Oh my goodness, a three-day weekend is such a refresher to the soul! I think we need one at least once a month. Saturday morning was incredibly chilly, and we kicked the day off with a pumpkin spice latte and a cinnamon bagel while we waited for husband to return home from a week-long business trip. The windows were wide open, the skies overcast, the trees bustling with passing breezes, and the fireplace begging for a stoked fire. It was the perfect start to the beginning of September. In a text conversation with a friend, she told me she thought God had given us such perfectly fall weather because I love this season so much. I loved that thought :)
Husband arrived home in the early afternoon, right after Greer had woken up from her nap. We all wrapped up and headed outdoors to enjoy the weather and to set up our new hammock. We found our hammock at a steal of a price, and so we gifted it to ourselves as an anniversary gift (coming up on October 5). The best anniversary gift to date. We spent so much time in it this weekend, and little bit loves it. But she would love it even more if she could bounce on it ;)
Whenever we are putting something together, little miss wants in on the action. She loves helping her daddy, whether it's pretending to screw something or handing him a tool. I see so many days in their future of time spent building and assembly things together. It makes me terribly happy. I mean, just look at her face peering up at her daddy as if to say, "So we're going to do this together, right, daddy?"
We ventured inside to warm up, cozy up, and eat-up (or snack-up!). Husband built a fire, I grabbed the goldfish for Greer and the pumpkin spice caramel corn for me, and turned on Sing. If you're looking for a little sweet treat, I recommend this. It wasn't too sweet, especially with the pumpkin seeds in there, and it was great for satisfying my sweet tooth with a small helping. Also, I have the best solution for a blanket big enough to cover up the entire family for movie/cuddling sessions. Instead of a typical throw, we use this knit blanket in a queen size. It is perfect for covering us all up with some leftover too!
p.s. I've been wearing this knit sweater from PinkBlush almost every weekend since I got it. I am obsessed; it is loose with a great flow, and tunic-like. So you could wear it with skinny jeans or leggings.
Sunday morning was a very late start for us as husband acclimated from all of his travel time. Greer slept in too, which was amazing! Do you know what some of her first words to us that morning were? "Donuts!" And her daddy couldn't say no, so we headed to our local donut shop, which conveniently is less that a mile down the road from our house. I always get their maple bacon because it is perfection. And whenever we get donuts for breakfast, we have a special tradition. We load up a try with drinks and food, then sit on the couch while watching the news (which Greer requests). It's fun to make something little so special. This might get messier and a lot more chaotic with more kids on the couch, but I love it anyway.
Our alma mater, Virginia Tech, played for the first time this season on Sunday night. Greer is all about the Hokies and the pom poms our neighbors gave her. Instead of cheering with them, she loves to throw them and watch them cascade like fading fireworks to the floor. Her daddy loves that she watches football with him, and even more that she recognizes the Hokies, just by their colors.
Besides the late game, we spent a lot of our day at home after a morning trip to the grocery store. While baby napped, husband and I spent time in the hammock reading (and then I dozed off). And after nap, little miss requested coloring, followed by a bath. Sure thing, baby girl! I love a still and peaceful afternoon transition into evening, the crock pot going, and candles lit.
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| Ruffle Top || Charcoal Check Chair || Woven Basket (similar) |
Since her nap lasted well into the afternoon, which pushed her bedtime to 8:00, Greer got to watch kickoff. Because husband and I had planned (pre-nap) a late dinner to enjoy while watching the game, little girl got in on the action too, or rather she got to eat all the cornbread her little heart wanted. Sometimes plans don't go exactly like you intend, but sometimes that makes them even better.
And if you're looking for a quick and delicious meal, here's what you'll do for crock pot white bean and chicken chili:
- Throw 2 chicken breasts into a crock pot. I use crock pot liners, because, hello, no clean up!
- Add 32 oz chicken broth; one can, drained great northern beans; 4 oz diced green chilies with liquid, 1/2 a medium onion diced; 1 TSP oregano; 1 TSP cumin; 1/2 TSP chili powder; 1 TSP salt; several cranks of fresh pepper; and 1 whole garlic glove.
- Put on high for 3ish hours. I didn't time it, but you'll know it's done when the chicken shreds apart with little effort.
- Top with cheese, avocado chunks, and sour cream!
For cornbread:
- Preheat oven to 400°. Follow the directions on a box of Jiffy cornbread mix. Then add 3/4 a can of creamed corn. Put in a sprayed 8x8 pan and cook for 15-20 minutes. SO GOOD!
We made our way back out to the hammock for family time before Greer's bedtime. But, y'all, the mosquitoes are SO bad in our backyard, and we didn't last long. We think we might build a bug net to go around the hammock. I kid you not.
Bedtime followed, along with chores for the parents, and that concluded our long and happy Labor Day weekend! I hope yours was a good one too!
Bedtime followed, along with chores for the parents, and that concluded our long and happy Labor Day weekend! I hope yours was a good one too!
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