It’s been a crazy last few weeks and this is the first chance I’ve had to write an update post in a while. Here are some stories and pictures from our last few weeks!
1) A “Weekend” Away
One of Jordan’s closest friends got married in Des Moines, Iowa a few weekends back and Jordan got to be a groomsmen! He headed up on Thursday night to be there for the rehearsal dinner and other festivities and I drove up on my own on Saturday. The wedding was so much fun and we loved getting to celebrate these two sweet friends. The dance floor was ROCKIN’ and even though we stayed up much later than we normally do (total boring grownups over here!) it was so fun to stay in a hotel, sleep in, and enjoy a brunch just the two of us before heading back to KC Sunday morning. I’m a big fan of forever brunch/wedding date and hope we get a full weekend or trip together just the two of us soon!
This grainy snapshot is the only one we got the whole weekend – woops!
2) Caleb’s First Sleepover
If you’re observant, you might have noticed I didn’t mention Caleb anywhere above! My mother-in-law was so sweet and took Caleb for his first sleepover so we could enjoy the wedding without a sleepy kiddo. I was definitely nervous to leave him – not because I don’t trust my mother and father-in-law 100% (they did raise four wonderful kiddos) but more just because I’m a nervous mama and was scared he’d be fussy or not sleep well. Fortunately he did great! I’m sure he had his fussy moments but they took great care of him and sent me adorable pictures like this one. I am so grateful to have family in town and hope Caleb gets many more sleepovers with his grandparents and cousins in the years to come!
3) Our New Life Rhythm
We are continuing to settle into our new rhythm with both of us working, and this week feels a lot better than last week (in case you read last week’s overwhelmed post). Thanks to a lot of your advice, I’ve gotten better about meal-prepping on Sunday night and having our bags and lunches ready to go the night before so the mornings aren’t so hectic. I definitely miss seeing my sweet kiddo during the day, but I know he’s well taken care of and I’m trying to remind myself this is a season that will be over before we know it. And even though I’m not dying to go back to teaching middle school full time, these silly teenagers do make me laugh quite a bit!
“You guys are making me get in a carseat AGAIN?!”
4) Quick And Easy Recipes
After a year of being able to use naptimes and my time at home to make fun, creative recipes, I’m back to trying to find some stuff I can make when I’m exhausted and have a baby who misses his mama and just wants to snuggle right around dinnertime. Anyone have any favorite easy recipes? I love my slow-cooker but it’s hard to use because I’m out the door by 7:00 AM and getting stuff in there is tough (plus it sits in there for 8-10 hours, sometimes more, even though it switches to Keep Warm). I need some good recipe ideas I can prep ahead of time!
5) Rainy Days FOREVER
KC’s weather definitely didn’t help with our mood vibes these past two weeks because it literally rained for two straight weeks. I don’t think we had even one sunny day! This meant we spent a lot of time inside and I was itching to go on a walk, take Caleb to the park, and enjoy some springtime weather. Fortunately today and yesterday the sun finally emerged and we are ready to get out and about to enjoy it! Here’s hoping we have lots more sunny beautiful weather heading our way as summer gets closer and closer!
Watching the rain from the trunk of my car in the garage!
Here’s to new life rhythms and how things always seem to work out, even when they feel crazy at first!
Awww, time just you two must have been the absolute best (and I looove when a wedding has lots of dancing!). And I’m so glad to hear things are hitting a stride for you guys!
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I’m glad that you two got a weekend away!
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My hubby and I both work full-time, so I am all about quick dinners that don’t take long after I walk in the door!
I like to pick up a jumbo pack of ground beef and brown it all up right after I get back from the store. Sometimes I throw in some onions or peppers too. Then I portion it out into freezer bags. On the day I need a meal, I pull a bag out to thaw (or you can just thaw it in the microwave when you get home, if you forget to pull it out. Not that I ever forget, of course…. except about 90% of the time….)
I toss the beef in with some pasta sauce, make some pasta (usually takes 10-15 minutes) and then we have a hearty meal! Not having to brown the beef on the night-of saves so much time and makes the whole thing feel easier.
Also quesadillas. We LOOOOVE making quesadillas with black beans and whatever other veggies we have in the fridge.
I don’t have great recipes for quick and easy, BUT I did use my crockpot ALL the time when I had to leave the house at 6am and not get home till 8pm. I just cooked the meals when I went to bed and turned off the crockpot and took off the lid when I woke up at 5am. Then I’d just throw the whole thing in the fridge right before I left for work to keep it cold and I’d divvy it up into Tupperware when I got home at night.
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Oh my gosh that’s brilliant! I need to try this instead of trying to do it at 530 AM, which is no fun. Thanks for the tip!