Busy Weekend Continues

Saturday was spent finishing up decorating, picking up a few groceries and having one of our favorite family of 3 over for dinner. Look who came to see Aunt Amanda (his mom Lauren and I are childhood friends from Ooltewah that are still friends 20 years later)!


David, Lauren, and Dawson came to see us last night and we had so much fun! It was great to see them again, it had been WAY too long. Dawson and Spencer had a ton of fun and played until they both ran out of gas.



Are they not too cute?!!!

Today Michael got up at 4:30am, yes, AM, to drive to Louisiana to deliver a car, so Spencer and I just lied around and didn't get dressed until close to 5 and that was just because I needed to run to the pharmacy! Michael should be home around 11, so I'm just going to get in bed and rest up some more for a busy week at work. It will be the first week I've worked a full week in almost 3 weeks. Oops! Hope everyone has a good week!

Thanksgiving Is Over and It's Begining To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Yesterday we had Thanksgiving at our house with both of our families. We had lots of food, fun, and watched a lot of football. What more could you ask for?! Thanksgiving kicks off my favorite part of the year. I can't believe it is already over and Christmas is just a few weeks away!

Our table set for Thanksgiving

The island with all the food

The desserts on the counter

Thanksgiving must be hard on doggies! Spencer went to sleep on our bed at 8:30 and did not move until close to midnight, then it was just to his bed!

I have ALWAYS, as in since I was born, gone shopping on Black Friday until last year when I had an emergency gallbladder surgery. This year I decided that to stay home and start decorating for Christmas. I usually shop then come home and start decorating, but since the insurance movers packed us up last year it was a HUGE unorganized mess and I knew I would need all day, so I spend the ENTIRE day working on my tree...

I LOVE MY TREE!!!!

More pics to come later this weekend, but I'll probably wait until the Christmas Tour to show you everything. :-)

So Thankful (Warning, It's a long one!)

I'm in a totally different place this year than was last year. Not the different place I thought I'd be, but my heart is somewhere very different. I've gone from depressed, desperate, and almost angry with God to a happy, less anxious, and 100% trusting God about infertility and some other issues in our lives.

In two weeks I am going more in depth about this, but when your house is struck by lightning and catches fire in DECEMBER of all times, you begin to understand how important it is to give your fears and anxieties to God. Seriously, it was a rare event, He was DEFINITELY trying to tell us something and we recognized that. The next year of our journey was faced with much, much less tears and strain on our marriage and much, much more prayer and just having a good time being a couple.

So, this Thanksgiving not much has changed, but we have a new attitude and it has made a HUGE difference in our marriage and outlook. I am so thankful for all that has happened to us (don't get me wrong, it wasn't fun and I don't want to EVER do it again). I'm thankful for so much more this year, some of which I can't begin to explain to you.

I've been blessed with a husband that has been my rock and support over the past two years. I never could have survived the emotional rollercoaster I've been on without his support. He is patient with me when many wouldn't be (I tend to be a little dramatic at times. Ha!) and he has kept me focused when I would have much rather chosen to look at the negatives and felt sorry for myself.

I am very Thankful for wonderful parents that allowed us a place to live while we were
rebuilding and also given me so much support on those days I didn't know if I could continue on this journey and I couldn't do anything but cry.

I was blessed with my dream job just two years out of college that I still love after being there for four years now and I thank God every morning on my way in for giving me such a good job working for two surgeons who have become friends as well as my boss. There were also days I don't think I could have made it without the joy my job brings me and the people I work with everyday.

I am so thankful, I honestly cannot express to you just how thankful, to be able to spend this holiday season in my house. Fifty weeks ago today we came close to losing everything we owned and tomorrow all of our family will come to our new, rebuilt home to give thanks for all He did for us that morning. We easily could have been killed and our house completely destroyed, but He had other plans and I am so thankful for those plans. I am very thankful to have a warm, dry home to spend the holiday in.

Last but very certainly not least, I am very thankful for my fabulous friends, both IRL and blog friends (many of which are now IRL friends! You know who you are!!!!). Blogging has changed my life in a way that I never could have dreamed. It has allowed me to "meet" people that have made my journey so much easier. You are all so encouraging and supportive and probably have kept me out of the mental hospital by allowing me to write my blog!

Sorry to ramble so much, but I am just overwhelmed this year with Thanksgiving and I needed to express that. For the two or three of you that might have read through and made it to the end,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Show Us Your Life...Pets

As you all know, we LOVE our furbaby Spencer so much it is straight up not healthy! Ha! He is the sweetest, best behaved dog I've ever been around. We went to the pet store one Sunday about eight months after we got married and I realized that day that we HAD to have a dog, right now. So, we went to my parents house and looked through the paper and found a lady that had miniature schnauzers for a really good price that were already pretty much housebroken and crate trained. So, we drove about thirty minutes and as soon as we got out of the car we were in love.

Wasn't he just the cutest little thing ever?!

This has always been one of my favorites from the first week we had him.

Spencer loves cheering for Tennessee and wearing his game clothes!

He is also a fan of wearing Halloween and Christmas shirts!

But, his very most FAVORITE thing in the world is to "play ball". He could play for hours, and we have before.

Another Step In The Journey

UPDATE: No news to report, but your prayers are working and we are on the right track! Please keep us in your prayers that we will be blessed with a baby soon! :-)

Today is a big day for us. We have an appointment in 1 hour that will determine the exact steps we will take at this time. PLEASE keep us in your prayers this morning. I really would like to hear some good news for a change! We've been through a lot to get to where we are today and I have such faith that it won't be long now!!!

I will give more details later, I know you are wondering what is going on, but it is something that Michael and I have decided we didn't want to share until all the plans were in place.

Wreath Instructions

I bought the largest styrofoam circle that Hobby Lobby had, about 150 ornaments of all different sizes (it is rather expensive, which is why I decided to start salvaging as many as possible from last years broken wreath last night! Ha!), and a LOT of glue for the hot glue gun. I also bought a wooden letter from Hobby Lobby as well.

I started just gluing the largest ornaments I had on the wreath in any order (I am severely OCD, so I do red, green, red, green, you get the idea). I also place my letter on to get an idea of where it will go so I don't glue any balls on where it will be placed. Once they are on there you don't want to have to move them!

At this point just start gluing all different size and color ornaments until it is full and can hang on the wall without showing any of the green styrofoam. You will end up with about 3 layers of ornaments and they will also cover the sides. It will take a while to get it finished, so have patience! :-)

(BTW, this is last year's wreath! Sorry girls, but I still haven't got around to making this years)

Meal Planning Monday

Sunday: French Onion Soup in crockpot all afternoon

Monday: TGI Friday's Skillet Meal Pasta with Broccoli and Alfredo Sauce, Bread

Tuesday: Left over French Onion Soup

Wednesday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots

Thursday: Perogies (never quite made it to the stove the last two weeks! Ha!), Steamed Veggies

Friday: Pizza Delivery after hair appt (too late to cook!)

Saturday: Taco Soup after shopping trip to Atlanta!

Be sure to check out the french onion recipe on the recipe blog!

Lazy Sunday

EDIT!: You can find my recipes on the recipe blog roll under the blogs I read daily. :-)

We have had another lazy Sunday. We went to our neighbors last night for the GA/Auburn game and got in bed late last night. Michael got up early this morning and washed my car and did a few things outside while I slept in and then moved my lazy self to the couch to get caught up on the DVR. I still have not started my wreath. I am hoping to work on it some this week at night, but we'll see. I may spend all day next Sunday working on it.

I did manage to put a pot of french onion soup in the crockpot (will post recipe tomorrow) and make it to my friend Anna's jewelry party for a few minutes. Now, I'm back home in my pjs again lounging in front of the TV. Ha! It just seemed like a good day to do that! Be sure to check out the two new additions to the recipe blog. I finally got my meatloaf and taco soup (which really belongs to Megan's husband Webb and I give him full credit!) recipes up.

Ornaments Everywhere!

I don't know how many of you remember this post from last year when I was still on the mac blog, but I had so much fun making my ornament wreath. Sure was a good thing I enjoyed it because here is the before and after the fire pics of my wreath...

Before hanging in the foyer

After outside on the patio because it was a HUGE mess!

Apparently my little mover friends were not as careful as they thought they were being. It had only lost a few ornaments in the actual fire, so they wrapped it up and placed it in a box. What they did next was probably the problem, they threw all of the books from my bookshelf on top of it! How nice of them! Obviously when I found it I knew I was in trouble. I unwrapped the wreath and about 70 ornaments came flying out of the wrapping. UGH!

So, today starts the second wreath. I am going a little different route this year with some glittered ornaments and using some chocolate brown with the red, green, and gold. I'm excited to see how it turns out. I also salvaged my "L", so at least I don't have to do that part again.

Meal Planning Monday

This week is going to be BUSY, but this is what we'll be having.

Sunday: Taco Soup

Monday: Pot roast, carrots, red potatoes in crock pot

Tuesday: Left over Taco Soup (I have a Lia Sophia show, so Michael will heat up some soup!)

Wednesday: Whole wheat spaghetti, salad

Thursday: Perogies, broccoli, carrots

Friday: Lia Sophia Open House at our house, so Michael will probably eat out and I will eat a bunch of appetizer type food! Ha!

Saturday: Eat out!

Sorry I still haven't got around to posting recipes, just haven't had the time. I PROMISE it will be soon!!!!

Christmas List Is Almost Complete

So far we are having a good, fun, busy weekend. Last night I couldn't find anything in the pantry that looked good, so we went down to Dalton to Outback and had a good, quiet dinner. By the time we got home, I went to bed. It has been a busy week, I was tired!

This morning I got up, finalized my Christmas shopping list and picked up my mom for a full day of Christmas shopping. We started out at Starbuck's for a Gingerbread latte before hitting up the Christmas stores at Ace Hardware (found some super cute monogrammed Christmas things there!), Pool Place (got some cute chocolate brown things), and a pottery near my house. Then we headed south to Calhoun for some serious outlet shopping!

I managed to find some really good deals, but the deal of the day was my mom's gift, and she knows about it since she was there, a Coach purse for...$83!!!!! Yes, you read that right, with outlet pricing, a coupon, and a sale, I got a $325 purse for $83!!!!! I was super excited and she was too, too bad she has to wait until Christmas!!! :-)

I have almost wiped out my Christmas list. I need to get some small things, Michael's big gift and stocking stuffers, and think of a few things for him to get me. In two weeks my mom and I are planning to head to Lenox Square in Atlanta to shop at Crate and Barrel and J Crew. I'm sure I can find a few things there to finish up my list. I am so happy, I am never close to being done before Thanksgiving. Actually, let me clarify that, I've never really started before Thanksgiving! Ha!

Show Us Your Life...Thanksgiving Traditions

This week on Show Us Your Life, we are showing our Thanksgiving recipes and traditions. Normally we have Michael's family over for lunch then we go to my parent's for dinner around 4. Well, this year we've decided to do things a little differently and have one big Thanksgiving at our house. It should be fun!!!

This is my buffet on the island: turkey, cornbread dressing, deviled eggs, corn, sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole (my fav!), and cranberry sauce from Williams and Sonoma. There is also a few other assortments that Michael's grandmother and stepmother brought.

This is how my table looked last year. I pull out the fancy china for Thanksgiving! :-)

This is a new recipe that I have just started making last year and our families loved it! As a matter of fact, I may make one this weekend! :-)

Double Decker Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1-8oz pkg cream cheese, VERY soft

1 Tsp milk

1 Tsp sugar

1-8oz cool whip (only use 1/2 in the pie)

1 graham cracker crust

1-15 oz can PURE pumpkin (do not use the mix, only the pure pumpkin)

2-3.4 oz pkgs vanilla pudding

1 cup milk

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

First you will want to make the base layer.

Beat cream cheese, 1 Tsp milk, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until blended. Stir in 1/2 tub cool whip. Sread into the crust

Next, you will make the pumpkin part of the pie:

Wisk 1 cup milk, pumpkin mix, pudding mix, and spices AT LEAST two minutes. Mixture should be very thick. Spread over cream base, refrigerate for four hours and you're done!

Blessings!

I don't know if you read Kelly's blog or not (but pretty sure you do, because, seriously, who doesn't?!) but she has been managing a prayer blog for right at a year for those who are waiting on God to bless them with a baby. Well, tonight she announced that God has bless 132 of these families with babies!!!! How awesome is that?!

Please continue to pray for those of us who have not made it to the PRAISE list. I have such hope that we will ALL be there soon, in God's time! (and of course, pray for those that have, they need your prayers too!)

Poor Puppy

Guess who got to go back to the vet for the second time in six months today? That's right, Spencer has another strange skin think going on. Apparently he has something that schnauzers get called schnauzer comedone syndrome. In non-medical talk, puppy acne! It is apparently what caused his last flare up last summer. It is pimple like areas that once they get infected can be quite dangerous, as we know. He also had an ear infection. I feel like such a terrible mommy! Here I've been thinking he wasn't acting quite right, but it's been his face and ear hurt! Bless it's little heart!!! I could tell a big difference in his activity level and personality when I got home. He was back to acting like his old self after only 8 hrs on antibiotics!!!!

We got back on the meal plan tonight. Meatloaf is in the oven, pintos are in the crock pot, and potatoes are about to be boiled! YUM! Also, aren't you proud, this is my fifth day in a row to actually post! I'm trying to do better, even if it is just a little something like this. :-)

After I made my post last night I sat down and made out my list and I even went ahead and bought something for someone on my list! I feel accomplished and I haven't even made it out to the mall yet!!! Woohoo!

Christmas Shopping

I have been doing some thinking today about the fact that due to a few obligations, I will only have 4 Saturdays between now and Christmas to shop! AHHHHHH!!!!! So, I decided this year may be a year I do a lot of shopping online. My mom and I are going outlet shopping this weekend and hope to go to Atlanta to visit Crate and Barrel and J Crew in two weeks. I have ALWAYS gone the day after Thanksgiving, but this year I think I would rather stay at home and concentrate on my tree and decorations. I am debating pulling them out a little early, but I just can't. It has always been my tradition (even at home when I was younger, and I mean middle school age!) to put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving, so I'll wait.

So, anyway, back to the theme of this post, what do you do to get the best deals on what you are looking for? I am thinking about doing online, free shipping, day after Thanksgiving shopping or even the Monday after (isn't that supposed to be the best online day????).

Today was a LONG day that completely wore me out, so I varied from the meal plan. Ha! This just sounded so much better than perogies by the time 6:00 rolled around! Got to love some Cracker Barrel!

Now I am going to go take a hot bath and curl up with Spencer in the bed while I browse catalogs for Christmas ideas!

Hope

Overall I've had a pretty good day for a Monday! Had a busy morning at work doing paperwork and charts, but had a good office with Dr. Smith this afternoon. Also, since time changed, Michael gets off work at 6:00 instead of 7:00, so that definitely made me happy!!! Tonight I had to run over to my parents to bring a few things to my mom, so we made a quick Starbuck's run! Forget pumpkin spice, I am IN LOVE with this delicious drink. I'm pretty sure I could sustain on just this for the rest of my life! Ha!

We are now finished with cycle 20 ad we have decided to go a different direction that I will tell you about when the time comes, but just please continue to pray for us and our journey. I still have a lot of hope in my heart and from everything I've been through over the past two years, I've learned if you have ANYTHING, you must have HOPE!

I was so excited tonight when Michael went out to get the mail he came in with this package that was on our doorstep. THANK YOU to my good friend Lauren for sending me this. I LOVE it!!!!! It is already the centerpiece on my wine cabinet! I'm thinking it will be PERFECT in a nursery one day to remind me of the verse that got me through some of my darkest days.

I also found this pretty little reminder to have HOPE Saturday while at Hobby Lobby. I put it on my countertop next to my aspirin and folic acid to remind me to have hope when I take

everyday.

“But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

Meal Planning Monday

I saw this on The Brock's Rock and loved the idea and thought it would be fun to try to make my weekly meal plan. Too bad I usually don't stick to it!

Monday: chicken tacos (cook chicken in crock pot all day in taco seasoning and salsa, shred and serve!)

Tuesday: perogies (I buy a box of perogies in the frozen food section and we love them. Boil for 5 minutes! Perfect weeknight meal!) and steamed vegetables (usually broccoli and carrots)

Wednesday: Meatloaf (finally found a recipe my husband will eat!!!! I still need to post the recipe, I will, I promise, just haven't had the time.), mashed potatoes, and pinto beans (cook in crock pot all day)

Thursday: Wednesday's leftovers, but substitute mac and cheese (1 box elbow noodles, 1/2 block Velveeta, and a little milk) for the potatoes

Friday: Frozen pizza and salad

Saturday: Taco Soup (again, be patient, the recipe is coming!)

Sunday: too soon to tell! Ha!

The good news is, Michael is getting off work at 6 instead of 7 now that the time has changed, so we actually get to eat dinner at a decent hour and not 8:00!

Playing Catch Up

If any of you are one of the hundred or so emails/facebook messages I have waiting on me, I am so sorry, I am slowly working through them all. I am humbled and amazed at how many people (including people I have known in different stages of my life) have found my blog and are praying for us. THANK YOU so much!!!!!!!

I promise, I am going to write back, I just haven't had time, but hoping to get caught up within the next couple of weeks. Please don't think that you are being ignored! I love you all!

Halloween 2009

We had a busy, full day yesterday. I started the day with a manicure/pedicure then I came home to put on taco soup for dinner before going back out to meet my mom for some retail therapy (read: Christmas decoration shopping). On my way back out I saw a bad wreck right at the TN/GA state line. The nurse in me knew that I had to stop and help. By the time I got out in the rain and called 911 I realized the two drivers were hurt. So, I called Dr. Barker who was on call, told him I knew that at least two patients were coming in and gave him the same details I gave 911 while trying to keep the other witnesses from pulling the two drivers out of the cars (that should only be done by EMS after securing their neck and head in case they have a spinal injury). I am anxious to get to work tomorrow to see how they are doing.

I came home a few hours later and picked up the house and finished getting things ready for Rodney and Sarah to come over to watch the game, as well as a few friends that I knew would be by for Halloween. Then it was time to turn on the porch light, get the candy ready, and have some fun!

We had 70 trick or treaters by 6:30 and the two $10 bags of candy I bought a Walmart last week were GONE! It was a candy emergency!!!! So, I ran to Ingles and restocked!

Spencer got in costume and even I put on my Halloween shirt!

Fairy Princess Addi from down the street came by, but it was so busy when she was here that we didn't have time to take her picture, so I stole this one off her mom's facebook! :-)

Cinderella, I mean McKinley, came by to visit. She even had pretty silver shoes!

Today, we had one last trick or treater, Jackson from across the street came by to show me his super cute lego costume! Awesome idea, Andrea, I LOVE it! (he was out of town last night)

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!