By far, this week will be an epic one in the way of milestones with one peepster leaving the nest and another heading back into it, simultaneously. So I'm trying to stay light-hearted with thoughts of TV-watching in the "fort" created amidst all of the moving stuff piled up throughout the homestead, definitely not an easy task for certain neat freak types. *cough*

What better day to shop for new eyeglasses than on Martin Luther King Jr.'s holiday, the day upon which we celebrate the life, actions, and words of a leader who inspired all with visions of hope and unity. So in honor of MLK Day, the family and I took advantage of my newly acquired vision benefit by getting fitted with these swanky new glasses. And not only did I feel all excited about getting huge discounts, but I also felt special in having a paid holiday on which to celebrate and shop.

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."
— from "I Have A Dream" speech, Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963

Tonight the family and I concocted the Cheesy Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas recipe via Blue Apron Shipment-of-the-Week, and it tasted much better than it looked. Our only advice for next time around?  More cilantro + sour cream mix in the enchilada stuffing.  Otherwise, tonight's meal was a great family team building moment and tasty dinner - although, being down one family member meant extra leftovers.  

​Not a bad deal, after all.

When the heavens opened today and dropped me and my peeps right smack down HERE for the day, you'd better believe we loaded up on all kinds of Nike, Under Armour, and Columbia goodness - all washed down by an Iced Camelicious from Scooters. (Ok, that was the oldest peep's beverage since I'd already imbibed a triple-shot espresso before leaving the house and didn't require any more caffeine, but it really was a necessary part of the adventure and worth mentioning, nonetheless.)

And then as we were leaving, not so strangely the idea of taking up residence at the nearby Super 8 crossed my mind - for future convenient power shopping purposes, of course. That along with my own personal U-Haul truck to transport everything home.

Hmmm... new bucket list item? Check.

The past couple of weeks have been tenuous and emotionally difficult for me and my family. We experienced the loss of the Swenson patriarch which completely blindsided each and every one of those in and around his circle of family, friends, and anyone else he had contact with over the course of his 78 years of life. I'm struggling to deal with the loss, especially since he has been a pillar of strength for me personally since the birth of my children and loss of my job over the year, with weekly phone calls that helped me make sense of it all and move forward in life. I want to post a tribute with photos and more to honor his contribution to the family and my personal life journey, but for now I need to take some time to reflect and join hands with others saying goodbye to a wise and wonderful human being.

With another summer break coming to a close, I'm flashing back to sweet memories of a family beach vacation to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina where we camped out in a beach house rental and partied it up like nobody's business. Family vacations like these are rare - but seriously treasured.  I mean who knows if/when we will get together again sharing sand, surf, and story time on a big leather sofa with Uncle Paco, right?  But at least we can enjoy these digital memories of the magical time we shared thanks to my archival of Shutterfly photos just sitting there waiting to land in a blog post.

Spring Break brought this peepster back to the homestead for a week, and as you can see, we are all smiles about spending some much needed family time together.  And I seriously believe this particular Koala-filtered Snap accurately reflects how thrilled we are to be back in our Saturday shopping routine, even if it is just a trip to the local Target.  (Having that added stop to Starbucks just inside the door is a definite bonus making our smiles that much brighter - must acknowledge that little perk.)

But when you score 158 points with a double-triple word (plus a double letter bonus on "C"), you pretty much own bragging rights. So with my college peeps emptying the next again soon, leaving me with a big Scrabble win seems like the legitimate way to go.

Cooked up all kinds of goodness to ring in 2018 including Crab Rangoon, Wontons, Bruschetta, Italian Pigs in Blankets, and Stuffed Mushrooms. Not pictured: Korean Beef Lollipops - except without lollipop stick skewers due to the lack of beef skewer volunteers. Everything was absolutely scrumptious and with tons of leftovers to snack on for the next couple of days, if it even lasts that long.  Best. Tradition. Ever.