A Month of Sundays (January)

January's Porch Pictures

 I loved taking pictures on our front porch each Sunday last year so I'm doing it again this year. It's fun watching how much the boys change through out the year. And it's a great way to remember what they wore to church each week!

Friday Favorites

One of my favorites was watching the inauguration last Friday. I was suckered in and even listened to it on Facebook live while I went to pick up the boys from preschool.

How pretty was Melania? Her dress was gorgeous! And Ivanka's outfit was just as pretty.

This lotion is the best for dry cracked hands. We've been using it for a week or so and it's helped so much! 

I know this isn't the best picture to post but oh well. (I make my boys take their shirts off to eat spaghetti - they are messy!)  I'm excited because my aunt gave me her recipe for my favorite spaghetti. This is the only spaghetti I will eat and Jackson loves it. He kept asking for it so I finally bit the bullet and got the recipe. It's super easy to make. I made half the recipe and I still have 3 containers of sauce in the freezer!   

My mom gave me a retractable screen door for my garage for Christmas. This is the best thing ever! The boys play in the garage and front yard while I make dinner and I can hear just about everything they say.
 

Here's a picture from my garage with the screen door closed. Seriously...it's the best! And yes...our garage walls need to be painted. That will happen this spring!  

Paint samples. Oh what fun! I didn't like the first color Michael painted to it was back to samples. We picked 3 popular colors that might work and painted samples. I really liked the left and right ones. The middle is Worldly and it has an orangish/peachish tint. (It was painted a deep red. The color in the picture is Olympus White. It was too silvery blue for me and didn't match the rest of the house.) 

Here's our dining room - freshly painted. 

 We ended up going with Sherwin Williams Repose. The other one I really like was Requisite and we thought it might be a little to dark . I had a corner china cabinet in the left corner but we moved it to the den and now we like it better in there. As of right now Michael is going to build a farm house table with benches and maybe a side table/buffet. Yea for a husband who likes to build stuff! 🙌 And I want to find a new rug and something to go on the walls. But right now I'm happy with fresh painted walls! 

Carpool Book Club

I'm linking up with Narci at Grace and Love for her book club! 

I LOVE a good book!
 I read all.of.the.time. My kids know I love to read and I really hope all 3 of my boys love to read as much as I do. Some of my favorite authors are Syndey Landon, Colleen Hoover, Jill Shalvis and Shannon Stacey and Kristen Proby. 

I mean...what's better than coffee AND a book??


I decided to read different types of books this year so I've been reading thru comments from Mix and Match Mama's book reviews. I have not updated my GoodReads page with books that I want to read. I just add them once I finish one.
Robyn Carr has a super long series, Virgin River, and I'm almost finished with it. The series has some really good books and then some books that are just alright. 

The past week I've been reading 2 books because I can only read so much of Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris. So far it is a really good book and I'm enjoying it. I can only read a little at a time. 

Another book I read this month was Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini.  It's hard to describe this book. All I can say is - wow. People really believe this and actually follow thru with all of this. 

I can't wait to find more suggestions! 

What's Up Wednesday

WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

I've tried to do meal plans each week and so far so good. It's a lot easier to get most groceries once a week instead of every other day.

I found a new recipe for a easy  fajita chicken bake in the oven. It was tasty! I served it over chips instead of rice. 

We are also having one of my favorites - Swiss Chicken. I found this on Pinterest a few months ago and it is delicious! 

Sloppy Joes are one of Jackson's favorites. The other two will eat them while complaining but they at least they eat them. 

Also on the menu was leftovers of ham, brown rice and veggies. 

WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

Micheal and I have been talking about when the boys were younger. It's hard to imagine that I've been a stay at home mom for 6 years now. And I survived the first year with a 3 year old and twins. That first year was a blur but we all survived! 

Miles and Carter were a few weeks old here. Miles wore a apnea monitor for 6 months. And yes - I dressed them in the same outfits for a while.

It was always something when they started moving. We learned quickly what to put out of reach. 

I'm sure they were trying to figure out what to get into next. 

They were always willing to help empty the dishwasher. 

My boys have grown up so fast! This was taken 5 1/2 years ago. 

  

WHAT I'M LOVING

This crazy SC weather! One week we were playing in snow flurries and the next week we doing this...

The boys are wearing short sleeves and riding bikes.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

See the pictures above...We have been playing outside while we can. The weather is perfect! It seems like most of my Instagram #vanceparty2017 pictures are all of the boys on their bikes. 

WHAT I'M DREADING

The weather getting really cold again. These warm days make me ready for spring! 

WHAT I'M WORKING ON

I've been cleaning out clutter and junk in our office so we can find it again. That's where all of the Christmas gifts went when we cleaned the den. I put several toys up so we can open get them out this summer.

 I've also been cleaning out the boys clothes. I had to separate Miles and Carter's again because Miles is a size or two bigger than Carter. 

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT

We have a wedding to attend in the mountains this spring and we are all super excited. It's our only babysitter ever (other than grandparents) and we can't wait! Her mom taught all 3 boys in 3k and Amanda kept the boys in summer camp and after school care. We love this family!

Jackson announced to his 3k class that he was going to married Miss Manda. She really spoiled my boys! 

And here she is with the little ones when they first started 2k. They asked us at least once a week when Miss Manda is coming to keep them. Hahah! I guess Michael and I need to have a date night soon! 

WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

I've been reading some different books thank to Mix and Match Mama.  She along with her readers who comment offer some good suggestions.

This book blew my mind. I really do not know how to sum it up. People really believe this stuff and they actually follow thru with it?

I'm almost finished with a series by Robyn Carr and it's been good. I have my handy dandy list of books I can't wait to read. I'm on GoodReads (Amber Vance) as well. It's a life saver when trying to keep up with books I've read. 

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

I don't listen to music often. If I'm in the car it's something the boys want to hear. When I'm home alone I usually have the TV on for noise or I have some random station on I Heart Radio playing. Haha! 

WHAT I'M WEARING

Black yoga pants....duh.

WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Not too much...I hope. It's sad when I get excited over doing nothing. All we have planned is church Sunday morning and back for AWANA Sunday night. And Micheal is going to put a chuck roast on the smoker Saturday. That's gonna be tasty!

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

It is time to start planning the boys Valentines for school. I guess I might better start searching Pinterest for ideas!  

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Not much! 

BONUS QUESTIONWHO IS YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE BACHELOR? 

I can say this - it ISN'T Nick! I watched the first episode and that's it. I read Sheaffer's recaps and that is it. 

Friday Favorites

is a fun blog to follow.

 (click on the blog name and it will take you to it) 

Just this week I printed her menu plan template so I can start planning my meals and hopefully not going to the grocery store as much. She has several neat free templates to print (just follow her blog and she will email you a code to access the printables).

I'll be watching this train wreck each week. I'm not a fan of this guy but it's always entertaining to see the drama unfold. I also LOVE reading this blog.

 

Sheaffer has the best recap of the show. It's almost better than the actual show!

I've started using a couple Essential Oils. So far lavender and peppermint are my favorites. And I use Theives to help keep us well. Thankfully Miles and Carter's teacher diffuses this in the classroom as well! 

I was so excited to open my new Erin Condren planner this Christmas. It's an absolute favorite! I keep just about everything in this planner. 

There is SNOW in our forecast for tomorrow. YEAH! I hope we get just enough to play in for a while. And as of right now the high is only supposed to be 31. It changes each time I look at the weather app! 

These are funny but they are so TRUE! I ordered snow boots from Land's End a few weeks ago and talked to a lady in Wisconsin. She actually laughed when I told her everything she hears about snow in the south is true. We go crazy and everything closes. Most of us (that includes ME) can't drive in snow.

Everyone gets bread and milk! Why? I think we should start getting some better food!! That being said, I bought bread and milk yesterday only because we needed it! I didn't stock pile it. 

My Sunday School teacher always laughs at people getting bread and milk and says he can't wait for some one to try and milk sandwich! 

Happy Friday!