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Big Family Food and Fun: August 16-22, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: August 16-22, 2026 post!

August 15

On Saturday evening after bath time and an early dinner, we took our kids to a Salt Dogs Baseball game. We had free tickets to this family friendly game, so we planned to hang out as long as the kids’ behaviors allowed us to. There wasn’t a huge crowd that night, so it was great! Note that we put the kids in coordinating t-shirts so we could spot them all easily as we kept track of eight kids, many of whom tend to wander off.

Keith and Bonus Buddy were especially into the game. There was a playground nearby that the younger four were more interested in. After a while, Bonus Buddy headed over to the playground. But Keith?

Keith was locked into the game the entire evening. He’d brought his mitt and joined a group of boys who were chasing balls any time they happened to fly into the crowd. This is dedication, man.

We got everyone right to bed when we got home, just a bit past bedtime. Overall, it was a great experience for our family!

Big Family Food and Fun: August 16-22, 2026

We had a youth group meeting after church on Sunday, so instead of hosting lunch at our house, we enjoyed lunch at church with other youth families.

Matt and I got to enjoy Community Group that afternoon while the kids hung out with Elias and Malorie. I baked five pizzas for dinner that night.

Acacia and Auggie helped our neighbors harvest some tasty garden produce.

Keith and Bonus Buddy found wikki sticks and beads and “started a business.” It was super sweet. :)

Monday morning, Emma came over and stayed with Auggie while Matt and I walked around Holmes Lake. It was wonderful to have this time!

That afternoon, I ran to Aldi, Walmart, and Costco to get what we needed for the week.

Many have suggested that I do Wal-Mart pick-up instead of going inside the store. Typically I prefer to shop in-store so I can find clearance deals and meat markdowns. But this time, I needed items from all over the store and didn’t feel like navigating that. So I put in my order online to save time and energy. It was lovely.

I loaded my cart at Costco and got home in time to get all the cold food put away and pick up kids from school.

Acacia was very interested in helping me cut strawberries to go with our dinner.

We had a visit from a penguin while I was making dinner.

I’d picked up a Rotisserie Chicken at Costco that day and we ate it with Stir Fried Veggies, Mashed Potatoes, and Strawberry Parfait.

Auggie’s first day of school was Tuesday. He was so happy to finally have his turn going to preschool!

Tuesday turned hard.

That afternoon, we got a life-changing phone call sharing about the death of one of our kids’ biological dads. Everything stopped as Matt and I needed to navigate this very hard thing with our children.

Justus and Kelsey were able to come over and help plus Elias and Malorie and Malachi were all at the house. Matt and I shared the hard news with the kids and held our little one while he sobbed over his loss.

Justus and Kelsey finished dinner and made sure we all ate. That night is a bit of a blur. I emailed the kids’ teachers and the school admin so all were aware of our kids’ needs. We texted people to pray. God’s love surrounded us.

Wednesday, Malorie stepped in to help with Brayden and Auggie so that Matt and I could drive our kiddo to see his dad’s body and say goodbye. Nothing can prepare any of us for things like this. God is faithful.

The Case family brought us all dinner that night and spent the evening at our house. This freed Matt and me to troubleshoot needs with different kids as they processed their feelings with us.

Our friend Robin asked what she could do and I requested that she please make us her famous Peanut Butter Balls. I had no Mudballs on hand and no energy to make more, and we needed something like this to have on hand for quick snacks. Robin came through. We are so loved and cared for. So many friends are praying.

On Thursday we felt like we came up for air a little bit. Hopelyn and Arrow came over, which was wonderful. Grandbaby therapy was just what we needed!

Auggie is very proud to take his turn riding the preschool bus and hops right on each day.

Brayden helped me put together Chicken Cheeseballs for dinner after he got home from his morning classes.

Then we took Arrow to his house, grabbed Phoebe, and headed downstairs at Asa and Eva’s to snuggle baby and do homeschool. It was PERFECT.

Phoebe had some sweet awake time and showed off how she is starting to smile. Wow, all the time with grandbabies brought so much joy!

Hopelyn had napped at home with Pop. She went with us to pick up kids after school and Keith was happy to push her stroller all the way home.

For dinner that night, we ate Brayden’s Chicken Cheeseballs with Noodles, Broccoli, and Fruit.

I’ve been beyond weary, so I didn’t get any more pictures the rest of the week. Matt took this one of Auggie helping me fill our Little Free Pantry on Friday morning.

I decided to take the rest of the week off so that I could use my energy for family. Our church is rallying for us, knowing that we’re dealing with extra hard things at our house. We appreciate your prayers for our family. God is good.

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Big Family Food and Fun: August 9-15, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: August 9-15, 2026 post!

BONUS: August 8

I finished last week’s post in the afternoon, but then we were blessed with a wonderful bonus evening that I wanted to highlight!

Asa and Eva’s family came over so that Asa could hang out and play a game with our friend/housemate, Nathan. That meant that Arrow and our kids had playtime, and all of us got some Phoebe time! She’s old enough now that all of the kids could take a short turn holding her, and everyone LOVED this privilege!

I put 17 Hamburgers and 16 Hotdogs on the smoker that evening, then we ate them with Grapes and Cantaloupe. It was super simple, but how grateful did I feel having so many dear ones around our table again that evening!!!

You might recall that Nathan had to have surgery on his ankle after a fall two weeks ago. So this time with Asa was extra good and it was fun to hear their laughter as they finished up their game.

There are always people coming and going from the table during meals like this, so it’s almost impossible to catch everyone at once. I had the honor of holding Phoebe while everyone ate, and I just took in the scene. What a delight!

Big Family Food and Fun: August 9-15, 2026

Sunday morning, I took advantage of the kids sitting in the living room watching a show and used my time to put muffins into baggies for the freezer. I’ve been trying to do a little bit each day to prepare for packing five school lunches every day. The day before, I had baked batches of Vanilla Pumpkin Muffins and Spinach Cupcakes.

These little bags went into big bags, and then into the freezer to pull out as needed.

We ate a special plate of Breakfast Cookie Bars as we got ready for church. See those little soccer ball shaped chocolate chips in there? I found those on clearance after the World Cup ended. Fun!

There were 25 of us gathered for lunch together after church.

We had a brunch-themed lunch! I made two huge Egg and Hashbrown Casseroles, one with ham and one with sausage. Our friend, Rebecca, brought homemade muffins, plus we had strawberry shortcakes and fruit. It was fun and delicious!

Matt and I enjoyed Community Group time that afternoon. For dinner, we ate food that our friends had dropped off after their mom’s funeral. When people have excess food, they often think of us, knowing that we eat a lot at our house. We are happy and grateful to receive these blessings!

Emma came on Monday morning! All eight kids were home so Matt and I weren’t able to steal away like we had often through the summer when she came. But I did head out to finish up shopping that needed to be done before school started. We were incredibly blessed at Wal-Mart to find one final bike we needed to get all of our kids to and from school – and it was on clearance!

My Sam’s cart didn’t overflow like it usually did, so at this point, I decided to get cases of toilet paper and napkins. THEN it was overflowing. :)

Back at home, everyone took in loads of groceries. The bike brought a lot of excitement – plus there were new shoes for the kids who still needed them. I *think* we are ready for school now!

We had been given a bag of Fish Fillets at a past Tuesday Food Distribution (someone had donated a huge amount of these), so we air fried them for lunch. They were a hit! Friends had given us a loaf of sweet bread that we enjoyed, plus I prepped two pounds of strawberries. We ate every single bite of this lunch before heading outside. I gave three boys a needed hair cut and we let the kids play in water all afternoon.

At 4:30, we all made the trek to our kids’ elementary school for their Open House. Elias and Malorie walked with us to help out. We’ll have seven kids at the elementary school this year – a new record for us!

We made our way to everyone’s classrooms, found their desks, met their teachers if we didn’t know them already, and felt a lot of excitement reuniting with classmates and teachers that we’d missed over the summer.

Auggie wasn’t sure what to think at first as he went to his classroom for the first time. But as soon as he found the play area, he made himself right at home!

I had made dinner before we left for Open House and we were all ready to eat when we got home. We ate our way through three pounds of noodles, a large pan of red sauce with meat, a jar of white sauce, and a pot of steamed broccoli. Plus we ate grapes, fruit/veggie pouches, cheese, and whatever else some of our pickier kids needed to fill up their bellies before bedtime that night.

We spent time on Tuesday morning working again on school lunch prep. First, I made Flourless Chocolate Banana Muffins and Peanut Butter Snack Bars. Just as I was sliding the muffins into the oven, I saw the saucepan of coconut oil that I’d melted for the muffins and failed to add to the muffin batter. Ugh. The hazards of multitasking! (The muffins turned out ok. Not great, but we ate them!)

While those were in the oven, I made a monster-sized recipe of Mudballs. I set aside some to deliver to a friend who had just lost her sister. I planned to take those for her family, along with a few other baked goods.

My last baking endeavor that morning was a double batch of Monster Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. These turned out super ooey-gooey-good!

Once all the bars had cooled, I cut and individually bagged them and put them into the freezer.

I felt stocked up now for grab-and-go school lunch packing needs. We’ll see how long all of these prepped foods last!

Matt bravely took seven of the kids to the Heartlands church building to help with some cleaning needs. I stayed back with Auggie so he could finish his ABA therapy session, and I used my time to continue food prep in the quiet. I cut two big packages of steak and added frozen peppers and onions to cook for our dinner that night.

When Auggie finished therapy, I gave him a hair cut. He did great and this completed our four younger boys’ hair cuts as we head into the school year!

The kids had earned some freebie coupons from the Library Summer Reading Program. So on the way home from Heartlands, Matt stopped and picked up free kids meals from Slim Chickens. That made for a fun end-of-summer break lunch!

That afternoon, I took Brayden, Kiya, Keith, and Acacia to serve at Tuesday Food Distribution. There is also a clothing giveaway room at this distribution location, so we all took in some bags of clothes to donate before heading to our food giveaway stations.

Back at home, Matt had finished setting out the Steak Fajita bar that I’d started earlier in the day. I got home from Food Distribution just in time to drop off kids and then Brayden and I headed to his Middle School Open House. This time together helped settle his nerves as he saw each classroom, met new teachers, and found his locker.

On Wednesday, I spent almost the entire day prepping for school breakfasts and lunches. We’d brought home a big pile of overripe bananas from Food Distribution the day before, and I had big plans for them!

I started by making a double batch of Angela’s Breakfast Cookies. I froze half and set the other half aside for our first day of school breakfast.

Meanwhile, I baked 24 eggs to turn into Breakfast Sandwiches.

While the oven was hot, I baked a pan of Stick of Butter Rice to use with leftover Steak Fajita meat.

Our two kindergarten girlies had their very first day of school. They were beyond excited and nervous, which is why they packed and repacked their lunches six times.

After dropping off the girls, I put kids to work helping me get our pantry more organized for school lunch packing. Our summer has been so FULL that everything felt messy, cluttered, and disorganized. So I worked on fridge and freezers and pantry shelves to help us feel more settled and ready to be efficient on school mornings.

While Brayden helped me move things in the pantry, I put Kiya to work filling baggies with peanut butter pretzels to have available to grab-and-go.

I made two loaves of bread worth of Uncrustables for the freezer.

We ate leftovers for lunch, then Matt gave each of the older kids a turn mowing. This was Kiya’s first time and she was so proud!

Our evening was very full as we are having some significant transitions with our ABA therapy workers. We are so sad to see some of our wonderful therapists and technicians leaving after all they’ve done for our family. We met three new workers this week and we trust God to use them to continue to do good for our kids.

Dinner needed to be simple that night, so I made Sloppy Joes and Salad to serve as needed. Emotions were running high as not only were we making shifts in ABA therapy, school was to start for everyone the next day. So there was nervous energy filling the house. Bedtime felt good that night (once we finally settled everyone in).

Thursday was everyone’s first day back to school. Organized and prepared as we were, it was still an incredibly hectic morning getting seven kids out the door on time. Brayden did a good job eating a Breakfast Sandwich and heading out by 7:30. Auggie’s ABA therapist arrived at 8:00. And the other anxious kiddos didn’t know what to do with themselves until time to go, so they created a bit of chaos. Therefore, try as I might, I wasn’t able to get a first day of school picture with all of them.

These four lunch bags sat still for me though. So here’s a first day of school lunch bag picture. (Anna had already put her bag into her backpack.) All of the prep I’d done leading up to this day was so helpful in packing good food for our kids!

We made it to school just in time, and I was able to capture a shot of these three: two second graders and a first grader.

Back at home, I used the last of the over ripe bananas to make three loaves of Banana Bread. Arrow and Hopelyn both came to spend the day, which was PERFECT as Matt and I enjoyed some quiet for the first time in months. It’s funny how “only” having a 3-year-old and two 2-year-olds to hang out with is sweet and peaceful. We had such a fun morning!

While we were reading Curious George together, I did my best to get a picture of us. :)

At noon, Brayden came home from school. We are trying a new plan for this awesome 7th grader this year: part time public school and part time home school. Last year, spending a full day at the middle school was too much for him in many ways. We are praying our new plan works to help keep his nervous system more settled.

After he ate lunch, our friend Becky came and picked him up for a special afternoon at her house.

They cooked together, played the piano, and made a special treat to bring home to everyone.

Matt and I put all three little ones down for naps and attempted to have a 32nd Anniversary Date!!! Ice cream and coffee in the sunshine? Uninterrupted conversation with my favorite guy? THE BEST! (This moment lasted exactly five minutes before one of our very struggling neighbors came by with a very big need. So the uninterrupted convo was very much interrupted, but serving together with Matt is what has made our 32 years so special. We spent the next hour helping get our friend some food and water and off to the hospital with another friend. We plan to attempt another date time next week when Emma comes!)

At school pick-up time, we buckled the babes into our big wagon and made our way a few blocks to create a big parade of kids on bikes. Hopelyn thought this was the funniest thing and laughed so hard as we traveled.

We got home in time to start ABA therapy for four kids. Becky dropped off Brayden along with Caramel Corn and Baked Ziti that they had made together. He was SO PROUD of his work and we were proud of him! It was a delicious dinner and we finished the entire pan along with Green Beans and Corn.

After we got the kids to school on Friday morning, our dear friend Donna came for a short but sweet visit. We went to college together and don’t see each other often so we made the most of our catch-up time!

At lunchtime, I made Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Grilled Turkey and Cheese Sandwiches.

After we ate, I introduced Brayden to part of what his homeschool afternoons will look like each day. He read through his assignment list, and we got started on his work together.

After some American History work, a scripture reading time, and a math drill, I took him and Auggie to the library. Brayden had some specific library goals detailed in his assignment notebook and I worked with him there to find all of the specific book sections and work through his list. Meanwhile, Auggie did amazing playing with all of the fun library toys he found.

It was a pretty great afternoon with the two boys and we got home in time to head to school to pick up all the other kids. Our evening was full of ABA therapy and I didn’t get any more pictures on Friday. We ate leftover Steak Fajita meat for dinner with Stick of Butter rice and toppings.

Saturday we took the kids to the Children’s Museum for the morning.

Overall, the outing went very well until the end when several kids had meltdowns. We were grateful for happy kids for the majority of the time we were out!

Brayden and Kiya had an extra good time with a special scavenger hunt that was set up at the museum that day. They did amazing figuring out clues to find each item on the list throughout the morning.

There were also special craft stations set up throughout the building. This along with all the regular features of the museum provided lots of sweet time.

The building zone is a fairly new feature of the museum, and Keith and Bonus Buddy did a great job building a house together!

We had acquired eight free kids’ meal coupons from Raising Cane’s at a summer event a few weeks ago. There’s a Cane’s right across the street from the museum, so we grabbed the grub and ate in a courtyard close by. This was great for about ten minutes – then they all scattered and it was no longer fun. But I do think these kids are making good memories, even if things like this are challenging for Matt and me.

Back at home, we did some cleaning, got muddy, gave baths, had an early dinner, then took the kids to a Salt Dogs baseball game. I’ll share more about that next week!

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Big Family Food and Fun: August 2-8, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: August 2-8, 2026 post!

Big Family Food and Fun: August 2-8, 2026

Our Sunday started with Breakfast Cookie Bars, of course…

At church that day, I had the honor of sharing a big part of my journey and testimony of God at work in my life as He is helping me overcome worry and people-pleasing. A lot of time and energy had gone into preparing for this. But mostly I got to experience more of God’s teaching, Truth, and goodness as Matt and I prepared this together.

Immediately after our worship service, we enjoyed a sweet “Baby Sprinkle” for Phoebe and her family.

We came home and had a wonderful lunch spread in which people could build a wrap of their choice. We set out Shredded Rotisserie Chicken, bacon bits, shredded cheese,  guacamole, lettuce, and a variety of dressings and dips. We enjoyed chips, fruit, and a delicious cucumber salad on the side, and ice cream for dessert!

There was a sweet crowd of 21 of us, providing lots of good conversation and encouragement.

For dinner that night, we air fried Taquitos and ate them with chips, salsa, queso, and fruit.

Brayden had been at a Christian Camp all weekend, and before heading up to bed, he enjoyed showing Kiya the crafts and pictures he had brought home.

Monday was my birthday! We took four kids to Day Camp, Emma came to stay with the other four, then Matt and I headed to Holmes Lake. We walked around the lake twice, talking and talking and talking. It was amazing!

With one more hour before we needed to be home, we went to Culvers for a birthday treat/lunch date.

Elias and Malorie got back into town that afternoon! We were still waiting for Malachi to get back for my “actual birthday dinner.” But meanwhile, some dear friends had send us pizza gift cards so we invited the kids who were available and we ordered birthday pizza to share that evening.

It might have been my birthday, but Phoebe was the most popular guest when she arrived.

Four kids were having ABA therapy during our dinner – so there was lots of noise and activity. But it was a wonderful evening with family and I loved it!

There was a lot of wedding chatter as Elias and Malorie shared the beginnings of their plans with us!

On Tuesday morning, after I made scrambled eggs for breakfast, I hurried to get a little bit of baking done because we didn’t have anything on hand for me to quickly hand kids who might be in “snack crisis.” I baked Crustless Cheesecakes, Nutella Oat Bars, and Vanilla Cheater Muffins.

I don’t love that these muffins have white flour and sugar. But I DO love that these are full of pumpkin and take no time to make. Those factors redeem the sugar, or something like that. :) The recipe made 18 of these muffins, and they were gone by 3:00 that afternoon. What a great way to eat an entire can of pumpkin puree!

As we were finishing up ABA therapy and lunch that day, suddenly my dearest friend, Charlene, from York walked into the house. WHAT?!?!?! As it turns out, she and Matt secretly planned a coffee outing for my birthday. This was the sweetest surprise!! We headed out to the closest coffee shop and talked, laughed, and cried for two and a half glorious hours!!!!

We arrived back home to this sweet scene. Kelsey had been at Costco that morning and found a ridiculously cheap deal on blackberries and raspberries (plus shorts and socks – she scored big!). The kids had a Berry Picnic, not holding back on eating as many berries as their bellies could hold.

Brayden, Kiya, Acacia, and I went to our Tuesday Food Distribution to serve that afternoon while the other kids were home having ABA therapy sessions.

We’d found a Cheeseburger Casserole in the freezer and that became dinner. This casserole did not look pretty. But it tasted good!

Wednesday was our kids’ final day of camps for the summer! I dropped them off then took advantage of only leaving four kids at home with Matt while I stocked up on groceries. EVERY TIME I grocery shop, I think that surely this haul will get us by for a good long while. Then, the very next week, I’m filling up several carts again. I wonder when I’ll stop being shocked by the amount of food we eat at our house??! (This is a super huge job, but one I very much enjoy, so don’t hear any complaint in what I just said. It’s just shocking and borderline funny to me that we go through so.much.food.)

My first stop was Aldi, where I got a little bit of fresh produce but mostly odds and ends of items we needed for upcoming school lunches, school morning breakfasts, and cooking/baking ingredients. I checked the meat section for pretty red 50% off stickers and was thrilled to find our favorite boneless chicken thighs marked down!! I grabbed all I could and left some behind too. Boneless thighs for $1.50/pound? THANK YOU!

My next stop was Wal-Mart. I’ve found that the best use of my time at this store is to walk through and scan end caps for clearance or sale items. I got some school supplies for super cheap, paper plates on super clearance, a Christmas gift to hide away for Auggie, four packages of brats for less than half price, plus a few regular food items we needed like milk, bananas, and oatmeal.

Finally, I filled a cart at Costco. On my way in, I ran into my precious friend, Angie, from York and we shared hugs, tears, and praise to God for ways He is at work in our families’ lives. That was a huge boost in my day! Then I shopped for sales and needed items to get us through the week and maybe a bit beyond.

We have a huge van and a small car – and I’d driven the car that day so I could fill it with gas at Costco. Did I have enough room in this small car for all of Aldi, Walmart, and Costco? Barely. The trunk, back seat, and passenger side were all completely filled up as I headed home!

All of the shopping took four and a half hours to accomplish! Then, we all worked together at home to get everything unloaded, organized, and put away. This basically took the rest of the day off and on as I had time to continue putting things in their places.

Brayden helped me put sauce on all the discounted chicken before we put it into the freezer. This will make it much easier later when all we have to do is thaw it and put it on the smoker!

He also helped me make another batch of Vanilla Cheater Muffins because these have been incredibly popular with everyone lately!

While he was making those, I put together a Spinach Cake for an additional veggie-treat snack option. Keeping up with appetites at our house is a full time job!

Dinner that night was super tasty! I smoked some Teriyaki Pork Loin from Aldi plus made Cheesy Potatoes, Stir-Fried Veggies, and Strawberry Parfaits.

Thursday was a big day with all eight kids home all day. Auggie had ABA therapy that morning, so we couldn’t plan an outing at that time. The little girls occupied themselves with building a bus in the living room.

Matt took four kids to pick up our Azure Standard order and then to Menards. This picture shows how brave my husband is…

Meanwhile back at home, I spent the entire morning working in the kitchen. I baked a pan of Breakfast Cookie Bars to enjoy the next two Sunday mornings.

The girls were in and out of the kitchen helping me as I worked. We made a huge pan of Chewy Granola Bars.

Then I made three loaves of Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread.

Matt and the older kids finally made it home from their outing so we got our Azure Standard order put away. I’d ordered our favorite tortillas, plus a case of GF tortillas for one of our housemates. If you haven’t checked into this great food co-op, I highly recommend it!

We got three big bags of grain: two of whole wheat pastry flour and one GF oats. I’d like to think this will all last us a good long while but I probably know better. ;)

We ate a lunch of Chicken Nuggets, Mac and Cheese, and Fruit. Then we got everyone ready to head to Holmes Lake for the afternoon.

I have loved all of the times I’ve been able to walk there this summer, so we wanted to see how the kids would handle the walk. Elias and Malorie went with us which made this experiment possible.

Overall, the kids did great.

Elias stayed with his buddy, Auggie, whose three-year-old legs had the most struggle with keeping up.

Two miles later, we had a reward of cold juice with Zucchini Bread, Vanilla Cheater Muffins, Grapes, and Nuts. Food tastes extra good after a long walk around a lake.

We headed home in time for five kids to have afternoon/evening ABA therapy sessions. I smoked 20 Brats for dinner, which we ate with fruit, carrots, and tator tots.

On Friday morning, I cut and individually packaged the Chewy Granola Bars that I’d made the day before. My goal was to get food like this prepped for the start of school to help with packing lunches.

We didn’t have therapy that morning, so we loaded up and took all the kids to a nearby park to play.

We stayed for two hours, and enjoyed a snack of cheese sticks, applesauce, and blueberries while we were there.

That afternoon, Matt was a rock star with all the kids on his own at home while I went to school for an IEP meeting. There was a one-day-only sale on eggs at Hy-Vee, and Elias and Malorie were sweet to go grab 15 dozen for me. I couldn’t pass up getting these for $0.99 each!

All of our kids were finally back in town, so we were able to have my official birthday dinner together that night! I was hungry for this Cheesecake Factory knock-off salad, and my people made it happen!

We left all the ingredients separate so everyone could build their own salad – but I added everything just as the recipe stated. The mixture of flavors in this is super good! Matt also air fried some Chicken Bites for people to add or for kids to eat if they didn’t want salad. I cut a loaf of Zucchini Bread and set out Grapes to stretch the meal also.

I didn’t get a lot of pictures that night because I wanted to enjoy family time – plus we had four ABA therapy sessions happening throughout dinner time – so everything was great and hectic. After our salads, we cut into a cheesecake from Costco. It was all perfect!

Phoebe’s mama had spent dinner time feeding her, so while Eva was finally taking a turn to eat, Kelsey helped Kiya grab a snuggle.

On Saturday, I prepped for our upcoming Sunday Lunch by putting together two large Egg and Hashbrown Casseroles – one with ham and one with sausage.

Mid-morning, we met up with some extended family at the Zoo. Justus, Kelsey, and Hopelyn met us there and we all had a lovely time!

Since they were coming from out of town, I offered to provide our picnic lunch. There were 22 of us and we’d had a busy week, so I opted to purchase two big cases of Uncrustables. I threw them out onto the tables with apples, applesauce, cheese sticks, oranges, chips, and fruit cups. Kelsey brought homemade muffins, carrots, and trail mixes. We had a great feast!

Our last zoo stop was at the Butterfly Garden before heading home.

Dinner that night was Burgers on our smoker. We spent the evening cleaning and prepping for Sunday. And that was our week!

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Big Family Food and Fun: July 26-August 1, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: July 26-August 1, 2026 post!

Big Family Food and Fun: July 26-August 1, 2026

On Sunday morning, I set out the plate of Breakfast Cookie Bars I’d made a few days prior. The kids helped themselves whenever they were ready to eat. I love watching Auggie become more independent!

Sunday Lunch after church was a huge feast of Smoked Chicken, Baked Beans, Homemade Bread, Salad, Baked Potatoes, Veggies, and Fruit.

Friends brought Cookie Bars, Candy, and Blueberry Muffins for the dessert section, and I set out the Brownies I’d made the day before.

As we were getting lunch set out and people were arriving, I loved that I happened upon this scene. Randy is Eva’s dad, and he made friends with Auggie – not an easy task. I was surprised and thrilled that Auggie let Randy pick him up to interact and play!

There was a fantastic crowd of 31 people that day gathered around our tables.

After lunch, Matt and I enjoyed time with our Community Group while the kids watched a movie in the basement. It was very hot outside so we spent most of the evening inside, except for going outside for a popsicle after dinner. I took a break from our regular Sunday night dinner of Frozen Pizza and made two boxes of Orange Chicken from Sam’s.

On Monday, the kids ate Flourless Chocolate Banana Muffins and Nutella Oat Breakfast Bars that we’d baked over the weekend. Matt drove four of the kids to Day Camp and Brayden walked himself to a nearby church where he was helping with a younger kids Performing Arts Camp. Auggie started his ABA therapy session, and Acacia and Josie got ready for “Jump Start” at school.

Incoming kindergarteners had been invited to school for two short mornings this week to meet their teachers, become familiar with their classrooms, and learn a few upcoming school morning routines. They had been so excited about this! But nerves kicked in as we walked there that morning. Josie’s little chin quivered, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to convince her to go in.

These two girlies have been in the same preschool class the past two years, and this will be their first year in separate classrooms. We agreed with teachers that this would be better for them, but that morning I questioned our choice. Acacia bravely went in with her teacher. Then I tapped the shoulder of a special education teacher who was incredible to help Josie feel comfortable and head on in. (Both girls were ALL SMILES when they came home later that morning!)

While everyone was gone and Auggie had his ABA session, I had a meeting with his therapist. Then I baked 24 eggs to turn into Breakfast Sandwiches.

I also browned sausage and scrambled it with eggs to make 20 Breakfast Burritos. I had plans to deliver some of these breakfast items to friends, plus I hoped to get ahead for our household needs.

That afternoon, Matt and I took the three littlest kids to Aldi. We only needed a few items for our family. But our goal that day was to get breakfast, lunch, and snack supplies for a family who had just lost a loved one. We picked up cereal, bagels, fruit, milk, bread, lunch meat, cheese, chips, trail mix, and granola bars. Then we dropped it off to our friends as we headed home. The kids enjoyed this outing and we appreciated letting them be a part of helping serve our friends.

That afternoon/evening was a big one! Three kids had ABA therapy, and in the meantime, we turned our main floor library into a temporary bedroom. One of our housemate friends had severely dislocated his ankle the day before and had to have emergency surgery to fix it. He’d spent the night at the hospital and was ready to come home on Monday evening. The kids were excited about helping with this new development, so we gave them the job of collecting pillows for propping up our injured friend.

While we waited for him to get dropped off, we ate our dinner: Tacos with Stick of Butter Rice and Strawberry Parfaits.

When Nathan arrived, he slowly and carefully made his way to our table to eat dinner before heading to bed. Here’s how it went when I asked the kids to give him space. :/  As you can see, he’s a beloved part of our family now!

Tuesday was a busy day filled with all the regular parts of life, plus some meetings with therapists and teachers. Because of this, I didn’t get many extra kitchen chores done or take many pictures. Here’s what I did get done:

In the afternoon, I baked a batch of these incredibly simple Vanilla Pumpkin “Muffins.” (By the end of the day, there were only two left!)

I had browned sausage the day before and saved some with the intent to experiment with creating a savory Sausage Cheese Muffin idea I had. These turned out great and I’ll share the recipe soon!

I took Brayden, Kiya, and Acacia to our Tuesday Food Distribution to hand out food and clean up afterward.

Matt held down the fort at home with all of the ABA therapy kiddos and other kid needs. He warmed up Pineapple Chicken Rice packets that I’d picked up on clearance at Walmart a couple weeks ago, plus he made Salad. The muffins got eaten with dinner and no one really thought about the fact that they were eating pumpkin and getting some hidden nutrients.

On Wednesday, Emma came over and Matt and I got kids to camp then had a few hours to ourselves!

We ate leftovers for lunch, then I went to Costco to load up a cart to restock our pantry and fridge.

We are trying to train our little ones to help carry in groceries, so we pulled them all outside with us and handed them food to take inside.

As soon as the cold food was put away, I set to work taking the meat off of three Rotisserie Chickens. I planned to serve it for dinner that night, plus freeze the rest of it for our upcoming Sunday lunch.

While I was working on the chickens, Acacia and Josie happily dug into the cherries I’d picked up at Costco. :)

Our neighbor had given us a box full of fresh sweet corn, so as soon as all the kids got home from camps, Matt got them busy shucking the corn for dinner.

NOTHING compares to fresh corn straight from a garden or field. I had planned our meal around it, and we enjoyed it with our Rotisserie Chicken, Strawberry Parfaits, and Sourdough Bread that we’d brought home from food distribution the day before.

Three of our kids had ABA therapy that evening from 3:30-6:30, then we loaded everyone up for our final Heartlands Church Popsicles in the Park event.

On Thursday, I dropped four kids off at camp then went to Wal-Mart and Sam’s to finish up shopping I hadn’t been able to get done the day before. My biggest score of the day was Chicken Drumsticks marked down to just $0.73/pound!! I almost filled my cart with them – because how could I pass up being able to feed my entire huge household for just $4.00?! But I “only” bought a half-cart full because I knew I’d struggle to find freezer space if I kept grabbing more. :)

Having gone to all of our favorite stores this week, I finally felt stocked up on the needed groceries I like to have on hand for our household. Shopping, unloading, and then getting everything put away was a huge job. Then we had a final meeting with our Early Development Network friend as we transition Auggie into preschool. Just before warming up leftovers for lunch, Malachi gave a round of hugs before heading out to Kansas. He’s been traveling a ton this summer and had just gotten back from working in Florida. Phew.

That afternoon, Acacia and Josie had their pre-kindergarten check-ups.

I’d been fighting a migraine all day and finally gave into it that night, making just chicken nuggets for dinner instead of smoking chicken legs like I’d originally planned.

I managed to bake a Spinach Cake that evening for a bedtime snack for the kids.

Friday morning, Matt took the two littlest girls with him to drop Brayden off for a special weekend Christian Camp for middle school boys. I took the other kids with me and dropped four of them off at Day Camp. Then Auggie and I headed over to pick up Arrow for the day. Before leaving though, I sat and snuggled precious little Phoebe for a while. :)

Auggie led the way to the van as we headed out to meet back up with Matt and the girls at our house.

We played at home in our yard for a while, then we loaded up our wagon and walked to a small park a few blocks from our house. The weather was nice and cool and this park was just the right size for these kiddos.

We ate lunch and put Arrow down for a nap. Asa came to pick him up later, then we transitioned into a night of ABA therapy. Only two kids had sessions that night, so it was a pretty chill night overall.

I had marinated some of the super cheap Chicken Legs I’d picked up at Sam’s the day before. I smoked them, rewarmed some Corn on the Cob from Wednesday, plus made Salad and Mac and Cheese. We had lots of fruit options, so between all of these choices, kids chose what they’d eat and every tummy got full.

Keith had a grand plan to build a house outside. Matt is a rock star to listen to these plans and help him try to execute. We had an old wooden platform, so the first order of business was to remove the rotten wood so they could replace it. All the kids were gathered around with this and excited to help. I provided some Banana Muffins to fuel the project and to prevent the “I’m hungry” comments at the moment we asked them to head inside to get ready for bed.

On Saturday morning, I made a bowl of Tuna Salad and packed it along with a bunch of other picnic food to take to the park.

We picked up Arrow on the way, and Kelsey and Hopelyn met us there. We spent three hours there playing and eating and playing and eating.

Uncle Keith was sweet to try and put on Arrow’s sandals. And Arrow was sweet to be extra patient while Uncle Keith gave it his best shot.

We had a full afternoon of playing, cleaning, and getting ready for Sunday. We ate leftovers for dinner, gave everyone a bath or shower, and that was our week!

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Big Family Food and Fun: July 19-25, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: July 19-25, 2026 post!

Big Family Food and Fun: July 19-25, 2026

Before diving into this week, I had to share this fun hug from the end of the day last Saturday. Arrow had hung out with us all day and he was very excited to see Auggie after he work up from his nap!

Ok, now onto Sunday!

We ate our Breakfast Cookie Bars while getting ready for church. These are such a life saver – no brainer breakfast – as we get so many kids out the door!

Lunch that day was SO.MUCH.FUN.

There were 37 of us that gathered for a fun Mexican Themed Feast. We had smothered Shredded Beef Burritos, Layered Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice (<– new recipe!), Mexican Corn (<– new recipe!), Chips and Salsa or Pico, Oranges, Watermelon, and desserts.

And THEN it was time for the World Cup Final Game where we all gathered in the living room to experience this special time. None of us really cared who won. We just hoped for a good game and fun together. Hosting events like this are a dream come true for me. A good meal, coffee, desserts, friends, family, babies, laughter – it’s the best!

And speaking of babies…

We had turned a movie on for the kids downstairs so we grown-ups could enjoy the game. That meant that Phoebe could come out of her tucked-away-protected spot in Eva’s carrier and Lolli could have a turn loving on her. I liked watching the game. But I LOVED snuggling Phoebe!

Overall, it was an amazing day and we ended the night tired and grateful. Elias and Malorie headed to Kansas that evening to stay with family on their way back to Texas for a couple of weeks before they come back to Nebraska for the school year. We loved our week with them!

Monday morning, Emma came over to stay with kids. Auggie’s ABA therapist came, and we loaded up four kids to take to Day Camp. Acacia got right to work playing with Emma’s dog, Buddy.

Matt and I dropped off the camp kids, then we headed to Holmes Lake to enjoy our kid-free time! It was already getting hot, but we were able to fully enjoy a walk around the lake, then time in the shade on a bench to rest and visit.

We all stayed inside all afternoon at home because the heat was a bit on the dangerous side. Brayden had an early ABA therapy session that afternoon so that he could go to a fun laser tag event that night with Heartlands Youth Ministry. Josie fell asleep and Acacia and Auggie spent some time painting with some dot paints I had picked up last week.

Dinner that night was simple. I browned hamburger meat and stirred in Sunday’s leftover Spanish Rice. I also warmed up leftover corn on the cob and let the kids make cheesy tortillas.

This turned into a nice calming project as they cut tortillas however they liked, sprinkled cheese on top, then melted the cheese.

It was not a good day to bake! And yet, I did it anyway, because I needed to. :) I made a batch of Crustless Cheesecake and a Spinach Cake in an attempt to have more ready-to-grab foods available.

I made Whipped Cream to go on the cake, and Bonus Buddy declared with amazement that it tasted like “actual whipped cream!” Haha, that’s because it is actual whipped cream, my dude!

Tuesday morning, my dear friend, Amy, came to visit from Kansas! We haven’t seen each other in a few years (since before Auggie was born) so spending time catching up with her was incredible! After Auggie’s ABA therapy session, she went with me to take Acacia, Josie, and Auggie to the zoo for a couple of hours. See Acacia there behind that tall grass? No? Well, there she is, leading Amy to our zoo picnic spot.

Taking three kids to the zoo is super easy when you’re used to taking eight kids to the zoo. We had a lunch of Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip, Avocado Cups, Chips, Grapes, and Peanut Butter Brownies.

Then it was water play time! Amy and I were able to sit and visit while the kids played. I ran into my friend, Kimmie, while there, plus my friend, Nancy! What a great zoo trip with lots of bonus hugs from friends!

Before we left the zoo, we knew we had to show Amy our flamingos. Then it was time to head home and transition into our afternoon/evening of ABA therapy and Tuesday Food Distribution.

Brayden, Kiya, and Acacia went with me this time and they all did great!

After we’d handed out all the food, Acacia helped me drag all the rugs to the hallway where they are stored. This girl loves to be a hard worker!

Back at home, I had experimented with putting Cheese Tortellini into a crock pot with cooked ground sausage and sauce. I’d picked up the Tortellini on super clearance at Wal-Mart last week so this was a super cheap meal! We had green beans on the side and it was simple and delicious!

I captured this scene on our way up the stairs to get ready for bed that night. It’s a poor quality photo but I hope you can see the sweetness. Acacia got an ouchie and Auggie was comforting her and helping her up the stairs. This three year old baby brother has come so very far in the past year – in so many ways!

Wednesday morning, I baked an Egg and Hashbrown Casserole that I’d put together the night before. We’d run out of Smoothie, so I made a blender full!

Since the oven was already hot because of baking the casserole, I made a double batch of Bran Muffins to bake also.

Amy came over again that morning to hang out. Arrow was with us and the kids had such a fun time playing together!

He was all kinds of sweetness as I tucked him in upstairs for his afternoon nap at Lolli’s house.

It was rainy that afternoon, so we needed to find some ways to stay quiet and entertained for a few hours in the house. Amy had brought the kids some fun craft projects that I planned to save for a rainy day. Turns out, this very day was that rainy day. These were perfect!

I made a monster-sized batch of Mudballs that afternoon. We got all the kids home early from their Day Camp so we could start ABA therapy sessions by 3:30. Dinner was leftovers – whatever sounded good – as we had a fridge full of food to choose from.

Then we headed off for Popsicles in the Park with our Heartlands church family. It was a chilly evening so the crowd was very small that night. But we had a good visit with our friends and it was good for the kids to run around outside before bedtime.

On Thursday morning, I made some Eggs in a Nest for the kids who like those. Other kids ate Mudballs.

The day was pretty chill with a morning ABA therapy session for Brayden, me getting to have a little writing time at Panera after dropping four kids off at day camp, and the little girls having playtime at home. The weather had cooled off and was lovely! So that afternoon, Acacia and Auggie played with vehicles outside for a long time.

I’d asked kids to each scrub a few potatoes that morning, so for dinner that night we had Baked Potatoes in a Crock Pot with bacon bits, cheese, butter, and sour cream, plus Peas and Fried Zucchini.

During all the kids’ ABA therapy sessions that evening, I had time to make a double recipe of Breakfast Cookie Bars to get us through the next two Sundays.

One of our former neighbors stopped by to say hello and to see if there was any food available out in the Little Free Pantry on our corner. Our conversation helped us learn that he was pretty hungry, so Keith helped me make our friend two sandwiches and fill a sack with other food for him like fruit cups, applesauce, a granola bar, and some chips. I loved to see Keith’s eagerness to help our friend.

At bedtime that night, Auggie climbed up onto Kiya’s lap for a story. Did he need to wear his rainboots so that he could sleep better? Most definitely.

Friday was full and wonderful! It was drizzly outside so we decided to take the kids who weren’t at camp to the Children’s Museum to play. We picked up Arrow on our way so he could play too!

We went home and ate leftovers for lunch. Then we put Arrow down for a nap and I took four kids to Culver’s to meet up with some longtime dear friends. They live in Arkansas now and were on their way to York for a Choir reunion. It was incredible to see them and catch up for a while!

We made it back home just in time to open our front door for more dear friends who were also on their way to York. This Choir Reunion was big, and with all of our kids, I wasn’t able to go. But how wonderful that friends made time to come see us before their big weekend! We had years of life to catch up on, and we shared all we could in the two hours that we had. What a gift this afternoon was!

As our friends loaded up and made their way to York, I started baking pans of bacon for BLTs for our dinner. One of our neighbors had given us fresh tomatoes from their garden, so BLTs were a must!

We all ate our fill and I continued baking bacon until I had lots extra to freeze for future meals.

Saturday was a super full and great day. We started by going to our Sensory Storytime at the library.

From there, we went to Holmes Lake where Big Gumdrop Outdoors hosted a fishing event for families called Cops and Bobbers. There were police officers there to help as well as a lot of Big Gumdrop Outdoor folks. This would have not been possible for our family without so many amazing people out there helping. First, we all practiced using fishing poles in the grass with fake fish.

Then we headed to the water! All eight kids fished for well over an hour, and most of the kids caught at least one fish.

The officers helped untangle fishing lines, put worms on hooks, keep everyone safe, and take fish off hooks once they got caught. There were lots of families there and it was truly a most awesome event!

Lunch was provided, so we washed up and ate hotdogs and fruit cups (or lunch that I had packed for our kids who don’t eat hotdogs).

We loaded up hot, sweaty kids into the van and ate a snack with a cold Capri Sun while I ran into Aldi to grab a bunch of fresh produce plus a few other things for friends.

Back at home, I got to work in the kitchen with a couple of awesome helpers! Two families we love are going through some tough life situations so while prepping for Sunday Lunch the next day, we tripled our efforts to take dinner to them that night. Kiya and I got four loaves of Stir and Pour Bread started, then she took off with Nutella Oat Breakfast Bars on her own.

While she did that, I made Flourless Chocolate Banana Muffins and a pan of Brownies.

While all this was baking, I was also making Smoked Chicken outside. Brayden helped make Spaghetti and Salad for dinner – and our house smelled amazing!

We made some trays of fresh fruit to deliver to our friends along with Smoked Chicken, Baked Beans, Homemade Bread, Brownies, Muffins, and Salad.

We fed the kids dinner, then loaded up all the kids and the food and delivered it to our friend along with hugs.

Back at home, we gave the kids baths, did a lot of dishes, and put all the extra prepped food into the fridge for Sunday Lunch the next day. And that was our week!

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Easy Baked Spanish Rice Recipe

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Check out this EASY Baked Spanish Rice recipe!

In an effort to experiment and find an Easy Spanish Rice recipe, I used my Stick of Butter Rice recipe and did a little tweaking. The results are great! It doesn’t get any easier than this!

Baked Spanish RiceYum

Easy Baked Spanish Rice Recipe
 
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Author:
Serves: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 cups brown rice
  • 32-ounces chicken broth
  • 16-ounces salsa
  • 1 cup water
  • Sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Stir all ingredients into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  3. Stir and serve!

Right out of the oven, you’ll find that the salsa has created a layer on top of the rice.

Simply stir it in and your rice is complete!

 

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Easy Mexican Corn Recipe

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Here’s a super Easy Mexican Corn Recipe!

This recipe is simple as can be, with just three ingredients that taste really good together and make a great side dish alongside Burritos, Enchiladas, or Tacos. There’s something about sweet corn served with something a little bit spicy that comes together perfectly in a meal. Add cream cheese? Well, now we’re talking.

Want to see what’s inside?

  1. Frozen Corn
  2. Rotel
  3. Cream Cheese

Sea salt to taste. That’s it!

Easy Mexican CornYum

Easy Mexican Corn Recipe
 
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Author:
Serves: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
  • 32-ounces frozen corn
  • 10-ounce can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
  • 8-ounces softened cream cheese
Instructions
  1. Pour corn and Rotel into a sauce pan along with ⅓ cup water.
  2. Cover and steam until fully cooked.
  3. Stir in cream cheese and continue to cook until cream cheese is melted and evenly distributed.
  4. Sprinkle in sea salt if desired.
  5. Serve right away.

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Big Family Food and Fun: July 12-18, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: July 12-18, 2026 post!

Before I share about our week, I’ll finish up talking about the end of Saturday, July 11. :)

July 11, 2026

We had spent the morning at Discovery Days on UNL campus, then came home for rest time that afternoon. Arrow was with us so while he and Auggie napped and the other kids played outside, I spent an hour and a half in the kitchen.

I spent a good amount of time trying to catch up on dishes (a huge, never ending job), then made a double batch of Breakfast Cookie Bars and a pan of Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies (and dirtied up a lot more dishes, ha!).

While they were in the oven, I put together a double batch of No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars for our Sunday lunch dessert.

I washed the baking dishes I’d created, and it felt great to finally feel more caught up in the kitchen! When Arrow woke up from his nap, Brayden read him a book. This scene is so precious!

And why, you might wonder, was Arrow at our house that day? Well, if you recall, he’d become a big brother the week before! I was waiting to introduce her to you until after Asa and Eva had shared publicly. Now that this has happened…

Here she is, sweet little Phoebe Jean.

Phoebe’s name was chosen based on the beautiful tribute Paul wrote to a servant-hearted woman in Romans 16:1-2. Her middle name honors her wonderful maternal grandparents. Phoebe is tiny, healthy, precious, and such a gift!

Here they are, a week after her birth, a sweet family of four!

Well now. The food pictures I’m about to share are nothing in comparison. But here’s some chocolate as we transition back…

Big brother, Arrow, was occupied by his aunts and uncles that Saturday, so Lolli finished a bit more kitchen work after the baked goods had cooled. I cut the Breakfast Cookie Bars into two Sunday breakfast plates. Then I cut and individually packaged the Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies for grab-and-go needs. I air fried a Sam’s sized box of Taquitos for a snacky dinner while we watched a World Cup soccer game.

The evening was fun! Heartlands church had a men’s kickball/cookout night so Matt and all the boys (even the little guys!) headed off to enjoy their time at the park. We girls had a craft night together! I am happy to say that we had twenty actual minutes of calm, sweet, peaceful crafting while we listened to praise music – which I consider to be a HUGE win considering all the special needs of our household. We cleaned up and enjoyed a frozen treat outside together before bath and bedtime. We watched a short show on TV while screaming our way through hair brushing time (oy!). Then I tucked in the girls just before the guys got home.

Big Family Food and Fun: July 12-18, 2026

Sunday morning, there was more screaming, but the hair brush and I were determined to win and I was able to get Anna’s hair done for the first time in weeks!

We enjoyed a Fiesta Taco Salad bar for lunch with Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef, greens, corn, beans, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and chips. Friends brought fresh fruit and we enjoyed the pan of No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars for dessert.

Our friend Jamie was the one who got Anna to eat that day. Dear ones who do this for us/Anna have no idea the gift they are giving us all. They just think they are having lunch with a sweet little girl. But getting calories into this dear one is a huge feat, and often non-family members can accomplish it with much more ease than we can. So we thank our friends profusely for feeding her and they are just like, “yeah whatever no problem; I had fun eating with her.” Meanwhile we are standing by sobbing with joy. Hahaha.

Fellowship around our tables and around our kitchen island is so, so rich.

Matt and I enjoyed Community Group that afternoon while the kids watched a movie in the basement. I made five Frozen Pizzas for dinner. The kids played outside very well for a while.

Then we loaded them up for a special treat outing! My niece had sent us some Runza ice cream cone coupons so we used them that night! The kids all ordered their own, and we were able to keep them all out of the parking lot – a big accomplishment. :)

The kids did great with this outing! We enjoyed our drippy summer treat and felt grateful for the package of wet wipes we always keep in the van. :) We got home in time to clean up and head to bed!

On Monday morning, four kids went to VBS, two kids went to basketball camp, one kid went to volleyball camp, and one kid had ABA therapy. Our friend Christina went to the VBS also, so she was gracious to help us with transportation while Matt and I went in so many different directions that morning.

While Kiya was at volleyball, I had a small amount of time to run to Sam’s and Wal-Mart. I raced through these stores as fast as I could, though ran out of time to get all that we needed. (Grocery shopping for our household usually takes about three hours every week.) I filled a cart at both stores, with plans to go back to finish shopping the next day while Kiya was back at volleyball camp.

I happened upon a clearance sale on GoGo Squeeze applesauce at Sam’s, making them half price! Did I buy ten boxes? I absolutely did. Do I still wonder if I should have bought more than ten? Kinda. I mean, we go through these boxes fast, and these were super cheap!

Back at home with the crew, we worked together to unload groceries and put away cold food. Matt had made lunch for us and we tried to hurry and feed kids before taking five of them back out again to go to an Art Camp. Emma arrived to babysit the youngest three for the afternoon, and she helped me dump sauce on chicken for our dinner that night. It was a whirlwind, but we made it out the door on time!

Somehow I was able to snap this picture to show how cheap our dinner meal would be. Chicken legs, man. They are so inexpensive! Typically I get them at Costco and Sam’s for $0.99/pound. I had found these packs at Aldi for $0.89/pound, giving us 24 chicken legs for a total of only $6.98. Amazing!

Emma had a picnic lunch with the three kids left at home.

After Matt and I dropped the other five at camp, he and I went to hang out with Phoebe (and her parents). :) Arrow was napping so we missed seeing him that day.

When we got home, we started five kids with their evening ABA therapy sessions and I got the chicken legs on the smoker. Oh, and ELIAS AND MALORIE arrived for the week!! It was so good to see them that I didn’t take any pictures.

Dinner was Smoked Chicken Legs, Caesar Salad, and Strawberry Parfaits.

On Tuesday morning, I made scrambled eggs for breakfast while getting some baking done for our snacking needs. I made a double batch of Banana Muffins.

Plus I made a Spinach Cake. I stuffed that cake so full of spinach – but no one could tell and everyone gobbled it up later! We have three adults drinking this smoothie now, so I’ve been making a jar of it almost every day this summer.

Christina picked up four of our kids for VBS and Matt took two boys to basketball camp. Auggie started his morning ABA session, then Kiya and I had attachment therapy. Right away after that, I dropped her off at a volleyball clinic then went to finish more shopping needs.

We watched a World Cup game that afternoon. Elias and Malorie had offered to make dinner, so I turned the kitchen over to them! They pulled Brayden in to help, which was perfect. :)

I used my free time while they were making dinner to turn Sunday’s leftover Salsa Shredded Beef into Burritos for the freezer.

Dinner was delicious! Elias made Pizza Bake and Malorie made Red Lobster Biscuits. Everyone ate well (thanks to Elias saving out some plain noodles for a couple of the kids to eat with just butter and salt, ha).

Wednesday morning, while all the kids were at VBS or camp and Auggie had ABA therapy, Kelsey and Hopelyn came over to hang out with me! Hopelyn found the chef’s hat in our playroom and started to cook yummy food in the play kitchen. :)

That afternoon, five kids went to Art Camp while Acacia, Josie, and Auggie set up a rock and dirt kitchen outside. They played there like champs for over an hour!! This allowed me to actually watch part of a World Cup soccer game with Matt, Elias, and Malorie. It was glorious!

I smoked Chicken Apple Sausages for dinner, cut up Sweet Peppers and Watermelon, and made five boxes of Mac and Cheese.

Four kids had three hours of ABA therapy from 3:30-6:30, then we loaded up and went to Popsicles in the Park with our church family.

Keith though? He spotted a group of kids playing soccer in the grass beside the splash area and just hopped right into the game. Those kids were gracious to include him, and he stayed there the entire evening.

On Thursday morning, Keith and Bonus Buddy had their final day of Basketball Camp, which included a tournament for parents to watch. They had fun, worked hard, and came home with ribbons and certificates!

Most of the other kids were at VBS all morning, then back at home we had a lunch of Tuna Salad, Boiled Eggs, and Smoothies before heading back out to take five kids to Art Camp.

Late afternoon, Kiya helped me get some baking done. She made Lemon Muffins while I made a double batch of Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. We planned to have the muffins for Friday’s breakfast. And the cookie bars were for both a VBS potluck lunch on Friday plus a family birthday dinner Friday evening.

Dinner that night was super easy and cheap! While shopping on Monday, I had found frozen bags of Chicken Pineapple Rice on clearance for just $2.00. I grabbed a bunch because that was a hard price to pass up for a convenient meal that gave me a night off from cooking. We ended up going through four bags of them that night, plus everyone had fruit.

Friday morning, I made a big pan of Chewy Granola Bars to have on hand for immediate hunger needs.

Five kids went to VBS, Matt stayed home with three kids, and I went to Wal-Mart and Aldi. We were having a family birthday celebration that night and there were some specific food items we needed. I found a lot of fun clearance items while I was at Walmart (but failed to get a picture) – the best being a $5 World Cup Soccer Ball! Aldi was just up the road so I ran into get just a few things there – mostly fruit/veggie pouches because they are the only way we can get some of our kids to eat veggies.

We all met up at the kids’ VBS to enjoy a program and a potluck lunch.

That afternoon, five kids went to their final day of Art Camp. I took the three youngest kids to the park while Matt went to help a friend with a house project. The kids and I started in the sand where it was shady. Then we moved on to the sunny swings and slides. I was surprised that the kids lasted out in the heat for almost two hours – but it was a pretty great afternoon and I was thankful! We went home and took nice baths to cool them off and to get all the sand out of their hair and out from between their toes. :)

When everyone else got home, we worked together to shuck a dozen ears of corn. It’s amazing how fast this process can go with so many kids!

The rest of the night was sooooo great!! We had plans to celebrate Malorie’s birthday that we’d missed in May, plus Eva’s birthday that had happened this week. Miraculously, all of us were able to be together, including all of our housemates. Malachi had flown home just in time after his video work in Texas all week. Eva felt up for coming over and carried Phoebe around to keep her from being swarmed by all the little kids. These moments together are my absolute favorite!

Elias has perfected the art of making Steak – and he nailed it that night!

To go with our Steaks, we had Caesar Salad, Corn on the Cob, Cheesy Potatoes, and Berry Parfaits. I also had a crock pot full of Hot Dogs for the kids who didn’t want steak. Malorie requested Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars for dessert and I had Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies in the freezer that I knew were Eva’s favorites. So we all enjoyed birthday cookies after our awesome meal together!

Saturday morning, I put together a big pan of Layered Chicken Enchiladas for our Sunday lunch the next day.

We met Kelsey with Hopelyn and Arrow at the library for Sensory Storytime. Then we all loaded up and headed to the zoo!

Arrow was a big boy eating a great big apple on the way there.

Two wagons, ten kids, three adults, thirteen water bottles, and one picnic bag later – we made our way in to enjoy a very hot few hours looking at animals and playing in the various play areas.

Hello Flamingos. You are our favorite.

I had packed a very random assortment of lunch items in order to accommodate so many food preferences. We had chips, blueberries, cheese, salami, meat sticks, slivered turkey, mandarin orange/pear/peach cups, yogurt, and pistachios. Everyone got full, then we headed on to play in the climbing area.


We ran into our friends Sarabeth and James with their kids on our way out. We hadn’t seen each other in years, and I was bummed that we didn’t take pictures together! What a treat to run into them!

Back at home, we put Arrow down for a nap, the kids played, and we got ready to host a big World Cup Final Game Lunch/Watch Party the next day. And that was our week!

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Big Family Food and Fun: July 5-11, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: July 5-11, 2026 post!

July 3-4

Before I share about this week, I’ll back up and share a few from last weekend that I didn’t have time to include in my past post.

My dad’s side of the family has a tradition to meet together over a weekend close to the Fourth of July each year. We traveled to Wichita for this last Friday – a huge effort with our kids – but worth it so we could see so many loved ones!

We stayed in a hotel, which the kids loved so much that it was difficult for them to wind down and sleep. :) We played with cousins and shared special time with aunts and uncles. I loved this conversation between Anna and my Aunt Rosalee. Anna had a loose tooth and was very excited to show it off!

A highlight of this reunion is a homemade pinata for the kids to break open. Here, we are all gathered outside to let them take turns taking whacks at it, from youngest to oldest.

We traveled back home Saturday afternoon. The four driving hours felt extra long because guess what?! WE HAD A NEW GRANDBABY TO GET HOME TO!!!

Asa and Eva had their baby over the weekend and Lolli and Pop were very excited to meet her. We came up with a plan to drive directly to the hospital as we pulled into Lincoln. Matt dropped me off at the hospital to run upstairs and grab some sweet newborn baby snuggles while he took the kids to do a mobile pickup at McDonalds for dinner. Eighty nuggets and three large orders of fries kept the kids occupied for these extra car seat minutes. I came back down and hung with the kids in the parking lot while Matt took a turn meeting our sweetest new granddaughter. :)

Was the day over at that point? Oh no. It was the Fourth of July, after all. We had some fireworks to light up before we could go to bed.

PHEW!

Big Family Food and Fun: July 5-11, 2026

On Sunday morning, we ate Breakfast Cookie Bars and got tired kids ready for worship.

Big Brother Arrow had been spending the weekend at Eva’s parent’s house and at Justus and Kelsey’s house while his parents were at the hospital with Baby Sister. Now it was Lolli and Pop’s turn to spend some extra Arrow time! He went home with us after church that day, enjoying a fruit/veggie pouch as we drove.

We were joined by our friends, Don and Rochelle, for lunch that day and had a lovely time with just these two extras around our tables. I had smoked Chicken Thighs and Brats the week before and froze them in preparation for this meal. They warmed in the crock pot while we were at church and I made Green Beans and Cream Cheese Corn as sides. Rochelle brought delicious Mac and Cheese, which rounded out the meal perfectly!

Feeding Anna is a job that takes a village, and Rochelle was so sweet to take on the task that day. She was able to get Anna to eat a plateful of corn. This was a big win!

Lunch was quiet and sweet, though Don teased us when we commented on our small lunch crowd of “only” 17 people that day.

The best part of the day: Arrow’s Dada showed up to spend some time with him while Eva (hopefully) rested at the hospital. Their reunion was pretty precious.

We watched a soccer game, played outside, warmed up leftovers for dinner, and settled kids in to bed that night – but not before part of the ceiling in the boys room fell in just a bit and we had to put an emergency band aid on it it until Matt can get around to fixing it. We LOVE our big old house that God provided for our family!!!! But it comes with constant maintenance needs. I’m so thankful that Matt knows so much and is so handy.

On Monday morning, I knew I needed to get some baking done because I didn’t have anything quick/easy on hand to give kids to fill their bellies. So I asked Auggie to open some butter sticks for me. He was happy to do it…

Alrighty, bud. Eating the butter stick was not in the job description.

Eventually, I was able to get batches of Crustless Cheesecakes and Nutella Oat Bars made.

That morning, we dropped five kids off at day camps. Emma came over to stay with the youngest three, then Matt and I headed to Holmes Lake where we spent a lovely, quite morning walking and talking.

Just before we headed home, we asked Emma to help girls potty and get shoes on. Then we grabbed the kids up and headed to Costco. We completely filled two carts, getting lots and lots of fresh produce plus sale items and essentials.

It was quite a feat to get everything unloaded and put away. Then we got kids home from camps, started evening ABA therapy sessions, and made dinner: Rotisserie Chicken with Caesar Salad with Strawberry Parfaits. This was all SO GOOD! We ate our way through almost 6-pounds of strawberries that night!

I had picked up a few groceries for Asa and Eva’s family while at Costco, so I had the huge privilege of taking the goods to their house that evening and hanging with the littles and with them for a while. :)

On Tuesday morning, the kids ate Egg Casserole or Nutella Oat Bars while getting ready for camps and therapies for the day.

Acacia and Josie were very excited to have a turn at going to a camp this week! A friend had told us about a free Little but Fierce Shakespeare Summer Camp, so off they went to learn about acting. :)

Matt took Auggie to pick up Arrow and hang out at a park while the girls were at their camp. I was home having an attachment therapy session with one of our kids, then dropped that kid off at camp and headed to pick up these two.

Arrow came over for playtime, lunch, and nap. Acacia was very entertaining while Arrow enjoyed an Uncrustable.

That afternoon, Brayden, Kiya, and Anna went with me to serve at our weekly Food Distribution. Anna usually has ABA therapy during this time and feels sad that she never gets to go with us to Food Net. With her ABA behavior technician on vacation, it freed her up to join us. She was thrilled and did a great job helping wash coolers!

Dinner was super good – Smothered Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans. Why yes, I did overfill the crock pot and it did leak out all over the countertop. :)

I was very blessed to spend a little over an hour that night at a fun Bunco night with ladies from Heartlands Church. There was a great turnout and lots of joy in that room!

On Wednesday, I made a batch of Moist Chocolate Muffins with Hidden Spinach for breakfast and to take to Arrow.

I also baked 24 eggs so we could put together a bunch of Breakfast Sandwiches. I took a few of them to Arrow’s parents so they could have something quick to warm up for breakfast the next few days.

After breakfast, I dropped six kids off to their camps then headed over to spend time at Asa and Eva’s. Arrow and I went outside to play in their back yard.

After he moved all the sand from one place to another, he watered his Mommy’s garden.

We got hot in the sun, so we went back inside to cool off. Arrow’s daddy read him some books while Lolli held Baby Sister! It was a glorious two hours!

Back at home, our friend Pasha came to hang out while his mom was at a meeting.

For dinner that night, we had Grilled Burgers, Fries, and Watermelon.

We had ABA sessions then went to Popsicles in the Park with our church family.

Somewhere in there, we all finally got the call from Elias we’d been waiting for!! Guess what had happened that afternoon?!?!?!

We are so joyful to officially add Malorie to our family!

Amazing – a new granddaughter and a new daughter-in-law all in the same week! It feels a little weird to go right back into talking about food again. However…

I had bananas that needed to be used up, so on Thursday morning I made a batch of Flourless Chocolate Banana Muffins. I made them with gluten free oats, which meant that they were safe for our GF housemate to eat!

Both Hopelyn and Arrow came over for the day, so they enjoyed sweet cousin time! Did you know that if you pick up handfuls of tiny rocks and put them through the holes in this metal bench, it makes a very fun noise?!

We ate leftovers for lunch at the picnic table.

Then Pop stayed home with napping Hopelyn and Arrow while I took Acacia, Josie, and Auggie to the zoo for a little afternoon outing. They did a great job hanging with me!

Back at home, we snacked on some muffins while Acacia made the babies giggle.

The rest of the night was very full of ABA therapy for five kids. Having so many hours of therapy in our home is a HUGE gift and we see the long term rewards of this effort for the future. However, in the midst of it – phew! Matt and I fed the kids leftovers, and went from one kid/therapist to another helping execute treatment plans, putting out “fires,” finding kids who had escaped their therapist to avoid having to do a task – it’s an intense four hours. Truly, we are so thankful for the intervention God has provided and the goodness of all of our therapists!

On Friday morning, we ate a Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cake that I had made the night before to enjoy at breakfast time.

As we got the kids ready for camps that morning, I shredded Salsa Shredded Beef that had slow cooked all night. I packaged it up and tucked it away to have ready for our upcoming Sunday Lunch.

Matt stayed home with Auggie to help get Brayden off to his camp. I dropped off all the others then had about an hour and a half before needing to be back to Acacia and Josie’s camp for their Friday performance. Holmes Lake was just a few minutes away so I drove over and enjoyed a lovely walk around the lake. I am so very thankful for every chance I have to do something like this. It is healing for my body and soul.

I had a few extra minutes, so I went to Hy-Vee and took advantage of a 1-day sale they had on eggs – $0.77/dozen, no limit. I bought 12 dozen. But I forgot to get a picture because I was trying to hurry!

Acacia and Josie had a little program to showcase what they’d been learning at their Little But Fierce Shakespeare Camp. They were both pretty hesitant to join in, but they did finally join the circle here to participate.

We ate leftovers for lunch, then Matt and I took the three youngest to a park to play before all of our evening activities. They played in the sand before we headed home, with landed them all in the tub at home for a good soak and scrub.

Brayden had been enjoying a Performing Arts Camp all week, so the four girls and I went to his performance late that afternoon while Matt stayed home with the other boys and their ABA therapy sessions. Brayden sang a lot of songs with the entire group, did some special drumming, plus acted in a skit they had worked on all week.

I got home much later than expected. Matt had gotten dinner going and I helped finish up: Sausage Cheese Eggs, Sweet Peppers, Mandarins, and Cinnamon Toast.

We finished out our evening of ABA therapy, then the kids enjoyed a very fun Writing Skills kit that Matt’s mom had ordered and sent to the kids. They were all very proud of their work!

On Saturday, we took the kids to Sensory Storytime at the Library. Asa brought Arrow to hand off to us there, then went home so he and Eva could rest with Baby. Kelsey and Hopelyn met us there and enjoyed story time. It is so sweet to see Arrow and Hopelyn join along with all of the songs and activities now!

From there, we went to UNL East Campus for a Discovery Day. This is such a cool event with many booths set up with learning activities for the kids to do. Arrow truly thought he was one of the big kids on this outing as he led the way.

We listened to live music, blew bubbles, painted with Kool-Aid paint, made fancy magnets, learned about bacteria and fungi, and even made soybean oil by pouring soybeans into a machine. The stations available for learning are so cool!

Somewhere in there, we found a shady spot and ate a picnic lunch. This was the best/only picture I got from my spot on the ground – and I missed capturing the fancy cheese I’d splurged on to enjoy this summer. But this. This is the cheese we ate with sliced apples and it was SO GOOD. If you’re ever at Whole Foods (or Hy-Vee if you live in the Nebraska/Iowa area), grab yourself some of this cheese in the gourmet cheese aisle. It makes your healthy snack taste like you’re eating Caramel Apples! We also enjoyed little Turkey Sandwiches on rolls and Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandwiches.

After packing up our lunch and enjoying a few more of the Discover Stations, we headed home to get the littlest ones down for naps. Kids ate popsicles and played in the sprinkler. I made a pan of No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars for our Sunday Lunch dessert.

And that was our week!

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Big Family Food and Fun: June 28-July 4, 2026

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Here’s our Big Family Food and Fun: June 28-July 4, 2026 post!

Big Family Food and Fun: June 28-July 4, 2026

On Sunday morning, we needed to be an hour early to worship. Thank goodness the kids get up around 6:00 no matter how tired they are, haha. :) We ate Breakfast Cookie Bars as we got ready and we made it on time!

Lunch that day was a perfect summer meal with Bacon, Turkey, Cheese, Spinach, and Tomatoes with Buns to build Subs. Friends brought chips and fruit and everyone raved about this spread!

There were 24 of us gathered that day and the fellowship was sweet.

As soon as we finished eating, we cleared the table and worked together to make 75 PB&Js as Heartlands was handing out lunches to friends in the Atlas community the next day.

Matt and I were blessed to enjoy Community Group with three other couples that afternoon. Then we spent the evening playing with water outside. I baked four Frozen Pizzas for dinner and we ate in the yard. Somewhere in there, the kids had popsicles.

Our night ended with one last water fight in the yard with one of our housemates who was willing to let all the kids chase him and spray him. It was perfect.

On Monday morning, we took Brayden and Kiya to a day camp and left the other kids home with Emma. Auggie had his ABA therapy session, and Emma’s dog, Buddy, helped babysit. :) Matt and I spent some time away at a nearby park to walk and talk.

It was a very hot day, so that afternoon we took the kids to the mall to play in the indoor play area. They ran and jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped.

Back at home, four of the kids had ABA therapy all evening. I had asked Malachi to pick up some fun fireworks from our friends’ tent while he was in York the day before. The kids were very excited to see what he had picked up for us!

While dinner was cooking, I stirred together a double batch of Honey Sweetened Peanut Butter Cups. With this many active kids at home all summer, we are flying through all of the protein snacks I keep making in bulk. I love it!

Dinner was DELICIOUS and a crowd favorite! I had marinated chicken thighs in Italian dressing, then smoked it. Wow the flavor! We ate it with Green Beans, Cream Cheese Corn, Buttered Rolls, and canned Pineapple.

On Tuesday morning, I scrambled eggs and got out sausage patties, cheese, and buns for everyone to build Breakfast Sandwiches. We got started with morning therapies and day camps, then mid-morning I took Acacia and Josie with me to run errands. First we went to Whole Foods to drop off some Amazon returns. The girls were so happy to hold the merchandise and help me with the process.

Then they got to go to Aldi with me. Overall they did very well, even if, by the time we were finished loading the cart, I was reminded why I prefer to shop without kids in tow.

It was an extra large cart full that day as we got stocked up on milk, granola, and lots of fruits and veggies.

Back at home, Matt had finished off ABA therapy with Auggie and started getting the four kids at home changed into swim clothes. We put away groceries, threw together a picnic, and headed to the zoo for an outing.

It was lunchtime so our first zoo event was a picnic of meat, cheese, crackers, fruit, and a Danimals treat. I had picked up zoo plates at Wal-mart several weeks ago so that was a fun surprise for the kids to enjoy!

We went to visit the giraffes after we ate.

Then we headed over to the water, which was our ultimate plan for the day. It was a HOT one so we expected that lots of other kids would be there too. As it turns out, we had the place almost to ourselves. This meant that everyone played and stayed calm for a good solid hour – a miracle! What a gift.

What happens after kids play in water? They get hungry again. Before heading home, we got all the food back out and had round 2 of lunch.

 

Matt picked kids up from camps while I quickly threw together dinner. Then Kiya, Acacia, and I went to our weekly Food Distribution.

At dinnertime, Matt finished putting together a Naco Bar with Taco Meat and all the fixings.

I had prepped Strawberry Parfaits so that tasted great right before bed!

Josie had dental surgery bright and early Wednesday morning. Matt was a rock star at home with the other seven kids, with Eva helping get Brayden to his camp when she dropped off Arrow that morning. Josie was very brave as the nursing staff made her feel comfortable. Her wake up and recovery afterward was rough, but we made it home by mid-morning so she could rest.

When we got home, Acacia and Arrow were playing Connect-4 and it was the CUTEST.

Later in the kitchen, Keith and Buddy played catch with Arrow, which produced big smiles and laughs!

Keith helped me take a load of food out to our Little Free Pantry. He loves to move constantly and work hard, so we are always trying to channel this energy for good.

Our friend, Christina, picked up four of the kids to hang out for the afternoon so Josie could continue to rest and recover from her morning. This provided some down time for Matt and me plus quiet time for Josie and Auggie, praise God!

For dinner that night, I made two large skillets full of Simple Skillet Taco Pasta – one regular and one gluten free. I also made a small pot of plain noodles for the kids who only like buttered noodles, plus Salad, Corn, and Fruit options.

We were in full ABA therapy mode by that point with five kids in sessions with their five therapists. Kiya wasn’t feeling well :( poor thing. I took the other two to join with Heartlands at a Popsicles in the Park event held at the Splash Park. Taking only two kids on an outing?? SO EASY.

On Thursday morning, all the kids were home and we decided to take them to a school playground for our outing of the day. Before we left, I packed Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandwiches and Banana Parfaits. (Only six because one kid hates bananas and another kid hates the cream.)

At the playground, Keith and Buddy set up soccer drills to warm up, then played a big game (which included fouls and red cards because have we been watching the World Cup at our house? Yes.).

The others ran around at the playground equipment. Matt and I attempted to take a walk together around the field and only had fourteen interuptions.

Snack time!

Back at home, I had put together Meat and Cheese Burritos with the last of the leftover Taco Meat from earlier in the week. We warmed them up for lunch before moving into ABA sessions and prepping for a trip we were taking over the weekend.

For dinner that night, I boiled eggs and made a bowl of Chicken Salad. Everyone could choose to eat their chicken on rolls, bread, or with crackers. I actually chose to eat mine on slices of cucumber. This meal was so refreshing and good! These peaches were incredible!

Friday morning, we loaded up and headed out of town. I planned to share about our adventures – but I ran out of time on Saturday night. So I’ll tag all that on next week!

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