Here's What High Risk Looks Like.

With Claire, I was dilated almost half way around 24 weeks. (For the non-pregnancy gurus, Pregnancy is usually 40 weeks.) I was put on magnesium (which is AWFULLLLL) and Claire was born at 38 weeks. Maybe it was just a fluke thing.

Then Aoife came. I dilated super early again, only that time my water broke at 32 weeks. No longer a fluke thing. Turns out I'm that weird 2% that will always have preterm labor for whatever reason. No issues getting pregnant, just once it happens my body is all "GET IT OUT!!" With all the crazy that pregnancy does, I can't really blame it. I'm a terrible pregnant person.

I used a midwife with Claire and Aoife and loved it. They were so personal, and fantastic. The gal that delivered Claire wasn't even the midwife on call, she just really wanted to do it. With Aoife, we did have the midwife on call, but she was gunning hard to be able to deliver and the other midwife in the practice stopped by a few times anyway just to say hi and see how we were doing. They even popped into the NICU a few times during the following weeks to visit my nugget which really warms a NICU mom's heart.

Then we moved to Wisconsin. Our insurance during the Tiegan era didn't cover midwives. I may or may not have cried when I found out I wouldn't be seeing a midwife. The doctor they put me with didn't take my preterm history very seriously and after a few weeks when my body started doing what it does and dilating, my case was too much for that doctor and I got sent to Maternal Fetal Medicine at the hospital. They take on the super high risk cases. I had to go in every week for shots and cervical length ultrasounds and was monitored super closely.  They were aggressive with the steroids. I was on a modified bed rest until 34 weeks, when the doctor decided walking was probably okay. The goal was to get me to 32 weeks again, and Miss T arrived at 35 weeks. (VICTORY!)

We've since changed insurances (MFM is in the same group as our new insurance, yahoo!). The first appointment was great. The doctor I saw has four kids so she didn't look at me like I was insane when when I rolled into the appointment with the whole entourage. After going over my history, she set up the injections again starting at 16 weeks, and at 20 weeks Maternal Fetal Medicine will be taking on part of my case as well. I'll go there for cervical length checks again and check in there frequently.

The doctor I saw is out of town, so I had the office put me with whoever for my appointment today. I went in and turns out the practice has a MIDWIFE. One midwife. And I got to see her today. And I loved her. She said unfortunately my case is too high risk, I *could* see her for my appointments, but the doctor I've been seeing would be overseeing my case and I'll still be going to MFM at the hospital.

As much as I loved her and love midwives, I decided to stick with the doctor I've been seeing. I'm already split two ways, I really don't want to add in a third. In a week and a half, I'll start my weekly shots, and a few weeks after that I'll have shots at the clinic and then cervical checks at the hospital. Every week. Add in the regular visits and that's a lot of appointments and people involved. While this practice doesn't use bed rest as a treatment, I'll still be on a modified version basically "Be as lazy and still as humanly possible while still being a mom and working".

Things are about to get crazy and busy at the Loveland house. Good thing it's winter and perfectly acceptable to hibernate? *If only Chipotle delivered...  Can we suggest that and make that happen? Little burrito cars? Bring on the Netflix and burritos.

Gingerbread Housing.

Yesterday I woke up and decided we were going to make gingerbread houses. We got dressed, with a little resistance from the littles, and went on a gingerbread kit hunt. Our first store we loaded up with different candies but no gingerbread. (I'm not that homey to make it.) So we took off to Target where I found adorable pre-constructed houses. Which is great, because I remember one year we attempted houses and had the hardest time getting the stupid houses together, let alone decorated. So finding them already built and good to go was perfect!

Tiegan was ready for a nap, but the other two were excited about the houses. I decided to sacrifice having all 3 nap at the same time, meaning I'd get to nap too, to have gingerbread time with the oldest two without Tiegan being destructive. I was pretty worried about the whole thing, not gonna lie.

I set up a table in front of the TV, and put on some Harry Potter. (Loveland tradition to binge watch all of them at Christmas time.) I set out the houses and icing and bowls of candy and let them do their thing. Me being 100% Type A bought my own house to decorate myself. (control issues, right?)

And it was awesome. It took the entire Harry Potter movie to have lunch and decorate the houses, but no tears were shed. No fighting, or yelling or whining, or anything else a 5 and almost 4 year old would do. Since the houses were already built, it was so simple. Sometimes Aoife needed help squishing out the icing, but she never once got frustrated. The girls didn't even eat the candy until towards the end I told them they were allowed to. It was SO much fun and so great and not at all like the disaster I was imagining it to be. It was super awesome to just enjoy and have fun together.  Great mom days are serious tender mercies and with all of the crazy that's been happing in our house, it was much needed.

A Pregnancy Update.

If you haven't heard, we're adding to our circus with #4. On purpose. (Fair warning: I'm really great at complaining.)

 Before we had even told the littles, Claire was going on and on for weeks about her baby brother. It was around Halloween and Claire was getting upset that we hadn't gotten her baby brother a costume yet because he obviously needed one right that second. She talked about teaching her baby brother to ride a bike, and being excited to read to him, and all kinds of things. It freaked me out. 

Since then, she's switched and she's expecting a baby sister. Aoife is on team blue. We'll find out early Feb, and until then we'll just let them duke it out. (For the record, Ross and I don't have a preference.) Let's be honest, we wouldn't even know what to do with a boy at this point. 

It's been a rough few months. Every pregnancy is different for me and this one is no different. It was the earliest I've been sick. I took a test and the next day took the girls to play at the park. Girls and I were swinging and then I tossed my cookies. It came fast and furious and hasn't left yet. For a while anything apple or apple flavored was out, but now as long as they're granny smith apples, I'm in. I can't get enough orange juice. I love spicy and sour and there was one week I went to Chipotle 4 times and ate 5 burritos. Yes, that means one of those times I ate TWO. Often I'll walk into the kitchen and turn around and walk right back out. Poor Ross has been left to scavenge and the girls are eating anything they can get themselves: cheese sticks, fruit, bread, yogurt... Queen of nutrition and mother of the year right here.

The first few phone conversations with Dr, I had requested meds to help. It's really hard working with people when you're gagging all over yourself. Apparently there is a big lawsuit out over it so no doctor in the network will prescribe it. I did ask if I could sign a waiver and get it anyway, I figured all 3 of mine turned out okay with it, right? She said no, but at least she thought I was funny?

It has also been the most uncomfortable pregnancy thus far. (Yes, I'm well aware the babe only weighs an ounce or so right now, but still. I feel like my body kind of went, "Oh, we're pregnant? I got this! *POOF* Insta-belly." Sleeping is awful and I just feel massive.

We switched insurances earlier this spring, but the high risk specialists are with our current insurance. (Woo hoo!) I wasn't sure if I'd be sent to them right away, so I called and just had the gal put me with whatever OB. She's pretty great. Right now I'm just supposed to take it as easy as possible. I start shots to keep the babe in (my favorite) in 2 1/2 weeks. They're the same as last time, I'll go in every week for those. At 20 weeks I'll start going to the high risk specialists, too. I guess they're the best with ultrasounds, so they'll be monitoring me to make sure the shots are working and my body isn't trying to get the babe out now. I'm a really fun one.  

We're super excited. And terrified. Claire and Aoife make the best worst destructive team. From sneaking out of their rooms and destroying my make up, to decorating their room with wrapping paper and ribbon galore, and Aoife's poop strike, I'm a little nervous to give Tiegan a partner in crime and create another partnership. It'll be awesome. We just ordered another bunk bed set and I'm pretty pumped about it. 

Girls are excited and Claire often pokes my stomach and yells, "Mom! I can see the baby in your belly!" I don't have the heart to tell her it's mostly just squish, but if y'all could just hand me some orange juice and tell me I'm pretty, I'll love you forever. Technically I'm due at the end of June, but I'm expected to pop in May. It'll be different having a baby when there isn't snow out (hopefully) and it'll probably be warm enough to go out and do things with the newest nugget! Bring on the crazy. 

Our Farm Trip.

This was our third fall in Wisconsin. We've tried out a different farm each year, but we have yet to find one to call our Fall Home. We've liked different things about them, but wouldn't say we LOVE them. I know, bratty. But our Utah County loving Cornbelly's set the bar pretty high. 

This year we tested out Sutter's Ridge. It wasn't too far away and we know a lot of people that have been there before. I loved the farm shop and all of the goodies inside. The people lived up to the Midwest kindness standard, and the kittens were adorable.

We did a hay ride and the girls were extremely particular about which pumpkin to claim. Claire had been talking about pumpkins in school and taught us that when you put a face on a pumpkin, it is no longer a pumpkin. It is a Jack-O-Lantern. And sticking with tradition, she HAD to have a white one.

In the activity area, there was a place for kids to pump water and the water ran on a track with a rubber duck afloat. The idea was you do it at the same time and it was a rubber duck race. It was impossible to pull the older two away from the water. Fortunately, I got Tiegan interested in the kittens and she and I sat a while with them in the kitten barn.

Claire and Aoife loved leading the way through the corn maze and I have no idea how it happened, but we were in and out in probably 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure we trudged through somewhere we weren't supposed to. It worked out because after 15 minutes the grown ups are frustrated and done and the kids just want out.

 I can't believe it's already NOVEMBER!! It is just flying by!

 Our Next Adventures: 

• Claire turns 5
• Uncle Jake comes for a visit (Aoife SCREAMED when I told her, "I'm so excited! I can't wait to tackle JAKE!!!!!")
• Ross' Birthday
• Thanksgiving
• Tiegan's Birthday

And then it's Holiday time! It's going to go so fast! I just hope this weather lasts. I let the girls go outside without a jacket the other day. They set up the sprinkler and then got mad when I told them they couldn't play in it. Because if the weather is this nice in November, it's obviously summer. I gave them some Halloween candy and they did forgive me.

Next up: Claire's mermaid birthday party.

Bathroom Humor.

While my children are still young enough to not realize when I post stories about them on the internet for the entire world to read forever, I'm going to take advantage of it. They think the computer is for pictures and Skyping with Grandma, and that's about it. Maybe cute Youtube videos.

Claire's been really funny the past couple weeks. (And a little disclaimer, this one is all about poop.) A couple weeks ago our family got hit with sick bad. Claire got the worst of it. It started with vomiting every half hour for a day or so and then later developed to diarrhea from Hell. Really. Every 15 minutes. And while it's gross and sad, it's also hilarious when your children get it for the first time that they can recognize.

It was 3 AM and poor Claire had already soiled every pair of underwear she owns, but she was on the toilet again, holding it for dear life and sobbing, "What is happening?! Why is this happening to me?!" I thought for sure she'd be terrified to fart ever again for fear of what might happen instead. She has since named the symptom "water poops". When she was feeling better she proudly exclaimed, "Mom! I don't think I have the water poops anymore!" We've referred to them as that ever since.

Last week Claire and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. We were seated towards the front and enjoying sipping on our drinks, chatting, when she said she had to go to the bathroom. She is all about being independent and likes to go by herself. Since I could see the bathrooms from there, I obliged. I watched her walk around, and her little head disappeared behind the counter, and then I saw the Men's door open and close. I jumped up and ran over, cracked the door open and yelled that it was the wrong bathroom, the boy's bathroom. She yelled back, "It's too late, Mom. I'm already pooping!"

Of course a handful of gents decided they also had to go at that exact moment. One by one they each walked in, turned around, and walked back out. They were fantastic and completely understood. One guy even told me about how just last month he accidentally used the women's room because he was looking down at his phone. I wanted to tell him, "Yeah, but my kid is FOUR."

Anyway, after a few minutes, the door opened and Claire came waddling out the men's room and into the women's with her underwear up and pants around her ankles. I guess she just wanted to finish up in the right bathroom.

She had no shame. It didn't even phase her. It was fantastic. She's so great. And I hope she forgives me in 10 years when she finds out I told everyone all about it.

The BEST Creamy Dreamy Chicken Enchiladas.

One time, when I was pregnant with Claire, I made some great red beef enchiladas. They were great. But when I'm pregnant, I am ferociously sick. And those did not stay put. And I've never made red enchiladas ever since.

But I love enchiladas. I mean, who doesn't love something stuffed and smothered with sauce? Then I discovered white chicken enchiladas. At first I tried The Pioneer Woman's Recipe and then I decided to venture out. It took a couple tweaks to perfect the recipe, but we have this down pat. Honest to goodness the BEST white chicken enchiladas and no cream of anything soups. Not gonna lie, it's a little time consuming, but the steps are simple. And I like to make big batches so we have leftovers for forever. Because it takes more time than I care to spend cooking, I like to whip these bad boys up in the morning when I'm feeling super domestic and then just throw them in the oven a few minutes before dinner.

Here we go.

Creamy Dreamy (LOADED with Dairy) White Chicken Enchiladas: 

2 lbs frozen chicken breasts
butter
4 cans diced green chilies
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
flour
2 t. paprika
1 C. heavy cream
8 oz. cream cheese
Lots of Monterey Jack cheese (Shredded) -I buy a giant bag and use just about all of it.
tortillas


Start by boiling the chicken. It's not my favorite way to cook chicken, but it works really well for this. I'm all about efficiency so I toss frozen chicken in the pot and walk away to do something else while they cook.

When the chicken is cooked, save about 3 C. of the water for later. Shred the chicken and set aside.

(I like to rinse out the one pot between steps so I only have one mess) In a pot or THE pot, melt 1 T butter. Add the chopped onion and cook till sweating. Add in the chicken, 2 cans of diced green chilies,  1/2 C of the water from the chicken, 1/2 C heavy cream, and 1t paprika. Cook until bubbly and the juices have thickened slightly. I put my chicken mixture into a bowl and rinse out my pot for the next part.

Melt 2T butter. Add 2T flour and whisk until browned, thick, and bubbly. Add the rest of the reserved chicken water and cook until thickened. Add in the rest of the green chilies, cream cheese, 1/2 C heavy cream, 1-2t paprika (I go by color of finished sauce. I like it slightly pinky), and 3 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. The cream cheese might take a while to melt and mix completely. Just watch it and stir it occasionally.

While my cheese is melting, I prep my enchiladas. I take a small scoop of the chicken mixture, sprinkle it with the left over shredded cheese and roll it up. I can usually cram 8 or 9 in a 9X13 pan and put the rest in a smaller square pan until I run out of chicken goop. (Don't forget to check in and stir your cheese sauce!)

When the sauce is ready, slather that goodness all over the rolled tortillas. Drench it. And lick the spoon after.

If I make these at dinner time, I toss them in the oven at 350 for just a couple minutes until the tortilla edges are slightly browned and crisp. Or you can make them before and cook them at 350 for 15-20 minutes when you're ready to eat.  BAM. Creamy Dreamy Enchiladas with enough dairy in 'em to make the Wisconsin heart happy.

Life Lessons From My Three Year Old.

The other week our family was snuggled up on the couch just chatting. I was reminiscing about when Claire started school and I had asked the older girls what they wanted to be when they grow up. I guess I just love that unicorns are real and that Claire wants to be a mermaid when she grows up. Aoife had said that she wanted to grow up to be five.

Anyway, we were sitting on the couch talking and laughing about it and Ross decided to ask Aoife what she wanted to be again. He listed off different ideas and to each, she said no. She got a little more frustrated each time until she finally exploded, "I don't want to be any of those things! I just want to be Aoife!" Genius, right? I loved her little outburst.

Raising daughters terrifies me, but I am grateful that in the not quite four years of her life Aoife is confident in who she is and loves who she is and doesn't want to be anyone else. Loud and proud, she wants to be Aoife.

I am in awe when the girls announce "I'm so smart" or "I'm so strong" or "I'm so *insert positive adjective here*". They are determined, strong willed, sometimes stubborn, and still sweeter than sweet and I love it. There's something special about little girls. We love princesses, nail polish, and arguing about who gets to marry Daddy (apparently my time is limited), but we also love science and exploring and super heros and sports and trucks and learning.

I suppose I should be proud that in my 5 year parenting career my children are confident and happy and love themselves and each other. I consider that a success. The real challenge is not screwing that up. I feel like up until now I've only had to offer encouragement and keep them alive. Now the real task begins. And it is scary. Tips, tricks, and advice from mothers of amazing daughters is always welcome.

A Family History Through Corn Mazes.

I love fall. I love everything pumpkin, colored leaves, boots, apples, and corn mazes. Yesterday was our 6th wedding anniversary. Crazy, right? We got married in the morning, did pictures, and then the reception wasn't until later that night. We had a huge gap of time and so what did we do? What any normal person would do in October. We gorged on soup, salad, and breadsticks and then headed off to a corn maze. Looking back, I 100% wish I had done the maze in my dress.

Every year to celebrate, we go to a fall festival and do a corn maze. The soup, salad, and breadsticks is hit or miss, but we never miss a corn maze. It's become a family event, and one that I really look forward to each year. We've had so many adventures, and our family has changed a lot since then. Here's a look at the Loveland Fam over the past six years. I think when we got married both of us were embarrassed about taking pictures, so some are missing which I seriously regret. Luckily, I am shameless when it comes to snapping pictures so we'll never miss another!

The beginning: We're married!! 

Year 1: We were still embarrassed about picture taking, but this was close to that time. 

I was also super pregnant and didn't do a great job styling my extensions. 

Year Two: The first year of having a little tag-a-long for our anniversary adventure. 

Year 3: Aoife joined in that year. (She's in Ross' arm, hiding.)

Year Four: Aunt Ena came to visit us and joined in our fall fun. Our first fall in WI. 

*That's Aunt Ena in the picture. NOT me. 

Year 5: Mama Loveland was here with us this year and was our lovely photographer. And Tiegan came along! 

Claire was sick this past weekend, but Ross is taking Friday off for us to have a whole day of Fall fun to celebrate. We'll pick up the rest of the Halloween costumes, and venture off to a fall festival for our annual corn maze. We still do smaller things for just the two of us to celebrate. This year, Ross surprised me with my most favorite painting. Not gonna lie, I teared up looking at it, and I'm amazed that he remembered me talking about it so long ago. Here's to hoping I get acquainted with it and don't cry every time I see it. Ross got socks. Superhero and Hogwarts socks, but don't worry. He loves them and he's also getting some pictures.  Six years down and so much more to go. Adventure is out there!!

UW Dairy Cattle Center

Today we went with my Mom's Meetup group to the UW Dairy Cattle Center. One of the gals had arranged a tour for us. (Note: If you go, park in Lot 36. Parking is the main thing that holds us back from any campus activity. We parked way the heck away which wasn't too bad of a walk, but with 3 tired kiddos, the walk back was dreadful.)

Anyway, I knew the university had a dairy and we love going to watch them make ice cream and the cookies and cream is literally the best I've ever had, but I had no idea that there was a cattle center on campus! As we were walking over the bridge Claire asked, "What's that SMELL Mom?" -Cows. The gent that did our tour was so great with our littles. We had a handful of 2-3 year olds and then Claire got to come today, too. We started in a lobby area where we slipped on some shoe covers which are meant to protect the cows more than anything. He talked to us about the different cows and buildings and gave us lots of general information before we started the tour. None of us moms came from an agricultural background so we were clueless.

We walked in to where the cows are weighed when they arrived. All of the little girls liked running on the ramp. Then we got to see the cows. The University actually has 80 cows on campus. There are 700 cows in total, but most are kept at other study locations. Tiegan LOVES cows. She was so excited and squealed a lot. He talked to us for a while in front of the cows, but I can't remember what he said. I was too busy trying to keep my children from playing in their food.

Then we went and saw where they get the food and he talked about that for a while. It was super fascinating. He told us about food and it turns out the preparation has a big effect on how much milk the cows will provide. (Grinding vs. chopping) The cows are milked twice a day, and each gives off about 10 gallons of milk per day.(80-90 POUNDS of milk.) One of the gals gives 22 gallons per day.

Then we got to walk past the cows again and into another room where some of the cows are involved in different studies. And then we got to see where and how the cows get milked. You can actually come in at 4:30 to watch the cows get milked. They have a great viewing area, and since you aren't walking around the cows you don't need booties. They get milked from 4:30-5. He talked to us about the milking process and the system that scans their chips and will tell the students how much they weigh, how much milk they'll give, and how long it will take to milk to ensure the cow isn't over or under milked. He said it takes anywhere from 5-8 minutes to milk a cow.

We were a little short on time, our guide had a meeting right away, but usually he lets kids stick their hands into a cow's stomach and talks about the anatomy and how their stomachs work. I doubt any of the girls would have done it anyway. Maybe Aoife.

At one point during the tour, I thought Claire was sucking her thumb and I told her to stop. Turns out she was plugging her nose and whined a little when she stopped. "But mom, it's kind of stinky!"

It's so cool that the University has so much for kids and is so willing to give tours and show us all of the cool things! They didn't have any baby calves at the time, but he gave out his card so we'll be checking in and will definitely be back with those little babes arrive!

Frogs and Science.

It's been an eventful week. Earlier this week we caught frogs in the backyard. Aoife spotted the little guy and I quickly scooped him up. Everyone took turns holding it and loved it. Well, everybody except Claire. Towards the end she was in tears begging me to let it go. She was scared of it. Aoife was so tender with it and almost kissed it. Tiegan only squished him in her fist twice (He survived.) And eventually we let him go despite Aoife's pleas for a pet. It was the second one we've caught in our yard!

The next day we captured two caterpillars. Claire was the first to hold those and she proudly announced that caterpillars are her favorite animal. We had one fuzzy one and one squishy green one. Having a backyard is basically the greatest thing ever.

This morning, Aoife and I did some science together. She had a really hard time when Claire went to school. One day, Aoife was downstairs talking to me about breakfast because "I hun-gee Mama". Claire was upstairs getting dressed for school and made some comment about how excited she was to go to school. Aoife clenched her fists, stomped to the bottom of the stairs and yelled, "SHUT UP CLAIRE!!" She just misses her buddy and wants to go to school so badly, too.

Luckily, Mama Loveland was on top of it. She sent the girls a few outfits earlier, School outfits for Claire and some for the other two so they weren't left out. But later on she also sent a package just for Aoife. It had an opposites puzzle/matching game and a rainbow science kit!

 I love science. I've been saving it till the weather wasn't so awesome, but I couldn't hold off anymore. We broke out the kit this morning. We made rainbow milk, some colored paper, colored bubbles, and used a pipette to make lots of different colors. The kit has a ton more experiments for us to do later. Aoife especially loved using the pipette to measure and mix. She's very mechanically minded. I don't think she cared too much about making new colors so much as getting to squeeze it.  Honestly, it was a little frustrating. I wanted to do the experiments correctly and precisely and Aoife just kept reminding me, "I do it my SEWLF!"I suppose I can just play with it after the kids are in bed one night or something. Overall it was super fun and she seemed to really enjoy it. Whenever I was away cleaning up the previous experiment and getting the tools ready for the next she was singing an experiment song she made up. I'm sure when we pick up Claire later she'll say that we did experiments without Claire. We'll still working on not bragging and being kind.

FHE Week 3.

 Last night Ross taught the lesson for FHE. He gathered up the girls' piggy banks and tithing jars and some extra coins. The two oldest girls get $2.50 for allowance each week. It's not a lot, but we wanted to teach the girls about both saving and tithing. We have a giant tub for tithing that the girls toss their $0.25 into each week and the rest they get to put in their piggy banks and spend or save on whatever they'd like. A few months ago they bought their own shoes with the allowance they had saved up. I think Claire is currently saving for a Doc McStuffins Clinic truck.

Anyway, we talked about tithing last night. The girls usually get their allowance on Saturdays, but we had forgotten yesterday, so Ross had their allowance for that week out to give to them. Ross gave it to them and asked what the first thing we did was. We've been doing it for a while, so the girls knew that right away they threw one of their quarters into the tithing bucket. Claire shouted, "We tithe it!" I asked her what that meant. Right answer, but I wanted to see if she knew the WHY behind it.

Ross talked with the girls about our church building and temples and missionaries and how tithing money goes to help with that. He laid out 10 pennies and asked the girls if they had gotten 10 pennies, how many of those would go to tithing. (We pay 10% of everything we get to tithing.) He talked with the girls about how Heavenly Father gives us everything, so we give just a little bit back to Him to say thank you. He helped them fill out their tithing slips and place their tithes in the envelope. Aoife wanted to drive to Bishop's house right away instead of waiting till next Sunday.

Then we played with Legos until bed time. Aoife had made brownies, but they girls didn't finish dinner so Ross and I ate some after they went to bed. (Mean parents, I know.) I've really enjoyed doing Family Home Evening on Sunday. It's been the perfect end to the day.

Cinnamon Roll Casserole.

I promise this ins't turning into a food blog. But today's breakfast was too good to not share. Part of our Family Sabbath Day Plan is having breakfast together. Usually Ross gets the girls up and gets them cereal or bagels or whatever while I mozzy my way to the fridge and pop open a Diet Coke. Not bashing on cereal for breakfast. I love cereal for breakfast, but I wanted our Sabbath Day breakfast to be something to look forward to. And simple. I am not a morning person. The requirement of being exciting and simple is a tall order, I know.

Hence my Crock Pot love. I love everything about my crock pot. It is Heaven sent. And I love breakfasts. Breakfast in a crock pot? GOLDEN. I woke up at 5 to get these bad boys cooking and went back to bed until a reasonable hour. I could have started them the night before and just had the pot sit on "warm" until morning, but I wanted it hot and fresh. So...5 AM. Totally worth it.

Cinnamon Roll Casserole: 

• 2 or 3 12 oz tubes of cinnamon rolls. (I made with two, but next time I would do 3)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 C. Heavy whipping cream
• 3T Maple syrup
• 2t Vanilla
• 1t Cinnamon
• 1/4t Nutmeg

NIGHT BEFORE PREP: (highly recommend, but totally okay to do before throwing everything in the pot.  Bust open the cinnamon rolls and cut into quarters. I used scissors and just snipped them. Put in a bowl. Cover and keep in fridge.

In separate bowl, mix the eggs, cream, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and keep in fridge.

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO COOK: Spray your pot with cooking spray. Place just enough  cinnamon roll pieces to cover the bottom of the pot. (about half) Re-stir the egg mixture if prepped the night before. Pour liquid over the roll pieces. Use one of the icing packets to drizzle and save the other for later. Place remaining roll pieces on top.

Cook low 2 1/2-3 hours. I did mine on low for 2 and then high for the last half hour and it was awesome. I'm a texture person, so I needed to know the dough was 100% cooked. Drizzle the last packet of icing before serving.

BAM. Awesome breakfast. I used 2 roll tubes and it was plenty for our family of 5. We even had a little leftover. Next time I'd do 3 tubes so we can have more leftovers.

Model Rockets

I love Amy Poehler's Smart Girls.  It's something I stalk and just can't get enough of. Earlier last week she had posted about two girls sending a homemade ship to the edge of space. Aoife loved it and had the video on repeat.




Seriously, how cool is that?! It reminded me of making rockets with my dad when I was a kid and launching them. I decided it was time to introduce my daughters to rockets.

Shopping is crazy enjoyable with only two littles, since Claire is in school. Aoife and I ran to Hobby Lobby where I've scoped the rockets before. We picked out a kit that had the base and two rockets, grabbed a few different engines, the packing paper, and some plastic cement.

After we got Claire for school and had lunch, we set to building. I can only kind of comprehend how much excitement was packed in their small bodies. They were bursting and impatient, but we survived and built some cool rockets!

We're pretty pumped to blast these bad boys off, but we'll probably wait until tomorrow evening so Ross can join in. Hope these littles can hold out and wait till then!

Crock-pot Freezer Meals

Let me start off by saying that I am not a food blogger. I don't take pictures of my food, I don't love to cook, and my only passion for food is eating it. I used to enjoy cooking before I had children. Now every 5 seconds I hear, "Mama, I hun-gee." Granted, it's usually the sweetest "Mama" you've ever heard, but it gradually grows more and more impatient and demanding as the seconds between the statement and food in their tiny paws grow longer. 

So, I am not a food blogger. But I am pretty handy with freezer meals. My family survived off of them for probably a year after little #3 was born. With 3 kids in just barely 3 years, cooking was at the bottom of my to-do list. I love freezer meals. I spend an hour or two every couple weeks and whip these bad boys up so all I have to do it throw it in the pot, hit the time, and I'm done. Sometimes I get lazy and simply skip the freezing part and just dump everything in the pot for the day. Totally up to you. 

These are our tried and true family favorite freezer meal staples. Generally I shop at Costco for frozen chicken breasts, a couple whole chickens, and a 4 pack pork roast. Maybe some pork chops. Everything else I get from my favorite grocery store. Canned veggies I prefer to get from the organic/natural section: They just taste better in my opinion. Some of these are Whole30 since I did that for a while, some are Paleo, and some are just plain delicious. Unless otherwise noted, throw all ingredients in the bag (or pot) and call it a day. I'm all about minimal effort. 

1) Slow Cooker Carnitas: (Whole30/Paleo)

• -1 4lb pork roast 
• -2 C. Chicken broth or stalk 
• -4 Cloves garlic
• -2t. Chili powder
• -1t. Oregano
• -1/2t. Coriander
• -1t salt

Cook low for 8 hours or high for 4. Shred pork and we usually do this as a burrito salad, or tacos, or whatever your heart's content. 

2) Sweet and Sour Meatballs:

• 1 (16oz) pkg frozen fully cooked meatballs
• 1 onion - diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 (16-18oz) bottle sweet & sour sauce
• 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

Cook low for 4 hours or high for 2. Serve over rice. 

3)BBQ Cranberry Pork:

• Pork Roast
• 1 can cranberry sauce (We like the whole berry kind)
• 1 C. BBQ Sauce 

Cook low 6-7 hours or high for 4. We serve this with mashed potatoes with the cranberry sauce over the potatoes, too. 

4) Thai Peanut Pork: (Whole30/Paleo)

2 lb. boneless pork-chops

2 red bell peppers thinly sliced

⅓ cup soy sauce (Skip for Whole30/Paleo)

⅓ cup chunky peanut butter (Sub almond butter for Paleo/Whole30)

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 cup chicken broth 

3 tablespoons honey (Skip for Whole30)

2 cloves of garlic

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Cook low 5-6 hours. Serve with rice. Or salad. Or potatoes. You have options. (I usually make 2 of these because we like it so much.)

5) Chipotle Pork With Pineapple Coleslaw: (Whole30/Paleo) 

• pork roast, about 4 lbs
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (more if you like it spicy!)
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups chicken or beef stock
• 1 teaspoon all natural liquid smoke
• Optional serving toppings: avocado slices, freshly torn cilantro, bbq sauce
• For the pineapple coleslaw:
• 4 cups coleslaw
• ½ cup mayonnaise (Paleo/Whole30 mayo)
• 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups fresh pineapple
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

Cook low 8 hours or 4 hours. Prepare coleslaw. Shred pork. Serve with the coleslaw either on top or on the side. 

6) Slow Cooker Chicken: (Paleo/Whole30)

• 1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs.), rinsed and patted dry
•  2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
•  1  tsp. dried thyme
•  1 tsp. garlic powder
•  1 tsp. sea salt
•  1 tsp. paprika
•  1 tsp. ground black pepper
•  1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Place some quartered potatoes and baby carrots along the bottom the the pot. Add in chicken and other ingredients Cook low 6-8 hours. After, you can broil the chicken for 5-10 minutes if you like it brown and a little crisp. 

7) Taco Chili:

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
  1 medium onion chopped
  1 can corn drained
  1 can black beans drained
  1 can navy beans drained
  1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
  1 small can diced green chiles
  1 package taco seasoning

Cook low 4-6 hours. Break up ground meat and stir before serving. 

8) White Chicken Chili:

1 medium onion chopped

1 can chopped green chilies

2 cans white beans (drained)

2 t. cumin

2 t. chili powder

1 lb chicken 

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

2 C. Chicken stock

Cook low 4 hours. Shred chicken and stir before serving. 

9) Honey Sesame Chicken: 

1 lb chicken

1 cup honey

2 T sesame seeds

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

Cook low 4-5 hours. Serve over rice or as lettuce wraps.

10) Beef Stew: Paleo/Whole30)

1 large onion, diced

1 ½ lb lean stew meat

2 cups beef stock

1 ½  cups V-8 juice

⅓  cup barbeque sauce (Paleo/Whole30 BBQ Sauce) 

3 clove of garlic

1 lb carrots cut up

Cook low 8-9 hours or high 6 hours

11) Mediterranean Pork Chops: (Paleo/Whole30)

2 cups chicken broth

4 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp poultry seasoning

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

6-8 thick cut pork chops

Cook low 8 hours or high for 4. Serve with Salad, potatoes, whatever your heart's content. 

12) Balsamic Chicken:

 4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

2 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 

1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

Cook low 8 hours or high for 4. Serve over angel hair pasta. 

13) Cilantro Lime Chicken:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts

Juice from 2 limes

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp cumin

Cook low 8 hours or high for 4. We do this over a salad, or as tacos or burrito bowls. 

14) Creamy Chicken and Tomato Soup: (Paleo/Whole30)

8 skinless boneless chicken breast

2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

2 14 oz. can of coconut milk (full fat), shake before opening can to avoid separation

2 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and juice

2 cups of chicken broth

1 small can of tomato paste

1/2 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (The natural section has a great sauce that is all pureed veggies that we LOVE in this soup)

Cook low 9 hours or high for 5. Shred chicken and stir before serving. 

15) Red Beans and Rice:

1 pound red beans

7 cups water

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced

2 cans chicken broth

1-1/2 pounds sausage

2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning 

Cook High 7 hours and serve over rice. 

I'm sure we have more, but these are definitely our family staples. Generally I like to whip these all together at once and be set for a good while, but when life gets crazy, I just plan and shop for the meals that week . With school and work schedules, I love being able to throw one of these bad boys in and forget about it. Enjoy!!