Wednesday, August 30, 2023

A Peek Into the Past 3 Weeks and more...

It’s been three weeks since I’ve posted a news-y family update. If you don’t follow on Instagram, that’s where I always share daily updates on our life — and I share a lot of things there I don’t have space to share here! Here's a peek into ...
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A Peek Into the Past 3 Weeks

It’s been three weeks since I’ve posted a news-y family update. If you don’t follow on Instagram, that’s where I always share daily updates on our life — and I share a lot of things there I don’t have space to share here!

Here’s a peek into the last three weeks at our house:

We were wiping some writing off the walls and David came over and took a tissue and was wiping the wall with us! It was one of the first times he’s mimicked us like this. We were so excited!

I will never take this for granted. The gift of being able to hold his hand, watch him play, see his smiles, hear his voice, tell him “I love you!” and hear him say, “I love you more and more and more.”

I don’t know what the future holds for C* or whether or not our lives will continue to intertwine as he grows older. Some days, that’s really hard and I find myself wanting to protect my heart.

Opening up my hands and my heart to say, “I will love you with my whole heart always and ever” is a risk and yet it’s exactly what love is.

To love is to risk. To love is to step into someone else’s life and say, “even when it’s hard and messy, I choose love.”

I’m so grateful his mama continues to allow us the privilege of being in his life. I’m so grateful that he’s healthy and thriving. And I trust keep reminding myself that I can trust God for his future and not let fear of the unknown steal the joy of today.

And so, I hold his hand. I look into his eyes. I say “I will always love you”. And I choose to savor this gift right here and now. ❤

*If you’re new here, C was our first foster placement. We brought him home as a tiny preemie from the NICU 4 weeks before Kierstyn was born in 2020. He reunified with his mama after 8 1/2 months of being with us. The past three years, we’ve had the great privilege of getting to continue to be involved in his life and help his mama with childcare while she works. Right now, we’re watching him 2-4 days most weeks. He’s now 3 1/2 and thriving! There have been many ups and downs along the way and this journey has looked so different than I ever envisioned foster care would look like, and yet God has been so faithful and good through it all and I’ve learned to rely upon Him like never before.

Middle school football season is officially here! Silas is playing cornerback and wide receiver this year and having a blast doing it!

Jesse and I went on a couples’ date night to play laser tag!

Headed to camp! Kaitlynn and Silas’ school starts with back-to-school overnight camp for the week.

David LOVES swings!

Senior Sunrise… we got up at 5 am to join Kaitlynn’s class on the football field to watch the sunrise, pray over the seniors, and mark the beginning of the year.

Parents were invited and any adults who are spiritual mentors in the senior’s lives. Micah also decided to join us… he woke up right before we headed out the door and made it abundantly clear he didn’t want us leaving without him.

I’m so excited for you, Kaitlynn, and can’t wait to see what this year holds for you!

There are many new things and changes in your life right now, but two things will always be the same: we love you more than you can even imagine and God loves you even more than we do!

Go be your hilarious, creative, compassionate self and celebrate all the special things that this next year will hold! ❤

We loved getting to celebrate our little friend’s one-year-old birthday!

Kaitlynn got a fish at the fair and Micah is obsessed!

First day of school!!

Kaitlynn is playing soccer again this year and is loving it!

Soaking up the last few days of her summer break before college starts!

I snapped this picture yesterday of me and Silas and am sharing it with his permission: He’s 14. He’s fiercely competitive, taller than me, passionate, confident, and independent… and he’s still a mama’s boy through and through and I love it so much. I hope he always wants to come sit right next to me and lay his head on me.

Mamas: don’t be afraid of your kids growing up. There’s a good chance they will still need hugs and TLC and want to hang out with you — and they’ll also be able to do things like clean the kitchen, run the laundry, cook dinner, and make you laugh until you cry with their hilarious stories and witty come backs.

Just a few days ago, Silas came home from a party and brought me an ice cream sandwich saying, “They were handing these out and I knew you’d like one. I got it right at the end so it would still be frozen when I got home.”

I truly believe this parenting gig just keeps getting better and better.

And just like that, she’s off to college!

We snapped a quick picture in front of our garage door before we waved goodbye and she drove away to this new season of life — with me sporting 8-day hair and the same outfit I’d been wearing for a day and a half while holding a just-bathed, towel-clad baby.

And somehow, it sort of felt fitting. Because that’s really the message I hope she takes with her into this new adventure: show up as you are.

You will never get it all right. You will never be perfect. You will always be dropping some balls. But show up anyway and love well. Your worth is not in your work. Your value is not in how you look. You are loved for exactly who you are. You don’t need to do more or be someone different to win our love.

There was a lump in my throat but also excitement in my heart. The past 18 years were such a gift. The next season is also a gift…

To watch her finding deals to stock her fridge (She already got a Kroger card and used digital coupons!)

To hear about her showing up to the campus ministry events where she didn’t really know anyone and ended up having a great time and connecting with a lot of people

To see her enthusiasm as she opened up her pantry and showed me her start of her stockpile (see pics below)

To observe her making wise choices, setting goals, planning for the future, seeking the Lord…

As parents, we’ve always said our goal is to raise adults not dependent kids. I never knew just how amazing it would be to actually see your child now adulting.

Kathrynne: we are so insanely proud of you and can’t wait to see what this year at MTSU holds for you! We also love that you chose a school close by home because you said you just couldn’t imagine being far away from us and want to be able to come home often. We love you to the moon and back — make sure to remember to eat enough food every day 😆 and go change the world!

P.S. For those who missed my stories on Instagram, she’s living in a rental house Jesse and I bought and renting from us. We decided on this plan together as it will save her thousands of dollars compared to what it costs to live on-campus + it gives her more opportunities to learn and practice real-life skills.

   
 

Gretchen’s $214 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6 (Sam’s Club Stock Up, Walmart, Publix, and Ingles!)

Sam’s Club

It’s been a while since I’ve gone to Sam’s but with the kids back in school, I needed to stock up on a lunch box items for the kids this next month. 🙂 They have to bring two snack items plus their lunch every day, so this should last us for the next month.

1 box (90 count) Mott’s Fruit Snack – $12.98

1 box (36 count) Belvita Snack Packs – $11.78

1 box (32 count) GoGo Squeeze Pouches – $15.98

1 box (40 count) Pirate’s Booty – $13.38

1 box (32 count) Gogurt – $6.78

4 lbs Butter – $12.58

1 Maple Syrup – $12.98

1 pkg French Bread – $3.98 (Um, ok. This bread is sooooo good! We’ve decided we will be buying this every time we visit Sam’s. No one told me about how amazing it is!!)

2 dozen Cage Free Eggs – $4.98

1 (2 count) Peanut Butter – $8.12

1 huge canister Olive Oil – $14.78

1 pack (12 count) Tuna Cans – $10.98

Total: $129.30

Walmart

I would have preferred to go to Aldi since it’s slightly cheaper, but it was way out of my way so I just got groceries at Walmart instead.

1 bag Flour – $2.34

1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.97

1 bag Shredded Cheese – $3.98

1 bag Frozen Cauliflower – $0.98

18 count Eggs – $1.86

1 bag Chocolate Chips – $2.32

3.32 lbs Red Grapes – $5.25

1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $3.24

1.06 lbs Zucchini – $1.46

1 Half & Half – $4.68

4 bags Confetti Chips – Marked down to $0.58 each

2 cans Pumpkin – $1.47 each

1 Ranch Dressing – $2.38

1 box Cheerios – $3, used $0.50/1 Ibotta rebate – $2.50 after rebate

2 bags Frozen Broccoli – $1.16 each

1 bag Corn Meal – $2.28

1 bag Bagels – $1.98

2.38 lbs Bananas – $1

2 Green Peppers – $0.72 each

1 Half Gallon Milk – $1.67

1 Gallon Milk – $2.73

1 Gatorade Fit – $1.38, used $0.64 Ibotta rebate – $0.74 after rebate

1 carton Greek Yogurt – $3.54

1 carton Cottage Cheese – $2.58

1 Black Pepper – $3.54

1 box Granola Bars – $3.84

Total: $65.88

Publix

2 bags Ritz Toasted Chips – $2.35 each, used $2/2 Ibotta rebate – $1.35 each after cash back

2 bags Lay’s Wavy Chips – $2.40 each, used $2/2 Publix e-coupon – $1.40 each after coupon

1 Harmless Harvest Coconut Drink – $2.15, used $2.50/1 Ibotta cash back – Free plus $0.35 overage

Received $2 Ibotta bonus

Total after coupon and cash back: $3.15

Ingles

1 box Organic 50/50 Blend – Marked down to $1.99

1.31 lbs Ground Beef – Marked down to $4.56

1.73 lbs Round Steak – Marked down to $9.13

Total: $15.68

Total for all groceries: $214.01

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Eggs, Bagels, Yogurt, Oatmeal, Pumpkin Muffins

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches/Chips/Veggies x 3, Mac & Cheese/Grapes/Applesauce x 2, Tuna over Salad/Crackers/Cottage Cheese, Leftovers

Dinners

French Toast, Eggs, Fruit

Grilled Steak, French Bread, Zucchini

Chicken, Rice, Tossed Salad

Barbecue Beef (from the freezer), Chips, Steamed Veggies, French Bread

Spaghetti, Steamed Broccoli, Pumpkin Muffins

Bean Burritos, Steamed Veggies, Fruit Salad, Cornbread

Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Tossed Salad

   
 
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