Blog Award

Last Thursday night, Hope from Taste & See, messaged me on Facebook and asked if I had ever been nominated for the Liebster Award? I said no and had to Google what the award was for. The Liebster Award is for bloggers with less than 200 followers and is a way for others to know more about you and your blog.

I was so flattered that Hope thought of me for this award and the beauty of this award is that you pass it on to other bloggers. The rules for the award are pretty simple: list 11 facts about yourself and then answer questions from the person who nominated you.

Here are 11 facts about me:

1. I prefer a breakfast date over a dinner date with Jace.

2. I am addicted to candy crush. If Jace hears, "tasty" one more time he may scream!

3. I consider both Lexington and Mayfield as "home".

4. A sappy commercial can make me cry.

5. I secretly like doing laundry. I like knowing everything is clean.

6. I show my love through cooking.

7. I love my accent and am not ashamed by it.

8. I print my blog into a book each year as a way to remember what happened.

9. Teak's macaroni and cheese is my comfort food.

10. Christmas Eve service is my favorite service of the year.

11. I don't like collard greens, okra, cast iron cornbread, or grits. As a Southerner, this hurts my heart to admit.


11 Questions from Hope:

1. What verse or quote has been really impacting you lately? 

 

Jeremiah 29:11:  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

Jace's job search is just that...a search. These two verses remind me that though we don't know what the future holds, He has a mighty big plan and will relive us of this burden. Our hope is found within Him.

 

2. What hymn is your favorite?

 

I don't think I can narrow down to just one. I love "Leaning on the Ever-Lasting Arms". I adore the song sung at our wedding, "Give me Jesus". I love any hymn that has a fast tempo and after you sing it, you think, "now that song just took me to church and back!"

Funny side story about hymns: when Kory, the minster at Crestwood, first started the job, meetings were set up for congregation members to meet at someone's house and have a more intimate, get-to-know you meeting with Kory. Kory asked questions and heard from the congregation, first-hand, what their concerns, expectations, and joys were about the church. One question he asked was what is your favorite hymn? My Aunt Mitz, Teak, and I attended the meeting and as each person said what their favorite hymn was Aunt Mitz and I would nod in agreement. We would think of a hymn and then someone before us would say it and basically steal our answer! At the end of the meeting, we realized just how many hymns we love and I can't help but think of my Aunt Mitz when answering this question!

 

3. If you had a farm, what animals would you have on it?

 

I would have two pot-belly pigs. Their names would be Dwayne and Priscilla. I don't know why I want pot-belly pigs but I think it would be hilarious to stand on my back porch, in my country accent, and scream their names!

 

4. Who would you love to meet over coffee/sweet tea?

 

I'm going to break this question down into fantasy and reality meetings. I would love to sip a glass of sweet tea with bloggers, Big Mama, Boo Mama, Ree, and Kelly. I read their blogs every day and they crack me up. Big Mama lives in TX and is a wonderful writer. I would eat everything Ree cooks and play with Charlie and Walter, her dogs. I would ask Big Mama to tell me everything she knows about football and living in AL. I would listen to Kelly's wisdom.

 

But in reality, I would love to see Lauren and Whitney. We would swap out the sweet tea for margaritas and solve the world's problems while devouring chips, salsa, and guacamole.

 

5. What color do you find most in your closet?

 

My closet is color coded and I feel like their is an equal amount of the rainbow represented. However, if I had to say one color it would be black (just like my momma's closet)

 

6. What fruits/vegetables/herbs would you plant in a garden?

 

I would plant tomatoes, potatoes, corn, green beans, sugar snap peas, cilantro, and basil and probably all of it would die because I have never planted a garden before.

 

7. What is your favorite book?

 

I love Nicholas Sparks and Emily Giffin books. However, one that stole my heart was Big Mama's book, Sparkly Green Earring. It is about a mother's love and made me laugh and cry. She has a new book (The Antelope in the Living Room) coming out in February and I can't wait to read it.

 

8. Where is your favorite place you've traveled?

 

Hilton Head Island, Palmetto Dunes. Hands down this is my slice of Heaven. It's family friendly but isn't commercial. The pace is slow and the day is long. To me, there is nothing more spiritual than the beach. My goal is to own a beach house there so my future grandkids and I can go to the beach together.

 

Another contender is San Francisco. The city is amazing, the weather is beautiful, and the ocean is so blue. It will always be a favorite of mine because that is where we honeymooned. I guess you can say I left my heart in San Francisco.  

 

9. What are you most thankful for right now?

 

Several things:

 

Me and my family's health.

 

Dear friends who are unbelievably supportive, even when we are states apart.

 

That some decisions are not up to me to make; they are up to God and I am here to live out His will.

 

Our marriage--I never knew life could be this much fun.

 

As always, the Teak!

 

10. What is your go-to recipe for supper?

 

Chicken Lime Tacos (made in the crockpot!)

 

11. What is your top reason for blogging?

 

I  thought I was absolutely crazy when I started blogging in 2012 but it has turned into a wonderful pastime that I greatly enjoy. I knew 2012 was going to be a crazy year and I wanted to have a way to remember everything. It turns out, every year since then has been crazy and I wanted a way to document all the changes, transitions, joys, and celebrations. Mostly, I blog as a way to keep in touch with friends and family back home. I also blog so my voice can be heard. At the end of the day I want to remember life in my word's, and not just through pictures.

Thank you Hope for gracing me with this award! Now, I get to pay it forward and would like to nominate the following blogs with the Liebster Award:

Sanda, at A Fisherman and His Wife
Devan, at The Super Messy Supermommy
Carilynn, at A Patchwork Life

Ladies, your questions are:

1. What is your favorite meal?
2. What is your biggest fear?
3. What is your greatest accomplishment?
4. Describe your perfect day.
5. Who do you look up to?
6. What qualities do you look for in a friend?
7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
8. How has your blog impacted you?
9. Would you rather read the book or watch the movie?
10. What is your dream job?
11. What is your top reason for blogging?

Can't wait to see your responses!

January Happenings

Our life is fairly routine and each day is just about the same. However, we have had a few exciting and not so exciting things happen over the last week.

Jace and I were both looking forward to last weekend's holiday and spending some time together. We didn't have big plans for Saturday morning except for a donut run and a long morning drinking coffee in our pajamas. That leisurely morning was thrown out the door when I went to get in my car last Friday and my car didn't start. My battery light had come on the week prior but I thought it was because I hadn't used my car much prior to Christmas, then it sat for two weeks over the holidays.  When it wouldn't shift into gear, I knew it was more than the battery. So I texted Jace my problem and he came home. We proceeded to jump my car three times but no charge would hold. Jace's dad diagnosed the problem for us and said there was a problem with my alternator. Rickey was right. Saturday morning was greeted not with donuts and hot coffee but instead a cold trip to AutoZone. We ran to AutoZone three times on Saturday and found a guy to fix my car. One trip to the ATM later, my car was like new again. Oh the joys of adulthood.

Monday, we decided to take advantage of Florida and traveled to St. Augustine. We visited St. Augustine last Labor Day and enjoyed it but we didn't have time to explore downtown. Monday was a beautiful day and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We had lunch at a restaurant downtown that overlooked the water. We toured around some and enjoyed the day together. We went down to the beach and the water was ice cold but that didn't stop some little kids from playing in it. For us, it was so weird to think we are at the beach in January when we know it is frigid in KY. Monday was a nice reminder that we do live in FL and it has some perks! Sometimes you just have to get away and St. Augustine provided the perfect escape on our MLK holiday.

Monday night, I posted a few pictures of our day and then I got a text from Jason Headrick saying he and the UK Ag Ambassadors were in Gainesville! He invited me to dinner at a pizza place that is well known in Gainesville, Satchel's. It is very unique and quirky to say the least. It was so good to see a familiar face and to hear about UK and Lexington. It was a great night and it was so good to see someone from home.

To top off this week, our friends Kennedy and Elizabeth will be in Gville tomorrow and we are hoping to see them while they are in town. Two visitors in one week is a big deal around here! This week is shaping up to be a good one!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my momma's birthday! Last night I was thinking about the birthday girl and tears welled up in my eyes. My mom, like all mothers, should be celebrated every day--not just on their birthdays or Mother's Day. When I think of my mom, several qualities come to mind. Here are just a few things that I think of when I think of my Mom.

Strength: My Mom is one of the two strongest people I know, besides the Teak. She has provided for Ross and I and gave us more than we needed. The greatest of which was a loving home and relationship. Ross and I have always respected Mom and because of this, there wasn't a need for a lot of discipline in our home. As a family, we leaned on one another when times were hard and we are a tight party of three. I am thankful to have grown up in a home that was close-knit, caring, loving, and respected.

Friend: Mom has a great group of friends and all of them are like extended family to me. These ladies have been like second mothers to Ross and I; hosted bridal showers, opened up their homes to us, we have shared meals together, and treated us like we were one of their kids. They have supported my Mom in the good times and bad, and their friendship means a lot to our family. I am grateful that my Mom has such a great group of women around her! To have a friend, is to be a friend and I think my Momma is a great friend.

Mom and I have always been close but our relationship and friendship has only gotten stronger the older I have gotten. She didn't raise Ross and I in a home where she was a friend and not a parent. She is a parent that turned into a really great friend, best friend in fact.

Funny: If I'm in a crowded area and can't find my Mom, I listen for her laugh! I get my laugh from her and there is nothing that makes me laugh more than when my Mom gets tickled. It's important to laugh and to laugh easily, and Mom does just that.

Wisdom: when we got married, Mom gave me the family cookbook and inside were note cards with little sayings that Mom says and honey, its pure wisdom. Some of which are: It is, what it is; Good Luck and God Bless; Life is too short to sleep on cheap sheets (amen!); a lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine; and work hard and be nice.  She also told me that nothing good happens after 10 PM and that is the absolute truth! All of these sayings are said in our home and the older I get, the more I realize how smart my momma is.

Big Heart: Mom does so much for not only Ross, Beth, Jace, and I but also for our entire family. She is always thinking about our family. She lets her family know they are loved and thought of, often. For example, she makes calendars for each family member at Christmas each year. Each calendar has pictures of that family member and all the family member's birthdays. I know the calendars take her lots of time but every year they are under the tree. She also made the family cookbook. She creates small treasures for the family through her love as well as traditions. These gestures and acts of love are examples of her big heart and shows where her priorities are.

Now, I know Sandy Keith and she is probably crying reading this because I cried writing it! Like mother, like daughter! Mom, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and you know how much you are loved, admired, and appreciated! Love you!

Holiday Recap and Looking ahead to 2014

Happy New Year! I may be a little late in posting in the new year but better late than never. I have a good excuse for my absence of blogging--we spent two weeks at home. On December 20th, we made the 10 1/2 hour drive back to KY or as Jace called it, the Promise Land. Being back in KY and seeing friends and family restored my soul. Living outside of KY has only reaffirmed my love for my Old Kentucky home and honey, there is no place I would rather be.

Our 2 weeks in the Promise Land brought a ton of laughs, quality time with family, and too much Christmas food. Lord have Mercy, my momma and Teak were whipping up Rotel every time I turned around and next thing I knew, I ate the entire thing. Now, I am paying for it on the treadmill!!!! However, I wouldn't have it any other way because the matriarchs in my family show their love through their cooking and I showed them my respect by eating. every.single.bite!!!!

Christmas this year was different in two ways. My cousin's twin boys are two and know what to do with presents. They were so much fun to watch and I can see why adults are more excited about Christmas than kids sometimes. Their reactions were so sweet and hilarious. We also have a six year old in the family and when he yelled with enthusiasm about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle underwear, I yelled back, equally as loud, and was thrilled that I could experience the joy of Christmas through a child's eyes. When it came time to share Christmas with Mom, Ross, Beth, and Jace it wasn't about the gifts. No, this year it was the fact that all five of us were together and sharing the day with one another. The gifts were nice but the greatest gift was being together back home with my momma and family.

As for New Year's, Jace and I went to the movies and saw Wolf of Wall Street. I beg of you to save your money and don't go see it. It is filled with drugs, greed, sex, and set the record for the number of f-bombs used. The desire to skip home and head straight to church was intense when we left the movie theater.

On January 2nd, we drove the 11 hours back to Florida. Thankfully, this goodbye wasn't nearly as painful or emotional because guess what...Sandy is getting on a plane to come see me and Jace in March!!! My sweet sister-in-law is coming too and bless her, she has to deal with my scared-of-flying momma. I am serious in that you need to add Beth to your prayer list. She is a good woman to deal with Mom's fear of flying. Since we have that trip to look forward to, it was more like a see-you-soon instead of a goodbye. I don't like leaving and not knowing when I will see family next.

I am not kidding you, when we left KY it was spitting snow and we saw wrecks everywhere. Honey, by the time we reach Gainesville, Jace and I were burning up hot and we had to turn on the AC in the car. How we didn't get sick, I don't know. It is cold in Gainesville and by cold I mean 30-50s. I realize that is a heat wave to the rest of the nation but for Gainesville, you might as well call off school. We finally turned on our heat for the first time this week.

Now that we are back and settled, it is back to the grind. Jace has 5 classes this semester and will most likely work himself to the bone by the end of May. He is taking five classes and has to write a huge paper, basically a thesis. After graduation, he will take one summer course in which he will defend and present his thesis. Supposedly, the last date we will be in Gainesville is the end of June. I am sure that date will change but the official countdown has become. Where we go next is still up in the air.

While we were home, Jace and I had a moment to step back and see the big picture of everything. I needed that. I needed to be reminded of why we are doing what we are doing. I needed my hope to be restored. It was almost like we took a vacation and recharged our batteries. The everyday grind is hard and tiresome and, sometimes, I forget about our goals; all of that was brought into focus again after spending time at home. Oh, what home does for the soul!

Reflecting back on 2013 makes me a little tired. Together, we: planned a wedding, hosted It's Your Reality for UK students, finished law school, graduated from law school, studied for the Bar, took the Bar, left  a job, got married, went on a honeymoon, moved to FL, started an LLM program, started living together, started a new job, became a TN attorney, and survived another round of finals. All those things were hard, exciting, scary but we did it together. 2014 is shaping up to be another crazy year. I anticipate the following to happen: graduate from UF, finish a thesis, vacation in Hilton Head, move again, get a job, and who knows what else God has in store. When I think about all of that, it too, is going to be hard, exciting, and scary but God will see us through it. Thank goodness, we had some time at home during the holidays to rest up before all of it begins!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your New Year is off to a great start!

Home for the Holidays

I have been excited to come home for weeks now and by Thursday I could barely contain my excitement. When the alarm went off on Friday morning, I didn't groan and roll over hoping to catch five more minutes of sleep. We hopped out of bed and honey we were on the road by 7 AM! This girl doesn't mess around when I go home! Jace and I had 10 1/2 hours in the car together which was much appreciated since finals has consumed our lives for over a month!

We made great time and honey I have never been more excited to enter into Kentucky or as Jace called it, the Promise Land! The closer we got to home, the louder I got! Things didn't get any better when I called the Teak and she said she was making my favorite comfort food-macaroni and cheese! We got stuck in 5 o'clock traffic on Richmond road and I was ever so thankful because it meant we were back in Lexington! Y'all I never knew how much I love this town until I left. We pulled into Teak's driveway and what did I see, but my momma's car!! That rat surprised Jace and I and had got into Lex 30 minutes before us!!!

So here I sit, in a town I love and have missed dearly, with the three most important people in my life. My heart couldn't be more full and I thank God to be at home with family during the holidays! Merry Christmas everyone!

December Happenings

Thanksgiving came and went and now we are two weeks from Christmas! This month is flying by and thinking back on the last couple of weeks, we have done a few fun things and have a few things to look forward to.

Jace and I have attended two UF basketball games and y'all we have just the best time. Watching the Gators play doesn't compare to being in Rupp, but we are thankful that we can watch a good SEC team play ball. Jace gets in for free and a spouse ticket is just $8, which makes for a cheap and fun date. We are learning the cheers and chants for Florida and I must say the UF fans support their team. Last night, we watched the UF v. Kansas game and the drum line performed. They were terrific and I don't know what gets me more excited for a ballgame or football game than the drum line. We hope to attend as many games as we can!

Going to the game last night was an extra special treat because Jace is in the throes of finals. We don't normally have a date on a Tuesday night, let alone during finals. Jace's finals last two and a half weeks! He has completed two finals so far and has three more to go; in one week he will be finished. After this round of finals, Jace will be halfway done with the LLM program. Is that not crazy!

You know what else is crazy? Sweating when you sing "Here comes Santa Clause"! While the entire country is battling cold temperatures and bundling up, Jace and I have the air conditioner running and wearing shorts. The past two weeks have been in the 80s and I know, I know it sounds so nice when our friends and family are freezing but Jace and I would love to curl up on the couch with sweatpants on and eat soup on the weekends. Instead, we are ironing shorts and drinking lemonade. Without a doubt, we are going to freeze when we head home at Christmas. We have become Florida wimps.

Speaking of home, we are headed back to the great state of Kentucky on December 20th. If I could, I would already have the car packed up and ready to go. I can't wait to get back home and see our families. We will be in Kentucky for almost two weeks and I can NOT wait!  

I hope your December isn't too crazy and that you are getting things checked off your to-do list.

Our first Thanksgiving

Last week Jace and I were so excited for Thanksgiving and to enjoy a few days together. We missed our families terribly but we were thankful that we could be together. I didn't want the day to pass and us not celebrate so I cooked, baked, and prepared way too much food. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Thanks to Jace's help and several family recipes, we pulled off our first Thanksgiving!

At 7 AM on Thursday I woke up and put our three pound turkey in the crockpot and then crawled back in bed. When we decided to finally get up, we took our time and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Finally, my anxious nerves couldn't take it any longer and I got started with my dishes. Our plan was to eat around 3:30 PM and I was afraid I would late.

I would prep dishes and get them ready and Jace would wash dishes. I couldn't have done it without Jace. By him doing the dishes, I always had an clear countertop and an empty sink. We definitely tag teamed the entire day and I am happy to say we ate on time.

Fruit Salad Maker

The dish I was most nervous about was Teak's dressing balls. Teak's dressing balls and her sweet potato casserole is what makes Thanksgiving to me. I desperately wanted them to taste like my Teak's. I doubled checked with Mom before I made the balls and she walked me through each step.

Dressing Ball mix

I did each step, exactly as she explained it and y'all they tasted like Teak's!!! They didn't look exactly like hers but honey, they tasted just as good! The sweet potato casserole turned out heavenly and I am thankful for leftovers!

I also tried my hand at my Mom's apple crisp. It smelled like my momma's, it looked like my momma's, and more importantly, it tasted like my momma's! I was too full on Thursday to eat any but we have slowly nibbled away at it this weekend.

Mom's Apple Crisp

When 3:30 PM rolled around, I stood back and admired our countertop full of food, most of which were recipes passed down to me.

Our spread

I couldn't help it but I cried. I cried because I missed my family; I cried because I was so thankful for their recipes which made me feel like they were with me; I cried because I was happy that we had accomplished our first Thanksgiving meal together.

Carving the turkey

Then, Jace said the prayer and we both looked up and had the sniffles. It's hard to be away from family on the holidays but we were thankful for God's many blessings and seeing us through this crazy year.

We ate and I might have let out a small yell when I tasted that first bite of dressing ball! We took our time and enjoyed each dish. While eating the meal, we realized we have a much deeper appreciation for the women in our families that have fixed the meal year-end and year-out. We realized just how much work it is and how exhausting it can be!

After all the dishes were put away, we sat down and looked at all the ads. Now I must say that I think it is wrong that stores opened up Thursday night. Those workers deserve to be with their families. But then I saw a sale and it couldn't be passed up. Before I knew it, Jace and I were at Macy's! It was my first time Black Thursday/Friday shopping and Lord the people. People were going crazy over a $9.99 toaster. No thank you. We thankfully found a spot that people weren't acting a fool in and it was fairly quiet. We were home within an hour and I must say it was worth our time and it was fun. I don't know if shopping will be a new tradition but it was fun for this year.

The next day we got out and looked some more at the sales. When I was worn out from the mall and hunting for a parking space, we headed home and had glorious leftovers. We were exhausted at this point and the couch was calling our names but there was no rest for the weary. We had a ball game to get to! We had tickets for the UF v. Florida State game. Now, it was no Rupp Arena but it was fun. The game went down to some free throws and UF pulled out a W. It was a great win and a great game. Jace and I can't wait to see more games.

I hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed time with family and loved ones.