Washington D.C., Summertime, VBS, Swim Lessons, and a Meal Plan..

I am officially BACK from vacation!!!! The past two weeks have been such a blast, and I have seen and learned so many wonderful things!!! I cannot begin to explain how grateful and humbled by the experiences I have had.  First with our family vaction to St. Augustine, FL and then through our youth trip to Washington D.C.

The trip to Washington D.C. was a spirtual heritage tour of our capitol as well as Jamestown and Williamsburg, VA.  It was something that challenged and strengthened my faith. Our tour guide was a woman who has devoted her life to researching our founders and the beginnings of our great nation.  God has laid this mission on her heart, and her main purpose is to educate the world about the the spiritual foundation of this great country we live in.  I was blown away by her devotion to this cause and her commitment to doing what God has burdened her with.  That is a whole other post that I will hopefully get around to writing, but until then, you can visit her website at http://www.christianheritagetours.com/.  If you ever have the opportunity to do this, PLEASE do so!!! I cannot wait until my children are old enough to go back.  She also has written a lot of very well researched books on the Christian heritage of our nation.  You can find those at the site above as well.


Now I am home though, and I am honestly so glad for a little normalcy and routine.  I say a “little” because that is all it is.  I love summertime and I am so grateful to be home with my boys, but with all of us out of school and all the various summer activities, life seems a little more crazy!!! Good crazy, but still wilder than normal.


We are currently in swim lessons every day, which we have to drive 30 minutes to.  They are completely worth it, as my boys can swim like fish, and I don’t have to worry about playing in the water with them.  We spend so much time at the pool in the summertime, and the investment in these lessons has been completely worth it.

VBS is also this week at our church. I am teaching 5-6th graders, and I am more pumped this year than I ever have been!!! I can FEEL God beginning to do something, and I am so ready to see what He has in store.  But that takes preparation and planning as well.  I am spending most of the afternoon at the church today decorating and planning with some awesome friends.  The decorations are gonna be awesome, and this will be so much fun!! If you are reading this, please pray for God to move in the hearts of the children and workers this week!!

VBS decorations!

We will have to leave VBS and go straight to swim lessons.  This is always a little hectic and makes staying on track with my meals a little difficult.  That is why it is SO important that I take time to meal plan and prep my snacks and meals as much as I can.  So, I took literally 30 minutes to do that this afternoon, and I feel so much more at ease!!! I know what I have to eat.  I have packed snacks for VBS.  If I need to, I can switch up my Shakeology and have it for lunch on the road, and I have snacks ready to take to the pool if we end up there in the afternoons!!!

Meal planning and preparation do NOT have to be something that intimidates you and stresses you out.  You would not believe how many people tell me that they just don’t think they could do it.  The way I see it, I am going to have to do it at some point anyways.  So why not take 30 minutes to just do it on Sunday afternoon and have it done???? And it ensures that I stay on track with my clean eating and fuels my body much better than running through a drive thru would.


I have much more energy when I eat clean.  I can think more clearly.  My cholesterol is lower.  My PMS is much milder.  My clothes fit better.  I feel more self-confident and know that this is what God planned for my body.  And I am setting an example for my children and Matt to take care of their bodies!!! So, yeah…30 minutes is totally worth it for me.


Here is my meal plan for this week.  Like I said, I may have to mix it up as my schedule allows, but I will stick to this pretty closely.

And my meal prep is done!!!! Honestly, this took me 30 minutes or less.  When I buy from the grocery store, if it will need cut up before I eat it, I go ahead and do it all for the week.  I have an entire container of berries to take to VBS with me as well as portioned bags of cashews.  I purchase the to-go servings of peanut butter, and boil my eggs.  So simple, yet so crucial in keeping me ON TRACK!!!!