Black Friday

So we did break my black Friday Virginity today....  Chris wanted a video game from walmart and we were one of the crazies who took on the Black Friday.  He got his game and we made it out unharmed. It was an experience though!

This morning I woke up and helped mom decorate for Christmas! We decorated all morning long and got it ALL done!

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Then Chris and I went over and hung out with dad on the dock and my MARGE came over!!!!! 

We hung with dad and then went to moms and then ventured to Target and then to Marge's house.  I loved loved loved getting to spend time talking with my marge.  I just love her!

Thanksgiving Break Day 1

We got into Panama City late Tuesday night and drove straight to the beach house.  We woke up and hung out with mom for a bit and then my K came over and visited for a bit.

We walked down to the beach and took a stroll

Mom and I

My K and Chris and I!

beach!

After the beach we went on a target and panera run with mom.  Loved getting to talk with her! 

Then we came back into the in town house and my Carla came to us!

My Tonda!

We baked the yummy chocolate cake I contributed to Thanksgiving and talked and talked.  After Carla came over we went to dinner with dad and the boys and Susan.

Robbie,  Dad and I

After dinner we went out.  It's always like a high school reunion on thanksgiving eve.... For better or for worse! Ha!  But I loved seeing my besties!

Tiny Carl!

The best!

It doesn't get better than these girls!

It was a great day to start Thanksgiving break!

Thanksgiving

We had a fun and yummy Thanksgiving! We started  the day off by setting the table and finishing the finishing touches of the cooking.

Then Ms. Jill and her girls came over and we began the eating.

After lunch with mom, we went to have thanksgiving with dad and Susan! It was a lovely day filled with good food and loving family!

Finishing Touches

Thanksgiving table!

Before food!

Our first Thanksgiving as a family!

Chris,  Maki and I

Date night

I love it when life itself is so much fun I don't have time to document it, but then I hate the fact that the best times aren't archived... Oh well, we do our best!

Anyways, I was looking through pictures on my phone and found a few from a wonderful date night Chris and I had a few weeks back.  It wasn't an extremely eventful night but I had so much fun with Chris! We went to dinner and I got exactly what I wanted: a bowl of Mac N Cheese and wine.  Then for dessert we got a pizookie!!  It's a cookie cooked in a skillet.  How I've never had one of these I do not know because I'm the queen of desserts but Oh MY gosh it was SO yummy!

I don't remember any other specifics from the night except that I enjoyed every minute of conversation with Chris and have joyful happy memories of it :)

I was in heaven!

Perfection!

Ginny and Eric come to Louisville!

I am SO bummed I'm just now getting to blogging about Ginny and Erics visit her.  We had SUCH an awesome time.  Every other time we've hung out it has been in Auburndale for a few hours and usually their adorable son is with us, which is great but I can not explain how neat it was to have them all to ourselves for 4 days!!  We had THE best time together and really enjoyed just getting to hang with each other and relax some.

The first night they came we went to dinner and then came home and chatted.  

Friday I worked and Ginny came to work with me and took her very first Pure Barre Class.  She was SUCH a champ and did SO well!  I was secretly hoping she'd be obsessed so that she'd start a Pure Barre somewhere around Auburndale ;)

Chris took Eric to school with him, so Eric got to learn lots about teeth :)

That afternoon we went to the Saint James Art Fair.  We walked around and looked at all the cool art, ate homemade kettle corn, and drank some beers!  It was neat for us all to see Old Louisville too.  It is gorgeous over there!  

In front of the St James Fountain

The next day we went to parts of the Bourbon Trail.  We went to Heavens Hill and Makers Mark.  I had been told that Makes was gorgeous but we had more fun then we thought!  Makers was gorgeous and the tour was so much fun.  We saw all the different stages of production, and tasted different Bourbons.  I'm not a bourbon lover I discovered.  

At the Makers Mark Tasting

Chris and I @ Makers

Ginny and I in front of the Whisky Creek @ Makers Mark

After we went into a cute local town, Bardstown and had dinner at Mama's Diner.  The restaurant got really good reviews and just had good southern cooking.  We were starving so the burgers and meatloaf we ordered hit the spot.  After dinner we walked around their cute downtown a bit but it was freezing so we drove back to Louisville.  We stopped at Vint to get a caffeine boost.  They were having a poetry reading when we walked in!  So Louisville-ish and I'm glad Eric and Ginny were there to witness it! That night we wanted to go out, but as a whole, staying in and hanging in our PJ's.  

Sunday we went to church and then went to Toast for brunch.  So yummy!  

We had so much fun spending good quality time with them. It's such a bummer that we don't live closer... Eric and Ginny would be such fun people to live life with!  We're so blessed to have family that are very like minded and fun to be with! 

We're counting down the days until Christmas when we see them in Auburndale!

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!