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Another weekend, some more adventures, and plenty of photos to document all of it! Shall we get started?

Our weekend began on Friday afternoon! I had to go to work at my office for a couple of hours on Friday morning, so my mom came for the day to help with the boys while I was gone. When I returned mid-afternoon, the rain finally stopped, the sun started to peek through the clouds, I unsuccessfully tried to get Spence to nap, and so we all headed outdoors.

My mom played some soccer with Gibbs,

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and helped to plant flowers in the pots on our front walk while Molly supervised.

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Casey and I pulled some weeds from one of our raised beds,

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checked on our pea plants (the seeds have sprouted and the plants are growing!),

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and picked some lettuce. I see plenty of salads in our near future…

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My mom headed home late afternoon, and once Keith finished up with work we met up with some friends at a Woodberry Forest lacrosse game.

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Of course, Spence fell asleep for about 10 minutes on the car ride over there,

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but once he woke up he was ALL ABOUT the golf carts on the sidelines.

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Keith and I socialized with our friends, Gibbs and Maggie played hide-and-seek, and Casey and Claire hunted for chiggers on the brick paths.

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When the game was over we grabbed carry-out pizza for dinner which was devoured as soon as we walked in the door. Then it was time for p.j.’s, books, and bed for the kids. Plus some t.v. time (a baseball game) and computer time for the grown-ups! Off to bed…zzzz.

Saturday morning was sunny, beautiful, and busy!

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Rise and shine! Grab that coffee and get going…

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After breakfast we dressed everyone and headed out the door. Before we left for the morning, Spence ate a quick snack in his high chair and I snapped a picture because I wanted to remember to mention these Rice Rollers. Have you tried them? We get them at Costco and the kids love them as a light snack. Each rice roll is kind of like a cross between a rice cake and a Rice Krispie treat (minus the marshmallow). They’re crunchy, slightly sweet, and easy for the little ones to chew (and the grown ups love ’em as well).

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Gibbs had team photos today before his soccer game, so Keith took him to the fields early while I headed out to run some errands with these little guys.

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Our first stop was the Farmer’s Market, where they were giving away free pancakes and locally-made bacon and sausage. My two boys loved it and made a good dent in the food supply!

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We also picked up some spring onions, eggs, applesauce, cookies, and steaks.

Then we headed across the road to Yoder’s Country Market, where we returned our glass milk bottles from last week, bought some more milk, produce, wheat bread, slider buns, cheese, zucchini bread, pasta, and marinara sauce.

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Our final stop was a quick one because we only needed 3 items and my boys were getting restless! We grabbed some cream cheese, snap peas, and snacks for Gibbs’s soccer team at the grocery store.

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After a quick pit stop at home to drop off the food, we headed over to the soccer fields just in time for Gibbs’s game. We accomplished a lot in about one hour, but that’s only because all 3 of our stops + our house + the soccer fields are all within about a 2 mile radius! Convenience and efficiency. Love it!

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Back home from the game by about 10:00 a.m., Keith set out to mow the grass while the boys and I put groceries away, weeded our strawberry garden, and played outside.

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Then it was time for lunch (hello, leftover pizza!), naps, laundry folding, and dinner prep {plus uploading some of these photos!}. Spence took a looooooong nap (thank you!!!), so the older two boys played quietly and watched Star Wars while I worked on an exciting, top secret project for the blog…to be revealed later this month!

I also did some online shopping (for THESE new running shoes) and put my feet up for a hot second before we were off and moving again.

asics-cumulus-womens-green-mainAfter Spencer’s nap, we made our way back outside for a short stroll,

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and a scoot before supper.

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Back home, Keith fired up the grill to cook THESE Grilled Honey Lime Shrimp, as well as some chicken breasts for me to use later in the week. Listen up, guys. If you make ONE RECIPE from this blog all summer long, please make these shrimp. Dads love them, little boys love them, and toddlers named Spence LOVE them. I think Spence ate at least a dozen of them on his own and was still looking for more after his brothers had finished off their seconds and they were all gone.

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When I’m making the shrimp, I always set aside some extra marinade to use as a salad dressing during the week. It’s SO good!

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We had jasmine rice that I seasoned with garlic (made in my rice cooker) and steamed cauliflower and broccoli on the side. Farmer’s Market Monster Cookies for dessert!

And even after all of that food, the kids were STILL hungry. Bottomless pits, I tell you. Gibbs proceeded to eat a bag of Cheez-Its after dessert, and Casey polished off a bowl of Oatmeal Squares cereal and a bowl of grape tomatoes (weird, I know).

See that succulent on his placemat? Casey loves the little plant that his grandmother brought him on Friday. He wanted to bring it to bed with him that night, but I drew the line. I assured him that it would be waiting for him on the table in the morning!

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Anyone who knows my husband knows that he is never one to miss an opportunity to gamble. So, after supper, while Casey ate his cereal, Keith arranged a little wagering game for the family. After all, it was Derby Day and we were certainly going to celebrate!

Each family member selected 4 horses, with the top 3 horses winning cash prizes. The kids got very into it and had fun watching the race when it came on t.v. Even Spence loved seeing the horses!

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Gibbs’s horses won first place and third place, so he went to bed a happy (and $11 dollars richer) kid.

Oh, and look what Casey brought me just before dinner…

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The lilac bushes in our yard always bloom during the first week or two of May, and it’s definitely one of my favorite times of year. They smell incredible and I always keep at least one small vase of blooms in the kitchen during this brief period. Casey knows that I love them so he was sure to pluck the first flowers that he saw (or smelled?) this season!

Sunday morning was a bit slower, which is always nice. After I showered and got dressed for the day, I rolled on some of my French Lilac perfume. After all, ’tis the season!

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While the boys played outside with Keith, I changed sheets on the bed, did a few loads of laundry, and cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Once everyone was back indoors, I worked on prepping some ingredients for a pasta salad that we will have for dinner tomorrow night.

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The boys joined me in the kitchen to color in this giant coloring book, which they love. In fact, I think we’re on our third version of the same book!

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Then it was time for snack (yogurt and granola bars),

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as well as some a little bit of digital photography.

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While the boys played with (and fought over) Legos, I uploaded some more photos, wrote a few recipes, and did some other chores around the house. The eggs, waffles, and peanut butter that I had for breakfast did a good job of keeping me full for a while, but when I started get hungry mid-morning I made THIS Cookies and Cream Protein Shake for snack (minus the fancy photography!).

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We made a quick run to the bank and then got everyone dressed in some “real” clothes to head out to the Montpelier Wine Festival with some of our friends.

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Baby Converse!

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Too cool for school.

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Lots of stripes!

We ate lunch and dessert,

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rode on a “train” with the boys’ friend Aidan (that’s me holding Spence in the front!),

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and played with the 4-H Club’s baby goats.

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After a couple of hours the boys started to get tired and have a little meltdown, so we hurried home to put everyone in their rooms for some rest. I’m finishing up this post before folding laundry and moving on to dinner! On the menu tonight: grilled steaks from the Farmer’s Market, rainbow chard that Casey and I just harvested from our garden (!), mac & cheese with broccoli (um, not homemade!), and homemade applesauce from the market.

Have a great week ahead!

blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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