The Lance Family: September 2011

So I have come to a conclusion... I'm lazy. Yep, there, I said it. Although I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our 5 Meals - 1 Hour, it does take up time on my weekend. First, I have to really start the week before planning my meals (based on what's on sale), get to the grocery store (which I do anyway), set out any meat that needs to be thawed on Saturday (this is the kicker), and then prep it all Sunday. Really, it's not that much work, but sometimes I just get lazy. Now that football has started, you can bet your bottom that this plan is not going to work (I cherish that time relaxing with my husband, cheering on our teams, while the kiddos rest). So, after a great deal of thought - we are quitting this plan. Sort of.

Rather than making everything on Sunday, we are planning out the meal for the week, and then thawing what needs to be thawed. If there is something small we can do to speed things up, then we'll do that. But for the most part, we are "prepping" the meal the day of. This still is a pretty good deal for us, as the most frustrating part is trying to come up with what to eat. So, with our modified plan, here's what's on the menu! Do you have any good, easy recipes to share???

Monday - Onion Garlic Pork Roast (Pre-marinated - by Hormel)
*This is in the crock pot with golden potatoes, onion, carrots, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, one can of cream of mushroom soup, and one jar of beef gravy. SOOOOO good!

Tuesday - Poppyseed Chicken
*This is one of my all-time favorite foods!

Wednesday - Frozen Pizza
*Church night... nice and easy :-)

Thursday - Hamburgers, Sweet Corn and French Fries (baked)
*It's perfect grilling weather!

Friday - Jambalaya (Thank you Zatarain's!) and French Bread
*Add some sausage and chicken and you have a meal!

I wasn't sure you'd remember since it's been SO long since I've posted. But lucky you, I'm back! Things have been SUPER busy in the Lance household, so let me try to catch you up.

September has kept us busy with the wedding of Kristen, a girl, (I mean, young woman), I used to babysit. It was a beautiful wedding and I'm SO happy for her and Jake as they begin their life together. But talk about making me feel old! Kristen's Mom used to babysit me and Elaine, so I imagine that is how she felt when WE got married!

The second weekend of September took Sean and I to Colorado! One of my dearest friends, Amy, and her family live in Fort Collins. For my birthday, Jamie bought a plane ticket for me - and one for Sean - to go visit. The last time I was out there was after she gave birth to her second child, Lauren - who is now 14 months! Their other daughter, Natalie, is just a little younger than Sean. They had a BLAST together and I LOVED watching them interact. Will, Amy's husband, was even kind enough to watch all three kiddos, so that Amy and I could spend the day shopping. When they lived in Illinois, we would often head down to Tuscola to hit Carter's and other places for the kids. We always had such a fun time chatting and just spending the afternoon together. I cannot go to the outlet without thinking of and missing her! It was a WONDERFUL visit and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality. Amy and I both were frustrated with the lack of pictures we took, but at least we got a few! We were fortunate enough to spend a little time with Jamie's Aunt Wendy and Uncle Wade (Wendy was kind enough to pick us up from the airport), and his Mom, Becky, and niece Reagan. Although our visit with them was short, we were glad to get to see them and catch up!

Natalie and Sean

Last weekend was Jamie's birthday, and we were on the go non-stop! We had our annual tailgating weekend with our fab friends, The Divelys. It's something we look forward to every year, and it did NOT disappoint! The weather was perfect, and the company was even better! And as a little bonus, Illinois even won!! After tailgate, we headed over to our friends Steve and Ashley's housewarming party. Talk about some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G food! They have really done a lot to their new digs and have made it a beautiful home! After leaving their shin-dig, we headed out with our dear friends Joe and Amy to finish off the night celebrating Jamie's birthday. I swear we never laugh as hard as when we are with them. It was a fantastic day! Oh, and I think Jamie was very pleased with his birthday presents from me and the boys... Illinois Hockey season tickets, and a Blackhawks jersey! The next day, we headed to Jupiters to celebrate with my family. Pizza and games with the family - does it get any better???

The birthday boy

Me and Kelly at tailgate

I have been super busy with work, which is good! But I'm ready for a little less travelling in the upcoming months. Although the furthest I've been lately is Peoria (which has it's perks... I get to meet my bestie Jodi for lunch!), it does create quite the pile on my desk when I return. :-)

This weekend I will be SUPER busy with more Thirty-one parties. I am in my second full month as a consultant, and am just so blessed to have this opportunity. My Mom and sister, friends Kelly, Amy, and Heather have all hosted parties for me, and I had one who booked a party off of my sister's show. This weekend my friends Jodi and Val are having one too! I've already booked three for October and have a couple more in the works. This company and this opportunity have been such blessings for me and our family. I have never felt so good about a company and what it stands for, and am so proud to be a part of it. If you are not familiar with Thirty-one, you can read about it here. My sweet nephew, Kyle, wanted to do something to help with the party at my sister's. So he put on his clown costume, made a sign, and stood in the driveway to let the party attendees know where to turn! I love this kid.

Sean is keeping very busy with school and is just loving it! I love that he is making some great friends, and am so amazed at how much he has learned. Nothing melts my hear more than hearing him say, "Mommy, I can't wait to go to school. I'm going to obey on the first try, because God loves my heart." Couldn't you just melt? Judah Christian is an AMAZING school, and we are so fortunate to be a part of it!

Bedtime shenanigans

Sean "cold" as usual, in Jamie's sweatshirt (with a few alterations)

Nathan is starting to really talk up a storm which is SO much fun! His "terrible two" phase is starting to mellow out (THANK GOODNESS), and I find myself just delighting in the sweet little boy he's becoming. Here is the silly monkey at daycare... he's always the life of the party!