Friday, October 30, 2015

“An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”

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We are big time apple eaters over here in the Butler house. All three of us love them (Kade doesn’t count yet, although technically he is getting it too). Would you believe the apple snob in our house is JONATHAN?? Organic honeycrisp only. Well, he’ll take Granny Smith during the honesycrisp offseason. Those jokers are only like $8 a piece. (Okay, not really, but they are pricey.) I’m a Red Delicious girl myself.

Anyway, I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” and chalked it up to an old wives’ tale, but there is in fact some major truth behind that. I recently went to a seminar learning cancer prevention strategies, and they shared this article. Take just a minute and read through some of those benefits. (Source listed in picture.) Daily consumption means people are less likely to end up on meds & visit the doctor, and it decreases the risks of several types of cancers and diseases.

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Our favorite is an apple with natural nut butter, but we also like to take them on the go as a quick & easy snack. I use green apples sometimes when I’m juicing to help with the bitter taste of some of the greens. I also recently bought a mandoline slicer to make these awesome baked apple chips. Sometimes I just use my apple slicer, spray slices with the olive oil mister, sprinkle with cinnamon, and toss in the oven at 350 until soft. (The baked apples are super yummy with plain Greek yogurt & vanilla Muscle Gain mixed together.)

I just wanted to share because apples are definitely worth starting to incorporate into your daily diet if you aren’t already. With all of those benefits, we’d be crazy not to! And FYI, they are a fruit on the “dirty dozen” list so it’s really important to buy them organic if at all possible.

What’s your favorite way to eat an apple?? Have a favorite type?

Pumpkin Carving Party at the Adams’

Laura & Brian hosted a pumpkin carving party at their house this year. We had a great time and everything was soooo cute. (Thank you, Pinterest! Laura did an awesome job.)

I was so happy that Jimmy & Jade came. Check out all these beautiful Butlers!

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Love the little photobomber in the back with his leaf blower…always wants to work! Kade with Aunt Jade.

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Cutie cousins!

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Jimmy with his buddy Carlton.

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I couldn’t believe how easy it was to take Adelyn’s picture. Little miss sassy pants just posed & smiled. The difference between boys and girls, maybe? (She was definitely outnumbered.)

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Elaine with her grandboys!

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Love these of Papa & Kade.

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Big Jon…LOVE this man!!

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BFF!

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This little one has started sucking his thumb.

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The kids had a blast playing & painting pumpkins.

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I love Jase’s face in this one and that he looks like he has a little bowl cut!

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I appreciate everyone tolerating me and my paparazziness….but I know everyone will appreciate the pictures at some point. (Jonathan just told me the other day after looking through some sweet pictures of his mom that he is thankful I always take lots of pics, even if he doesn’t always seem thrilled.)

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Photo booth fun!

 

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I mean, the Butlers were straight killin it.

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Great time with friends & family!!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Spinach, Arugula & Feta Salmon Roast {Zaycon Salmon}

We recently ordered the cod & salmon from Zaycon (here's a post I wrote about it- I think it's even cheaper now too.) and have really enjoyed it. It’s a quick, easy, & healthy meal. I typically pair it with some type of greens/veggies and either sweet potatoes or quinoa.

This is how the salmon comes to you- still has the skin on & individually sealed.

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It is HUGE so it makes 4-6 servings. (You thaw it in the refrigerator and it actually doesn’t take too long.)

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One way we prepare it is to use lemon juice, Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning, unsalted organic butter, pink Himilayan salt & ground pepper. Bake for around 20 min @ 350.

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Tonight I had some greens that I really needed to use up, so I started by thawing the salmon, cutting it up into servings, adding olive oil & lemon juice, and using Mrs. Dash Italian Medley seasoning. I threw some chopped organic spinach and arugula on top along with some crumbled feta. I baked for 20 minutes at 350, & it was delish. Wayyyy better than the way it looks. Ha!

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Tonight I served with a slice of homemade bread I made using our new  bread maker. I am SO excited to be making our own homemade bread from scratch….post to come on that! (I know, so pioneer woman of me, right?)

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I haven’t made the cod yet, but cod is our favorite fish so I know we’ll love that. We actually pick up our chicken this Wednesday. They have tons of other products, but these are our three faves. If you want to check it out in your area, you can do that here.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Jonathan’s 32nd Birthday & Some Reasons I LOVE Him.

Jonathan turned 32 on October 17th.

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He didn’t want to go to Gold Rush (I mean, what’s NOT to love about a Fall festival?,) so we kept it low key and spent the day at home playing outside with the boys. It was a GORGEOUS day! His dad stopped by and him, Jase, & Jon worked on the trucks. We ate dinner at one of our favorite places- The Diner in Buford.

I have really wanted to type up some things about Jonathan for a while, and his birthday is a perfect reason to celebrate some of my favorite things about him.

I was reading through a book I gave him at our wedding called “The Reasons I Love You,” and honestly, I was almost ashamed at how shallow most of my responses were. They were so surface and all about me, really. (I love that you give me my way and take me to the movies ….blah blah blah.) The only thing that was encouraging was to realize how much DEEPER & more intimate our love is now. It’s not perfect. He’s not perfect & neither am I (I’m sure I’m getting some Amen’s on that one), and we have definitely had to work through some stuff in our marriage. But man, I am so, so thankful for the man that Jonathan Butler is & that I get to do life with him.

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These are just a few of the many things I love, respect, and appreciate about Jon. (Here is a similar post I wrote back in 2010.)

  • He loves the Lord. His desire is to serve Him and raise a family that glorifies God. He prays over me and our boys every.single.day.

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  • He has a great discerning spirit and is one of the best judges of character I’ve ever met. Seriously, he can read people like a book! There have been so many times throughout our relationship that he has warned me about someone (if someone was  fake or two-faced, for example) & I would blow it off and try to convince him they were okay. He would still be polite to that person and just let me learn my lesson the hard way, but he was & is always spot on. Looking back, he has proven to be right EVERY SINGLE TIME & I can’t think of a single time he has misjudged someone.
  • He is thoughtful & cautious. He really thinks long and hard about something before making a decision and he thinks long term. Sometimes it annoys me, but I have learned to appreciate that he doesn’t just hump into things that could leave us in a mess. He is thorough and considerate of details.
  • Speaking of being thoughtful, he always does his due diligence and researches everything for us. For example, he reads all the reviews to make sure we have the safest car seat, that it’s installed properly, and that everyone knows how to use it the right way. It’s not about always having the best of everything, but he will spend time to make sure we have the best option for our family.
  • He takes exceptional care of everything we have so it lasts, so I know he’ll teach our boys to be good stewards too.

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  • And that willingness to research brings up another fave. He is a learner and a problem solver. He is SMART! Don’t let that southern accent fool ya, friends. He knows a lot about a lot, but if he doesn’t know how to do something, he learns. If there isn’t an obvious solution, he takes time to figure it out. He overcomes obstacles and finds solutions.
  • He finishes what he starts.

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  • He is humble. You’ll NEVER hear him boast about the fact that he is so talented, he can build anything, can play guitar, is extremely athletic, is strong as an ox, is HANDSOME as can be, and will work most men under the table. I can’t think of a single time I’ve ever really heard him brag about anything. Being so humble, he has no problem serving either. He will change diapers, help around the house, just whatever needs to be done. He helps other people out all the time because he has such a big skill set, and he definitely uses that to serve others.

  • He is a super nice guy, but he won’t let anybody run over him. He is a manly man (with a good beard! ha!) & stands up for what he believes in.
  • He teaches me what he knows. He helps keep me informed on current events, politics, etc.
  • He is the best dad I’ve ever seen. I mean that, and there are lots of reasons. He is intentional in his parenting. He thinks about what message our actions are sending our kids. He thinks long-term. He spends tons of TIME with them. He models for them what a godly man/husband looks like. He is actively involved with them. He teaches them. He disciplines them with love & explains why we do that. He is patient with them. He prays with them every single night. He laughs with them, wrestles with them, imagines with them, sings with them. He is never too busy. He hugs them, tells them he loves them, tells them he is proud of them, and speaks life over them every single day. He helps me feed them healthy food. We work together to make decisions that will affect them. He guards them and protects them (by doing his best to control their influences). He recognizes that they are a blessing from the Lord.

  • He always has the best interest of his family at heart. Me and the boys are his top priority, and he considers us above everything else. He could have a ton of hobbies because he’s really great at a lot of things (golf, guitar, hunting, etc.), but he CHOOSES to spend more time with us instead.

  • He is our protector and makes us feel safe.
  • He is so logical and has a common sense approach to everything. Sometimes this is what we disagree over, but I am so thankful for his perspective and that he views things differently than me. He helps me think of things in a way I wouldn’t, and it always benefits me to hear his thoughts and opinions. Like I said earlier, I am learning to trust his judgment and follow him more readily. He is wise for 32.
  • He calls me on my crap. Now to be honest, I don’t really “like” this one. Actually, I really dislike it. But, it’s necessary and something I appreciate about him because he helps me grow and be a better version of myself.
  • He is genuine- what you see is what you get. He is who he says he is. All the time.

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  • He is a man worth following. He is the type of man I hope our sons grow up to be and that our (future, maybe?) daughters grow up to marry. He is a good man. A godly man. And praise the Lord, he is MY man!!
  • Oh, and this one is still true….I mean, just look at him! Some things get better with age. Jonathan Butler is one of ‘em.

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We love you, Jonathan! I can’t wait to see how this list continues to evolve over the years. Thank you for being you. Happy birthday, babe!

Friday, October 23, 2015

Pumpkin Patch 2015

This has become a tradition for our family and one that we look forward to every year. I will tell you that it makes me want to cry to see how much our babies have grown, but we are so blessed to have healthy, growing, precious boys. They fill our hearts with such joy and they are HILARIOUS.

And goodness, we are so thankful the Lord blessed us with sweet baby Kade this year! He is a ray of sunshine & the sweetest lil ole thing. I had just found out I was pregnant with him when we went last year. (He was in my tummy in that middle picture.)

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It was fun to see the boys actually enjoying the pumpkins this year.

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I remember thinking it was tough to get pictures when they were babies. Newsflash to my former self: toddlers add a whole new layer of fun to the challenge.

Jase wanted to be in their family pic. Ha!

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Daddy wore cutie Kade around in the carrier. It’s interesting to see as he gets bigger how different him and Jase are starting to look. Jase was around the same age the first time we took him.

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This one cracks me up. Love that funny face and those little fingers peeking through.

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They were definitely wild! They loved running around though.

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Family pictures…well, they are more interesting. Real life, yo.

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Airplane!

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This was about the best we got. I’ll take it!

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“Embrace the chaos.” (Seriously, we are loving every minute.)

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I LOVE these. Little pumpkin model. Ha! (And yes, Daddy trimmed his hair to fix the Great Clips cut. I will say, this is an improvement. I know fine blonde hair is hard to cut and shows everything, so I’m not hatin…)

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Love these boys. They are looking more like little boys & less like babies.

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We did have one tantrum because I wouldn’t let him run around everywhere and he didn’t like it. This is tough because he is in the learning phases of what is appropriate and what’s not. He is allowed to run & play when we are outside sometimes, so he doesn’t quite get why it’s not okay all the time. We’re working on it.

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When he saw the tractor he was laser focused on it and wanted to “dribe it.”

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My cutie patootie fellas!

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Somebody (me) could seriously use a spray tan.

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I asked Jon to get the baby out of the carrier so I could take a few pics of him with the pumpkins. Love that little babe!

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Here are our visits from previous years:

2013 

2014