It's a Wonderful Life

I'm a terrible blogger...and a pregnancy update!

2012-02-09T11:25:00.013-05:00

Oh wow. I haven't blogged since I was 27 weeks pregnant. I am now 36 weeks, and counting down the days until we meet our Baby Girl!!!

Warning: This is a very long post.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 28 Weeks! Welcome 3^rd Trimester!!!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 2.5 lbs and 15-16 inches or so. Every website says something different, so who knows. Apparently, that is about the size of a Chinese cabbage.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 20 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She hasn’t been quite as active this week, except on Saturday. I think she moved the entire day!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I’m beginning to think that Chick-fil-a is my pregnancy craving. I never get tired of it!

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Tanner suprising me by putting the crib together before I got home from work one day!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 29 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 2.75 or 3 lbs and 15-16 inches or so. Every website says something different, so who knows. One website says that she is about the length of a loaf of bread and the weight of a Macbook Air.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 21 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She’s still active!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I’m beginning to think that Chick-fil-a is my pregnancy craving. I never get tired of it!

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Having my 1^st baby shower!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 3 lbs and 15.5 inches or so. Every website says something different, so who knows.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 22-23 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She’s still active!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I’m beginning to think that Chick-fil-a is my pregnancy craving. I never get tired of it!

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Including Baby Girl in our Christmas celebrations!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 31 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 3.5 lbs and 16 inches or so. Every website says something different, so who knows.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 24 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She’s still active!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I still don’t get tired of Chick-fil-a.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Celebrating the New Year and realizing how excited I am for this year!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 3.75 - 4 lbs and 16-17 inches or so. Every website says something different, so who knows.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 25 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She’s still active!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I still don’t get tired of Chick-fil-a.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Going to the Passion Conference with our college kids and having her kick the entire time music was playing.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 4.5 lbs and 17.5 inches or so. Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 26 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few (but very few) regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She’s still super active!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I still don’t get tired of Chick-fil-a.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Having my church baby shower! We are super blessed and thankful for all of the love and prayers for this baby girl!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 4.75 lbs and 17.75 inches or so. Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 28 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few (but very few) regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She’s still super active!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I still don’t get tired of Chick-fil-a.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Continuing to get her nursery ready and seeing the progress that is being made!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 35 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 5-5.5 lbs and 18 inches or so. Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 29 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few (but very few) regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She’s still super active! For the last few weeks the movements have felt very different. Previously, it felt like little punches or kicks. Now, it feels like she is stretching or pushing some part of her up against me and moving it around or rolling. You can also watch my stomach move pretty frequently.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I still don’t get tired of Chick-fil-a.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Tanner putting his hand on my belly almost every night to feel her move and play with her.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 5.75 - 6 lbs and 18.5 inches or so.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 30 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few (but very few) regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it.

What I miss: I really don’t miss much. I love being pregnant! However, as I was baking cookies the other day, I did realize how much I miss being able to eat cookie dough.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I still don’t get tired of Chick-fil-a.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Finishing the nursery and installing the car seat in the car! I absolutely love the nursery! I’m sure I will think of something else that needs to be done, but for now I think I’m finished. Installing the car seat just made it all seem so close!!!

Another update: 24-27 Weeks!

2011-12-08T21:43:00.006-05:00

Here's how Baby Girl and I have been progressing in the last few weeks.

Pregnancy Highlights:

(Please ignore my crazy hair in this picture. I'm not sure what that was all about).

How Far Along: 24 Weeks!

Size of baby: The size of an ear of corn.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 15 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: Her movements are definitely getting more and more noticeable. I can watch my belly move when she kicks now!

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then.

Best Moment this week: Watching my belly move when she kicks hard enough!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 Weeks!

Size of baby: The length of a recorder that you played in elementary school…or a rutabaga (but I have no idea how big those are).

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 16 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: I absolutely love feeling her kick me. I don’t think I’ve noticed her doing somersaults or anything crazy, but maybe I have and didn’t know.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Painting the nursery, and having another good doctor’s appointment! I haven’t heard anything negative about my glucose test…so hopefully I passed!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 Weeks!

Size of baby: The length of a burp cloth…or the length of an English cucumber.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 17 lbs – I thought for sure I would have gained 5 lbs last week because of Thanksgiving, but I didn’t. I am still on the 1 lb per week track, which is where I am supposed to be. Yay!

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: Sometimes I think she likes messing with her Daddy. Sometimes when Tanner wants to feel her kick, she stops, even if she has been kicking like crazy. However, one night this week he had his arm around my belly and she immediately started kicking him repeatedly. Apparently, she was not a fan of his arm being there.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Thanksgiving and her being very active throughout this week!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 27 Weeks! Time is flying by!!!

Size of baby: She is probably close to 2 lbs and 15 inches or so. Apparently, that is about the size of a head of cauliflower.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 18 or 19 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: She is very active. Her most active times are mid-afternoon and at night when we are watching tv.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Occasionally, I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I’ve started feeling a little more uncomfortable every now and then, but nothing too bad.

Best Moment this week: Continuing to work on the nursery and continuing to feel my baby girl moving inside of me!

19-23 Weeks!!!

2011-11-12T19:23:00.009-05:00

I know, I know... I haven't updated since I was 18 weeks pregnant, and I'm now over 23 weeks pregnant. Something about taking pictures off of the camera, and loading them onto the computer drives me crazy...lazy, I know. Anyway, I have at least been keeping up with the posts I said I would write, and we have taken pictures each week. So you should have plenty of reading material in this post. The biggest news is that we found out the gender of our baby! It's a girl!!! We are so excited! Tanner and I agreed when I got pregnant that neither of us would say what gender we thought the baby was. He was afraid that would somehow equal what gender we wanted the baby to be, and we really just wanted a healthy baby. I know, that sounds cliche, but it's true. Anyway, after my ultrasound where we found out that she's a girl, we both admitted to each other that we really thought that was the gender. There were a lot of reasons for this, but needless to say, it was fun for us to both be right! We have known the gender for about a month now, and we have been busy picking out items for our registry, planning her nursery, and buying cute little baby girl clothes! Can you tell we're excited???

Anyway, here are the weekly posts. Some of the answers are the same from week-to-week, because it doesn't always change:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 Weeks

Size of baby: The size of an heirloom tomato

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 10 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear some regular shirts, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: We don’t know yet! 2 more days!

Movement: I’m pretty sure I’ve felt the baby move at this point, but I'm still not sure I can say for sure.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Sometimes I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I am not having too many symptoms right now.

Best Moment this week: Possibly feeling the baby move!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 Weeks – HALFWAY THERE!!!

Size of baby: The length of a banana

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 10 lbs according to my scale – but according to my doctor’s appointment last week it is a lot more than that. I blame it on the cowboy boots and several layers of tops that I was wearing.

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear some regular shirts, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!! We found out last Thursday (October 13, 2011). We are so excited! Neither of us told the other what we thought the gender was before we had the ultrasound. After the ultrasound, we both came out and said, “I knew it was a girl.”

Movement: Her movements are getting more noticeable.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Sometimes I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I am not having too many symptoms right now.

Best Moment this week: Finding out the gender and that Baby Girl is healthy!!!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 21 Weeks!

Size of baby: The length of a carrot

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 11 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear some regular shirts, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: Her movements are definitely noticeable now. Every time I eat Chick-fil-a she moves more. Tanner even got to feel her kick last weekend.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Sometimes I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I am not having too many symptoms right now. Sometimes my belly feels sore (for lack of a better word).

Best Moment this week: Tanner getting to feel her kick!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 22 Weeks!

Size of baby: About the length of a spaghetti squash

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 12 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: Her movements are definitely noticeable now. She seems to be most active at night when we are watching tv.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Sometimes I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. Although, it was quite difficulty having so much Halloween candy in the house. I wanted to eat it all.

Symptoms: I am not having too many symptoms right now.

Best Moment this week: Picking out material for my mom to make her bedding and curtains!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 23 Weeks!

Size of baby: About the size of a large mango

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 14 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear a few regular shirts depending on how long they are, and I also have some maternity shirts. As the weather is getting colder, I am realizing that I don't have enough sweaters that fit.

Gender: It’s a GIRL!!!

Movement: Her movements are definitely noticeable, but I still can’t tell what is a kick and what is a punch. She has kicked me hard enough a few times that my hand moves off of my stomach if I had it resting there.

Sleep: Every now and then I have a night where I have to get up to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it. Sometimes I have crazy dreams that wake me up.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings. I am having a hard time not eating too many sweets because our house is full of them right now.

Symptoms: I am not having too many symptoms.

Best Moment this week: Starting our baby registry!

18 Weeks!!!

2011-10-06T21:37:00.004-04:00

I'm 18 weeks!

Technically, 18 weeks and 2 days, but who's counting?

I stole this idea from one of my favorite blogs: kellyskornerblog.com

I have been meaning to do this for several weeks now, and I just haven't gotten around to it. We have at least been taking pictures of my baby bump each week.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 Weeks

Size of baby: The length of a bell pepper

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 9ish lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants, but I can still wear regular shirts, and I also have some maternity shirts.

Gender: We don’t know yet! 1 week from today!!!

Movement: I’m not sure if I have felt the baby move yet or not. There have been times that I think I have, but I’m still not positive. I can't wait until I know for sure!

Sleep: I’m not having any trouble sleeping so far! I know that will change.

What I miss: Nothing really – sometimes I want some of the foods I can't have.

Cravings: I'm just hungry - I don't have specific cravings.

Symptoms: I am not having too many symptoms right now. I definitely have to make more trips to the bathroom than ever before.

Best Moment this week: Going to the UT/Buffalo game and possibly feeling the baby move during it.

Big News!!!

2011-08-30T11:18:00.003-04:00

Wow. I’m not even sure where to start on this blog. I have a feeling this will be long…so bear with me.

Let me begin this by saying that God is good. Even when we in our finite minds don’t understand Him, He is good. He knows best. His timing is best. He loves us more than we can ever comprehend. This is some of what I have learned in the journey that I am about to describe. I pray that God will continue to use this experience to mold me into the person He wants me to be, as well as to allow me to use this to help others who are in the same situation.

In October 2009, Tanner and I decided that we would love to have a child. Since then, I have realized how silly we were in thinking we had control over this, but at the time, we decided that we were ready. Needless to say, it didn’t happen right away. The problem was obviously with me. I will spare the readers of this blog from specific details, but you are more than welcome to talk to me about it if you are interested. I will be happy to discuss it especially if you are experiencing similar issues.

During this time, we chose not to say anything to anyone. At first, this was mainly because my husband hates it when people announce that they are “trying to conceive.” You will have to ask him about his reasoning behind this, but needless to say, we kept this all to ourselves. The first few months were sad, but not terrible. I thought that surely it would happen the next month, and I continued thinking that for a while. 6 months later, I started getting worried. During this time, my best friend had a baby, and this only increased my maternal desires. Eventually I stopped wanting to tell people because I didn't want to get the "pity look." If you have ever been in a similar situation, you know what I'm talking about.

After about 8 months, my doctor decided to try a few medications. Some of the medicine (Clomid) is not safe to take for an extended amount of time. It may cause cancer, but at the same time, the percentage is almost equal for people who never have kids. If you are reading this, and you ever decide to take Clomid, let me warn you. You may or may not feel terrible. It really messed with my emotions, but other than that it was ok. Anyway, I took Clomid for 4 months, with no pregnancy. At the end of 4 months, my doctor was not comfortable keeping me on it, so he switched to a different medicine (Metformin). The odd thing about this medicine is that it is mainly used for diabetes. It is also used for polycystic ovarian syndrome, but I had not been diagnosed with that. I took Metformin for 5 months.

Tanner and I left for a vacation in Jamaica on June 22, 2011. I have to admit looking back on it, that I felt a little different while I was there. However, I had been disappointed several times before, and I tried not to even allow myself to think that being pregnant may be a possibility. We came home on June 29, 2011, and I was still feeling a little off. I did not want to take a test until I was absolutely sure that if I was pregnant it would come back positive.

We had plans to go to the lake on the 4th of July, and I knew I wanted to know by then so I wouldn’t ride the jet ski or the intertube if I really was pregnant. We decided that I would take a test that morning. I woke up before Tanner and decided I would go ahead and get it over with. I took the test, and it turned positive immediately!!! I woke Tanner to tell him, but we had to keep our excitement quiet because my mom was in town and staying at our house. We already knew that we didn’t want to tell anyone until I had my first doctor’s appointment, so somehow we managed to keep quiet.

I have never been so happy, amazed, in awe of God, etc. in all of my life. God did this. God knew that for some reason the timing was right now. God is developing the baby that I am carrying. He is using this trial in mine and my husband’s lives for His glory.

I wanted to write this for several reasons. The first being to give glory to God for the work that He has done in me. I have never been a patient person, and though I still cannot claim to be one, I have learned some patience over the last 2 years. He knew best. I also understand now more than ever how much He is in control, and I am not. The second reason is that I want people going through the same situation to know that they are not alone. I know how it feels. I even know what it feels like to find out that someone else around you is pregnant, and believe me I do not want to rub that in your face. I want to encourage you by saying, don’t give up and trust in God’s goodness and perfect timing. I know you have probably heard that God’s timing is best a thousand times, and it may even be one of your least favorite phrases at the moment. However, it is true. Even when we don’t understand and we are in pain, it is still true.

So with that, I leave you with a picture of my baby who is due to make his/her entrance into this crazy world on March 6, 2012.

A Brief Update

2011-04-19T21:33:00.004-04:00

In my last post I talked about my goal to start menu planning and couponing. Well, I am happy to say that almost 3 weeks later, we have stuck to it. The first week I made apple dijon pork loin, hamburgers, and tomato basil soup. We ended up having leftovers from all of those. The second week I made ranch chicken and salisbury steak. We were supposed to have spaghetti that week, but our church ended up having a spaghetti dinner for a fundraiser on Wednesday, so we moved it to next week. So far this week we have had shepherd's pie and tilapia. I am actually quite excited that this has worked. I hope to post some pictures and recipes soon, but most of the pictures aren't on my computer yet, and I only have a few minutes.

As far as couponing is concerned, I am quite pleased with how this is going, also. I went to Kroger the other day and saved 41% plus got a $5.00 gift card. This ended up making it closer to 46%. I feel like I am slowly learning the tricks of the trade. It takes quite a bit of time, but I think it will become quicker now that I have everything organized.

I hope to figure out whether the menu planning actually saved us money at the end of the month. Our problem right now is that we are still eating out quite a bit, and we aren't always cheap when we do. The other problem is that when you first start couponing, you have to build-up your supply of staple items when they go on sale. This adds extra costs at first. It will be interesting to see what happens. I was telling a friend the other day that I have really made it a game (I know I'm weird). If you know me, you know that I am very competitive. It helps make it fun, and I think it also helps me stick with it.

Couponing and Menu Planning?

2011-04-01T09:37:00.004-04:00

So, I may be late getting on board the couponing and menu planning train, but I've finally decided to try it. If you know me and my husband, you know that we LOVE eating out. I can't really explain this love, because I also LOVE to cook, and my husband likes to help me in the kitchen. Perhaps it's the fact that I hate cleaning up after cooking.

Anyway, over the last few months we have decided to cut back on our food budget. This equals less eating out (which can prove to be very difficult when working with a bunch of college kids at church). However, I am also guilty of cooking fancy meals that end up costing as much as it would if we had eaten out. In an effort to combat these problems, I contacted a friend of mine that is amazing at couponing. She sent me a powerpoint that she has used to teach people at her church how to coupon effectively, and I am slowly learning the tricks. Let me just say, it is not easy! It takes a lot of diligence and time. However, if you know me, you also know that I love solving puzzles. To me, this is all a big puzzle to solve each month!

Another method that I am now trying in order to save money in our food budget is menu planning. This is completely new to me. Honestly, I am starting off easy. I am only planning 3 meals per week. The other nights we can either eat leftovers, find something else around the house to cook, or those will be the times that we eat out. Also, I am not being super strict about which nights we eat those 3 meals. I think the key to me sticking to the menu plan is going to be allowing it to be flexible. If I am successful with 3 nights per week, perhaps we will increase it next month. The advantage that this is giving me is that I can make less trips to the grocery store which equals less impulse buys, and I can plan ahead for using the coupons that I discussed above. I can also plan ahead meals that don't cost an arm and a leg to make but are still good and maybe even healthy.

So...all of this will start on Monday with Apple Dijon Pork Roast...which though it sounds expensive, it really isn't. Feel free to ask me how this is going. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully I will blog more often to tell some of the recipes I use, and how it is going.

Nothing...

2011-03-04T15:37:00.002-05:00

I really feel like I have nothing to blog about. This is a problem, I know. I promise I will blog again soon. Hopefully with something more interesting to say.

Pure Joy...

2011-01-17T18:54:00.000-05:00

James 1: 2- 4 (NIV)

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Wow. Those verses are so powerful. How hard is it to consider your trials pure joy? I know that this is something that I struggle with. No matter how big or small the trial is, it is not always easy to be joyful. I tend to complain or whine about whatever it is to my poor husband. However, I know that God is using trials in my life to draw me closer to Him, and this my friends, is joyful. God is using trials in my life to show me that I am in no way in control. As a control freak, this can also be scary at times, but in my heart I know that this is the best way. God is God, and I am not. He knows what is best for me. His timing is perfect. He knows His plans for me. It doesn't matter what I want (although sometimes I have a hard time remembering that).

The Snow Continues...So I'm Going to my Happy Place

2011-01-11T20:45:00.026-05:00

It has snowed for several days in a row here, so I thought I would post some pictures of our cruise in August 2010 to remind me of warmer weather. We finally got to go to the Western Caribbean without a hurricane rerouting us. Our stops were Labadee, Haiti; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico.

We didn't have an excursion in Labadee. We just enjoyed the beach and walked around the market area. This was quite an experience. One guy told us to make him any offer on a souvenir, and he would accept it. When we did, he laughed at us and told us that he had a family to support. He was quite persistent, and we did end up buying some things from him.

In Ocho Rios we took a river tubing excursion. The water was soooo cold!!! This idea had never even entered into my brain. I thought, "Water in Jamaica, it must be warm." HA! The ride down the river was beautiful! After we finished, we enjoyed some Jamaican jerk chicken and some shopping.

In Georgetown we took a beach excursion. It was wonderful! I love going to the beach, and I particularly love it when it is in the Caribbean. The water there is so clear and beautiful! God really is an awesome Creator! Grand Cayman is a neat place. They have no unemployment because everyone there believes that they should work, and they are determined to find some sort of work. There are other neat things about living there, but I forget what they are right now. :0(

Finally, we went to Cozumel! This was our favorite stop on this cruise. I absolutely loved Cozumel, and I definitely would have liked to have had more time there. The excursion we went on there was also our favorite excursion (quite possibly of all time). We went to a beach resort area and took a traditional Mexican food cooking class. We made an appetizer (it is hard to explain what it was), fish wrapped in banana leaves, and rice pudding for dessert. It was all delicious!!! We got the recipes, and we have since made the rice pudding at home. If you know me, you know that I love to cook. This was my kind of excursion! What you may not know is that my husband also enjoys cooking. He typically wants to help me anytime I am in the kitchen. I love it!!!

We also enjoyed our days at sea when we just got to spend time on the cruise. Our cruise director, Graham, was awesome! This time we tried a balcony room. Oh my! I don't know if we can ever go back to any other room now. Royal Caribbean did a great job again of providing us with an excellent vacation!!!

Now my only question is, when is our next one???

Thanks, God for allowing us to have this opportunity and for giving me a fantastic husband that I love spending time with!

I'm still here!

2010-11-15T16:45:00.003-05:00

Hello, World! Wow, I can't believe it's been over 9 months since I have blogged. I'm sorry! A lot has happened since then, and I am excited to start blogging again. Hopefully, I will be more consistent this time (although I know I have said that before). Life hasn't really slowed down too much, but every little bit helps. This blog is unlike my husband's blog (http://newradicalreformation.blogspot.com). His is well thought-out, and highly intelligent. Mine is more about our daily lives, and I hope to share some of what God is teaching me lately. I pray that through this my readers will be able to understand me better and see God through me more.

In the last 9 months I have...
- Grown closer to God (though I still have far to go)
- Finished all of my classes for my Masters degree in Marriage & Family Therapy!
- Almost completed my internship! I have greatly enjoyed learning to counsel couples and individual adults!
- Rented out our condo to a wonderful medical student!
- Bought a house!
- Passed my comprehensive counseling exam! (I had to pass this to graduate, and it covers all of the classes I have taken for my Master's degree).
- Gone on a cruise!
- Gone to several football games!
- And I'm sure much more!

I have pictures of many of the above happenings, and I plan on posting them soon. I just wanted to give a brief update, so you would know that I still exist. Plan on hearing more from me soon!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

2010-02-10T23:07:00.002-05:00

Today I made this recipe for Salsa Chicken. I am happy to say that it was much better than I expected!

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) or cream of chicken soup (I used cream of chicken).
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken (I didn't use the whole package, and I was really happy with the way it turned out). Mix salsa and soup and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork. Stir in sour cream until heated, then serve over rice or tortillas.

I served mine with rice. I didn't shred the chicken, and we just added the sour cream to our own pieces of chicken. Also, I topped mine with shredded cheddar cheese once it was plated. Next time I am going to try adding a can of corn to the recipe. My husband said this was one of his favorite recipes that I have made so far, so I definitely think I will be making this again. Let me know if you try it! It was super easy, and quite good.

Let the craziness begin!!!

2010-01-18T09:27:00.002-05:00

Today marks the start of another new semester. It also officially marks the start of my internship, even though I was able to start a few weeks ago. I have a feeling this is going to be crazy! The main things I have to juggle are: time with God, my marriage, family, friends, church, school, work, internship, and trying to keep my house somewhat clean. That's nothing, right? I'll just keep trying to tell myself that. Thankfully, I only have one 8-week class this semester, which means by the middle of March I can cross school off of that list. Woohoo!

Oh, and did I mention that Baby Emma was born? She belongs to our wonderful friends Daniel and Carla. I am sooooo excited for them! She is absolutely beautiful!

Crockpot Turkey

2010-01-07T12:06:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I made a turkey breast in the crockpot the other day. It was very good, but there are a few things I might do differently next time. I meant to take a picture of it and be all cool like that, but I forgot (shows how cool I really am), so I will just post the recipe.

Crock-pot Turkey Breast

1 turkey breast (6 to 6-1/2 pounds) - (honestly, I don't even know how big ours was.)
2 tsp vegetable oil - (I didn't measure this. I just used enough to coat the turkey.)
Salt and pepper, to taste - (I used a TON of pepper.)
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves - (I used 6 cloves because my husband is obsessed with garlic.)
1 stick of butter

Remove all of the packaging from the turkey breast. Mine had a gravy packet, and it was wrapped in netting. You can also remove excess skin if you want, I did. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Rub the turkey all over with oil. Sprinkle the breast lightly with salt and pepper to personal preference. I basically covered mine in pepper because I enjoy cracked-pepper turkey.

Place the breast, meaty side up, into a slow cooker.

Peel the onion, cut it into quarters, and place the pieces around the edges of the pot. Peel the garlic cloves and place them around the sides of the cooker. Melt the stick of butter and pour it over the turkey. Cover the cooker and cook the breast on low for 9 hours, or until the meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. I waited the full 9 hours, and it was actually well past 170 degrees. I probably should have checked it sooner. Remove the breast from the cooker and wait at least 10 minutes before slicing. (The internal temperature will continue to rise). Discard the vegetables in the cooker. Serve the breast sliced, with or without skin.

You can use the drippings to make gravy if you want. The gravy packet that came with the turkey suggested mixing some in with that, so I tried that method. It turned out pretty well.

Note: If the turkey breast is not frozen, check for doneness (170 degrees) with a meat thermometer after 7-1/2 to 8 hours of cooking on low. Be sure to wash your hands well with soap and water immediately after handling raw poultry. Wash sink and counter surfaces the meat touches with soap and hot water.

If you do not use the entire turkey in the meal you can refrigerate, covered for 24 hours before chopping the meat and freezing. Place the meat in a freezer-weight plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Adjustments:

I saw some recipes that called for chicken broth to be poured in the slow cooker prior to putting the turkey breast in there. I had every intention of doing this but it turned out that I didn't have any. I will probably try that next time to see what it adds to the recipe. I may stick to the 4 cloves of garlic instead of the 6 next time. However, I will have to ask my garlic-obsessed husband about it first.

Overall, I thought it was very good. It may not be the slow-cooker turkey recipe that I always use, but it was quite tasty.

Wow...long time no blog.

2010-01-05T11:37:00.011-05:00

Wow. I don't even know if anyone reads this anymore since I haven't blogged in 9 months. Sorry about that. Once again, I am going to try to be somewhat consistent with this. I am not promising to blog every day, but I will try to do it more than every 9 months.

The Christmas season just ended, and it was fabulous! I had so much fun getting together with friends and family to celebrate. After Christmas, Tanner and I went on a mini-vacation to Atlanta for a few days. We went to an NBA game, the Georgia Aquarium, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, the Chickfila Bowl, and celebrated New Year's on the MARTA. It was such a fun trip! Here are some pics of our fun taken with our new camera:

Lebron and Shaq getting ready for the tip-off.

Jump Shot!

Shaq was on the kiss-cam.
Usher was there.
Jellyfish

Cute Hubby!

Huge manta ray and whale shark!

We lost, but it was still fun to be there. Go Vols!

Today I am making a turkey breast in the crock-pot. If we like it, I'll post the recipe on here soon.

A Kindle Review

2009-04-03T10:05:00.003-04:00

So, I promised I would talk about my Kindle once I had time to use it a little. I must say, I love it! I have now read the 2nd book in the Twilight series, and I have almost finished the 3rd book on it. I also have the Bible (ESV) - this was free on Amazon, and I have the book we are reading for Pastor's class on Wednesday nights, Systematic Theology by Grudem.

It is so easy to read on a Kindle. You can adjust the text size to your liking. If you get a cover like mine, it will even stand up. I like this feature for when I am lying down and reading. It allows you to prop the Kindle up on your lap and you don't have to hold it.

The battery lasts forever! I haven't tested it to see exactly how long it will last, but if I keep the wireless turned off when I'm not using it, it honestly lasts several weeks. Two weeks ago we went to watch the ETSU Bucs play in the NCAA tournament in Dayton, Ohio. This was a 6.5 hour car trip both ways. I read my Kindle most of the trip, and I haven't charged it since.

There are many features of the Kindle that I have not used yet, and probably many that I have not discovered. There is a hidden minesweeper game. It works well, but don't expect to play it quickly. You can put music on it (but I have heard that it will only play the music in the order that you install it). It is not meant to be your everyday mp3 player. You can upload your own pictures to it to create your screensaver (remember these will be in black and white). You can highlight text and add notes. You can search for something in every book that you have on your Kindle, or you can just search in one book. You can delete books off of your Kindle once you have finished reading them, and they will be stored on Amazon's website. It even has a basic web browser.

Downsides:
- You have to have a booklight if you are reading in the dark. They sell special Kindle booklights that fit in the cover for it, but I have just been using a booklight they I already owned.
- The text-to-speech option isn't great. This is the option that allows the Kindle to read the book to you. If you are looking for an audio book, just buy the audio version and put it on your Kindle, don't depend on the text-to-speech.
- It didn't come with a cover. Apparently the first version of Kindle came with a TERRIBLE cover, so Amazon decided to just fix that dilemma and not include a cover at all. This wouldn't be bad except it took about 3 extra weeks to receive the cover I ordered (not Amazon's fault).

Overall I am so happy with it. I would recommend it to anyone that likes to read. I have decided that I will probably not put textbooks on it because I like to write too much in my textbooks. If you like to read for fun, it is well worth the money.

Kindle

2009-03-03T13:50:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't written in awhile; as usual school has been crazy. I just wanted to say that I'm super excited! I just ordered a Kindle 2. I have been wanting one for awhile, but I was waiting on the new version to come out. My mom has the original version, and she loves it! I'll be sure to put a review on here once I've had enough time to use it.

What have you done?

2009-01-20T13:58:00.003-05:00

I got this survey idea from Talia's blog. All of the things in bold are things I have done.

Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band.
Visited Hawaii (I wish).
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland/world
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Grown your own vegetables
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitch hiked (This was not my idea. My dad and I were on our way back from Pigeon Forge when I was about 8-9 years old. Our car broke down after being stuck in construction for about an hour. For some reason, and I will never understand why he thought this was a good idea - a guy pulled over and asked if we needed a ride, and my dad took him up on it. Looking back on it, I think my dad lost his brain for a little bit).
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Been to a broadway show in NY
Run a Marathon
Been in three states at once
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo’s David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Been to Grace Kelley's grave in Monaco
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Swam in the Mediterranean Sea
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout cookies
Gone whale watching
Gotten flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check (when I was 16 - just after getting a checking account)
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten Caviar (no, but I've watched Tanner eat caviar) Does that count? ;)
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job (and I didn't do anything wrong)
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (I have seen the guards, but not the changing of the guards).
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible (I am working on this).
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared my own meat
Had chickenpox
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee

Exercise

2009-01-12T14:08:00.003-05:00

Today began the adventures of Tanner and Tiffany trying to get back into shape. We haven't worked out in FOREVER. I mean, we're talking probably a couple of years since we really worked out. Ugh. We have decided that we are going to go during lunch at least 2 days a week and then we will go either 1 other night or on Saturday. Hopefully, we will get in at least 3 times a week. We are quite busy people, so the lunchtime thing works out ok, except I hate feeling like I stink for the rest of the day. Today we did some weights and jogged/walked the track. We didn't have too much time because we were trying to get me set up with an account. Both of us are currently super frustrated with how out of shape we are, so hopefully that will give us the inspiration we need to actually work out (that and the price we had to pay for me to get a membership). Anyway, I will try to keep you posted on our success.

Happy 2009!!!

2009-01-05T14:44:00.003-05:00

Ok, don't yell at me. I realize I haven't written on here since the end of October. Life has been crazy as usual. The holidays were great, and I loved spending time with friends and family. After Christmas we went on a trip to D.C. It was a lot of fun, as well as informative. I will post more about that when I get the pictures uploaded to my computer. Anyway, I wanted to list some of the things that I want to accomplish in 2009. I hate making resolutions because I never fulfill them, so maybe I can call these "goals."

My goals for 2009:
- Continue to become a better wife
- Learn to be submissive
- Trust God more
- Pray more
- Study the Bible more regularly
- Worry and stress less
- Exercise 2-3 times per week
- Read for fun more
- Continue to do well in grad school
- Don't hound Tanner about his school work
- Be a better friend and family member
- Drink more water
- Eat healthier
- Cook more/eat out less
- Complain less

These are all I can think of for right now, but I know there are more. I will continue adding them as I think of them.

Christians voting for Obama???

2008-10-28T13:49:00.001-04:00

This is my blog, so I currently have the right to put my own opinions on here. If you are a Christian, and in any way thinking about voting for Obama (or 3rd party - because that is basically like voting for Obama) please watch this video.

Tim & Tucker's 1st "Real" Football Game

2008-10-20T10:52:00.022-04:00

So, like I mentioned in my previous post, we took Tanner's little brothers to their first "real" football game this weekend. We went to see Tennessee play Mississippi State. Tanner had told the boys ahead of time that we were all going to be TN fans that day (they are Alabama fans). Tucker totally bought into this. He even wanted to wear one of my TN shirts (Woohoo!). Tim cheered for them, but would catch himself and try not to be too excited. It was pretty funny. Anyway, it was pretty cold, so you will see us all bundled up in layers and layers of clothing. Enjoy the pics and the stories that go along with them:

This is how we started our journey

Both of the boys had binoculars, and they loved them! (notice Tuck sporting the Big Orange apparel)

Tanner & Tim went to get us free ice cream sandwiches (yes, even though it was cold outside), and free cokes.

Then, Tucker decided to look like a duck.

There's a cool story for this next picture. TN does a thing called the "Vol Walk." All of the players walk by high-fiving the fans as they walk into the stadium. This player walked by, high-fived us, took another step, and turned back around and draped his towel across Tucker's arm. He talked about that the rest of the day, and he wants to take it with him wherever he goes.

Look: we were there too! (yes, I am wearing an ETSU hoodie. I didn't have a UT hoodie that was warm enough)

My favorite boys

Proof that we were actually inside the stadium

We were a little cold

The final score

We had a great time. The boys loved it, and they are already asking to go to another game.

A fun weekend ahead

2008-10-17T10:38:00.002-04:00

I am really looking forward to this weekend. Saturday is going to be a very busy/long day. ETSU is having Homecoming on Saturday, and being the loyal alumni that we are, Tanner and I are going. My dad is also an alumni of ETSU, and he is having some sort of reunion, so I'm sure I will have to meet all of his old friends.

Anyway, we won't be there too long because we are going to the TN/Mississippi State game that night. Not only are Tanner and I going, but we are taking Tim and Tucker with us (Tanner's younger brothers - 10 & 7). We are so excited! This will be both of the boys' first "real" football game. They are super excited, and they have been counting down all week. Keep in mind though - neither of the boys are TN fans (I am the only one). However, we convinced them that they need to pull for TN on Saturday in order to get the full experience of going to a game. To my surprise - they agreed. We plan on taking lots of pictures, so hopefully I will post them on here soon.

Sunday is going to be a typical Sunday, but it's probably going to be my last Sunday with an afternoon nap for awhile since I start a class again on Monday. Oh well, it was a nice 8-week break.

So, what about you? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Fireproof

2008-10-10T14:00:00.003-04:00

We went to see the movie Fireproof last night with our community group. For those of you that don't know, this was a very low-budget film. I absolutely loved it. I know the dialogue wasn't always great, and some of the acting wasn't either, but I really tried to just focus on the point the movie was trying to make.

This movie is about improving and saving marriages. As a wife and a child of divorce, this is something that I am always interested in.

So please, if you are married or even thinking about getting married, watch this movie. Don't try to critique it, just watch it for the meaning behind it.

The book that is used in the movie, The Love Dare, is available at Lifeway. I am thinking about buying it. Has anyone tried this yet? Any other thoughts on the movie?

1 year of wedded bliss (warning: this is mushy)

2008-09-15T11:00:00.005-04:00

Wow. I can't believe it has been a year already. Today is our 1 year wedding anniversary. I guess time really does fly when you're having fun. So much has happened this year. I am so thankful to God for giving me the best husband in the world. I am so incredibly lucky. I am even more in love with him today than I was a year ago (and I didn't think that was possible). Tanner makes me smile every day; he makes me laugh when I don't feel like laughing; he calms me down when I start worrying about something that I shouldn't be worrying about. He is the complete opposite of me as far as personality style, and I love him for that. I don't think he has a clue how happy he makes me, and I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make him that happy. My goals for our next year of marriage: grow even closer, love even more, and be the best wife I can possibly be (he deserves it). I love you, Tanner!

Community

2008-08-19T09:07:00.002-04:00

Great news! We finally have teachers for our community group! We are so excited. You see, we have been without a real "leader" since the end of May. Currently, we consist of 2 couples (us included) that are regulars, and a few singles that come occasionally. Neither of the couples wanted to take on the responsibility as leaders because we wanted the chance to learn. I have to admit, I was beginning to think we were never going to find teachers. However, I know this was all in God's perfect timing. I love the fact that through this time it has allowed us the chance to become better friends with Tim and Jessica. Our new leaders start September 4th. Now it's time for us to get out there and find people to invite!

The Life You've Always Wanted

2008-08-01T14:42:00.005-04:00

So this past week I had to read this book for school:

We actually went through this book at church a few years ago, and I have to admit that it has challenged me just as much the second time as it did the first. I was going through a rough time in my life when I first read this book (Tanner and I had broken up for what I thought was for good), and I really wasn't sure if it would be as helpful to me this time around. However, I was wrong. Now, I must admit I am a little bias to this book. Our Pastor preached a sermon on one of the chapters which is part of what caused us to get back together. However, I think it is something that everyone could benefit from reading. The chapter that has the greatest effect on me is the one about being patient. If you know me at all, you probably know that I am not a patient person. However, this chapter challenges me to try to change this daily.

So, this is my book recommendation. Hmmm, maybe I will start doing this more often.

Counseling

2008-07-31T16:09:00.003-04:00

Recently, I went to Liberty University for one of my week-long intensives. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. Here is an example of how they taught us to counsel:

Ok, just kidding, but isn't that great? We watched that on the very first day of class.

4th of July Carnival - Heritage Baptist Church

2008-07-03T11:23:00.002-04:00

Just so you know: Heritage Baptist Church in Johnson City, TN is having a free 4th of July carnival for kids. Typically we have free hot dogs and bottled water as well. I am not sure what all we are having this year but it usually involves lots of blow-up games, face-painting, and music.

Speaking of music, Heritage is starting a new, modern service on September 7, 2008. As a preview to that, the band will be playing on the roof. Come out and hear us. I'm not sure exactly what time we will be playing, but I have heard it will be sometime around 8 or 8:30.

Congrats Daniel & Carla!

2008-06-29T15:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday 2 of our really good friends got married. I have to admit, it was odd being the only married bridesmaid. Once you're married, it seems like you are just in a different world from everyone else. I don't really know how to describe it, and I don't even know if that makes any sense. Maybe I'm just getting older and it has nothing to do with being married. Who knows.

Anyway, they had a beautiful outdoor wedding at a house that our church owns. Everything looked great! Tanner and I had fun making faces at each other during the wedding (we were both in it). Tanner's dad gave him an idea that his friends did to each other when they got married. They attached a bowling ball to a chain, and locked it around the groom's ankle. They waited to give the bride the key until they were ready to leave, so the groom had to either drag or carry his "ball and chain" around with him during the reception. Tanner and a few friends decided to do this to Daniel. Unfortunately, he didn't play along as well as Tanner's dad's friends did. Daniel went and cut it off right after it happened (kind of anticlimactic but it was fun while it lasted).

Anyway, since their wedding was performed by the same pastor that did ours, a lot of it was the same. It was great to stand there and get to remember our wedding. What about you? If you're married, do you remember your wedding day when you go to other weddings?

5 years!

2008-06-25T08:46:00.002-04:00

5 years ago today, Tanner and I started dating. Wow. Has it really been that long? We have been through so much during that 5 years. The last year has definitely been the best. I absolutely love being married to my best friend. He makes me smile when no one else can. He loves me even in times when I don't think he should and when I don't love myself. He leads me closer to God even just through conversations that we have. He puts up with my competitiveness, and he even puts up with me when I'm a sore loser. There are so many other things that I want to say, but I really should get some work done. Happy 5 years, Tanner!

Good things vs bad things

2008-06-12T10:17:00.002-04:00

Why is it that when good things are happening in your life, bad things have to happen at the same time? Honestly, I realize it is Satan trying to distract me from all of the great things God is doing, and it is really annoying. So much is going on right now...good, bad, and in between.

Tanner starts his new job on Monday which is super exciting and we are very thankful for that. My mom is here to visit for a little while which is nice since I haven't seen her since Christmas. VBS is going really well.

But at the same time... Friends are moving away. We have no community group (which has been a huge part of our lives for the last year and a half). We are in the process of trying to find new teachers, but it will just be us and them. There is no one left from our old group. I just feel abandoned from everyone except my wonderful husband. I am trying my best to lean on God because I know that He is always there. Please pray for us as we try to figure out the Community Group situation and for me that I will get out of this funk that I keep finding myself in.

June

2008-06-06T08:56:00.003-04:00

Well, it's June. As a kid this meant excitement, relaxation, and being outside for months. As a teenager, it still meant pretty much the same things. As a college student, it meant most of the same, but with an occasional job to keep me inside. Now, as a college graduate and graduate student, June does not bring nearly as much excitement. I have so much to do this month that I don't even know where to start. I am in one class right now, but I have an intensive (a one-week class at Liberty) coming up the beginning of July. I have to read all of the textbooks and do the homework for my intensive before I get there, so essentially I have 2 classes right now. I know what you're thinking... 2 classes, big deal. Well, Liberty's online classes are only 8 weeks each, so really each class is like having 2 classes at once because you have to finish them in half the amount of time. Not to mention I have a full time job, and I like spending time with my husband every now and then.

We are going to my cousin's wedding in South Carolina this weekend. That will be fun. Plus, my mom is coming in and staying for awhile. I am quite excited about that! She works in a school, so she is out for the summer.

I also have 2 weddings that I am in this month. That means 2 Saturdays, 2 Fridays for rehearsals, plus at least one more shower (that I am throwing). AHHH!!!

Not to mention VBS is next week as well! Wow. I am going to go get busy instead of complaining about how much I have to do.

Great News!!!

2008-05-21T23:07:00.002-04:00

Tanner got the job at ETSU! We are so excited! I am so proud of him, and thankful to God. He starts on June 16th. Now the only question is if we can go on our vacation that we have already booked for our anniversary. Guess we will find out soon. Woohoo!

My life lately

2008-05-20T11:44:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't written much lately. I just haven't felt like writing. A lot has been going on, both good and bad (well, at least sad). I finally finished my theories of counseling class. That was a ton of work. I'm not really interested in the class I'm in now, but it's nice just because it's less work and I can actually have a life!

Baby Kael was born! My friends Chris and Talia had their second son on May 14th. He is sooo cute!

My trip to Nashville for work went really well. There were a few kinks along the way, but I took care of them before my boss had time to flip out. Hopefully I will get to talk to my boss about a few things soon, and my work life will be even better!

Tanner had an interview at ETSU while I was in Nashville. He thinks it went well, but we still haven't heard anything. As many of you know, I am not so good at being patient. I also stink at not getting my hopes up. I am trying really hard to do both of these things right now. I know that if he doesn't get it, it's not where God wants him right now, but it would be really nice if he did. I also don't want him to get discouraged if he doesn't get it. Anyway, we'll just keep playing the waiting game and see what happens.

Many of our friends are moving away within the next month. I am happy for them and the steps they are making in their lives, but it is really sad. Because of everyone moving, our community group is going to change. The only couples left will be us and the Trivettes. We have no clue who our teacher will be. Have I mentioned I don't deal well with change? All of the transitions going on around me are really becoming a struggle for me. I'm trying to adapt, and I know that it will take some time for everything to feel normal again. It also helps to know that there is a bigger plan than I could ever understand.

Anyway, I think those are all the thoughts going on in my head right now. Maybe now I can get back to blogging more regularly.

Bear with me

2008-04-29T11:50:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't blogged in forever. School is really getting me right now. Please be patient, and I will try to blog regularly again soon.

Self-esteem

2008-04-01T16:50:00.003-04:00

This past weekend Tanner and I were given a wonderful opportunity to help at Ridgecrest and hang out with our youth group. It truly was a great weekend. I might talk more about it in a later post. For now I want to talk about one thing that really hit home for me.

Something I really struggle with is self-esteem. I always compare myself to other people. I criticize myself on topics ranging from height, weight, looks, how good of a wife I am, and much much more. I am super hard on myself, and it really bothers my husband.

The speaker this weekend, Stuart Hall, said something that really got my attention. I have no right to criticize myself. God made me in His image (Genesis 1:27). All of the wonderful things about God are inside of me. Stuart told us to imagine looking at a beautiful sunset or sunrise. I have no problem looking at those and seeing all of the beauty within them. However, when I look at myself, I don't see it at all. Yet, God made me in His image. How can I not see that beauty? I am really going to try to stop criticizing myself as much as I have. We'll see how it goes.

Ridgecrest

2008-03-27T16:05:00.002-04:00

We are leaving in a few minutes to head to Ridgecrest. We are going down a day earlier than the youth to help get things set up. It should be a fun weekend. Pray that God works in the lives of the youth (and adults), and that everyone has a safe trip.

http://www.hbastudentconference.com

(By the way, my wonderful husband designed their webpage. If it doesn't load correctly give it a sec and try refreshing it.)

It's Official!

2008-03-20T21:54:00.001-04:00

We now have our car again!!! All I can say is that I am very thankful that we have been sticking to our budget. If you don't have one, you should. It can help change your life. I used to spend money anytime I felt like it (before I was married). Now I know that I can only spend the money if there is still some left for the month in that particular fund. It really helped us out with the car situation.

Finally!

2008-03-19T12:15:00.003-04:00

The word on the street is that I will get my car back today or tomorrow. Yay! No word yet on the final price...that is the part I am really not looking forward to. However, I am just thankful to be getting it back.

St. Patty's Day

2008-03-17T23:50:00.003-04:00

Well, it's actually almost the end of St. Patrick's Day. I was so busy today that I didn't even take the time to remember that 6 years ago I was marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. I loved the British Isles, and I definitely want to go back one day. Tanner really wants to go to Scotland, and I am more than happy to go again...

Maybe one day when our vacation budget is a little bigger.

Good food and a good movie!

2008-03-12T08:24:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I found a recipe on Rachael Ray's website for Parmesan Crusted Tilapia. First of all, I am a HUGE fan of tilapia. I am also a HUGE fan of parmesan cheese. Therefore, this recipe definitely caught my attention. I decided to make it for dinner last night. Oh my goodness! This was definitely one of my favorite things I have ever made. Plus it was sooo easy and quick. I had never cooked fish before, so I was a little worried about it. Now, I will definitely be trying more fish recipes. Another plus - it didn't make my house smell like fish!

Here is the recipe:


Marcus Nilsson

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspooons paprika

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total)

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400º. In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

On another note, we went to see The Spiderwick Chronicles last night night with Tanner's family. I had no clue what this movie was about, and once I found out I really didn't think I would like it. It turned out that both of us really liked it. I'm glad we decided to give it a chance.

Class #3- check

2008-03-10T15:56:00.003-04:00

My research class is now complete. Now I get a whole week to sit back and not have to worry about school. Up next, Theories of Counseling. I am going to enjoy this week reading things that I want to read for fun.

Blessed be Your Name

2008-03-05T13:03:00.001-05:00

Blessed Be Your Name

by Matt Redman

- -

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name


God, please help me to remember this song when I need it - during both good times and bad.

Sleepovers and Marriage

2008-02-29T13:17:00.004-05:00

Do you remember being in school and having your best friend spend the night with you, or maybe you went and spent the night at your best friend's house? Do you remember how that seemed to make everything else in life disappear and all that mattered was that you had fun in that moment? Well, I read this quote on someone else's blog, and it is so true. "I love marriage - it's like a neverending sleepover with your best friend."

Yesterday was a pretty stinky day for me. It never fails though, if I have a bad day, my wonderful husband always makes it better. He knows how to make me laugh like no one else in the world. He calms me when I am worried, and makes me see that everything will be ok.

Thank you, Tanner for making everything better. Love you!

Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T11:43:00.006-05:00

Well... it's that time of year again...Valentine's Day.

What are your plans? Do you have any traditions that you do with your special someone?

We have a tradition, but it only occurs every now and then. The first couple of years that we were dating, ETSU had a basketball game on Valentine's Day. The first year we decided to go, I don't really even know why we did, we weren't even huge ETSU fans yet. Anyway, we didn't have much time before the game started so we ate at Zaxby's. I know, I know... not your typical romantic Valentine's date. I think we went somewhere nicer another night.

When the next year rolled around, ETSU had another basketball game scheduled for Valentine's Day. So yes, we did the exact same thing... Zaxby's and a game.

Then a few years went by without a game being scheduled on Valentine's Day. This year however, there is a game. If you know us, you know that we really don't miss many ETSU games. We try to go to all of the home games that we can. So... those are our plans.

Buy this!!!

2008-02-12T16:32:00.000-05:00

Sanctus Real's new cd came out today! Go buy it!!!

Better?

2008-02-09T18:16:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried so hard to become better at something, but no matter what it always seems like you either stay the same or get worse at it? Yeah, that's where I am right now. Then when I can see that I'm not getting any better, I get so frustrated with myself that it makes the whole thing worse. Ugh.

A constant struggle

2008-02-04T22:41:00.000-05:00

Ephesians 6:5-8 (The Message) - I took this out of The Message, because I really liked the wording of this section.

5 Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. 6 Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. 7 And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. 8 Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free.

This is what I am really struggling with right now. When I say really struggling, I mean REALLY struggling. Pretty much going to work depresses me on a regular basis. There are parts of my job that I really like, and there are parts that I really dislike. I won't get into all of them on here. However, I really just need to remember that I am actually working for God. I need to remember those times that I really don't feel like I can smile, to smile because God is the one giving me the orders.

I am blessed to have a job. I am blessed to have a job that helps us pay the bills. I shouldn't complain so much. I should be thankful for what I have. Why is this such a struggle for me? I am trying so hard to have a good attitude, and I am failing miserably. I am going to try to memorize this passage of Scripture. Maybe that will help. Any other suggestions???

Bible Study

2008-01-27T21:45:00.001-05:00

In a previous post about what I wanted to do in 2008 I stated that I wanted to read the Bible more. While I was at Lifeway the other day I found this book, and I decided that maybe this would help me with my goal.

I've decided that maybe if I blog about some of the thoughts I have as I read through it, it might help keep me accountable. Otherwise, I will probably do this for a few days and then slip back into my slackishness (is that even a word?). If you notice I haven't blogged about it in a while, please ask me about it.

So... with all of that said. Here is what I read about today.

Genesis 1-3. My first thought comes from my book. It had a really neat quote about temptation. According to Veerman, "Temptation is Satan's invitation to live his kind of life and give up on God's." Have you ever thought about it that way? When you give in to temptation you are giving up on God's way of life. No part of that sounds like a good idea to me.

My other thought was what childbirth would have been like had Adam and Eve not sinned. God told Eve that with pain she would give birth to children. I actually had never thought about this before, so I decided to ask my husband what he thought about it. What he said made perfect sense, but at the same time it blew my mind. He said, "I just don't think there would have been any pain at all." Just think about that for a second. No pain. No papercuts, no bruises, no headaches, no pain in childbirth, the list could go on and on. I can't even imagine that.

Can you imagine what life was like for Adam and Eve as soon as they sinned? Do you think they realized that they had it made and in one second everything had changed? They are the only people on Earth that had experienced a perfect world. We think it's a big deal if we have a bad day in the mix of a bunch of good days. Imagine going from perfect to imperfect. Wow.

In the Hallway

2008-01-25T10:14:00.000-05:00

So, with Lee's advice I am going to write about something interesting that happened to me today.

I was sitting at work in my office at ETSU. Our door was open, and there were some students in the hallway waiting for their next class. My boss and I noticed these two girls laughing really loudly and making weird noises. It didn't take long to figure out that one of them was completely wasted. She was lying in the hallway on her side right next to the wall facing it. The other girl was sitting beside her head. I can't even describe some of the sounds she was making. They were also talking about how wasted she was. I don't know how she made it through that class, or how the teacher survived. She was so loud while sitting out in the hallway that all of the teachers started closing their doors. It was quite entertaining.

Now, on a serious note. Why do people do that? What makes someone want to drink so much alcohol that they can't control their body or mind? (Not to mention the other side effects such as a terrible headache and throwing up). No part of that sounds like fun to me.

In a Rut!!!

2008-01-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

So, I am officially in a rut. I have nothing to blog about. I have writer's block, or would it be blogger's block? Anyway, someone help me with my problem.

Selfishness???

2008-01-07T13:55:00.000-05:00

Selfishness. That's a term we use so easily with children. "Don't be selfish, share your toys." "You are being very selfish right now." The list could probably go on and on. However, as an adult I find it much harder to determine when I am being selfish, and when I am just trying to have a little backbone to keep someone from walking all over me. Many times in my life I simply give in to decisions or don't give my opinion on certain things because I don't want to seem selfish. However, what is the line? Where does it go from giving an opinion and wanting your say to matter to being selfish? The Bible says in Proverbs 18:1, "An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment." It also calls selfish ambition an act of sinful nature (Galations 5:20). Phillipians 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." I try to do that to the best of my ability. I try to put everyone else's feelings above my own. However, sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it causes pain that may have been avoidable. Is this what we as Christians are supposed to do? If so, how would anyone ever accomplish anything? If 2 people are both Christians and put each others opinion first, how does a decision get made? I realize I'm rambling, and probably not making any sense. I may come back to this later and try to explain myself more effectively.

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-01T10:39:00.001-05:00

Well, I have to admit it. I am a little sad to see 2007 go. It was definitely the best year of my life. However, I am hoping that 2008 will be just as good. Tanner's take on that is, "You get to be married to me for a full year." I guess he has a point. Maybe it will be as great as 2007.

I normally don't make New Year's Resolutions. I never stick with them. However, there are some things I would like to change about myself this year. I thought I would make a list so that I can look at next year to see if I accomplished any of them. These are in no particular order.

- Be the best wife I can possibly be
- Read the Bible more
- Be happy at work (and if I'm not - don't complain)
- Read more books for fun
- Stress less
- Develop better self-esteem
- Be a great daughter-in-law and sister-in-law
- Complain less
- Keep in touch with friends
- Cook more (and try to cook without recipes)

I probably have more, but this is all I can think of right now. Do you have any resolutions?

Christmas Parties!

2007-12-20T23:14:00.000-05:00

So, Christmas is in 5 days! Surprisingly, I'm actually almost finished with my shopping. Typically I'm scrambling around a day or two before trying to figure out what I'm going to buy. It's actually quite nice to do it early. I might try to make this a habit.

We have our Community Group Christmas Party tomorrow night. I'm really excited about it. I love hanging out with that group. They are so much fun.

Tanner and I are throwing our first Christmas Party on Saturday. It's really a family get-together, but I like to call it a Christmas party to make myself feel good. I'm making lots of candy and cookies and some appetizer type things. It should be a lot of fun. We both have the best families, and luckily, they even get along! Anyway, I'm excited!

Merry Christmas!!!

My husband dancing

2007-12-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

So here is a video that Lee made of Tanner dancing several years ago. I think it's pretty hilarious. What are your thoughts? My favorite part is actually him smiling afterward.

New Blog

2007-12-03T15:52:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm trying it again. I've tried to do the whole blog thing before, and I always stop because typically no one reads it. However, several of my friends have them right now, so I have been convinced to give it another chance.

Life is good. Actually, life is wonderful. Tanner and I got married on September 15th. We then went on the best Honeymoon ever... a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Mariner of the Seas followed by a week in Florida. Although there were several stressful events the day of my wedding (none that I knew about, and nothing involving a groom not showing up), my wedding day was absolutely perfect. I loved our wedding! We tried really hard to make it somewhat unique and traditional at the same time, I think we accomplished it quite well.

When we returned home from the Honeymoon, real life kicked in. The first thing was that my computer crashed (big surprise). Next, Tanner started working at Office Depot (not his dream job, but you have to start somewhere). The third was that in my two week absence, my job had completely changed (not necessarily for the better, although there are a few perks). Next, a car rear-ended us, and my car that I had since I was 16 years old, was totaled. Needless to say, we were not expecting to have to pay a car payment 3 weeks into our marriage. So... we bought a new computer, I tried to deal with my new job while Tanner adjusted to having to be a work at 7 AM, and we found a 2001 Mazda Tribute for an excellent price. It was a stressful few weeks, but we got through it.

Now, we are preparing for Christmas. We just decorated our Christmas tree the other day, and I have a few more things that I want to do around the house. I'm normally not a big decorator, but it's actually fun this year getting to do it with Tanner in our new home.

I guess that's about all that's going on with me right now. I've decided that it may help people read and comment on my blog if I ask questions. So...what is your favorite Christmas tradition? I will post mine in a later post. I will also add more pictures later.