Meet the Shaneyfelts

Archives for 2024

Friday Favorites!

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Happy Friday, y’all! Today I’ve got a random list for y’all–things we did as a family, books, a YouTube channel, a blog post–all the things!

one

Last Saturday we went to Birmingham for the day and visited the Mcwane Center. I remember going as a kid on field trips, but Dustin never went so this was an exciting trip for him (I think he may have had as much fun as Harrison did LOL). We did lots of things–laid on a bed of nails, shot bottles into the air, played in a pretend city, acted as meteorologists, tried to pet a sting ray and shark, and lots and lots of other things! Harrison and Banks had a great time and Merritt just enjoyed coming along for the ride 🙂

two

I read The Women in four days! It was SO GOOD! I learned so much about women nurses serving in Vietnam during the war, but what I didn’t realize (and also learned) was what it was like coming home for them after their tour was done. This novel follows Frankie, who signs up to be a nurse in the Army as a 20 year old and is shipped over to Vietnam. My heart ached for her and I did cry at the end of this novel. If you end up reading this, I’d love to chat about this with you!!!

I finished this book and am so encouraged about lengthening my health span. There are certain goals I want to make sure I can do once I get much older (like carrying groceries in the house, bending over and picking up my grandchildren, climbing stairs, getting up from sitting on the ground, etc) so I know training for those activities starts today. I’ve already been working on adding lots of protein to my diet, but I know I also need to work on adding strength training to my routine. And I was also encouraged to stay active throughout the day in any way I can (which right now isn’t hard with having 3 small children).

three

Our splash pad came in the mail and it has been something we’ve been playing with every day! This was a great purchase and I’ve told Dustin that I’m really proud of myself for buying it haha!

four

I will sometime watch YouTube while I’m feeding Merritt if Banks is napping and Harrison is having his quiet rest time. I came across this girl’s channel somehow and it’s been so fun to watch. She lives in the Cotswolds and I’ve loved seeing what life is like in the English countryside.

five

Speaking of English living, a blogger I love, Shay, blogged yesterday about European lifestyles that she wanted to adapt in her every day life. She blogged about afternoon tea, and I’ve started drinking hot tea at night before bed and it’s been the best thing! I didn’t think about it being an English tradition, but it’s been a really nice nightly routine that I look forward to.

six

Yesterday I needed to grab pajamas out of Merritt’s room and asked Harrison to hold her really quick while I ran into her room. It was the cutest sight so I had to take a picture! My oldest and my youngest 🙂

Friday Favorites!

Remember, I will be responding to your comments here on this post, so don’t forget to check back!

Happy Friday, y’all! I hope y’all have had a wonderful week! I am soaking up as much of what’s left of summer as I can because once school starts back, I am going to miss being with my babies all day long. AND add in the fact that Harrison starts kindergarten–I am unwell LOL

As usual, today I’m sharing my FAVORITES!

one

This might be my #1 FAVORITE of the week! Merritt has HATED tummy time on the ground–which in turn, has made me really anxious about her neck strength, how far behind she’ll be developmentally, yada yada…. Then I found THIS AMAZING TOY that has been a life saver. As soon as I put Merritt on her belly in front of the toy and turned it on, she lifter her neck (and chest!!!) off the floor and I had no idea she could even do that because she never had before. I loathe flashy toys for little children and prefer traditional toys (like wooden blocks) so kids can use their imaginations, but I’ve given in on this toy simply because it gets her head and chest off the ground for a good bit. And now she’s already started rolling from front to back because of it. I put the toy up when we’re not using it for tummy time so it stays a special toy. I HIGHLY recommend this toy if you have a baby who hates tummy time!

two

I ended up purchasing a brand new academic planner for this school year. It came in not too long ago and I’m really excited to use it! It starts in August so I’ve already started filling in a few things. I tried the daily planner this year instead of the weekly and I will see after this school year how I like it. I feel like I will need the hourly break down more now that we’re doing sports with practices and games, book club meetings, board meetings, and church things.

three

Dustin grilled corn on the cob on Sunday and Banks was reaching for mine as I was eating it. I gave it to him expecting him to not like it–I was wrong! He loved it and ate so much of it!

four

Our local public library has a summer reading program each Thursday morning. Yesterday was an Olympic themed day! We had a friend go with us and Harrison saw a friend from his old preschool there!

five

Yesterday after the library, my mom, sister, my nephew Wiley, and my 3 kids loaded up and drove down to Cullman to shop around. We laughed about being a traveling caravan right now.

I’m Feeding Merritt and Banks…

hung out in the stroller next to me when we made a pit stop at a coffee shop for coffee and Merritt’s bottle.

Cullman has grown so much since I was a kid!

six

I just ordered this splash pad for the kids to play with out in the backyard. Harrison has outgrown the water table and these hot summer days are really making me wish we had a pool…..

Weekend Recap–Last One in June!

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It’s July 1st, which means it’s my last month of summer before starting school on August 2nd! And Harrison’s last month of summer before he starts kindergarten–and he is so excited about it!

I haven’t done a weekend recap in a loooooong time, so while our weekend was very low key, it was major because Harrison had his tonsils and adenoids out on Friday!

Friday

Since Dustin had started his new job on Monday, he couldn’t take off to come with us to Harrison’s surgery, so my mom stayed with the babies and I took Harrison to the surgery center alone.

We don’t let our kids watch iPads or play with our phones, and we really try to limit their tv time. Harrison was really anxious about this surgery, so I told him he would get to take the iPad with him to watch movies or shows (we only let him watch the iPad when we’re traveling for vacation). He couldn’t hop in my car fast enough Friday morning to start watching a movie. He couldn’t eat or drink after midnight and they ended up not calling him back until 10 AM, so this kept him distracted for the most part from his hunger.

Waiting to be rolled back to surgery! He chose to take Snoopy with him back in the OR.

I don’t know if this is common for everyone, but after his surgery, we were required to stay an extra 3 hours in an extended recovery suite upstairs so he could receive IV fluids. They had me go upstairs to wait on him, and when I walked in, I took a picture because it was nicer and bigger than my postpartum recovery room. Then I walked in the bathroom and really wished my hospital bathroom and shower was as nice as his!

He was upset when they brought him to this room, so I laid in the bed with him while he ate 3 popsicles and 1 chocolate pudding before they let us leave at 2pm.

I HAD to swing through Starbucks on the way home and got myself a grande because it had been a very long day! He did really well the rest of the day, and I followed doctor’s orders by alternating meds every 4 hours.

Saturday

Want to know the person who struggled the most with Harrison’s surgery?

Banks LOL. He woke up when I had to give Harrison his meds in the middle of the night and was crying so much that I had to take him out of the room they share. (He also did this Saturday night)

Snuggles in Momma and Daddy’s bed for someone who hasn’t wanted to sleep in his crib 🙂

We laid low Saturday, and surprisingly, Harrison was feeling pretty good.

Someone never wanted to be away from me any on Saturday haha! Everyone got baths and went to bed…and then Banks came and joined Dustin and I around 10:30PM

Sunday

Dustin took Banks to church with him Sunday morning, and Harrison, Merritt, and I stayed behind. Again, we just laid around and took it easy.

Once Dustin and Banks got home and I helped get everyone fed and down for a nap, I went outside to walk. Not only did I need to exercise, but I also needed the mental break. It just happened to be 93 degrees as I was walking so it was HOT! I really wish we had a treadmill in our garage with a huge fan (hint, hint Dustin) so I could get up super early and walk or walk during nap time.

I had to return some cashew milk yogurt to Kroger Dustin had bought on Saturday because they were all expired. Banks has a milk protein allergy that we treat as a dairy allergy because anything with a hint of dairy makes him sick and he breaks out with eczema. It’s like gold when we find the particular pouches of nondairy yogurt that he can eat, and sadly, Kroger sold expired ones on Saturday.

I got home and Dustin grilled chicken and pineapple and Banks spend the night with my mom so we could all sleep through the night–and so he could have some one-on-one time with her!

Merritt took a little nap and I was able to shower and dry my hair. This pillow has been amazing for her and she’s grown with it, and of course, I threw my favorite blanket on her to keep her warm.

I fed her and then mopped our house while Dustin played with her. Then she went down and Dustin and I literally spent an hour laughing to Family Feud clips on IG with Steve Harvey–we laughed so hard to some of them that we were crying haha! Then it was lights out and time to sleep!