2016.....a look back!

2016 was yet another year with many big life changes and exciting new adventures for the Shearer family.


Up first was the birth of our sweet Emmett James.  We welcomed him into our family at 9:37 p.m. on April 15th.  After a difficult pregnancy, and somewhat difficult birth we were thrilled to hold him safely in our arms. Unfortunately, Mark was coming down with a bug as I was in labor.  He made it through the delivery, but then headed home to get some rest.  Luckily my sister was able to come up to the hospital and stayed with me that first night.

 Last picture as a family of 4. 

First picture of a family of 5. 

 

 Our biggest baby at 7 lbs 15oz.

The next big change came in May when I packed up my classroom for good and headed home full time with 3 little ones. I definitely had mixed feelings about this.  On one hand I was so excited to be home with my kids, but it was also difficult to leave a job that I loved and some of the greatest people I know. ( I can now say after being home for 8 month that this is one of the BEST decisions we have made.)

This past summer is somewhat of a blur...as Mark and I refer to that time as 'survival mode'. We tried to get outside as much as possible.  Owen spent many of his mornings searching for bugs and Nora was perfectly happy to follow along by his side.

I would like to say the transition from 2 to 3 kids was completely smooth....but that was not the case for us.  Owen had the most difficult time adjusting to sharing Mom and Dad even more, but was thrilled to start school in the fall at the Homeschool Learning Center.  He took two classes every Wednesday and really enjoyed meeting new friends.  

First day at the Learning Center. 

Our next adventure took place in September when we loaded up the van with 3 kids 4 and under and took off for Colorado.   The trip started out a little scary driving through horrible storms, but after that it was (mostly) smooth sailing.  As smooth as they can be with a 4 yr old, toddler, and teething baby. ha!  So many amazing memories were made and the kids are still asking to go back to the mountains.  

The fall was busy with a quick girls weekend to Chicago to celebrate my Mom's 60th birthday, field trips to the apple orchard, pumpkin patch, and of course our weekly visits to the library.  

Tonight, (New Year's Eve) with the weather being so nice, we decided to take a long walk around our neighborhood that ended at the park so the kids could play for a bit.  Who would have thought a trip to the park on December 31st?  

Mark and I could not help but reflect.  Thinking back to last year....2 years ago....5 years.....and our first New Year's as a married couple 8 years ago.  So much has changed.  In many ways things have become more challenging, in some ways life is simpler, it's definitely more tiring, but we are so very thankful for all that God has blessed us with.  As we made our way home with Nora on Mark's shoulders, Owen skipping ahead and me with Daisy and Emmett, we both agreed there is no where else in the world we would rather be on this New Year's Eve. No where. :) 

Here is to an amazing 2017 and all that is in store!  

Blessings, 

-Katie-

Monthly Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping

There were several people who reached out to me asking questions about my monthly meal planning and once a month grocery shopping haul. So, I thought I would share what I have decided to do.  I am by no means an expert, but have been doing monthly meal planning for awhile now. (Although the once a month grocery shopping is new to me!)

First of all....Why??
     When I first told Mark of my plans, he said...."Why?  Won't that be more work for you?"  The short answer. Yes. But you guys....it saved me so much time and headache!  I don't think I will ever go back.  It is definitely more work and planning up front, but then you done and don't have to worry about it for four whole weeks!

Who hasn't felt this way at some point! 😉

How??

1.  I started with a blank calendar from word that looked like this:  

The first thing I did was fill in the dates that we had special things going on that would conflict with dinnertime. 

I then added my Wildtree Meals that I already have prepped and ready to go in the freezer. I give myself Friday and Saturday "off"  by making either pizza or breakfast one night and eating out or having leftovers the other night.  Then it was time to go to pinterest for some inspiration to finish out the month.   

2.  After my menu for the month was done I started filling in my monthy grocery list sheet, with estimated prices.  It looks like this:  

3.  I am not a fan of frozen or canned fruits/veggies.  I know they are inexpensive, but I just don't like them.  So, I decided a quick weekly grocery run for fresh produce and milk was no big deal.  (and it really wasn't.  I only ended up going 2 times, in addition to my monthly trip.)  To keep track of what I needed for my weekly groceries I used this document:   (it seems like a lot of steps, but it really just takes a minute to look in the fridge and jot down what produce is needed for your weekly meals)  

So...How did it go?? 

      Monthly Haul Budget:     $130                What I spent:    $113.01

      Weekly Shopping:           $80 ($20/wk)   What I spent:    $62. 53

                                             

       Total Budget:               $210.00              What I spent:  $175.54

Before our monthly haul we budgeted $240 a month for groceries.  We saved almost $65!!

Here is my menu for January:  

(With the holidays, we didn't get to all of our meals.  So, I was able to carry several over to January. Score!) 

Let me know if you have any questions :)  I love this sort of thing!  :)

~Katie~