Chick-Fil-A, Pumpkin and Snow

Hello Friends! Long time no update.... I know! How can a person who just moved to a new city and started a new job be so busy? Below are some random updates on our crazy life.

Chick-Fil-A gave away FREE breakfast a few weeks ago... just plain old free breakfast whatever you wanted off the breakfast menu. Being that we LOVE chick-fil-a we were sold on the idea. I have to say, it was the best fast food breakfast I've ever had. A girl in our new community group is the marketing manager at the store right by our house, so we see her often see her when we go. Come visit us in Denver and we'll all go to Chick-Fil-A together!

Also, in case you haven't heard, it's pumpkin spice time! I know, I know, it's already October 16 so pumpkin stuff is everywhere by now but I took a picture of my first pumpkin drink of the season. It's a pumpkin spice americano misto. Have you ever heard of that? I hadn't, but I told the barista I was deciding between an americano and latte and she suggested this. It's an americano but half water and half milk. It was good, try it.

Finally, it SNOWED! Are you kidding me? One day it's 80 degrees and I'm sitting outside reading a book, soaking up the sun. Two days later it was 30 degrees and we woke up to snow! The weather here is crazy because as I write this, it is currently sunny and 73 degrees. For everyone wondering if the sun pretty much shines everyday here: IT DOES! Come join us!

More updates to come including (I know I promised this last time) pictures of my cube, it's just not decorated yet! Also, more to come on PUMPKIN SEASON!

We Are Official Colorado People

So much has happened since my last post! First, and most important we have a home! Many of you know that we were staying with Caleb's cousins when we first arrived which was lovely and a major blessing. After putting some serious miles on our car looking for a place that we could afford and that wasn't sketchy (that can be tough criteria!!) we found a place and moved in. If you look at a map of Denver divided by neighborhood we live in Lowry Field. It kind of reminds me of Green Lake without the lake...

I'll tell you, moving without friends is super lame. Good thing we sold most of our stuff before we moved out here because I almost died carrying our mattress up the stairs to our place. (We are on the second floor and it was about 90 something degrees out!) We got unpacked and organized pretty quickly. This is what our place looked like after all the boxes were unpacked!

Our next order of business was to become legit Colorado people by getting all the official stuff changed over. We got new drivers licenses and Colorado plates!  

At this point we have an apartment, local drivers licenses, CO plates and we know where the nearest Target is. I also made sure my magazines were forwarded! What else do you need?  

Oh yeah, A JOB! I got that too! I got a job at Colorado Christian University as a financial aid counselor. Jesus graciously provided a job that is very enjoyable and much less stress then the bank. The only bad thing about the job is everyday I'm reminded of how many student loans we have!!!! (oh well.) Pictures to come of my cube! 

I think that's about it for now. We just finished furnishing our apartment so once we've got all the art hung up on the walls I'll post some pictures. If you want our new address, send me an email! Thank you again for your continued prayers, texts, emails and calls. 

Red Rocks

Ever since we drove into town (we are staying with Caleb's cousin who lives about 20 minutes outside Denver) we have wanted to drive up and visit Red Rocks amphitheater which is about 10 minutes from Stephanie and Doug's place (those are the cousins) Each time we attempted to drive up and look around the road was closed, we kept thinking that it was closed for some reason. Upon further research we discovered that we had been going the wrong way (Hey, we are new to town) once we got some instructions from Doug, we headed out this morning after breakfast.

 This is the view of the amphitheater from the very top. There were a bunch of people working out, running up the stairs, doing push ups etc. I don't think we'll be up for the kind of work out anytime soon!

Red Rocks is AMAZING! We climbed up very high (it's about 90 degrees mind you) to the amphitheater and the visitor center. The higher we got the harder it was to breathe and the steep steps were a bit of a challenge. The visitor center was basically a museum that traced through the history of the area and all of the different musicians who have performed there. This is a giant rock that is right next to the seating and concession area at the top of the theater.

Here we are on the way back down to the car. You can see for miles and in the distance you can see the city of Denver sitting right in the middle of all the mountains. At this point the heat and the altitude were getting to us a bit so we headed back home.

Seattle to Denver

WE ARE HERE! We made it to Denver safe and sound! I captured a couple of our trip highlights below.

 Here is Caleb on the day we bought our trailer. We sold everything that wouldn't fit before we left.

 Quick pit stop for some roadside cherries. Somewhere between Pasco and Spokane. 

 YIKES! The Loadrunner murderer a mass amount of bugs - this was only halfway through the trip!

 Oh, the gas mileage, not so good...I thought this was the worst it was going to get but I was wrong.

This was somewhere in Montana I think. There was a massive amount of trees that grew up out of the water. The whole lake was filled with them.

 No trip through the beautiful state of Wyoming is complete without a trip to Yellowstone. It was amazingly beautiful and there was no shortage of wildlife to see.

 Wyoming has got to be the most interesting place I've ever been. Not only were we highly entertained with the drive up liquor store, the Outlaw Bar we ate dinner at was exactly what I had pictured Wyoming would be like.

 This was the cheapest place we got gas during the whole trip! (Where else but Wyoming...)

 We are almost there!

 On the way into the city we were greeted by black storm clouds. Within minutes the rain was POURING down with thunder and lighting every few seconds. I was concerned - what about my 330 days of sunshine? (The rain was short lived and the sun is shining again!)

Once we arrived safe and sound we were hard at work looking for an apartment! 

Thank you for all of your prayers! I will continue to keep you all updated. 

Dark Chocolate M&M's: Yes.

Have you tried these? I love them! I just made an afternoon cup of french press coffee (someone left a bag of whole bean Starbucks Tribute blend on Caleb's desk a couple weeks ago and whoever you are mystery coffee angel, thank you!) and am sitting down to work on a presentation I'll be doing at my church women's group and needed a little something to nibble... that was sweet, but not too sweet. I needed something perfect. I'm now enjoying a little handful of these as I sip my coffee and it is the perfect match. Oh yes. Just thought I'd drop a little note and let you that you should test these out sometime. 

Add them to your grocery list! 

Enjoy!

Part 1: How To Make A Weekly Meal Plan

The most important step in being more organized, relaxed and joyful at meal times is having a plan. If making a weekly meal plan seems overwhelming to you, don't fear! I've done my best to break it down into a few easy to follow steps to help get you started. Just like any other skill, the more you do it, the easier it will become! Let's get started!


1. Look at the Calendar: This is where you must begin, especially if you have a nutso schedule. Map out the days you'll eat dinner at home and the days you'll eat dinner elsewhere. On the nights that you will eat dinner elsewhere (community  group, dinner with friends, date night etc.) determine if you will contribute something to the meal and if so write that in. Also note the days where you will be pressed for time, this will help you know what type of meal to choose for that specific day. If you know in advance that you'll only have 45 minutes for dinner, you can plan to make a quick meal that evening or plan to throw something in the crock pot that morning.


2. Pick the Meals: Now that you know which days you need to plan for, pick your meals! This is actually planning out what you will have for dinner. It's important to be detailed as doing so will help you create your grocery list and not forget anything! There are a number of things to keep in mind when you are choosing your meals:
a. How long does this meal take to prepare? (don't forget prep time ie: chopping, marinating etc.)
b. Who am I making this meal for (husband & kids, kids-only, dinner guests etc.)  and what allergies or preferences do they have?
c. What is my budget? This is very important. To be a wise steward of your resources it is important to know your budget and plan meals that fit into it. 
d. What is in season and on sale? Most grocery stores have their weekly ads online. Before I make my meal plan I go online to see what's on sale and include those items in my meals. (ie: if whole chickens are on sale for .77/lb then we'll probably be having a lot of chicken!)
e. Does this meal produce leftovers? This is a good question to keep in mind as you pick your meals. If you pack lunch for yourself and/or your husband then leftovers are a major bonus because they make "what to bring for lunch" a no-brainer!


3. Don't Forget Lunch: I don't know why but for the longest time I never planned anything for lunch. If there were leftovers, great but if not - panic! I have found that lunch must not be overlooked. If you eat at home for dinner and your dinners produce leftovers then you're pretty much set. If leftovers are not a favorite in your home or you won't have any leftovers to take for yourself/send with your husband then you need to plan something else. Two suggestions:
a. Make a "school-boy" lunch: buy sandwich fixings, apples, pretzels, carrot sticks and other lunch items.
b. Make a meal at the start of the week and eat it all week long for lunch. If you or the lunch-eaters you are packing for are not big sandwich fans, consider making a big batch of chili or enchiladas at the start of the week. Package up your meal into tupperwares and you've got something to grab everyday.


4. Plan Breakfast and Snacks: When you are making a meal plan, it's important not to leave any meals out! Breakfast at my house can be "fend for yourself" but in order for my family to fend for themselves, they need options! Either plan a few options for your family (cereal & milk, yogurt, bagels & cream cheese etc.) or make a daily breakfast schedule (similar to dinner.) If you plan to make a big breakfast on the weekends, make sure to notate that on your menu planner. Finally we arrive at snacks. It's safe to assume that our husbands and children will often come home from work or school and want a snack. Plan out a couple snacks you will have on hand to give them (granola bars, crackers, string cheese, carrots & hummus, nuts etc.)


5. Relax and Have Fun: No need to let all this meal planning stress you out! Remember you are doing this to make your life easier! It may be a little slow to start. You will most likely fail a few times. You might forget something at the store. You may realize you forgot your wallet once you've got everything in your cart. It's okay. Your identity cannot be found in being an excellent wife/mother/household manager but only in being a daughter of the King! 


Get started making your meal plan! I'll be back soon for part 2: Making a Grocery List and Sticking to it! 

brown butter and hazelnut asparagus! add it to your meal plan!

Meal Planning: My First Series!

Friends, the time has come for me to do my first series! Doesn't that sound like fun? To me, it does. Something I have worked very hard to create for my home and family is consistent meals. I know, it sounds simple - but it's not always as easy as it sounds! 

Doesn't it sound nice to always have something to make for dinner? What about having something to make for lunch too? In this three part series I will cover the important steps involved in planning and executing meal time including:

1. How to make a weekly meal plan

2. Grocery shopping for success

3. Being flexible and other tips

Hope you'll join me in planning to make your meal times more organized and enjoyable!