A New Year...



A new year is coming... with many many changes!  I hope I will be able to blog more.  I have some major life-altering transitions coming my way this year!  Some that you know about - like my upcoming wedding!  Some that only a few of you know about, but that I will be sharing soon (I'm not prego, lol... just to clear up any confusion on that last statement)!  All the changes bring excitement... and a little stress too!  :-)  I can't wait to share it all with you and I ask for your prayers as these changes take place!  In the mean time, however, I would just like to wish each of you a Happy New Years Eve!  :-)  I hope you have F-U-N!  I know I will.  :-)

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed!

Although this Christmas brought many changes with the coordinating of schedules and combining of families, it was one of the merriest, if not THE merriest, I have ever had!  We had a whirlwind of Christmas activity and multiple Christmas celebrations!

We started in Chattanooga on the 22nd!  We did lots of last minute shopping, some relaxing, and some eating!  I enjoyed being at Mom and Dad's to relax!  Mom and I enjoyed wine while sitting in their "new" hot tub under the stars!  It was WONDERFUL after the holiday hustle and bustle!  After brunch with the family and a fun round of "dirty Santa," Chris and I hit the road and headed back to the boro!

 Christmas Eve night we made trips to both houses, unloaded the car, reloaded the car, and then headed out to Chris' parent's house!  We enjoyed last minute preparations and visiting there and then turned in for some much needed rest!  Christmas morning brought a beautiful dusting of snow and a snugly brunch with Chris' family!  Then it was off to pick up Lily!!! (YAY!)

 We had "Christmas" eating and gift giving with Chris' family Christmas night and then headed to Chris' house to tuck Lily in!  You see, most people know that Santa begins delivering Christmas Eve night, but it takes him 24 hours to go around the whole world delivering gifts!  This year, he saved the best for last... LILY!  So, we put out milk and cookies AND hot chocolate (we knew he'd be tired).  So on the 26th, Lily awoke to Santa and Christmas again!  It was PERFECT!

 ...and since then we have had more Christmas with his family and Christmas with friends....

 ...and we still have Christmas with my parents and brother to go....

 ...and with our friends and their kids!

Now, that's A LOT of Christmas!

And we are enjoying every moment together!

(Daddy trying to cure the hiccups!  It didn't work, lol)

I hope everyones Christmas was as Merry as Mine!  :-)

I. Am. Blessed.

Italian Pasta Bake

This recipe is my favorite kind!  Easy, Quick, Good and made with ingredients that I always have On Hand! Yay!  Plus, the big one (Chris) and the little one (Lily) BOTH gave it their stamp of approval!  I got the recipe from the Junior League of Murfreesboro's Open House Cookbook!

1.5 lbs ground beef
1.5 cups tomato sauce
1tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1tsp garlic powder
Oregano to taste
Pepper to taste
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
3 green onions, chopped (I left this out - we don't dig on onions)
10 oz egg noodles
1.5 cups graded Parmesa

Brown the ground beef in a skillet, stiffing until crumbly; drain.  Add the tomato sauce, salt, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and green onions in a bowl; set aside.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions; drain.  Layer the noodles, sour cream mixture, tomato sauce and parmesan cheese 1/2 at a time in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.

*I did decide next time I will mix it all together instead of layering it.  But it was wonderful just as it is!

The Christmas Spirit!

We have been VERY busy getting into the Christmas Spirit!!!

We made our annual gingerbread house!  This is always fun, but Lily starts taking it apart to eat just about as soon as we get it put together!  :-)

We went to Chris' parents for their annual "baking day" and made all kinds of Christmas confections!

I'm pretty sure Lily ate as much or more than she actually made, lol.

We spend a lot of time at Chris' house and that is where Lily is, so instead of decorating two houses we combined all our decorations and decorated his house together as a "family."

Some of my Christmas favorites are these little dancing guys from Hallmark!  There is a Santa, Reindeer, Snowman, and Elf and they all tap dance together to different songs!  They are so cute and so fun!  Lily loves playing with them too!

Holiday Bayberry is my most favorite "Christmas" scent for Yankee Candle!  I keep this thing burning almost 24-7... it just smells like the season!  Yankee candles truly are the best!

We put up Chris' tree and Lily put on the star!  I love this picture!  Lily's PJs are on inside out and backward because we were trying for a snow day.... and we got it!!!!

And the sweetest part of all...

After we put their tree up, I made a comment that the holidays were even more fun with the three of us together, but that I was going to miss putting up my tree and all my ornaments.  A few minutes later, Chris told me and Lily to put on our shoes and coats!  He loaded us up and drove around the corner to my house, loaded up my tree and ornaments and off we went!  We now have BOTH of our trees up in the living room!  He is so amazing!  I love this man!

I LOVE SUNDAYS!

Nothing beats a Sunday...

...with a great church service beside my soon-to-be family...

...lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant...

 ...stretchy clothes and a little quality Wii time with our new Rudolph game...

...football games....

...giggling girls eating fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies....

...and playing...

...while Daddys watch football and talk shop...

...and I relax and enjoy this wonderful life!

Sundays... definitely my favorite day of the wek!

Let the planning begin!

We picked April!

THIS April for our WEDDING!

Time crunch?

Um, yes!

No worries... we have a dress, a band, and a location!  :-)

My dress is a DREAM and SO ME and the best part???  They make the EXACT same dress LILY-SIZED!  YAY!  We'll match exactly!  I can't wait for her Daddy to see us!

It's official!

 On December 1st, they popped the question.... that's right, I said "they!"

 (reenactment photos)

On this Wednesday night, Chris insisted I come over after I went to paint with Megan and Lauren!  He said Lily wanted to see me before she went to bed!  Never mind that my painting thing took WAY longer than I thought... and kept me out til 10:00... and Lily was still up waiting for me!  lol.  When I arrived the garage door was locked (which was odd!).  I fumbled for my keys and finally got the door open.  Lily yelled, "WAIT!  Don't come in yet!!!"  This might have tipped someone else off to something being up, but Lily is a surprise-a-holic, so her telling me to wait was nothing unusual!  She's always hiding or making a "surprise" of her own.  Finally, she said, "Okay, come in!"  I walked int to the living room and there, in their PJs, I saw the two loves of my life kneeling together on a pink baby doll blanket!  They smiled, asked in unison, "Will you marry us?"  I am told that my reply was a stunned, "NO WAY!!!!!"  (seriously).  :-)  The Lily reached behind her and pulled out a box, opened it, and showed me the ring.  Then in true Lily fashion, she elbowed her dad and said, "Okay dad, do your part like I showed you."  ...and he took the ring from the box, placed it on my finger, asked me if that was a yes, and we all three covered each other in hugs and kisses!  I am, officially, the happiest girl in the world.  It was, beyond a doubt, the most perfect proposal ever.  After which Lily proclaimed, "now I can have lots of brothers and sisters!!!!!"  :-)  LOL.... I like the way that girl thinks!  ;-)