Thanksgiving 2013

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our loved ones. I kept thinking back to this time last year and the two tiny babies that we had just been blessed with. I remember feeling overwhelmed with gratitude that they were finally here. 

And, today I still feel the same way!

 My heart is full of gratitude for how the Lord has blessed us. We are so unworthy, but forever grateful! 

 

Cousins! The way that Emery is looking at her "EE" just melts my heart!

 K & E loved being able to partake in their first Thanksgiving meal. Their MiMi sure knows how to cook. =) 

"Where's the turkey, mom?"

We had a long day visiting both of our families, but the girls were troopers. We have so much to be thankful for each and every day of the year!

Kinley and Emery eat real food!

At the girls 6 month check-up we got the go ahead to begin solids with them. We weren't in a huge rush so we waited until a couple of weeks ago and then decided to give it a try.

After doing lots of research, we decided to do the baby-led weaning approach to introducing solids. There were several reasons that we decided to give this a try, but I'd be lying if I said one of them wasn't convenience. The thought of spoon feeding two babies at the same time by myself overwhelmed me just a bit.

We set out to the grocery to pick up the girls first foods!

 We put them in their high chairs and told them what was coming =)

We started out with roasted sweet potato wedges. The weren't really sure what to think at first! It was so funny to watch them pick it up and take it to their mouth (like they do with everything) and realize that it actually tasted good!

 Of course momma had to document with pictures and videos along the way ;-)

They have done really well the past two weeks and are loving trying new things. They still are exploring mainly and aren't really "eating" a lot, although I have seen some evidence of what they've eaten in their diapers. Ha! There's a saying that "food before one is just for fun" so that's what we're going by. They're still exclusively breast fed five times a day and that's their main source of nutrition right now. 

So far they've had roasted sweet potatoes, roasted carrots, steamed broccoli, steamed green beans, bell peppers, avocado, cucumbers, bananas, apples, watermelon, mango and chicken. Kinley's favorite by far is mango. The girl will tear her up some mango! Emery really loved broccoli the first time she tried it and they both like cucumber a lot too.

They are doing so well and we are so proud of our big girls eating real food now!   

Easter 2012

Once again, I didn't mean to go so long without updating. I thought I would jump back in with a recap of our Easter.

I love Easter Sunday. When you think about it, without this glorious resurrection day, where would we be? We had a wonderful morning at church with incredible worship and an inspiring message from the Word of God. It was such an exciting time of celebration. He is alive!!

We then headed to my parents house for Easter lunch. I'm always excited when my mom cooks a big meal, but I was especially looking forward to two of my favorites. Green bean casserole - so simple but so yummy!

And, my very favorite Horseradish Scallion Deviled Eggs. Boy, was I glad to have a couple of those left over for lunch today =)

We didn't really get a lot of pictures this year, but here is one that my little photographer-in-training niece took of us. Not too bad for a six year old =)

I hope you all had a very blessed Easter Sunday celebrating our risen Savior!

Ornament Party

Sunday evening my sweet friend, Rachel, hosted an ornament exchange for some local bloggers. She welcomed us into her lovely home and we had the best time munching on yummy snacks, drinks (including this crockpot hot chocolate) and chatting the night away.

I had met several of these girls before, but I was excited to meet the rest in person. Here is the whole group. I actually ran out the door without my camera but Melissa was sweet enough to share her pics =)

Front row from L to R: Michelle, Katie, Ashley (private blog), April

Back row from L to R: Rachel, Me, Annie, Lauren, Melissa , Heidi

I came home with this beautiful gold and white sparkly snowflake ornament from Ashley. I love it! I'm slightly obsessed with glittery ornaments because they look so pretty on the tree. 

 It was such a fun night and I can't wait to do it again!

Gatlinburg Getaway

We spent this past weekend in Gatlinburg with some dear friends of ours and had just the best time! These are friends that we've known for years. They knew Chad and I before we were even married and they were huge part of our early married life. JD and Stephanie were our Sunday School teachers in a "nearly/newlywed class" over 11 years ago, and we met Daniel and Jennifer in that class.  We've all been friends ever since!

JD and Stephanie have moved several times and are now in TN. We all decided to meet in Gatlinburg for a weekend of fun! Stephanie found us this adorable cabin that was decorated in a patriotic theme.

It was perfect for us. We spent time hanging out, eating lots of yummy food, and enjoying each others company. We hiked a couple of times, but sadly I did not bring my camera with me. Jen and I did some shopping (I heart outlet malls), and there was a par 3 golf course, putt-putt, and a pond to fish in all on our property that we enjoyed.

We also had fun with this cutie. I'm telling you, there was no shortage of people paying attention to this princess. We were practically fighting over her. Ha!

The girls before dinner at the Apple Barn. I love this picture that my husband took!

Here's the whole gang. I love these people!!

And, now for some silliness...

There's something about old friends...and by "old" I mean the kind of friends that you've had for years and it's just so easy to be around old friends. I feel so incredibly thankful that the Lord has placed us in each others lives. I'm a very blessed woman! 

And, not only was it a weekend with old friends, but I was able to meet a new one as well! I'll tell you about that soon...

Party At The Patch!

Today we celebrated the most precious six year old there is! We had such a fun party at a local pumpkin patch. We scoured pinterest for ideas and recipes for the big day and found so many fun things to try.

Here are some of the party details. I love how it all came together!

The cupcakes were uh-mazing. And, that icing tasted like Cinab0n icing....oh my!

I love, love, love planning and creating but it sure is a lot of work. It was fun while it lasted, but I'm also glad that it's over with. Until next year... ;-)

Catch Up

I had an unexpected day off from work today so I had a few moments to sit down and try to catch up!  We spent last week in Panama City with 130 students and leaders from our church at BigStuf camp. After the longest bus ride I've ever experienced, we arrived at BigStuf ready for what God had in store for us.

The theme this year was Konnekt and it was a very powerful message about how God has placed a longing in all of our hearts for connection. Even though we know that relationships may hurt us and cause us pain, something deep inside of us desires them.

God did major work in the hearts of our students (and leaders) and brought healing where it was needed. There is nothing more moving that seeing young people surrender their lives to Christ and go from death to life!

We returned home and had an amazing weekend as well! We had a very special house guest for a few days. We were pretty stoked =)

Jenna drove up on Friday to spend the weekend with us, and for us ladies to attend LPL with Beth Moore. We were able to join Ashley and Melissa for the best Mexican dinner (complete with guacamole from heaven) on Friday night before the conference started.

We had the best time! Jenna and Melissa (and Ashley too, but her blog is private) have written recaps on their blogs, so be sure to go check them out!

I knew that I would be blessed by whatever word the Lord had given to Beth, but boy was it clear immediately why He had me there. The word was HOLD FAST. There were many points that stuck out to me, and hopefully I can write more about them later, but this was a big one to me: "GET-UP, Resume, GO"(Deut. 10:11) God has a promised land for us. He brought us out, that He might bring us in.

Like Jenna said, it really is amazing how so many people can be in different situations and come from all walks of life, and God speaks something so personal to each one of us through the same message. Is His word alive and active, or what?!?

He is so good and I'm so thankful for the things that He's revealed to me lately and for the many blessings that He has poured out on my life. Including these people that He has allowed for me to meet and form such meaningful relationships with. I stand in awe of Him!

Let Freedom Ring!

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Of course, weekends are always better when they have an extra day added in =)

We spent some time at the pool on Saturday and on Sunday we went rafting down the Green River with some friends and family. I don't have any pictures from that, but boy do I wish I did! We always have a blast going tubing, even though I freak out for days before we go  because I'm worried about snakes. My husband tried to tell me that poisonous snakes (water moccasins) do not like fast moving water, but that didn't help reassure me a lot. We saw FOUR different snakes that day and I nearly had a heart attack FOUR times. We came very close to two of them and I still get chills when I think about it! I think it might take me a while and some serious convincing before I'm brave enough to get back on that river. =)

Monday we spent the afternoon cooking out with Chad's family and had a great time. I made these delicious strawberry cream cheese cupcakes. I decided to "taste test" this one and man, was it yummy!

It was in this very back yard 13 years ago that our relationship bloomed. I love my sweet man now more than ever and I'm so thankful for him! Of course, we had to have our picture taken to commemorate our "anniversary". If you want to know what it was really like trying to get just the right shot when it's sweltering outside, that picture on the bottom left will give you a little glimpse. I was saying "pleeeaaasssee take just one more" ;-)

Here's the cutest little fire-cracker I ever did see! 

Chad's dad brought out the old family hand crank ice cream maker and we all took a turn. When it was all said and done, that was the best vanilla ice cream that I've ever tasted. We worked hard for it, but it sure was good! 

I am so very thankful for all the men and women who have served our country and defended our freedom for many years!

Hope you and yours had a wonderful 4th!

So Long Insecurity! (part 1)

What an amazing weekend I just had! It was something I had been looking forward to for quite some time and it was everything I thought it would be, and then some!

I set out on the road Thursday night to drive halfway and spend the night with my grandparents. It was nice to visit with them, even though it was short.  My Nanny knows how to cook and she threw down on Thursday night with ham, potato salad, green beans, tomatoes, rolls, and pecan pie – yum!! And, I could smell the bacon frying the next morning as I got ready. You will certainly not leave my Nanny’s house hungry!

I hit the road again Friday morning to head to the airport. There was a certain sweet girl from Texas that was flying in to see us! Jenna and I reunited in the airport parking garage and I was so happy to see her! We then headed in to baggage claim to claim our Caroline! After some confusion on how to find each other, we finally spotted her at baggage claim carousel #4! It was such a fun thing to see Caroline for the first time. She was just exactly like I thought she would be!

Caroline filled us in on some drama that almost led to her missing her flight and did lead to her suitcase getting on another plane that left after her. But, God was working through it all and because of the slight delay waiting on her luggage to arrive, we were able to be there when Megan’s flight arrived!

Megan is just as cute as can be! We had some time to kill before we were due at the airport for our next pick-ups, so we headed to Ch*ck-fil-A to grab a snack and chat for a while. We joined Megan and Erin and had such a great time talking and getting to know one another better.

After that, Caroline, Jenna and I headed to do a little shopping at Atlantic Station. We had so much fun in H*&M trying on some cute things. I ended up buying a cute little sundress and some fun bracelets.

Then it was time to go back to the airport for the AR girls. We were so excited to see all of them! Kelly, Laurie, Jennifer, Amanda and Hillary were finally here!!

We talked them into having dinner at an Atlanta landmark…

I mean, what is better than fried onion rings, hamburgers, hotdogs and friends??? Oh it was so good, apart from having the mess scared out of us from our waitress who told us that we better watch ourselves – that we were liable to get shot out there and that she was packing heat – a stun gun! The girls knew they were not in AR anymore and we got out of there quick!!

We arrived at our hotel kind of late, but had another reunion when we got there. Betsy and her adorable daughter Ashley were there and they came to our room to hang out. I was so excited to reunite with Mandi too! She looked so beautiful. Then, I got a text from my sweet friend Jill letting me know that she was on her way up. I was sooooo excited to finally see Jill and hug her neck. I practically knocked her over when I ran to hug her! It was so fun!!

We stayed up chatting for a while and then finally went to bed. After all, we had an even bigger day in store the next morning….Beth and her bringing the Word!

More on that next!!

Quirky tag..a little late

I was tagged a while back by Cheryl with this "quirky" meme.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the six blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

I'm certainly a quirky little bird, so here goes!

1) When I go to Chick-fil-@, I always get a six piece nugget kids meal with a side of pickles. That's not really that weird, but this is....I dip my nuggets in mayonnaise and then eat a bite of pickle with my nugget. It's just like the sandwich without the bread!

2) I have a certain order that I go through the grocery store and a certain way that I think groceries need to be put in the buggy. I like to go to the store with Chad, but I do not like things being flung into the cart all willy-nilly. If he puts something in the cart, I have to move it and put it where I think it should go...I'm all about being logical and making the most of the space in the buggy. (btw, this really drives Chad crazy!)

3) I LOVE horseradish! I put it on or in everything I can. Steaks, roast beef, sandwiches, burgers, Ranch dressing (so yummy!), horseradish mustard, and deviled eggs (fyi: my mom just shared the recipe for these delicious little things!)

4) I'm not really a milk drinker unless I am eating something chocolate-y and then I can down a whole glass of ice cold milk.

5) I do not drink any caffeine. I gave it up last year during a 40 day fast and once it was over, and I had my first glass of sweet tea, I ended up with a terrible migraine and determined that it was definitely a trigger for my headaches. So now I don't drink it at all. Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper is a lifesaver, and fortunately most of the things I drink at Starbucks they can make in decaf!

6) I am very particular about fragrances/smells, etc. I'm not into B&B Works stuff because most of it gives me headaches. About the only fragrance I can handle in my home is Macintosh Apple by Y@nkee Candle.

Okay, if you haven't already done this, I tag Kristen, Jessica, Melissa H, Laura, and Ashleigh, and anyone else that wants to play along. I can't wait to hear some of you girls' quirks!

Garden Party

One of my favorite things to eat during the summer are vine ripe tomatoes. Oh, they are soooo yummy! I was talking to my mom about how we didn't really have a "source" for any good tomatoes this year, and she reminded me about some family friends that have a garden and how they wouldn't mind sharing with us at all.

So, last week Chad and I headed over there to load up. Just look at all these!

And, they didn't let us leave with just tomatoes. We also got some beans, okra, cucumbers and green peppers!

So you can probably guess what we had for supper that night....bacon, tomato and cheese sandwiches! Chad is always in charge of the bacon, he knows how to cook it perfectly!

And, what else do you do with okra but fry it??? I got busy chopping.

This is what we ended up with, and OH MY WORD it was so good!!! I can't believe there are people out there (ahem, you know who you are!) who don't like tomatoes!!! How could you not eat this delicious goodness?? Please excuse our fine china ;)

But we didn't stop there. They also have an apple tree in their yard, so Chad picked these...

And turned them into this....

Have I mentioned how much I love this man??? And, not just because he can cook! ;)

Okay, I am now starving so I'm off to figure out something for dinner!

Good Eatin'

My mom is seriously one of the best cooks that I know. She has some of the best family recipes and other dishes that she makes that are soooooo delicious! When I got married, I went through her cookbook and wrote down several of my favorites that are my "old faithful's" and ones that I KNOW will be good.

I am so excited that she has decided to start a recipe blog to share her wonderful recipes with all of us! She has done a great job already, and we might just have another Pioneer Woman on our hands!

You will want to check her out at MiMi's Making Meals!

Back home!

Thank you all SO much for your prayers for my family over the past few days. My grandmother's surgery went well. The Dr. was able to move the stomach and close the esophagus, however while he was attempting to move the spleen it started to bleed and he ended up removing it. He assured us that many people live normal lives without their spleen, she will just be more susceptible to infections from now on so they gave her plenty of vaccinations to help avoid them in the future. She was doing well when we left yesterday, just trying to get some sleep in the midst of being checked on every couple of hours. We appreciate your continued prayers as she recuperates in the hospital and then at home. Fortunately, they have a very caring church family that has been helping out already and will continue to do so.

Me and my Grandmama

It was such a great trip and I had the best time with my mom reminiscing about where she grew up, the people she knew and the things she did. I had not been to Columbus in years, so it was a wonderful time of catching up and seeing familiar faces.

One of my favorite memories of my Grandmama when I was growing up is her making egg custard for me. It is SOOOO yummy!! I only have it when I'm at her house, if my mom makes it, or if I can mooch some off my friend Daniel when his mom makes it, but I've never made it on my own. This trip, I talked her into making it for me so that I could watch how she did it....Of course, she agreed!

Watching the pro...

Giving it a try myself...

Now, I've just got to find myself a double boiler so I can try this at home! 4 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 4 cups of milk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract (thanks for the reminder, mom!) is all it takes! It was just as good as I always remembered =)

Do you like egg custard?

How could I have forgotten

to tell you about one of the best parts of our trip?

Melissa wrote about all of the yummy food we ate while in ATL, which included Durango Steakhouse, Rays in the City where I had a delicious crab cake... (btw, the other lady in the pic is my friend from work)

Hard Rock where we had to scream over the loud music just to talk to one another, but had a yummy cheeseburger and very tasty french fries...

But friends, oh friends....we saved the best for last! You really can't go to Atlanta without eating at the Varsity, I think it might even be a law!

It was by the grace of God that we were able to find it....after leaving our hotel, we ended up on a 30 minute detour (in the pouring rain!) of what I'm sure are not the safest parts of Hotlanta just to get on 85 north. We finally made it on the interstate and passed by the one downtown, but after our earlier fiasco, we were scared to get off on the exit and try to find our way back to it, so we kept trucking along. It would be fair to say that we were just a little sad that we would not be able to have a frosted orange on this trip =(

We headed up the interstate several miles and decided to stop on an exit where we saw a Taco Bell. While in the drive thru line, Melissa looks over through the woods and says, "Is that a Varsity?" Why yes, yes it is!!! Then I remembered having stopped at that one in Gwinnett before and so we quickly exit the drive thru line and make our way there!

Glory land!!!

Just look at this....I mean, it is not right how good that chili dog tastes....and don't EVEN get me started on the onion rings! How do they do it???

I finished up with a fried peach pie, and Melissa had a frosted orange (forgive the very blurry pic!) There's not much better than that!

Have you ever been to the Varsity???