Life's adventures with Matt, Amanda and the girls... Makenzie and Madison!

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Memorial Day Weekend

This was seriously one of the funnest weekends I've had.  We had so much fun with the family, got stuff done around the house, visited with friends and lots of play time!!  Not typically what we do on Memorial Day Weekend, but so thankful for the change of plans because it turned out great!

We started the weekend with a trip to Lowes to buy some supplies for a quick project, then headed downtown for some frozen yogurt!

Madison's FIRST taste!!  Instant Lover!!

Saturday morning we met my Grandparents for breakfast!

Someone was super excited to find out syrup was in that cup!

So after a quick lesson from Daddy she drowned her pancake!
Service was a little bit slow and Madison wasn't interested in eating anything there :-(  So Matt dropped me off at home while he headed to my Grandparents.  Since it was after 10 and Madison hadn't ate breakfast yet I decided to try some oatmeal and sure enough she gobbled it up.  Then, it was nap time.  By time I got her out of her high chair and into her room she was sound asleep!!!  That has NEVER happened, neither of my girls ever fall asleep anywhere besides their bed or in the car.  

Matt came home and I headed out with Grandma & Makenzie for our first trip to Farmer's Market!  Bought some plants for our garden then headed to the local seed store for the rest of what we needed.

Saturday night we had a cookout with some friends!!  How cute are these girls!!  One year apart to the day!


Poor Reid (whose legs you see to the right) was TOALLY outnumbered by all the girls!
Sorry Bud!!

Paige, Makenzie & Zoe

Sunday morning we skipped church and Matt and I went nutty on the trim work in the house; he put the trim up and Makenzie and I putty'd the nail holes and painted.  At the beginning of the weekend he had the three bedrooms to do and Monday morning he put THE LAST PIECE OF TRIM UP!!!  (He started the project beg of April so it took a solid 2 months.)


That afternoon Matt & Makenzie headed out fishing while I laid out in the sun!  Madison was snoozing, I was in bliss.... laying in the sun, with a book in my hands!  I am such a reader and I haven't read a book since before I was pregnant with Madison :-0

My parents came over Sunday night for cook out number two!  They watched the girls for a bit while Matt and I did the trim game again.  Makenzie had fun showing off on her big girl bike and Madison was racing around in the cozy coupe (with a little assistance from Pop!).






Monday morning started with a fun find!


Of course, around her neck it goes!
 Matt & Makenzie headed out for awhile, so Madison and I enjoyed our lunch together!

Little Miss refused to eat the cut up peach on her plate,
instead she yanked my peach off of my plate!

Lunch!!  Burnt hot dog slathered in sauerkraut and mustard!!  DELISH!!

This was Monday's afternoon project!  Ribs in the smoker!!  

What fun neighbors we have!  Little Leah running thru the mist from the power washer!
If the ribs below weren't sitting in front of me ready to be ate I would have run out there too!!

Happy Memorial Day to us!!! :D


Thursday, May 22, 2014

A First Time (Times Three!)

The First First.

Late Tuesday Makenzie woke up with a high fever.  That was about ten. She cat napped on and off until one am when she threw up.  This girl will be 3 1/2 in June and this was the FIRST time she has ever thrown up!!!  Matt and I have officially been inducted to the "We're up all night dealing with a sick kid, doing laundry and cleaning vomit up from all over the place while trying not to throw up ourselves!"  We had a good run going!  Thank you Makenzie for giving us 3 1/2 years!!  XOXO!!

This fever just rocked her.  Tylenol didn't do much.  She sat in the rocker ALL day yesterday totally zoned out.  Thanks to a GREAT neighbor, she brought over some Pedialyte that Makenzie sipped on and I made a few popsicles out of too. Yesterday afternoon she took a 3 1/2 hour nap!!!!!!!!!!

Both girls were sleeping for two hours and I was in pure bliss as they slept!  Two hours not entertaining or parenting!  Score!!

The Second First.

As the girls were sleeping I thought it would be a good idea to quickly make dinner for the night and for the next night (tonight) too.  One problem... my last nights dinner involved grilling.  Gas grill I can do, but we don't have one.  We have a charcoal grill that hates me.  Matt makes it look SO easy to light and everytime I do I have to relight it or add more charcoal... it just doesn't go well.  I end up having to call him about 100 times and my meat sits on the grill for about an hour.

Yesterday I decided I would do it, I would grill.  I started the process and wasn't sure if it was doing what it should be.  I sat and contemplated... do I call Matt?  do I let it go and see what happens?  or do I call Matt's Dad?  (It's slightly embarrassing that Matt has run me thru the process a zillion times, but nothing is retained.  Not only that I get the Ugh... why is she monkeying around with my grill again groan and the you never get it right, when are you going to give up grunt)  I didn't want to bother Matt's dad at work with a silly question so Matt it was.  

Low and behold... I was doing everything right!!  The meat got grilled with out any help for the FIRST time!!  My meat was a little over done (or a LOT), but the job was done!

During their nap time I did the grilling (which took an hour :-/ ), made two meals, and sat in the sun relaxing.

The Third First... a Recipe!

FIRST time we've had this meal!  Concocted a little recipe last night, and here it goes!

Grilled Chicken Queso Pasta

4 Chicken Breast
1/2 C Ranch Dressing (split)
3-4 diced Tomatoes
1-2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped Cilantro
1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
16 oz Bowtie Pasta
Red pepper flakes or diced Jalapeno (Optional!)

Brush chicken with about 1/4 Cup of Ranch Dressing and have husband toss on grill.  (Don't ask me for grilling tips!)

Cook Pasta.

In a smaller sauce pan add 1/4 C ranch dressing, cilantro, cheese and tomatoes.  When that turns into a sauce (stir often so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan), dice the grilled chicken and add all to the cooked pasta.  

My stomach is growling as I am typing this!!  Grilling the chicken gave it such a good smokey flavor that spread into the rest of the dish.  Yummm yummmm!!!!  And if you want more sauce just increase the sauce ingredients.

Enjoy!

~Our Menu~

I go grocery shopping just a couple times a month for a couple of reasons.


1. It's just not fun, sometimes it is, but typically not so much.

2. We are always on a time crunch to get there and get back before either naps or feeding times.  Then a race to get kids fed and groceries unpacked.

3. Germs, yup I'm a germaphobe!

4. It frees up a whole morning the off week!

With that being said, I have to make a two week menu.  This usually takes me forever!!  At least a couple of hours.  I look thru a LOT of recipes before I decide what I want on my menu.  Many recipes I make only once and a lot of other recipes I will reuse, just not very frequently.  (Which has been a problem when it comes to finding the recipe... some are pinned, some are in a magazine somewhere, some are printed and put in a binder, some are in my recipe box!)

The really big problem is when I lose my menu!  They are typically written on the back of a used envelope or inside a notebook, so can be easily thrown out or lost.  I keep thinking I should make the menu on my blog. It never gets lost and maybe I would go back and reuse a menu!?!?  You just never know :-)

So here it goes, the blogs first 2 week menu!!
(Note: FM=Freezer meal *= double meal, one to eat, one to freeze for freezer meal, CP=Crockpot)

FM, Honey Rosemary Chicken over Rice

CP Mac & Cheese

Breakfast Sandwich w/ Fruit

CP Beef Roast, potatoes, spinach

* CP Balsamic Chicken over Spaghetti Noodles

Layered Pasta

Grilled Pork & Black Bean Burritos

Reuben dogs, Baked Beans, Sweet Potato Fries

Grilled Fajitas

Inside Out Burgers, Green Beans, _______ <--- We'll think of something

Ham, Roasted Potatoes, Veggie

Grilled Chicken Queso Pasta (made this last night!  Delish!  See recipe in next blog post!)

Antipasto Sub Club Sandwich, Applesauce


Leave a comment if you are interested in any recipes!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

*Tulip Time* Part 3

I told you I had a lot!!  It's a week long festival and my cousin and I were downtown dancing 6 evenings!  This is the rest!  Friday night my MIL brought down one of my nieces and nephews!  AND she watched my girls while I was dancing and Matt was home working on the house.  She was definitely outnumbered and little Zachary was not at all interested in sitting in the stroller and staying put.  

Natalie and Makenzie working on their own Dutch Dance!

Caleb's turn to try on my shoes... check Natalie out in the background!!
I have about three pictures of her arms crossed checking those shoes out!

Makenzie calls her cousins her "friends" and she was SO excited to be running around
with them!  They all certainly burned off some energy before bedtime!


That's all for this year!!

Monday, May 19, 2014

*Tulip Time* Part 2

This was the first day this peanut was in shorts and a t-shirt!!  We had a HOT day!  So not use to this since we spent months below freezing!! 


Clapping!  Yay for warm weather!!
 We played outside for a bit and that evening we headed downtown with some friends for a junk food dinner from the concessions!  Matt got a philly cheesesteak sandwich for $10!!!!!  Just a sandwhich!  Ek!  I lost track of time a bit, scarfed my food, put on 7 pairs of socks and headed out to find my group to dance.  



Time for the kids to join!

Madison's just hanging around and Makenzie is just done for the day!

Checking out the tulips!

(Makenzie was NOT interested in pics what-so-ever!)

One of the many tourist that Tulip Time brings in!
Camera around the neck, not watching where he was pushing the stroller...
classic tourist!  :-)
(And yes, he was with us!!)

Makenzie and Hensley's first Tulip Time!
  
Our friends, Josh, Leah & Baby Hensley!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

*Tulip Time* Part 1

A few weeks ago we spent a lot of time downtown celebrating Tulip Time!!  After a very long winter and a cool spring I was afraid there wouldn't be any tulips for Tulip Time, but thankfully they started blooming right in the nick of time. And I was thankful that the weather turned because nothing is worse than having to dutch dance in nasty cold weather.  Before the festival started all the dancers meet downtown for a practice run and the weather was COLD, WINDY & RAINY.  Not a good start.  We went from that nasty cold night to dancing in hot sunny 85 degree weather!  Ha!  Go figure!

This is my second year dancing Alumni, and since I would be in costume dancing, I thought it would be cute to find outfits for the girls as well.  We had some major cuteness going on, so I'll split the pictures up in a couple of post.  Enjoy!

Just not sure of this bonnet.  It was windy and she was afraid she would lose it....
so she walked around like this all night!

Love that combination of tulips.  Love that baby!

Still holding!



She loved finding all the fountains downtown and playing in them!
Couldn't say no!  Look at her!
(Told you we had some super cuteness going on!)

Excited to watch Mama dance for the first time!

When she was a year and a half she was in the road dancing too...
now she sits and intently watches.

Klompen in our wooden shoes!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Quick Fix

It's been a bit since my last post... this past week, week and a half, has been busy with wooden shoes, dutch costumes, tulips, sun & warm temperatures!!  I have a TON of pictures to go thru and a post of it all coming soon, but for the meantime here is a quick fix of our girlies! 

Full of giggles as Madison finishes up lunch! 
Ruger & Madison soaking up some sun, FINALLY warmer temps.  SO good to be outside!!

T-Shirts & Skirts & flip flops...
what did we need after that??  Icecream!!  In the Captain's Ship!
 
New driver in town!!!

Madison just LOVED being pushed around the yard in the Cozy Coupe!
More on this little Dutch Girl later!!