Monday, September 28, 2015

sic'em for the day

Matt's birthday is tomorrow!! I always have the hardest time giving him gifts.  He's hard to buy for, mainly because he never had any ideas to give me, and he's impossible to surprise.  This time last week, I still had no idea what I was going to get him for his birthday.  He mentioned new boots, but again, I can't surprise him with those.  I'm not a cowboy boots kinda girl, so I wouldn't even know where to start.  He would have to pick those out.  

Tuesday morning, a friend on Instagram posted that she was selling Baylor Tickets to the game on Saturday.  My in-laws were already coming in town to see Pearson play soccer on Saturday, so I called my MIL to see if they would mind staying the rest of the day and watching the boys.  Of course they didn't mind.  I quickly swiped up the tickets.  I even asked her if I could pay her via Paypal so I could wait until after I surprised Matt.  I also had them overnighted to my neighbor's house just so there was no chance he could accidentally find out.  

Friday night we went to dinner with Matt's parents and I gave him a birthday card.  I told him I had a little early birthday present for him.  He thought I had gotten tickets for us to go see "War Room" since I had been wanting to go see it! Much to his surprise they were even better tickets.  He was COMPLETELY surprised and totally stoked.  He immediately texted a few friends……all of which already knew!! Ha!!

We got Grammy & Grandaddy and the boys all squared away at Pearson's soccer game and then we headed out.  It's a 2.5hr drive to Waco and we wanted to allow plenty of time to park and experience game day in Waco.
 We ended up parking in downtown Waco and took a shuttle to McLane Stadium.  The stadium is beautiful.  Matt was just in awe of what a game day looked like in Waco now.  He said he couldn't even begin to describe the difference from when he was a student (back when BU wasn't any good).  I'm thankful I got to go to a school where game days were similar to this atmosphere.  Kyle Field is definitely a fun place to be on game days.  
 We visited with some friends at a tailgate, grabbed some Vitek's BBQ, and a Steel City Pop then headed into the stadium.  Our seats were super high, like the third row from the top, but it isn't bad at all.  I had heard that there isn't a bad seat in the stadium, and it's true.
We actually enjoyed being really high up because that overhang you see in the picture kept us in the shade the entire game.  About 10 rows ahead of us was in the complete sun the entire game.  
 Although I really don't care about Baylor football, I did enjoy watching some of the game.  They won 70-17 so there was lots of scoring.  To bad we weren't at an Aggie game because Matt would have gotten lots of kisses from his date! It was a nice day to get away and spend the day with the one I love.  He was a happy camper since we was with his love watching the game/team he loves!!
 We ended up walking back to our car from the stadium.  We worked up a nice appetite so we stopped at Torchy's Taco before we headed out of town.  I also sipped on a Sic'Em Margarita (mango & lime).  So good!!  We are getting a Torchy's in Tyler any day now.  We are so excited for it to open up!
 We got back around 9:30pm……just in time to see A&M win in overtime!!  

A big thanks to Grammy & Grandaddy for loving on our boys all day so we could get away for Matt's birthday surprise!!

meal planning monday

Monday: Stromboli

Tuesday: Cheesy Enchiladas, Rice & Beans

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Chili Cheese Dogs & Fries

Friday: Spaghetti & Meatsauce, Roasted Green Beans, & Garlic Knots

Saturday Breakfast: Pigs in a Blanket

Saturday Lunch: Boys on their own!!

Saturday Dinner: Crockpot Pork Tacos

Sunday Lunch: Frito Pie

Sunday Dinner: Out

Thursday, September 24, 2015

fire station #9

Wednesday morning we had our first MOPS playdate.  A group of 15-20 moms and twice as many kids all met up at the Tyler Fire Station #9.  
Pearson has seen a fire truck up close and personal a few times, but this was Nash's first experience.  
 He was mesmerized by everything in the fire station!!
 A few times while the firefighter was talking and showing us stuff, Nash would yell out, "Woooooowwwww!"
 The fireman that showed us around did an excellent job of showing us all the details of the truck.  Some of it was definitely over the preschoolers heads, but I really enjoyed all the info he had to share.  When I taught Kindergarten, we always had a fireman come and talk to our kids, but we never got a "tour" of the truck.  So this info was all new to me!
 Some of the littles ones weren't so interested in the talk and just turned the back of the firetruck into a drum! A very expensive drum.  Did you know firetrucks cost at $650,000?? 
The fireman told us that a firetruck is basically a big tool box.  They have all sorts of tools all over the truck.  It was neat to see it all.  
 Here Nash is again, totally mesmerized by it all. 
 After the tour of the truck, the fireman put on all of his gear.  
 I kind of felt sorry for him having to put it all on because it sure looked hot, but I'm thankful he did because it was really good for the kids to see what a firefighter looks like totally dressed up.  
 He talked to the kids about safe places to go if their house ever caught on fire and he reminded him that he might look scary, but he wasn't a scary person at all.  Firefighters are here to help us!!
 Before we headed out, all the kids got to walk through the firetruck.  This made Pearson's day.  In fact, he thought it was so fun that he did it twice!
Nash got a little distracted while walking through and the fireman had to scoot him out!!  I'm sure there was way too much stuff that he could have gotten into in there!!
 What a fun morning exploring the fire station and firetruck with our MOPS group!!

Monday, September 21, 2015

meal planning monday

Monday: Spicy Sausage Pasta, Green Beans & Garlic Knots

Tuesday: Crispy Chicken Tender Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches & Chips

Thursday: Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Corn & Biscuits

Friday: BLT's, Chips & Fruit

Saturday Breakfast: Homemade Donuts

Saturday Lunch: Pizza

Saturday Dinner: Tortilla Soup & Cheese Quesadillas

Sunday Lunch: Frito Pie

Sunday Dinner: OUT

Sunday, September 20, 2015

happy birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to me!  I turned 31 this year!! 
 All three of my boys made me feel so special.  
 They spoiled me with a new pair of boots, a new pair of running shoes, and a racquet and jog shirt!
After church, we went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch, then I treated myself to a Sonic drink and a grocery shop trip all by myself, and then we used my birthday coupon for a free sandwich at Firehouse Subs for dinner! 

What a great day!  Here's to being 31!!

Saturday, September 19, 2015

July Catch-Up

Still playing catch up from this summer!!
Here's what we were up to in July!!

Sprinkler Fun



A Trip to See Pops

Nash Eats Yogurt!

July at Baylor Institute for Rehab
{coming later}


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Who's Coming to Dinner??

I'm linking up today with Andrea for her Show and Tell Tuesday.  
I thought her prompt today was kinda fun!!

If I could have five people over for dinner at my house who would I invite??
My list is quite random, but they are all people that I just really love!! They are all girls, so this would definitely be an EPIC girls night!!

First, I would invite Taylor Swift.  Taylor would be the entertainment of the night.  She would put on a mini concert for us and it would be awesome!!
Next up, and probably the most important for a dinner party would be, Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman).  I would have her come over early so she could help me prepare something yummy for dinner!!
It also wouldn't be a diner party with some decorations, so I would call up Joanna Gaines, from Fixer Upper to help me decorate for the party and also we could talk all about what we could do my new house that needs some desperate decorating!!
Ellen DeGeneres would be next up on my list.  We definitely don't see eye to eye on quite a bit of things, but we have to all admit that she is HILARIOUS!!! For the first 3 years of my Stay at Home Mom career, I watched her show religiously.  I haven't watched it in about a year and I miss it!!  Not only is she hilarious, but she is kind and generous too.  I know that she would make us all laugh at my dinner party, but also inspire us to be kind to one another and give to those in need. 
And last on my list, but definitely not least would be Angie Smith.  I have followed her for quite a few years now.  Her testimony is amazing.  She is such a strong believer with a beautiful heart.  I have heard her speak at a conference and she is so funny and so real.  Maybe she and I could share Jesus with Ellen!! Wouldn't that be awesome??
So there you have it.  
This would definitely be a fun girl's night!!!

Monday, September 14, 2015

meal planning monday

Monday: Chicken Drumsticks, Cracker Barrel Potatoes, & Broccoli Salad

Tuesday: Leftover Soup

Wednesday: Meatloaf Meatballs, Mac N Cheese, & Broccoli

Thursday: Matt: Spicy Sausage Pasta Us: Dallas

Friday: Pizza

Saturday Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls

Saturday Lunch: Birthday Party

Saturday Dinner: Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, & Green Beans

Sunday Lunch: Out for my Birthday!

Sunday Dinner: Out for my Birthday!

Saturday, September 12, 2015

date night tyler style

Four months without a real date is way to long.  Our last Parent's Night Out in Dallas was May 1st.  A date night was long over due here in Tyler.  Green Acres Baptist does a similar thing as The Heights but they call their Kid's Night Out.  We signed up the boys for their Football Frenzy night, paid our $20 and had a night out on the town!  I asked my MOPS group for recommendations of restaurants that were unique to Tyler.  Most of the suggestions included Villa Montez.  The restaurant is a beautiful old house that sits up on a hill.  It's a Latin American restaurant, which is right up our alley because we love Gloria's!!
I started with a Raspberry Mojito and Matt had a Dos Equis.  
We chose Queso Fundido as our appetizer.  Different from your average queso, but delicious.
Matt ordered the Carne Asada which came recommended by a friend and I chose the Margarita Shrimp which was recommended by our server.  I think we both made excellent choices.  
Looking forward to many more date nights and trying out new restaurants in Tyler with this guy!!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

10 on 10 {september 2015}

It's been a while since I have done a 10 on 10, but I'm back!! I love looking back at my old 10 on 10 posts so I decided it was time to start doing them again.  

Here's how our 10th went……

Nash man actually slept in a little this morning and woke up at 7:45!
 My new favorite breakfast is fried eggs and toast.  I have always loved fried eggs, but I could never flip them.  My grandma has made them for me recently a few times while I stayed with her and she shared her trick……coconut oil! It makes flipping them so easy!!
 The boys had school from 9:30-1:00 but the still managed to squish in making a mess before we left the house.  
 Everyone was all smiles for the second day of school. 
**Sidenote: We are parked in the parking lot and Pearson had just unbuckled his top buckle.  I get so irritated when people post picture of their children not properly buckled in their seats.  I just had to make sure you knew we were parked and that he was probably buckled! Safety first!!
 While the boys were at school, I ran a few errands including some couponing trips at CVS and Target, a trip to the bank to get some paperwork notorized, and a trip to At Home to buy these beauties.  My pantry is much smaller in our new house so I wanted a pretty way to put my sugar and flour out on the counter so it wouldn't take up space in my pantry.  I love my new canisters and my chicken wire basket!!
Before I picked up the boys from school, I treated myself to my favorite lunch at Panera…...BBQ chicken salad and a Sierra turkey sandwich.  Matt's sister gave me a Panera gift card for my birthday!!
 After school, I lay Nash down for his nap immediately and then Pearson and I watch a show and eat a snack together before he lays down at 2pm.  Today he chose DinoTruks on Netflix.  If you have boys and aren't watching this show, you need to be! It's great.  Construction trucks meets dinosaurs…..it's genius!!
 Nash woke up a little bit before Pearson was allowed to get out of his bed so I got to spend some alone time with this crazy bed head boy!!
 Somehow Pearson got his finger smashed in the baby gate after rest time, but that didn't stop him from reading his books.  This kid loves to read.  And when I say read, I mean read……not just looking at the pictures.  It amazes me how well he reads for a 4 year old.  
 After dinner and baths we all hung out in the playroom and played Candyland!!
 Our days may not be anything special, but I wouldn't trade these days with all my boys for anything.  They make an ordinary day feel extraordinary!!

Happy 10th!!

Linking up with Rebekah Gough

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

1st Day of School {2015-2016}

I can almost guarantee that I will say this every year…….
but i just can't believe I have a Pre-K-er.  

I'm not sad at all when a new school year starts because I know how excited Pearson is to go to school. He loves school and he loves to learn!!  And this former Kindergarten teacher loves that he has a passion for learning!!

It wouldn't be first day of school pics without a few outtakes.  This kid hates to take pictures.  He's almost harder to take pictures of than Nash!!
Pearson got a new backpack this year to reflect his new favorite sport.  
And now for my baby. Can I even call him that now that I'm sending him off to preschool.  If we were still living in Wylie, I was only going to be putting him in Mother's Day one day a week.  The times and drop offs for two different schools was going to be too crazy so I just decided to put them both in the same school to make my life easier.  
He is the absolute youngest in his class.  They start taking kids at 18 months and he turned 19 months yesterday.    I think he will really enjoy being at school two days a week.  He is just going to be pooped when I pick him up.  School is out at 1pm and he can barely stay awake at home until 1pm.  I'm hoping for nice long naps on Tuesday/Thursday!
And of course, here are a few outtakes of my silly little runner.  He will not sit still for pictures at all!!
Since Pearson got a new soccer backpack, we passed down his baseball backpack to Nash.  He loves balls and especially loves throwing them, so the theme fits him well!! It cracks me up how big it is on him.  He loved walking around with it!!
Oh this picture cracks me up!! It's like they are looking at each other say, "Watch out Oak Tree Academy…..here come the Link boys!!"
Hope these two squirts don't cause too much trouble for their teachers!
I was a little bummed that that their school this year didn't start until 9:30, but I needed every extra minute this morning to get two boys ready for school instead of one.  I am going to be up a creek next year when we have to be ready for school by 7:45.  The picture below is in front of their school, and it's literally the only picture I got of them this morning.  Thank goodness we took all our other "first day of school" pictures last week.  I started taking our first day of school pictures before the actual first day a few years ago and it was a grand idea! It was just too hard for me to fit it in our crazy morning schedule.  We can take as long as we need to get good pictures because we aren't in a hurry to get to school!!
Room 9 is in for a treat having my sweet, smart Pearson!!
He knew just what to do when he got in his room.
 He's got this!!  He's going to have a great year!! 
And room 4 is better be ready for lots of laughs and love from my silly little love bug Nash!
 While a few kids were still crying, he ran straight to the kitchen and started playing.  
 I peeked on him once more before I left and he was happily playing.  He's going to have a great day!!
I can't believe how much he has grown since last years first day of school.  
It just blows my mind each year how much he grows up!
Pearson had his very first day of school at 15 months and Nash is 19 months, but here are both of their first day of school pictures!
Here's to a new school year at a new school in a new city.  
We are going to make it a great year!!