Meet the Shaneyfelts

Friday Favorites!

Hey, hey! It’s been almost two months since my last post–completely unintentional, but life has been super busy since returning to school with three small children now. I’ll do a post on that some other time, but for. now, I’m sharing my FAVORITE things today!

one

I read this book a couple of weeks ago and WOW! I loved it! I really love historical fiction as a genre, so I’m always. more apt to pick up a historical fiction novel. I remembered this book being talked about a lot last year, so I grabbed it from the library and read it in maybe 4-5 days (which is record time for the short amount of reading time I get these days!). Then after I finished it, I read the author’s note and didn’t realize the main character was actually a real person! The writing was great, the story was great, and I loved learning about the US shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

two

My mom gifted me this baby food maker when Harrison was a newborn. I made him baby food for just a little bit, but he wasn’t the biggest fan of the homemade version for some reason. Banks cried every time I put him down as a baby, so making his food would have caused me a lot of extra stress. I pulled it out one last time with Merritt because I really wanted to make one of my kid’s food and was hoping she would like it. SHE LOVES IT! I started with sweet potatoes, then English peas, and most recently apples. Apples have been her favorite so far! It’s super easy to make the baby food–the most time consuming part is just chopping up your fruit or vegetable. I store the baby food in this container (which you can also freeze and pop out the cubes to thaw).

three

It’s college football season, so that means….

cute Alabama fans!!! Dustin and Harrison have been going to all of the home games, so this last one, I dressed the babies in their Alabama attire before we went and walked around Hobby Lobby looking at the Christmas decor LOL. Banks was loving the Christmas trees!

four

I’m always working to clean up our food choices, and it’s really hard in today’s society when people are criticized or judged for not wanting their kids to eat something like candy while other kids are. I found this alternative to M&Ms for Harrison that doesn’t have artificial food dyes and he really likes them (so do I!!). We’ve also done this alternative for Skittles that’s really good, too!

five

I went in with some coworkers to DoorDash Starbucks to school, and this is how they brought me my drink :). I rarely treat myself to a flavored latte, but when you’re not having a great day, a pick me up is nice. My order is a pumpkin spice latte with half the pumps, no whip, and sub coconut milk for whole milk because it makes it creamier.

six

This is my most FAVORITE thing of all! This past weekend, Dustin went to Wisconsin to watch Alabama play. One night, Merritt was super tired so she was a little teary but it was almost time to put the boys down for bed before she had her bedtime bottle, so I couldn’t rock her to sleep. The boys kept trying to soothe her and ended up both giving her a kiss. I love how much they all love each other. What a gift from the Lord!

I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!!

Ten Years Married!

Today is a special day because…

…it’s our TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!

We’ve been through a lot in our ten years of married life–graduate school, building a house, new jobs, IVF, a miscarriage, two adoptions, a surprise pregnancy, new births, and losses.

I’m so happy that I let my coworker give Dustin my phone number to call me because she thought we’d be a good match 🙂

We had big plans to celebrate ten years in the Dominican Republic this summer, but Merritt surprised us and caused us to push a celebratory trip back a year. So we’re off for the day to Nashville to do WHATEVER WE WANT while my mom watches the kids.

I love you, Dustin!!! Here’s to forever! XOXO

A Day in the Life With 3 Small Kids! (7.23.24)

I decided to do a day in the life (check out my other ones here!!) yesterday because I haven’t done one since Merritt was born and these are days that I don’t want to ever forget. Do I leave the house much? No. But I do so much during the day that I want to remember–especially before school starts and I’m not home with my kids anymore.

Screenshot

I woke up when Dustin was getting ready to leave for work and I laid in bed for a little bit awake because I don’t get much rest during the day haha. Also, the boys are ALWAYS up by now, but for some reason, they were still asleep so I was enjoying that quiet.

Since the boys were still asleep (Merritt gets up at 7 am), I was able to do my quiet time when it was actually quiet!

I went and woke up the boys first and then Banks came to help me wake up Merritt for her first bottle. He LOVES to help wake her up because he’s learned my routine and wants to do it all. He runs in her room and the first thing he does is want to turn off her sound machine. Then he runs to her curtains to open those (or he tries) and then he wants to open the blinds. I need to video him doing all of this because it’s so funny.

It was 7 am and I started feeding Merritt. This is usually how it is with both boys either one me or right beside me–notice Banks’s head peeping out behind Harrison.

Then I got the boys their morning milk–Harrison regular milk and Banks the almond Malk since he can’t have dairy. They were also ready for breakfast at this point.

Since the boys were in the dining room eating (mainly since Banks was in his highchair and not able to “help” me), I started unloading the dishwasher and I didn’t get much unloaded because I got busy doing other things.

Everyone in the dining room. Harrison was also coloring. Banks eats a ton so as soon as I would give him his coconut milk yogurt pouch, he’d need another one, so I really never got to sit in that chair Merritt was facing.

Breakfast was over and it was time to play

Banks loves to do tummy time with Merritt. He really, really loves the aquarium toy I bought her!

Then it was time for Merritt’s morning nap. I have to rock her to sleep in the living room because I can’t leave Banks unattended, and he can’t come in her room with me because then it wouldn’t be quiet.

I put Merritt down and then started making my breakfast.

This was about 9 am and I ate 3 scrambled eggs.

Someone always wants to be held by me, so this is usually what I’m looking at most days haha

I ordered this to start a new tradition once my kids start kindergarten with first and last day pictures.

I was working on making Merritt’s next bottle when I felt something wet against my leg. Banks was holding his milk upside down and it was leaking, and it had leaked from the dining room to the kitchen. He loves to clean, so I gave him a paper towel to clean it up while I went behind him cleaning it.

Merritt’s 10 am bottle

Then Banks wanted a snack and Harrison and I played Sorry that we had checked out from the library. He beat me! haha

More tummy time for Merritt who is now doing phenomenal! I was worrying about her not lifting her head up, but now I’m not worried at all.

Then I fixed the boys lunch and rocked Merritt to sleep while they were eating at the table.

I put Merritt down, then I put Banks down, and then Harrison went upstairs for his quiet rest time.

I had a 30 minute window to myself and I decided to finish Million Dollar Listing LA instead of working on the dishes haha!

I went to get Merritt and she looked so sweet! I laid her down on her side and put the bunny on her back so she would feel like I was touching her, but she ended up rolling on her tummy and sleeping beside it.

I took her back to my room to feed her this time. Then I hopped in the shower and my mom came over to watch the kids while I went to my hair appointment.

This is my hair before!

This is after! I changed my part to the middle, got a trim, and got my hair color freshened up. Then I went home, got everyone loaded in the car with Dustin’s help, and we went to the babies’ school for meet the teacher night.

After that was over, I left to head to my book club meeting (we read The House of Eve). We all left the restaurant after 8:30pm, so as soon as I got home, it was shower, hang out with Dustin for a little bit, and then bed time!