Five Things Friday... 2012 Wrap Up

Since this is the last post of 2012, I want to use it to tell the five things I am most thankful for in the past year...

1.) St. Martins, and all the people I have met there. My heart has truly been changed by the Lord this past year, and St. Martins was a big part of that change!















2.) Marrying my sweet God loving, sometimes crazy husband. I can not wait to see what the future holds for us!

3.) Friends and Family, old and new!











4.) Secure Jobs... Jason and I have been blessed this year to not have to worry about lay offs, and after seeing multiple friends lose their jobs this past year, this is something I am truly thankful we have not had to worry about!

5.) Jordi and Skeet. These two puppy dogs are crazy, but seeing their smiley (or as smiley as a dog can be) faces when you come home (or just back upstairs from the mailbox) brings comfort and laughter even on the roughest days.


I hope each and every one of you has a blessed new year!

Tasty Tuesday: Wednesday Edition

This past weekend, Jason and I cooked approximately 25 meals and froze them. I am so excited to have all these meals stock piled and ready to go as I head into my busy season at work! One of the recipes I am most excited about is this breakfast hashbrown quiche from once a month mom.com.

 I swapped out the green bell pepper for red, yellow and orange, and used turkey bacon. Does anyone else like to cook ahead? Normally I am a three times a week, what looks good at the grocery store type of cook, but it is also really nice to know I have all these meals as back up! Let me know if you try this recipe, or something else you have made recently that turned out good!

12 Days of Favorite Things!

Hey Everyone, just a quick check in! Between work and the holidays it has been CRAZY around here! I don't know if anyone follows the Blue Eyed Bride, but she and her friend Nina are doing their 12 days of Favorite Things, and y'all there are some great gift ideas on this list! There is about 12 hours left to enter each day's drawings, I hope all of you head over and check it out!! Personally I'm saying a little prayer for this one:

Pictures!!

Our Wedding and Day After photos are up on our photographers blog!! links below...

Wedding

Day After

Let me know what y'all think! As soon as I have the rest of the pictures I will get a post going for them! :-)

Five Things Friday...

Its that time of the week again! and after tomorrow, the 2012 race season will officially be over for me! YEA!!!! So without further ado:

1.) Jason has started packing and we will move him next weekend... I feel like this is amazing planning on our part as we will definitely work off every calorie plus some that we eat on thursday!! :-)
2.) That being said he is staying in Louisiana this weekend, which means I have two nights and two days of unlimited sewing time! This is very good news as I have three projects I need to work on/finish. Hopefully I will have pictures to post of my Giant Granny Panties quilt next week, the other two projects are christmas presents, but maybe I will put a sneak peek on here. ;-)
3.) I am STILL waiting on my Wedding pictures... thats all I am going to say on the subject, but I'm definitely losing patience fast...
4.) Jordi is doing much better this week! Thank goodness, I am fairly certain my gag reflex really couldn't take cleaning up after him again...
5.) I have eaten out for lunch almost every day this week... this is good and bad, the good thing is I have hit all my favorite quick lunch places around the office, and shouldn't crave them for a while, the bad thing is, I don't think any of the meals would qualify as healthy, and I definitely will be working these calories off for a while!

And just to leave you with a smile for the weekend:

Five Things Friday

It has been a busy week, though not as bad as last week, so without further ado:

1.) I defrost food (chicken breasts, ground beef, etc) in a baggy in my bathroom sink. It's just so much easier to fill, and I don't feel like I have wasted 18 gallons of water just so my chicken will cook faster...
2.) Jordi was very sick this morning and I am praying I don't come home to more mess...

3.) With only 10 days of race season left, I feel like I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel work wise. While the industry can be fun, it is also very stressful on a regular basis, and I am looking forward to at least a minor break!
4.) I have an amazing start on my christmas shopping and should be finished by early december with all my shopping and projects! Now I just have to decide how to wrap everything this year!
5.) Jason was not into me cooking for him AT ALL on sunday... his craving for mexican food meant I made balsamic chicken again on monday night and I have snacked on it all week! I will have the pictures and recipe up soon!

Thats all! Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Tasty Tuesday: Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

When I left work this evening I still had yet to come up with a new recipe to try... I decided to head to the grocery store for my normal weekly trip and see if anything caught my eye, and boy did it ever! I found some gorgeous porcini mushrooms just calling my name! I quickly went to google and looked for recipes and came on this one. I changed it up a bit, mostly because I hate measuring, and I really wanted to showcase the mushrooms! I was so excited to start cooking, and then eating that I completely forgot pictures! Worst blog recipe ever... anyways, I liked it enough that I am planning on recreating this weekend for Jason, and I will definitely get pictures this time! I will also post my version of the recipe with the pictures! Hope everyone had a Happy Tuesday!

Five Things Friday

So far I have been terrible with the Wednesday confessional posts... but I can usually crank something out on Friday... That being said I have decided to switch things up and go with a "Five Things Friday" post each week and see if I can stay on track a little better :-)

1.) A year ago I spent this week in Budapest, Vienna, and Prague with my mom... I have wished every day for the past two weeks that I could be back there, all three cities, but especially Budapest made such an impression on me... not to mention amazing food and real seasons!

2.) I have three quilting projects going right now. One for me (should finish the top, and piecing the back this weekend) and two christmas presents... I am really hoping I didn't bite off more than I can chew, but I am really excited and love giving home made gifts!

3.) Have any of you read or studied Jesus Calling by Sarah Young? All the ladies in my bible study are big fans of the book, and mine is officially on its way from Amazon! I can't wait to get started!

4.) Rarely do Jason and I go more than a week without him coming to houston, or me meeting his somwhere for the weekend, but he has to work all weekend, so he won't be in town until the first weekend in November, however that weekend is opening weekend of duck season... I guess I'll see him during the December break before late season opens?

5.) I am taking advantage of the cool weather this weekend and trying to head to the dirt bike park to ride for a few hours with my dad! I haven't been in forever!! Can't wait!


Thats all for this week, I have a new goal to try a new recipe every week, and get it posted for a "Tasty Tuesday" set of posts... I would love to hear some of y'alls favorite recipes! Have a good weekend!

Wednesday Confessional...

So I completely missed last week but to say I had a stressful week at work would be the understatement of the year... On to this week:

• I had three days last week where I completely forgot to eat. I used to always laugh when people said they forget to eat, as I really didn't understand the concept... I get it now, but I kinda wish I didn't...
• This week has had its own share of disappointments, and I am praying it turns around as we go into the downhill stretch towards the weekend!
• Jason and I are doing our "day after" wedding shoot this weekend, I am really looking forward to getting to dress back up again, and praying the weather cooperates better than it did on our wedding day!
• I think road trips with just the two of us in the car might literally be one of my favorite things ever! I always feel like we get completely caught up with each other, and there is no TV as distraction!
• Jason officially has a contract on the Louisiana house, we will definitely be saying our prayers that everything goes smoothly and he can close by the end of November!

Thats it this week... Hopefully more wedding shower, bachellorette party, and ACTUAL wedding photos will be in posts soon! 

Wednesday Confessional...

Short but hopefully sweet this week...

• I have finallllllyyyy finished my thank you notes... I am completely disappointed it took me six and a half weeks, but it did soo moving on
• I had a revelation today that I have completely quit thinking in terms of semesters and summer/christmas break. So yeah I am officially old...

and thats all I have... long days at work = very little blogging brain power :-/

Wednesday Confessional: Friday Edition

Hey, better late than never...

• I stayed at work past seven p.m. multiple nights this week at work... in turn I have not done a single piece of laundry, or cleaned house (an almost daily thing normally) at all this week... 
• I have not cooked anything all week... unless Ramen noodle counts... my 18 year old self is shaking her head right now at the fact that I eat ramen noodle by choice at 26 years old...
• the median age in my bible study small group is 55, and I am definitely the only one under 40, I really don't mind this at all, except we have one very special person who I will refer to as Blanche who felt the need to ask me if I am one of "THOSE bible girls"? Anyone know who "THOSE bible girls" are? I mean I might be ok with being in their small group instead...
• I'm pretty sure the above statement made no sense and you can all (if anyone actually reads this thing?)  just disregard it, obviously it was one of those you had to be there moments
• Jason is hunting thursday- saturday this weekend... this means I get to cut fabric and make a mess sewing my quilt together with ZERO guilt :-)

Thats all folks! Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend! 

June 16th Bridal Shower

My sweet Matron of Honor Stevie, My mom's best friend/ my "other" mom Ginger, and her daughter Macy hosted my first bridal shower on June 16th (the date Jason and I originally wanted for the wedding). The entire evening was so special and I had so many sweet friends and family members join us! Lots of pictures to document the evening ( these are out of order... I am terrible with pictures in blogger):

Cute decorations and DELICIOUS food!

Mom and I

Mimi and Aunt Shawna

Arielle and Katie

Haley cracking Mom and I up...

Mom and I

Cindy and Mimi

Granny and Ginger

I have NO idea what these two are laughing at, but apparently it was good...

Mom, Mimi, Me, Granny, Cindy(Mom-In-Law)

Mimi, Granny and I

Mom, Cindy and I

My Beautiful Hostesses: Macy, Ginger, and Stevie! These ladies did an amazing job!

Aunt Shawna and I

Granny, Jane (my God Mother), and Mimi

Katie, Haley, and Arielle

Ginger

Another view of the Table

The boys came to help load gifts after having dinner out...

Ginger and Stevie

Wonderful night with so many people I love! 

Wednesday Confessional and One Month!

I absolutely cannot believe Jason and I have been married for an entire month... I have a few posts from this summer to catch up, and then hopefully I will start posting fairly regularly... For today, I want to start doing a "Wednesday Confessional" post (I have been reading this blog and she cracks me up EVERY week...) Sooo without further ado...

• Jason stayed in Louisiana this weekend, and I most definitely never took my pajamas off on Sunday, and watched ABC Family movies all day... I felt like I was 15 years old again, and it was AMAZING!
• There are elephants who move quieter than the man who lives above me... I am seriously considering leaving a pair of house shoes on his doorstep...
• Jason and I started the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover this month, and I am slightly obsessed with listening to all the radio show playback... nothing to boost your confidence more than hearing about people who have 5 times as much debt as you, and make 1/5 the income and are now debt free, including their house! 
• As much as I KNOW that Jason and I need to wait a couple years before trying for kids, every time I see someone I graduated with's baby announcement, I feel a huge tug to throw it all to the wind and go for it now... 

Well thats it for this week! Anyone else have any random confessions this week?? 

Wait, it's july already??

Umm so I'm not sure what happened to May and June, but I am definitely behind on posting, and getting everything done! Jason and I followed up his birthday weekend with mothers day weekend in Port Neches with his family! We had a great time visiting with everyone and relaxing a bit. (pictures are on my laptop, I will try to upload them later :-) ) I spent the next couple weeks packing up the apartment, and moving in with my friend Stevie. It was definitely bittersweet to turn the keys in to my first "adult" apartment, but I am so looking forward to everything thats to come. June was spent working on wedding projects and selling Jason's New Braunfels house, and my first bridal shower! Jason also snuck a couple fishing trips in for good measure!

The sweet couple that bought the NB house are expecting there first child soon, and so we left this present for them to pick up with their keys at the title company:

This weekend we are moving everything into our new apartment, a place we are so excited to make new memories in as newlyweds! The official countdown is on:

3 Days until the new apartment

8 days until my last bridal shower

13 days until my 26th birthday

24 days until bachelorette weekend

38 days until the wedding

40 days until the Bahamas for our honeymoon!

Definitely going to be a busy month and a half!

Shoot'em

Last night turned into a bit of a family night for me... after work I met my mom, dad and Ryan out at the Greater Houston Gun Club for a round of sporting clays...

Ryan blasted them last night

Mom is catching up with the rest of us

Me

Dad

After the sun went down we all headed up to the clubhouse to meet up with some guys my dad works with... on wednesday nights the club fires up this huge pit (so sad I forgot to get a picture ) and everyone brings steaks to grill... and they have salad, baked potatoes, and green beans inside. This is literally one of my favorite things about summer and having more daylight in the evening! We all had a great time, and I for one am looking forward to heading back up there soon!

Jason turns 31!

So, it's official today... my cute hubby to be is 31 ( can I just say that numbers sounds ridiculously old to me...) ! Jason's birthday turned into a four day celebration for us, and I for one had a fantastic time through all of it... We kicked off the weekend friday night at Stevie and Abraham's with dinner,

Chicken with Veggies and Bow Tie Pasta

followed by the unveiling of Jason's birthday present... a new dog kennel for when skeeter comes home to live with us!

Saturday morning we went shooting with my dad followed by an amazing dinner at Franks Chop House with Jason's parents Bill and Cindy, and my dad... Sunday we relaxed and got pedicures followed by heading to my parents house where Jason, my dad and my brother Ryan all spent the afternoon installing   over engineering how to attach the kennel in the bed of the truck... As a final surprise Jason, Ryan, and I went to the Astros game, sadly they lost but we had a fantastic time!