#1 of 51 - 2017

Did you guys read my post about my goals for 2017?  Well I am doing great at them, the one week it has been, and today I am sharing with you my first new recipe of 2017.

We eat a ton of the same things, over and over again.  Partly because we are busy and partly because I am picky and do the cooking.  We were both excited to start new recipes and this one was no disappointment.

The first new recipe of 2017 that we tried was homemade Chicken Chow Mein! :)  Now, I don't ever eat chow mein but Ryan loves it and it looked simple, easy and most of all, yummy!

The recipe was simple and we could make any modifications we wanted.  We used Angel Hair pasta and pan seared chicken breasts.  We couldn't find a vegetable mix that we both liked so we just opted out of the veggies for the first time.

This was by far a delicious and easy recipe that made a ton of food for a really great price!  We saved half of it for another meal and will be adding it to our rotation for sure!  Next time we will add some veggies that we both agree on to add some more nutrients to it.

Goals for 2017

2016 was great to our family, we added Eric and spent some great time together.  But it wasn't the best year.  We had a lot of trials and tribulations that made us struggle and made us stronger of course.

For 2017, I want to do everything possible to help our family THRIVE...not just survive!

Our goals for 2017 might be extreme, but if we can achieve them, I think it will get us one step closer to our ultimate goal as husband/wife, parents, a family...THRIVING!

I plan on doing monthly updates to keep myself accountable and fill you all in on how we are doing.  I also am hoping that this means I will keep up with blogging more err, better too.

Are you ready to hear our goals?

1. Pay off $25,000 in debt by 12/31/2017
     Now I know that this number is probably really scary and you are already thinking that we are crazy, and we might be just a little, well I might be at least.  But I really think we can do this, if we put our hearts and minds to it.  Like I mentioned above, 2016 was hard on us with some things and we didn't do well on paying off debt due to these things, but with all of this debt we won't be able to thrive.  In order to achieve this goal we will have to pay $490 per week for the rest of the year or $2,083.33 every month of 2017.  When it is written out, it is scary.  I won't lie.  Typing those huge numbers is overwhelming and would make any one quit for good reason, but you see, I want to thrive more than anything with my family!  We chose to have these little boys forever and I want to be able to provide them with the best lives possible and all this debt we have just will not help us do that.  Right now we have approximately $342,500 in total debt with $37,500 of that being revolving debt ::debt that we don't have a set amount to pay like cars and mortgages::  If we can pay off that $25,000 in the next 51 weeks we will only have about $12,000 total to achieve for 2018 and then we can focus on cars and house and college funds more!  I know it seems scary and really unattainable, but I am ready!

2.  Keep a constant $1000 in savings for emergencies
     I have always tried to make this a thing for us, but an emergency comes up and we need the money and then one thing after another happens and we never end up being able to put the money back.  I want to get $1000 for emergencies in our savings account in the next 3 months.  I realize that this will put us back on paying off the debt as mentioned above, but without a small buffer of $1000, if we have an emergency we will end up putting it on a credit card which will only increase our debt listed above.  I'd rather buckle down harder for 9 months after getting the emergency money then not have it at all.  For the next 3 months we will need to put $333.33 in a savings account each month.  Completely doable!

3.  Eat dinner at home minimum 5 nights per week
     We love to eat out but with 2 adults and 1 toddler, currently, ordering meals our average meal out costs us at least $40 every time!  We have been known to eat out up to 3 nights a week which is about $120!  That's insane!  If we didn't eat out at all for one month where we were averaging 3 meals out per week that would equal $480 saved!  That's over the amount we need for one month to put into savings to get us to our $1000 emergency fund goal and almost half of what we need to be paying towards debt to reach our $25,000 debt pay off goal!  It amazes me how fast it can all add up and I know that if we just start by eliminating at least 1 night out per week we will be that much closer.  I am not going to say that we aren't going to ever eat out, but we need to make better decisions on which restaurants we choose and what we order.  We need to not order sodas/teas or alcohol at all as those are huge money wasters while eating out!  Also, Caleb rarely eats while we are out so we need to think more about just ordering a bigger portion for one of us and splitting it with him rather than ordering him his own meal for an average of $7.  We have set a rule for eating dinner at home, or someone else's home ::we are talking to you parents :) :: 5 nights per week for the next year.

4.  Make 1 new recipe per week
     I tried this a while back and it really worked and I even blogged about the new recipes until I got "too busy" or "forgot" about it.  But with our goal of eating at home 5 nights per week and the fact that Ryan can only stand my tacos probably twice a month along with my other go-to meals, we are going to need to come up with new recipes.  My MIL got me an awesome Crock Pot Cook Book for my birthday and Pinterest is always a good option for finding new recipes.  With this, I am also hoping that I get back into blogging the new recipes each week and let you know which good ones we have found or what modifications we will make for the next time, or if there won't be a next time :)

5.  Meal Plan
     I am a terrible meal planner.  Well I shouldn't say I am a bad meal planner, I should say that I have a harder time sticking to the plan.  We are a busy family of 4 and we both drive a lot during our day and coming home to cook for 30+ minutes isn't always going to work for us.  I am hoping that by having new recipes and utilizing my crock pot more that I will be able to plan out our meals each week and stick to the plan!  The other hard part about this for me will be the grocery shopping.  I am going to have to either plan for 2 weeks at a time or make sure I have time to go to the store each and every Saturday/Sunday,  We always say we will buy groceries for 1 or 2 weeks at a time and then by the time that time frame comes up we stretch it another week or so and it throws everything off.  This is where sticking to the plan will really come into play, and hey!  Maybe it will mean I get some solo shopping time??  Even if it is only for groceries.  LOL

6.  12 days of no spending per month
     Have you guys ever gone on spending freezes?  The point is to not spend any money on anything but essentials ::i.e. gas and bills::  Well I have talked and talked to Ryan about it and we finally agreed that every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we will not spend money on anything that isn't essential.  Now that doesn't mean that Ryan gets to not like what I packed him for lunch on Tuesday and instead buys lunch, that's not essential!  I don't have an option for food at my work so readily so spending money on snacks and such isn't a big thing for me, but with Ryan working out of his truck all day every day he has more temptation to pick up a drink here or a cheeseburger there.  My tricky part will come into play with Target.  We all know that I love a good Saturday morning Target run and although Saturday isn't a "frozen" day, I don't need to be going to Target just to go while we are trying to achieve these goals.  I figure that by doing the freeze 12 days per month we should save about $100-$150 per month!  That money should all go to bills and paying down the debt!

7.  1 craft with the kids per month
     All of my goals for 2017 don't have to be such downers - LOL!  I really want to start doing the crafts that I pin with the kids!  Caleb is finally getting to an age where he doesn't mind finger painting and Eric will do anything as long as there is food waiting for him!  I want to be able to have these memories to hang around my house and give out to family members as little gifts from the boys.  12 projects isn't too much to achieve right?

8.  Date my husband once a month
     If you have been around you will know that we used to do this right after we had Caleb and it was amazing!  A fun night where we didn't have to wait for a table to fit a high chair or we could go to a movie or loud bar and not worry about the kids.  I miss these days and as it will be more difficult now that we have 2 kids that will need to be watched, I am determined to make this a high priority.  I want to continue to date my husband, it is essential for us to thrive in our marriage, for our kids and our goals.  This goal will be one of the harder ones to achieve due to our crazy schedules and obligations, but I am determined to do it, even if it just means running up the street to get ice cream for 30 minutes one night.  I plan on finding us cheaper dates to go on and to utilize any and all gift cards so that we don't jeopardize our debt goal for this one.

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8 Goals for 2017.  Completely doable if we set our hearts, minds and souls to them.

I heard someone say on Tuesday that in order to achieve your "resolutions" or goals you need to have discipline, not motivation.  Motivation will die, but discipline to stay motivated and complete your goals is what it is going to take.  It resonated so deeply with me and I have told myself this at least 100 times since hearing it.

I am disciplined enough to stay motivated all year long.  I see the end result and that is THRIVING!  I will do whatever it takes to provide the best life for my family and 2017 will be the making of a great rest of our future.

I hope you set some goals for 2017 whether it be personal, family or business.  Having goals is a great thing.  Some may see it as a way to realize your failures at the end, but for me, it is a great thing to keep working towards.  If you don't have an end to try and reach, you won't ever take the first step to get there.

Keep up with your goals and come back each month when I update you on how ours are going!

My Boys Are Enough

This wasn't exactly how I pictured blogging again for the first time in a very long time, but this has been bothering me so much over the past year and seems to be coming up a lot more often now.

I don't know if this will resonate with many, or anyone for that matter, but I'm sure I'm not the only parent feeling this way.

"Are you going to try for a girl?"

I don't know about you, but I definitely don't feel like this is the first thing I would ask a parent.  True, I am often curious about other people's families and how they decide their quantity and what not, but just that.  Quantity, not gender!  

I have multiple friends who have either all girls or, like me, all boys and the only thing I ever think about asking any of them is if they want more kids.  I don't understand the world's, err society's, obsession with having children of both sexes.  Why does it really matter?

I remember the second I announced that I was pregnant with Baby E, people just instantly asked if I was hoping for a girl?  Hoping?  Doesn't that make it sounds terrible if you say yes and it turns out to be the opposite?  Then you are disappointed right?  I never hoped for a boy or girl with Baby E.  I really hoped for a healthy baby that stayed in my belly as long as s/he could.  

I hate that now that we have two boys, people think that it is okay to say we need to try for a girl.  Do you all realize that it is a 50/50 chance?  And science fact: it's not up to me!

And if we are being honest.  I would have a million babies, okay maybe not a million, but you get it.  I would pop babies out until God decided I couldn't anymore, but I don't think we would ever get a girl and that would be just fine with me.  

I feel like I was meant to be a #boymom.  I might not know what I am doing yet and I definitely don't know how I am going to handle puberty and all of the testosterone and smells, but I know that I will figure it out.  

I know that I will embrace all of the macaroni necklaces instead of pretty beads.  

I will embrace the rocks and worms as treasures instead of baby dolls and tea parties.  

I will love watching my boys learn to hunt and fish and provide for their future families from my amazing husband.  

I will be perfectly happy with my boys for the rest of my life.

My Boys are enough for me and that should be enough for you to accept.  

So next time you see a parent with all boys or all girls, instead of asking if they are going to continue to try for the other, why not just ask if they want more kids or if their family is complete?

Our No Good Very Bad Monday

So let's set the scene.  Sunday night we decided that Ryan would take the boys to my mom's house in the morning.  I got the bag of clothes ready for him to take with him and we put the boys to sleep.  Ryan is infamous for putting Caleb in whatever for jammies, so Sunday night he was wearing blue and white checkered shorts with a Spiderman t-shirt, don't worry, this will come back into play.

Monday morning comes around and I go to work, Ryan was awake and I was off.  He originally planned on having the boys to my mom by 7am.  I get a text at 7:08am asking what time Caleb starts school.  I knew something was off, and he just reassured me that he was just running a couple minutes late, no big deal.

Fast forward to him getting to my mom's house at 7:30.  He forgot the bag of clothes!  So luckily Caleb has his backpack for school which has an extra outfit in it and his shoes and socks.  Well this extra outfit is a pair of shorts that are about 7 sizes too big for Caleb and a gray shirt with a neon green dinosaur on it.  My mom tries her best to get him dressed, but the shorts just won't stay on.  So he is now wearing his blue and white checkered shorts and his gray and green dinosaur shirt.  Such a boy outfit, right?

So my mom is running late after trying to get Caleb dressed and both boys fed breakfast and when she gets to school, what day is it?  That's right, PICTURE DAY!  Worst mom ever, I completely forgot that it was picture day and now my kid is a complete mess with an outfit that completely doesn't go together.

To make things better, Caleb refused to take the picture unless my mom stayed with him, so my kid has his first school picture with his Mima holding him!!!!

And as if that could be the worst of it, he got sent home with the wrong shoes on!  Which, doesn't bother me, but the shoes he got sent home with were much nicer then his so I know I would be upset if it was the other way around. LOL

Our no good very bad Monday is over though and once we get that adorably embarrassing school picture back, I will be sure to plaster it everywhere!

Family Pictures September 2016

I can't believe that it is that time of year again.  The time of year that you start thinking about Christmas cards and picking out outfits that all go together but don't look too matchy matchy... am I right?

This year was no different, except it was completely different.  This year I had to dress two children and a hubs and myself.  Talk about some pressure.  Oh and the fact that I completely procrastinated until the night before/morning of.

We met up with the amazing LG at a local park and she started snapping away.  It's a good thing she is a mama herself because Caleb was absolutely disastrous!  It was dinner time and he didn't nap too well beforehand, so I am completely amazed that we got any good shots.

I would have loved a few more location changes or poses, but I am completely in love with what we did get.  LG did an amazing job as always, and if you live in the Sacramento area, please let her take pictures of your family!

Now to the photos... :)

To Eric James - 3 Month Letter

My Dearest Eric James,

Here we are again, another month has gone by and you are still growing like a weed.  We have had a very busy month and you have been my trooper the whole way through.

We started out the month recovering from our big road trip West with the bests and tried to get back into our routine.  You had started sleeping longer stretches on that trip and we wanted to keep that up once we got home, and luckily, you did just that.  You are doing amazing with sleeping through the night!  You average 12 hours a night!  Now just like your big bother, you sleep through the night but hate to nap.  We complain, but don't really mean it because you will nap if we hold you.  We will totally take all night sleeping rather then naps all day in our arms.  Mima might say otherwise, but really who doesn't love a snuggly baby? LOL.

You are still loving to eat as well.  You are now consistently eating 6 ounces every 3 hours and 7 hours for your first and last bottles of the day.  You don't let us miss a feeding but you are growing big and strong because of it.  This month we have tried rice cereal in a bottle a couple of times after the recommendation came from your doctor.  You have a terrible witching hour, from 4-7 every night, and she thought that a little cereal might help you with that.  You aren't really a huge fan yet, but I'm sure in no time you will be.

This month you got to meet everyone from Mommy's side of the family as we had a memorial for Great Grandpa.  You loved all of the attention and they all loved meeting you as well.  You are the youngest of all the great grandkids and everyone loved snuggling you.  I am glad that you got to meet my Grandpa before he passed away.  Him and your brother had such a special bond and I'm sure it would have been the same with you had you both had the time.

I went back to work at the end of this month and I think we are all doing well with it.  You go to Mima's house each morning with your brother and she is such a big help to us.  She is helping get you in a routine and sending me pictures all day long, which help me feel better about going back to work.

You are still loving baths and can't take long enough ones.  You are one sweaty boy, so you get baths just as often as your big bro.  You love the warm water and love relaxing.

We can't believe how fast you are growing but love watching every second of it.  I hope you always remember how much we love you and how much you complete our family.

Three Month Stats:
Weight: 16 pounds, 2 ounces
Height: 26 inches
Diapers: Size 2
Clothes:  6 months

*Photo Dump*

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