Tonight, as Austin and I were sitting in our living room, he looked over and said, "We're just doing life, aren't we?" That statement really sums up what we've been up to since the start of this New Year. I would love for our blog posts to be profound, funny or even ridiculous, but this one is just ordinary. I haven't been re-decorating our house, working on cute crafts, or making meals from scratch I've been going to work, going to church, hanging out with friends, spending time with Austin, exercising and trying to stay dedicated to even cooking dinner. Despite the hum drum of our everyday lives, God is so good and is constantly providing for us! A wonderful example of that is that we have a new (to us) vehicle!
I had mentioned in the New Year's post that Alvey has, sadly, bitten the dust. Suddenly, Austin and I were in the process of looking at car options. All the options were really overwhelming. Something we had thrown around, jokingly at first, was getting a mini-van. I know what y'all are thinking, and, no, it is not indicative of plans in the immediate future! We compared prices and looked at our budget and nothing really seemed to click. Fortunately, God's timing is perfect, for several months earlier, Austin's mom bought a new van and put her old one up for sale. There had been a few interested parties, but nothing worked out. When we were at the birthday party of our beautiful niece, Ailidh, the last weekend in January, it hit us that we should ask about the van! Austin's parents were excited that we wanted it and we picked it up the following weekend!
So, yes, we are the happy and proud owners of a Navy Blue Nissan Quest mini-van! In Austin's words, "having a van is like having an enclosed truck!" Although we haven't yet had the opportunity to move anything big around in it, we're glad that it is a possibility. We also recognize the road-trip potential of a mini-van and look forward to that at some point! Of course, the comment we keep hearing is that now that we have a mini-van, we have room to fill it up with children! Yes, that is true! We're anticipating that season of life with joy but we're still enjoying life pre-children. In the meantime, we've got a sweet, smooth ride!
An immediate benefit of having a van is transporting me around with my injured knee! Last week I was exercising (doing a reverse lunge with bicep curl to be precise) and heard my knee pop as I was coming up from the lunge. The sound itself scared me and I felt that something wasn't right with my kneecap. Austin heard the sound from the other room and came running. He was so calm and reassuring as I was crying hysterically, convinced that I would never walk again (dramatic reaction, I know.) We ended up going to Quality Care that night. Tears still running down my face (this time from pure frustration that I hurt myself doing something good for my body!), Austin wheeled me around in a wheelchair and they took an X-ray of my knee. After the doctor bent it and stretched it every which way, he told me that the knee cartilage was strained. He told me that my ligaments and tendons were all fine, and I just needed to stay off my knee and let it heal, but that I wouldn't be down for long. That was music to my ears. He gave me some meds and sent me home. I missed work the next day to keep it iced and elevated and Austin did a good job bringing me what I needed. I discovered that I'm not a good patient when my mobility is severely limited! Long story short, we ended up going back to the doctor that night, to to make sure everything was still okay. It was, and I even got some crutches! I also learned that most people use crutches that are adjustable and start at 5'10". I had to get the mini-crutches, which start at 5'2". Ha!
We made it to the weekend, thankfully, and we had the best day on Saturday! Uncle Patrick and Aunt Sherry came to visit from Paducah! We ate lunch at Zaxby's, took a driving tour of Humboldt and Jackson (we even found Union's old campus!), played the Wii (hilarious!!!) and ate dinner at Catfish Cabin. They are such blessings in our lives and we always have a ton of fun when we're with them.
We went to bed Saturday night, exhausted. I woke up the next morning to find out that Austin had been sick multiple times that night. I slept right through it! Poor thing- I felt like an awful wife for not being there. At first we thought it was food poisoning (we're a little wary of land-locked local seafood places), but came to find out that the Australian stomach bug was running rampant on Union's campus. Needless to say, we didn't make it to church. Austin spent the day drifting in and out of sleep on the recliner, and I was stretched out with my knee propped up on the couch. We were quite a pair! Thankfully, Mary brought us some groceries and some dinner for me. Austin has made a full recovery, although the campus was closed down starting Monday at noon through today because there were so many cases of it!
So, Austin and I have been together almost constantly for the past 5 days. Pretty sure neither of us really knows what day it is, but it has been quite an experience!
We're just doing life! We're so thankful that the Lord is so gracious and patient with us. We're thankful that our bodies are healing and that we're able to work and do things we enjoy!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Reflections on 2012; Looking Ahead to 2013
Happy New Year! We enjoyed bringing in the New Year with dear friends and family at home. New Year's at our house wouldn't be complete without explosives of some kind and a game of Quelf!
A tradition we have started is that New Year's night, everyone shares what their favorite moments were from the previous year and shares what they are most looking forward to in the upcoming year. I thought it would be fun to share some of them here.
Austin and I both agreed that 2012 was a challenging, yet good year for us. It was our second year of marriage (which is an accomplishment all by itself). It started off with Austin leaving his job doing security at Union and getting a job in his field at Health Connect, which was a huge answer to prayer. We've had our ups and downs with that as he's learned how to do his job and maintain a certain number of clients. We've learned how to live on less, make a dollar stretch, and ask for help when we've needed it. We went on a much needed, relaxing trip to the mountains with our wonderful friends, the Mayfields (as well as watched The Bachelor and The Bachelorette seasons). March was my trip to Honduras, a life-changing experience, that helped put my own life into perspective: how truly blessed we are with what we have. It was such an encouragement to see those at the orphanage (both the workers and the children) trust the Lord for everything they have and display that it is possible to have joy in any circumstance. May was the much anticipated celebration of Austin's graduation with his Master's degree, marking the end of a three year journey of post graduate education! It was so fun to get both sides of the family together! Austin, Dad and our neighbor, Dan, built a gate for our fence and did some other repairs to it! I planted yellow rosebushes in front of our house. We made a trip to Atlanta, a few trips to Birmingham (one trip to celebrate the wedding of our friends Kyle and Melissa), a Fourth of July trip to Paducah, a trip to Gatlinburg for the Ward Family Reunion, several trips to Nashville and a Thanksgiving trip to Chicago. We became members of our church, First Baptist Humboldt, joined the choir, and became a part of our newlywed Sunday school class. We worked hard, laughed, cried, and prayed- A LOT.
The Lord has blessed us with so many fond memories of this year and people to share them with. We are so thankful for our family, who has been supportive of us in so many ways and a constant encouragement to us. We can only promise that we will bestow the same blessings to others as we have been given. Our friends in Jackson and elsewhere are so precious to us. It is wonderful to know that we are a part of such a wonderful family of faith. It's so fun to share life together- our work, our struggles, our goals and our celebrations!
Something we have prayed for consistently throughout 2012 that will continue on through 2013 is for us to learn reliance on the Lord for providing our needs and for trusting in His timing. We realize that this season of our life is so special and we can never have it back once it's gone. It's all too easy for us to wish it away when we're constantly thinking about what's next. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us, but we yearn to be content in all circumstances, as scripture so clearly instructs us to do.
Living in the present doesn't mean we disregard the future! I'm the biggest planner ever! We love to dream and think about what our lives will be like. Here are some things we're looking forward to in 2013:
In March, we are co-leading the GO Trip to Honduras! This will be our first mission trip together! It will be wonderful to serve the Lord together alongside our awesome team in a place that is already dear to my heart.
We will be purchasing a new car! My car, dear Mr. Alvey, has seen much better days. Austin drove him 17,000 miles over the past year for his job. Repairs are not worth it anymore. The car search is underway...
We are excited about strengthening our existing relationships and making new friendships! Specifically, we're excited about really plugging into our church and serving.
As cliche as this may sound, what we're most excited about are things we have no idea about yet! We look forward to seeing what opportunities the Lord will give us and where those will take us. Although not easy, we look forward to circumstances that will challenge us and mold us further into the character of Christ. We pray that our marriage will be ever strengthened and blessed so that it may be a reflection of the gospel to the world.
What are you looking forward to in 2013?
A tradition we have started is that New Year's night, everyone shares what their favorite moments were from the previous year and shares what they are most looking forward to in the upcoming year. I thought it would be fun to share some of them here.
Austin and I both agreed that 2012 was a challenging, yet good year for us. It was our second year of marriage (which is an accomplishment all by itself). It started off with Austin leaving his job doing security at Union and getting a job in his field at Health Connect, which was a huge answer to prayer. We've had our ups and downs with that as he's learned how to do his job and maintain a certain number of clients. We've learned how to live on less, make a dollar stretch, and ask for help when we've needed it. We went on a much needed, relaxing trip to the mountains with our wonderful friends, the Mayfields (as well as watched The Bachelor and The Bachelorette seasons). March was my trip to Honduras, a life-changing experience, that helped put my own life into perspective: how truly blessed we are with what we have. It was such an encouragement to see those at the orphanage (both the workers and the children) trust the Lord for everything they have and display that it is possible to have joy in any circumstance. May was the much anticipated celebration of Austin's graduation with his Master's degree, marking the end of a three year journey of post graduate education! It was so fun to get both sides of the family together! Austin, Dad and our neighbor, Dan, built a gate for our fence and did some other repairs to it! I planted yellow rosebushes in front of our house. We made a trip to Atlanta, a few trips to Birmingham (one trip to celebrate the wedding of our friends Kyle and Melissa), a Fourth of July trip to Paducah, a trip to Gatlinburg for the Ward Family Reunion, several trips to Nashville and a Thanksgiving trip to Chicago. We became members of our church, First Baptist Humboldt, joined the choir, and became a part of our newlywed Sunday school class. We worked hard, laughed, cried, and prayed- A LOT.
The Lord has blessed us with so many fond memories of this year and people to share them with. We are so thankful for our family, who has been supportive of us in so many ways and a constant encouragement to us. We can only promise that we will bestow the same blessings to others as we have been given. Our friends in Jackson and elsewhere are so precious to us. It is wonderful to know that we are a part of such a wonderful family of faith. It's so fun to share life together- our work, our struggles, our goals and our celebrations!
Something we have prayed for consistently throughout 2012 that will continue on through 2013 is for us to learn reliance on the Lord for providing our needs and for trusting in His timing. We realize that this season of our life is so special and we can never have it back once it's gone. It's all too easy for us to wish it away when we're constantly thinking about what's next. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us, but we yearn to be content in all circumstances, as scripture so clearly instructs us to do.
Living in the present doesn't mean we disregard the future! I'm the biggest planner ever! We love to dream and think about what our lives will be like. Here are some things we're looking forward to in 2013:
In March, we are co-leading the GO Trip to Honduras! This will be our first mission trip together! It will be wonderful to serve the Lord together alongside our awesome team in a place that is already dear to my heart.
We will be purchasing a new car! My car, dear Mr. Alvey, has seen much better days. Austin drove him 17,000 miles over the past year for his job. Repairs are not worth it anymore. The car search is underway...
We are excited about strengthening our existing relationships and making new friendships! Specifically, we're excited about really plugging into our church and serving.
As cliche as this may sound, what we're most excited about are things we have no idea about yet! We look forward to seeing what opportunities the Lord will give us and where those will take us. Although not easy, we look forward to circumstances that will challenge us and mold us further into the character of Christ. We pray that our marriage will be ever strengthened and blessed so that it may be a reflection of the gospel to the world.
What are you looking forward to in 2013?
Christmas 2012
We hope that you and your families all had a wonderful Christmas, filled with the love and joy of Christ. Joy to the world, the Lord is come! This year, we were very blessed to be able to celebrate with both our families!
The festivities began on Friday, December 21st when we went to Dickson and attended the Dickson County High School Christmas Concert. Austin and Arica were both involved in the choral program when they went there and it is tradition that at the Christmas concert, alumni are invited to join the current choirs on stage and sing "The Hallelujah Chorus" and "The Lord Bless You and Keep You". That was definitely the highlight of the concert for us.
We hung out with Austin's family in Dickson Friday night and all day Saturday. My awesome mother-in-law and I made and decorated Christmas cookies and Saturday evening concluded with a fun game of electronic monopoly with Austin's parents!
Sunday afternoon was the celebration with Austin's mom, maternal grandparents and siblings at his sister's beautiful new home. Arica and Dylan were gracious, fun hosts and the time together was special. We had an array of tasty goodies: Chick-fil-A nuggets, meatballs, chips and dip, veggie tray, cookies, candy, cheese and crackers, peanut butter fudge. Sadly, our nephew, Ewan, wasn't feeling very well, and my allergies were acting up, but it was good just to get to spend time with everyone. We received wonderful gifts: books, CDs, a racquetball racket, a beautiful apron for me made by my very talented sister-in-law, Leslie Ward, photos and other keepsakes. The most priceless gift however, was a collection of recordings by Austin's grandparents, telling their stories. We are so excited to listen to them! Such history!
As is customary at Ward family gatherings, we took a group photo! This one is definitely getting framed and put up in our house!
Left to right (starting in the second row): Austin, me, Nancy Zamora (Grandmomma), Al Zamora (Granddaddy), Arica, Dylan, Adam, Leslie, Ewan, Ailidh and Carol.
After the time at Arica and Dylan's, we hit the road and headed to Paducah (only after a slight detour on the incorrect interstate!!!) We listened to my new CDs, the "Walk the Line" Soundtrack and Two Cellos. Before we knew it, we were at my grandparents house!
Christmas Eve was spent mainly visiting, eating, meal planning, running to the grocery store and doing some last minute wrapping. Mom, Mary, Larry and Donna Maye (our precious puppy!) all came up from Atlanta. Out of my mom's three brothers, two of them live in Paducah with their wives, so we had a fun gathering for Christmas Eve dinner.
Christmas morning we all slept in, then Mary and I prepared a breakfast casserole for brunch. We were both excited to open our presents from "Santa" (the tradition has been that we open our stockings and presents from Santa in the morning, then open presents from family that evening after dinner), but since it was already mid-afternoon, we went ahead and opened up all of our presents- haha! Austin and I each brought one gift for each other. He gave me a gorgeous infinity necklace encrusted with tiny diamonds. I love it and have worn it often since! I gave him a wallet keychain, which he had been wanting (due to his keys having caused damage to several pairs of slacks!).
Christmas afternoon, we prepared for dinner that night with the entire family (minus Uncle Wesley and his family who arrived the day after Christmas). My mom's oldest brother, Uncle Richard, brought the most delicious, tender ham for the main course. We also had mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn pudding, Sister Shubert's rolls, grape salad (brought by Aunt Sherry), and mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Everything was so delicious! Somehow we managed to squeeze everyone into that small kitchen!
After dinner was the gift exchange. It's so fun to watch everyone open presents and see wrapping papper and ribbons cover the floor. It makes me miss the my childhood days when it was considered "cute" to play in the wrapping paper. Now, I would get strange glances :-)
We concluded Christmas Day by going to the movies at 9:35 p.m., braving icy sleet to see "Les Miserables". Oh. My. Goodness. If you have not seen it, I HIGHLY recommend that you do so! The music, acting, costumes, set, history and the timeless theme of grace versus law are outstanding!
The next day we relaxed and looked forward to seeing my cousins, Michael and Matthew, and Uncle Wesley and Aunt Joan that evening. It was a joyous reunion when they arrived, as we barely missed each other last Christmas. We enjoyed a delicious meal from Texas Roadhouse, then Austin and I said our good-byes and headed back to Jackson!
I realized this after the fact, but we didn't take any pictures from our time in Paducah. Sad!
Sunday afternoon was the celebration with Austin's mom, maternal grandparents and siblings at his sister's beautiful new home. Arica and Dylan were gracious, fun hosts and the time together was special. We had an array of tasty goodies: Chick-fil-A nuggets, meatballs, chips and dip, veggie tray, cookies, candy, cheese and crackers, peanut butter fudge. Sadly, our nephew, Ewan, wasn't feeling very well, and my allergies were acting up, but it was good just to get to spend time with everyone. We received wonderful gifts: books, CDs, a racquetball racket, a beautiful apron for me made by my very talented sister-in-law, Leslie Ward, photos and other keepsakes. The most priceless gift however, was a collection of recordings by Austin's grandparents, telling their stories. We are so excited to listen to them! Such history!
As is customary at Ward family gatherings, we took a group photo! This one is definitely getting framed and put up in our house!
Left to right (starting in the second row): Austin, me, Nancy Zamora (Grandmomma), Al Zamora (Granddaddy), Arica, Dylan, Adam, Leslie, Ewan, Ailidh and Carol.
After the time at Arica and Dylan's, we hit the road and headed to Paducah (only after a slight detour on the incorrect interstate!!!) We listened to my new CDs, the "Walk the Line" Soundtrack and Two Cellos. Before we knew it, we were at my grandparents house!
Christmas Eve was spent mainly visiting, eating, meal planning, running to the grocery store and doing some last minute wrapping. Mom, Mary, Larry and Donna Maye (our precious puppy!) all came up from Atlanta. Out of my mom's three brothers, two of them live in Paducah with their wives, so we had a fun gathering for Christmas Eve dinner.
Christmas morning we all slept in, then Mary and I prepared a breakfast casserole for brunch. We were both excited to open our presents from "Santa" (the tradition has been that we open our stockings and presents from Santa in the morning, then open presents from family that evening after dinner), but since it was already mid-afternoon, we went ahead and opened up all of our presents- haha! Austin and I each brought one gift for each other. He gave me a gorgeous infinity necklace encrusted with tiny diamonds. I love it and have worn it often since! I gave him a wallet keychain, which he had been wanting (due to his keys having caused damage to several pairs of slacks!).
Christmas afternoon, we prepared for dinner that night with the entire family (minus Uncle Wesley and his family who arrived the day after Christmas). My mom's oldest brother, Uncle Richard, brought the most delicious, tender ham for the main course. We also had mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn pudding, Sister Shubert's rolls, grape salad (brought by Aunt Sherry), and mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Everything was so delicious! Somehow we managed to squeeze everyone into that small kitchen!
After dinner was the gift exchange. It's so fun to watch everyone open presents and see wrapping papper and ribbons cover the floor. It makes me miss the my childhood days when it was considered "cute" to play in the wrapping paper. Now, I would get strange glances :-)
We concluded Christmas Day by going to the movies at 9:35 p.m., braving icy sleet to see "Les Miserables". Oh. My. Goodness. If you have not seen it, I HIGHLY recommend that you do so! The music, acting, costumes, set, history and the timeless theme of grace versus law are outstanding!
The next day we relaxed and looked forward to seeing my cousins, Michael and Matthew, and Uncle Wesley and Aunt Joan that evening. It was a joyous reunion when they arrived, as we barely missed each other last Christmas. We enjoyed a delicious meal from Texas Roadhouse, then Austin and I said our good-byes and headed back to Jackson!
I realized this after the fact, but we didn't take any pictures from our time in Paducah. Sad!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Second Year Celebration
November 20th was our 2nd Anniversary! We cannot believe how quickly time has passed, what we've learned and how we've grown along the way. :-)
To celebrate two years of life together, we went to Nashville the weekend of November 17-18 (since we were originally planning to leave for Chicago on our actual anniversary). We combined the anniversary festivities with hanging out with Austin's family in Dickson, so it was a fun, relaxing weekend.
That Saturday we took our time getting ready and made it to Nashville in time for lunch at Tazikis on West End! Anytime we're in Nashville or Birmingham, we make a point to stop there because it is so delicious! For anyone who loves Greek or Mediterranean cuisine, go there! After lunch, we went to a movie and then went back to West End to eat dinner at Maggianos! It is such a wonderful Italian restaurant and the setting was perfect for an anniversary dinner!
They have a special going on (which we HIGHLY recommend) where you can get a dinner for 2 for $40. It includes: an appetizer (or two salads), 2 traditional pasta entrees, 2 traditional entrees to take home for the next day (aghh so good!) and a dessert. Totally worth it!
Our waiter was awesome and when he found out we were celebrating our anniversary, he brought out our delicious strawberry cheesecake with two candles on top :-)
Following dinner, we went to the Opryland Hotel to look at the lights! We received the practical advice to park at Cracker Barrel and walk across to the hotel so we didn't have to pay the $20 parking fee, but due to an intense workout I had done two days before, my legs were really sore, so we paid the fee! Haha!
Anyway, the decorations were so beautiful! The Opryland Hotel is already a romantic place to go, but the Christmas lights add a special touch. It was so fun to walk around, taking in all the sights and talking. It felt like we were the only people there! I took these pictures with Austin's phone, so please excuse the quality!
Austin and I danced under this pavilion while he sang our song :-) So romantic! Pretty sure people were taking pictures of us and thought we were about to get engaged. A couple did actually get engaged a few minutes later under this same pavilion!
It was a wonderful two-year anniversary celebration in Nashville! On the day of our actual anniversary, Austin presented me with a bouquet of yellow roses (in a vase), a bag of peppermint chocolate Ghirradelli chocolates, a card and a little box all arranged beautifully on our big pewter tray! I didn't even think to take pictures of any of this, whoops! I'm sure you're wondering what was in the box- a sweet sterling silver heart shaped ring with "a + e" engraved on top! I LOVE IT!!! More importantly, I love the one who gave it to me and what it represents :-)
Since the traditional second anniversary gift is cotton, I got Austin some long johns- haha! I also got him a really nice hollow book/box that has an antique map on the outside. Nothing too sentimental- just fun!
Bring on Year 3! Can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thanksgiving in Chicagoland
We hope that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Early Wednesday morning, Dad, Mary and us piled into a rental van and headed north towards Chicago! 12 hours later, we rolled into my Aunt Meg, Uncle Dave and cousin's (Melissa and Katie) house in Barrington (a Northwest suburb of Chicago). Aunt Meg is my dad's younger sister and Mary and I have enjoyed getting to visit her and her family in Chicago over the years!
When we arrived, we wasted no time in making a game plan for Thanksgiving dinner!
When we arrived, we wasted no time in making a game plan for Thanksgiving dinner!
Uncle Dave is originally from Chicago and has lots of family that lives there! We cooked dinner for 27 people, so we had our work cut out for us! Mary prepared the 22 lb. turkey by following the instructions that Aunt Meg received on her show, Kitchen Chat, from her friend, Chef Chrissie Mena. The turkey was so delicious!
While Mary was preparing the turkey, Austin and I peeled two bags of baking potatoes for the mashed potatoes! However, we only had one peeler, so I used a paring knife! Haha!
Uncle Dave's family came over about 4:30 that evening and we ate about 5:30 p.m. The menu consisted of: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing (turkey and vegetarian), corn pudding, cranberry sauce, frozen cranberry salad, sweet potato casserole, cabbage (a traditional Danish dish), green bean casserole, dinner rolls, mini cornbread muffins, fruit, apple pie, pecan pie and other assorted desserts (including chocolate covered strawberries, to Austin's delight!) It was truly a feast, and once everyone had enjoyed their meal, Austin and I couldn't help but toast in celebration with some sparkling apple cider!
Dad and his girls!
After the food was put away and the kitchen was mostly cleaned up, we went to bed and relaxed most of Friday. It was so good to sleep in! In the afternoon, we ventured outside to an adorable little historical village called Long Grove. There are quaint little shops and delicious places to eat (a bakery and an ice cream shop). They are famous for their apple cider doughnuts and apple cider. Here were are enjoying a hot cup of apple cider, which was very welcome in the midst of a freezing night!
Unfortunately, it was dark by the time we got there, but we still took a picture by the covered bridge.
After our visit to Long Grove, we met up with Uncle Dave and Melissa and Katie at the ipic movie theater in Barrington to see Lincoln. It was the coolest movie theater I've ever been in! You must make a reservation and when you walk in, it looks like a really nice restaurant and lounge. You order your dinner and when it arrives, you take it into the movie theater, which has a table that comes out in front of you, and eat during the movie. We were on the front row! The movie was really good! It was special because Uncle Dave just got elected into the Illinois State House of Representatives, which is where Lincoln served before becoming President of the United States.
On Saturday, we went into downtown Chicago! We began our journey at the Barrington train station to catch the Metra train into downtown. It was so cold!
Austin's first train ride!
Our arrival in Chicago!
Aunt Meg loves planning surprises, and after hopping into a cab on Michigan Avenue, we arrived at the historic, beautiful Drake Hotel! Here we are in front of the Christmas tree in the lobby outside of Palm Court.
The cousins! From left to right: Katie, Mary, me and Melissa
Not only did we get to visit the Drake, but Aunt Meg treated us to High Tea in Palm Court, which was such a treat! They bring you your own individual tea pot that has the flavored tea leaves (you chose which kind) and you pour it through the strainer in your cup. Cream and sugar cubes are on the table. They brought out a three tiered plate with banana nut bread and scones on the bottom, tea sandwiches in the middle (roast beef, tomato and cucumber, turkey and egg salad) and beautiful desserts on top.
The gorgeous Palm Court! There was a harpist playing Christmas music in the background.
We left the Drake after a delightful tea and walked several blocks to Macy's on Michigan Avenue. Melissa and Katie found cute scarves and hats and Aunt Meg bought Mary and me lovely dresses. She surprised us later with long strands of pearls that we can wear several different ways. We're looking forward to wearing our new pretty things!
Once we left Macy's, we headed over to the Hancock Building and got into the 40 second elevator that took us up to the 96th floor! You could feel the building swaying in the wind! Most of the observation areas are inside, but there is one walkway with netting so you could feel the breeze! Here we are on top!
Here is the view of the city lights! They were so beautiful!
We rushed back to the train station for an 8:30 train via the water tower and the Hershey Store!
We had a wonderful time on our downtown adventure and look forward to going back!
Sunday morning, we got up very early to head back to Jackson, Home Sweet Home! We appreciated the gracious hospitality of Aunt Meg and her family and look forward to seeing them again sometime soon!
Now, we are excited to finally be in the midst of the Christmas Season! Being out of town prevented us from getting our house decorated for Christmas, but my goal is to have it done by the end of the week! Stay tuned for pictures soon!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
What's for Dinner? Creamy Tomato Pasta with Spinach
This recipe is actually a result of my own experimentation in the kitchen! I am a huge recipe follower, so this is a big deal for me! I just went with the philosophy that if I mixed together ingredients that I like, I would like the dish that resulted! That's what happened, so I thought I would share!
You can tweak this as you like! (The picture was sort of an afterthought, so what we actually ate had a lot more spinach and tomatoes visible. I love the contrast of the green spinach against the orange sauce!) Anytime I cook a pasta dish, I like to serve a green vegetable- peas were what we had this time!
Ingredients
1 pkg. pasta (I used bowtie pasta)
2 big handfuls fresh spinach leaves
1 1/2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp. white cooking wine
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Tomato Sauce (I use Hunt's canned tomato sauce)
Alfredo Sauce
Salt
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Cook pasta in salted water and set aside.
Sautee onions and garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When they start to get tender, add the cooking wine and stir.
Add the chopped tomatoes and sautee. After about 2 minutes, toss in two big handfuls of fresh spinach leaves (it will look like a lot, but it will cook down!) Place the lid on the skillet for 3 minutes. The steam will help the spinach cook down. Stir.
Add about 1 1/2 6 oz. cans of tomato sauce and stir. Then, add approximately 1/4 of a cup of alfredo sauce and stir. Cook until the sauce gets hot (about 5 minutes). Serve over pasta and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top!
Enjoy! This recipe makes about 4 servings.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Perseverance
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1: 2-4
It is astonishing to me that the last time I posted on our blog was on October 5th! Nearly a month later I wonder where the time went! To say that October was a busy month only captures part of it. To be completely honest, this past month has given us the opportunity to persevere through trials, like James 1 so wonderfully puts it. At one point, both of us were sick and both cars were broken down. In addition, our AC Unit needed a refill of frion (which was much more than we had in our budget!) so we rode out the last few 80+ degree Autumn Days sleeping in our guest room in a bed that is much smaller than we're accustomed to. At work, I've had something going on every minute and Austin has been adjusting to working under new leadership at his company (which has been great- but still an adjustment!). I feel like I've come home in the evenings a little more tired than normal, then I would be hard on myself for not having dinner on the table or the chores done. I think all of these things we've been facing are great examples of the everyday trials everyone faces. They are not disastrous or life-changing, but the enemy can use them to wear us down and cause us to get frustrated more easily, worry about things, and put tension in our marriages. If we let enough of these "little things" go unheeded, they can turn into big problems!
The good news about all of this is that the same circumstances that the enemy wants to use to tear us down, the Lord wants to use to make us more like Him! We have the choice! It is such a great comfort to me that we choose how to react to our circumstances- our circumstances don't control us! However, the decision to pursue Christ in our everyday trials is rarely the easy thing to do. It requires selflessness, giving up control of our lives, getting outside what is comfortable, and actively loving others with the love of Jesus.
Something I've come to realize in a more real way through these circumstances is that when my heart is not right and I am not relying on the Lord for my joy, strength and provision, it affects everything else, especially my marriage. At the end of the day, no matter how much money we have in the bank, what car I drive, how big our house is, what clothes I wear, and even the wonderful blessings of a great job, awesome friends and family, and a loving husband- none of it can satisfy my soul. The Lord must be in the center of my life- for He alone is the source of all good things! When I try to do things on my own and take control of my own life (which as a person who loves plans is a daily temptation!), it always falls short! I am so thankful that I serve a gracious God who is more patient with me than I could ever deserve. I am so thankful He sent His only Son to die on a cross for my sins, and by raising to life on third day provided salvation to all who would believe! His love is immeasurable and truly amazing!
When I dwell on the Lord, my circumstances are put into the right perspective. A passage of scripture that I read often (because I need the reminder!) is Matthew 6:25-34. It is such an encouragement through the everyday trials of life and helps provide the fuel to persevere.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do no so or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or What shall we drink?" or "What shall wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
It is astonishing to me that the last time I posted on our blog was on October 5th! Nearly a month later I wonder where the time went! To say that October was a busy month only captures part of it. To be completely honest, this past month has given us the opportunity to persevere through trials, like James 1 so wonderfully puts it. At one point, both of us were sick and both cars were broken down. In addition, our AC Unit needed a refill of frion (which was much more than we had in our budget!) so we rode out the last few 80+ degree Autumn Days sleeping in our guest room in a bed that is much smaller than we're accustomed to. At work, I've had something going on every minute and Austin has been adjusting to working under new leadership at his company (which has been great- but still an adjustment!). I feel like I've come home in the evenings a little more tired than normal, then I would be hard on myself for not having dinner on the table or the chores done. I think all of these things we've been facing are great examples of the everyday trials everyone faces. They are not disastrous or life-changing, but the enemy can use them to wear us down and cause us to get frustrated more easily, worry about things, and put tension in our marriages. If we let enough of these "little things" go unheeded, they can turn into big problems!
The good news about all of this is that the same circumstances that the enemy wants to use to tear us down, the Lord wants to use to make us more like Him! We have the choice! It is such a great comfort to me that we choose how to react to our circumstances- our circumstances don't control us! However, the decision to pursue Christ in our everyday trials is rarely the easy thing to do. It requires selflessness, giving up control of our lives, getting outside what is comfortable, and actively loving others with the love of Jesus.
Something I've come to realize in a more real way through these circumstances is that when my heart is not right and I am not relying on the Lord for my joy, strength and provision, it affects everything else, especially my marriage. At the end of the day, no matter how much money we have in the bank, what car I drive, how big our house is, what clothes I wear, and even the wonderful blessings of a great job, awesome friends and family, and a loving husband- none of it can satisfy my soul. The Lord must be in the center of my life- for He alone is the source of all good things! When I try to do things on my own and take control of my own life (which as a person who loves plans is a daily temptation!), it always falls short! I am so thankful that I serve a gracious God who is more patient with me than I could ever deserve. I am so thankful He sent His only Son to die on a cross for my sins, and by raising to life on third day provided salvation to all who would believe! His love is immeasurable and truly amazing!
When I dwell on the Lord, my circumstances are put into the right perspective. A passage of scripture that I read often (because I need the reminder!) is Matthew 6:25-34. It is such an encouragement through the everyday trials of life and helps provide the fuel to persevere.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do no so or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or What shall we drink?" or "What shall wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
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