Mary and Brian's Wedding Weekend

So this weekend Chris and I flew to the grand state of New York/New Jersey to celebrate Mary and Brian tying the knot!  We flew in Friday night RIGHT in time to make it to the rehearsal.  Dan picked us up from the airport and drove us like a champ through NY to New Jersey, while we took turns changing in the back.  

Learning their parts :)

After that we drove to the rehearsal dinner and learned that you can't turn left in New Jersey.  Instead you make a huge figure 8...  The dinner was wonderful! We sat at a table with Brian's 2 other non family groomsmen and their spouses.  It was so nice getting to know them and how they knew Brian.  The dinner was also a really good time for us to talk to Brian's parents.  What awesome parents he has. Both are completely rooted in the Lord and He pours from their lips! I pray Chris and I will use them as an example to spur us on to Christ more.  We also got to talk with Brian and Mary a little which was so nice because I really hadn't gotten to meet her yet.  She was there the weekend of our wedding so everyone else in the group got to hang with her then and get to know her but, in the whirlwind of the wedding weekend bliss, I never really got to chat.  She glows with love from the Lord.  That's what I have picked up so far and about all that matters! I am so excited that Chris and I have another couple friend that (one day if we live close enough) we could really do life together on the same page.  Praying that we can!  

Chris and Dan! Loved getting
to spend time with Dan this weekend

Brian, Mary and us!

The studly men!

After the dinner we went to the station to pick the rest of the crew up.  They had spent the day in the city.  We crammed all us in a tiny van...

Too much fun

We got to the hotel, unpacked, and went to the bar there to hang out with everyone for a bit.  It only lasted for a bit because everyone was so exhausted from traveling. 

The next morning the boys went to breakfast with Brian and then Chris went with Brian to his house and spent the rest of the morning with the groom.  We slept in and then Emily and I went to the fancy restauraunt at the hotel and had a YUMMY breakfast.  Emily is really the one who introduced Chris and I, and is getting married in 4ish months so it was really great getting to catch up with her! 

Then we went back to the room and had a fun time getting ready, then headed to the wedding!

Emily, Sarah and I before the ceremony!

The wedding was gorgeous and Christ exalting in every way.  As a newly wed it's so nice to be reminded of what this covenant of marriage means for Chris and I and for us with Christ together and with Christ separately.  

After the ceremony we went downstairs for the reception.  I had the honor of sitting at the table with Mary's 3 sisters and their husbands so it was so wonderful getting to know them.

The beaming couple!

RIGHT when the wedding was over my favorite person in the WHOLE WORLD came to see me in the flesh and blood!  My darling Marge has moved to NJ for an internship and she made the 2 hour drive to come see me!  I drove Marge's car from the wedding site to our hotel. Only like 25 miles but too over 2 hours.  New Jersey & New York traffic is a JOKE.  Marge and I barely noticed though because we talked the entire way there! It was so good getting to talk to her and see her in person. I've appreciated our phone relationship but nothing beats an in life bff hang time.  Once we got to the hotel we dropped everything off and went to a nearby restaurant to eat and watch FSU play Miami (side note: FSU is KILLING me... When is it our time to be legit?!?!).  Marge and I didn't watch one part of the game but just continued talking and laughing.  

Ah jeeze... just love her!

This sums up the poor guys by then end of the day

Kindred Spirits!

 Sadly, we had to be at the airport at 6 am so Marge and I snuggled, then woke up early and she dropped Chris and I off at the airport and we said our good byes.  It was a wonderful weekend and I'm SO SO SO grateful I got to see my marge!!

Successful Dinners!

Lately Chris and I have experimented with some new dinners and we have hit the jackpot so I wanted to share.

First (and easiest and Chris's favorite):

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The recipe is so easy: can of rotel, can of corn, can of black beans (drained & rinsed), 2 frozen chicken breasts, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 packet dry ranch dressing, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder. Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours. Shred chicken, and enjoy! ADD CUMIN & CHICKEN STOCK

Second is my personal favorite:

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This one is not as easy because it adds in a step that you have to make and then let cook for 30 more minutes.  But it is SO  worth it!  YUM!

Those are our successes in the kitchen!

Hopefully I'll be back to update the blog on Ginny and Erics trip to Louisville and our life lately!

2-5

My 25th birthday could NOT have been any better!  My and family from all over made sure it was a absolutely perfect day! It started with mom and Hal coming into town the day before my birthday.  We went to see Romeo and Juliet and then went for a late dinner at Doc Crows.  When the clock turned from 11:59 to 12:00 we made a toast to turning 25!

Mom and I at dinner!

Mom and Hal

On my actual birthday I woke up to lots of cards, flowers and hugs!  

We went to brunch at toast

Then walked around Market St.

Then WENT TO SEE WICKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 In front of the theater before it bega

It was even better then I had ever remembered and I was on could nine the complete 2.5 hours! Best Birthday present ever!  

After Wicked we came home to what I thought was to watch the game and hang, 

but Chris and Jenna had other plans! They had planned a SURPRISE PARTY!!!!!

So we spent the rest of the night eating and drinking and watching FSU beat Clemson! 

Jenna made ALL of these cake balls! YUM!

Sweetest present EVER! The twins had onsies on that said "Jenny is my Bestie" and "Jenny is my Girlfriend"! SO CUTE!

Birthday cake from PIE KITCHEN!

Taylors HOMEMADE triple chocolate cake... YUM!

Weekend Time 1st Half

   I was so ready for the weekend it wasn't even funny.  I'm not sure if it's because I worked extra or if I was just ready...  Since I work all day Saturday, the weekend doesn't actually start until Saturday afternoon, but I pretend it starts Friday night.

    Friday night I took my little sister from Big Brothers Big Sisters out for dinner.  I chose Mellow Mushroom because she absolutely HATES to make decisions and I knew she'd like it.  We had an exciting time that night.  I ran out of gas pulling into the parking lot! Oops!  The valet guys pushed my car into a spot.  Luckily for me, my awesome husband brought gas to us and then went to fill it the rest of the way up while we waited for a table and ate.  It was an hour and a half wait, but we had to suffer through it since we had no transportation away!  Najja really liked the place.  It was a really nice time to get to chat with her and hear how high school is.

   Saturday I went to work and Chris went to the lab.  It was a great day at Pure Barre.  My 1:45 class had 25 clients in it!  Which means it was absolutely FULL!  Such a cool thing to teach a packed class.  The energy in the studio is awesome.

   Yesterday was the most gorgeous weather we've ever had!  So after work I took annabelle over to auntie jenna's to play with the neighbor's dog, Snow.  Snow and Annabelle had a big ole time.  Except for Annabelle threw up a pic pile of nastiness.  I thought it was just because she was playing too hard but when we got home she threw up a bunch more.  We gave her medicine my dad had left with us but it made her really loopy and weird.  Needless to say the cute date Chris had asked me on was being canceled so we could stay home with Anna to make sure she was ok.

   But we had an absolutely wonderful evening in spite of everything.  We ordered some pizza and just hung out, which I think we really both needed.  So I'm sorry Anna got sick but thankful it allowed us to slow down.

Annabelle and her friend Snow

Fall Festival

Every year the seminary puts on a Fall Festival with a fun theme and yummy food.  Chris and I went last year and had a blast.  This Friday was this years Fall Festival so we knew we couldn't miss it.

It was Wild West themed and they had a Western Show with horses and guns and the whole deal!  All our friends from community group were there so we had a blast!!  By the end of the night I felt sick with the overload of sugar I had consumed... But who can pass up free fried oreos?!  It was a great night of good fellowship and yummy food.  Thanks SBTS for hosting such a fun event!

Part of our Community Group!

Our life lately

I'm thankful I've had time to blog about all of the big events in our lives lately but I wish I could make time to blog the little fun things.  Chris and I are adjusting to our new schedule- I work 40ish hours a week and am taking my Molecular Biology class and Chris is beginning to realize what the warning of the 2nd year of dental school is all about.  Needless to say, we both feel busy!  

Chris goes to school Monday-Friday with some afternoons home but should study the majority of the time he's not in school.  I work/go to school Monday-Saturday with some off time in there.  

I am LOVING teaching Pure Barre.  The clients seriously are wonderful.  The fact that I get to see around 100 women daily, most of whom I know by name if not personally is such a blessing.  I love that I'm able to hopefully give them a smile or some love that they normally would not have gotten.  

I have 4 scheduled classes a week (one being at 6 am and the another at 7:30 Wed morning), but usually I sub for a few classes a week.  Teaching is definitely one of my new obsessions- I love pushing women to push their limits, to get the best workout they can, and to have fun while doing it.  

My MB class is a butt kicker... It's focused on reading manuscripts recently published on the subject we're studying and the time it takes me to read one of those papers and really understand it is just dumb!  Of course I'm enjoying the topics I'm learning about... It's just so fast and intense and there is SO SO SO much to learn!  I'm asked at least once a day what I'm going to do with this Masters in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and I'm still not sure.  I'm not sure that it matters! I'm doing what I love and I know God is big... This degree could mean everything in getting a certain job or I could never use the degree.

So even though our "down time" has been limited with the crazy schedule and all the trips/visits, we've still made room for little fun things here and there.  

We've spent good time with Jenna and Jared.  I seriously love these two people (Jenna much more than Jared...ha!) Even though Jared loved to get a reaction out of me, he is a perfect friend for Chris- thye have dental school, sports and Sojourn all in common.  And Jenna- she's like a bff match made in heaven! She's started doing PB so I see her much more now in the evenings.  Although I miss our Monday night bonding times we had in the summer, I'm excited to get back to meeting with her and Juli for our accountability.  

Chris and I also were asked to become apprentices for our community group- this means that we're in "training" to, somewhere down the road, lead a community group.  

All of this was such a random spill of what's been going on lately... Pretty fun stuff! 

Here are a final few things:

I've had to get used to getting ready in the dark.  

Chris is geting used to washing PB washcloths more than he'd like.

We are awesome at crock pot recipes

Annabelle is home by her self MUCH more than usual.

Time spent "just hanging" is a rare occurrence.

A new season of Grey's is on Netflicks

Chris is way into the campaigns this year.

And here's a pic of our baby... just because :)

Such a darling!

Football season is here!

We're so pumped that it's football season!  It's a bummer not to be close enough to go to the games regularly though.  I honestly think I'm more bummed then Chris... I was raised going to the games.  It was time when my dad, brothers and I would get to see each other and hang out.   I could see my dads side of the family every few games or so, always make time to visit my sorority house, and catch up with old friends.  But this year, again, we are in Louisville for all of the games so we'll have to make do.  

We did however decide on the holiday rotation between Chris's family and mine based on FSU football: We'll be in PC when FSU v UF is in Tally and we'll be in Auburndale when it's played in the swamp... :)  So as long as we'll see the noles in action 1 game a year, I suppose can't complain!  

For now, we'll muster all of the FSU fans in Louisville and have fun watching on TV and eating lots of yummy tailgating food!

The girls over to watch some football!

Cake balls shaped like footballs! Taylor is amazing!

Everyone hanging on the living room to watch the game