R O W E N is 8!!!

R O W E N is 8️⃣ 

🖤🎉🛴🎮🎂😎 Happy Birthday to our sweet, smart, handsome, wonderful 8 year old! We love you so much! Hope you have the best day!! You bring us so much joy!

• party day!!! 09.26.25 🎉🎉🎉 #rowenturns8 #happybirthday #partyday #birthdayparty #sept29 #levelup #gamer #brothers #family #friends #lifeinpictures #loveyou #xoxo #birthdayboy #8yearsold #fun #toocool #lifeinpictures

Field Hockey, Air Show, & Little Visits - SEPT 2025

09.18.25 - 09.21.25 • We spent a couple of days with Logan, Lindsey, & Kamry • we got to watch one of her FH games [GO KAMRY!!]👏🏻🏑 and we all cooked a fish dinner together.🐟🤤 I also got to visit with Mom on Thursday and Friday.❤️ It was so nice to just be together for a few days. We got up super early on Saturday morning and headed to Virginia Beach for the air show at NAS Oceana. This was our second time and it’s something we really enjoy! ✈️⛅️Of course, we can’t be in Virginia Beach and not get dinner at Captain George’s.🦀🤤 Such a good laid back few days that are just good for the soul. 

#family #littlevisits #lifeisgrand #thisisus #lifeinpictures #weekendvibes #hellofall #familydinner #virginiabeach #airshow #captaingeorges #dinnerdate #therapy

menu plan monday / sept 2025

Menu Plan Monday • September 2025

We are still pretty much taking things a week at a time with what days we will be home so we really don’t have a [meal plan]. I have been doing at least one big grocery haul a month and try to keep ingredients on hand for 7-8 meals, ready for the days we are cooking dinner at home. I also started up @everyplate again and will get one shipment a month. 

*[08.30 & 08.31 - crab cakes, potato salad, & roasted brussels]

09.01 - Chicken Parmesan 

09.02 - * Peter was away | I ordered out 

09.03 • Spaghetti & garlic bread (+ dinner for boys after school + I froze a bag of sauce for a future meal) garlic bread was an add-on in E/P box) 

09.04 - E/P meal • Buffalo Ranch Chicken, mashed potatoes & roasted carrots

09.05 - lunch=From Scratch | dinner=pizza

09.06 - E/P meal • Balsamic Meatballs, parsley & butter potatoes, green beans and yeast rolls (I made 3 pans of rolls and sent 2 to the after-funeral meal) 

09.07 - E/P meal • burgers & homemade fries 

09.08 - beef stroganoff over noodles, roasted cauliflower, and garlic toast (*steak for stroganoff and garlic toast were add ons in E/P box)

09.09 - lunch= From Scratch | Dinner= Caesar Salad (add-on in E/P box) 

09.10 - Chicken Pot Pies (1 for us + 1 for K & boys) 

09.11 - Meatloaf, parsley & butter potatoes, garden salad 

09.12 - lunch = Jersey Mikes | dinner = Pizza

09.13 - late lunch at Mallard’s 

09.14 - grilled steaks w/ mushrooms & onions, grilled Caesar salad, & onion rings 

09.15 - teriyaki beef & broccoli w/rice and jello salad 

I have lots of meats in the freezer, but will need to make another little grocery haul soon. Planning meals and having ingredients on hand for the days I am cooking really helps with the grocery budget and doing a subscription boxed meal once a month adds a little variety to the menu. We will be away a few days over the next 2 weeks but I have meals planned for the days we are home including - TikTok Pasta w/shrimp & garlic toast • pork tenderloin • stuffed peppers • steak subs • chicken casserole • sweet & sour chicken • crock pot chicken thighs. Also, still using the rice cooker which makes THE BEST sticky rice and is a super cheap but delicious side to any meal. 

Thanksgiving 2019

f e e l i n g     t h a n k f u l 

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

There’s nothing like having family gathered around the table, enjoying some of the best food, [and then not having to do the dishes afterwards. 🤣] We’ve been disposable plates Thanksgiving people for a few years now, and I commented today that my Mom must be superwoman because for many, many, years she not only hosted Thanksgiving Dinner, but she cooked it all, set a full table with all the good china, and cleaned up afterwards. Props to all you “pioneer women” out there! The food was delicious and along with Mom’s dressing, Brian’s single fried oysters topped my list of favorites!! 😋

There were 17 for Thanksgiving this year, and sweet Kelsey was the newest addition. It was bittersweet as we were also missing some this year. 😞 I’m so thankful for days like today and good memories of past holidays. I’m also thankful we get to spend this weekend with Kamry, Logan, and Lindsey

I prepared a few dishes at home, then Mom and I cooked the turkey, dressing, and the other things we had to do at her house. Everyone brought a dish or two, and our Thanksgiving feast was absolutely delicious. 

GUEST LIST

Dad

Mom

Derek

Peter

Me 

Nathan

Kayla

Rowen

Brian

Liv

Peyton

Madi

Weston

Kelsey

Ernie

Rose

Ern

Donna

A wonderful day of food, family, and football! :O)

Logan, Lindsey, and Kamry always do Thanksgiving at her brothers, but we got to spend the whole weekend with them and a wonderful time!!

THANKFUL -- GRATEFUL -- BLESSED