Thanksgiving 2012

Well, Thanksgiving is just about here!

Last year I made a thankful list (see it here), and I want to do that again this year.

2012 Things I am Thankful for:

1. God who is loving, merciful, and gracious.
2. Jesus, who sacrificially gave up His own life so that each of us could walk in freedom.
3. My wonderful husband, Jason.
4. Our sweet girl, Daisy Duke.
5. Our family- Jason and I both have awesome parents and siblings!
6. My job.
7. A schedule that allows me to have every other week off.
8. God's provision and many blessings in our life.
9. The years that I had with Nana and Papa and their positive influence.
10. Country Music
11. Heated seats in my car for these chilly mornings.
12. Freedom and each person who has fought and is fighting for our country.
13. shereadstruth.com 
14. The beauty of sunrises and sunsets.
15. The beach
16. Leaves changing in the fall
17. The mountains
18. All of my appliances- washer/dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, oven
19. My phone and computer
20. Good health
21. Our new house that is just about finished.
22. Laughter
23. Desserts
24. Friends
25. Warm, fuzzy blankets
26. Jason's company staying busy  
27. Good books
28. Finishing all of my continuing education!
29.  Our ability to travel and make memories
30. My life resting securely in the hands of God.

Colossians 4: 3 (NLT)
"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

Pumpkin is something I very much look forward to in the fall.
Last year I found an amazing pumpkin bread recipe, so I had to make it again this year!

This Pumpkin-Pecan Bread recipe is from the Southern Living All Time Favorites cookbook.

It is delicious! One of my favorite recipes for sure.

Pumkin Pecan Bread

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin

3 1/2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2/3 cup water

1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans

Beat sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves at low speed 3 minutes or until blended. Add water and beat until blended. Stir in pecans. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire rack.

Special Notes:

The recipe makes 2 loaves- 1 to share or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

I have used vegetable oil or substituted applesauce instead- both ways are delicious.

I don't have cloves, so I don't put them in. I sprinkle a little extra allspice instead!

Enjoy!!

Football and Family

Jason and I were traveling again over the weekend!

This time we went to Tennessee for the football game and to Kentucky to visit Charles and MC.

Friday afternoon we loaded up with Mom and Dad and headed to Knoxville.

We made it there in time to have dinner at Calhoun's and stop in the Alumni Hall store to see what kind of Tennessee stuff they had.

On Saturday we got up really early to head to the game.

Game day outfit: orange pants, Tennessee sweater, orange and white scarf, boots

Arriving on campus

 I wanted to get there early to see Smokey. When I was younger and didn't know a thing about football, I would always watch the sidelines for Smokey during the games. And I love dogs. When my parents texted me a picture of my mom with Smokey before the Alabama game a couple of weeks ago, I was so jealous! Since we had planned on going to Homecoming anyway, I said we had to find him! And we did!

Smokey and I

When we walked up, Smokey went right to Mom. Almost like he recognized her! He was so calm and let everyone pet him and take pictures with him like a pro.

Jason and I with Smokey

After our pictures with Smokey we waited for the Vol Walk. Since the game was early, there weren't as many people that came out early for the walk, so we were up close and personal. The offensive line stopped right in front of us!

Vol Walk and Neyland Stadium

We enjoyed the game, but it was a close one. Tennessee did manage to pull it out in the end.

We always enjoy watching the band too!

Panoramic view of the stadium

Pride of the Southland Marching Band

Jason and I- He looks good in Orange :)

We left the game a little early and headed to Kentucky. We had dinner plans with Charles and MC. They cooked us a delicious dinner and yummy gum drop cookies (without gum drops)- a family tradition!

It was good to be able to spend some time with them and hear how things are going with school, work, and church. On Sunday morning we all went to church with them. It was nice to see where Charles is working and meet their pastor and some of the church people. Everyone was so nice!

After a family lunch, we started the long trek back home.

I'm thankful to have had a wonderful fall weekend with a little football and a lot of family!

Rock-iversary

Three years ago today, it was a gorgeous Sunday.

Jason took me up to Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia, because I had been wanting to go on a hike.

And at the very top, he proposed!

I can hardly believe it's already been 3 years since that day, 

or that we've already been married a year and a half.

But I am thankful to be able to call my best friend my husband, and I am honored to be his wife.

After we got in Engaged!

I am loving Darius Rucker's new song, "True Believers".
Relationships aren't perfect and love is not a fairy tale.
But love is worth all the work you put into it!

My favorite part of the song:

"We are one before our God in Heaven
We are one road,
When the going gets rough.
We are one now and forever.
We are one name, one life, one flame.
We are one heartbeat in darkness.
We are one lasting answered prayer
We are one unbroken promise,
And we are two true believers"

If you want to check out the video click here.

Happy Rock-iversary to my sweet Jason!
Thank you for asking me to be your wife!

Fall in the Mountains

Happy Anniversary to Jason's parents!
They have been married for 53 years today!

In order to celebrate, they wanted to go to Pigeon Forge, TN and invited Jason and I to go with them. We, of course, said yes! It's an absolutely beautiful time of year to be in the mountains.

We took the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Smoky Mountains. The leaves have definitely changed and everything was beautiful. We stopped at Waterrock Knob Overlook to take a few pictures.

After lunch in Gatlinburg, we went to Ober Gatlinburg to ride the sky tram. The sky tram takes you from downtown Gatlinburg up the mountain to the ski resort area. From there you can take a ski lift up to the very top of the mountain. It was so much fun. The scenery was breathtaking. We even saw a deer feeding on the side of the mountain under us.

View from the top!

Jason's Parents at the top

Us at the top

From the very top of the ski lift

On the Ski Lift

View from the sky tram

After checking into our rooms in Pigeon Forge, we decided to go to a dinner show at the Smith Family Dinner Theater. It was a singing/comedy show. When we got there an employee gave me an index card and told me I was chosen for a door prize. He was a little sketch about it, so I figured it would be more complicated than someone just handing me a gift. I was right. I was called up to the stage along with 3 other women and 4 men. Then we had a hula hoop contest! Boys against girls. I still can't believe I hula hooped in front of all those people! They did end up giving each of us a CD and some coupons as a prize though. Jason got it all on video. I'm surprised he hasn't posted in on Facebook!

That's me, middle left.

The following day we had breakfast at Applewood Farmhouse and stocked up on our absolute favorite apple butter from The Apple Barn.

Then we were off to Dollywood.

At Dollywood we:

Rode all the roller coasters, checked out the 25 pound apple pie, watched the making of sorghum syrup, rode the train, caught a show, went to the Grist Mill for some fresh cinnamon bread, and fed the ducks and fish.

We had a great time!

On our way back home, we drove through Cade's Cove. It was a great drive. We were able to see more beautiful scenery and see some wildlife. We saw several black bears, deer, and turkeys.

One of the does.

One of the churches

We had a wonderful time! A big thank you to Jason's mom and dad for inviting us!

Pumpkin Carving

Jason and I bought our pumpkin a couple of weeks ago 
and decided that it was about time to carve it!

Our pumpkin before

First, we had to pick up a pumpkin carving kit! 
We picked out our favorite pattern and got started.

It was my job to scoop all the goo and seeds out of the inside.

Jason is the artistic one, so he traced the pattern onto the face of the pumpkin.

Tracing the pattern on

Then, he used the little tools to carve it out. 
He did an awesome job, and it looks fabulous!

Cutting out the pattern

Now we have some festive fall decor!

Finished product! 

Weekend Update

This weekend was filled with family and friends. 

Jason went to Florida with his dad and brother-in-law on a fishing trip.

They left on Friday and went out on Saturday morning.

Jason and his dad

They caught several trout and a few bull sharks.

Trout

While Jason was gone, I went shopping with my mom, went to a birthday dinner with friends, and had a Saturday to just chill.

Jason got back late on Saturday night. 

Sunday morning we watched church online, then had lunch with Jason's parents.

After lunch we went to the park for a first birthday party!

The birthday girl with some of her gifts.

Because the party was at the park, we took Daisy with us. Miss Lexi loves dogs!

Playing with Daisy's ball

They even took a short ride in the new wagon!

The party was a lot of fun, and Daisy got completely worn out chasing a ball.

These are the outfits Mom and I picked out for Lexi. Super Cute, right?

On the way home from the party, we stopped and picked up our pumpkin. With the weather today and the pumpkin it's starting to really feel like fall.

It's time to start pulling out the chili and chicken and dumplins recipes.

It was a wonderful weekend.

I'll leave y'all with a picture of Daisy in her Halloween costume.

She's a bumble bee!

What do you think?