Menu Plan Monday, Easter Monday

**My morning bike commute have been so gorgeous lately. It makes being healthy so much easier!!**

Washington: the Adventure!

Currently I am sitting in a big hotel room bed, downtown Vancouver at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center. Oh! The joy. Paul is chaperoning some students for a Model United Nations Downtown and as such gets a hotel room downtown - so here we are - downtowning it up! He's got responsibilities with the students, but I don't! We get a nice mix of him working (alone time for me!) and him not working (together time!). It's perfect.

Menu Plan Monday, Easter Weekend & Wyatt McCarthy!

Menu Plan Monday with Laura at Org Junkie

Upcoming week: 

Monday: Hot Dogs with sauteed onions, roasted vegetables & salad.

1. I have been craving hot dogs since I bought the Harvest Brand ones at Costco on Friday - they are amazing and hearty and tasty and not cheap at all. 
2. It's warm and sunny and Hot Dogs remind me of summer. 
3. Therefore we are having Hot Dogs for dinner tonight. Boom. I love being in charge. 

Tuesday: Lasagna Soup

Thankfully we had a batch of frozen soup left for such a night as this: we have plans before LG to meet with someone. So I've got a soup I can pull out and have ready in 15 minutes. My friend Hanne is coming over to prep the garlic bread for it, and she'll do that while we go to our meeting. I love when things work out.  

Wednesday: Lasagna Soup
Wednesday night we're going out for dinner, so we'll leave soup at home for our students. Most of them won't be joining us Tuesday so I can leave them the same dinner.

Thursday: Crockpot Cashew Chicken
Thursday I work, and then it's sister time - I made this one over a year ago and can hardly remember it - seemed time to give it another chance. 

Friday: Chicken Toquitoes with mexi Rice, chips & sauces. 
Food Prep in the AM + Lunch with the McCarthy's and baby Wyatt + Mexican Family Dinner at my place with the Mitchell's and my parents (18 guests total).

Saturday: YOYO

Rest + a clean up of "Harry Potters Bedroom" aka my cellar + family dinner at the Morgan's.

Sunday: YOYO

Rest + Church + Open House at the Mitchell's

Easter Monday: YOYO

Work, 8-3, then Family Dinner at the Mitchell's - with the Maxwell's and Porters too!!!

Menu Plan Monday, April 8th

Menu Plan Monday with Laura at Org Junkie

Upcoming week: 

Monday: YOYO

Monday night was a hang out with our friends, Hanne and Drian, downtown. We ate amazingly well, had great conversation AND I won at Settlers: Cities & Knights. Good night indeed!

Menu Plan Monday, March 31st

Menu Plan Monday with Laura at Org Junkie

We've been away for some of the past week: we took a trip down to Washington to visit family and friends - it was a wonderful time for Paul and I. We really enjoyed it. I'll blog more about it shortly but currently it's back to life, and looking ahead to this week!

Menu Plan Monday: March 24th

Menu Plan Monday with Laura at Org Junkie

Upcoming week: 

Monday: Chicken Caesar Salad

I cooked up some chicken thighs for the soup Sunday so I made sure to cook extra, which I'll slice up and use on the salad. We have a meeting at 8pm to plan a friends baby shower, so an easy dinner is a must after a Monday. 

Tuesday: Crockpot Taco Chicken Chili

Tuesday Paul and I both work, and then we have the rest of the week off. So we're leaving right after work to head down to Seattle. Ill put the crockpot on in the morning, and Duncan will finish it up at the end of the work day. I'll make rice the day before for it to be served with. That way our housemates have food. There's also leftover Mac & Cheese from the weekend, and baked Spaghetti that Duncan whipped up. For lunches I've left a Quinoa salad from Costco in the fridge and made sure we have four types of deli meat, lots of cheese and bread, and many frozen dinners. AND most days at least 2 or 3 of our 4 students will be out or away. All organized!

Tuesday to Saturday: Washington Trip

Tuesday night we'll be heading to Lake Stevens to stay with some of Paul's family - we will get to see them and have dinner together. We rarely get to visit them so it will be really good. 

Wednesday morning we'll leave after breakfast and head towards Puyallup. Along the way we'll hit up World Markets and Hobby Lobby in Lynnwood before making our way to Puyallup to stay with Mark and Heather - we'll get to see their new place and just chill with them overnight. Normally I'm rushing in and out when I visit so this will be a treat. 

Thursday we leave Puyallup and head to Renton to stay with Tony and Rebekah. We haven't really gotten to hang out with them since their wedding this past summer, so I'm really looking forward to it, especially as Reba is pregnant. I can't wait to catch up with them and just spend some time with them. 

Friday we'll either head back towards Canada OR just pop over to downtown Seattle for the day. We're bringing our bikes so we want to A) Bike around the city and B) find a cool biking place. Any ideas? 

We'll go by Costco along the way, as well as WinCo, Target, and Trader Joes. We'll return Friday or Saturday, but most likely Saturday. We don't need to be back until around 3:30. 

When we get home we'll unpack and expect company shortly - Ana is throwing Josh's 30th birthday at our house, so we want the house tidy for her arrival so she can set up to her hearts content. I'm looking forward to a night with great friends. 

Sunday: Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Sunday Paul preaches again, and as per usual we have have transformations afterwards. This week we have a womens ministry meeting before hand - so I'll be involved in that while Paul preps for preaching. Before the meeting I'll make up a casserole which I'll be able to put in the oven right after Transformations. We'll have a quiet night at home after a busy weekend!

Throwback Thursdays: The Awkward Years

Ahhh the awkward phase. Paul and I were having a discussion about them recently. You know what I'm talking about, right? I mean most people are pretty cute as kids, then as they hit college and beyond they might have some weird clothing choices but generally are fairly decent looking under it all. But those years somewhere in the middle....those are the ones. Generally people just don't fair well there. 

Paul and I were trying to nail down which were each of our actual most awkward years. I think mine were 12 to 15 (Junior High). He was suggesting that his was like 14 to 16, but having seen many a photo it would seem 14 to 19 were the awkward years. He was initially offended that I was suggesting his awkward lasted two years longer than mine, but I can assure you ages 12 to 15 felt pretty dang long in my life. And to be fair, after creeping some old photos of him, I'd happily ammend his awkward years to 14 to 18, and state that 18 was a decent year for Paul once he started growing out his hair :)

Speaking of awkward, this photo was done on purpose, so I feel no remorse posting it here for the world to see

Anyways, back to the point at hand. Going into Junior High I mostly looked sweet. 

In my camp photo below you can see me in my turtleneck - that was my Kristy from the Babysitters Club Phase. 

I love this camp photo. Camp was the highlight of my year growing up. Especially when I got to be in a cabin with my then best friend Amy. This is the year I made friends with Lisa, also from Port Alberni. I also thought our camp counsellors were SO COOL and I wanted to be just like them, and later when I counselled at camp I remember thinking, "Yes, I've made it."

At times I would try to hit the fashion of the day - here's my blossom look. While the outfit is hilarious and outdated, there is still a cute sweetness about my looks that hadn't hit really awkward yet. 

At Nana's for Christmas, showing off my sweet duds. 

I love this photo with my whole heart - I'm at Nana's, so I'm comfortable. And I'm showing off my NEW JEAN JACKET - check out my moves, nice hip thrust. Obviously a model in the making. 

And then the awkward begins - here's a photo from my surprise 13th birthday party.  Nothing screams awkward like a ratty pony tail, waist tied sweatshirt and a solar themed mens tee.

Cleaned up for church - the hair really helps save this outfit, but the floral skirt is a real loss.

And then grade 8 hit and the awkward phase rolled in with vengeance. 

Who is this you ask? The mitchell daughters? or might we have the Mitchell boys here?

Often people in the awkward phase have a belief that they are cool. Clearly I'm suffering from that in this photo.

And enter grade 9 Grad - note to self: never go for updos...always wavy curls. 

You looks like a boy with one long curly bang. Yikes. Also, lose the flower print - never good.

Ahh yes. The awkward years. What a joy. 

I was quite hesitant to post the final 3 photos. While my awkward years were similar to most, the bullies at school did quite a good job convincing me that that was my forever, and not just a passing moment. To think I am willingly putting photographic evidence of how I looked and felt at that time on the internet where those bullies can see - well....it's a big gulp for sure. While generally movies and life show us that even bullies mature and grow up, that doesn't stop the fear that they created or the shame that they taught us. I know that we're grown up now, and so the odds of a junior high bully from my past taunting me are slim, but that sliver of fear remains. And yet, what is the point of awkward years and security and growth if we can't look back and laugh at ourselves?

I think too part of what is so scary about the awkward years is that while you're in them you have no idea you're in them. You think you look great. No idea that later you'll look back and shudder. Or that others are judging the style choices you're making. You think you're doing ok at least. It's like with the Awkward Family Photos website - at some point someone somewhere thought every one of those was a great idea. I mean, I picked out that Grade 9 Grad dress! I chose that Alberni Hoops outfit. At one point in my life I voluntarily wore boys clothing and got a short haircut. These choices weren't thrust upon me, I chose them willingly. It makes me question my taste, and my ability to judge the now objectively. Clearly I'm unable to lead my own life, that much is obvious. 

Thankfully with the help of pinterest and friends, I think Paul and I are doing much better now.