Weekend Recap: Celebrating

It's Sunday night and I just realized that this week will be the first full week I've worked since before Christmas, and that I have no days off for the next several months.  Boo!!  Oh wait, I'm taking off a random Wednesday in February for one of Ben's appointments.  I'll have to make sure we plan something fun that day!  In the mean time, I'm going to continue to try and soak up all of the fun we can on our weekends!  This weekend did not disappoint.  Benji and Nana headed to music class on Saturday morning, while I headed to my friend Sheila's wedding shower.  She is the last (but not least!) in my group of college friends to get married and I could not be happier for her.  She is one of the sweetest people I know and she is marrying an amazing guy.  I can't wait for her big day in March!

I may have taken a little detour on the way home and stopped at the outlet mall.  I had such good luck when Andy and I went to a different outlet mall last weekend, that I couldn't resist trying to find some more good deals.  It was a success.  Hand sanitizer at the Bath & Body Works outlet for $0.43?  Don't mind if I do...  As much as I love to shop, I love my boys even more, so I headed home soon so I could hang out with them before dinner.  We made some last minute dinner plans with some friends we haven't seen in what felt like ages.  Although Ben wasn't in the greatest mood before we left, he was an angel at the restaurant.  I am soooo proud of him for sitting so nicely in his highchair for almost the whole meal.  Oh, and for eating a lot (for him) too!

I would be amiss if I didn't mention that for the FIRST TIME EVER, Benji slept through the night for TWO consecutive nights!!!!!!  He has slept through the night approximately 10 times in his entire life, so the fact that we have had 2 in a row almost seems to good to be true.  I'm not holding my breath just yet, but I really hope he's on to something here!  I shouldn't be that surprised that he has been sleeping well because he certainly uses a lot of energy during the day.  Today he spent the morning coloring/holding creamers, flirting with the waitress at brunch, playing with beans, and holding the groceries for daddy.  He was so busy at church this morning that he managed to find/ peel off some chewed gum that was under the pew.  I was thoroughly grossed out, but then he made it all better when he heard "let us pray" and he folded his little hands on cue like an angel.  I (and the people behind us) nearly died from the cuteness.  Love him. 

We ended our Sunday by celebrating Uncle Joe's 29th birthday.  While what we really wanted to get him was a girlfriend, he has to settle for a Benji smooch for now.  Don't worry Uncle Joe, we're still going to work on that other gift!  

I cannot believe how much Ben has grown since Joe's birthday last year.  Uncle Joe hasn't aged a bit though.    We love you, Uncle Joe!  We hope you have a great birthday!!  

And since I just realized that we ate out for nearly every meal this weekend, I decided to come up with a menu for the week.  (In our defense, we ate pretty well while out, but still.)  Today Andy made a huge pot of his amazingly healthy and delicious soup, so we'll be able to enjoy that for awhile.  Andy knows how to make all of these dinner options with no/low sodium.  He even makes his own pizza sauce and taco seasoning, both with zero sodium.  I'm so blessed to have such skilled chef in my life.  I would be living on noodles and microwaveable meals without him.  

Since I am failing miserably at many of my resolutions, I better be off to bed since it's almost 10:00 and I'm getting up before the sun tomorrow to get a good, sweaty workout in before work.  Goodnight!