The Gardners

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Most of my meals are repeats from last week that didn't get made.

Monday: sweet and spicy honey grilled shrimp with brown rice and broccoli.
Tuesday: Leadership chili cookoff.
Wednesday: pan roasted chicken with lemon garlic green beans.
Thursday: ginger and cilantro baked tilapia with sugar peas and mushrooms and brown rice.
Friday: grab a bite to eat after church.
Saturday: salmon burgers unless plans come up.
Sunday: Superbowl party

5th Anniversary Trip Part 2: Napa Vally

2012-01-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

The first leg of our trip was spent in beautiful Napa Valley...we loved it and cannot wait to go back!

Our bed and breakfast the Churchill Manor built in the late 1800's

A view of our room, it was really beautiful

Our first morning out we booked a hot air balloon ride over Napa, it was a great decision and a wonderful way to see Napa.

Drew and I in the basket over 1,000 feet in the air...a little scary

Napa sunrise from our balloon, incredible!

A view of the vineyards and our balloon

We took the Wine train across the valley and saw tones of vineyards while enjoying a delicious lunch.

On the wine train we stopped at Grgich Hills winery and got a tour and tasting.

The grapes

hundreds and hundreds of French oak wine barrels...they only cost $1,400 each!

On our last day in Napa we headed to "the Castles" our first stop was Castillo De Amerosa (The Castle of Love) it is an authentic Italian Renaissance castle made from stones of real castles and built the same way the old Italian castles would have been made.

The view from the castle

Drew's locked up, he's been causing trouble again!

My knight in shining armor

The torture chamber complete with authentic torturing devices.

A view from the castle after we headed to another "castle"

The gondola ride up to sterling vineyards

This castle is modeled after the Greek architecture and has a great view from the top of the hill

Drew and I the last outing on our trip to Napa

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

Monday: Cilantro Lime Shrimp with black beans
Tuesday: Salmon in a spicy garlic tomato sauce with brown rice and Brussels sprouts
Wednesday: Salmon burgers and salad
Thursday: Ginger and cilantro tilapia with brown rice
Friday: Something quick before church
Saturday: Sweet and spicy honey garlic shrimp with steamed broccoli and brown rice
Sunday: Something quick before financial peace university

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-16T16:38:00.001-08:00

Monday: Dinner on my own...breakfast for dinner
Tuesday: Go out for dinner
Wednesday: Cilantro lime shrimp with rice and beans
Thursday: Salmon Burgers with Veggies
Friday: Something quick before church
Saturday: Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and bagels
Lunch: Open faced chicken and cheese sandwich with fruit
Dinner: Tortilla crusted tilapia with veggies
Sunday: Chicken Kebabs with rice and beans

5th Anniversary Trip Part 1: The Road

2012-01-13T14:10:00.001-08:00

Saturday December 17 we headed out on our two week adventure half way across the United States. Here are our pictures from our travel days to our ultimate destination Napa, CA.

Adios Texas...hello California! And the journey begins!

The trusty vehicle that got there and back again (not a Hobbit's Tale)

The exciting beautiful land of New Mexico (definitely the land of enchantment here).

We headed over to Carlsbad caverns to get out of the car for a few hours

Tour guide Drew...ready to take us through the caves

To the bat cave...stinky

...but really beautiful inside

From New Mexico we headed to Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. We stopped at Meteor Crater to get out of the car. Here it is, the big gaping hole in the ground. I wish we took a picture of a chunk of the meteor that hunk of metal was impressive (I believe it was something along the lines of 1,400 lbs. at about 2 feet tall and 3 1/2 feet long).

Arizona...snow? Who knew?

Welcome to California, the Golden State (we still have several hours to go the next day until Napa).

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Monday: Tortilla crusted Tilapia with black bean and corn salsa
Tuesday: FPU meeting at Chuys
Wednesday: Salmon burgers with broccoli
Thursday: Girls night, eggs Benedict and watching The Help
Friday: Sweet Chili Lime chicken with brown rice and black beans
Saturday: Breakfast, eggs with spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Open
Sunday: Lunch with family after church
Dinner: Leftovers

Gardner Family Pictures

2012-01-07T12:54:00.001-08:00

Back in November we had Gardner family portraits done for MIL's birthday. They turned out really nice.

Sisters, it looks like they're having tea

Silly siblings

I always love the jumping pictures, but we had a hard time...

Ashlyn being a ham

Mom and Dad

The Bandy Family

Ben & Mikaela

A Picture A Day

2012-01-03T19:33:00.001-08:00

I got this from a friends blog and I am going to keep up with the Photo a day challenge. I'll keep it updated on Facebook and put some of the better ones on here!

3. Something I adore...

2011 Highlights

2012-01-03T18:20:00.001-08:00

Here they are, the 2011 highlights...

We experienced a 4 day freeze in January and 4 days off!

In February I started my own classroom

I turned 25 in April

We went to a Mavs playoff game...and they won the national championship

I learned how to sew (a dress for Ashlyn)

In May Ashlyn turned 2!

We got my mom family portraits for mothers day

My mom turned the big 5-0 in May

We took a trip to the east coast in June (we headed out to a lake in Virginia, DC, and Williamsburg)

We joined a life group...some of the amazing ladies in our group!

In August, Drew turned 27

In September we got Aggie season tickets again...not as good of a season this year :/

We became DEBT FREE!!! in October

Gardner family portraits in November

In December Drew and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary with a road trip to Napa, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.

New Year Resolutions

2012-01-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

These are my resolutions from 2010, apparently I never made them last year. Here they are again with the updates.

1. To read the daily devotional provided by our church.
I didn't do so well on this one. I would occasionally read them, but I was never consistent.
2. To stay on top of the 365 couple devotional that Drew and I decided to do together.
We finished, but most nights we read a couple devotionals to complete it in the year that we started...I still don't think we finished it in a year.
3. Eat healthier and work out more regularly (shouldn't be hard since I don't ever work out).
ummm...not so good on this one, I had strong moments but a pretty weak year over all. Drew and I both lost a few pounds here or there on a diet plan that really worked, we just need to stick to it!
4. Get moving on my scrapbooking...I have all the stuff, it just sits in a closet.
I got one thing done, I made my sister an accordion picture album, it turned out really cute, but there is more I want to do.
5. Take more pictures
I've done a little better on this one, but a lot of times I forget to take out the camera...still a work in progress.
6. Blog more often and comment on peoples blogs...I love when people leave me comments, I'm sure my friends love getting comments too!
Sorry if you haven't gotten comments from me, I'm so bad at this. I want to continue to get better I've noticed the more I comment on others blogs, the more comments I get back.
7. Get the house clean and keep it clean on a regular basis (deep clean the closets)
Deep clean the closets= a negative. The house typically remains cleaner, but I could still get better. When I get busy with work is when it gets put on the back burner.
8. Finish decorating our house and put the tile in the bathrooms that we bought
Bathrooms are done, I do need to finish the guest room...Thanks for the Hobby Lobby gift card mom, it'll be put to good use!
9. Have more people over for dinner (I love having guests)
We definitely got this one right. We joined a life group at church and have made some AMAZING friends!
10. Get more involved in church and make more friends!
I would say we accomplished this one as well. We became leaders for Financial Peace University (we love helping people get on the path to financial freedom), and we joined a life group!

2012 New Years Resolutions

1. Live a healthier lifestyle...eat healthier and workout=lose weight
2. Actually create the pins I have on Pinterest (food, clothes, and decorating)
3. Organize, go through all closets and drawers and clean them out. Get rid of things we don't need!
4. Spend more time in the Word, building accountability, and strengthening my foundation in Christ. (Both Drew and I share this goal as individuals and as a couple).
5. Be a better wife and friend (which I think will be accomplished from goal number 4).
6. Blog more consistently and timely (I still have life group Christmas pictures to post).

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from the Gardners!

We enjoyed New years at Lake Hugo in Oklahoma, a annual tradition for my parents. We had a great time.

5 years ago

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

5 years ago today I walked down the aisle to merry my best friend. The past five years have been an adventure and I can't wait to see what the future brings. I am so blessed to share my life with you, I love you Drew!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born,

to us a Son is given,

and the government will be on His shoulders.

And He will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Prince.

Merry Christmas Y'All

Chili Night

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

It has finally gotten cold enough where I can justify a chili night. Chili just doesn't sound good to me on a warm night. So I (I mean Drew) cooked up a pot of chili and we had our GREAT friends over! We enjoyed a time of eating, fellowship, and games (the boys whooped us in Trivial Pursuit). When you make it through my post, you'll find the recipe at the end :)

The boys...they're silly. We couldn't get one of the girls because a member of the group felt she was not dressed up enough :)
We have Goody (Jason), Drewski (Drew), Ry-Ry, and KiKi (Kain)...Thanks for the nicknames Ry-Ry!

Ry-Ry and Mindy

Ryan's best friend Kendall

Lesly and Kendall playing games and having a blast!

Hamming it up for the camera

Lucy hanging out under the table

Lots of love between the girls

Looking for a good chili recipe? I just so happen to have one (thank you Vaughn).

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion diced
1 large bell pepper diced
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 jalapenos (if you like is spicy, 1 if you like it mild) diced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
2 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. pepper
1 Tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:
Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain half of drippings, add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapenos saute until veggies soften.

Transfer to a large pot. Add chicken stock, water, tomatoes, sauce, paste, and spices/seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3-4 hours.

Serve with cornbread, potatoes, and cheese.

A Friendly Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed the Saturday after Thanksgiving with some friends. Ryan made a delicious turkey, we all brought our leftovers, and stuffed our faces. We played some fun games; Imaginiff and Mexican Train...good times were had by all!

Ally, Kain, and Amber

Ryan and Mindy

Ryan with his super cool dog, Abby

Loaded Potato Soup

2011-12-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

Absolutely the best loaded potato soup ever, hands down! Look no further for a great recipe!

Ingredients:
9 baking potatoes
2/3 cup all purpose flower
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup bacon bits, divided
10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup butter
6 cups whole milk (I use milk with less fat)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 green onions chopped
1 8 ounce container sour cream

Directions:
1. Prick potatoes with a fork and cook in the microwave 3 or 4 at a time, and scoop out the flesh while the others are cooking.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup bacon bits, 2 tablespoons green onions, and most of cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve with remaining bacon, onions, and cheese.

Thank you Allrecipes!

The end of a rivalry? I sure hope not!

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Drew and I spent this Thanksgiving down in College Station with his family, my brother, and some of our good friends. Although the outcome of the game was not to our liking, we still had a great time, and I am still PROUD to be an Aggie! Here are some pictures from that day, hopefully not the last pictures I will ever take from an A&M v. t.u. game.

Our tailgate is always AWESOME, this game was above the rest. We were all set for a Thanksgiving feast tables decorated with pumpkins, flowers, and candles. All the pumpkins were painted maroon...no orange flowers here!

Drew and I enjoying the tasty food (this was Thanksgiving #3 for me!)

We brought my brother James to the game, he had a good time. I wish we won because I don't know if he will see a t.u. game when he attends A&M in a couple years.

Devin and Nikki, unfortunately I did not get a picture of the Mueller's.

The Gardner family

The senior line...I'm going to miss some of those guys!

The 12th man proudly flying their towels...it looked really cool, but my camera didn't capture it quite right.

Drew and I saying, "so long to the orange and white..."

Happy Birthday Tim

2011-11-26T09:49:00.001-08:00

Tim turned 17 on Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and we celebrated with him at Dave and Busters. Drew and I had such a good time playing games.

Tim blowing out the candles on his traditional pumpkin pie birthday cake

A little basketball for Drew and I

He did better of course!

You can't have a night of games without Whack a Mole, right?

...Fun times had by all!

Our Black Friday Tradition

2011-11-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

This year brings about the 5th year of preparing for Christmas together. Each Friday after Thanksgiving, it has become a tradition for Drew and I to decorate the tree while eating yummy cookies and drinking eggnog while watching a Christmas movie. This year we enjoyed the decorating while watching Home Alone.

Here's to kicking of the Christmas season!

BTHO t.u.

2011-11-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

This is it, the last year, the end of a 117 year tradition...lets make it count and beat some bevo butt! Gig 'em Aggies and beat the ever livin', ever lovin' hell outta t.u.!

The 2011 bonfire...Let's show our burning desire to beat t.u.

24 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

This November I decided to come up with something I am thankful for every day from November 1st through November 24th. I hope to continue this every year at Thanksgiving and when we have kids I hope to involve them and create a thankful tree in our living room. I'm thinking great family dinner conversations. Here is my thankful list:

1. I am thankful for my amazing husband who did the dishes for me tonight!
2. I am thankful for our amazing life group, we have great friends to walk through life with, hold us accountable, and help encourage our marriage to grow stronger!
3. I am thankful for wonderful cool fall weather and a warm cup of tea!
4. I am thankful for a great school and work environment, I have some great coworkers!
5. I am thankful for afternoons with family.
6. I am thankful for financial peace, God has been faithful during our time to become debt free, even with the uncertainty of jobs on my end!
7. I am thankful for new challenges and new opportunities.
8. I am thankful for my sweet Buttercup, she is a great cuddle buddy!
9. I am thankful for a wonderful group of ladies who encourage me to be a more Godly wife and a stronger woman of God, I love my life group bible study!!
10. I am thankful for my great friend Megan and our girls nights!
11. I am thankful for the brave men and woman who fight for my freedom!
12. I am thankful for pedis and girl days with my mom and sister.
13. I am thankful for Chick-Fil-A, where I first met Drew, and it's yummy!
14. I am thankful that tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and olive oil blend so well with red wine to create a delightful little girls night in!
15. I am thankful for sweet kiddos that I get to work with everyday.
16. I am thankful for the cold weather that came in today, and for a thanksgiving feast with the life group...yum!
17. I am thankful for soy chai lattes, it's fall in a cup!
18. I am thankful to be an Aggie, and for great Aggie traditions like bonfire, I will never forget!
19. I am thankful for game days at Kyle Field, and BTHO KU!
20. I am thankful for great times with family, yummy thanksgiving food, and an early Christmas with my sister!
21. I am thankful for a much needed week off, to rest and be a little lazy, and to get the house clean!
22. I am thankful for a warm house and God's blessings to provide everything I need.
23. I am thankful for Drew's job, he is such a great provider, and he loves his job!
24. I am thankful for a day that we can share our blessings with friends and family, and share a tasty meal with. Now let's go BTHO t.u.! Gig 'em Ags!

Christgiving or Thanksgivemas

2011-11-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

My sister has been home for 3 weeks, and she will be leaving to go back to Brazil on Wednesday. She wont be back until Christmas of 2012, so we decided to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving on Sunday. We had my Grandma and my Uncle Geoff, Aunt IIma, and little Geoffrey over for a yummy feast. Then we opened a few presents with my sister.

The yummy caramel apple cheesecake I made for dessert

Elizabeth opening up her presents from the family

James is very festive and likes to decorate himself

Buttercup is very helpful and loved to open presents

Her favorite is ripping the paper to shreds.

All of us kids in our Christmas PJ's, a family tradition

And a goofy one of all of us kids.

Happy Christgiving!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-11-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

Monday: Shredded Chicken Tacos with beans and rice
Tuesday: Chicken Kabobs with black beans
Wednesday: Salmon burgers with roasted red potatoes
Thursday: Thanksgiving dinner and BTHO t.u.
Friday: Turkey day leftovers...yum!
Saturday: Dinner with the family
Sunday: Dinner with family

More Aggie Football!

2011-11-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

Drew and I have been blessed with season tickets this year and we have enjoyed going back "home" to Aggieland. Aggieland is definitely a place we love and is near and dear to our hearts! Here are some of the pictures from the last few games.

Our friends Daniel and Summer Stoneking and Lesly and Jason Goodwyn joined us for the Mizzou game

Drew says, "Gig 'em!"

We enjoyed this last weeks game with my family and Megan. We had a great time BTHO Kansas!

Me, Elizabeth, and mom...Gig 'em Ags!

At half time the ENTIRE corps of cadets filled in the block T. It was the first time the Corps had done this since 1954. It was the military appreciation game, and it was neat to see soldiers everywhere around the world saying gig 'em. Also Goerge Bush Sr. attended the game and Lt. Dan from Forest Gump was there to support the troops.

Whoop! Aggies win 61-7. we had to celebrate with a family photo!

Some of our best friends from A&M have season tickets as well and we always meet up at the tailgate. The girls: Terri, Nikki, and me!
The whole gang: Vaughn and Terri, Devin and Nikki, and me and Drew

Game night

2011-10-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we had our friends the Steeles and the Goodwns over for a little get together. The night was complete with...

homemade spaghetti
the Rangers game
Board games
Mario Kart Wii

Good times were had by all, with the exception that the Rangers lost :/

Girls Night Out!

2011-10-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

This spring, Drew and I finally got involved in church and joined a life group, and we LOVE it. We have made some great new friends. This last Wednesday the ladies of the group met and Cheesecake Facotry for a tasty dinner and some great fellowship. I am very blessed to have these amazing women by my side encouraging me and helping me grow.

Thanks Mindy for putting it together for us!

A day at the fair

2011-10-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon Drew and I headed out to the State Fair of Texas (the 2nd annual Gardner trip). Next year my goal is to actually go on the Farris wheel...

We started our time by going to the car show (Drew's favorite part). Here I am in my future car, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Outlander...I'm in love :)

Drew in his dream car...F150 (he wants a king ranch)!

We go to the fair for the food, but who doesn't? We started off with a fair classic, the corny dog. Then we tried the fried salsa, it was delicious!

And we ended with the El Bananarito...YUM!

We had a great time at the fair, and I cannot wait until next years fair!

Aggie football

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's game day in Aggieland...I LOVE it! I love going back home to Kyle field. Here are some pictures from the Baylor game a couple of weeks ago!

Getting ready for kick off, lets go Ags (BTHO Baylor)!

A sign that the student section put together (I had to laugh)...There has definitely been some ridiculousness going on with us leaving the Big XII

The Baylor game was a white out game at Kyle Field and it was completely student organized. The students sold maroon 12th man towels and had the 12th man wear white. They did this to raise money for the wild fires that have been taking over Texas (I think they raised like $25,000 dollars)

Mom and dad Gardner and Mikaela

Drew and I after the game, very excited about our victory!

Final score A&M 55 and Baylor 28...Whoop!

The Yell Leaders getting pummeled by the Fish...getting ready to be thrown in fish pond!

As always, thankful to be an Aggie...Let's go Aggies and BTHO mizzou!

Guess What?!?!

2011-10-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

...WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!!!

(This picture was taken the night we became debt free, we celebrated and went out to eat)!

Drew and I have been working hard for three years to become debt free. We have officially said good bye to student loans and hello to a free future. We are so excited do be done with the slavery of debt!
If you want to learn the steps to having financial peace I highly recommend Dave Ramsey. We are just waiting to call into his show so that we can make our announcement!

Drew and I are "living like no one else, so that we can live like no one else!"

Meal Planning Monday

2011-10-17T12:23:00.001-07:00

Monday: Shrimp stifry with asparagus

Tuesday: Dinner with Megan; pork tenderloin, cus cus, and salad

Wednesday: Life group...sub day!

Thursday: Chicken surpreme pizza on whole weat pita and salad

Friday: Chicken Picante and black beans

Saturday breakfast: Scrambled eggs with sauted veggies

Saturday lunch: salad with grilled shrimp

Saturday dinner: Date night

Sunday: Left over fixings for pizza

Love Where You Live

2011-10-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of Saturdays ago our life group participated in Love Where You Live (a community wide service project), if you went to A&M it is a lot like Big Event. It was nice to get out into the community and help make it better and show God's love. We went and repainted a home and put in a flower bed for a woman who has arthritis and cannot do many things herself. Drew also did some handyman work inside, have I ever said how thankful I am for having a handyman husband? We had a great time working and being together as a group!

Yard work...making way for those flowers!

The lucky indoor guys...Drew fixing a door

Josh chillin and watching Saturday morning cartoons. It was so cute, he kept calling the lady we were helping Grandma

Busy painting...

Five on Friday

2011-10-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's Fall Y'all! Five things I love about the Fall.

1. Fight'n Texas Aggie Football
2. Pumpkin Spiced Lattes
3. Pumpkins (they're everywhere in my house)
4. Fall leaves (even though we don't see them here in Texas)...I have to decorate with fall leaf garlands.
5. Cute scarves and boots (lets be honest I LOVE all fall fashion)!

What do you love about Fall??

Date Night...HELP!!

2011-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Drew and I are inconsistent with date nights, when they do happen we really enjoy our time together. Our date nights typically consist of dinner and a movie and like I said we have a great time, but we are in a rut. I need ideas!

What are some fun and inexpensive ideas for date nights??

They're back!

2011-10-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

Honeycrisp apples!!

I love fall and all that it brings!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Monday: Tacos with guacamole and black beans
Tuesday: Dinner with Megan and Cafe Flair (Drew's on his own)
Wednesday: Baked Potatoes with Life Group
Thursday: Pork tenderloin with broccoli and rice
Friday: Shrimp stir fry
Saturday: Date night
Sunday: Lunch with Family
Dinner: Sandwiches before Financial Peace University

Game time, WH08P!

2011-09-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

Drew and I got season tickets AGAIN, we just cannot stay away from our beloved Aggies! Here are some pictures from the past couple games.

Getting ready for our first game of the season...Aggie band march in

Tailgating with some great friends; Terri and Nikki

Pictures of Kyle Field as the sun set...I just liked the way the sun looked through the clouds.

The pulse of Aggieland, The Fight'n Texas Aggie Band!

Getting ready to BTHO Idaho for the second half

The view from our seats, sorry it is of Aggie bottoms.

Brandon and Kristi tailgating...we forgive Brandon for his heathen ways!

We got to see our friends the Cheshier's before the game...it was great to see them and they had pre-game sidelilne passes. (We almost got run over by Jeff Fuller taking this picture)

Drew and I love our Aggies...Gig 'Em Ags to a great season!

Getting it right!

2011-09-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

Drew and I are finally getting it right and eating HEALTHY!! The other night I made this delicious meal. Salmon. Brown rice. Green beans. YUM.

Roasted rosemary garlic salmon
1/2 lb. salmon
1 tsp. olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig of rosemary chopped and pressed into salmon
1 clove of garlic minced and pressed into salmon

Place salmon in baking dish, brush olive poil over salmon and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Chop rosemary and garlic and press into salmon. Bake salmon at 375 degrees for ten minutes and enjoy!

Starting to get organized...

2011-09-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

I LOVE food, I mean LOVE it! If you look at my sites I love, you will see that they are all food blogs...I'm freakishly obsessed! So I look at these sites all the time and ALWAYS see recipes that sound good, so I print them out. For a long time I have had pages of recipes floating around in my house. Well...not any more, they have finally been contained! This last weekend I organized them by course (appetizer, salad, soup, main course, sides, drinks, dessert, and breakfast), tabbed them, and put them in a binder and voila!

I remember

2011-09-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

I remember getting ready for school that Tuesday morning. I was looking in the mirror putting on makeup when I got a call from my friend saying that a plan had crashed into the World Trade Center. I will never forget that day and how our country united over this tragedy. Thank you to the men and women in our community who answered the call, and thank you to the men and women who daily fight for our freedom. Thank you for serving us so proudly! God bless America!

Game Night and Good Friends

2011-09-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last night we had some of our life group friends over for a game night. We had a great time with lots of laughter. We played the game Loaded Questions and some CRAZY answers definitely came out. I'm sure we will be getting together for another game night soon! I really love the couples in our life group, we are finally feeling connected and we again have friends to hang out with on the weekends (it was a hard move from College Station).

The girls (we WON)! Mindy, me, Amber, and Kara

Ryan was our crazy photographer taking "unique" pictures of the guys. Surprisingly Kain did not make it into any of the pictures.

Close up of Drew

Close up of Jarke, looking a little crazed (maybe it was the recent loss to the women)!

Ryan's self portrait

Thanks for all the special pictures Ryan!

Bathroom RE model

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago Drew and I remodeled our guest bathroom...and we think it turned out great. Drew told me it turned out exactly the way he had planned, yay!

BEFORE:

DURING:

Drew pulled everything out including the yucky linoleum and added nice new tile.

AFTER:

We picked up a new vanity and mirror from home depot, it is smaller than the old one and makes the bathroom look so much bigger.

Drew also installed wainscoting, new base boards, and trim. I helped paint it shiny white.

Close up of the nicely installed tile...thanks for your hard work Drew!

Delicious birthday dinner

2011-09-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

For Drew's birthday dinner, I made PW's chicken fried steak and creamy mashed potatoes

Making chicken fried steak is messy, not just breading it but man the oil got EVERYWHERE!

For dinner I made chicken fried steak, creamy mashed potatoes, and fried okra...Drew LOVED it!

For dessert I made Mikey's creamy peanut butter pie recipe
I did just as Jennie said, "make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on."
I doesn't look very pretty, but it tasted yummy...I tried to melt peanut butter chips to put on top, but they don't melt like chocolate does.
Drew LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the peanut butter pie...anything with peanut butter in it is his favorite.

Another year older...celebrating drew (finally)

2011-09-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting pictures of Drew's birthday that we had a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time grilling hamburgers and swimming. Drew had a great time being with friends and family. Thank you Gardner's for opening up your home so we could have a place to party!

Drew and I with our friends Mindy and Ryan...so glad they came!

My friend Lauren and I

Drew opening up his really cool Aggie football book

Drew got a beer gift basket from the Nimmons...they are all different kinds from World Market

Kristi (sil) and me

Catching up with old friends...Kristi, John Paul, and Lauren

My mom and dad

Ben and Mikaela

Kristi and Lauren...reminiscing the "good ol'" days of high school

John Paul and Cade

Mr. Cade, the little boys loved swimming

Madden

...And the big boys too!

The yummy candy bar I put together!

The girls chit chatting, and Madden

Thank you everyone for coming and celebrating my wonderful husband!

5 on Friday

2011-08-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

As we prepare for back to school, this weeks theme is all about school...I am excited to get back in the swing of things. I love school!

1. Does back to school have any meaning for you this year? (Either kids in school, teacher, or still in school)
2. Did you enjoy back to school shopping?
3. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
4. What was your favorite grade in school?
5. What was your favorite subject?

...AND my answers

1. I am excited about back to school every year...school means work for me, I love teaching!
2. I love back to school shopping (I think it may be a requirement for teachers)!
3. My favorite teacher was my English Lit. teacher my junior year of high school...she made reading enjoyable and turned it into a life long passion.
4. Well from a teacher stand point I would say Special Ed. PreK since that's what I teach...I also loved Kindergarten.
5. I love science (not when I was in school), now with my PreK kids...I love seeing them learn through fun science experiments. When I was in school I LOVED history, and I still do!

Happy Birthday

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband Drew!

Drew,

You are the light of my life. Everyday with you is a blessing and I cherish the moments that we spend together. You are such an amazing man. I love how you provide for and take care of me. You are such a great handy man and that is truly a blessing...I love seeing all the neat designs in your head come to life. Thank you for loving me with all of your heart. I love you and I look forward to many more birthdays!

Love,
Jennifer

Sugar and Spice, and Everything Nice

2011-08-14T13:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of honoring my good friend Melissa and her soon to come little girl Leah. We had a great brunch at Dessetapalooza to honor Melissa. I definitely think Miss Leah is well stocked. Upon entering the shower I was welcomed by a mound of gifts. The Lovelace's are definitely ready for a little girl and I know that little Drew is ready to be a big brother!

Five on Friday

2011-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of sites on Fridays that have a five on Friday, be it 5 questions or 5 random thoughts. I figured I would give it a try and do a combination...I make no guarantees that this will be a weekly thing (although I will try my best)...so here we go, I will give it a whirl!

This weeks focus will be on MOVIES:

1. What is your favorite movie ever?
2. What movie have you seen most recently in theaters, did you like it?
3. What is your favorite genre?
4. Do you have a favorite actor/actress that you have to see in movies?
5. ...if so who?

My answers:
1. The Princess Bride
2. Transformers: The Dark of the Moon...YES!
3. Chick flicks/ comedy (although I do like Marvel Comic movies)
4. Not really
5. ... but I do like Johnny Depp in Pirates

Poppy Seed Chicken

2011-08-11T19:26:00.001-07:00

Tonight for dinner, I made poppy seed chicken...it is probably Drew's favorite meal and it brings me back to the days of Sound Invention (my high school show choir). I thought I would share the yummy goodness with you, keep in mind that this is comfort food there is nothing healthy about this meal.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients
6 skinless chicken breast
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
2 rolls of ritz crackers crushed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
3 Tbs. poppy seeds
1 stick of butter melted

Cook chick and shred, arrange in casserole dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir together soup and water in sauce pan over medium heat to remove lumps. Remove from heat and add sour cream, stir in cheese and 1/2 of poppy seeds, pour over chicken. Mix remaining poppy seeds and crushed ritz crackers with butter. Sprinkle over chicken. Bake 30 minutes at 350*F. Sauce will thicken upon standing.
Serves 6-8

I halved the recipe for Drew and I, this meal is so tasty I'm sure you'll love it!

What is your favorite comfort food to make?

Things I'm Loving Lately

2011-08-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

Pinterest, the new wife/mom thing...and I'm hooked! There are so many things that I have found and liked, I think I may spend a little too much time there. I can't wait to get started on many of the DIY projects I have seen there. My house will soon turn into a kitchy little boutique. Check it out at pinterest.com...your life will be changed :)

What sites are you loving lately?

If you like pinterest, who do you follow, or what type of pictures are you usually pinning?

Chinese Chicken Salad

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I made this Chinese chicken salad when my friend Megan came over. I just had to share it with you, because it was delicious!

Ingredients:
3-4 Chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken) bake or boil, cool and shred.
1 package of romen noodle soup

Chop and toss:
1/2 head of cabbage
1 pk of 3 heads of romaine lettuce
1/2 bunch of cilantro
6 green unions

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all greens and chicken and add 1 package of crumbled ramen noodles (just the noodles not the flavoring).

Hanging with Friends

2011-08-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with good friends and we have had several opportunities recently to get together with friends. Since moving from College Station, we have felt like we haven't made as many connections, and subsequently we have had as much to do on the weekends. Well all that has changed my friends...we have joined a life group at our church and have quickly made some good friends, we have awesome neighbors, and we have even gotten together with old friends from college and high school.

In the last two weeks, we have had the opportunity to get together with our neighbors Bryan and Meghan...they are expecting a little boy next month!

After that we had my parents and their good friends over...we went boating and then came back and grilled out on the BBQ (unfortunately no pictures we taken).

On Tuesday we had my good friend from high school over, Megan...It was supposed to be a girls night, but Drew surprised me by coming back in town early (and I was ok with that)!

We made this Chinese chicken Salad...delicious

and then we headed off to find a shaved ice place...we found scallywags...a big pirate ship on the side of the road. It was good, but it did not live up to our favorite place we went to in high school. We have made it our mission to find a shaved ice place equally as good!I was really bad about getting pictures with our friends...

We also had a great time getting to see our friends the Lovelace's it has been a while...their little boy is so big now and they are expecting a little girl in the next few months.

We had dinner on Friday with Drew's co-worker Mike and his wife Christy, we met their little boy Eli who is two months old...he is just precious.

We are so thankful for great friends!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Monday: Putting something together from the pantry...(Drew will be out for dinner)
Tuesday: Chinese Chicken Salad with Megan
Wednesday: Pulled pork BBQ sandwiches with potato salad and baked beans
Thursday: Dinner with the Lovelace's
Friday: Poppy seed chicken, rice, and veggies
Saturday: Shredded chicken taco salad with black bean and corn salsa
Sunday: Out with family

Family Photos

2011-07-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

For mothers day, we got my mom a family photo session. My sister left for Brazil for a year at the end of May so it seemed like a great time to do them. Drew's best friend Travis took the pictures for us and they turned out great! Thanks Travis!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-07-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

Monday: Peanut Butter and Jelly- Drew's out of town
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Biscuit pizza
Thursday: Meat loaf and veggies
Friday: Dinner with the Hoskin's
Saturday: At the lake with my family, hamburgers and hotdogs when we get back
Sunday: Lunch with the Gardner's

Mmmm....Happy Hour!

2011-07-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

SONIC HAPPY HOUR = AWESOME!!

I really love Sonic Happy Hour if you can't tell, my favorite drink is a vanilla Dr. Pepper.
What is your favorite Sonic drink?

Life Group: BBQ and Pool Party

2011-07-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

We partied for the last time at the Hansen house for Life Group, as they will be moving at the end of the month. Drew and I are recent joiners for the Hansen Life Group, and we have really enjoyed the friendships we've made. We celebrated for the last time at the Hansen house in style with a Fajita BBQ and swimming. Enjoy the pictures!

Drew and Andy hanging out by the pool

Of course one of Drew and I

Meredith and Shannon

Becky and Josh

The little ones were enjoying gardening and shoe shopping :)

Bethanie and Zuri

Lesly and Lucy

Kara and Mindy

Amber and Kendall

The boys playing a little basketball...it turned into a crazy hard game of horse: Ryan, Jason, and Dirk

Five Guys Burger and Fries...and feeling refreshed!

2011-07-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday night we headed out to Five Guys with our life group...

We met up with the Hansen's, Redard's...

Roper's, Goodwyn's, Harrison's...

AND the Cook's

From dinner we headed off to Church to REFRESH a series that our church is doing this summer. Week one was great, I really learned a lot...come join us!

Happy Birthday Buttercup!

2011-07-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby Buttercup turned 6 today. She has definitely been a blessing to our lives, we just love her to pieces. I am so thankful Drew took me to pick out our sweet puppy! Happy birthday Buttercup!

Miss Buttercup the day we brought her home

Today at 6 years old...she's so big!

I'm on a boat!

2011-07-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

We had a super Saturday hanging out with Ryan and Mindy Steele from our life group at church. It was great getting to hang out with them and get to know them better. We enjoyed our afternoon out on the boat at Lake Lewisville...the weather was nice and the water felt great! The company was awesome too!

After our lake outing we headed back to our place for dinner where I made PW's Summer Stir fry, and it was AWESOME! I recommend it, it was light and easy...I didn't want anything heavy for dinner after spending the afternoon out in the sun.

The boys then enjoyed a competitive round of Mario Kart
We can't wait to get together again!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-07-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Monday: 4th of July BBQ at the Steele's
Tuesday: Asian Pasta and corn
Wednesday: Grilled BBQ chicken, broccoli, and southern potatoes
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner; waffles, eggs, and bacon
Friday: Dinner with family
Saturday: Watermelon glazed grilled chicken, grilled corn on the cob, and watermelon with cobbler for dessert!
Sunday: Out with the Gardner Family

Fourth of July Part 2: (Transformers and BBQs)

2011-07-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy and fun fourth of July... however, we did not make it out to see any fireworks...there's always next year!

Saturday night Drew and I went to see Transformers...it was awesome (I think Drew is glad there are some action movies I like to watch, mostly from comics)

We went to the movies with my mom and dad...thanks for the tickets :)
and my brother James...who I think looks like Shia Labeouf (I'll get a better picture and you can compare later)

For the fourth of July I made the delicious Star-Spangled Lemon berry cheesecake...yum!

We headed over to the Steele's (Ryan and Mindy) for a BBQ...we got to know some of our life group couples better and met some new people

One of the couples we finally met from life group were the Jarke's!

We had a great weekend!

Fourth of July weekend...Day one (A day at the lake and poker night)!

2011-07-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy first day of the 4th weekend...We headed out to the lake with Drew's family and then sped home for poker night at our house. We hosted some of Drew's buddies from high school, I think they had a great time catching up!

A Weekend with Friends

2011-06-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Drew and I headed out to Houston to see some friends. We had a great time, but after a 10 day driving trip 2 weeks ago and Houston this last weekend, we have decided we will be staying home this weekend.

First we caught up with the Lamberts, it was so good to see them!

Buttercup and Cupcake became instant friends, and spent the entire time playing and wearing each other out!

As you can see this is a self-shot, and I think we did a pretty good jog getting all four of us in the shot!

Russ and Drew

Me, Claire, and little Bradley

We ventured out next to see the Muellers and enjoy a yummy summer thanksgiving. It is a tradition the Mueller's came up with a couple years ago...Thanksgiving is so good, we should have it twice a year!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Monday: Angel hair with shrimp and asparagus
Tuesday: Evening out with Megan
Wednesday: Lifegroup...hot dog night
Thursday: Drew will be attending a going away party for his best friend
Friday: Bruschetta grilled chicken

Lunches:
Summertime orzo salad

Happy Birthday Megan

2011-06-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday my best friend Megan turned 25. It was so good to go out and catch up to celebrate her birth. We headed out to Ra to enjoy some tasty sushi...yum! We had a great time, it's always good to see old friends!

Instagram...my new favorite!

2011-06-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

Recently on facebook I have been seeing everyone post these great pictures and I'm thinking man they must really be into photography, they're great! We'll they are using instagram and anyone can be a photographer and make your photos look cool. Here are some pictures I took on my phone awhile ago.

Extreme china hutch makeover

2011-06-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

During the first week of summer, I decided to take on a project and repaint our china hutch. We bought it off of Craig's list and it looked fine, but I wanted to make it great and mine. So here we are...

BEFORE...

AFTER...

Trip to Virginia

2011-06-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

This past week Drew and I headed out to Virginia for a much needed break. We relaxed, met up with friends, and toured the town! Check out our great week!

Part one...Kerr Lake

Part two...Washington D.C.

Part three... Williamsburg Virginia

Virginia...Williamsburg (part three)

2011-06-20T11:44:00.001-07:00

We finished our trip on the east coast by heading out to Williamsburg Virginia. We had so much fun seeing all the old homes and learning about colonial times and the revolutionary war.

This is the court house in Williamsburg...the most common crime committed in Colonial Williamsburg was not going to church, you would be fined 5 shillings.

While in the court house Drew and I committed perjury and we were sent to the stocks for punishment.

Drew with William outside of William and Mary College (the oldest college in the US)

The day finished up with a reenactment of the revolutionary war...it started with the band coming down the street.

and finished with the firing of the cannon.

We ended our trip visiting the Governors Palace, which was very beautiful and our tour guide was amazing and stayed in character throughout the entire tour.
This is the foyer, a little intimidating with all the swords and muskets...they covered the walls of the entry way and halls.
The kings crest, remember we were colonists at the time loyal to the king.
On our way back to Dallas, the sunset in the smokey mountains.

Virginia...D.C. (part two)

2011-06-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

From lake Kerr, Drew and I headed north to spend a few days in D.C. We hit the things that we did not see when we were last in D.C. We also met up with one of Drew's co-workers and his wife (who live in D.C.), and Drew's college roommate and his wife (who also live in D.C.)...unfortunately I did not get any pictures of us with our friends when we visited them.

A view of D.C. from the FDR memorial

The Jefferson Memorial...we never made it over there in October

The FDR memorial, it was pretty with all these fountains and waterfalls

Me and Eleanor

We finished up the trip in China Town!

There were still things that we missed, and our feet hurt so bad from walking all over the city. We plan to go again someday so we can hopefully see the rest!

Virginia...chillin at the lake (part one)

2011-06-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

This last week Drew and I were blessed with some much needed time off. After a semester of learning paperwork and teaching 3 year olds with special needs I needed a break before jumping into the summer job. We started our trip with a couple days at Kerr lake on the North Carolina/Virginia border. We enjoyed time relaxing with my family and some good family friends.

Best buds: Mom and Kathy relaxing on the boat

James and Morgan goofing around like usual!

The Gates family; Morgan, Kathy, and Tom

Best buds: Dad and Tom

James and his friend Alex

Kathy, me, and James (creepy in the background)

Drew floating in the water

An intense game of Mexican Train Dominos

Meal Planning Monday

2011-06-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Monday: Chicken Satay with broccoli
Tuesday: Spinach and Feta Pasta
Wednesday: Drew fends for himself while I go out and celebrate my friend Megan's birthday!
Thursday: Grilled Chicken Bruschetta with asparagus
Friday: Overstuffed grilled vegetable-feta sandwiches

A new do!

2011-06-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today I got a much needed hair cut as you will see. My friend Lauren cuts my hair and she did a great job, I am very pleased.

Before...

After...

Man, I feel like a wife...AGAIN!

2011-06-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day of school and it feels so good to be done! My after school job ended Monday, so when I got home I was able to relax a little before jumping into my wifely duties. It is so nice to not be exhausted by the time I get home. When I got home today at 4:30 I was able to sit and relax, get a load of laudry in, and get dinner ready. To be honest I can't remember the last time I actually made dinner. I love being a wife and all that it entails, I love cooking and cleaning, taking care of my hubby, and taking care of the home. I love summers because I feel like I get to be a wife again.

Tonight I made Grilled Chile-Lime shrimp with couscous.

1 tsp. Finely grated lime peel
i/1 Tbs. lime juice
1 jalapeno seeded and finely minced
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. cilantro
1 1/2 lb. medium shrimp (6 per person)

Mix all ingredients except shrimp in a bowl. Peel shrimp except for tail and devein. Place shrimp in bag and dump marinade on top. Marinade for 20 minutes. Place shrimp on cutting board and place them in groups of 6. Using 2 skewers for each group, skewer the shrimp together. Grill shrimp on an oiled grill rack for 2 minutes per side. I paired it with couscous mixed with parsley...delicious!

Enjoy a lower calorie meal.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-06-06T14:54:00.001-07:00

Monday: Grilled Chile-Lime Shrimp with grilled veggies
Tuesday: Overstuffed Grilled Vegetable-Feta sandwiches
Wednesday: Southwest Chicken Salad
Thursday: Lemony Shrimp and Rice Salad
Friday: Dinner with Family

My mom's 50!

2011-06-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend on Memorial Day, my mom turned 50! We started off the weekend right Saturday afternoon all us girls went and got pedicures (unfortunately I was really bad about getting pictures until Monday). That night I hosted a surprise party for my mom (it ended up being a huge success and she really was surprised, she about jumped through the roof). Someone got a video and I will have to get a copy of that later, so I can post it. I was really pleased with the way it turned out, with help all the food was home made and I was told that people thought it was catered...woo-hoo!

I put together a chocolate fountain for dessert

We had a martini mashed potato bar, unfortunately I didn't think to take pictures before people started digging in. I also made marinated Greek olives, sweet Thai chicken wings, stuffed mushrooms, and spinach and artichoke dip.

As I said, I was really bad about getting pictures, this is at the end of the night

Our good friends the Mueller's came in to spend the weekend with us...they were a huge help for the party. Thanks guys!

On Monday we celebrated mom's actual birthday/Memorial day...Drew enjoyed the day outside napping!

We all enjoyed the warm weather out by the pool, Kathy and my mom

Buttercup spent the day soaking wet yipping at all the people in the pool...she really liked biting at the water when people were splashing her. The low of the day for her was when she fell in the pool. She talks a big game, but she really doesn't like water.

My sister Elizabeth and her boyfriend Justin
My little cousin Geoffrey...he's a fish!
Since receiving my mixer at Christmas, baking has become a new favorite hobby of mine. I am still working on perfecting the skill of icing a cake...but I've got the baking part down. For my mom's birthday I made her a Lemon raspberry cake...it was AWESOME!
Don't worry, I only made her blow out 20 candles.

My classroom...FINALLY!!

2011-06-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I finally took pictures of my classroom, 5 days before I tore it all down (which makes me sad). So here it is!

Welcome to my PPCD classroom...

Teacher table...we have made lots of fun things at this table

Circle, my favorite part of the day!
My desk
I had a lot of fun getting it all decorated with my "teacher" stuff!

Computer and blocks center

My classroom is in the ocean, so I created an ocean wall

Also like this area a lot, it is my workstation where my students can go and have a quiet place to work.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-05-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yay...I finally get to meal plan again. It has been forever! Drew has been out of town for the past four weeks and I had no reason to plan meals. But now I do again, he is finally home!

Monday: Dinner with my parents for my moms 50th birthday!
Tuesday: Overstuffed Grilled Vegetable-Feta sandwiched
Wednesday: Southwest Chicken Salad
Thursday: Lemony Shrimp and Rice Salad
Friday: Out with family
Saturday Brunch: Fried egg and avocado bagel sandwich
Saturday dinner: Grilled southwestern chicken wraps
Sunday: Garden Pasta salad

Drew and I picked up a weight watchers magazine and for now we will be cooking from here, lets see if we have weight loss with the food and working out!

Unhappy but Cute!

2011-05-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn wearing the dress I made her, she doesn't look happy about it, but it looks cute on her! She is very into wearing only what she wants to wear right now...this could have been one of those moments.

My creative side comes out

2011-05-22T15:33:00.001-07:00

For Ashlyn's birthday, my creative side came out...

I made Ashlyn a prayer book, I had seen this on another friends blog and I thought it was so cute that I had to make one for Ashlyn. When Drew and I have kids they will all get one as well.

To make these all you need is scrapbook paper, sticker letters, and Velcro, I used a laminator from work (but an individual one is not to pricy so I may get one eventually). I tied mine together with string, but you could take it to Kinko's and get it bound.

Inside the book you put pictures of friends and family that the child knows and laminate them so that they are sturdy.

Each night you pick three people from the book that you want to pray for and but them on the heart.

After all three people are selected you sing this little prayer and then say a small prayer for each person that was selected.

I also made Ashlyn two pillowcase dresses and they turned out so cute.

I have seen these pillowcase dresses around and thought, "hey I could make that!" So with the help of my mom I did! After making two with her, I think I am ready to venture out and make them by myself! I am even considering selling them...Let me know if your interested!

I had to make her a cute Aggie dress for football season...I can't wait to get a picture of her in it!

Ashlyn Turns 2!

2011-05-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend our sweet niece Ashlyn turned 2...I can't believe it! We spent Saturday at the park celebrating her birth. She had a great time...

Playing on the swings

Eating her yummy cup cakes

And opening up her HUGE pile of presents!

We celebrated with all things Elmo her most current fetish...the delicious cupcakes
and cake that my mother in law made

We finished the party with a pinata that Ashlyn was not so fond of. They picked out an Elmo pinata, but beating up Elmo was not on Ashlyn's agenda. Her big sister Alexis was having a field day beating up Elmo to get all the candy, and Ashlyn was so upset she was crying in her mothers arms. Needless to say, if you get a pinata for a 2 year olds birthday make sure its something they DON'T like!

Jason Castro Concert (Jenn's view point)...Green River Ordinance Concert (Drew's view point)

2011-05-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Drew and I had a great date night. Young Life was hosting a concert and preforming was Jason Castro and Green River Ordinance. We had such a great time and it was a great compromise date night. I wanted to see Jason Castro and Drew wanted to see Green River Ordinance, so it worked out perfectly!

Drew and I hanging out before the concert started.

Jason kicking it off...

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Jason and I after the show...he's cool and an Aggie (it makes him even cooler :))...and yes I am wearing a jacket in the middle of May, it was 50 degrees that night (Drew and I were not prepared and froze the entire concert...blankets would have been wise).

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for my wonderful mother, she has always been there for me and loving me every step of the way.

I also a great mother-in-law she has been so accepting and welcoming. She has been a wonderful addition in my life.

We spent this weekend celebrating, Saturday night we headed out to Buca Di Beppo. We celebrated the trifecta, mother's day and mine and my sister-in-law's birthday.

Dinner at Buca, I was greatly surprised when my best friend Megan ended up being our waitress...It was great getting to see her.

Drew and our niece Ashlyn...I had to get a picture of Drew holding her, she never lets him hold her so this was a big deal!

For mothers day with my family we headed down to White Rock Lake and had a picnic. I made the entire lunch from the mothers day picnic recipes I got in my Southern Living Magazine...it was so good!

For lunch we had a spring time salsa, fruit salad with blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries with mozzarella cheese and basil, and homemade chicken nuggets

For dessert we had strawberry and rhubarb hand pies

My mom and Grandma

3 generations: Grandma, mom, and I...too bad my sister had to work, we would have loved her in the picture too!

25...already?

2011-05-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the years are flying by on me and I have recently turned 25. 25 is going to be a great year...it's the year I hope to be teaching my own classroom, growing in my faith, becoming more of a woman of God, and becoming more of a help meet to my wonderful husband.

We had a delicious homemade dinner of fajitas and tres leches cake, and a relaxing evening. Here are some pictures of the joyous occasion.

Me with my tres leches cake, I'm really getting into baking

Dad, just chillin'

Uncle Geoff and lil Geoffrey, he was our ring bearer at 3 and now he is 8...man he's big!

Me and Drew, but I'm sure that needs no explanation

Grandma and Aunt Illma

My tres leches birthday cake...I went with the Mexican theme and stuck with it...true to the end!

All the ladies minus me...the picture taker

Right before the party started, Drew went around decorating the house for my birthday...he's so good to me!

Mom, James, and Elizabeth: that was the only normal looking picture of James the whole night.

Baking and cooking away!

2011-05-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have really put my Christmas present to use lately...if you don't remember, Drew got me a shiny red Kitchen Aid Mixer! I have been busy baking for Easter and my birthday, I think if it didn't cause weight gain I just found my new favorite hobby! Here is what I've been up to lately:

PW's Strawberry Shortcake...I made it for Easter and it was awesome!

PW's Tres Leches Cake, I made this for my birthday. It turned out great and was not soggy at all!

We had fajita night for my birthday with my family...so I made PW's Pico

Lets go Mavs!

2011-05-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

On Monday we went to game 5 of the Mavs game...we had such a blast. I really enjoy going to the games and we haven't been to one in forever...and we WON!!

The court from our seats

Kristi and I

Me and Drew

Tim and Deb...I could not get that boy to smile

Kristi and Brandon

Drew and Kristi

Next season I hope to go to a few more Mavs games!

Happy Easter!

2011-05-01T15:43:00.001-07:00

We celebrated this Easter with Drew's family. Everyone got together and we enjoyed some yummy pot roast...Drew's favorite! It was a great time getting to see all of Drew's family in one place. Here are some pictures of the day.

Ashlyn decorating her Easter eggs

Here they are, didn't she do a great job?

My brother joined us for Easter lunch...Unfortunately my mother spent Easter weekend in the hospital with appendicitis.
Dan had warmed up the pool and the boys were having a blast flipping off the diving board.

Ashlyn got bubbles in her Easter basket and was having a blast blowing them into the wind.

Drew and I on Easter

"YES!"

2011-04-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today I said "yes!" to my best friend and the love of my life. I am so thankful for the years we have had together so far and the great adventures and I can't wait for many more to come.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-04-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Monday: Mavs game with the Gardner family
Tuesday: Basil pesto salad with chicken
Wednesday: Steak Fajita night with my family for my birthday
Thursday: Black bean and corn salsa salad
Friday: chicken salad with sun dried tomatoes and pinenuts
Saturday: Chinese chicken salad
Sunday: Relaxing with family

A GRRREAT Friday

2011-04-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

My sister

A Great Friday off!

Strawberry Shortcake

2011-04-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I made PW's strawberry shortcake for Easter dessert. It was delicious, you must try it out!

He's Risen!

2011-04-24T19:42:00.001-07:00

They showed this video at church this morning and I loved it...

5 on Friday

2011-04-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

5 random thoughts on Friday...

1. I am thankful for the love of my Savior and his death on a cross.
2. I love that I have today off and can go see all my former co-workers.
3. My sister is coming over today for an afternoon of Gilmore Girls and tasty food...I can't wait to hang out with her.
4. I really love a good juicy burger and I think that is what I will be getting tonight for dinner with my sister...mmm the Ol' Timer :)
5. I am really looking forward to the rest of the weekend and spending time with good friends and family.

Good Friday

2011-04-22T07:19:00.001-07:00

The Crucifixion of Jesus

³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[d]

⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

A Weekend to Remember

2011-04-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend Drew took me out to celebrate my 25th birthday, and he did it in style! It was a recreation of the night he proposed and it was a very romantic evening.

We started the evening by heading out to our hotel in Downtown, and we headed out to Perry's Steakhouse for dinner. It was delectable. The night he proposed we actually went to the Place at Perry's and tonight we went to Perry's...so confusing and to make matters worse, they're only 2 blocks away from each other!

Our dinner was fantastic, our meal was completed with a dessert trio with happy birthday written in chocolate on the plate, it included caramel creme brulee, a chocolate orange truffle, and a praline cheesecake (scrumptious)! Unfortunately the picture I took did not last because I forgot that we took the memory card out to use in our Wii.

After dinner we walked over the the Myerson, Drew had surprised me with tickets to see Handel's Messiah...it was amazing and a great message to hear the weekend before Easter! The day he proposed the DSO was preforming Gershwin's greatest hits.

I love that he took the time to plan a wonderfully romantic birthday weekend for me. I was so surprised!

Thank you baby for the wonderful weekend, I loved every moment of it.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-04-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is my week of attempting to be healthy and lose weight...we shall see how it goes. The week of the salads...

Monday: work night, fixing the fence...anything goes!
Tuesday: Chinese chicken salad
Wednesday: Black bean and corn salsa salad with chicken and low fat ranch
Thursday: Toasty Parmesan chickpea salad with grilled chicken
Friday: Basil pesto pasta salad with feta, grape tomatoes, and chicken
Saturday: Fireside pies with friends!
Sunday: Easter dinner with my family

Tuesday's were made for TACOS!

2011-04-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Slight change in plans from my weekly menu. On Tuesdays Rosa's has three tacos with rice and beans for $3.69 all day long! Tonight we will drive a little out of our way, but in a few months there will be one less than a mile from us. You might being seeing Rosa's on my Meal Planning Mondays more frequently...I am really excited about Rosa's, since we have moved from College Station I have not been to Rosa's. It was a tradition for me and a group of close girl friends to go to Rosa's every Monday before our sorority meeting. I am really looking forward to Rosa's...I must go, I'm starving just thinking about the tasty-ness!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-04-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Monday: Killer Club Sandwich with sweet potato fries and pineapple
Tuesday: Baked chicken taquitos with a salad
Wednesday: BBQ ranch chicken and cheddar pizza roll ups and veggies
Thursday: Me: Alphabest meeting...Drew: fends for himself!
Friday: Grilled chicken pesto pizza with salad
Saturday: Fancy night out for my birthday
Sunday: fun with the family

AHHHH....they're back!

2011-04-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

I keep a pretty clean kitchen, but come spring I find myself cleaning the kitchen with a little more elbow grease. They just seem to invade southern kitchens everywhere come spring. I hate loading the dishwasher and finding at the bottom of my sink a swarm of ants!

ATTN: ANTS- beware the cleaning lady is in and you are not welcome!

Meal Planning Mondays

2011-04-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Monday: Pizza and Pawn Stars...a relaxing evening
Tuesday: Dinner with Natalie, Caprese pasta and salad
Wednesday: Chicken squares and Caesar salad
Thursday: Tacos
Friday: Dinner with the Nimmon's-grilling on the patio. Chicken sausage, grilled veggies, and strawberry salad with lime vinaigrette
Saturday: Breakfast, cinnamon rolls. Dinner with the family