Saturday, July 18, 2015

What's Cookin'?

Breakfast Casserole

1/2 package of cooked bacon, crumbled
1 lb. of cooked sausage
3 cups frozen hashbrowns
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs, beaten
12 oz. evaporated milk
3 green onions, chopped

Place the hashbrowns in the bottom of a greased 2 qt. casserole dish; season with salt & pepper. Then add cheese, green onions, bacon, & sausage.

(We love our meats in this house so mine has more than what some may like. Just adjust your amounts based on your preferences.)

Whisk together the eggs & evaporated milk. Then evenly pour it over the casserole mixture. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.


About half way through, I stirred it up really good so the everything was mixed together well. This was a last minute meal I through together with what we had & it was a huge success. I served it with some toast & fresh fruit. Enjoy!





Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Changes are coming........


I found this quote today while browsing on Pinterest & it is very fitting for the different things that are about to take place in the Gaiser household. Some of our changes aren't that big or drastic but to us, it's a huge deal. :) Here are the big changes that are coming soon:

1. As you can tell, my blog design has already changed. I thought this would be a great time to re-vamp the look & get back into the swing of things. With so many other changes, why not add 1 more to the list???

2. A huge milestone taking place next month is Logan starting kindergarten. I have so many emotions wrapped up in this one. I'm so proud of him & how much he has grown in the short 5 years he's been with us. On the other hand, he's my first-born & therefore I hover over him like a crazy momma. My feelings range from happiness, sadness, emptiness, worry, anxiety, curiosity, & excitement for him. This is HUGE for both of us & I know he'll be just fine but I'm still entitled to be a basket case until then. :)

3. Brian & I compiled a list of projects we would like to work on around the house. We've been in our new home for almost a year now & are ready to get our hands dirty. Some of the projects are small & simply while others will be quite the task:
  • Fresh wall paint in the hallway/stairwell to our upstairs----I already have my picture frames purchased for the collage I want to hang
  • Replace the shades in all of our bedrooms & hang curtains----I'm going to reuse the all of our curtain rods & the curtains from Logan's room in our old house to cut some cost
  • Put in a swimming pool
  • Add a wrap-around porch to the house
  • Completely redo the upstairs bathroom
  • New flooring in our basement hallway (we replaced the carpet in the living area before we moved in based on necessity)
  • Repaint the room we use as a kids' playroom----it's currently a light brown & I want a bright, fun color
  • Make handmade furniture for our living room----we have a ton of old barn wood for these projects that will significantly cut down our cost


4. The biggest change (and one that will make the biggest impact) is that I'm accepting a position within my department that will allow me to work less hours so I can be home with the boys more. This is something I have wanted since I went back to work after having Levi & now it's able to happen. I will only work 40 every pay period; which equates to 3 days on week #1 & 2 days on week #2. The biggest perks are that I will have a set schedule (both days & time), no weekends to work, & I'll be off on all major holidays. I have been very fortune to not have to work too many holidays or weekends so far but this will be a guarantee. I love that I will be home about 1 p.m. on the days that I work. This will allow for me to pick Logan up from school, get his homework done, make dinner, & be present for any activities he is in. I'm beyond excited for this change to take place!

5. The 2nd biggest change is that we're completely re-working our budget; partly to make #4 happen but also to see exactly where we can save a little money. Like all families, we have our quirks on what we like to blow money on & I know we can cut some of that back. We still want to be able to go places & do fun things with the kids but maybe scale it back a little. I mean....do we really need to make 3-4 ice cream runs during the summer? (Secretly, part of me says YES! while the rational part of me is frowning)

I can't wait to share the status of our many changes with you. Some will happen very soon while others may take months, even years, to complete but I know it will be an adventure worth the ride!!


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Family Vacation: May 2015

When Brian & I discussed our vacation plans for this summer, we knew we wanted to go with his mom's side of the family & somewhere that nobody has been to. In the 11 years we have been a couple, we haven't been on a vacation with them. So we were very excited to have the chance to spend time with everyone for a few days. We also knew we would only be able to plan a shorter trip because of some families' work commitments, softball tournaments, etc. Our decision was quickly made to go to.....Cincinnati, OH. I was very excited to take the kids to the zoo & aquarium (I heard great reviews on both). My sister-in-law found a hotel just outside of the city that was much cheaper than we expected (awesome for our budget!) plus it was close to many restaurants & shopping. 

Day 1: Brian & I left around lunch on Saturday & made great timing along the way. I packed plenty of snacks & movies for the trip to occupy the kids; not only on the way to & from but also while we were in the hotel room. I also packed some lunch trays for everyone so we wouldn't have to stop for food on the way. Timing was on our side because once the kids finished lunch, Levi fell asleep shortly after. Our drive was about 3 1/2 hours & very pleasant, with only 1 potty stop along the way. :) We were the last to arrive (because I went to STL the day before with my other sisters-in-law to see the NKOTB concert) that afternoon so all we were able to sneak into our evening was dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory & a trip to Bass Pro Shop.

Day 2: Zoo day!!!

Brian, his brother Jim, & 4 of the boys



Jim wasn't as thrilled about the zoo as some of the others







This was the best pic I could get at the end of a long, hot day

Our only family pic taken on vacation

Day 3: Aquarium & touring day


KY Firefighter's memorial


Historic church inside an arboretum we saw on our way back to the hotel




It was a very serene drive

Another chapel hidden in the trees


On Day 4, we packed everything up & headed back to IN. The kids were worn out every night from our daily adventures, swimming, & general play time with all of the cousins. My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures (I got caught up in the fun times we had & forgot to take pics...oops!) We enjoyed the time we spent with everyone: Nana, Papaw Rick, Nathan, Chrissy, Taylor, Degan, Jim, Nicki, Lilly, Liam, & Daniel.  This was a big group to get together but I'm so glad we made it work!