The Queen’s Chronicles

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Is it just me or do the weeks counting down to Christmas just start flying by at warp speed?  I’m so looking forward to a short week of work, Thanksgiving with family and friends, Aggie football and then a weekend with absolutely nothing planned!  Bring it!
Our week started off running Carly to girls scouts on Monday and then Hip Hop on Tuesday.  I did make this delish sandwich on my lunchbreak Tuesday.  We had leftover grilled chicken and I added pesto to the bread with a little italian cheese and it was the perfect quick little meal.  Pesto is one of the staples I keep in the fridge now and I use it all the time to give a little kick to something ordinary.

We made a family trip to the mall on Tuesday to buy some new duds for Dillon as the basketball team is required to dress up on game days.  Oh the joys of shopping with boys and even better boys that have strong opinions about what they want to wear.  His Sperrys have been too small for quite some time but I wasn’t expecting him to need an eleven!
If you read my Friday Favorites then you already know Keith and I were lucky enough to enjoy a quiet night out to dinner at our favorite restaurant on Wednesday.  We definitely took advantage of a night free from kids activities!
Thursday Dillon had his first basketball game and he would say I’m lying but I know he was really excited about dressing up for game day!  I loved seeing him out on the court.  He is so long and lanky and there are definitely times when the arms and the legs aren’t always speaking the same language if you know what I mean.  His team won their first game so we are excited about the season.
Friday morning this is what I looked over and saw on our drive to school.  I love both these boys!  Don’t know how I managed to become a dog person but I totally am.  Little Dutch Buddy has totally become part of our family in a short 3 months.  He knows when we take the kids to school and he rides along that he’s going to daycare and he so loves daycare days!  
I spent my lunch hour loving on this little guy.  One of my co-workers had a baby 3 weeks ago and we took her lunch and got to love on baby Andrew.  You just forget so fast how tiny a newborn can be! 
Friday was finally over and I have been a terrible homemaker this week.  I failed to do any sort of meal planning or grocery shopping and I am not sure I cooked a meal the entire week.  Totally not our typical but Friday was definitely not the day to work on my homemaking skills so we headed to Wings N More where the wings are hot and the beer is ice cold.  
Dillon’s friend Tate from Austin was actually in town and staying the night.  If you mustache they had a great time!  
Saturday we did laundry and watched it rain and finally decided to brave the weather and head to my hometown for a visit.  We enjoyed dinner with my brother and his family and my mom and lots of great conversation.  This is my youngest nephew and he is just at that super fun, wild, all boy stage.  You know the one you love when you are the aunt and it’s cute because you can laugh and not be responsible!  He’s adorable.  
Sunday was all about celebrating and spending some time with my Mamaw.  She moved to assisted living a little over a year ago all on her own and I know she is sure it was the right choice but losing independence was hard for her.  She has lost all three of her children and two husbands.  I really just have no idea what that would be like.  She is also battling with Myastenia Gravis which there is no cure for and it causes big issues with her eyesight.  I am very independent and see so much of myself in her and try so hard to have so much patience because I honestly just do not know how in the world I would make it if I had to depend on other people to pay my bills or drive me shopping or bring me a pain pill.  I wish so much that her heart would feel some peace with her situation and that she would be able to surrender and not stress so much but at almost 88 years old I really just think we have to love her as is.  My sweet brother lives in my hometown so he has a lot of responsibility that I do not and he has been so kind to her.  I had to laugh today because everyone that works there came by and spoke to him and hugged him.  He knew the workers and pretty much everyone else that was there visiting someone.  He has drawn people in since he was a little boy.  He was the same then always friendly and smiling.  I love these two so much. 
After we had lunch I took this girl shopping!  Her weight keeps fluctuating up and down and every time something gets too big or little she’s giving it away.  I think she just likes to have an excuse to go shopping!  Shopping obviously makes her happy!  Right after I took this picture she realized she forgot to use her coupon so we had to find something else to purchase.  She found a shirt and it ended up being $3.88 after the coupon…she was on top of the world! 
We made it back to College Station and I knew I had to make a trip to the grocery store.  It is never a good sign when you walk up to get a cart and there are this many missing. 
I successfully navigated and purchased enough to meal plan for the week!  Tonight we had a simple dinner that is one of my very favorites.  Spaghetti squash (or angel hair for the husband and kids), zucchini and squash and lean meat with spaghetti sauce.  This will be my lunch the rest of the week!  
Ready for a good nights sleep and a week that is off to a better start.  My running and meal planning has got to be on track this week!  Three weeks from today I will have completed my third 1/2 marathon and will be enjoying my Blue Bell Christmas Cookie ice cream.  
Two days..count them….one..two….that is all for me in the office this week!  I am so excited about 5 straight days of time off with my family.  
Have a great week!