30th Birthday Party

...otherwise known as the first anniversary of my 29th birthday!

Here's all the girls and all the kids.


Scary to think that next year they'll be 2 more kiddos running around! :)

Thanks to all who came out and made the day special!

I'm sure that there are laws against this...

...but he really enjoys it and it was a mess he made anyway!

Updates!

I finally got pictures added to the IU Football post...didn't take both memory cards on our trip, so I didn't have them to upload! They're some cute ones, even if I'm a little biased! :)

Just Monkeying Around...

We had a practice run for Halloween today. He's actually amazingly still able to fit into his Halloween costume from last year!
Lions and Tigers and Monkeys, er Bears, oh my!
Monkey mowing the grass, ok, sidewalk!

The sun finally comes out...

...as we're getting ready to leave on Saturday morning.

Southport/Old Baldy

After a yummy homemade brunch (scrambled eggs with cheese and veggies, sausage patties, and toast) we made a short drive north and east to the town of Southport, NC. We then rode a ferry out to Bald Island, where there is a very old lighthouse. Originally built in 1817. We could have climbed up to the top of the lighthouse and I bet there were some pretty amazing views, but I decided that I just wasn't up to it.


The island is somewhat unique in that there are no cars on the island, which makes it very quiet. Even the beach was nice and quiet.

Food!

We somewhat ate our way thru Sunset Beach and the next beach over, Ocean Isle Beach. We loved Sharky's, Twin Lakes, The Isles (Ocean front dining), and the Causeway Gourmet. Plus of course multiple stops for ice cream cones at various ice cream shops!

This was Chris' seafood "Steamer Bucket"... at least 8 king crab legs, several oysters, huge shrimp, kielbasa sausage, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes...more than even Chris could eat in one sitting!

The Beach!

It was a little cloudy, but a beach, is a beach!

Sunset Beach, NC

Chris & I decided to take a mini-getaway before baby #2 arrives/I'm unable to travel. My parents graciously agreed to watch Brendan, our house, and all the critters for us. After two early morning flights and a short drive down the coast, we are not settled into our awesome two bedroom condo (the rental company didn't have any one bedrooms and since it's the off season here, the price was right anyway!). We had a great lunch at a local restaurant on the next beach over (Ocean Isle Beach) called Sharky's. Clam chowder, Shrimp & Corn Hush Puppies, then Fish Tacos for Chris and a breaded fish sandwich for me. We grabbed some groceries/essentials at a local grocery and have been relaxing the afternoon away. Chris has been napping while I catch up on some blogging and long neglected emails. The plan is for a dinner out later tonight and maybe check out the beach.

Basement: Before & After

Just before Chris & I left for our mini getaway, we rushed to get some things finished in the basement so that we could have the flooring put down and then the plumber could be scheduled to install the fixtures, etc. The plumber has since been here and we just have some finishing touches left to do and hope to be enjoying the completely finished basement soon!

Meal Plan Week 3

Sunday: Dinner out to celebrate Chris' birthday
Monday: Baked Tilapia, Rice and Veggies
Tuesday: Risotto, Salad, Homegrown tomatoes, Crescent rolls
Wednesday: Vacation
Thursday: Vacation
Friday: Vacation
Saturday: ???? (probably pasta or pick up something on the way back from the airport.)

IU Football - Pictures Added Finally!

Brendan is in his second season of attending IU football games. The first game was last Thursday at 8pm. (Not the best time for a toddler to attend a football game, but he managed to stay awake for the whole game and really was pretty good.)


This week's game was at 12pm, which was somewhat better, but right in the middle of nap time! Somehow, Brendan stayed awake for the entire game! He really seemed to get into it, especially towards the end. He also enjoyed the constant flow of snacks that we provided, including mint chocolate dipping dots and a Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade.
Touchdown!


"Do you think anyone is watching...?"

"Nope!"
Crazy Hair Man

19 Months - Pic added

Another month has somehow gone by...

Trouble...

This is what Brendan likes to do with his toys... I think that he likes to have them all out so that he can see them all. :)

9/6-9/12

Meal Plan, week 2:

9/6: Chicken Macaroni Bake (http://onceamonthmom.com/)
9/7: Pot Roast
9/8: Spaghetti with Meatballs, Garlic Bread, Salad
9/9: Leftovers
9/10: BBQ Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots
9/11: Hot Dogs, Pasta salad
9/12: IU Tailgate!

Back to the Budget

I'm slowly starting to feel better enough to eat, think about a meal plan, and go grocery shopping. Poor Chris survived most of August eating leftovers and lots and lots of pasta. He was a very good sport and even ran to the grocery for me when the random cravings hit (corn dogs, sweet potatoes, ice cream...).

Our goal for the month of September is to really, really track our spending down to the penny if possible. This was one of my 101 things to do goals, so we'll see how it goes!

Week 1 Meal Plan:
August 30 - Sept. 5
Sunday: Angel Hair Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Green Beans (from www.5dollardinners.com)
Monday: Double Corn Chowder with Bread & Butter
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Turkey Skillet Mac (recipe on the inside of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup)
Thursday: IU Football Game/Tailgate
Friday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Peas
Saturday: Tortellini with Tomato Sauce, Salad, and Bread