Life is good, too.

It's almost as if I owe it to ya to post something fun. The stresses of the past few months haven't totally rained on our parade. We've been making sweet memories, too. This past weekend was just what I needed! It started off on Friday when my pal from college brought her sweet one year old over to play. The boys were napping so it was just us and I was free to chat with her and enjoy the company of her adorable daughter. It was almost strange to me because I had to keep myself from signing and every time she made a babbling noise, I almost jumped for joy at her trick before realizing again that it was likely normal for her. I can't wait until I can hear Baby A do the same. Music to my ears.

Friday night we let the boys eat ice cream IN FRONT OF THE TV (big mistake) while we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They were in heaven. I was happy to see them happy...and happy that I ran that afternoon because I was shoveling in the ice cream, too.

Saturday brought more wedding festivities for my best friend's upcoming big day. We drove to a nearby city to try on bridesmaid dresses. I will be postpartum on the day of the wedding so we're just going to guess what size I'll be and roll with it. Makes me nervous! Anyway, it was awesome to hang out with some ladies I haven't seen in such a long time. It made me happy to just be able to pick right up where we left off. Making new friends is hard sometimes and there's something so beautiful about old ones.

That night, J and I got a babysitter and enjoyed dinner and a movie. We ended up watching The Edge of Tomorrow and it was better than I expected. The other option he gave me sounded pretty terrible so I'm glad I ultimately chose this one. Good choice.

Sunday was nice, too. My friend who lives in sunny Florida was in for the weekend and came to stay with us that evening! The two of us went to see The Fault in Our Stars and then took ridiculously hilarious selfies in the parking lot that nearly sent me into labor. When I (finally) calmed down enough to drive home, we were greeted with a fancy, new Big Green Egg being put together. My husband and I have been saving up forever to get one and thanks to a family friend who gave us a great deal, we were able to purchase one. There's no buyer's remorse here, but we are seriously in that really uncomfortable financial range again that we have used it every single night since then. Must make it make sense! Every time a new medical bill arrives in the mail I get twitchy and want to fire up the grill.

There. Proof that life is still fun in our household.

Yummy, Family-Approved Recipes

Y'all know I've been busy, but I've added one more thing to my plate (literally) and that is cooking dinner most nights. As you probably already know because I gush about him, my husband is an amazing cook. In the past, he put the food on the table most nights. But I just crave a schedule (and so do the boys!) so I started cooking at the same time every day so that I can have dinner on the table at a specific time. It seems to have helped a lot. Cray K is being slightly more adventurous and is definitely eating more. Baby A? Well, he's just going through a phase- that's what we'll call it.

ANYWAY

I am making my growing family happy with some of the Pinterest meals I've made lately:

1) Chicken (and Bacon) Ranch Pasta

The picture is terrible, I know. Trust me though- YOU WANT THIS IN YOUR LIFE.

2) Creamy Bacon Tomato and Avocado Pasta Salad

This was amazing, too and didn't last long at all. Both of my kids even ate it....it was weird.

3) Chicken Tacos (or Burritos?) *This was easy and delicious. Sadly, the pin didn't lead anywhere, but I was able to figure it out on my own (ha) and created a photo of directions just for YOU.

I suggest you add beans and rice to the other ingredients shown here. mmmm, MMM!

That's all I've got folks.

Stay tuned for the following posts:
- the opening of my new business (hopefully next week)! Details to come.
- baby #3 Bumpdate
- hiking with my crew

Much love,

Another installment of...

I decided I wanted to give one of my favorite blogger's pizza directions a whirl because she promised it was easy. I whipped these babies up for lunch one day and they were pretty good. I imagine hers are delicious! Mine needed a little something so I added some hot sauce and my taste buds were happy. I made extra and they were even better the next day after all the ingredients had time to mix together. Yum.

My version wasn't nearly as pretty:

I also saw this little idea on Pinterest and thought the boys' might like some parking lots of their very own.

My version was less involved. I simply took the cardboard sides from an old disposable wipes box (so that it folds up neatly). I numbered the spaces, but did not number the vehicles. Then I wrapped another old box to keep it all organized.

Also, sometimes I like to take quotes I've pinned on Pinterest and meditate on them. Really focus and listen to what I'm being told through the words. I did that this week, too.

Cookie Monster is my kind of people.

Happy Friday, my friends. I hope you enjoy your weekend. It's supposed to be sunny and warm here and J and I have some time away from our little munchkins on the agenda for Saturday night. Woo!

We'll chat soon.

Munch of Fun!

(I received two packages in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. No other monetary compensation was given. )

If there's one thing I need in parenting my young kids it's a manual...but if there's something else it is easy, healthy foods. Sometimes the very last thing I want to do is put effort into yet another lunch that my boys may or may not eat. This is why I was eager to review Munch of Fun. I hadn't heard of it before, but the idea is sort of brilliant! What they do is they thoughtfully piece together meals and snacks that are nourishing and fun for your little ones. Pre-packed, the meals arrive at your door ready to go! There's also a fun little surprise for them, too (We got a tiny slinky!).

As we were enjoying the goodies, I kept thinking what a great idea this would be for field trips or perhaps youth groups who are having a lock-in or going on a retreat. Supplies (such as spoons and forks) are even included.

As you may know, I've got two night and day boys. Baby A will eat just about anything you put in front of him and my little Cray K? Well, not so much. He has his favs and he sticks with them. Rarely does he want to branch out. He loved the "Munch on Brunch"  kit. He enjoyed some brown sugar granola trail mix while he protested nap time and watched The Polar Express for the 10 millionth time. 

He liked the hazelnut butter and almond packages as well. Honestly, the baby ate the rest (and we're still working on some of it). They munch on the pineapple chunks which surprised me. I don't think either of them had tried that before! That's what's nice about having someone else package up a healthy meal for you-- it allows for branching out and not just sticking with foods you know your kids like.

You can visit their website here and find out more information on nutrition facts, pricing, and more.

Pinned It, Tried It, Liked It

This first one should probably be Pinned it, Tried it, LOVED it! Oh my yum. Click here or the photo to check out that recipe. Delicious!

I also tried these two ab routines and I like them a lot:

and

Oh, oh! And this was a nifty little trick that worked for the beach:

It kept the sand and oils away from my precious smart phone which turns out to be pretty dumb if you ask me. I have the dumbest Siri alive* The only bummer is that you still have to take the thing out of the bag if you rely on your phone for picture taking...unless you don't mind crappy pictures, of course. I digress.
That's all I've got for you today. I really haven't been very creative lately. Anyway, I've got some exciting things to talk about this week and I can't wait to tell all of you what is going on in our world. More to come soon. I hope each of you have a fabulous week.

*I know Siri isn't actually alive

My Town: Farmer's Market Edition

On Mondays I like to link up here to share with y'all a little more about the place I'm currently calling home. Jacksonville can feel incredibly large sometimes, but it didn't on Thursday afternoon when we loaded up the boys after their naps and went to the farmer's market down the road. It was their grand opening, complete with live music and delightful local crafts.

As you can see in the bottom far left corner, K wanted to touch everything (and I'm pretty sure he did)! We had fun getting out of the house for a few minutes. The location is roughly a mile from our house so we could have walked, but we didn't due to a certain fussy baby (ahem Baby A).

He loves to be worn, though so he calmed down when we got there. That's me enjoying my sweet babe and a peach smoothie from one of the vendors.

We ended up purchasing some peaches, tangerines, a pepper, and some roma tomatoes. 

We can't wait to be able to grow our own produce in a garden again! Jacksonville isn't the best location to till up the yard; it isn't big enough. Besides, our dog Holly does enough of that on her own. I'm going down a road I didn't intend to. Anyway...

What's neat about your town? Link up here:

Gluten Free Muffins

(Alternatively titled- My kid will eat anything in bread form)

I'm not much of a cook but sometimes when my kids are driving me batty I feel led to go into the kitchen and create something, to put my hands to work and feel as if I've done something productive that day aside from keeping the children alive. Enter gluten-free, healthy muffins.

• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1 egg
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 6 packets of Stevia (or more if you'd like)
• 1 good long squeeze of honey

I know, I know- so technical. Just eyeball it.

Mix all the above ingredients together. I used a food processor.

Then spray your muffin tin with some Pam.

Next, chop blueberries into small pieces to mix in to your already mixed mixture. How many other ways can I incorporate that word into a sentence? :) The more the merrier with the berries, ok?

Stop judging my pan and oven.

Then pour your mixture into the muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. It yields six muffins. I should note that the oats should be gluten free anyway, but if you have an allergy be sure to buy the oats that specifically say they're gluten free. 

Enjoy!

We did.

The Ups and Downs of Getting Fit

There have been so many of you who have told me I've inspired you to start being more active and to get fit. That makes me feel so good to hear that each of you are starting your own journey toward a healthier lifestyle because of some workout or photo or status or post I've thrown up on Instagram and other social media outlets. That's why I post so much. I want to inspire. I want to motivate you, but more importantly, I want to motivate and hold myself accountable.

I've been doing a poor job of this recently. Ever since our trips to Tennessee and Vermont and my recent bout with sickness, my routine got all out of whack and my eating choices spiraled down, down, down. Before I knew it, I went from 113 lbs and seeing ab definition-

to 123lbs. 

I gained ten pounds in just over a month, people. I know some of you believe that I am naturally "skinny" despite me writing and saying otherwise, but now you know. It's true- I have to work hard for the body I want--most of us do.

I'm trying not to focus on the scale. I really am. But when I stepped on that scale and saw the number, it was my reality check. I just needed to take a deep breath and remember how I lost the weight in the first place.

1. Clean eating

2. Training hard

3. Dedication

It was that simple. It's going to be that simple again, dang it. I can do this.

My plan for this week is to exercise at least four days and clean up my diet. I started on Friday after a brief but detrimental cookie binge. I'm feeling good now, though. My body is already responding and I'm not feeling sluggish and tired anymore.

I know the number doesn't matter. What does matter is my attitude. I don't want to cringe when I see a camera at the beach. I want to be proud again. I want to feel healthy and strong. I want to know that my body is capable of doing X, Y, and Z. I don't think anyone has really noticed the difference in my body except me.

I see the extra pounds in my arms and middle. I'm going to focus on these areas. The last half of July is going to be different. Let's do this!

Who's with me?

(P.S. You can now access all of my fitness journey posts by clicking on the "#mrskgetsfit" page at the top of my blog. As always, you can also find updates on my Instagram page, too. )

Linked up here:

My Town Monday: Jacksonville

One of my bloggy favs is hosting a new link up with a great topic so I wanted to join in. Sometimes, as you all know, I can get into the habit of backward looking. I look back to Alaska and want to return. I miss my home in Tennessee almost constantly. These things pop up in my writing all the time. In an effort to show you that my new town really isn't awful at all, I thought I'd show you exactly what it is that I love about being here. Welcome to my Jacksonville...

1. I love being near the beach. There's a beach girl in my heart, for sure.

2. I love that there's sushi exactly a mile down the road and it's delicious. I can run to the restaurant and run back or if I'm being lazy--they deliver!

3. Speaking of food, I love that we have a Whole Foods close by and other healthy, organic grocery options. The fresh seafood there makes its way to our table quite often.

4. I love all the parks in the area that I can take these crazy kids to.

5. I also love our church. I will probably miss it the most when/if we leave. It was refreshing to be able to find one that aligns so closely with what we believe as a family without searching around forever as we usually do when we get to a new location. The pastor is intelligent, warm, and an excellent teacher. The congregation has been so kind to us, too. We really really like it there.

6. And most of all? I love that it's not Ft. Polk, LA. This photo is courtesy of a friend who still finds herself stuck there for a wee bit longer. Only in Louisiana!

I will continue to be on the lookout for things I love about living here. There's a lot to love.
Now go link up your town!

Pinned It, Tried It, Liked It

Shield your eyes, my friends. If you're a chocolate addict like I am, you're not going to want to see this....or you're really really going to want to see this. It's one or the other. I stumbled across this easy homemade brownie recipe and I had all the ingredients here at the house. Not good for my figure, but man! Good for the soul.

Source: fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

Perchance this will balance it all out?

Source: womenshealthmag.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

I love Jill...and this ab routine is different than the run of the mill ones you see all over pinterest. I like it.

Here's another terrible for you recipe that I found on Pinterest. These are so tasty. In the post she says they come out thin like the square break-away cookies you find at the grocery store, but that wasn't at all true for my batch. It probably has a lot to do with me not having a fancy schmancy mixer and having to do it by hand. That's probably why I never bake. Anyway, this was my first successful made-from-scratch cookie.

Here's the pin:

Source: crazyforcrust.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

That's all I've got for you today. Have you tried any good pins lately? Do tell.

Ants in the Pants

I'd rather hoped I wouldn't be writing this post today or ever, really. Alas, here it is. My parenting fails will be on display for the world to see as soon as I hit publish.

This weekend wasn't a good one for my little tykes. Allow me to explain...

I have two boys who cried wolf. One is really, really the boy who cried wolf while the smaller one only is when he's in the car. I've never had children who enjoyed a good car ride. That's a mystery to me. Anyway, usually Baby A will freak out in the car, screaming very loudly and then he'll be inconsolable for (what will feel like) hours. Lately, though, he has been drifting off to sleep in the car which is a welcomed change. Imagine my delight when he fell asleep on the way to the park on Saturday. I was happy because that could free me up to play with K and J swing. We got to the park, kept Baby A in his car seat, sat him down next to the gate around the park and began to swing as Cray K made friends with some other kids at the playground. 

Baby A slept sweetly for most of the time, but as we began to leave he was waking up. By the time we had trekked across the parking lot, he was angry. By the time the car started up, he was frantic. Again, this was nothing new so we thought, "He just doesn't like the car. He'll calm down when we get out." Wrong.

We attempted to sit down at a restaurant to eat after that but our sweet, easy baby was still pretty unhappy so we ordered to go and the kids and I went out to the car to wait on the food. I put Cray K in the back of the jeep so he could play instead of sticking him in his car seat and making him cry, too. I got out some crayons and a coloring sheet and he played happily for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I'm finally getting Baby A to calm down in my arms. He stopped crying and actually seemed pleasant. Then, a gust of wind, took K's coloring page up, up, up. Always on my toes, I tried to react quickly to retrieve it. I suppose my spatial awareness was off-kilter because when I turned, I whacked poor Baby A's head on the tail light. It made a loud sound and my youngest crunched up his face in the adorably cute way he does and began his slow-to-start wail. I felt hopelessly terrible. K's art work was gone and now I had harmed this tiny second-born child in my arms. Baby A quit crying pretty quickly, there were no red marks or even a bump, and he was acting fine so I pushed the incident from my mind.

We arrived home with food in hand and we decided we would do a little fishing in the backyard pond. 

Before going outside, I remembered I should probably change the little one's diaper. I went to take it off and what did I find? A single black ant. But the rash and bumps on his legs told a different story. It looked like a whole colony of ants was living in his diaper. His little thigh was so eaten up that grief washed over me. I feel absolutely awful for listening to his cries (of pain!) and not thinking much of it. Poor baby had ants in his pants (I would show you a photo, but it would just make you cry).

I guess he got it from me sitting him down in his car seat on the ground. Mom of the year.

Then?

Sunday K's little shoulders turned a pinky hue in the afternoon sun. We were out for such a brief time, I didn't think he would need any sun block.

My sweet boys. I totally failed them this weekend.

I'm sure glad they won't remember! ;)

As always, there were good parts to the last few days, too. J finished up his MBA this weekend so of course we had to celebrate! I'm so proud of him for diligently working on his degree while he parted ways from the Army, job searched, and obtained a great, competitive job. He has been working hard for this family and I'm so grateful God has blessed us with a man like him. Good work, babe!

In celebration, we took a short trip to the beach and REI, our happy place.

 Then afterward, the boys slept so I could go on a run. I decided to do a "ruck run" to the grocery store because we needed a few things. I posted a photo on facebook and got a lot of responses- "What's a ruck run?" Chances are if you're husband is or has been a military man, you know what I'm talking about. In the Army they do "ruck marches" in which they pack and weigh their ruck sacks down and march or run for miles and miles in their ACUs and combat boots. I have a whole new respect for them. Whew! I think they weigh their backpacks down with the equivalent of what supplies they would need to survive to practice for situations in which that would be important. I suppose I could be making that up, though. What do I know? Anyway, here's my much lighter "ruck":

I also only did three miles. Still, I felt like a beast!

Then, I totally canceled out all those calories burned by indulging in a deliciously fried meal. My husband continues to impress me with his cooking endeavors. Yesterday he made crab cakes, hush puppies, and cole slaw. 

Delicious.

How was your weekend? This is the part where you can feel free to tell me your parenting fails, too.