Nathan....6 month pic...how can this BE???

I just cannot bring myself to say my little baby boy is 6 months old.

 What in the world have I been doing for 6 months?

(Oh yeah...changing diapers, cooking, nursing, potty training....etc)

He is so handsome.

I took these last night.

The ones where he is sitting up were quick pics.

Philip would hold him, let go, I would take the pic, then P would catch him.

Little booger (talking about Nathan)

Ok so Philip can be a booger too.

He is weighing in at 21 lbs, 28 inches and he has a big head.

100 % on the charts for his head.

I dont mind.

Its the cutest little baby boy head I have ever seen!

he started eating solid foods this week...sweet potatoes.

Ill post those pics soon too.

Meanwhile...here is a little glimpse into picture time.

My favorites wouldnt upload, so I will try again when P gets home!

Oh he is so precious to me!

He does have a big head huh? haha!

He's a big boy!

Gotta protect his sisters :) 

comfort food...im a sucker

So when it turns cold I get in the mood for warm foods and sometimes they arent so healthy.
I was trying to figure out what to have for dinner last night and found some potatoes my mom gave me because she had too many.
free potatoes? I have to use them!
So I made this for dinner last night...easy on the budget too! YUMMO! :)

Easy potato soup

We dont eat a lot of white potatoes....and a major reason is because I do not like to peel them. And generally we like sweet potatoes better.

I take 5-6 potaoes the size of my fist. Scrub, peel and cut up into fairly large chunks.
Add some water (do not cover the potatoes completely) and bring to a boil.
Continue to cook for about 20 minutes
add 1 cup of milk
add 1/4 onion finely chopped
add lots of black pepper
dried parsley or chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional if you dont have either)
add 2-3 cloves minces garlic
add a little salt

conitnue to cook on medium for about 30 minutes.

Its fantastic. we love it and its comforting and warm and its a good healthier meal for the cooler days!

Hope you like it!

We are loving the weather today...cloudy with some rain and a cool breeze. Yay for fall!

Guest post at The Domestic Wannabe!

I am excited to be a part of the series "A Day in the Life" over at

http://www.thedomesticwannabe.blogspot.com/

Check out her awesome blog and be encouraged!

Mommy "Possible" Williams

Yesterday Philip asked Brooklyn...

"Brooklyn, what is mommy's name?"

"Mommy, possible, Williams" she said.

We just couldnt quit laughing.

What a silly girl...trying to be serious :)

I am LOVING how my girls say and do things like that.

Which reminds me, I have got to start writing more of those down!

Speaking of "possible"...

This little handsome guy is 6 Months old now.

Ummm 6 months.

How is that possible???

This is what I get to look at all day long...

boy...I sure do have it made :)

Budget friendly dinners...

I have written a few posts but havent actually published them.
I got distracted...three kids. You know...

I have really been trying to stretch our budget and be creative with our meals.
So if you are needing some help with the same, maybe this will help out a little.

Each week I buy a whole chicken.
Meal#1
crockpot the whole chicken for 8 hours
season with onions, garlic cloves, pepper, and salt
sides=steamed broccoli, corn on the cobb, and black eyed peas

(After dinner, I take time and pull all the chicken off of the bones, not fun, but I do it)

Meal#2
fajitas
one green bell pepper, half an onion
1 cup chicken from last night
taco seasoning packet OR I like to use a little salsa to mix in with the onion, pepper, and chicken
cook in a skillet for about 15 minutes
serve with corn tortillas, grated cheese, and any other toppings you like

Meal#3
Chicken spaghetti
Use the rest of the chicken you have and mix with 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti (cooked), one bell pepper, 1/4 onion chopped, pepper, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and about 6 oz grated cheese.
cook in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
serve with salad!

We usually eat a version of these three meals each week.
How can you beat that? A whole chicken feeds the four of us for three meals!
We do not generally eat red meat, so if we eat meat it is chicken or fish.

Hope this can help you spread the grocery dollars a little bit. :)
Ill share more soon...

OH! Dont forget to strain the chicken broth out of the chicken! Freeze it later for soup or for cooking!
Yummo!

It's a Little Wild and a Little Strange...

So Philip and I usually watch some kind of TV show after we put the kids to bed.

Usually it's something recorded on the DVR like "The Office" or "19 Kids and Counting"

(Yes, I am strangely fascinated with the Duggars!)

Lately we have revisited our preteen-early teen years.

Do you remember the show "Hey, Dude"?

You know...the theme song starts out

"It's a little wild and a little strange...when you make your home out on the range."

Early 90's.

Philip and I both thought it was the coolest show ever.

Well...we have been watching it every night for the past week.

How cool are we?

I couldn't find a great pic...but maybe this one will help bring you back down memory lane.

Bringin' back the 90's baby...bringin' it back.

A little acccountability...

I am writing this post as sort of an accountability post.

Before kids I was a decent normal weight, size, etc.

post kids...Its just not that way.

permanent stretch marks on my belly (and thighs).

A little more "junk in the trunk" (ive heard that term a lot recently)

back pain

wider hips

bags under the eyes

etc

however, I do feel so sad that I am not as healthy as I could be.

My body is interesting because after each baby...I lost all the weight I gained within four weeks.

Im talking 52 lbs with Natalie

35 lbs with Nathan

(With Brooklyn I never wanted to know the lb number)

My metabolism kicks into high gear postpartum...its nuts.

Since losing my weight with Nathan...I have gained 7 lbs back.

Thats 7 pounds above PRE pregnancy weight.

How can this be??
Im nursing and burning crazy amount of calories that way.

Ive been running for a couple of months now.

(I am now more consistent)

The scale is not budging.

I have thyroid issues but according to the Dr...my hormone levels are not easy to read because I am nursing and still in the postpartum stage.

(Nathan is only 4 months old)

So my thyroid problems are still up in the air...

and apparently I have to wait 6 months longer to see what direction (treatment)

the Dr wants to take.

Still not sure about that whole thing.

Anyways...
I am super excited and motivated to get into the best shape possible for ME.

I am not interested in being model thin or superbody builder.

I want to be healthy.

For myself

for my kids

for my husband

and mostly because God gave me this body to take care of and

I feel sooo thankful that I have the resources to make it healthy!

What are you doing to keep yourself healthy?
I would love to hear...maybe you can think of something I am not thinking of.

the only thing I can think that I am lacking...and out of my control...is sleep.

I know I do not get enough sleep.

Maybe one day :)