What'cha got cooking?!

This post is all about food!! I am not usually a food blogger...so I must be hungry or something!! anywho....

I am ADDICTED to pinterest....seriously addicted and I have just been pinning and pinning and pinning. SO, I made a deal with myself that I HAD to try at least one new recipie that I have pinned each week!

I am happy to get back into the fall routine of cooking dinner, being home, and fall-ish foods!! I have reached or beaten my goal of 1 new recipe the past 2 weeks...so I am on a roll!!

I have already made my menu for next week and bought all of my groceries (just today)....so I am ready to roll!!

Here is what is on the menu:

MONDAY:
Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
-I LOVE cooking in the crock pot...esp. during the week while I am working!
-We are not big pork chop eaters in our house....but we like them..maybe I just havent had a good recipie yet....this looks good!
-Blake LOVES mashed potatoes and gravy...so thats a bonus here!!

TUESDAY:
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
-Another crock pot recipie!! cha-ching
-Ryan loves anything that has to do with rice!
-I am craving any kind of soup or "fall" food...so I am excited about this

WEDNESDAY:
I bowl with my girlfriends...so Ryan and the kids are on their own! I bet they will eaither get McD's or have leftovers :)

THURSDAY:
Baked Parmesan Spaghetti
-I typically use a recipie for Baked Spaghetti that is similar to this...but not exact. This one adds fresh basil...so thats a bonus and I am sure that it will be a delicious addition to an already good recipie!
-We have TONS of ground beef in the freezer...so I am always trying to use that in my menu.

Here are a couple of the recipies that I pinned and made last week:
Crockpot Italian Chicken
-Good...will probably make again with the addition of a couple more ingredients. It was a little bland!! BUT, super easy...and good!

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
-Super easy and a good side dish. We had with Sloppy Joes. It would be a good dish to take to a pot luck or something.

You can click on any of the pictures and it will take you to my pin where you can link to the recipies. I will let you know how these new ones turn out!!

‘Fall’-ing behind!

We have been super busy and my blog has been getting swept aside! I will get back in the swing of things soon! I need to start snapping some pics of the kiddos. They are looking so OLD {and CUTE} lately!!

It went from summer to fall overnight. I am loving the cooler weather, but wondering how this happened so quickly! I need to get some warmer clothes for the kids. I keep sending Blake to school in shorts….and then I worry that he is cold the whole day!

Ryan and I had a great time in Nashville and Gatlinburg with friends this past weekend. Our friends got married….and the rest of us celebrated!! So fun. I will post pics soon. The kids stayed with the grandparents and they all had a great time! I am so lucky that they are so cool, calm, and collected wherever they stay!!

The work week is flying by and I am looking forward to a weekend at home!!

Feeding the ducks!!

Blake and nana feeding the ducks!!

These two SURE do love each other!!

The County Fair

We went to the fair a couple of weeks back, but I haven't getten around to posting the pictures. Our county fair is pretty weak, but Blake got a kick out of it, so it was worth it.

Here are the kids in one of the barns...

Livi liked just looking at everything....
I THOUGHT that Blake was having a good time....but judging by this picture, I am not so sure.

He loved the bunnies. The 4-H girls got theirs out so he coudl pet them.

And the goats. Every bard that we went on he would say..."I want a goooooooooat" or " I want a bunnyyyyyyyyy" or I want a "cooooooow".....when we got the the pig barn he said "I dont want a pig mama....they stinky"...haha!

My loves...

I THOUGHT that we might be able to get out without riding the rides...but that didnt work...so we ended up letting Blake ride.

Crazy driver!!

The slide was his favorite. I must admit that my legs were sore from carrying him up ALL of those stairs numerous times!!

Taking this ride very seriously!

This is what Livi thought about the rides! LOL

He wanted to ride backwards in the rocket ships...what a little dare devil!!

He got a big kick out of this bounce house too...and it wasnt the easiest thing to get him out of! ha

until next summer......

This and That

Just some random thoughts for today….
• We took this picture on Friday night before heading to the football game. This was the 5th attempt, and the best of the bunch. Sure is hard to get a good picture right now!

• We walked to the football game on Friday (we live very close to the stadium). The kids were SO good. Ryan’s team beat mine by ONE point at the very end. Bummer! Ha.

• The weather has been BEAUTIFUL. I just love it. It could stay like this all year round if you ask me.

• We spent Saturday at my mom’s house. My mom and Blake went swimming…possibly the last swim and boat ride of the summer!

• We went to Ryan’s parents on Sunday. We worked in the garden. The cukes, beans, zucchini, and summer squash are about done. BUT, the potatoes, acorn, and butternut squash are about ripe. I am excited for some “fall” food.

• Livi has been a little under the weather. She stayed home from “school” today. She has a runny nose and just isn’t acting like herself.

• Blake had a GREAT first week in his “Tike” classroom. No adjustment issues at all. Now we just need to figure out how to convince him that big boys go pee-pee on the potty. He just is not interested yet!

• Ryan and I are leaving for Nashville/Gatlinburg on Friday with friends. My mom is taking the kids for 2 nights and Ryan’s for 1 night. We have a wedding in Gatlinburg, so are going to Nashville as well while we are down there! Should be lots of fun!

Two Peas in a Pod

My two guys were dressed like twinks the other day....completly by accident....so of course I had to snap a quick picture! Aren't they the cutest?!

We are looking forward to a weekend at home. We are planning on going to the 1st high school football game tonight. My high school is playing Ryan's high school...and we are big rivals :) Tomorrow we plan on spending the day at the lake (weather permitting)! I am so looking forward to a low key weekend without having to be on the go go go!! Our summer weekends are coming to an end now...so we have to soak it up!!

School Days!!

Blake transitioned from the Toddler room to the Tike room at school this week. It seems like just yesterday I was dropping him off for the very first time. I was so apprehensive at first about taking him to daycare. He is now entering into his third classroom....and daycare is GREAT for him.

We are so lucky to have such an awesome facility to send the kids to. It is really much more like a school than a daycare. Blake learns SO much and has so much fun there. The teachers care about the kids so very much and I have no worries about leaving my babies there.

Blake's teachers from his Toddler classroom just uploaded a bunch of pictures to the Shutterfly Share site that they have...it was fun to look at all of them...and reminded me of how much Blake has changed and grown since he started in that classroom. There are TONS of pics...but I just took a sample for today...I will post more in a later post!

Painting (I see More on the table than on the paper!).

This must have been hat day! ha
Blake and one of his best buddies, Hank. They both look so young to me in this picture! I see you!!

I am glad that he paints at school....I don't think that we could handle this mess at home!

Blake and Lexie. I think that Blake had a special fondness to little Lexie at one point :)

I don't think that you are supposed to eat that! lol

Looks like trouble!!

God Bless the sweet teachers that have to clean this mess up!!

so serious....

He looks like he is a business here!!

My happy little school boy!

When I picked him up on Monday this week I asked how his new class was. He said "Mama, I in pwe-school now".....Ahhh, what happened to my baby?! It will be kindergarten before I know it!!