Life is busy for Emily Mayo and her husband, Justin. They both work full-time, Justin with Special Needs Adults and Emily as a teacher, and have two toddlers running around.
They are the proud parents of three-year-old Dawson, a Spiderman-loving little boy, and Lynlee, a two-year-old little girl who never stops singing and dancing.
“Our babies are super close together — only 17 months apart — and adore each other. Dawson is very protective of his sister, and Lynlee adores her brother,” shared Emily.
This young family is looking forward to all things Spring and Summer and the warm weather it brings.
“Spring is a time for our family to get outside as much as possible. We like to spend the afternoons and evenings playing in the backyard, jumping on the trampoline, swinging on the swings, and sliding on the slide,” shared Emily.
“When the weather is nice enough, we make a picnic outside on the patio at the kid’s picnic table. Bubbles are their favorite outdoor activity right now, as well as riding on their toddler-sized tractors. Dance parties and watching Danny Go are also a family favorite.”
The Mayos are also looking forward to starting their vegetable garden and building the kids a mud kitchen outside so they can get messy.
“This spring, we will be planting our first garden and teaching the kids the importance and joy of watching things grow from a small seed to a plant, fruit, and vegetable,” Emily envisioned. “Spending time as a family and enjoying the Lord’s creation brings us the most joy. Slowing down from the busy rush of life and taking time to enjoy the little things.”
Dinnertime at their home tends to be incredibly rushed due to Emily’s late afternoons at school and the toddler’s early bedtimes.
“We typically opt for things that are quick, don’t require long cooking times or lots of prep,” Emily said. “My niece introduced me to this Cheezy Taco Bake recipe, and we love it because of how fast and kid-friendly it is! It is great for nights we are rushing to get dinner ready and also makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.”
The young family is starting to instill in the children the importance of family dinners. Despite the rush that can come along with two toddlers in the house, the couple is working to make sitting around the dinner table a family priority.
“In such a fast-paced world, we believe in the importance of slowing down and making time for our family and instilling that belief in our kids even at a young age. We want them to grow up knowing that our family time is valued and important, even when we are busy,” shared Emily. “We talk about our days, what the kids did at school, how work went, and spend time before eating to give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for our family. Lynlee and Dawson’s favorite part of the blessing is shouting “Yay, Jesus” at the end of the prayer. It’s the sweetest thing to watch them begin to understand the importance of being thankful for the things we have.”
Cheezy Taco Bake
Ingredients:
- 1 package ground beef
- 1 pack taco seasoning
- 1 box of Velveeta Shells and Cheese
- 1 16 oz container of sour cream
- Shredded cheese of choice
- Tortilla chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook ground beef and incorporate taco seasoning.
- While beef is cooking, prepare shells and cheese according to instructions on the box.
- When the shells and cheese are ready, stir in half of the 16 oz of sour cream, you can add more to make it creamier.
- Add in cooked taco meat and stir well.
- Dump mix into a baking dish and spread out evenly. Top with shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.
- Put in oven for about 10-15 min until cheese is melted and chips are crispy.
- Let cool and serve with remaining sour cream and shredded cheese!
