I have pictures on the walls! It never feels like home until there are pictures on the walls and on table tops. The guest bedroom needs to be set up, the garage needs to be cleaned out and organized, and there are a few other little things in the house that need to be done, but it is starting to feel like home. In my last blog I talked about going through bins filled with books, music, and papers and deciding on whether to keep or depart with them. The next day I sat down and began that process. It went like this: I opened the lid of a bin looked inside and then put it back on. I did this for two or three different bins. I walked away. Sigh…! I guess we’ll be toting those bins around for another decade! 🙂 I did clean out some very old papers that were hiding away, and Andrew departed with a few of his trivial books. So I guess we pared it down a little.

We are all adjusting to living in this house, and the kids have done great. Zoe, however, has had the most difficult time. She was hiding behind boxes and furniture, and it would be difficult to find her. She was just plain stressed out the first several days. She has finally started to calm down now that things are more settled, and the kids have been giving her plenty of attention. 🙂 Poor sweet Zoe!

We purchased a washer and dryer for this house a little over a week ago, but it will not be delivered until July second. Tuesday the kids and I went to a local laundromat. It was David and Emma’s first experience at a public laundromat. David was actually very excited. He loves the book Corduroy’s pocket. Corduroy gets left over night at the laundromat and has quite an adventurous time. 🙂 David helped me put the quarters in the machine, and push the buttons. Emma was upset that her blanket had to be washed. I had to show it to her going around and around in the washer and dryer. 🙂 I will be thankful when we have our own washer and dryer again! Then I can get back to not finishing the laundry. 🙂

There is a little playground just a short walk from our house, and we have already walked over there a few times this past week. Emma enjoys the ride in her stroller, and David likes to ride his tricycle. There is also a pond, and there were these interesting looking birds the other day. I’m not sure what they are.

On the walk/ride back to the house from the park one day. A police man drove up beside us and told David he was doing a great job on his tricycle. He gave him a police badge sticker. David was so proud of that sticker! He wore it on his shirt, his pajamas, on his shirt the next day, and his pajamas the next night! He finally had to depart with the no longer sticky sticker. 🙂

It has been a while since I posted any weekly meal plan. Things have been so crazy. I am starting back this week! So here it is.

Mmmm…Delicious!

Monday: Lunch, out. Dinner, Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans.

Tuesday: Lunch, chicken quesadillas. Dinner, Grilled pork tenderloin, carrots, and stewed apples. 

Wednesday: Lunch, Hot dogs and chips. Dinner, Chicken alfredo, garlic toast, and salad.

Thursday: Lunch, Spaghetti. Dinner, Fried catfish, baked beans and hushpuppies. 

Friday: Cheese burgers and fries. Dinner, Grilled steak and ceasar salad.

Saturday: Lunch: Sandwiches and chips. Dinner: Tacos. 

Sunday: Lunch: Pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese with broccoli. 

We made home made popsicles this week. They are actually more like frozen smoothies on a stick. I blended blueberries, strawberries, bananas, yogurt and honey. Poured them into little popsicle molds and froze them. They turned out yummy! 

 

I also roasted a chicken for lunch time today. I have blogged about this recipe before, but forgot to take any pictures. Here is what it looks like.

Isn’t it beautiful. 🙂 It is very tasty too! All you do is soften a stick of butter, zest a couple lemons, add a teaspoon of dried rosemary (or fresh if you have it), add about two teaspoons of kosher salt, and a teaspoon of black pepper. Mix it all together and rub it all over and inside the chicken. Then put the lemon halves inside the chicken. It is so easy and tastes amazing!

We attended the church where Andrew is appointed today! Andrew doesn’t technically begin this new appointment until next Sunday, so we just visited today. The kids did really well and enjoyed Sunday school, and we loved meeting lots of great people. We are excited to begin this new phase of life and ministry with them.

David will be five years old tomorrow! My baby will be five! 😦 I don’t know how this is possible. He has had a couple of memorable moments this week that I want to share. One day at lunch I asked him to say the prayer. (We generally always try to pray before our meals.) I was expecting his usual prayer which goes something like this. “Thank you Jesus for this day, and for this food. Amen.” Instead he started his prayer by thanking God for all the planets. He then began trying to name them all specifically. He made it through Saturn, Mercury, Mars, and then started to mumble some things. It was so sweet and funny that I just let him go on. We eventually got to eat our lunch. 🙂

One day this week David was having one of his days where he spends most of it getting in trouble and in time out it seems. That particular day he had just spent his time in time out, and I was feeling a little aggravated at him.  It was then time to get ready for nap time. He picked out a book to read. I was expecting to have to read a book about spiders or bugs or something. Instead he comes carrying the book I’ll Love You Forever for us to read before naptime. I love and hate this book! I can’t read it without crying! So I’m reading David his nap time story and fighting back tears the whole time! Of all days for him to pick this book! I don’t know why he did, but it was exactly what we both needed. I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.