A Super Saturday

What a fun Saturday! Our Saturday so far...

Woke up with a happy baby!

Went for a morning jog. My best friend Lauren and I are training for a 5k. I cannot wait to complete this goal. 2 years ago I trained for a half marathon and ended up getting sick 4 days before the half. And when I say sick, I mean on my death bed sick. I do not think that after the c-section I am ready to train for another half, but thought we would start out with a 5k. Lauren and I both share the passion to be passionate about running, but neither one of are. Maybe this will help. And how much more fun is running when you are doing it with someone! Although while jogging this morning I began to wonder how well race day will be running together. Lauren's legs are about twice the length of mine. I am either going to have to really push to pick up my pace or say see you at the finish line :)

Watched a little tv with my favorite little munchkin.


Whipped up a little lunch for Mr. J and me.

Washed the little munchkin.

Wasted a little time on pinterest while baby a was sleeping.

Wiggled baby a into her little strawberry outfit from her Aunt B. (the hat came off right after the picture)


Waiting on my brother to get here from Texas.

What a great Saturday so far! Hope you all are enjoying your weekend! :)

Here is our menu for next week. Enjoy! :)

Saturday Night- Baked Teriyaki Chicken
Sunday Afternoon- Kay's Orange Chicken
Sunday Night- Healthier General Tso's Chicken
Monday- Beef and Broccoli
Tuesday- Crispy Buffalo Chicken Roll-Ups
Wednesday- Glazed Pork Chops
Thursday- Cajun Chicken Pasta

Motherhood

My goal is to always be real. I would love for everyone to think that we have the perfect life. That I have everything under control and am "super wife, mom, person". But the truth is...I'm not. I know you are all shocked by this. :) I contemplated writing this post, but I have a lot of friends who are new moms or about to be moms. I know that experienced moms can relate and new moms can see there is hope in the days that seem endless. I hope that I am always real and never put on a front in real life or in this blog.

I love motherhood! Baby a has brought so much joy and happiness into our home. With that being said, not every day is all smiles and giggles. It is days like today that I want to sit in the floor and cry with her, to scream when she screams, and to basically just take a day off. After nights of no sleep, mornings of going through almost every onesie we have in the closet and a day filled with screams, I wonder if I will ever slightly figure out what to do in these situations. Even though it is very trying and some times difficult and even though I had a major break down in the bathroom because all I wanted to do was brush my teeth, I looked over and caught a glimpse of her smile and once again was reminded that the cries, screams, constant dirty clothes, piled up laundry and dirty bottles are all worth it. It also reminded me of how much she needs me at this time. And then I was quickly reminded of how much I need my heavenly father! I love how God constantly reminds us that He is there for us and all we have to do is turn to Him. Just like I am here for baby a, all she has to do is let me take care of her. What a great reminder of something so simple that I needed to see today.

As of right now, baby a is finally down for a nap :) Mom can finally get some of the dirty clothes cleaned, bottles washed and get ready for her sweet baby to wake up!

By the way...how can you not just love this face...

Menu for the week

About a year ago I tried to figure out ways that we could save money without me joining the coupon craze. I do not have the patience to cut coupons and try to plan a meal around what is on sale that week (I do admire anyone who does this!). My answer was to start by planning our meals each week. Before I would call Mr J before I left work, we had the 5 minute "what do you want for dinner" conversation and it ended up with a daily grocery bill of about $50. That adds up really quickly. Even though I do not cut coupons, I do check the cabinets for items that I already have to help save. This has worked out great for our family and I thought I would share my weekly menus with you to help give you some inspiration for your weekly meals (if you need it). Menus are planned from Saturday to Thursday. Fridays are our "free nights". :) Many of these recipes are new to us so I can not guarantee the taste. :)

This Week's Menu
Saturday Night- Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Sunday Lunch- Chicken Stir Fry Wraps
Sunday Night- Chicken Coconut Curry
Monday Night- Steak Fajitas- Have fun with this. We just marinade flank steak in different seasonings each time, a little mixed veggies and some tortillas.
Tuesday Night- Honey Chicken
Wednesday Night- Citrus-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Thursday Night- Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I really hope this helps someone out there! I plan on trying to post the weekly menu for the upcoming week at least by Thursdays. So if you are needing some dinner ideas, come back on Thursdays :).

Happy Weekend everyone!
-McKinzey

Happy One Month Sweet Baby A!

Yesterday our sweet baby a was a month old. A month ago from yesterday was one of the most stressful and scariest days, but yet one of the greatest days of my life! Baby A had a mind of her own on how she would enter the world and scared her mom and dad to death on the way, but she arrived safely and healthy and that is all that matters. Mr. J and I could not imagine our lives without our sweet baby a! We are so excited to see her grow and are so honored that God has allowed and trusted us to be her parents. We love you sweet baby!

finally!

it is official. i have finally decided to join the blogging world. this is just a way to journal our family's life journey. i have no idea of anyone that will even read this, but it will be a good way to document our life. :)