 

 

Hockey

Every Sunday night, Ryan plays in a hockey league.  He absolutely loves playing even though he isn't that great.  However, he is definitely getting better!  Trent and I like to go to his games because  two of Ryan's friends are also on the team and Trent and I like to visit with their wives and kiddos.  Ryan's birthday is this wednesday so I am surprising him with pictures of Trent in Ryan's hockey gear.  They turned out really cute. 

I want my husband back!

Ryan left Sunday morning to take some our your youth from church to our denominational youth conference.  I miss him so much.  Trent is being pretty good, but he is being soooooo clingy.  Even if there is someone around to help me out, Trent only wants me.  This was sweet the first day, but not so much anymore. 

It sounds like Ryan and the kids are having a great time, but I can't wait for him to get home on Friday.   

I can't believe it's been 5 years!

It's hard to believe that as of last Friday, we've been married for 5 years.  It has flown by.  On Saturday, we celebrated by going out to a very nice restaurant for dinner and catching a show after that.  Trent stayed the night at Papa's and Mammie's house which was nice cuz we got to sleep in a little bit on Sunday morning before we had to leave for church.  Ryan surprised me with a beutiful diamond anniversary necklace.  He did a great job picking it out.  God has definitely blessed us these last 5 years and we can't wait to see what He has in store for us in the future.