Longer Sleeves Needed

See all of our wedding pics here

Yesterday we celebrated six years of marriage!

We wake up so grateful for each other everyday. This is what I wrote when I introduced Thomas to you guys in 2017:

Which brings me to something I’ve been hinting at for months now – I am in looooooove! His name is Thomas, and I couldn’t have sketched a better partner if you’d given me a blank piece of paper and a Sharpie and said, “draw the man of your dreams.” While I could list the many reasons why Thomas is a great guy (he is very good looking and an impressive soccer player!), what I love most about him is how he makes me feel when we’re together: safe, secure, respected, loved. He is also crazy about Mazen, and Thomas’s family has been so wonderful and welcoming to Mazen and me.

And nothing has changed <3 Marrying him was the best decision of my life.

I also cannot believe that Birch is just a few weeks shy of how old Mazen was at our wedding!

In fact, I can see Birch in this picture. While they each have their own very different personalities, they are similar in many sibling sort of ways. And they love each other so much.

I uncovered Mazen’s wedding outfit from the 5T box a few weeks ago and was saving it for today to try on. It was a little big, but it fit! He was very pleased.

The Clifton

As is tradition, we ventured over to The Clifton to re-live memories of our wedding. The weather was very much the same as it was in 2017. And this time we took the boys along!

We got some drinks at the bar, including a Shirley Temple and a Ginger Ale for the boys, and an Old Fashioned and a Beer for the adults.

We ended up having dinner there too, which was not our plan but made sense given that everyone was hungry and they had a table on the terrace. And they sent us celebratory champs at the end of the meal!

The boys played gorilla games in the garden where we were married. Appropriate.

Fall Y’all

Within a week’s time we went from bathing suits and balmy weather to crisp cool mornings that require a hoodie and hot coffee. We also didn’t see the sun for about 5 days and I was feeling so down without it. Thankfully it’s back. Warm fall days are my favorite type of fall day : )

While we were at the beach, Gus went to his favorite babysitter’s house, Ms. Kathy. She lives on a farm with plenty of dirt for Gus to roll around in with his other dog friends. One hour after he returned, our brand new rug and couch were orange. Luckily I bought a performance rug and couch for this reason, and most of it came up with water.

Gus got a bath right away!

One of the amenities that Thomas added during the renovation was outdoor hot water for the hose, so Gus enjoyed a nice spa experince and no one was cold! (That will be great for filling up the kiddie pool in the springtime too!)

Birch got a lesson in dog washing and also a lesson in hammering as we finish up the trash can storage deck.

SmoothieBox

I have a new-to-me smoothie option to share: SmoothieBox! These smoothies are use all organic ingredients, are conscious about their packaging… and that beautiful berry smoothie above – it has hidden cauliflower in it!

There are six flavor options that include a ton of super healthy ingredients, including one called Green! From cauliflower and sweet potato to hemp seeds and coconut, the ingredients are superfood based and mixed into a delicious combo that serves 2. My kids loved the Mango one, and Berry is my favorite. You can buy as a subscription or buy one and pause or cancel at any time.

I also think smoothie mixes make the perfect gift for someone who needs a helping hand or is going through a tough time – surgery, new moms, college students, loved ones, etc.

Use code KATHEATS for $35 off your first box

More real food

We switched to Green Chef for a bit because of a great promo they are offering, and I love how healthy the meals are. This one was baked barramundi with sautéed squash and the most delicious creamed kale with cream cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. I definitely want to make that again!

Our second meal of the week was this turkey + cabbage creamy soup. Love that soup szn is here!!!!!

We had it two nights in a row per my “cook once, eat twice” meal plan rhythm. I’ve been doing this for a few years now, and it absolutely changed meal planning for me! We do two meal kit meals and one easy kid friend meal (tacos, homemade pizza, spaghetti, burgers, etc.) and meal planning is so simple.

Here’s the kid friendly meal last week! My gosh, a home-grown tomato (from my in-laws’ garden) really elevates a taco.

Easiest Dinner Post Grocery Shop

This was our “home from the beach” dinner – rotisserie chicken salads! I made salad bases with homemade orange marmalade dressing, feta, carrots, and candied pecans and we topped them with chicken pulled off the bone, cooked by Whole Foods.