Well it has been a while since I have planned a menu. I am hoping to get back into it because I really did enjoy knowing what I would be making for the week. Now that the weather is getting cooler I think I will be in the mood to make more hearty meals. So here is what will be cooking for supper at our house this week.

Monday: Cheesy Broccoli & Rice with Chicken

Tuesday: Split Pea & Ham Soup & Homemade Bread

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, French Fries, String Beans

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Saturday: Tacos - kids favorite

Sunday: Belgium Waffles & Sausage

Here is a picture of the new hair cut. I really like it a lot!

A week went by????
Oh how time flies by so quickly. The kids are all better, which has been good. I also canned my first 8 quarts of tomatoes. I think I will be canning a record number of tomatoes this year. I am going to have to keep count. Let see what else have we been up to???? I've been trying to catch up on going through pictures and ordering them. I decided to start ordering print from Walgreen's because they have lots of great sales, which helps cut the cost. I was able to make up a digital scrapbook page and collage for free and just this week they have buy 25 and get 25 free. Also today Brandon had his first day of clinical. He is so happy for school to be starting. This is is last year of school and I know it's going to go by quickly. Oh and lastly I went in and chopped my hair off. I really needed a change and the hubby said I would love to see your hair shorter, so I did it and absolutely love it. I was tired of wearing my hair in a pony tail, which I did most days. Well I need to get off to bed, so that I can be well rested to keep up with my kids tomorrow.

Water Fun.....
The kids have been swimming as much as possible before all the warm weather is gone. The slide sure makes it fun for them and then add in the spinkler and they have a blast.

I found this cool tent and tunnel at a garage sale last weekend for $5. What a deal and the kids have been having lots of fun with it.

Last week Noah was so tired from being sick that he just fell a sleep on the chair. What a cutie:)

Zucchini Fritters....

I posted a new recipe that we tried out the other night on my recipe blog. They were yummy and we will definitely be making them again very soon. To see more about these go here. There are also a couple other zucchini recipes to take a look at.

Change in the Temp......

Today the weather was finally not humid. It was a great day and I enjoyed having the window's open and the air conditioner off. The kids also tried to swim, but decided that it was a bit cold. All last week they spent a lot of time in the swimming pool, since it was really hot & humid. I figured they better get as much swimming in as possible before the hot summer days run out. Wow it's amazing that the summer is about over and fall is just around the corner.

The kids have been working in their school workbooks every morning for the several weeks. Anna has almost finished 2 of the 4 work books that Grandma Kara got her for her B-day. Even Gabriel has been working through books of his own. It's so nice to have the kids ask to do school every morning. I even went to the library with Gabriel and we check out some fun learning books on bugs, sharks and big machine equipment - that ones for Gabe. The kids have been showing special interest in animals lately. Today we caught a really big moth. We thought it was dead for a while and then realized it wasn't. Then this evening it started making a lots of noise and flew away. Anna was sad about that.

The kids have finally recovered from Hand Foot & Mouth Disease. It was a ruff 3 weeks or so, but it is finally over and they are all back to themselves and playing like crazy. I hope to get some pictures up sometime soon. Until then have a great week:)

Ruby......
This is a nice shot of our beagle dog. We use to have two beagles, but it got to be to much with living in town. We actually had some friends that really wanted our Charlie girl, so they have her now. It's works out great because we still get to see you and she also gets to spend more time outside at there house, which I know Charlie loves.

Handmade Bible Cover.....
I have had this small Bible for probably about 12 year or so and the cover was in bad shape. I have been thinking for a while about what I could do and decided yesterday to make just a simple fabric slip cover. So I headed to my fabric stash and came across this pretty colorful fabric, which is heavy duty and will be durable.

I measured from the inside cover around the front, binding, back and inside back cover. I then measured the width and added 1 1/2" to the measurement to the length and width, so the seams would be 3/4". I then cut out two pieces of fabric and sewed up this nice little cover.

It sewed up easily and turned out great. I love it!

Landscaping Plants.....
I was able to get some plants from my mother the last time we went home for a visit. It took me a good week & a half to get them planted, but I finally got it done. Here are a few pictures of the small plants. I am looking forward to seeing how they look at the end of next summer.

I think I have done a pretty good job at keeping the weeds out. Whenever I see one I grab my weed killer and give it a good spray. I'm very happy with the way that it looks.

More Furniture Transformations.....
Here I took a end table and stripped the wood and then gave it a nice stain and a polyurethane finish. It looks a lot nicer and didn't cost me much at all.

Before:

After:

Here's also another stand that I had gotten from my parents, which was my Grandma's at one time. Unfortunately, I didn't take a before picture of it, but let me say it was in ruff shape, but stripping it did the trick. I then also stained it and gave it a polyurethane finish and it looks brand new.

Pictures to make you smile......

Furniture Transformation......

I got this end table from my mom and dad. It was just sitting out in there garage and I thought that I could use it, so I decided to bring it home and make it look nicer then it did. I first gave it a good coat of primer.

I then asked my hubby what color I should paint it and he said to use this green color. I actually got this can of paint for free because I had signed up at some paint website. So far the cost of this piece of furniture was pennies.

I think it turned out pretty good. I just need to find some handles for the doors that are on each end. It's not only a great stand that could be used for many things, but it has some great storage to.

More then a Minute Needed.....

I am going to need even more grace now because my 2nd child Gabriel is getting sick. I took Gabe's temperature earlier today and it was 102.8. This is only the beginning. I'm sure in a few days he will be getting sores in his mouth.

Anna's sore have been getting worse. Her breath smells so bad that it's hard to even talk to her. I have brushed her teeth a few times, but it's hard when her mouth hurts so bad. I sure hope she gets better soon. She did get to enjoy some very small bite size pieces of Monkey Bread today.

Taking a Minute.....

It has been a busy week. Anna has been sick with Hand, Foot & Mouth disease. Unfortunately her mouth is just covered in sores, which has made eating a challenge for her. She has also been running a low grade fever, which has also been making her tired. Poor Girl! Luckily the boys have not gotten it, which I hope they don't.

Then on Wednesday Morning my hubby hurt his lower back so he has been off of work all week. It is slowly getting better, but he still has a hard time getting around. It has been a week of doctor's appointments for him between his back and getting ready to go back for his last year of Nursing school.

For me I have been staying busy with stripping, priming, and painting some furniture that needed a little help in between taking care of the family. I will post some pictures of the projects as I get them done. Now that I'm on a roll I'm not sure anyone can stop me.

Weekend Fun.....

We just got back yesterday around lunch time. We had a nice time visiting family & friends. The kids got to go on lots of tractor rides, which they all enjoyed.

We went out to my brothers acreage and the kids had a blast playing with there cousins.

They jumped on a huge trampoline,

roasted marshmallow over a fire and ate some smores,

played with sand and Gabe's favorite part was probably the caterpillar digger & wagon.

What great times we all had.

Other things we did.....

We ate lots of red raspberries, which Gabe could not get enough of...

made chocolate chip cookies, which Noah finished up a bit of the dough.....

the kids got to go fishing with mommy and grandpa.....

and on the ride home they slept a bit because they were so tired from all the activity.

Gone for the weekend......

We are going to visit my family for the weekend. It's been a few months and the kids are super excited. I am also looking forward to the quiet country and peaceful mornings. There is nothing like waking up and looking outside to beauty. I know the kids will keep me plenty busy. We are hoping to do a little fishing, hang out with some friends and see family. Have a great weekend!

Garage Sale Find......
I have the kids kitchen and tool bench set up in the garage. It is perfect for summer time because the kids love to play outside. For a while I have been wanting to find the kid some play food to go with the kitchen. Actually just last night I was on eBay looking to see what I could find.Well.....

today went to some garage sales and came across a kids kitchen with a bag of play food. I asked right away to see if they would just sell me the bag of food and right a way she said sure. She also said they had a whole bunch more in the house and went inside and bagged more up. I got a big bag full for $3. What a deal:)

As you can see the kids got busy cooking & creating right away.

Super simple meal plan this week and everything the kids love to eat and mom and dad too. We didn't make it to visit my family this past weekend, so we are heading there this coming weekend. I am looking forward to getting a way for a few days and having fun with friends & family.

Monday: Haystacks

Tuesday: Tacos, Homemade Guacamole

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Hamburgers, French Fries, Corn

Friday: Gone for the weekend to visit Mom & Dad, we ended up not going last weekend.

To find more meal ideas visit Organizing Junkie.

Ouch......
I had myself a little accident on Wednesday. I was trimming the bushes out back and cut off the tip of my left pointer finger. It hurt and bleed like crazy. I called my hubby right away and he tried to calm me down. I then called a friend who came over for a while to help me out. When Brandon got home around supper time he decided that I should go in to Urgent Care to have it looked at. They cleaned it, wrapped it and then gave me a tetanus shot. I am still in shock that I did this , but am just thankful that it looks like it will heal up well. I guess I just won't be playing piano or guitar for a while, which is a bummer.

Green Bean Fun....
This is the first summer that I have planted green beans and I don't know why that is. I love to eat them and the plants produce so much. My mom gave me the seeds last fall. Thanks Mom!

The kids helped me pick the steams off, so I could blanch and freeze them. They were a big help and enjoyed helping mommy.

I got 5 - 12 oz bags and there will be a lot more of those bags before the plants are done. I love eating my own home grown vegetables all winter long.

Look at Me.......

It's been a few weeks since I have done a menu and to be honest I have missed it. I even had a friend comment that she missed my menus. I hate to ask the question every night what should we have. It's much easier to have it planned out for the week. Plus with the kids it's easier to work a head. So here's what will be cooking at our house this week. To find more menu plan ideas visit Organizing Junkie.

Monday: Salmon, Fried shredded potatoes & Broccoli

Tuesday: Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Salad

Wednesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Fried Zucchini

Thursday: Pizza

Friday: Gone for the weekend to visit Mom & Dad

Garden Bounty.......

Yesterday I was out looking at my garden and noticed a string bean hanging on my string bean plants. I then took a closer look at my cucumber plants and found the perfect size cucumber to eat. I also picked a nice size bowl of broccoli, which is my third picking so far. It's so nice to eat fresh veggies from my garden. Probably only a week or so and I will have zucchini coming out my ears. I made a yummy stir fry last night for supper.

I'm looking forward to a nice weekend. The weather looks like it's going to be perfect. I'm not really sure what we will be up to, but I'm sure we will find something to do for fun. I know one thing I will not be doing is baking. We have been finishing up all the deserts from the 4th of July weekend and I told my hubby no more deserts for a few weeks.

Dentist Appointment.....
Today I had to take Anna in for the second time. She had a tooth that was bothering her, so they had to fix the problem area.

What a trooper!

Happy Birthday Hubby......

4th of July Weekend....

We had a nice weekend with friends. Our home town always has a nice parade each year and then a wonderful fireworks display, which is right across the street from our house. The kids look forward to the 4th each year and for me it brings back wonderful memories from when I was little. My family would host each year a huge celebration, which was so much fun.

The kids had such a hard time waiting for the fireworks to start, but when they did they were all excited. Unfortunately, the dogs had a different story to tell. They didn't like the loud noise of the fireworks.

The kids have been enjoying a lot of popsicles. This is the picture that I found one afternoon. Anna had gotten both herself and Gabriel a popsicle and were sitting outside in there little chairs.

How was your 4th of July weekend?

Summer Activities......
During the summer here in Wisconsin they have a nice farmer's market on Tuesday evenings and then a concert in the park in the evening. The kids have really been enjoying both activities and so has mommy.

The most exciting activity for the kids is this coming weekend. The 4th of July parade and the fireworks. They have asked about it several time since last year and the weekend is finally here. Now I just have to keep reminding them that the parade is not till tomorrow. If only kids understood time! I think tomorrow they are going to be super excited and the weather is looking really nice.

So what are your 4th of July plans??

It was 9 years ago that I married my wonderful hubby. Wow how the time flies.

New Recipe

I finally had a chance to post a new recipe over on my recipe blog. I made up some cinnamon rolls last night with a recipe that I got from a friend. To find the sweet dough recipe go here. Try it out and you will not be disappointed.

Shaving Cream Fun.....
The kids thought this was lots of fun. We found the activity in one of the magazines that the kids get.

And yes I sat the little guy on the toilet. Wow he is getting so big and He thought it was pretty cool.