Let Go and Let God...Part two

...Sitting there praying for a Christmas Miracle...I close my eyes and pray "how amazing would a positive test be...it would literally be a Christmas miracle..." I open my eyes. 

The test....that little window on that stick showed me a word that I had not seen since I saw it when we found out we were expecting Logan! God had heard my prayers! There it was a test reading POSITIVE! A POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST!!! There I was shaking from the shock with tears streaming down my face...I go down to the basement...Moe gets up scared that something was wrong...worry consumes his face...cause well his wife just came downstairs in basically silent tears and not saying anything...I show him and we are both in shock at this time...the first words out of my mouth were "Its really happening! Its positive! God heard us...were having a baby! AGAIN!" We got on our knees and prayed we thanked God for answering our 4 year long prayer, for not forgetting about us, for blessing us again. We prayed for this pregnancy, we prayed for the baby to grow healthy, for my to be healthy. We thanked him over and over again. 

To have kept this news quiet has NOT been easy! We couldn't wait to share the news that our family is growing! I wanted to be out of the first trimester before we broke the news to the world. So we began this pregnancy journey...taking it all one week at a time....from what we calculated we put ourselves just at about 5 weeks or so...the next day I call the doctor to schedule our first visit...they said they could schedule me in at 7 weeks which is around the the time you have that first fist. Excited I schedule that appointment and mark it on the calendar! As this first week went by and then the second I start each day with prayer  asking for healthy, protection and Gods grace over this pregnancy and our new baby as well as for Logan. As the end of the week approaches I notice something worrisome...spotting of course this is terrifying any type of bleeding is not what you want to see this early and I call the doctor explain the situation and she basically said its best to come in and get checked out just to be sure everything's and since my first visit was scheduled for monday anyway we would just do everything that afternoon. 

As I'm driving to the doctor I pray and pray and pray. Please protect the baby, Please be with the baby, keep the baby, our miracle healthy. We get to the appointment they check everything and we are perfectly fine. They do an ultrasound to just check that the baby is where it should be and as the screen turns on all we see is my gestational sac. The ultra sound tech tells me that this is absolutely normal because I'm just teetering between 4 and 5 weeks along so the baby is still so small that they wouldn't come up on on the ultrasound just yet. The doctor has us meet her in the room again and explains the spotting is normal this early but because we found out so soon at this point we don't know which way things will go and just to hold tight till our next appointment which she suggest we schedule sometime at the beginning of January but in the meantime to have some labs run to be sure that my hormone levels are increasing which means the baby is growing so they take a tube of blood and we call it a day. 48hours later I need to go get another blood draw done to see if our numbers are increasing...ok test number two done and we wait...now I have no idea what my first labs were so when I saw the results from the second lab the next day and they were only 172 I thought thats a really low number but according to Doctor Google that would put me at 4ish weeks pregnant like the doctor said so I tried not to over think things...cause as long as the  numbers went up thats what we wanted to see...so who know the first lab may have been really low...

The next afternoon the doctor calls me...I can hear it in her voice when she asks me if I can talk...I step out of the office and say of course. She basically tells me my levels have dropped...and not just by a little but very very dramatically. She explains that the first lab came back with a number of 4420 and the second of 172...at this point she basically explained to prepare myself for the outcome I was dreading...I explained to her that I would want my body to do its thing naturally and she suggested that we do one more blood draw that evening just to check one more time cause she has never seen a drop like this before. I  agree with her and for some reason I was so calm and without worry. I didnt panic, I wasnt afraid, I knew God had something in store for us. 

Let Go and Let God...Part One...

If ten years ago you were to have asked me what I wanted out of life or where I saw myself by 30...my 20 year old self would have given you this answer: "I want to be married to my best friend, I want to have a house, I want to be happy, and I want to have kiddos, maybe 3..." then we would have giggled as we talked about our dreams and then probably got back to studying or writing whatever paper was due the next morning...cause well those convos always happened to have gone down in some diner sometime past midnight.

So now that we've reached that 30 year marker I often look around and take in all the blessings that Ive been given...and I think back at the things I saw myself having, goals and milestones I had wanted to reach by now and slowly they get checked off my list...I was blessed to have been able to marry my best friend, a man I love, my better half who really does make me happier than I could have ever imagined. We bought our first house together which we have turned into a home (yes theres a difference). We have jobs which we actually really enjoy doing and have been such blessings to us. But beyond all that we have been given the opportunity to become parents to the most amazing little boy! So from the looks of things I have been able through Gods grace fulfill my 20 year old self's wishes. Life is pretty good! 

As happy as we are (don't get me wrong we have our bad days too, we are human, it happens) there was one desire that was pulling at my heart for a very very long time. I absolutely LOVE being a mom! This part of my is probably my most cherished nothing can ever compare to the feeling you get when you're a mom. When you look at your little one with so much love because they are part of you, God has blessed you with such a miracle and has entrusted you with these little hearts to grow and protect and love. My heart is so full when I just think about Logan and how happy this child makes me and how much God has worked through him to remind me of so many things. He is literally the greatest blessing in our lives. 

So of course Moe & I have always wanted more kiddos, for Logan to be a big brother. Our hearts were set on growing our family. When we decided to start trying for sweet baby number two we both thought 

"well when we decided to start trying for Logan we were blessed to have been able to conceive within the first month, so this time around should probably go the same right?"

Here we are Logan just about to turn two and we decided that this would be the right time...Logan would be just about 3 and the baby would be born how awesome would that be...What they don't tell you is that sometimes the second time around doesn't come as easily as one would think. So month after month passes...negative test after negative test...still no baby...thoughts start to arise in my mind and I can't help but think there might be something wrong...6 months have already passed and nothing...so if we still aren't pregnant in 3 months I thought maybe I should check in with my doctor...well 3 months pass and still nothing. I go to the doctor and she runs all the test that should be able to give us some kind of answer but after those results come in she basically looked at me and told me well your numbers are all fine, your under 30 it should happen soon. If you still have no luck in the next 3 months I can recommend you to another doctor who specializes in these types of situations. Well 3 more months pass and still constant negative tests appear. Its been about a year now since we've been trying to grow our family and we're still without answers. So I book the appointment with the specialist thinking maybe she can give me a better answer to whats going on...well she didnt...literally she said my numbers are fine everything is ok its just timing...but if we need a little intervention she could possibly prescribe some medication to help. Shocked that we were in this position and having this be an option I wasnt sure what to think, this wasnt supposed to be how we added another baby to our family. Something really didnt feel right, deep in my heart. As we were driving home that day from that appointment I couldn't help but break down as we pulled up to the house. Moe sitting beside me asked what was going through my mind, what were my thoughts about all of the info that had just flooded through our minds. I literally looked at him and said: 

"this isnt how I want this to happen. I fell like Im taking God out of this equation. I want this baby to be given to us by God in his timing because I know his timing is perfect, and I feel if we move forward with treatments Im taking Him out of this and I know that when we try to take care of things our way they will never even come close to being as great as they could have been if left in Gods hands. I want this to be in His timing not my own, because clearly my timing isnt what God had in store for me because a year later here we are. I want God to be the center and not move forward with treatments because if we do then its like were telling God that I don't trust Him."

It was in this moment that we looked at each other and decided that moving forward we're not gonna stress (or try not to stress) about growing our family. That we were going to leave it in Gods hands and let Him work because His timing is better than ours. 

Now this again this isnt something that we've been open about with many people because its a sensitive subject for us. Its hard to constantly be asked "when is baby number 2 coming?" or "Logan would be such a good big brother! Don't you guys wanna try for another?" and countless other similar comments. Little did anyone know we have been dealing with the struggle of conceiving for quite some time...but you put a brave face on and you try not to get overly emotional or sensitive because this is your secret battle. 

What broke my heart more than anything is the one time we were in the car, Moe, Logan & I and Logan says to me "Mom can I have a baby brother or sister?" Moe and I look at each other because here is our 4 year old asking for the one thing I want to give him more than anything in the world and we just tell him "We're praying for that kiddo hopefully soon". So although we were praying for this sibling to arrive we also made sure to include this request in our nightly prayers with Logan and as did he. 

So after as we were reaching our 3 year mark of trying to add to our family I sat down and really thought about things. I thought about how much God has blessed us so far about how good he has been to us over the years. I thought about the amazing childhood we have worked so hard to give Logan so far. I thought about how although I may not understand why this desire that was placed on my heart hasn't yet been fulfilled I knew in the deepest part of my heart that God was not done with our family, our family was not done growing, it may not happen according to my time line BUT God has a different plan, a better plan, a time set aside for this chapter of our lives. I thought about how my I have to completely and fully put my trust in him. To have faith in God and his timing more than I have ever before. I have to literally let go of me wanting to control this and just be still and wait. As 2016 began that was my prayer: let go, be still, and give this up to God completely, to let his will be done. 

Again month after month went by...this year though was different my focus had shifted. It had changed to focusing on my family, making memories, being happy, getting healthy. I learned to just enjoy every moment and take in the blessings big and small as they came. Now the desire for a baby never left my heart, it was always there, but instead of feeling broken...felling defeated by my body...I decided to look at it in this light: God has something big planned just wait! Trust Him and wait! So night after night our prayer for a baby was still there, my perspective changed and was made to be on my relationship with God. Basically I pressed reset and I let him work. As the year was coming to its end I couldn't help but wonder when that prayer would be answered. Knowing I have a powerful God I waited with excitement because I again knew he wasnt done that he had something big in store for us. So jokingly I said moe one night  

"Moe the Cubs won the world series and Trump became president...literally anything is possible this could be the year that we get pregnant again" 

He looked at me and said "you never know!" Basically we laughed that off as a joke but seriously how awesome would that be right?! 

December was among us...That first Sunday of the month we were celebrating the 

dedication of the beautiful new daughter of our close friends...looking around you couldn't help but be happy, not only are we able to experience the joy of parenthood but so are all our friends! We go home in one of the most beautiful snow falls...you know the type that are peaceful and calm...we get home we planned to decorate our tree and get the house ready for Christmas ..once thats done the boys decide to watch a movie and we just have a chill night...it was the perfect night...once Logans tucked in and moe and I are getting ready to catch up on whatever show were finishing up on hulu...I have this weird idea to go take a pregnancy test...the thought in my mind being...well I haven't taken one in a while...if it'll be negative today it'll be negative tomorrow right? So why not...as I'm waiting for the results I literally say a small prayer for a Christmas miracle...

Goodbye 2016 Hello 2017

I cant help but sit down and reflect on 2016 and take some time to think about what I hope for in 2017.  The first thought that comes to mind is how unbelievably fast this past year went by, like it literally FLEW past in the blink of an eye!  Its crazy how  life just speeds past and its so important to just stop and take in every moment cause when you don’t youll just be missing out on so many things. 

This year has taught me how to really love myself and the body that God has blessed me with. I’ve learned that taking care of myself and making conscious decisions in regards to what I eat and making sure I am active does really make you feel good! Ive learned that hard work does pay off and that you can reach your goals if you stick to a plan and don’t give up. With that being said there will always be bumps in the road and times when you aren’t shedding the pounds as fast as you’d like, or you don’t have the energy that you thought you would, or you slowly see yourself maybe not try as hard in the beginning for whatever reason…but that’s ok…what we need to remember is to just keep moving on…to get back up and get back on track.  Its also finally coming to the understanding that loving who you are and truly embracing that is what matters most. We come in all different shapes and sizes and that’s the beauty of being part of such a diverse world. God has blessed us with these bodies, each of them being beautiful in their own way and what we need to do is remember to keep ourselves healthy and strive to be that best version of ourselves that we can be! At the end of this year I can say that I am happy with my body and all that it can do, all the work that it takes to keep this body healthy is totally worth is. Throughout the year Ive also learned as easy as it is to jump on the scale and use that as a way to track your progress the scale isn’t something that can measure happiness and feeling healthy.  So sure the scale can show you a number that you want to see or it can be stuck in the same place for a while but whats more important is that YOU FEEL GOOD! That you have energy! And that YOU'RE HAPPY!! And without a doubt I can say that I’m ending 2016 HAPPY!

I have also learned this year to fully trust God.To set aside the urge to take care of things my way and with my own understanding. To rely on God and have faith in His plan for me. Being a person who would prefer t one in control to know what my next step is, to have everything planned out just right this didn't come easy. 2016 was the year that I decided that I would literally LET GO AND LET GOD! I refocused my trust on him, I looked deep into my relationship with Him, and took the steps forward to not worry and just let God work. What I learned from doing this is when you stop worrying and trying to do everything your way and you just give Him control of it all, you become happier. You realize just how blessed you are, you're able to stop and enjoy not only the big milestones in life, the big accomplishments, but also the little things that God has given you. You start to hear God speaking to you. You start to see God working in your life. You begin to see your prayers, maybe some from a long time ago or more recent be answered. God is good, he is gracious, he has great plans for us and we can begin to see those plans unravel before us once we really truly let him into our hearts. Its really one thing to be able to say that but a whole different world once you actually open yourself up to that truth, and that is what I focused on this year. I cannot say it enough God is good guys, He is so so good! 

2016 was a great year at least in my opinion. We were able to build new memories with friends and family. We were each able to grow as individuals as well as a family. This year brought to light things that helped us change for the better and make us stronger. We each started new chapters and have been blessed so abundantly. So here's to a great 2016 (yes a little late I know) and an amazing 2017!!

Oh Christmas Tree

The Christmas Season is finally here! In our house I make a point to let Thanksgiving have its holiday and not rush into setting up Christmas until the first week of December. So like every year we take in all Thanksgiving has to offer and come that first weekend we gear up and prep to start CHRISTMAS! 

First things first I go through the attic and pull out my what seems to be growing collections of ornaments...we used to have one box now we've grown to two filled with ornaments and one with other holiday decor. As I sit staring at these boxes I can't help but realize the memories that come back with those ornaments, that since we've gotten married we've had 6 Christmas trees together moe & I (there was that one year in the middle of the remodel and living at the apartment that we didnt have a tree at our home but we did have one at moms to enjoy).With each tree came more ornaments, new additions, each showing tidbits of our personalities. Each year our tree tends to become fuller and fuller with these ornaments and I hope to not stop but to keep adding, cause overtime we have added stormtroopers, reading owls, and shotgun shells to our tree, but as well as ornaments collected with the message of what Christmas is really about and what its true meaning is to our family which is the birth of our Savior. These trees are a stories of our families a bit each of our personalities all bunched together in a beautiful collection for the world to see. 

CHRISTMAS 2012

CHRISTMAS 2013

CHRISTAMS 2014 

CHRISTMAS 2015

 I know a lot of people go back and forth on wether to get a real tree or go good quality fake...in this house we only do real trees. Theres just something about the fullness, the smell, the almost but not so perfect shape. Growing up we maybe did a fake tree a few years but the majority of the time mom always had a real tree up for the holidays. I love them and everything about them! Nothing beats the smell of that fresh cut tree when you walk into the house. 

So off to Meinke's garden center (http://www.gardencenterniles.com)  go like every year...and let me tell you they have the best trees in the area! Every year we take home a beautiful tree so of course we go see our friends over there year after year. This year unlike years past we literally walked in saw this big full beautiful tree and all 3 of us said "YUP! Thats the one)...no joke the first tree that we saw we took home! Aside from our big tree in the house we decided to get two smaller ones for the outside, so we're all about our trees this year! 

Logan had a blast helping decorate all 3 trees! Probably what made it feel even more special was that the day we decided to get everything up and decorated was the first time we had legit snow this season! 

CHRISTMAS 2016

Each morning the first thing Logan does is run down the stairs and updates our countdown! I don't know about you but we love countdowns in our house, I guess with an actual physical countdown up we're able to make events more fun, more exciting! So when we were picking up extra lights for our tree (cause theres no such thing as too many lights durning Christmas time) this adorable Martha Stewart countdown (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Martha-Stewart-Living-22-in-L-Metal-Christmas-Countdown-Calendar-2317210HD/206954309) caught my eye and we just had to get it! Love how it fits the bookshelf just perfectly and its a fun way for Logan to countdown to his most favorite holiday.

I love how everything turned out this year, how Logan was so much more excited, and the fact that he was able to have his first snowball fight of the year the day that the house is getting ready for the Christmas! We have our countdown up...our tree set...santa already got his list from Logan for  the year...and Christmas cards have been mailed. Now we wait patiently for December 25th to come. 

-emily-

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here we are again my most favorite time of the year! Theres something about the holiday season that just makes you feel overcome with this sense of happiness and gratitude regardless of how challenging this past year has been. At least thats how I feel. Every year around this time I start to reminisce on the year thats coming to an end, and during this time of reflection there are so many things that come to mind that I'm thankful for, that even though this past year has definitely had its struggles there are so many more positive things to be thankful for than not. It really isnt hard to come up with a few things that I would want to express gratitude for this year so I figured it be fitting to share some of those with you today. 

I am beyond thankful for my family. This past year has been a tough one for us all but through Gods grace and putting our trust completely in him we came out victorious. Mom was diagnosed with cancer last October and as that news dawned upon us one thing that was never shaken was our faith. We know that we have a strong and powerful God who hears our prayers and will never let us down. I am so beyond grateful this year that He has kept mom strong during her fight and can say that after her last scans there is no sign of the cancer. God is good and He truly does not let us down. I am thankful for my mom, she has show me personally what it means to have hope and not give up even when you're in the midst of your toughest battle, you don't give you. You rise above and you stay strong and you pray! You pray and you put your faith in God because everything is in his hands and theres no better place than that! I am blessed with an amazing family who I am so proud to call my own. Then theres my dad who is probably one of the most hard working men I know, always willing to help and will never say no when you need him. He is the best grandpa and his love for his children is never ending. My brother and sister who although we may not be the over affectionate type love each other deeply and will always be that support for each other and I cannot in any way imagine my life without those two. Michael J Fox said "Family isnt an important thing. Its everything" and I couldn't agree more! 

I am thankful to have a job I actually really really enjoy! To have been blessed with so many open doors since making the jump to a new company just about 2 years ago! God has been good and has really blessed me with the chance to work with an amazing team and to have an actual job I like to go to everyday. Being a working mom is hard its takes a lot of balancing and its not for everyone, but for me at least theres something so rewarding to be able to help provide for our family. I am grateful that I have found that balance because for as long as I remember I have never wanted the whole burden of providing for our family to all be on Moes shoulders and to be able to have had a door open within a company as great as this one I am so so thankful. It also helps that I have an amazing boss and a fantastic team to work with everyday! God has been good this year and Im constantly asked by my drivers why I'm always so happy...why is it that I'm always smiling...and they look truly intrigued when they ask...my answer is always simple..."why not be happy? Things could be so much worse." I am lucky to be able to say I actually like my job and although not everyday is easy it could be so much worse so why not just look at the positives and smile...be happy...and make the most of our days. 

My boys. Oh my boys. Those two are my reason for everything. I love them more than I can even begin to tell you. I have an amazing husband who works so hard for our family. He is the most patient man I know, he has the biggest heart of anyone I know and I am blessed to call him mine. Its crazy to think that were coming up on 15 years together and each year gets better and better. I almost can't believe how lucky I am to be able to grow old with this man. God has been so good to me blessing me with him because he really is my better half and I will continue to choose love everyday. 

Then theres Logan. Where do I even start. He is such an absolutely amazing little boy! He brings so much joy, laughter, happiness, and love into this family. He is smart and charismatic  so filled with life, making each day so much more exciting! My once 5lb miracle baby is now an almost 6 year old half way through kindergartener, who teaches me patience, love, understanding, and what it means to have a childlike faith again! He is my everything and I will forever do everything in my power to be the best mom that I can be because if theres anything I can do is give him the best childhood he could ever have! To know that he is always loved, he will always have a place to run to, that its ok to be adventurous and live life, to make mistakes and learn from them. I will do everything I can to give him as much as I can. God has blessed me with the chance to called a mother and my prayer is that I can be the best one that I can but just the fact that I get to be called mom is a blessing in and of itself. 

There are so many other people I am thankful for who have been such great friends to us and I couldn't imagine not having such an amazing community of friends and family to call our own. Each one of them God has put into my life for a reason and I love each and everyone of you and so grateful to call you each my friends! 

2016 has also been a year of personal growth. I set out this past year to focus on getting healthy and becoming the best me that I can become. As the end of the year is nearing I can say that I have accomplished those goals. I know that change takes time and that this is just year one and with that being said the main focus of this year was to focus on being healthy. Becoming healthier not only physically but spiritually, emotionally, and also continuing to build healthy relationships, focusing on making time for one another and for myself. I am thankful that God has lead me through this year with a very positive outlook on it all. That even when I would hit my walls or things would bring me down He gave me strength to keep going, to work hard, to not give up. I am thankful that as I near my 30's I am confident in who I am and how God is working in my life. He has done so much already and I know he has great plans for me. I am so grateful to have a God who is working on me who knows exactly what my heart needs and who has always and will always be there.

To be able to be here, be healthy & be happy all while being surrounded by those who I love is absolutely what I'm most thankful for this year. 

So today I hope you enjoy time with your loved ones & thank you for those who take the time to read my thoughts and little blurbs. 

with love

-Emily-

Magic Chicken

Ok...so its not magic...but it sure is easy! 

When chicken is the main protein source in this house its easy for it to start getting a little bland and boring! so ive been on the hunt for new ways to prepare chicken for the boys & myself. Off to the magical land of pinterets for ideas and inspiration....cause lets be honest pinterest IS the new google...ok maybe not for everyone...but for me...yes pinterest is the new google in my life...

I came across a recipe for One Pan Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Veggies from www.therecipecritic.com and let me tell you this dish is life changing! You guys need to check this out!

(http://therecipecritic.com/2016/08/one-pan-crispy-parmesan-garlic-chicken-vegetables/ )

Not only was this dish absolutely delicious but it was quick and easy to make & this working mom LOVES that! I mean come on after working 8+ hours a day who really wants to spend more than 40 minutes or so in the kitchen after work? Id much rather be winding down the day with legos...or playing jurassic world, catching up on my book...or even *gasp* surfing pinterest for EVEN more recipes...so the fact that this entire meal is A.Cooked on one pan B. finished in 40 minutes from start to finish and C. Healthy and Yummy make this a new staple in our house! 

The chicken was cooked to perfection and the veggies were seasoned so nicely even the boys ate every last bite! Now why did I dub this magic chicken...well let me tell you! Not only is it easy...but it can be used in so many different dishes...I started off following the recipe as it read & again amazing! Next we made chicken parm with the same chicken...again sooo good! Then tonight I whipped up some chicken tenders with the same process...basically this chicken can turn into and work with so many different dishes...pasta...veggies and potatoes...as tenders...you name it it'll probably go great with it! 

SO thank you @recipecritic for introducing me to what I now call magic chicken! 

Till next time

-emily-

p.s....follow me on snapchat for step by step recipes and other day to day things and whatnots...

-username- emily.sopt

Sorry its been so long...here's whats new with us...

So I know its been a while since my last post...totally my fault. Seems like life had gotten the best of me and by that I mean there have really not been enough hours in the day. But here are a few updates on whats going on in The Sopt Home.

First off our biggest change was Logan started school. 

Having opted out of preschool and going straight into kindergarten worried me a bit...not being sure how he'd adjust to a school environment and how he'd thrive on this new chapter of his life. Just like always he never ceases to amaze me and even with school he jumped in with both feet into the deep end & he loves it! 

His teachers are constantly telling us what a joy he is and how there isnt a day that goes by that doesn't start with "I'm gonna have a great day!" or "Today will be AWESOME!!". He's not only doing great in terms of making new friends but he's also made such progress in terms of the actual school work and thats whats so great to see! He's an all-star when it comes to math and we're really woking hard in reading and phonics.

So far there hasn't been a day that has gone by where he said he didn't want to go and he looks forward to each new day! We are so grateful for the his teacher and the school that he has been so blessed with. 

Next...my journey to being healthy...the scale hasn't moved much if we're being honest but that doesn't mean I've given up, actually quiet the opposite. Since the beginning my overall goal was to get HEALTHIER and I went in with the understanding that yes it will take a lot of hard work and dedication but also that the number on the scale may not always go down as quickly as I would like for it to and thats ok. Being healthy isnt something that can be quantified by a number per say. In my opinion healthy is feeling good, having more energy, and being unashamed of who I am and what my body is. 

So have I given up because the scale isn't moving as quickly...no of course not because losing 30+ lbs is a big deal, its a big change and I'm proud of that progress...am I hoping on that scale weekly...not anymore because theres more to life that the constant obsession of that number. So no I have not given up I'm still working hard & trying my best but I'm also focusing on how to be happy, content, and proud of who I am and the body that God has blessed me with.  

Life gets busy...and its easy to forget to check in...but let me tell you we have had a great summer and fall...and really those are the seasons where we find ourselves focused on family. Finding activities to fill our weekends and trying to show Logan how to have fun while being unplugged, the way that we did growing up. 

Our summer was filled with a trip to Canada,mutiple says spent at the splash pads & finding ways to explore our city all while taking in every moment we could of the beautiful summer weather we were blessed with. 

Our fall consisted of starting school, finishing our first 5k, losing 2 teeth, a family wedding, two close friends having beautiful baby girls, trips to the pumpkin patch, the cubs winning the world series & a new president was elected (#MAGA)! Now its time to focus on how to just let go and enjoy the time we have with each other all the while continuing to live healthy and happy lives. 

So thats whats been keeping us busy. Im so excited to be back and hope you're excited to continue to read. Check back in a few days for around up of some of our favorite new recipes...specifically our fave new chicken dish which I've dubbed Magic Chicken...you're gonna wanna check that this one out! 

Till next time! 

-Emily-