Live, Laugh, Love

What is in a name?

2011-10-25T20:11:00.003-05:00

Baby names has been a hot topic around here lately. We have decided on names that have special meaning for us and I cannot wait to share it with our little one. Some people don't like to share the names they have picked out but since Jay and I have already shared them with so many people, I'm not worried about letting the cat out of the bag...just don't steal our names! :)

We had decided on a boy's name about the same time we decided to get married. A boy's name was a no brainer for us. Now if we have more than one boy...things could get interesting.
There is a history of the first born males on Jay's mom's side of the family having the initials J.T. Jay's grandfather even went by just the initials JT. Jay's initial's are J.T. so we knew we would keep the tradition of initials J.T. John is a family name on my side of the family. My brother, my uncle, my grandfather all have John in their name. Thomas is a family name on Jay's side of the family. So if we have a little boy, he will be named John Thomas Jackson. We plan to call him John Thomas. Like I said...we have had this name picked out for years now.

Girl names on the other hand have been not so easy to decide on but once we did decide on one it seemed quite obvious. The first name we had picked out was Sarah Caroline. I love the name Sarah Caroline but it got many funny looks from our family. When asked why Sarah Caroline, I couldn't give much of an answer other than we like it. We threw around the names Sophie, Isabelle, and Lillian but they just didn't seem right. Then one day it hit us. Bailey Reed. Bailey is Jay's mom's maiden name and Reed is my mom's maiden name and my middle name. It was perfect! Then I thought...wait a second....I have a cousin named Bailey Reed. She is married now so she has a different last name but I wondered how she would feel about having a cousin sharing the same name. When she emailed me to say congratulations, I asked her about sharing the name and she was excited about it. So Bailey Reed Jackson it is! Best of all, it is a way for me to share my legacy with the baby and pay tribute to the grandmothers.

So what is in a name for us? A way to say thank you to our families. I hope that our baby will one day come to appreciate the love we are passing to him or her by naming him or her with family names.
I am so excited about having chosen names that have true meaning to us.

Psalm 139:14

2011-10-15T19:17:00.002-05:00

I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14)

A few years ago I had the opportunity to co-direct a youth retreat based on Psalm 139:14. It was an amazing weekend helping teenagers realize that they were fearfully and wonderfully made by a God who loved them and has been with them since before they were born. That verse has always meant a lot to me but for the past 14 weeks, it has meant even more.

God has given me the wonderful opportunity to be a mother. I am still in shock at this miracle. Honestly, I always thought we would have trouble conceiving. Jay is older, I'm almost 30, both of us have had our fair share of medical problems...I just knew it would never happen on our first try (I even told Jay that a million times as I was trying to convince him it was our turn to try!) Little did I know that God had bigger and better plans in store for us. I found on July 18th that I was going to be a mom. I shared the news with Jay 2 days later when I was a little more "positive" of the news. We kept the news from our parents for a few weeks because we were waiting for my dad's birthday.

See...back earlier in the summer, my dad jokingly held up my baby cousin and exclaimed, "I want one of these for my birthday". At the time, the thought seemed crazy. When we did find out that it was possible, I had to wait for his birthday. It was a huge surprise to both of our families when we shared the news. I wish I could have gotten a picture of my mom and dad when they saw the picture we had for them but I was trying so hard to keep everything a secret.

The past 14 weeks have been an adventure. We have seen our sweet baby on the sonogram with his or her little heart fluttering away. Six weeks later we were overjoyed to hear our little one's heartbeat for the first time. My parents bought us a home doppler so that we can hear the heartbeat whenever we like. It has been fun trying to find the heartbeat. I think we have a little athlete on our hands! It seems like every time I do find the heartbeat, the baby likes to move away from the probe. I've begun feeling my first flutters and words cannot explain the feeling. It is absolutely amazing. The baby loves the combination of sugar cookies and Fresca. Every time I indulge in this combination I feel flutters! I cannot wait to start feeling more movement.

It still amazes me that God is fearfully and wonderfully shaping a new life inside of me. I love this little one more than words can explain already. I pray that Jay and I can be the best parents that God has planned for this little one. I cannot wait until April when we can hold our little one in our arms and give thanks to God for his gift.

One of the sweetest sounds I've ever heard!

This is the first time we heard the heartbeat. If you listen closely at the very beginning, you hear our wonderful doctor say, "There's your baby".

This is one of the times that I found the heartbeat at home on the doppler. It was fun trying to hold the doppler in one hand, balance my phone on my chest and chase the baby with the probe so that I could record the heartbeat.

Thank you to a sweet friend who reminded me this week that it had been a while since I posted and that someone does read my blog. :)

Praise you in this storm

2011-05-01T09:28:00.002-05:00

"Praise You In This Storm"

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

And as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

This song has always had special meaning to me but right now it takes on a different meaning.

God, bless and restore those who are affected by this storm. Bless those who are providing relief. Bless those who have lost everything. Give hope to those who have seen the worse that there will be better days. Give strength to those cleaning up. Bless the children who have lost parents. Bless the parents who have lost children. Strengthen those who are sifting through the damage. Bless those who are donating needed item. Grace everyone affected with your love, hope, mercy, and peace.

I'm struggling right now. I have found myself angry today. Yesterday I felt guilty for enjoying myself while others suffered. Today I am angry that I can't do more to help. I want to be there to pass out supplies. I want to be there to comfort those who just need someone to listen to them. I want to help. Instead I have to complete a final that is due tomorrow night and a portfolio also due tomorrow. I am angry that I have to be so selfish.

Remember me?

2011-03-13T18:44:00.002-05:00

Remember me? It has been a while...I took the big leap of faith and started a new job. I love it and feel like it is something that I was meant to do. It is not the easiest job and it has its moments but I find it very rewarding.
Needless to day though, life has been in full swing. Between starting a new job, my cake decorating hobby, and starting graduate school again, there is very little down time. Here it is spring break, and I'm spending it working on school work. Not complaining...but I really would like a break. I keep reminding myself that when I graduate (in December hopefully) it will all be worth it, but then again I like my down time.
In November I will turn 30. I am still amazed when I look at what all I have done in my 29 years thus far. I am excited to see what the 30s will hold for me. In September we are planning on going to Disney World, I CAN'T WAIT! Still have a lot of planning to do but it should be fun!
I guess that is all I have to update on right now. Hopefully it won't be months before I post again. :)

2010-07-13T21:09:00.001-05:00

GOD is good! Thank you for your prayers.
Update to come this weekend!

A little help from friends

2010-07-07T16:08:00.002-05:00

Okay friends....I need a little positive thoughts, support, and prayers. I'm taking a big leap of faith over the next few days. I'm not quite ready to share exactly what it is (some of you already know), but would appreciate your prayers and support.
I'll let you know the outcome sometime next week. =)

Decisions Decisions

2010-05-13T20:31:00.004-05:00

Now that I have finished my Masters, Jay and I agreed that we wanted to use our refund money this year to go on a trip together. Now to decide where...Here are our choices:

A) Disney World in November (Thanksgiving Break/my birthday)

B) New York City for New Years

C) A cruise next spring

We can't seem to make up our minds!

Master of Education, Instructional Leadership

2010-05-13T15:12:00.003-05:00

I finished my Master's degree in exactly 1 year! I loved my program and look forward to it leading me in the next step of my career. I will start the Ed. S program this summer!! I graduated with highest honors (4.0), a member of Phi Kappa Phi, and was chosen as the outstanding graduate student in instructional leadership.

Cake Update

2010-05-13T14:39:00.008-05:00

Okay...so it has been a really long time since I posted cake pictures. I can't remember which ones I have and haven't posted so there are a bunch here. Enjoy! I apologize that they are out of order and all mixed up!

This was for sweet Caroline's first birthday.

John Michael's Halloween birthday cake.

Ella's Minnie Mouse cake

Helena Middle School thank you gift

Rachea's birthday cupcakes--White Chocolate "Over the Moon"

Rachea's birthday cupcakes--Coconut Lime Margarita

Katie Grace's Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Caroline's big cake

Dr. Brewer's surprise birthday cake

Back of Dr. Brewer's cake

Wedding shower cake

Wedding shower cake

This was a smash cake for a sweet 1 year old.

This was the big cake for her party. The theme was lil cupcake.

This is a cupcake bouquet that I made as a thank you gift for James Spann after he came to speak to our 2nd graders. It even made the evening news that night!

This is was the big cake for a 1 year old's baseball themed birthday.

This was his cute little smash cake.

This was for a little boy's 1st birthday. His dad is a baseball coach and the theme of the party was baseball.

This cake was for a friend of mine whose church was having a grand opening. The verse is their theme verse and on top of the cake is the church logo.

I forgot to take a picture of these before I boxed them up. These were for a sweet student of mine from last year. She was having a tropical themed birthday party and wanted flip flop cakes.

This is a chocolate version of my Alabama cake.

My first Alabama cake. I spent almost 2 hours shading the elephant in buttercream.

82nd Birthday

2010-05-13T14:27:00.002-05:00

My sweet PawPaw celebrated his 82nd birthday the first weekend in May.

Home Sick

2010-05-13T14:02:00.001-05:00

Strep...YUCK!
Who knew that you could have strep throat without a sore throat? My first symptoms were a killer headache, upset stomach, and fever. A trip to the doctor showed that I had strep. 2 shots and 2 prescriptions later, I had a prescribed day off from work to recover. It wasn't until my day off that my throat felt like it was on fire. Since my fever was still at 100 at 5:00 yesterday, I decided to stay home one extra day. I have officially caught up on all of the shows I had saved on DVR. Now I'm watching Julie and Julia and it made me realize that I hadn't blogged in a really long time. So get ready...here come a few entries on what has been happening lately.

Confessions

2010-01-17T12:12:00.002-06:00

I confess....I've neglected this blog. I check it often (or I should say I check my blogroll often) but I haven't posted in forever. So as my first post of 2010 I am going to post in the form of confessions.

I confess that I was sick and tired of grad school last semester. I had one class that I hated and one that I absolutely loved. I'm excited to be graduating in May but nervous about what the future holds. I think I am ready for the next step.

I confess that I absolutely adore my class this year. They are a huge challenge but I love each and every one of them. This doesn't mean that I haven't loved my previous classes, I have just really connected with this class.

I confess that if I could quit my job and open a bakery I would. I enjoy baking and have even become a little obsessed lately. There is a joy I get from being able to create something that makes somebody happy. I wish there was a bigger demand in the area. I wish I could do party planning and catering too.

I confess that I am sad about hearing about the death of Matt but I'm also mad at myself for not telling him how I looked up to him. The world is missing an angel right now. Matt gave so much of himself in his short time here.

I confess that I am still scared of death. There have been two people that I knew to die in the past month. One was brutally murdered and one died in a tragic accident. I also confess that I am still scared of the dark even after all these years.

I confess that I am perfectionist to a fault. The one area that I am not a perfectionist in, is one area that I should be. Our house is a mess. I keep reminding myself of the analogy of the juggling balls. Some balls are made of glass and some are made of rubber. The rubber ones are the ones you can let go and know that they can be picked up later and they will bounce back into place. The glass ones are the ones that if you let go they break, so you need to focus on them more. I am working on prioritizing things so that I am making sure I focus on those glass balls.

I confess that I miss going to church. I wish I could find another church that I felt at home in. The last time I felt at home in a church was when I was going to Discovery UMC. I wish my husband would go to church with me.

I confess that I am scared you will judge me, but I'm letting that fear go.

Southern Girl Recipes

2009-10-04T20:10:00.001-05:00

Did you know that I have a recipe blog? It is still a work in progress but I thought I would go ahead and share it. Please let me know if you ever try the recipes. Some of them are my own, some are recipes I have borrowed from others and added my own twist.
Enjoy!
Southern Girl Recipes

Happy Fall!

2009-10-03T21:02:00.006-05:00

Jay and I visited Aldridge Gardens on this beautiful fall day. We got to see the neat scarecrows created by local groups. We had the best time! (Sorry the pictures are all out of order!)

A view from the lake trail. Perfect walking through nature weather.

The pretty little waterfall near the house.

Gorgeous landscaping

Cat and Dog scarecrows, Jay didn't like these.

This one was created by the Riverchase Methodist MOPS group. It is a lot cuter in person.

This was one of my favorites. It is Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Another favorite created by Petals from the Past. They made their scarecrow a farming crow!

When we were walking around the lake we saw these turtles. There were 5 on the long but the girls ahead of us scared two of them away.

Giant bee that goes with the bee keeper scarecrow. (Once again, out of order...sorry!)

There were butterflies everywhere! So pretty!

Arg! Jay and I got a kick out of these.

The first time we passed these ducks they were so still and quiet. The whole time we were walking around the lake we could hear them quacking.

One of my favorites! Cinderella and her pumpkin.

My love!

Jay liked this one. It is an football player and spider made of iron. It was really cool!

This was another neat one. It was a wooden scarecrow building another wooden scarecrow.

Scarecrow of the future? It was a metal scarecrow with the caption, "Scaring crows? I have an app for that!"

Here is the beekeeper scarecrow with the giant bee. I really like the bee but found the scarecrow to be a little creepy.

If you get a chance, be sure to visit Aldridge Gardens. It is a beautiful place!

Snapshots of a life

2009-09-09T21:09:00.004-05:00

Snapshots of a life....
If you could imagine your life being summed up by pictures, what would you pick?

I thought about this tonight as I was riding home with my parents. Today my father said goodbye to his brother. Uncle Charles was treated to a beautiful memorial visitation service and graveside service in Selma. He was buried in his Sheriff's Deputy uniform. I know he would have loved today At one time today, I heard my mom whisper to my dad that his mom would have been so proud of him. It is in those private moments that I cherish the love and strength that my parents provide for each other and for me and my brother.
Today was harder than I expected for me. Throughout my life I was never really close to Uncle Charles and I regret that. I know he was a very private person, but he is my family. I cherished listening to all the stories being shared today. The hardest thing about today for me was the longing I felt to know my grandparents better. My grandfather died before I was born. My grandmother died when I was two. I got to spend some time with her and according to my dad she adored me. I so wish I could have known her better. As I walked through her house today and saw the pictures on the walls, the arts and crafts projects, her love for cooking, and her love for her family,I was reminded of myself. I am so excited to now own some of her old cookbooks and apron. To see her handwritten recipes in these classic cookbooks is beyond exciting for me.
Another one of my favorite moments of the day, was sitting and listening. Listening to stories about my dad, uncle, and grandparents that I hadn't heard before. I teared up listening to some and laughed loudly at others.

At the visitation, a video was shown of snapshots of my Uncle's life. From these moments I could tell you that he was a son, brother, uncle, friend, cousin, nephew, Sheriff's Deputy, cigar smoker, and a quiet man. You can view the slideshow here: Video Tribute. This is the tribute that had me thinking all day.

Rest in peace Uncle Charles. You fought the battle long and hard. You lived your dream of being a Sheriff's Deputy. May you be at peace now.

This entry was written on 9/9/09.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T20:51:00.002-05:00

(Words to explain the pictures will come tomorrow)

Prayers for Stellan

2009-07-27T09:58:00.003-05:00

Baby Stellan is really not doing well. His little body is shutting down as his heart is over-working itself. Please pray that things turn around soon for this little one. Pray for strength for his parents. I don't know this baby personally but I have been following their story for a while now. You can read about Stellan at www.mckmama.com or follow his mother's tweets at http://twitter.com/MckMama.

Laughing With

2009-07-07T22:35:00.004-05:00

Laughing With--Regina Spektor

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
When it’s gotten real late
And their kid’s not back from the party yet

No one laughs at God
When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake
No one’s laughing at God
When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they’re mistaken

No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say we got some bad news, sir
No one’s laughing at God
When there’s a famine or fire or flood

*Chorus*
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’ve lost all they’ve got
And they don’t know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize
That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke,
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughing at God in hospital
No one’s laughing at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God when they’re starving
or freezing or so very poor

No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
We’re all laughing with God

When I first heard this song, it made me really angry. I'm not sure why, but I misunderstood the lyrics. I heard it again and actually heard the lyrics,realized what was being said and it really hit me how true this song is. All around us, people make jokes at God's expense when they think they don't need Him. But once there is something happening when wereally need Him on our side, no one is laughing. But....is there every really a time that we don't need God on our side? Is there ever a time that it is acceptable to laugh at God at his expense? I love the last line though "We're all laughing with God", I do believe that God has a sense a humor. This song makes you think.

Gone too Soon

2009-07-07T21:04:00.003-05:00

I had decided that I wasn't going to post about Michael Jackson's passing. Then I watched the memorial today. There has been a lot said about him lately, and I will admit I fell into reading all of the gossip, but today reminded me that all-in-all he was a person. He had friends and family who loved him and the rest of us only saw a small part of his life.

If you went out on the street right now, I would say 9/10 people could name a song by Micheal Jackson. 6/10 could probably sing an entire song. 10/10 could probably tell you something about him whether it be good or bad.

He was human. He might not have made the best choices in life, but who does? I will admit that I am far from perfect and have made many mistakes. I pray that I am not known by my mistakes and yet that is what it seems everyone can remember about celebrities. Was he different, by my standards yes...but who am I to judge? As Brooke Shields reminded us, "everyone thought we were weird, but to us--we were normal". Today during the memorial, I was reminded of the good he has done. I listened to his songs and really paid attention to the lyrics and better understood the meaning behind them. I cried for his children who will grow up without their father. I cried for Paris as she lamented her father.

I saw something happen at the end of his memorial service that I have only seen at one other memorial service. People applauded his life. I think that is a powerful statement about anyone's life. You are not guaranteed any set amount of time here on earth. Yet, if you can find some time to use your abilities to reach out and change another's life for the better, I think you have succeeded in life. I pray that I can touch someone's life in a way that when my time here on earth is done, they would be willing to stand up and applaud me and say "job well done".

So today, I choose not to focus on the controversy, but applaud Michael Jackson for a job well done. I hope that he has found peace and that his children find comfort during this hard time. Please remember that he was a person, who lived a life(and all that comes with it), used his talents to reach out to others, who was a father, and who is loved by others.

I'm starting with the man in the mirror.
I'm asking him to change his ways.
And no message could have been any clearer.
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself, and make a change.

Minnie Mouse Cake

2009-06-28T19:17:00.007-05:00

I am so proud of how this cake and cupcakes turned out. They are for a sweet friend and her daughter. Her cutie pie daughter was celebrating her 2nd birthday.

Minnie Mouse cupcakes--chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream, Oreo cookie ears, and fondant bows.

Minnie Mouse cake---white cake, vanilla buttercream....I forgot to take a picture of the final cake, I put a bow on the top layer to make it look more Minnie Mouse-ish.

Isn't she cute?!

I don't know why blogger always turns that picture sideways.

I had a blast making this cake. Thank you Holly B. for the opportunity!!!

Urgent Message

2009-06-08T19:07:00.003-05:00

I received the following email today, it saddens my heart to receive an email like this. Please pray for Sumatanga. I really hate that there is a chance that this wonderful ministry could disappear. As a camper, counselor, director, and team member...I have seen the power, mercy, and love that God has for us through the summer camping ministry. I dream of one day sending my own children to this small patch of Holy Ground.

This past weekend, the United Methodists of North Alabama met for their annual conference. Rev. Bob Murray, executive director of Sumatanga Camp and Retreat Center, gave his report on Friday afternoon. While improvements in hospitality, food, cleanliness and safety have been made in his 18 month tenure, Rev. Murray stated "I don't have good news for you today."

Sumatanga will run out of operating funds some time between August and September of this year. That means camp will not be able to pay staff, pay utilities bills or make payments to creditors.

For over 60 years, the camp has served guests of all denominations as a Christian camp and retreat center. It is best known for it's summer camping program and the Walk to Emmaus. But it is also used year round by diverse goups like cancer survivors, addicts in recovery, the Kairos prison ministry, campus ministries and local church family retreats. In recent years, more guest are choosing to get married at the open air chapel that overlooks camp from Chandler Mountain.

Unfortunately, overall usage of the camp outside of the summer months have been steadily declining for several years. While a business plan that aggressively markets the camp has been implemented, the steady decline combined with the recent recession have dramatically impacted group reservations.

If business continues on its current pace the camp will cease to exist as year-round camp and retreat center. The camp is currently $900,000 in debt and is running about $300,000 a year behind in revenue for its usage.

Rev. Murray shared that while he believes that Sumatanga is relevant to the ministry of the Methodist Church and of North Alabama, he told the conference delegates that ultimately they would have to decide if camp would continue as a vital ministry. He noted that the biggest help to Sumatange would be for churches to make more use of the camp and have more overnight events there.

Following this report a passionate discussion from the floor began. A motion was made and approved for each church in the conference to take a special offering for the camp by the end of July. As well, a clergy person pledged $1,000 and challenged 100 other delegates to join him that day in making the same gift. A goal has been set to raise at least $300,000 in donations that can be used for operations by the end of the summer. As of Monday, June 8, over $85,000 had been received or pledged.

As Bob shared with a guest booking an event this week without a guarantee that the camp will be open at that time, "I don't know yet what is God's ultimate plan for Camp Sumatanga. But I rest in the knowledge that His plan is perfect."

Camp Sumatanga is on the web at www.sumatanga.org and their phone number is 256-538-9860. The 1,700-acre site is open year round for families, churches, schools, and corporate groups. Accommodations range from RV hookups and cabins to dormitory style halls and motel style rooms. They offer summer camping and year-round accommodations.

If you want to help keep camp alive, mail a check to:
Camp Sumatanga
3616 Sumatanga Road
Gallant, AL 35972

Make it out to Sumatanga
memo line: general donation

Vampires, Oh my!

2009-05-30T14:19:00.003-05:00

I have resisted the temptation long enough. I admit it. I joined the crowd and started the Twilight series. And yes, I am hooked. My name is Holly, and I am a Twilight fan.
I feel like there should be some kind of addiction group for this. I have always love to read, but I can't seem to put these books down. During the school year, I do good to get a chance to read 2-3 chapters of a book a week. In 4 days, I have read the first Twilight book, and I'm 2/3 of the way through New Moon. In one way, I am thankful for AMSTI next week so I can get out of this cycle but in another way, I'm upset that I won't get to start the next book immediately. Geez, I'm starting to look like a vampire with my lack of sunlight!
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't excited that the movie for New Moon is being released the day before my birthday!!
I have been hooked on Jodi Picoult for so long that is nice to read something that I don't have to think so hard about (or get so emotionally involved in the book).
What are you reading this summer?

Follow Up

2009-05-26T18:10:00.002-05:00

My procedure today went really well. We arrived at the diagnostic center bright and early and I was seen fairly quickly. Those people have it down to a science. Everyone waits in the same waiting room and once it is your time to go back for procedures/surgery, your name is called, you are given some paperwork and told to take the elevator to the 4th floor. Once you step off the 4th floor, you are met by your nurse who immediately takes you back for bloodwork and pre-op. I was in my room in less than 10 minutes. I remember the doctor coming in and telling me what he was going to do and then making some small talk with the nurse. The next thing I remember, I am in recovery and the nurse asked what I would like to drink. About 5 minutes later I was driven (in a wheelchair) out to my mom and husband who were waiting for me in the car. What I did not know at that time was that they had already met with the doctor and gotten all of my discharge information.
From the esophagogastroduodenoscopy they believe that I do not have a stomach ulcer but instead have GERD. GERD is the lovely name for gastroesophageal reflux disease. They also did a biopsy that I should hear the results back from in 2 weeks.
Thank you for the prayers last night and this morning. Like I said, the procedure went really well. I have no memory of the actual procedure and my throat if only the tiniest bit sore. I have felt the effects of the sedation all day and have taken some might fine naps.

Tuesday

2009-05-25T20:10:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, I am having a little medical procedure done that, if you don't mind, I would appreciate your prayers for.
It all started in August of 2007 with a dull stomachache. For months, I would have a dull, burning sensation in my upper stomach. I self medicated with Tums and Pepto Bismol and that seemed to help everything. But, by early December things got worse. The dull, burning stomachache turned into sharp stomach pains. I was nauseous and nothing seemed to help. I missed 5 days of school that week (and if you know me--I hate to miss work). I finally ended up going to my favorite doctor and they determined I was dehydrated. I was so dehydrated that it took over an hour to find a vein for an IV. I spent 2 hours hooked up to an IV just to get enough fluids to satisfy the doctor to send me home (with strict instructions for me to go to the emergency room if I felt worse). I remember just lying in bed crying because of my stomach. Many tests later (including a parasite test, gallbladder test, feces and urine tests, and appendicitis evaluation) it was later decided that they couldn't quite figure out what was causing my stomach to hurt so bad. But after about 8 days, the pain started to subside. I was put on an antacid and would be continually monitored. I would have stomach pains pretty regularly but nothing like the pain I felt around Christmas. I thought all was well until about March 2009.
This past March, I noticed that I was starting to chew Tums again like candy and was going through a bottle of Pepto Bismol almost every 2 weeks. While at a routine doctors appointment, I mentioned that my stomach was starting to have the dull burning pains again. My doctor examined my stomach and I had 3 distinct areas of pain. She gave me some trial packs of Previcid and had me schedule an appointment with a gastrointestinalogist (I think that is what he is called--a stomach doctor). My doctor suspects that I might have a stomach ulcer.
Since my appointment in April with my doctor, I took the Previcid and had great results, but once the medicine ran out, my stomach pains have returned. I still have 3 distinctive areas of pain which I will admit worries me.
Tuesday I will be going in to have a esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) performed. The doctor will sedate me and put a lighted tube down my throat to look at my esophagus and stomach. I have heard that this is a very minor procedure and will be virtually painless, but yet (I am human) and I am still anxious about it. I pray that I can get some sleep tonight and that tomorrow, I will finally get some answers to why my stomach hurts like it does. I will admit, that at times the pain scares me because at times it is so intense. At other times, it is not there at all. I cannot pinpoint any triggers (food, stress, ect.) that set it off. I just want answers. I really have never had to have any big medical procedure/surgery before (other than my wisdom teeth and my Lasik surgery).
Please pray that the doctors have a successful procedure and that we can finally get answers and take care of the pain. Pray that I can get some sleep tonight. Pray that this anxious feeling will subside.
I am sorry if this is too much personal information for a blog, but it is on my heart tonight.

Assembly Hall Makeover

2009-05-13T22:00:00.002-05:00

Words cannot explain how excited this video makes me. I think it is absolutely amazing what young adults can accomplish when God puts a mission in their heart. Timmy and friends did an amazing job designing the new stage, raising money, and making over the assembly hall. If you have never visited the assembly hall at Camp Sumatanga, then you must contact me immediately so that I can share this special place with you. This simple building is truely holy ground. Many lives have been changed inside of those 4 walls. From folk dances to candle lit communions, I have made many memories in that place.
Please continue to support and pray for Sumatanga. The summer camping season will be beginning in a few weeks. The Team will arrive soon to prepare for campers. (Oh how I miss my days on Team!). Pray for strength and wisdom for the counselors, directors, and Team. Pray for each of the campers that will be coming.
I'm really sad that I will not get to spend a week at camp this summer (In the past 6 summers I have spent atleast 1 week and up to 7 weeks at camp). Because of graduate school commitments, I will be unable to direct a junior high camp this year. Instead I will be directing one weekend of Mom and Me camp. If you have young children (too young for a week of camp) you might want to consider Mom and Me camp. It is a one night camp set up for Moms and their children to get a taste of what Sumatanga has to offer. We will go swimming, hiking, canoeing, do arts and crafts, participate in an environmental lesson with Helena, sing, dance, and best of all, worship together. If you are interested in attending my Mom and Me camp, please let me know, or you can check out http://www.sumatanga.org/summer/momandme.php

Since I'm having trouble embedding videos, you can also see the video at www.givebacktocamp.com or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99TgtSSLAeE&feature=player_embedded

My Cake on TV

2009-05-05T10:01:00.005-05:00

Click here to see my cake on ABC 33/40.

http://cfc.abc3340.com/videoondemand.cfm?id=39573&category=kid

The Sun Always Shines

2009-05-03T22:05:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow James Spann is coming to speak to the 2nd graders at MVES. I made him a cake as a thank you. I hope he feels better tomorrow and can make it. I'm not sure why this picture is turned sideways, it was turned the right way on my camera but blogger flipped it.

I am really excited about how the cake turned out overall. The abc33/40 logo took over an hour to get just right.
Each day, LuAnn the world's best office manager, says "The sun always shines on Meadow View" so I decided to incorporate that in the cake. I love when she says it!

I had a ton of yellow icing left over from the sun so I made a polka dot border.

Whatcha think? I used my white/almond cake and almond buttercream recipe. I love the taste of this buttercream and it is easy to color.
I hope James Spann and the rest of the abc33/40 crew enjoy the cake!

Defying Gravity

2009-04-19T16:16:00.019-05:00

This week has been an exciting one. Jay and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary on Tuesday. I took the day off work to spend the day with Jay (and to go to a few doctors appointments--that's another post for later) . That night, we were treated to dinner by his parents and then the four of us went to see Wicked at the BJCC. There is only one word that I can use to explain the show...AMAZING! I was blown away by every aspect of the show. The talent was phenomenal, the set was intriguing, and the story line was fantastic. It was a very enjoyable night.
Dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (sight of our first date and one of the places we visited on our engagement day).

Outside the BJCC at one of the fountains.

We were so excited about getting to see Wicked and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I enjoyed it so much, that I convinced Mom that we needed to go see it.
Before each show the box office holds a Wicked Ticket Lottery. You register your name and if drawn, you have the chance to win one of the best seats in the house (we sat on the 2nd row!!). The only rules are that you have to be present to win, show a picture ID, only allowed 2 tickets, and you must pay in cash. The best part, are lottery tickets are only $25 dollars! There were about 50 people there for our ticket lottery. They were down to the last 2 tickets and Mom and I had pretty much given up when her name was drawn! We won the last 2 tickets for Saturday night's show.
Randomly, I noticed that the lady working the box office was one of my sorority sisters. I had not seen her since I moved from Mobile. It was great to catch up with her for a few minutes.
We were talking to the couple sitting next to us before the show started, they happened to be lottery winners too. The told us that if you can find the stage door and wait a few minutes after the show, that you could meet the cast. Sure enough, within 20 minutes of the show we had met the entire cast. Here we are with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Tom McGowan. He was really funny.
Here I am with Fiyero, Colin Donnell. He was very nice and down to Earth. We had some trouble with the first picture but he was nice enough to take another picture.
Me and Boq (Ted Ely). He was nice too but didn't talk as much.
Mom and Fiyero (Collin Donnell), like I said...really nice guy.
I was so excited to meet Elphaba (Marcie Dodd). She is amazing, beautiful, and incredibly talented. Unfortunately, my star-struck disorder struck again and all I could say was "You're amazing!".
Here I am with Galinda/Glinda, Helene York. She was the last one to come out, but like the others she was very nice. She actually came over to Mom and I first. I was really excited to meet her too. I am so impressed with with her vocal talent and comediac abilities.
Mom and Glinda, Helene York. I am so glad that we hung around and got to meet them.
Here are my goodies from last night. After we won the lottery tickets we were given a bracelet and button that we had to wear. When we met the cast, I had them sign my Playbill.

I am most excited about having my Playbill autographed. I have a feeling that we might be hearing from some of these actors and actresses again soon. Or atleast I hope we do!

If you are not familiar with Wicked, please watch this little video to learn more about it. And promise me, that at the first chance you have, that you will see it.

And for those who have seen Wicked, here is a clip of Defying Gravity that was performed at the Tony's. While it was done with the original cast and is fantastic, I honestly think that the version I saw in Birmingham this week was better! Helene Yorke and Marcie Dodd were so talented and had great chemistry on stage.

Givebacktocamp.com

2009-03-30T06:04:00.002-05:00

I know you are curious! Please help us out. Visit www.givebacktocamp.com to see how you can help. It is amazing what young adults are willing to do to help serve God.

Walking with the Dinosaurs

2009-03-26T21:13:00.005-05:00

Our class has been nominated to win a free trip to see the "Walking with the Dinosaurs" exhibit at the BJCC. Please go here to vote for us!!!

Feel free to pass this link along to your friends. The more people who vote for us, the better!!

Joy Journal

2009-03-22T17:20:00.004-05:00

This is what brought me joy today:

The BEAUTIFUL weather--I sat outside for almost 2 hours grading papers in the gorgeous sunlight. The temperature was perfect with a light breeze.
Spring decorations--I'm working on decorating the house for Easter/Spring. Next to Fall, Spring is my 2nd favorite season.
Bradford Pear trees--these are the beautiful trees that are blooming right now.

What brought you joy today?

Ode to Cupcakes

2009-03-19T23:01:00.005-05:00

Oh cupcakes,

With your soft and delicate cake,

your creamy and sweet icing

Why must I love you so?

This was my latest culinary exploration. I have been looking at recipes for wedding cakes and icing. I found a really easy recipe for a white wedding cake (tight texture-small crumb, moist and tender cake with vanilla and almond flavorings) and an almond buttercream. YUM is about the only word I can use to describe these treats. I have tasted more than I should have and eaten WAY too much icing. I'm hoping I can get some sleep tonight and come down from this sugar high soon!

Megan's Giveaway!

2009-03-18T21:43:00.005-05:00

I have been reading Megan's blog for a while. I met She and her husband and children (well 2 of them) at Sumatanga one summer. Her family is adorable! I have really enjoyed reading her joyful blog.
Today Megan is doing a really fun giveaway. A friend of her's has created a ready to go scrapbook for one lucky winner. You should go over to her website Hold It Up to the Light and check it out! If you can get there before midnight tonight, you too can enter her giveaway!

Joy Journal

2009-03-16T22:59:00.003-05:00

My principal at work encouraged us to start keeping a joy journal. Though I haven't quite gotten around to putting my thoughts on paper, I do try to find something each day that I am thankful for that brings me joy.

After a day filled with cleaning (I finished cleaning out my closest, the master bath, the guest bath, and started on the kitchen and master bedroom), I thought of my joy journal as a savored dinner tonight. Here is what brought me joy today....

I am thankful that both Jay and I have good jobs. I read so many articles today about the unemployment rate and the economy, and yet Jay and I are doing well for a fairly newly-wed couple. We have a house, 2 cars, and pretty much everything we need plus lots of stuff we want.

Along the same lines, I really enjoy having a husband who works in the meat department of a respectable grocery store. Since he has been working there, I have learned a lot about the various cuts of meat. It is also nice when he brings home top notch meat for us to eat. Here is a little tidbit for you...if you are in Publix and see "market ground beef" buy it! The steaks are supposed to be pulled 2 days before the expiration date to make sure only the freshest meat is available. The steaks (I'm talking rib eyes, t bones, filet mignon) that are pulled are ground into "market meat", this is a higher quality ground beef. It is usually sold at 1.99 a pound since it needs to be sold fast and they only make a little bit at a time, but it is the best "hamburger meat" you can get! I made spaghetti with it tonight, and my-oh-my it was good!!

Since I'm off on spring break and had spent most of the day working hard cleaning, I decided to have a glass of wine with my spaghetti. I purchased this bottle from a winery not far from my house. It was a 2007 Shelby Blanc and was absolutely delightful. It brings me joy to know that I can get such a great bottle of wine from a local vendor. I really don't drink much but I did particularly enjoy that glass of wine this evening. Here is a link to their website. I always feel so sophisticated when I go by their winery (ok, I have only been twice--but it is such a neat place!). Ozan Winery

So those are my joy journal thoughts for the day. What brought you joy today?

Fondant Fun

2009-03-15T15:00:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since I last posted. Sorry! Lots going on....
I said I would provide an explanation of the Ace of Cakes? pictures.

My friend Penny and I have been talking about decorating cakes for a few months now. A couple of weeks ago, we decided to stop planning and finally get our hands dirty making fondant. It was a blast! I made homemade marshmallow fondant and she made classic rolled fondant. They both tasted good (extremely sweet) and were easy to work with. We agreed though that the marshmallow fondant was easier to make and made more. Here are a few pictures from our adventure.

I made my marshmallow fondant at home using my trusty Kitchen Aid mixer. I knew better than to put all 8 cups of powdered sugar in at the beginning but I was afraid that the melted marshmallows would stick to the bowl. So, I decided that 5 cups of powdered sugar would be a good starting amount. WRONG, I turned the mixer on the lowest speed possible and powdered sugar flew EVERYWHERE. But, the fondant eventually came together and looked so pretty and white.

I made my way to Penny's house to decorate our cakes. Look how pretty we made her island look! Instead of using flour like you would for cookies or pie crust, you use lots of powdered sugar and Crisco to make sure your fondant rolls out smoothly and doesn't stick.

This was after I had rolled out the blue for my ribbon. I LOVE this color blue. For each color we took our plain white fondant and used color gel to get just the right color. On the other side of the island you can see some of the hot pink fondant we used on Penny's cake.

We used a special fondant cutter to cut rows and rows of hot pink fondant for Penny's pretty cake.

We didn't buy purple coloring gel, so we got adventurous and mixed blue and pink. After a lot of elbow grease, we ended up with a really pretty purple color.

These are a few pictures of my cake that we nicknamed the "Tiffany box" cake. It reminded me of my bridesmaid dresses. They were this color blue with white ribbons.

These are a few pictures of Penny's pretty cake. We were practicing a few ideas for Penny's daughter's birthday cake. Isn't it cute!

In the end, we were very proud of our cakes. I was really impressed with how they turned out for our first time. We are planning to get together again over spring break to try a couple of new ideas. I can't wait!

Ace of Cakes?

2009-02-27T12:11:00.001-06:00

Explination to come later. What do you think?

Tasty Tuesday 2/3/09

2009-02-03T10:07:00.003-06:00

Here is this week's Tasty Tuesday recipe.

I love a good chocolate cake. This one couldn't be any easier and it is so moist. It is a great cake to give as a gift because it is pretty, travels well, and stays moist. I made 3 of them this past Sunday night to give as gifts on Monday. Can't say that I wasn't a little jealous that I didn't get a bite. Let me know if you try this recipe!

Chocolate Bliss Cake

1 box of Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 small box of instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350* and grease a bundt pan (**see note at the end).
Mix all of the ingredients on low until blended. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into bundt pan and tap the pan on the counter lightly to release any air bubbles.
Bake at 350* for 50-60 minutes or until cake is done.
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then flip the cake onto a cooling rack (leave the bundt pan still on the cake). After about 5 minutes, remove the pan and allow the cake to completely cool on the cooling rack. Enjoy!

**I used my Pampered Chef Stoneware Fluted Pan and had no problems. When I have used a regular bundt pan with this recipe, I only fill the pan 3/4 of the way full. In the past, when I have used all of the cake batter, it has over flowed in my oven.

Homework Assignment

2009-01-31T12:39:00.003-06:00

This is from an email my mother in law sent me. I thought it was too funny and would pass it along.

Homework Assignment: Who do you want to be like when you grow up?

This is the note the teacher received the next day:

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.

I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith

Tasty Tuesday

2009-01-27T10:03:00.002-06:00

I remember seeing this blog carnival somewhere but I can't remember or I would like you back to it. I am going to try to start making a habit of posting a tasty recipe each Tuesday.
I made this wonderful comfort dish last night. I am looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today! I took a recipe I had found, tweeked it for our taste and also tried to make it healthy. My husband said that it was better than Cracker Barrel's chicken and dumplings (which was a huge compliment to me!). Also, this is a very checkbook friendly recipe. You could easily serve 6-7 (Jay and I both had 2 bowls last night and there were enough for leftovers today) with this recipe and I only spent $8.50 on the ingredients. Let me know if you try it!

Chicken and Dumplings with Mushrooms
1 32oz Low Sodium, Fat Free Chicken Stock

1 small can of Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup (If you don't like mushrooms, use cream of chicken soup)

1 Can of Pillsbury Flakey Layer Biscuits (10 count--I used the homestyle)

1/3 a cup of Flour

2 Cups of Water

2-3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt and Pepper to Taste
A dash of Garlic Powder

In a large saucepan, heat the chicken stock and water until boiling. Once boiling, add the chicken in and let poach for about 5-6 minutes (until the chicken is white and firm--don't over cook!). Remove the chicken and bring the liquid back to a boil. Once boiling, wisk in the cream of mushroom soup. Let the liquid return to a boil, once boiling turn the heat down to medium.
Open your can of biscuits and seperate each biscuit into 2-3 layers. Tear each layer into 4 pieces. Dip the pieces in flour and then add them to the liquid. After all of the biscuits have been added, let it simmer for 10 minutes. Gently stir often. At this point, you can season the broth with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. While the liquid is simmering, chop the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces. Return the chicken to the liquid and turn the heat to low. Simmer on low for atleast 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

This was a very easy recipe and makes a lot of food. It would be great on a cold night!

In Prissy news, she got to go shopping for the first time last night. We took her to Petsmart and she loved it. She came away with a couple of new toys, a crate, and a soft bed. Maybe her name should be Princess instead of Prissy! She is such a sweet puppy!!!

Meet Miss Priss

2009-01-25T21:28:00.004-06:00

Today my parents picked up their new puppy Prissy. She is a 3 year old, long haired/broken coat Jack Russell Terrier. She is spunky, sweet, and oh so loveable. We were going to change her name but Prissy just fits her personality. I am in love with her already. She loves to ride in the car and LOVES to play fetch. Here are some pictures of our newest family member. She was moving so fast that it was hard to take good pictures and my camera battery was going dead so I didn't get many.

Miss Prissy

She LOVES to play.

Ok, this is my first attempt of using the video camera on my digital camera. It is not the best video but atleast you can get an idea about how much fun Miss Priss is. Sorry about the long back-end shot, I was trying to get the ball to throw for her.

I was filled with a mix of emotions when Mom called to let me know they were going to look at a puppy. I was excited at the prospect of a new companion but it made me miss Jack. When she called to let me know they were almost home with her, I got really emotional. I miss Jack and I know Prissy will never replace him, but I think she is going to find her own little place in our hearts. I'm attached to her already.

Here she is...Miss America

2009-01-24T19:42:00.002-06:00

I'm such a girly girl. I love a good pageant. They remind me of my pageant days many moons ago. If I can find them, I will try to post some of my old pageant pictures. My very first I was first runner up as Junior Miss Montevallo. Then in 9th grade, I won Miss Congeniality in the Miss Montevallo High School pageant. I participated in Junior Miss and had a great time but did not place (everyone who placed was from the same school...coincidence?) Then my senior year I won Miss Montevallo High School. That was my last pageant but when I moved to Mobile I continued to work with pageants as the public relations intern for America's Junior Miss. I had a blast!!

Tonight I am enjoying the new and improved Miss America pageant. So far Miss Alabama has made the top 15! I hope she does well.

Movie Filled Weekend

2009-01-18T16:01:00.004-06:00

Since Jay has begun working at Publix, we rarely get Saturday's off together. This Saturday we decided to make it "movie day". We began the day with lunch then a trip to the theaters to see "My Bloody Valentine 3D". Okay, go ahead and laugh, but it was actually kinda good. I will give my reviews in a few minutes. Then we grabbed a pizza for supper and headed to the movie store. I had a free rental so we rented "Tropic Thunder". On the way home, we stopped by Walmart to try out the Redbox machine and rented "Mamma Mia". At home we watched "Tropic Thunder", "Mamma Mia", and "Vantage Point". We had a lot of fun just sitting around watching movies (and ignoring the pile of laundry and dirty dishes).

"My Bloody Valentine 3D"
This is a remake of the '80s horror flick, My Bloody Valentine. I have never seen the original so I didn't know what to expect. Bloody, very bloody. I would say about 2 minutes into the movie begins the blood bath. This movie is shown in 2D and 3D, splurge and see it in 3D. You get a funny looking pair of modern day 3D glasses (no more red and blue lenses--they now look like sunglasses). The movie began with the first killing showing and eyeball coming "off screen". I jumped many times, there are some parts that I really could have done without seeing, and many parts were just so cheesy that you had to laugh. It does have a story line even thought it was kinda predictable. There were many gratuitous 3D shots (things coming "out of the screen at you") but that is what made it a lot of fun. I would not take a child to see this movie. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.

"Tropic Thunder"
I love a good comedy but this one was a let down. There were a ton of big name actors in this movie but it never really came together for me. There were some really funny parts but a lot of just awkward parts. Jay enjoyed it more than I did. I give it 2 stars out of 5.

"Mamma Mia"
I LOVE a good musical. I have seen Mamma Mia on stage so I already knew the story line. Overall I like the movie despite some really cheesy performances by the extras. I thought Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried did an excellent job. I also really enjoyed Pierce Bronson, but I could have done without the performances of the extras. The movie follows the play the best that I can remember. I really enjoyed the last few minutes of the movie and thought Streep's performance during Winner Takes it All was really heartfelt. I give Mamma Mia 4 out of 5 stars.

This is the movie that I rented from the Redbox machine. I was really pleased with the service and you can't beat $1 for a movie rental.

"Vantage Point"
This was the last movie of the mix. Very fast paced and action packed. I had heard mixed reviews of it but decided to give it a try on HBO. It reminded me a lot of the tv show 24. The movie kept replaying the same scenes but from different characters vantage points. You find out that things are not how they seem. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Now that movie day/night has concluded, I guess I should tackle that pile of laundry and dishes. Thank goodness for one more day off.

Only You

2009-01-11T15:58:00.006-06:00

Only You
David Crowder Band

Take my heart, I lay it down
At the feet of You who’s crowned
And take my life, I’m letting go
I lift it up, to You who’s throned

Chorus
And I will worship you, Lord
Only You, Lord
And I will bow down before You
Only You, Lord

Take my fret, take my fear
All I have I’m leaving here
Be all my hopes, be all my dreams
Be all my delights, be my everything

And it’s just You and me here now
Only You and me here now

You should see the view
When it’s only You

To hear this beautiful song, scroll down to my playlist. It is the first one listed. As I looked through my pictures of Jack today, I found this picture of the cross at the chapel and thought of this song. As such a time as this, when I have had a day filled with sadness and longing, this song gives me strength.

Cold Nose and a Warm Heart

2009-01-10T21:47:00.005-06:00

Thirteen years ago, after begging for a dog, Mom and Dad told us at Christmas that soon we would be getting a puppy. John and I were beyond excited and couldn't wait until we got the puppy we had been begging for. During that same time a sweet lady in Montevallo was getting ready to welcome into the world a litter of Jack Russell puppies. Jump ahead a few weeks later, our family ventured out to her farm to pick out which puppy would soon join our family. Right away, all four of us knew which one. The pudgy puppy with the black spots. We still had to wait a few weeks until he was ready to come home with us, but little did we know, this was our first glance at the puppy that would change our lives.
Now this puppy, had quite a beginning. The week that we were supposed to pick him up, we get a phone call from the sweet little lady. There had been a mix up, and our puppy was on his way to Arkansas. She asked if we still wanted that puppy or did we want to pick out a different one. Nope, we wanted that puppy with the black spots. A day later our puppy was back in Alabama and ready to come home. ***side note: The guy who brought him back from Arkansas told us about giving him a McDonald's cheeseburger on the drive back...I bet this was were he found his love for cheeseburgers.
I remember Mom and I picking him up and I being amazed at how little he was. We brought him home and we decided to name him Jack. What better name for a Jack Russell right?
From then on, that little bundle of energy had my family wrapped around his paw.
We survived the puppy stage where he chewed on anything and everything. Watched that ball of energy run until he couldn't run anymore and play just like a toddler. We learned that if we didn't leave him toys, that he would find all kinds of mischief to get into. We watched him as he would pull every toy out of his toy box to find exactly what toy he wanted. He thought he was as big as John and I and would often eat more than us! He had a love for green beans and wouldn't eat french fries unless they had ketchup on them. He could open Christmas presents as well as a toddler could and knew exactly which presents were his. He had the most expressive looks and noises that he would make that you could swear he was talking to you.
I can't remember a day at home that I didn't get a hug from Jack. He was the most loving dog that I have ever met. He would put one paw on each shoulder and then lay his head on your chest, or put his head on your shoulder. He loved to get hugs as much as give them. His cold nose would "snoot" you until you loved on him. We always said that his cold nose meant that he had a warm heart. During the time that I was dating, my parents would go to bed but Jack would stay up and wait for me to get home. Once I would get home, I would pet him and tell him goodnight and he would go to my parents room. In the mornings, he would always come to my door to make sure that I was there. Most mornings, after my parents had gotten up, he would come and get in bed with me.
He was the best snuggle buddy. He loved to be right up against you and he would keep you warm during the coldest times. He would also wrestle you for the covers. He had this way of starting on top of the covers at the end of the bed, and then sometime during the night, make his way to the top of the bed and get under the covers.
Even after John and I moved out, Jack still would get so happy when we would come by and visit. He would great us at the door with a wagging tail and couldn't wait to get in our laps to hug us. He would stay in our laps or close to us until we left. When we went to leave, Jack would let us know that he wasn't happy with us leaving.
Words cannot explain how much my family loves this dog.
We have known for a week now that he didn't have much time. I went by my parents house on Thursday to love on Jack. I could tell that it was only a matter of time. He could barely walk and barely ate his favorite foods. His breathing was labored and it took all he had to hug me. I cried as I held him in my lap and he placed his head on my shoulder.

This afternoon, Jack went to sleep for the last time. He went peacefully and wasn't in any pain. Mom said that she and Dad had just gotten home from running some errands. Jack got up from his doggie bed, walked to his water bowl and drank some water, went back to his doggie bed, and laid down. They thought he was asleep but then realized that he wasn't breathing. We feel as if he was waiting for them to get home. Mom called me and I immediately went over. I sat with him and loved on him while my parents prepared a space for him in the yard. Mom and I lovingly wrapped him in his favorite blankets and brought him outside to my Dad. Dad, Mom, and I buried him under the cedar tree in the yard. It was one of the hardest things I have had to do. Afterwards, I stayed at my parents house for a while. I kept hearing sounds in the kitchen that I would think was him. I kept waiting for him to come and sit with me on the couch.
I know he was a dog, but our family loved that dog. He was a brother to me and another child to my parents. When any of us was sick, Jack would take care of us. He lived the best life that he could have possibly asked for. We knew that this was inevitable, but it is still hard. As my dad pointed out, "realizing it was going to happen was easy, accepting that it has happened is hard."
Please keep my family in your prayers as we slowly accept this. Jack was my Dad's constant companion and the house is going to be very quiet without him. I miss him already. I have cried most of the afternoon. Please pray for peace for my family. I leave you with a few photographs of a dog well loved.
Photobucket" border="0">

Jack

2009-01-05T22:27:00.005-06:00

I know I have asked for your prayers a lot lately (and thank you to everyone who has helped pray for those) but can you please add my sweet puppy Jack to your list? I know he is a dog, but he is so much more than that. He is a cuddle buddy, a true companion, a comforter, a second shadow. He would stay up and wait on me to get home at night, and would come to my bedroom door and check on me each morning. You can't eat anything in my parent's house without sharing a bite with Jack. He will hug your neck (no kidding) and make you feel completely loved. I should add that my cherished puppy will turn 13 on Saturday, but I am afraid he might not make it. Mom said that he is not doing well and had 4 seizures last night. (He has had seizures since he was a puppy, but I never remember him having 4 in one day) He has stopped eating and has laid around all day. His breathing is also getting very labored. I know he is old and has lived a good life, but I don't think anyone could quite understand the bond that dog has with my family. I worry about how my Dad and Mom will do without him. He is truly my Dad's best friend. Their bond is indescribable. Please pray for my family as we prepare for the inevitable and pray that Jack doesn't suffer.

PS--See the purple blanket in the pictures with Jack? At one time that was my blanket that my parents brought back from Cancun. Jack decided that it would be his blanket instead and would search it out to lay on it. I eventually turned it over to him and it could always be found on the couch or recliner for him to enjoy. He loves to be cuddled so much that when no one is around to cuddle with, he would "nest" himself in the blanket. I mean literally move the blanket around so that it resembled a nest before settling down in it.

Kevin Bacon Game

2009-01-05T22:19:00.002-06:00

I really should be asleep. I probably shouldn't have drank Mt. Dew about an hour ago.

Have you ever heard of the Kevin Bacon game? You know, where you see how many degrees of separation any star is from Kevin Bacon. Did you know that I am only separated by only 4 degrees from Kevin Bacon?
Step 1
I have a sorority sister whose....
Step 2
brother was in the movie Vanilla Sky....
Step 3
with Tom Cruise, who...
Step 4
was in "A Few Good Men" with Kevin Bacon.

How cool is that? Which makes you only 5 degrees from Kevin Bacon. Ok, so you are probably wondering why in the world I am blogging about this. Blame it on the Mt. Dew.

Exciting News!!!

2009-01-03T13:43:00.007-06:00

This fall, I heard about a grant opportunity and I figured, "Why not?!". So I wrote a grant for my dream field trip. Being that I never got a chance to go to the Space and Rocket Center as a child, I wrote a grant hoping to be able to take my students to the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Did you know that they offer a program called the "Ultimate Field Trip" that includes a guided tour of the Space and Rocket Center, a hands on lab where you learn about Mars, an IMAX movie, and lunch? Well...did you know that Target offers grants for teachers to take their kids on field trips and the max amount they offer is $800 and the Ultimate Field Trip cost $750?
Like I said, I applied for this grant figuring that it was probably too extravagant but something that I would love to offer my kids. GUESS WHAT!!!!! I got a letter in the mail today letting me know that I had been selected for the grant!!! I received the top grant too!!! $800 to take my students on my dream field trip. I am so excited!!! There is a lot of planning to do and we will probably have to find some way to pay for a charter bus to Hunstville, but I am sooooooooooo excited about this! The space unit has always been one of my favorite units to teach but now I am going to be able to offer my students and even more in-depth opportunity!

100 Things...Part 2

2009-01-01T17:23:00.001-06:00

So I promised the 2nd half of the list before Christmas, and didn't quite make that deadline. SORRY! So, here is the 2nd half of the list (better late than never!).

I already mentioned my love of music, but I didn't mention that I took piano for almost 7 years and I played the flute while in middle and high school.
I usually can memorize the words of a song by the 2nd or 3rd time I hear it.
I love to dance and took dance lessons for 13 years. I quite in high school when I made the cheerleading squad and the schedules conflicted but I never lost my love of dancing. In college I participated in the sorority dance competitions every year and loved it. We won 1st place 2 years and 2nd place one year (I left South during my Junior year of college).
I don't like to go into a dark room. If possible, I will always turn a light on before I completely enter a room. (Ok, so I am afraid of the dark--but I have a reason...)
I hate to wash dishes and clothes.
I used to have a "master list" of all of my friends birthdays and would send birthday cards (real snail mail!) on their birthdays. I hate that I have let this habit slack, I need to start doing it again.
I have met Paula Deen twice and hope to one day cook with her. We had a quick but good conversation this fall about how I love teaching kids to cook. When I say quick, it lasted less than 2 minutes but I did get to talk to her about it!
I have met Nicholas Sparks. I was so excited and so nervous that all I could say was, "I like your books." What a dork!
I am a klutz.
I remember peoples faces but I'm bad with names.
I hate for my food to touch on my plate.
I love to paint and at one point took formal painting classes.
I hate to go shoe shopping. I tend to wear a pair of shoes until they fall apart.
I love fresh flowers.
Peachy pink roses that are not tightly closed are my favorite flowers. I also love lilies.
I don't drink coffee but love hot chocolate and apple cider.
Jay and I hope to one day open a restaurant. I hope to also do some catering along with the restaurant.
I'm really starting to understand the meaning of "let go and let God."
I love my family (all of them, the whole big extended family)
I always get a knot in my stomach before someone tries something that I have made. I really hope they like it. For example, last night I made a new type of cheese ball. I have a recipe for homemade pimento cheese that everyone seems to love, so I made a batch, added a little extra cheese, and rolled the balls in pecans. The adults loved it but when it came to my little cousins trying it, I had the biggest knot in my stomach. Katie made my day though with her comment, "this is really good!" and she ate more than one cracker!
I am an American Idol fan.
I have been going to Camp Sumatanga since the 2nd grade. My first camp experience was a weekend for elementary campers and loved it so much that I begged to go back the next year. I went for one week every summer until I was 16. When I was 16, I had the opportunity to be a junior high counselor and was one for 2 years. Then I moved to Mobile and worked with Camp MASH (Make Arthritis Stop Hurting). When I moved back to Montevallo, I contacted a camp friend and volunteered to be a counselor. I ended up being a counselor 3 weeks that summer. The next two summers I was Team Coordinator for the Jr. High and Sr. High camps. For the past 2 summers I have been a junior high camp director. Funny enough, I used to always go to JH2 and that was the camp that I first was a counselor for. Now, I direct JH2.
I am very conservative.
I collected water globes.
I have broken my arm twice and hyper-extended my foot (which I had to wear a cast for).
I am a condiment queen.
I am a Daddy's girl but my Mom is one of my best friends.
In high school, I decided that I would be a "semi-vegetarian" on year. I only ate fish and chicken, no red meat or pork. I lost 10 pounds and drove my parents crazy.
I got my first car when I was 16, a Saturn, as a gift from my parents. I have only ever driven Saturn cars. I bought my first car (all on my own) when I was 24 a Saturn Vue.
I am fairly superstitious.
I hate to write papers. I would much rather go through an interview/oral presentation than write a paper.
I once entered 5 photographs into a photography competition the City of Montevallo was hosting. The winners were supposed to have their pictures printed in a Calendar the city was to produce. Much to my surprise I placed in both the professional and non professional categories. My pictures were on display with the award ribbons. I never received my awards and I don't think the calendar was ever made but it was exciting to see my photographs on display.

3rd Place Professional Photography

Honorable Mention Professional

2nd place Non-Professional

Honorable Mention Non-Professional

No award

33. If I wasn't a teacher, I would like to be a caterer or something in the medical field.
34. I am an Auburn fan. Before I decided to go to South Alabama, I was going to Auburn. I had plans to try out to be Aubie.
35. The strangest place I have ever visited was Eureka, Arkansas. It is a lot like Gatlinburg, TN but stranger. Don't get me wrong, it is a really neat place, just a little different.
36. I am scared of heights.
37. I am very self conscious of my birth mark.
38. I had Lasik surgery 3 years ago. It was one of the scariest things I have ever done and almost backed out. Did you know that you are completely awake for the surgery and it takes less than 5 minutes? I was on the table and the nurse asked me what time it was (there was a clock across the room). I was so scared and mumbled something about "I don't know". A few minutes later, she sat me up and asked again about the time. I amazingly could see across the room and told her that it was 3:15! 20 minutes later my mom was driving us back to the hotel room (she had the surgery right before me). 5 hours later (after a deep medically induced sleep) we woke up and both of us had perfect vision.
39. I only cut my hair 2-3 times a year. I always get really nervous before I cut my hair.
40. I play tennis and softball. I was on a softball team in elementary and middle school and on the tennis team my senior year of high school.
41. I love reading the al.com message boards.
42. I find astronomy fascinating. I want to get better at identifying constellations. I believe Pluto should still be considered a planet.
43. I like to take a recipe and put my own twist to it. I love making soups this way. One day, I will begin packaging my soups and selling them (maybe with homemade bread/pastries). Today, I made my take on black eyed pea soup. I call it New Year's soup. It had black eyed peas, turnip greens, bacon, onion, bell pepper, and various spices. Its a very hearty soup.
44. Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World is one of my favorite songs; such a classic!
45. I love a good challenge.
46. One of my favorite memories from this summer was our "underground church"/communion night. I had just come back to camp from a long day at AMSTI training and knew that I had to jump right into helping Jason (my wonderful co-director) set up for underground church. I was exhausted and didn't know how well this activity was going to work. The kids had fun with the activity but what really hit me was our wrap up discussion at air conditioner rock. The look on our campers faces as what Jason was saying really hit home with them. Then we sang Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone. It was my first time to hear that version of Amazing Grace but, oh my, was it beautiful. Just a guitar and 60 voices lifting up a song of prayer and praise to God in the middle of the woods on some of the most holy ground I have ever walked on. It was absolutely amazing hearing our voices sing as we sat still and watched God surround us with his love. He graced us with a cool afternoon after a long hot day and refreshed us for communion that night. After everyone returned to camp, we set up for communion. Instead of a traditional communion, we set it us as a feast with friends. We set tables up in a U shape and everyone sat on the floor. We lit a ton of candles and there were huge plates of grapes, apples, bread, and cheese set out. We had a great time conversing with friends and listening to the beautiful music being played by the band. Then two of our counselors began acting out the Last Supper. At first the kids didn't know what was going on, but when they realized what was happening, you could see it in their eyes. Communion is one of my favorite parts of any camp week. I can't put into words how special this communion was and when the campers wrote about it in their evaluations, I knew that it had been special to them too. This day is one that I will remember forever.
47. I hope to have 3 kids one day, Jay would like 1 so I think we will compromise with 2.
48. I hate feet. I don't mind my own feet but I will not touch another person's feet.
49. I always have my toe nails painted. I can't remember the last time they weren't painted. I don't like to paint my fingernails though.
50. I have visited 27 states: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York, Arizona, and the District of Columbia. I have also been out of the US to the Bahamas.

If you made it through all 100 things--way to go! I know it was a lot to read and now you know more about me. But guess what! I would like to know about you. Please leave a comment and let my know who you are. You can leave a comment even if you don't have a blogger account. Click on the Comment button. Type your comment in the comment box and then you can click on the Name/URL option. Type your name here (unless you are a blogger and you can leave you blog link). Please do not choose anonymous, I would like to know who you are.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful New Year!

Jay and I hope that your year if filled with laughter; you love those closest to you and yourself; and live life to the fullest.

Stellan

2008-12-29T17:08:00.003-06:00

Please pray for this sweet baby. He is very sick at the moment. You can follow his story at www.mycharmingkids.net. His mom is updating the Twitter column from the hospital and there you can find the most up-to-date information. Her family members are updating her blog for her, but the twitter updates are more current.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T22:12:00.008-06:00

Jay and I wish everyone a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

100 Things...Part 1

2008-12-16T19:29:00.007-06:00

So I'm sitting here watching my all time favorite Christmas movie...Merry Christmas Charlie Brown. I'm probably the only person who tears up while watching Charlie Brown, but can you get any more innocent than the love of Charlie Brown? The last 5 minutes of that movie make my heart smile.
I was talking to a good friend of mine (and someone who I look up to dearly) tonight at dinner and she mentioned that she finds out what is going on with me through my blog. So on the way home tonight it hit me, many of the people I work with really don't know all that much about me. I started thinking, what are 100 things that I think people should know/might get a kick out of knowing about me? Here are the first 50 that I came up with (in no particular order)...

I have lived in 3 different places (Montevallo, Mobile, Calera)
My favorite color is blue
Seafood is my favorite thing to eat, with ice cream in a close 2nd
I HATE hot dogs and mustard.
I collect Peanut's Gang memorabilia as in Charlie Brown and Snoopy stuff
I change hobbies with the seasons. Some past (and reoccurring) hobbies include: photography, painting, tablescapes, cross stitching, jewelry making
I met my husband at my cousin's wedding. I caught the bouquet and he caught the garter. I was there to serve the wedding cake and he was a groomsman.
I LOVE to cook especially bake. I enjoy teaching others to cook.
I am painfully shy and blush very easily.
I have always dreamed of being on tv. I have been on 1 PBS special, 2 news reports while in Mobile, 2 commercials (Mobile), and two on air interviews in Birmingham.
I hope to one day have my own tv show. I used to joke that it would be a soap opera (oh I have some crazy story lines) but now I would love for it to be a cooking show.
When I was in 5th grade, I was on the game show Nick Arcade. Nickolodeon came to Birmingham and chose people out of the crowd to participate. I was chosen for the show Nick Arcade, a game show that made the participants look as if they were playing inside of a video game.
I was a cheerleader in high school (Go Bulldogs!)
I was the mascot my senior year and received the UCA All Star mascot award
I was Miss MHS my senior year
I was Miss MHS Congeniality my freshman year
My first job was as a babysitter. I kept 3 kids that through the years expanded to 6 kids. I loved babysitting for that family. I soon established a group of families that I regularly babysat for.
I was a Pharmacy Tech for CVS pharmacy in Pelham, Columbiana, and Helena
One summer I worked as a behavior specialist for a little girl who was autistic. My job was to work with socialization. When she was working with another specialist I was the nanny for her 3 year old sister.
My first summer in Mobile, I was the public relations intern for America's Junior Miss. My job was to coordinate all of the news reporters who were coming for the program. I also coordinated all of the press passes, parent passes, chaperone passes, and back stage access. I was the assistant to the assistant who helped with the band--which was a boy band from Ireland.
I worked at Kirklands for almost 4 years. I made it all the way up to a supervisor position. I loved getting to decorate houses all over Birmingham.
I was a 2002--2003 USS Alabama Crewmate. I served as an ambassador for the state for the Tourism department. I traveled all over the state promoting tourism to Alabama. I was the first person in 20 years chosen outside of the Baldwin/Mobile area. It was one of the best years of my life.
I served as a hostess of Mobile's Bicentennial celebration. I helped host parties during the Tall Ship celebration
I am a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, Gamma Delta Chapter.
I am very sensitive and get my feelings hurt easily.
I am terrified of snakes
I love sending Christmas cards
I hope to one day write a children's book
I have seen the musical Rent (not the movie) 7 times
I used to dream of being on Broadway (but I don't like singing in public)
I don't like to pray aloud
I'm a MAJOR pack rat. I keep everything
I have a very sensitive sense of hearing and smell. I hear things before most people (at lower volumes) and smell things that most people don't.
I was born 6 weeks premature
I was on the newspaper staff in high school
I have changed my major 7 times (undergraduate and masters) Pre-med, nursing, sports and even marketing, occupational therapy, child life therapy/therapeutic recreation, elementary education, library media science, educational leadership/administration
I love the show Secret Lives of Women
I am allergic to milk but have learned how much I can tolerate before getting sick (hence my ice cream addiction)
I collect movies (my video collection is 200+, my DVD collection is 150+)
The summer before my senior year in high school, I spent 16 days in Houston, Texas participating in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine. I got to observe an open heart surgery, experience an autopsy, hold a human brain and heart, and meet some of the top doctors in America.
Spring Break my junior year in high school, I spent the week in Washington DC and New York city doing volunteer work and learning about citizenship in America
My favorite candy bar is Milky Way Midnight Dark (the dark chocolate version of a Milky Way--heavenly!)
I hate to clean
Merry Christmas Charlie Brown (the first part of A Charlie Brown Christmas) is one of my favorite movies
I love music and associate songs to different events and people in my life
I am a perfectionist to a fault
My favorite author is Jodi Piccoult
I am an avid reader and get it from my Dad
I am allergic to cats
Fairhope, Alabama is one of my favorite places to visit

So, there is Part I. Did you learn anything new? I have a random life don't you think =) But I have lived, loved, and learned through every minute of it. Part II will come before Christmas hopefully. I leave you with a clip from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Can you tell that I love this movie?

Life

2008-12-07T21:24:00.004-06:00

This entry is probably going to end up all over the place, but life lately has been like that. The past week has been a week of ups and downs and extremely fast paced.

Lets start with the good news...I was accepted! Thursday, I had my interview for the Educational Leadership program at UM. It went really well and they even let me know there in the interview that I had been accepted into the program. I was also told that my portfolio had been the best this year and one of the best that they had ever reviewed! That made me feel great because I was really beginning to doubt myself because of all the hurtles I had to jump to apply for the program. Want to know what is even crazier...I am only 1 of 4 people who they accepted into the program. Yes, you heard me right, they only accepted 4 people into the program this time! How crazy is that? But since there is only 4 of this, they are putting us on a fast track and we will graduate in a year and a half instead of the normal 2 years. I am excited about this. I am ready to have my masters and I feel really good about this program. I have had a lot of support as I have told people about my intentions. I know it will be a challenge but I am ready to take it on.

Ok, now the sad news. A friend of mine from high school passed away this week. On Monday, his mom was unable to wake him and by Wednesday he had no brain activity. I have heard a couple of speculations as to what happened but I don't know the final story. His family made the tough decision to take him off of the ventilator Wednesday night and donate his organs. Please pray for the Barnes family, this has been a really tough year for them. I still can't believe that Wesley is gone. In high school, he was one of those guys that everyone loved. He played football and was always friendly to everyone. He had a great smile and sense of humor.
I wanted to go to his visitation Friday night, but I just couldn't. This is the first time that I have had people that I am close to pass away. Yes, people I have known have passed away and I have been to my fair share of funerals, but this year it has really hit hard that people that I am close to have passed away. I have a hard time dealing with death. First Linda and now Wesley, I just couldn't handle it alone.

Back to happy times, Christmas is almost here! I would post some pictures of my Christmas decorating, but it kinda looks like Christmas threw up in our house right now. There are decorations everywhere, one tree decorated, one that still needs to be decorated, and a mini Charlie Brown tree that needs to be finished. There is wrapping paper all over the floor, and a half finished It's Christmas Charlie Brown puzzle on the coffee table. Its a little overwhelming, I wish I could find some elf that would come and clean my house for me.

10 days of school left...it should be fun. If I can keep their attention for 5 more days, I will be happy. That last week before we get out for the break should be fun. On Monday, we have a field trip, Tuesday should be normal, Wednesday we are doing "Christmas Around the World" as a whole day activity, Thursday is our annual Gingerbread House Extravaganza, and Friday is "Polar Express" pajama party day. That last week should be fun. I hope our classroom elf Max can keep up with all the fun. The kids have been so funny about Max. Each day, they look to see where he has moved, and if he has made a mess. On Friday, they were pretty sure he had changed clothes =) Oh the imagination of 2nd graders!

Snow?

2008-11-30T13:06:00.004-06:00

When I was a little girl, I used to always wish for a white Christmas. I think it came from my love of old Christmas movies; all of them had snow in them. Unfortunately, living in Alabama, we don't get much of the white stuff.
I have been following the weather for the past few days (yes, I am a weather nerd) and there is a chance of snow tonight and tomorrow. They are predicting a rain/snow shower mix beginning tonight. The ground is too warm for it to stick but (despite the cold) if we do see some white stuff tonight, Jay and I might have to go walking through the neighborhood to see the Christmas lights. I think this might be as close to a White Christmas that I can get.

Check out www.jamesspann.com and click on the blog link to follow the weather with me.

UPDATE: There have been reports of snow in Biloxi and flurries in Gulf Shores.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T23:31:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year as usual. Good food, good times, and beautiful weather. Thanksgiving has always been one of my one of my favorite holidays. I love getting to gather with my family for a happy occasion. Here are some pictures from that day. We spent Thanksgiving down on the farm in River Bend.

The boys played football after their big lunch.

My Family

My brother

My cousin Stephanie and her family

My mom and her brothers

Bubba (Aunt Becky's brother) and his wife Coral

Aunt Becky and her brother Bubba (his real name is Richard)

The whole family (thanks to the tripod and timer)

Aunt Becky and Uncle John

Aunt Becky, Uncle John, and my cousins Stephanie and Paul

Preview for Penny

2008-11-23T17:01:00.004-06:00

I had the pleasure of getting to spend the afternoon with Penny and her beautiful babies. Here are a few pictures that we took. Here are a few of my favorites.

Tag! You're it.

2008-11-22T23:47:00.003-06:00

This is from my cousin Bailey. If you are reading it, then tag! you're it. Now it is your turn to fill it out.

Eight TV shows that I (currently) watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Desperate Housewives
3. Fringe
4. Top Chef
5. Heroes
6. Ugly Betty
7. Dancing with the Stars
8. Anything on the Food Network

Eight Favorite Restaurants: (in no particular order)
1. Cajun Steamers
2. Olive Garden
3. Chili's
4. Five Guys
5. Cheesecake Factory
6. Taziki's
7. Gambino's
8. Original Oyster House

Eight Things that happened this weekend:
1. I turned 27
2. Went to dinner with Jay, my parents, my brother and his girlfriend
3. Made homemade chili
4. Did laundry
5. Set up the Christmas tree (but I refuse to decorate it until after Thanksgiving)
6. Ate birthday cake
7. Slept in
8. Attempted to clean house

Eight Things I look forward to:
1. Thanksgiving with the family
2. Thanksgiving break
3. Decorating the house for Christmas
4. Christmas shopping
5. Finishing my current book and starting a new one
6. Getting to practice my photography skills--so far I have 2 families I am photographing for Christmas cards, let me know if you are interested!
7. Christmas baking
8. Christmas break

Eight Things on My Wishlist:
1. Treadmill
2. Cricut machine
3. A clean house
4. To lose some weight
5. For Jay and I to find a church that we both like
6. A long vacation
7. Some new books to read
8. For the economy to get better

Fryday Fun

2008-11-22T10:11:00.002-06:00

For a few months now I have really enjoyed reading MCKMama's blog about her amazing babies. She always has the cutest stories about her kiddos not to mention beautiful pictures of them. Also, the story about her newest addition is a true testimony to prayer. If you get a chance, check out her blog My Charming Kids.

I know I have mentioned her blog before. She is responsible for the fun "Not Me! Monday" posts and the "Wordless Wednesday" posts. Currently she is doing a contest for her readers that I am entering. Besides being a mommy, she is also a photographer. I have enjoyed reading her photography tips and now know what "noise" is in photographs.

So, check out her blog! I will be updating about my wonderful birthday some time later today hopefully.

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-17T21:40:00.007-06:00

This is a week full of birthdays!
Tomorrow is my sweet baby niece, Harper Ann's First Birthday!
Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! We love you!

Big Picture Post

2008-11-11T20:52:00.015-06:00

Jay and I just got back from our wonderful mini-vacation. We had a blast and even got a little Christmas shopping done. The trip was very relaxing and refreshing. I got to spend some time with my husband and my camera. Jay was very patient as I explored the grounds looking for the perfect picture. I have included many of the pictures from Monday and Tuesday. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them. I think my favorites are the sunset pictures from the pier.

There were butterflies everywhere we looked today! Here are a few shots I was able to get. I guess this was part of the Monarch's migration south.

I set the tripod up hoping to get some good shots that I might use as a Christmas card. We had fun taking these pictures. A couple of times we thought that the white duck might join us in the shot.

The ducks were so hungry that they ate the fern.

Shhhh...the duck is sleeping.
Our friend, the hungry duck. He was not shy at all. While we were taking pictures he came as close as a foot away from us.

The bay was beautiful today. The water was calm and so blue. I wish it was warmer so we could have played in it. How calm and refreshing it was.

The weather was absolutely perfect for a November day. A green flag means everything is good and calm waters.

This is the Grand Cannon. The Grand Hotel has a long history and every day at 4pm the fire the cannon in honor of the history. There is a whole story that goes with this but I don't remember it, sorry!

This was a cute little garden tucked behind one of the buildings.
I love the grounds at the Grand Hotel. And the swings are a perfect place to take in the beauty of the bay.

I had read about these fire pits that are lit each night for guests to sit around and enjoy. Monday night we searched for them but didn't find them. Tuesday while we were exploring, we found them! They were one more building over from where we stopped the night before.
Jay made a friend while we were exploring.
This is the Spa building at the Grand Hotel. This is the building we stayed in.

Okay so I realize that the pictures are out of order, but it was easier to upload them in order from my camera and I used two different cards.
When we arrived in Fairhope Monday evening, the sunset was in full glory. We stopped at the Fairhope Pier so I could take some pictures. Personally, I think they are beautiful. The fiery colors of the sky were amazing and you can see the transition to a cool evening.

This boat was for sale. Jay and I hope to one day own one like it.

I am really excited about how these two pictures turned out. This was my attempt at some artsy composition pictures. The sunset was gorgeous that night.

The sun was setting fast and I knew I didn't have time to set up the tripod so we took this picture ourselves holding the camera. We always take a picture at the Fairhope Pier. This is the latest installment.

Yes, the pool is still beautiful in the fall. Would you believe that there were people swimming in it the next day?!
These two pictures are of the marina that was outside of our building.

These are two of the original doors from the Grand Hotel. They have even withstood hurricanes.

I had wanted to stop by the USS Alabama to see some old friends but the crowd there was overwhelming. So I took some pictures as we drove past.

These next few photo's made me sad. First, when we arrived at Point Clear on Monday night, we were so excited about a yummy meal at Gambino's. Much to our disappointment, this was the sign that we saw...
No Gambino's for us! Then on Tuesday, we we decided to stop by Picklefish to get pizza to bring home. But guess what! It has closed too! Whats the deal?

So as you can see, Jay and I had a fun mini-vacation in Fairhope. We are already planning a return trip before Christmas.

Mini-Vacation, Here We Come!

2008-11-09T14:36:00.007-06:00

My sweet husband and I are off to a quick vacation to Fairhope tomorrow. I am beyond excited. I need a break. He deserves a break (after his crazy schedule at the new job). When we chose the Grand Hotel as our honeymoon vacation, part of the reason was because it was close enough that it could be a special getaway when we needed. So I am excited about our trip to Fairhope tomorrow and our stay at the Grand Hotel. This is part of my birthday present. Yipee!!

We are looking forward to beautiful scenery, restful and peaceful sleep, yummy food, and a trip filled with laughter and memories. We don't really have any plans for when we get down there except for our meals. Of course we have them planned out already. Monday dinner at Gambino's, Tuesday lunch at Panini Pete's, and Tuesday dinner at The Oyster House. And on the way out, we will get Picklefish Pizza to bring home. Can you tell that we like to eat?
I'm sure we will make a visit to the Fairhope Pier and take our picture (something we do every time we are there), and we will probably go to our bookstore in downtown Fairhope and visit some of the other little shops. I would really like to tour the cathedral in Mobile. I have always wanted to do that and the one time I almost got to, Mass was going on and I wasn't going to interrupt.

On another note, here are a few pictures I have taken recently.

Mom and I at the Centrala Garden Club Tablescapes luncheon.

Mom and her table. I was my Dad's idea to do a John Deere themed table. I thought it turned out really cute!

One night while Jay was at work, I decided to be Suzy-Fix-It and change a burned out light bulb. Well, I pulled on the light fixture and nothing happened so I started turning and it kept turning. I thought I was doing everything right, UNTIL the light fixture came out of the wall! Imagine my surprise! I was stuck on a ladder at home by myself with a light fixture in my hands. Luckily, I just happened to have my cellphone in my pocket and I called my parents. Mom and Dad came to my rescue! This picture was taken after I had pulled out all of the insulation that came down with the light fixture.

I took this picture Friday afternoon as I was leaving school. Aren't the leaves gorgeous! It is one of the many reasons I love fall!

Chasing a dream

2008-11-03T21:27:00.002-06:00

I am so glad that tomorrow is Election Day. Anxious, yes but glad that all of this will be over soon. I have enjoyed getting to teach my students about the election process without going into choosing candidates.

Before I tell you this...please promise that you won't laugh.
Promise?
Okay...I have decided to pursue a dream of mine.

I think most everyone knows how much I LOVE to cook. As much as I love cooking, I love teaching children to cook even more. I recently (as in yesterday) found out about an opportunity to audition for the Food Network. The Food Network is my favorite tv network and it is my dream to one day have a show that airs on the network. Well, I have 10 days to complete my application and tape my video to submit. I have wrestled with doubt all day today but in the end, I realize that I will never have the opportunity if I don't try. So, keep your fingers crossed for me and I will keep you updated on the process. Pray that I don't go crazy in the next few days filling out the mounds of paper work and taping my sales pitch.

In other news...Jay is in full swing at his new job. The pay is better, benefits are much better, and he has such great possibilities ahead of him with it. The hours aren't great (especially by not quite newlywed standards) but we are learning to adjust. Jay has been hired by Publix to be an assistant meat cutter. This is an entry level position but has great potential. Right now he is working as the seafood specialist, so if you are at the Alabaster Publix, please stop by and say "hi!" We are hoping that he will be fully trained as a meat cutter so that when the new Calera store opens, he can transfer to that store as a meat manager.

Please don't forget to vote tomorrow. It is your choice as to who you vote for, but be sure to vote one way of another!

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

2008-10-19T19:54:00.007-05:00

Today, I got to experience the Pumpkin Patch Express with my inlaws and adorable niece and nephew. My sister in law, Carla, her husband, Barry, and Hudson got to ride up front with the engineer. Me, Brenda, Terry, and Harper rode in the air conditioned car on the way to the pumpkin patch and then everybody rode on the open-air car on the way back. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day.

On our way to the pumpkin patch.

How cute is she?!?!

Fall Tablescape

2008-10-15T06:45:00.007-05:00

Most of you know of my new hobby...tablescapes. Here is my fall tablescape. I am working on a painting to go in the dining room and I will post updated pictures once he painting is done. Since I took these pictures, I have changed the white candles to brown.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-15T06:20:00.013-05:00

Letting Go

2008-10-06T22:13:00.008-05:00

Live

Lately, I have really enjoyed reading McMamma's blog. She recently posted an entry that I felt could have been written about me. The top part of this entry reminds me of some of my recent struggles. Click here to read it.

I love being in a leadership role. Every time I have taken a Spiritual Gifts inventory, leadership and administration have come up as strengths. Lately though, there are times that I feel like I have gotten in over my head. There are days that I want to just close my door and say let me be me. And just when I think I am ready to give in, God shows me a new path to things. I am not complaining about anything, actually I am truly honored with some of my recent undertakings. Just feeling a little overwhelmed at times.

Last week was really hard on me. I am still struggling with the fact that Linda is gone. There were certain parts of the day that I would always see her. Some days it would just be a smile and hello. Other days it would be an encouraging word or pat on the back. Each day was topped off with a smile. I find myself turning corners in the hall waiting to see her. I miss her eating lunch with us and keeping us laughing. I am thankful that I got to work so closely with her last year. On her last day, I am so thankful for our last conversation. The year before (when Linda was in my room every afternoon) when we made apple dumplings, Linda loved them. So this year when we made them, I made sure to save her one. Friday afternoon around 3:30, she came to my room. We spent about 20 minute just catching up and eating apple dumplings. Just trying to start a conversation I asked, "So hows life?" Linda's response, "Its all good". You were right Linda. It is all good. It is hard. It is fun. It is not fair. It has its moments. But it is all good. At the funeral, Linda's husband got up to talk. First of all I was amazed that he was able to do that. But most of all I loved what he had to say. He made a point to make sure you let people know how much you love them and appreciate them. As the pall bearers were ushering Linda out of the church, everyone stood and clapped to say "Job Well Done". It was an amazing experience. Just imagine, a church filled with people who loved and appreciated you, applauding your life. That was Linda. That is Linda.

The pain of that day was eased thanks to two good friends. Last year, Penny, Lakesha, Mrs. Cleere, Linda, and I became a "happy little family." Our happy little family got a little smaller last week but we were able to all turn to each other for love and support. I got to spend most of Wednesday with Penny and Lekesha. I don't think those two ladies know how much I appreciate them and how I look up to them. Our conversation in the car that day meant the world to me. One thing that I realized from our conversation is the intention of prayer. How many times has some one asked you to pray for them, a friend, or a cause only to say okay and then never follow through. We each decided that from now on, that when someone asks you to pray for them, that we would take a few seconds right then to say a prayer. That person doesn't have to know what you are doing, but it is the intentional act of following through with your promise.

I got to spend some good quality time with my Mom this weekend. Before I got married, my Mom was my best friend. She is still my best friend, I just don't get to do stuff with her like I did when I lived at home. Sunday we went to the Southern Women's Show. We got tickled at many of the pushy vendors, got to try some new things, and bought a few nifty gadgets. Afterwards we went shoe shopping. Now I am not a shoe person. Honestly, I hate buying shoes and once I find a pair that I actually like, I wear them until they fall apart. I hate shoe shopping unless I am with my Mom. Sunday we spent almost 2 hours shoe shopping and it seemed like only a few minutes. I walked away with a new pair of brown shoes and a new pair of black shoes. She walked away with a new pair of black high heels.

Ok...so I have rambled enough for tonight. Once last thought....a large emphasis this past week has been put on attitude and how you handle your struggles. We watched a clip from the movie "Facing the Giants" today during our faculty meeting. How fitting of a movie it was for our faculty. We have been faced with a lot of change this year. You can tell a lot about different people this year based on how they are handling the changes. One of my favorite quotes from Harry Potter puts it in perspective: "It is our choices [Harry], far more than our abilities, that shows who we truely are."

I know you!

2008-09-28T20:14:00.002-05:00

Laugh

So it seems that I have a couple of body doubles scattered around the state. It has been funny the conversations that I have had lately.

Tonight, Jay and I were at Olive Garden for dinner. This is the conversation we had with our waitress.
Waitress: I have been watching you all night and you look, act and sound just like a friend of mine.
Me: Really?
Waitress: Yeah, its so weird. My friend Holly is just like you.
Me: Really? My name is Holly.
Waitress: No way! How weird. I can't believe you are so much like her. But she doesn't live around here. She lives in Montevallo.
Me: I'm from Montevallo.
Waitress: No way!
Me: What is your name again?
Waitress: Alisha
Me: Thats kinda cool that you know someone who has my name that is so much like me.

For the life of me, I did not recognize this person. I did not recognize her name or her face and I'm usually pretty good with faces. But what are the chances that there is another Holly that lives in Montevallo that looks and acts like me?

A couple of months ago, I was in Hobby Lobby in Tuscaloosa with my mother in law. Across the store I hear someone yelling, "Hillary!". Well I ignored it because I didn't know who Hillary was. The next thing I know, someone is grabbing my shoulder and turning me around.
Girl: "Hillary, didn't you hear me calling you?"
Me: I'm not Hillary
Girl: Yes you are. You're name is Hillary.
Me: No, I'm Holly.
Girl: No, you are Hillary. You used to babysit me and my sister.
Me: No, I'm Holly and I've never babysat for two sisters.
Girl: Are you sure you are not Hillary? You look, act, walk, and talk just like her.
Me: (laughing) No, I'm Holly.
Girl: Oh my gosh, you laugh just like her. You have to be Hillary.
Me: No, I'm Holly.
Girl: (pretty upset that I'm not Hillary) Are you sure? You have to be her.
Me: (I was getting really uncomfortable at this point) I really need to go.

It was the weirdest encounter. She was honestly convinced I was Hilary and that I used to babysit her.
Later that day, while we were eating, the waiter made the comment that I looked familiar. We joked at the the table that maybe I reminded him of "Hilary".

Have you ever been mistaken for someone?

Sad News

2008-09-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

I just found out that a friend of mine has passed away. Linda worked in my class last year as an aide. She was always a smiling face around the school and I was disappointed when I found out that she was not going to be working in my class this year. JUST yesterday she stopped by my room for a snack and chat. Last year when we made apple dumplings, she loved them. So yesterday when we made them, I was sure to save one for her. We spent a good 20 minutes just chatting. I will forever remember that last moment I had with Linda. Her daughter, a senior in high school, came in last night and found her on the floor. The doctors think that she might have had a heart attack. Please keep Linda, her family, and our faculty in your prayers. I am still in shock. I am going to miss Linda dearly.

Not Me! Monday

2008-09-22T18:25:00.007-05:00

Laugh

So I have decided to participate, and you should too! If you decide to play along, please leave a comment so I may read your "No Me! Monday" post too. I also encourage you to check out MckMamma's Not Me! Monday post.

This weekend, I did not spend 4 hours in bed watching Sarah Plain and Tall, Skylark, and Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End. I read these stories to my students, why should I waste my weekend watching the movies when there is laundry and cleaning to be done? Nope, I didn't enjoy watching these movies on the Hallmark channel. Who watches the Hallmark channel?

Today, I did not spend an hour building a scarecrow with my students when we were supposed to be doing science. 2nd grade is not supposed to be fun. Who builds scarecrows anyhow? Not Me!

Speaking of scarecrows...

I was not scared by a scarecrow standing in the corner of my room when I came in from making copies this afternoon. I didn't think it was a stranger in my room when I was at school alone. I am not jumpy like that.

Update:

Tonight I did not make a hummingbird cake and reserve 2 spoonfuls of homemade cream cheese icing for my enjoyment at a later time.

On a different note, please keep my father in law in your prayers tomorrow. He had an arteriergram (I have no clue how to spell that) today and his carotid arteries are 90% blocked. He will be having surgery tomorrow to clean out his arteries. The doctor is pretty confident that everything will go well but there is always that what if's to worry about.

Prayer

2008-09-20T20:09:00.002-05:00

Please keep a dear family friend in your prayers tonight and tomorrow. Sally, who is more family than just a friend, fell this afternoon and broke her hip. She will be having surgery tomorrow to fix it. She is such a strong and amazing woman! After falling this afternoon, she got back into her truck and drove herself home. I have known her and her husband George for all of my life and love them dearly. Pray for a easy surgery and fast recovery.

Ramblings

2008-09-18T20:19:00.003-05:00

Live

Just a few ramblings to share...

I just finished reading The Shack this week. It was an interesting book. I really enjoyed it and found myself getting lost in the book and lost in deep thought. The vision of seeing God as a black female answering to the name of Papa amused me but the more I thought about it..why not. No one ever said that God had to be an old, white bearded man. I will be honest though, I can't decide if the book is true or not. It is written as if it is a true story, but when I researched some of the details, the only information I can find is about the book. It got me thinking about a lot of stuff. I don't necessarily agree with everything the book suggested but it did get me thinking about my own spiritual beliefs. How cool would it be though to sit on a dock, beside a lake, beneath a mountain, and look up at a star filled sky and talk to Jesus. But the more I think about it, I have done such a thing. I have sat in a chigger bowl (open grassy field), on a campsite, beneath a mountain, and looked up at a clear and star filled sky and felt the love of God surround me. But I digress...if you are looking for a book to read, try The Shack by William Young.

I absolutely love my class this year. I have 18 second graders who are full of life and every day with them is a new adventure. Each one is so different and unique and has so much to offer our group. This afternoon we were talking about potential and kinetic energy (a pretty abstract topic for 7/8 year olds). Well I pulled out an old fashioned metal slinky. My kids were amazed by this small toy of twisted metal. We spent 30 minutes talking about potential and kinetic energy and then building a staircase out of science books so that we could watch the Slinky "walk down stairs". I love getting to make science fun and sharing new (well an old toy) things with them.

I am so excited that it is almost fall. Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love watching the leaves change colors; the crisp chill in the air (when it is warm during the day and cool at night); the smells of cinnamon, pumpkin, and campfire; and getting to pull out my favorite fall clothes. My favorite holiday also happens in the fall, Thanksgiving. Welcome fall!

So thats my share of ramblings for tonight.

What a weekend...

2008-09-13T18:24:00.002-05:00

LIVE

What a weekend it has already been! This weekend, my school hosted its' first fall festival. It was a HUGE success. Each teacher pod created a game for the kids so the school had games throughout the whole building. The gym was filled with inflatables (and fortunately we did not blow the circuit like we did this summer at camp). And the most fun part of all (for me at least) is that we had vendors set up down the main hallway. I got to host the Pampered Chef booth with Sarah. Sarah's daughter McKenzie was in my class last year. We had the best time getting to talk and catch up and then selling and promoting our great products. I made some unexpected sales and booked a few parties. I am so excited. It was great to see some of my previous students and my current students. The PTO did a wonderful job organizing the event.
Speaking of Pampered Chef, if you ever need anything from us or you would like to hold a party, please let me know. I have a website but I cannot directly link it here (against the rules) but if you type in www. and pamperedchef.biz and then add /hollyjackson you will be taken to my website. You can order directly from my website and even view our outlet for some great discounted discontinued products.
If you have wondered why I write Live, Love, or Laugh at the top of each entry, is because that is the theme I have chosen for our blog. Those three words can describe mine and Jay's relationship and each entry centers around one of those themes. I hope you can enjoy reading about us as much as I enjoy sharing a little bit of our lives.
WAR EAGLE!

The last of them...

2008-09-09T20:01:00.008-05:00

Some are out of order, but here is the last of the wedding pictures that I am going to post. Like I said, there were over 300 pictures so I picked some of my favorites.

Even More Pictures

2008-09-08T21:32:00.004-05:00

The guest from my side of the family.

The guest from Jay's side of the family. I was laughing at something.

My favorite picture of my Daddy.

Paula played the piano and Barry was our minister.

My favorite picture with my Mom.

More Pictures

2008-09-08T21:14:00.003-05:00

The first picture is probably one of my favorites from the day. It was by chance that this picture was taken. It was after the ceremony, after the reception, on our way to leave. Jay had to run by the "courthouse" where he got ready to grab some of his stuff. Krista snapped this shot of us quickly. I love it.

More Wedding Pictures

2008-09-08T20:38:00.004-05:00

Love

Here are a few more wedding pictures. My computer has been acting funny so I am only able to add a few at a time. Some are from when we were getting ready that day, then there are some more of my bridal portraits, and then some of our engagement pictures. More pictures to come!

This is the American Village, where we were married.

Auburn vs. Alabama

2008-09-07T15:39:00.009-05:00

Laugh

It seems that in Alabama, you fall into one of two categories: Auburn fans or Alabama fans. Jay and I have a duel party household so we have to find ways to honor both teams. In honor of football season, I have decorated our dining room with a Auburn vs. Alabama theme. My tablescape was created with a table cloth that is half Auburn and half Alabama. There are two Auburn place settings and two Alabama place settings. I am working on two paintings to go in our dining room to complete the set up. WAR EAGLE!!!

The whole table, Auburn vs. Alabama. I am still looking for the right thing to go in the middle as a centerpiece. Suggestions are welcome!

The two Auburn place settings. The 2nd plate is a navy blue plate even though it almost looks black in the picture.

These are the two Alabama place settings.

Recipe Time

2008-09-03T19:37:00.010-05:00

Live

So as you most know, I LOVE to cook. It is fun and relaxing for me. Also, I love the time Jay and I get to spend together enjoying a home cooked meal. I am always on the look out for new recipes. I also like creating my own recipes. I plan on sharing some of my favorite recipes every now and then.

Tonight, Jay and I enjoyed a new recipe I found. It was a quick and easy recipe and completely delicious! Enjoy!!

Pepper Steak
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 pound boneless beef sirloin, cut into strips (I used fajita meat)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Kraft original BBQ sauce

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Be sure to spray it generously with nonstick spray. Add all of the bell pepper and onions. Saute until the peppers and onions are soft (about 10 minutes) and stir often. I added about 3 Tbsp of water to the pan when the peppers and onions began to stick. Once the peppers and onions are soft, remove them from the skillet and place in a bowl.

Into the same skillet, add the meat, garlic, and black pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes stirring often. Add the soy sauce and continue to cook the meat until it is cook through. Add the BBQ sauce and cook until it is heated through.

Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and toss to mix with the meat and sauce. Continue heating for another 2 minutes to warm the peppers and onions.

I served this over white rice with green beans and corn. A very yummy supper!

Who are you?

2008-09-02T21:55:00.004-05:00

Wow! Our counter has jumped from 0 to 31 in about 30 minutes. Please comment and let us know who is visiting our blog.

Beach Trip

2008-09-02T20:38:00.017-05:00

Live

This summer, we got to spend a week at the Beach Club in Gulf Shores. Here are a few pictures from the week.

We were so glad to finally be there.

We took a day trip over to Fairhope. We absolutely love Fairhope (which just happens to be where we went on our honeymoon).

After eating at Gambino's, one of our favorite places to eat.

Fairhope Pier--we take the same picture every time we visit.

Date night

Jay and Harper Ann, our niece

Me and Harper

Hudson was packed and ready to go!

Wedding Pictures

2008-09-01T21:54:00.013-05:00

Love

I know the wedding was over 16 months ago, but I thought I would share some wedding pictures for those who haven't seen them. Jay and I were married on April 14, 2007 at the American Village in Montevallo. It was absolutely everything I could have ever dreamed of. Our wedding was simple yet wonderful. It was a ceremony filled with love for each other, love from our family, and love from our friends. We were blessed to have it officiated by Barry Kornegay, a long time family friend. His wife Paula played the piano beautifully and his daughter Elizabeth graced us with her angelic voice. Friends and family traveled from all parts of the US to help us celebrate our special day. This is only a few of the pictures, the ones that I had quick access to on my computer. Hopefully I will be able to post more at another time.

The entire wedding party

My beautiful bridesmaids: Jan (maid of honor), Caitlin, Carla (Jay's sister), and Crystal.
This was taken a few minutes after we saw each other for the first time. Since we decided to take pictures before the ceremony, we got to meet each other in the chapel alone first before the photographer came in. It was a very sweet moment.

Us and my parents

It was supposed to be really bad weather the day of our wedding. It rained for most of the morning but cleared up right before the ceremony. We were shuttled from the chapel to the reception site on golf carts. We were so happy!

These are a few of my bridal portraits. They were taken by Krista Stone a wonderful photographer from Calera.

Live. Laugh, Love

2008-09-01T21:48:00.004-05:00

I have been using Livejournal as a blogging site for a couple of years now, but have decided to move on to a new blog to journal about mine and Jay's many adventures. The majority of our daily musings could be classified as the joys, trials, and lessons of living; our love of laughter; or our journey of love. Join us as we celebrate life and share laughter and love.