Good afternoon, friends! How was your weekend? Ours was pretty relaxed, despite being on the full side. It was (really) windy and rainy - so basically stormy Saturday and Sunday, so not a weekend for outdoor activities. Josh and I went on a date, we all attended a beautiful wedding together, ran some errands, watched a couple of movies in the evenings, and played games with the kids. We do still need to figure out when we're going to go to the pumpkin patch. I'm hoping for a break in the weather, otherwise, I am just going to Trader Joe's for the pumpkins this year.

Speaking of pumpkins, Halloween is Sunday! I'm a little shocked that we're so close to Thanksgiving and Christmas already. But for the first time in I think 4-5 years, I am actually really excited for Christmas this year. I've struggled the last few years to get really excited - the season just seems to move so fast and the decorations can be really overwhelming at times, but this year, I'm ready for it. I even bought a few Christmas goodies from Target the other day!

But, let's talk about this week's menu. Here's what is cooking this week!

Happy Monday, friends! After fighting off this cold for two weeks now, I'm honestly on the upswing! Finally. I actually got dressed and went out into the world Thursday and Saturday. Even today, I got dressed up and met Josh for coffee since he was in his office today!

It's almost 5 pm and I'm cramming to get this post written before I have to start dinner and out to you TONIGHT before I hit the hay - which sleeping still seems to be the thing that is helping my cold the most. I've been sleeping in so much (okay, so much is like 7 am, but still...) because I feel like I'm up so much during the night coughing. Ugh - I know, I know, it could be much, much worse, but still...colds bite!

Let's talk about this week's menu for a moment - It's going to be tasty. It is supposed to rain here much of the week, so I've chosen meals that are not only going to smell good while they cook away, but also meals that will make us all want to come to the table for dinner.

Here's what's cooking this week:

It's Monday afternoon and I'm currently still sick. Blah. Last week, the kids got sick, and then Josh, Grace, and I got sick. Everyone is feeling better except for Josh and I! The weekly menu is late, I know. I actually wrote last week's menu but due to various appointments and things going on it just never happened. Which I think is just as well since we all got sick anyway. As it is now, my cold is all in my sinuses, and my head just has a hard time concentrating, but better late than never...and it is a holiday for our family, so since we all have the day off, it just made sense for all of us to sleep in and rest today.

I did try to use my time last week wisely, even though we were all coming down with this yucky cold. I've been busy recipe testing and cooking new things and that has been such a treat. I really struggle with trying to make the time to do those things, but since the kids were under the weather, baking and trying new things out just seemed like the right way to go. I'm eager to share some of those recipes with you in the near future!

But for right now, I do have a menu that's ready to go, so let's check that out...

Good Morning (or afternoon/evening - depending on when you read this post), friends! I hope you all had a wonderful last week. We were back in Sunriver for a few days last week, which was an unexpected treat. I know what you're thinking...weren't you just there? Yes, we were. We had our annual getaway down there two weeks ago, and then got an invite from my parents that they had extra space at a house they were renting if we wanted to bring the kids back down for a few days, so we did. It wasn't vacation, but it was beautiful and the kids really enjoyed having a couple of extra days in their favorite place. We're home for a good long while now, though, I think!

Our trip to Sunriver always signals the end of our summer break for us. It's our last hoorah before our fall schedule begins. It helps us get into the mood with the change of the seasons and when we come back, we're usually ready to get going with school and all of our other activities. And I'm now finally ready for fall. I decorated the front porch a bit on Sunday and all of the fall bins are sitting in the office ready for me to rediscover with excitement and renewed energy again.

How about you? Comment below and tell me how life is going for you now that the kids are in school again. I'd love to hear what's working for you or what you're excited about. Even with any struggles you may be having!

Here's what's on the menu this week:

We're back from a week of vacation in our favorite place on earth, Sunriver. We spent time reading, playing games (a lot of Chess and a lot of One Night Ultimate Werewolf), riding our bikes, drinking coffee, eating, and spending time by the pool. I think that is the most unexpected part of recent trips for us - how much we as a family have come to love laying by the pool. I mean it helps when the place you're staying has a restaurant onsite and you can order snacks, keeping the kids happy all day. I had no idea that Ruby was such a fish! She loved the water.

We'll have a chance to dash across the Cascade mountain range to Central Oregon one more time and visit with family for a couple of days before really settling into our autumn routines (though Josh has to work this time), but I still wanted to be sure we got out a full slate of menu ideas, including breakfast and dessert!

Here's what's on the menu this week: