Better Ideas and Better Recipes....

...from Better Homes and Gardens.

I absolutely love this magazine.  I mean, really.  I have subscribed for over a year now and I get more good ideas and good recipes from this magazine!  It's the *perfect* blend of cooking and home!  I was about 3 magazines behind and I used one of my snow days to pour over the pages!  The coolest idea so far?  I found out that there is such a thing as "magnetic primer."  Seriously?  Yeah.  You can put several cotes of magnetic primer on any wall... or anything for that matter... and then paint it whatever color you want and viola!  A magnetic wall... or ... magnetic whatever you want!  How cool is that?!? 

Wedding plans...

Chris and I are planning a very small, intimate wedding.  We are a very laid back couple and are excited about a wedding that really "fits" us.  I thought I would share just a few of the plans, especially since many friends and family won't actually be at the wedding.  We are pretty much only having parents, grandparents, and siblings (along with a couple best friends that might as well be siblings to us).

Here is where we will tie the knot.  We were so relieved to find such a beautiful place at such an attractive price!  This is a new place called Gateway Island in Murfeesboro.  It's part of the greenway system and is a little "island" that is so pretty!  You can see the little pavilion above in the distance...

...and here it is up close!  This is where we will actually get married encircled by our nearest and dearest friends and family. 

And this is the adjacent reception center where we will house the cake and food.  We are hoping (and praying) for warm and pretty weather!  The whole thing is planned to be outside!  If it rains we'll be in a pinch and a bit crowded for the reception part.  :-)  But we'll make it work!

In the works are food, flowers, cake, music, and all the other stuff that goes along with a wedding!  I'll share more in another post!  That's it for now!  :-)

There is never enough...

Time.

Even when given lots of unexpected time (multiple snow days), there never seems to be enough.

Not enough time to plan.

Not enough time to be frugal (don't you agree that it takes time to save money?)

And certainly, never enough time to get everything done.

When there just isn't enough time to get it all done.  When there seems to be too many things on the list to do and not enough hours in the day to do them.  When there are so many things that need (and want) to get done, it can be overwhelming....

...then I remember how unbelievably blessed I am.  I am so blessed that I have such wonderful friends and family that need and want my attention.  I am blessed that I have a home that needs taking care of and laundry that needs to be washed.  I am blessed that I have to load the dishwasher so many times in a week, because it means that I have the means to cook wonderful meals and all kinds of food to fill our tummies.  I am blessed to have a job that I love and students that need me.  I am blessed.

...then I remind myself, to ENJOY.  Enjoy the blessings and get done what I can. Don't sweat the small stuff.  And don't get so busy with the motions that you forget why you're doing them in the first place.

Time.

My goal this year is to enjoy the time I have

and to stop worrying about the time I wish I had.

Life is too short not to.

Game People...

We are some game playing fools!

Most of you who know me well, already know that I have always loved playing games!  As an adult, that still hasn't changed!  I feel blessed that God paired me with another game player and him with a little girly game player! 

 Lily got LOTS of games for Christmas this year, so we have been playing away!  One was Parcheesi!  I hadn't played this since I was a kid.  It was fun to remember all the rules and play again.

 Santa brought Monopoly Jr.

This might be our favorite!  It's all the fun of Monopoly, but doesn't last for hours on end!  We all three love to play this one!

He also brought Twister!  Lily and I have had some Twister throw downs, but Daddy avoids this one!  He has played a couple times, but he's not quite as "twisty" as Lily and I! lol.

We all love Yahtzee!  Chris and I play this one, just the two of us a lot.  I have been amazed at how quickly Lily has picked up on the game and is able to play!  So. Much. Fun!

Over the last few snow days and weekend days it's been cold and we've been cooped up.  There was no shortage of fun though!  We've had lots of fun!

Do you have any good games you like to play?  We are always up for suggestions!  :-)

A Merry New Year!

I am already starting the new year behind on blogging, but I wanted to share some cute pictures from New Year's Eve/New Year's at my mom and dad's.  This is when we got together to do Christmas!

Miss Kenlsee stole the show with all her new moves!  :-)

She is SUCH a good baby!  She just smiles all the time and never cries!  She got ample time in everyone's arms playing and snuggling.

Lily and Bentlee enjoyed some play time together.... LOTS of play time together.  It has been a really long time since they have been together and actually had free reign to play as long as they wanted!  They had a blast!

My brother feeding his baby girl!

Kenslee is names after Ken.

Grandmommy absolutely loved all the time with her girls!  And let me tell you... these two adore their grandmommy!

Chris and Lily!

They are the most affectionate father/daughter... I love it!

Bentlee and Kenslee... sister's!  If it weren't for the matching clothes, you'd never know! lol

It was a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with family!  It was also fun to have all this quality time after all the Christmas hooplah wore off!  We were all so relaxed and no one had to rush off for anything.  It was great!

Christmas with Friends

Lauren, Megan, and I decided to get all the kidletts together for their own little Christmas party!  So a few days after Christmas, we headed over to La's house for our Christmas Kiddo-style!

These four love getting together to play!  Vance and Dawson adore each other and both adore Lily!  She enjoys being the oldest and only girl!!!  No lack of love here!

The Hutchings got all the kids super hero capes!  What a great gift!!!

We had a Mexican themed meal with hard and soft tacos and nachos!  It was a nice break from the "traditional" Christmas ham and such.

La - the hostess with the mostest!  She made cupcakes for all the kids and let them use chocolate and vanilla frosting with spray, sprinkles, and M&Ms to decorate them! 

They had a great time decorating... and eating!

Ever the neat and clean little boy like his Mommy, Dawson completely avoided messy hands by attacking his cupcake from the top!  LOL!  He dove right in, mouth first so he wouldn't get all messy!  Too. Funny! 

And, all the grown ups had fun too!  :-)

(Lily says she is going to be a photographer when she grows up!  She took this with her little hands and my huge Nikon! lol.... looks like she's onto something!  She does an exceptional job of focusing and getting us centered for a 6 year old having to use the view finder!)

It was a very merry friend Christmas!  I can't wait to do another very merry friend non-Christmas! lol

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