I am frequently asked how we manage a home with 7 kids, their sports all while staying involved and active at church and working a full time job and exercising. Sometimes I step back and see all we do and ask myself that same question?!?  How do we do it?

Truly it is by the strength and help of the Lord that we survive each day and busy week. Constant prayer 🙏🏻 🙏🏻🙏🏻 and endless coffee ☕️☕️☕️

However here are a few things the past few weeks since school and sports swing back into action that have been a huge blessing making it all come together for our family.

My amazing and wonderful husband who works so hard and endlessly for our family 💜

My mother being here and helping drive the kids home from school and to and from their activities. As hard of a transition as it was when she moved to Virginia and in with us.  For all the complaining and bad days that we have had,  we wouldn’t be making this busy season in our lives work without her here. Obviously God knew what He had planned when He led my mom to live with us.

God has blessed me with the gift of being organized. Keeping our calendars and meal plans up to date and flowing each week has been instrumental in keeping track of everything.  I have essentially 4 calendars I keep updated.  One online with our google calendars, a personal paper planner I keep with me, a family monthly calendar in our kitchen and a weekly calendar that sometimes is updated or changing daily!

We have been using a successful meal plan system for several years now.  This meal plan system has worked so well I think the world may end as we know it if we didn’t meal plan for a week.  All the mouths around our table have become very used to looking at the menu each day to see what is being made.

This past week I found some new casserole recipes that were a hit! I made them the night before and put them in the fridge so all I had to do at dinner time was put them in the oven.  At the beginning of each week I make one large salad and chop fresh veggies so that we have vegetables prepared and ready to go.  I use our slow cooker a lot too!

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/taco-bake-casserole-63779.aspx

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/mac-cheese-lasagna-94496.aspx

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭