Hi, friends! Happy weekend! Have you enjoyed the past couple of days? I'll get to a quick recap of our week in just a minute, but first...big excitement for The Seasoned Mom this week! One of my {oldie but goodie} recipes was featured on The Today Show's website! You can check it out HERE. 🙂
Monday we spent some time at a playground enjoying the cooler temps,
and I even managed to make a double-batch of this Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce in an attempt to use up the mass quantities of tomatoes that our garden is producing. We have shared tomatoes with friends and family, but we just can't keep up. The sauce is definitely more effort than I like (boiling and peeling SO MANY tomatoes), but it will be worth it later on!
On Tuesday we hit the trails for a short hike. It was gorgeous outside and I wanted to squeeze in one last bout of fresh air before I would be forced to rest for the week...
I received this new Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor from Beets BLU, so I figured I would give it a try. The verdict? It's very cool! I was actually pleasantly surprised...
It's compatible with my iPhone6, and it automatically syncs with a variety of different apps that you can download. There was no programming or set-up required on my part, making it very user-friendly (even for the technologically challenged!).
I use a free app called Runkeeper, and you can see how it displays my heart rate (among other information) as soon as I begin my walk. If you're a fitness enthusiast, or if you're motivated by stats and numbers, you will probably LOVE this heart rate monitor. As far as I can tell, the only downside is that you have to wear the strap around your chest. It's not uncomfortable, but it's definitely noticeable until you get used to it.
We had a fun time in the woods and I was so impressed that Spence kept up and even walked the entire trail on his own -- no shoulder rides from Mom necessary!
Wednesday morning I had another surgery to fix the varicose veins in my second leg (my first surgery was last spring). Not a fun way to spend a day, but it was medically necessary and I know that I'll be glad that it's DONE.
My mom came to stay with us for a few days so that I could keep my leg elevated and try to rest (hah! hah! easier said than done in my house!). It was nice to have the extra help and to be spoiled by Mom.
She entertained the kids with trips to Graves Mountain Farm and sports in the yard, treated us to fresh blueberry cinnamon streusel breakfast bread, and did a lot of laundry (and other household chores). God Bless Grandparents!!
And God Bless Mom for bringing me these Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels from Whole Foods. She knows me well! They're HUGE, and they're salty, sweet, creamy, and rich. HEAVEN.
Keith stayed home from work on Friday so that he could take me to my post-op appointment in Charlottesville. He entertained the kids while I saw the doctor, and then we all headed home for lunch and a quiet afternoon. The boys played outside quite a bit, but seemed restless and bored. I think they're having trouble adjusting to a change in our routine with me resting, and I KNOW that they're ready for school to start.
Can you spot Spence and Casey playing in the tree? They were watching the tractor make hay across the road...
My Friday night was spent doing wild and crazy things like taking a shower for the first time since before my surgery (yesssss!), dining on carry-out pizza, and going to bed early.
Yesterday morning we were back at our normal weekend routine, with Keith and Spence working in the yard while the older boys played with their Legos.
Keith took Gibbs and Casey to their swimming lesson in Charlottesville mid-morning, but since I can't get my leg anywhere near a pool, Spence and I headed to the grocery store instead. Snack time!
After lunch, I tried to hop on my computer and I couldn't figure out why the internet was down. I called in my tech support (AKA "Keith"), who eventually figured out that there was bird poop on our dish! NICE.
These, my friends, are #countryproblems. We live too far out to have high-speed internet, so we have to deal with issues like weather and bird poop affecting our connectivity. Fortunately, there was an easy fix for this one!
After lunch I made a quick Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup to have with dinner, and then stashed the extras in the freezer for another day. Win-win (and recipe coming soon)!
The boys played outside,
and we finished off the evening with a family movie night.
Today has been very uneventful. Keith and the boys have played outside and washed cars, and I managed to photograph a couple of new recipes. Other than that, it's been a lot of laundry and chores!
We have some grilled salmon on the dinner menu for this evening, and Keith is planning to take the boys out for a hike later this afternoon while I rest my leg. Feet up!
Have a great week!
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