This week and next week's menu!

I know, I know. It's unbelievable that I am actually blogging almost TWO WEEKS of menus, but, well, here they are. Enjoy! (I'm pretty sure we will ;) )

Tuesday: Lasagna Soup
               Garlic Bread
               Green Salad
               Mango Lassi (yeah, I know, it's Indian and we're doing Italian tonight, but gosh, it just sounded good! I replace the sugar with honey)

Wednesday: Crispy Chicken Wraps
                    Green Beans
                    Fruit Salad

Thursday: Chicken Pillows (I am making Homemade Crescent Rolls and also homemade cream of chicken soup---super easy--as well as homemade chicken gravy--- both for the sauce on top).
                 Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
                 Berry Smoothie

Friday: Movie Night!
            Turkey Burgers
            Homemade French Fries
            Broccoli

Saturday: Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
                Carrots sauteed with butter and onions
                Fruit Salad

Sunday: Baked Chicken Chimichangas
              Black Beans
              Rice
              Guacamole, Sour Cream, Cheese (I love fresh cilantro and lime in my guacamole)

Monday: Pizza Bites
               Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
               Peach Mango Smoothie (I just use Greek plain yogurt and add some honey to sweeten it a      little bit)

Tuesday: Crockpot Cashew Chicken
                Rice
                Zucchini

Wednesday: Creamy Fettuccine with Ham and Peas
                    Garlic Bread
                    Green Salad
                    Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Thursday: Thanksgiving at the Winklers!

Friday: Chicken & Zucchini Stir-Fry
            Rice
            Mango Lassi
                    

Happy Halloween and other pics...

Here are some pics of our Halloween adventures. Didn't get any pics of the pumpkin carving this year. Oops. Enjoy!

John put an eye bandaid on Anna's eye and here is the result...

Anna does some silly things while Jonas and Vera are at school. This was one of them. "Please take a piture of me"

She loves babies.

Happy Halloween from Darth Vader, a wizard, a fairy princess, and a regular princess ;)

Trip to DC!

So John is wonderful...that is not news ;) but just one evidence of that fact came in him buying me a ticket to go out to Washington DC to "my old stomping grounds" and to see family and friends out there. I was SOOO excited to go and really needed the break. Jessica came down with her family from PA and we were able to go to the temple while Tim watched the kids and then all of us went to the National Zoo. I loved getting to know Jess' kids a little more and her oldest, Chet, wanted to hold my hand the whole time. I was so honored :) I told John he's got a little competition in that 5 yr old. Ha ha ha. Jess' kids are so adorable and we had a ton of fun. It's funny, though, that even though it was a break trip for me, I was thinking as we were at the zoo, "Wow. Jonas, Vera, and Anna would LOVE this." Ha. Yep. Still in a bit of mommy mode even on vacation (maybe always??) Anyway, it was awesome to get to have a conversation with Jess that was longer than two minutes :) and just enjoy spending time together. She and I have been through so much together and any time I get to spend with her is pretty precious! There's just nothing like getting to see your best friends and spend some quality time with them when you live in opposite parts of the country!

I also got to see a lot of my friends when another close friend of mine, Jessica (the Jessicas in my life are AWESOME!), threw a party for me. It was a fun chance to get together and see some friends I hadn't seen in a while. I had SUCH a wonderful time. I feel very blessed to have the incredible friends that I do!! I just wish I had taken pictures!!!

Hannah and I had a blast together. I just love her! We had lots of fun going for walks, talking, and just hanging out.  I have missed having close friends like her around and just being able to go over and have a nice chat. I also couldn't get over how cute her toddler Gideon is. He kept wanting to hold my hand in the grocery store and when we went for walks (there seems to be a theme here---John really has some competition ;) ha ha ha) and on the last day, wanted to give me kisses (he puts out his bottom lip and turns to the person he wants to kiss. It was absolutely the cutest thing ever! See pics below :)

I got to stay with Chris and Jen for part of the time and it was SO good to see them. We grew so close while I lived in DC and I just felt like it was still that way when I visited. I got to go to church with them, go to soccer practice, go to the temple with Jen, see pics of their most recent family trip, and just spend some quality time. We went to an Indian restaurant and my friend, Diana, met us there. It was SO good to see her and for her to make the trip out to see me in crazy DC traffic. I sure love her too.

Hannah got a bunch of our former co-workers from Nysmith together and we went to Red Robin. It was so good to see Prianka and Cathy. We had such a fun time! I've missed you guys!

I felt so rejuvenated when the trip was over...it was hard to leave, but it's also hard to not want to come back to "Mommy, I missed you really much" and "Mom, I feel so much better now that you're home" and "Mommy, I love love love you". I missed John and the kids so much and it was good to come home :) I feel much more ready to take on the day to day and am so grateful for an inspired husband who saw the need and surprised me with such a great trip!

Here are pics from the trip...

Jonas, Vera, and Anna would have loved the National Zoo!

Cute little Sari. Oh that's my finger in the picture on the side, not Jess' forehead :) Ha. Oops.

I love the DC temple! This was the best one we could get.  Chet unfortunately DIDN'T want to hold my hand that this point ;)

Gideon's kisses

And more kisses

The Great Panda

So fun to see Han!

Kimodo Dragon---it's tongue was the grossest thing...

At Red Robin with Cathy, Prianka, and Hannah. I loved it!

On a walk with Gideon

He just grabbed my hand as we were walking. SOOO cute!

9, 6, and 3!!

Here are the photos we got taken of each of the kids for their birthdays (a little late for Jonas and Anna, but at least they got done right???) Ha. Enjoy!

Love this pic of him.

Soo cute!

Our photographer said she's 6 going on 16...not sure how I feel about that!!!

 We had a great photographer and I'm so happy with how they turned out. Now on to make our family photo book for the year...

Gratitude

I just have to say that today I am grateful. Grateful for a husband who loves and cherishes me, who is a man of incredible character and faith, and who puts God and His will above his own. I am grateful for 3 children who told me tonight "Mommy, we love it when you do rockabyes" and "Mommy, we missed you and we love you" and who write notes saying "I hope we can spend some time together for special time soon". Grateful for beach sunsets in Cancun, long walks on the beach (yes!!!), Eharmony, long talks with old friends that make it seem like you talked to them yesterday, best friends who know you so well, grand pianos, the sound of Rachmaninoff's music, cool fall breeze in the early morning, non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiris, homemade Zuppa Toscana, Zumba, a long, refreshing shower after working out super hard and feeling clean, and...well, I could go on all night.

It's amazing how beginning to list a few things leads to more and more as you realize how many blessings are truly in your life. I've found myself getting caught in the downward spiral of not recognizing as often as I should how many blessings I have---and the importance of holding on to those, and the moments that come along with them. They are a gift, and I find myself just going through the daily grind, forgetting often those little moments and how they are the Lord's tender mercies---one of His ways of showing me how much He loves me. I think of the many scriptures in the Book of Mormon that encourage us to "remember" and I am gently prompted by the Spirit to remember how the Lord has blessed me. I am grateful for those gentle promptings, helping me become better and prompting me to change course if needed. I feel so much gratitude to my Heavenly Father who gave His Only Begotten Son so that I could repent and be forgiven and return to Him one day. I feel so blessed to be able to be with my family for eternity because of the Savior Jesus Christ and His love for each one of us. I am also incredibly grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, through which my burdens and trials have often been lifted so that I can take that extra step or steps; I honestly don't know where I would be without the power of the Atonement. I have come to know my Savior better through those experiences in life and, though I can't say I would want to go through them again, I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who knew I needed those things to continue to become who He wants me to become.

I am grateful to all of you, my family and friends, who give so much support and love to my family and me. Maybe this is cheesy, but I like cheese, and I am grateful for YOU. Yep, it's true. Until next time.

Cancun!

I'm so looking forward to going to Cancun with John! We are going for our anniversary trip and are pretty excited. It's our real honeymoon as we only got about 3 days when we were first married...yahoo!!! A friend told me to come back tan...ner. Ha. I may not get to that point with my fair skin, but at least will be out on the beach in the sun relaxing and enjoying time with John. Thanks for all your support guys! See you in a week!

Motherhood...

So this post is straight from the heart today. I've been thinking a lot about motherhood lately, especially since it's been a year ago last week that I became an instant mom and started in on this adventure. There are so many moments where I think "This is why I love being a mom" and then there are other moments where I think "Did I really sign up for this?" I hear and see so many things from other moms about how they love being a mom and how it's the best job in the world and...I'm sorry to admit, but I don't feel that way all of the time. I have wondered so many times if I really am cut out for being a mom and really have it in me to continue to love and be patient through the "Mommy is stupid", the "I like Daddy betters", the "You're not my mom, she is, and I wish I were with her instead", the "This is why I don't like you..." and the day in and day out rigors of it all---emotionally, physically, mentally, etc. Perhaps I need to grow a thicker skin, but how do you find the joy in motherhood? I know it can be found and I know it is possible because I have seen it. Perhaps my expectations need to be changed or my perspective needs to be different? I'm not sure. I worry about when the kids become teenagers and the dreaded words are spoken "You're not my mom!!!" I worry about helping them grow emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I worry about making sure I am raising these kids with the help of their mother Britney, and striving to do my best in her place. Will they be healthy and happy and am I messing them up for life??? How do I give them all that they need? I do my best to follow inspiration as I know Heavenly Father knows them best and that as I strive to follow the Spirit, He will guide me, but I often feel so inadequate!

I trust that this is where I am supposed to be and that Heavenly Father wants me to be part of this family. I know He will provide and that He wants me to be happy. He has given me strength to get through so many trials so far and I know if I rely on the Savior, things always seem better. I just keep pressing forward---and I hope that somehow, I will be able to change whatever I need to in order to see things differently if that's what needs to happen.

Some thoughts as I go through this crazy life I have, with it's ups and downs, trying to remember those joyful moments to get me through the not so joyful ones...