One Year Celebration

A year ago yesterday

Once again, Justin pulled off a fabulous surprise! The only thing I knew Saturday was to be ready at 5:00 and dress up if I wanted to. Dress up! Duh! I'm not one to ask questions because I LOVE surprises!

We had a delicious meal, fantastic wine, great conversation and the best waiter at one of our favorite restaurants, Bone Fish. After dinner, Justin asked if I wanted to go downtown and get a drink and maybe dance. Ha, not dance. I wish. So, of course, I said YES. We were just chatting and the next thing I know we are pulling up in front of the Capital Hotel, a nice man is opening up my door, and Justin gets a couple bags from the the trunk. He says with a huge grin on his face, "Is it okay if we stay here tonight?" Man, was I a happy girl. *I suppose I should have prefaced by saying that after we got hitched last year, Justin arranged for us to stay at the Capital Hotel.

Not only did we stay at the same hotel, but in the same room. Awww. When I walked through the door I saw this.....

Rm 242
Flowers, champagne, tasty almonds, and a sweet card


Gorgeous flowers


This year Last year

SO happy

Thank you again, handsome!! To many more years together!

*****

As I was checking out at the Jewelers a couple weeks ago, the man helping me asked what the occasion was, so I told him and he said, "What's your secret? I've only been married 4 months, and I'll take any advice." My first thought was, like I said buddy, we are celebrating 1 year not 25 years, but the phrase that popped out of my mouth was, "well we just have fun together!" I told him that you eventually learn to choose your battles and let the little things go. I kept it simple. Of course I could have gone on to say something cheesy like how great it is getting to live life with my best friend!

****

Thank you all for your sweet cards and phone calls! We feel loved.

"Oh Christmas Tree"

More Christmas Decorations....

Mantle

He was such a trooper!

Front door

Handsome WILL NOT do fake trees, so we venture out each year to buy a real tree! (I do love the smell when you walk in the house)

REAL tree!

This is my special dolphin ornament that Jilly gave me at our couples shower last year.

(she knows me well)

Nan gave us the bride and groom at our couples shower.

SO fitting! Mr. and Mrs. Fish. Justin's Fave!

Fabulous Family

Family photo at Nan's

Opps, Dad's eyes are closed...let's try this againbetter

Mom and I - normally she is an inch taller
(she is wearing boot flats and I am in 3 inch heals! Love it!)

Some of the cousins playing poker

She is getting so stinkin' big!

We had such a great day with our family! Love them SO much!

YUM

Two pumpkin rolls and a lemon ice box pie are our contributions to Thanksgiving feasting. I love any excuse to bake!

Lemon Ice Box Pie

for McConnell Thanksgiving

Graham Cracker Crust:

9 inch pie pan

1 1/2 cups of graham cracker

3 tbl. sugar

1/3 melted butter

bake for 10 min at 350

Filling:

2 cans of eagle brand milk

2 egg yokes

4 lemons (juice)

pour onto crust and bake for 10 min at 350

Place in the fridge for a few hours. Before you serve add whip cream.

Pumpkin Roll

for Swann Thanksgiving

Beat 3 eggs

Add 1 cup sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a small bowl mix:

3/4 cup of flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. of nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

mix well and bled into the first mixture.

Pour batter in long cookie sheet or cake pan. Grease and flour pan or spray with Pam spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chop nuts or top before you put in oven to bake.

Bake 325 for 15min.

While cake is cooking take a dish towel and sprinkle it with powder sugar.

When cake is done, let cool, then dump on towel and roll it up.

Let cool about 1 hour. when cake is cool unroll and fill with filling, remove towel, roll up and place in frig.

Filling:

8 oz pkg. cream cheese

1 cup powder sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

*One regular can of pumpkin makes 2 rolls.

*be sure to use a large pan - you want the cake to be thin so that it will roll good.

*be sure towel is dusted so it won't stick.

Jon, Candace and Malyn you will be missed this year!

Swann Thanksgiving last year! (Little Malyn in momma's belly)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"...at our house

While Justin was hunting this morning, I was shopping for Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby! I won't tell you how much I spent, but I will say that EVERY item I purchased was 50% off!! Maybe that's why I thought I could get more!

As I was pulling into our driveway after shopping, I noticed that a lady had taken it upon herself to decorate our fence for Christmas. My first thought was surely Justin didn't hire this lady to do our outside decorations....I mean he knows I am really busy...but....no. Come to find out, our neighborhood POA (my husband included) decided that they wanted to put up garland and red bows on our fence and our neighbor's fence across the street. Yes, he forgot to tell me!

Oh well, what can I do now? It is done.

As soon as I walked in the door I turned on the Christmas music channel, fixed a chi latte, and got busy decorating.

Here is a sneak peak....

Bowl of ornaments on Coffee Table

You will have to come over to see the rest! Or I might decide to post more later...

LOVE my new wrapping paper!

Normally I would wait to decorate for Christmas right after Thanksgiving, but we will be gone on Thanksgiving, after Thanksgiving, and extremely BUSY until mid December. So, I did what I had to do...and had a blast doing it!

Friday in Fayetteville

Unfortunately, Justin and I never made it to a Hog game this football season. Sad. We have been SO busy. Anyway, yesterday I worked my schedule to take off, so I could head to Fayetteville for the day. I FINALLY got to see Amber and Jordan's new home, and play with Am for the day! I had the best time catching up with my best friend. Steph met us for lunch at Hog Haus, and we were so busy visiting that we lost track of time and ended up having a 2 hour lunch. I ended my trip by hanging out with my little brother, Jeff (he's a junior this year at U of A). This day was such a treat for me!! I didn't mind the drive at all because on the way up that morning I jammed out, and on the way home I got to chat with my brother in Tulsa.

Amber, me, and Steph at lunch

A horrible shot (part of Am's head and the car) of the beautiful Kappa House!

So many memories there.

Beauty

“It is the beauty of the created order which gives an answer to our questionings about God.”
–Richard Harries

Please listen/watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ks3R2BwyO0

Every time I hear this song I have a yearning in my heart for ladies of all ages to know their worth. Through different situations, we have all dealt with....

Insecurity, competitiveness, jealousy, anger, fear, fatigue, loneliness, etc.! We all have baggage. We all have wounds. We are burdened. We are all desiring for something more. Something that the world is incapable of providing. We want comforts, security, obedient kids, a sacrificial husband, etc. You name it. We compare, get angry, and feel lonely, tired, fearful, and insecure. It's a battle for our hearts, minds and perspective.

I am blessed with a man who shows and tells me how much he loves me, and I know it, but there are days when his words just won't do...I think it is a great thing that there is a desire in my heart that will never go away on this earth.

I love that Eve was God’s final touch; she fills a place in the world nothing and no one else can fill.
We need to change our perspective to think that it is because we are wonderful that things happen to us. We are a major threat to darkness. Like Eve, we carry around the glory of God to the world. Best of all, we are passionately loved by our creator.

Soon, I will be a teacher, and I am so excited, but even more excited that I get the privilege of being a ray of light and hope for a struggling generation. My 6th grade girl's (and boy's for that matter) know their potential to succeed, and they know how great I think they are.

"You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do, so there could never be a more beautiful you."

Chai Tea Latte

I made my first trip (of what will soon become many trips) to Starbucks for a Chai Latte today. I am addicted this time of year.

A taste of heaven on earth



Fortunately for us, Keurig decided to make new mini chai tea packets this year, so I will be able to make mine from home and save money! We are so thankful for the Keurig single cup gormet coffee maker we received as a wedding gift!

Fun with Malyn

Last weekend we had the pleasure of spending time with this cutie (and her parents, of course)!

Uncle Justin and Malyn on Halloween

We think she will be musically inclined....Justin played the guitar and she was in awe.