Labor Day Beach Trip

Over Labor Day weekend, we were able to go to the beach with Jason's sister Joanna, and our very dear friends, Glenn and Rebecca and their daughter Holley. Holley has been watching our kids since Eden was a newborn, and she is our favorite babysitter! 

(sorry this is so fuzzy, it was so hot that my camera fogged up on a few shots) 

I need to just take a minute and say what a blessing this family has been to ours. Glenn and Rebecca have gone over and beyond to help us with anything and everything we have needed. We have known them for about 7 or 8 years and they have always been so generous to us! On top of that, their daughter Holley has been wonderful for our kids - they love her! She is just like her parents, having such a giving spirit. We are so grateful to have this family in our lives and we love them dearly! 

Harry and Eden got lots of love on our beach trip, being passed from one lap to the next:

And don't forget their doting Auntie Jo was there too, just in case they didn't have enough attention! Here she is walking down to the beach with Eden:

Not surprisingly, the kids had a great time in the sand and water:

(this is one of my favorites!)

After getting some good play time in, some birds decided to crash our party:

(I love that Holley is chasing Harry in this picture)

(this is one of my favorites too; Eden is chasing a little tiny bird wanting to catch it so badly!)

(Harry was getting a little tuckered out)

(walking back with Holley)

Sorry there are no shots of Jason at the beach, he didn't end up going with us the day I took my camera. But we weren't beach bums the whole time, there was lots of game playing, shopping, and eating involved too. 

Since we had our favorite babysitter with us, all of the adults were able to go out for dinner one night:

Glenn and Rebecca

Jason and Joanna

Me and Jason

We had such a wonderful time! There was a ton of laughter and many memories made. The Lord also provided some stellar deals at the outlets for the kids' fall wardrobes. We are so grateful to our grandparents for letting us use the beach house to get some much needed rest. :) 

5 Wk Challenge

Hello all! Sorry for the lapse in posts, we have been out of town and had company. I should be back to my regular schedule now. :) 

This post is just a catch-you-up post, the good ones (with pictures!) will come soon. But for now I just wanted to give an update on a new exercise challenge. Since I had to give up my mini triathlon goal due to financial and physical issues, I decided I needed another goal. Enter my sister-in-law, Sarah (check out her blog, here).  She found a blog holding a link up party for a 5 week challenge to get "living and active." The great thing about this challenge is that not only is it physical but spiritual. There is a verse to memorize every week as well as a devotional. The physical challenge is to do at least 25 minutes of exercise 4 or more days a week for 5 weeks. There will be exercise routines posted everyday for those who want to use them, or you can come up with your own. 

I am excited to have another goal! This one doesn't seem quite as glamorous as the triathlon, but it still gives me something to work towards. I will be documenting my progress here, once a week, with my exercise and probably food logs. 

Thanks for helping me stay accountable!

For those interested in the program or wanting to link up with us, go to Peak313's website here.

Picture Dump of the Caranci Family

Jason's dad (Poppie) comes over for dinner on Sunday nights. Harry had some great playing time:

Daddy mowed the lawn, giving Eden the perfect chance to relax with the pups:

Eden working on her schoolwork:

We are headed to the beach this weekend and the kids have been a big help packing. Here Harry kindly stacked Jason's shoes for him (along with Eden's cup):

Eden made sure all of the hats were in the beach bag:

We even got matching pedicures:

The pups are enjoying a *little* bit cooler temps outside:

Harry got in trouble and got scalped this week:

(totally kidding, I accidentally starting giving him a haircut without the guard on the razor = bald Harry)

Eden was eating pretzels and after taking a bite of one, told me it was a "w" :

We spent some time over at Grammy and Grumps' house this week:

And to finish things off, a video of the kids being their normal selves. :) Please ignore the disaster that is Eden's room (including the food that is all over the floor, the dogs hadn't had time to vacuum yet):

Weekly Recipe Roundup

First recipe this week was for Resurrection Buns. They are called that because they can be used as an object lesson for kids about how Christ went into the grave but then was gone when they rolled away the rock (when you bake the buns there are marshmallows in them, but after baking they disappear). This is what my lovely rolls looked like going into the oven:

Unfortunately, it would appear that I did not seal the edges very well, because this is what they looked like coming out:

A big marshmallow explosion. These things were so sticky they almost weren't worth handling. I forgot how marshmallows get SUPER sticky when heated. Took me forever to clean the pan! The taste was good so I really think these would be great if I had sealed the sides better. Interesting trial though. :) 

Next up is a cauliflower pizza. I had such good luck with the cauliflower breadsticks I though this would be roughly the same. Turns out, it was gross. I couldn't even eat it. I'm not sure what happened, but I think maybe the cauliflower had been in my fridge too long. It smelled almost vinegar-y. It was also very moist (I didn't have a tea towel to wring out the riced cauliflower with, so I think that made a big difference in the crust not crisping). I also have major issues with parchment paper - someone please tell me how to use it! Every time I do, it burns in the oven and sends smoke through the house. And everything sticks to it - even rubbed with oil or sprayed with Pam. Ugh. Recipe trial #2 = FAIL. 

Last up was a recipe for Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (the recipe called for raspberry jam, but I only had strawberry).  These were easy and delicious. Not very sweet, so definitely more of a breakfast item than a dessert. 

(before heading into the oven)

Not a horrible week, but more "bad" than "good." :) 

Next week will hopefully include Chicken Roll Ups, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites, and Ranch Chicken. :D

Extreme Randomness

Are you ready for the most random post you have ever read?

1. I love getting mail - it is like a daily present! Unless it is bills, of course. But every once in a while, I open the mailbox and find a package! Yesterday, it was a little sample from Nescafe:

Some new coffee drinks to try with a coupon if I decide I like them. They came at a fantastic time, since my current fave k-cup stash looks like this:

Oh sad day. 

2. Harry is starting to be obedient! He actually stopped doing something when I told him yesterday, as opposed to continuing what he is into and pretending I didn't say anything. I can see the light beginning to switch on for our sweet, cuddly boy. :) 

3. Things have been put in perspective for me this week. One of our neighbors (who is in good shape, young, and lives an active lifestyle) was taken to the hospital this week after an infection turned into Guillain-Barre Syndrome, causing him to lose feeling in his hands and feet, as well as the ability to walk and swallow. They have two small girls and the mom stays at home with them. I got to thinking about how much I depend on Jason...what would I do if something like that happened to him? Although our neighbor is hopeful to recover, he will need lifetime treatment to keep the symptoms under control. Makes me want to cling to my Shmoopy and make every day count. 

(this is a "par for the course" shot of Jas, I rarely get a shot of him) 

4. In case anyone is wondering, Eden is doing great with her potty training! No accidents during the day now, and making it through most nights as well. Occasionally she will have an accident overnight, but usually only if we forget to take her to the potty before we go to bed (around 10pm or so). We are very proud of her!

5. In light of our fall bucket list, I started Edie on some "schoolwork" this week:

We are not being super-regimented about it, but she is learning things about art, music, tracing shapes, counting, animals, etc. Just getting her brain juices flowing. :) 

6. Only 6 more days til Joanna comes to visit! 

We can't wait to see her! Among other things, we are planning to take her on a Labor Day weekend visit to Sunset Beach:

7. My very thoughtful hubby brought home this on Tuesday evening:

I was so excited! As a big fan of the books, I couldn't wait to see the Hunger Games movie. We saw it in the theater, but I did not remember a thing (I hardly ever remember movies, books, etc. - only whether I liked it or not). It was like a whole new experience being able to watch it again! Thanks Shmoopy!

8. I am no longer able to enter the Ramblin' Rose sprint triathlon in September. As much as my pride doesn't want to admit it, my back is not going to allow me to train for the bike part. We also received the bill from my chiropractor and we will not be doing anything fun for 10 years. Ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but it was definitely a rather large bill and limits our ability to pay for the entry fee for the race (not to mention the hotel stay, food, etc.). So while I am still staying true to my exercise and diet goals, the race has been cut from the list. The plan now is to enter next year, hopefully with my mom. 

9. Another thing we knocked off the fall fun list was getting Eden a piggy bank. She helps out with things around the house (laundry, dishes, cleaning her room, etc.) and gets a "coin." She already has a few jingling around in there!

10. I will be back tomorrow with our weekly recipe round up!