The Glory of God's Wonders

The wintery weather is hanging around our area, which is great, because I love wintery weather.  As I woke up yesterday to a beautiful wet fallen snow, I went outside to take some pictures.  Sadly, The Lineman was working (had been all night) and I wanted him to see how beautiful everything was at our house.  It was so quiet and peaceful and fresh, and I stood in amazement at the glorious work of our Lord.  

Snapped this picture of the big white pine right out our kitchen window a few minutes before a big limb in it couldn't bear the weight anymore and broke.  

I have a hard time picking a favorite season -- my favorite is actually Fall because of the array of beautiful colors from the leaves and the bright blue sky that always seems to be a bit brighter in October.  But, it seems like when you are in the wonder of a particular season (like we are with winter now) I think to myself, oh maybe winter is my favorite season.  Or, as we approach spring and the grass turns green and the leaves on the trees bud out and the flowers stick their heads up and flash us bright colors, I think....oh I love spring too.  And in the middle of summer during a hot day, grilling and sitting in the pool, or when a summer storm passes by and cools everything off leaving the steam rising from the pavement, I think summer is the best.  It is so amazing that in all of God's seasons that he has provided these perfect glimpses into the wonders of His creations.  

I know I would probably be tired of the snow if I lived up north and had to continue to go to work in it every day, but that is one thing I love about where we live.  We are really not equipped to deal with the snow.  Many of our roads are mountainous and get very treacherous whenever they get snow and ice covered, so in our area, the world stops.  You get a pass for a day or two to sit and drink coffee, pile up with a good book and enjoy the company of your family.  I guess that is why I love it so much, because it brings this crazy world of ours to a halt.  

This week we have had a 1-2 punch of snow.  The first round came Monday night, when they were calling for 1-2 inches and we ended up getting around 4 inches...and the second bigger round came Wednesday evening, when it snowed about 6-8 inches in our area, depending on where you live.  It is still hanging on to the tree limbs and blanketing the grass this morning as the sun shines bright on it.  It is truly beautiful.  

These were from Monday nights snow...still beautiful, but just not quite as much snow as Wednesday night.  

I was able to get Carter out in the first snow on Tuesday and lucky for her my brothers brought their kids over to play.  I am way too pregnant to try to be sledding right now!  But, she loved it and she played until her eyes almost closed out in the cold snow.  She was exhausted afterwards and took a 3 hour nap.  Here are some pictures of our snowy week!

bundled up and ready to go!

"Mama, this is fun...best day ever!"

Had to sneak in a pic of the prettiest orange flashing against that beautiful white stuff. 

She wasn't too sure about the sledding

Next to the GIANT snowman uncle Brian made for her

I am glad we finally got a good snow this year and that Carter was able to experience it.  I can tell she is going to be just like me and love the snow.  Can't wait for it to come again!  :)

Mom's Chicken Casserole

As I said in my last post, we have been experiencing quite the run of wintery weather over the last week.  This latest dose left us with about 4-5 inches of snow around our area, which is a lot for us.  My parents talk about getting big snows like that fairly frequently when they were growing up, but it doesn't happen that much these days.  Snows like this are usually only once or twice a season.  So, we were out of school again and I got a hankering for a warm home cooked meal and I decided to make my mom's chicken casserole.  I am not sure where she got this recipe, but she has made this for as long as I can remember, and luckily for me it is super easy, and warm and delicious...perfect for a snow day.

Here are the things that you will need:

• 2-3 chicken breasts (don't have to be boneless/skinless, that's just what I had in the freezer)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (not pictured, because I was still trying to find a can in my house, which I didn't have so I ended up have to use 2 cans of cream of chicken and it was all good)
• 1 soup can of milk
• 1/2-3/4 stick of butter melted
• 1 package of the pepperidge farm cornbread dressing

The first thing you will need to do is boil your chicken, or if you are lazy like me just season it up and bake it in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.  This is the method that I prefer to use if a recipe calls for chicken to be boiled first.  The Lineman thinks it's better that way, and I like it cause it's easy. 

Washed and seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper and season salt

After baking for about 30 minutes at 350

Once the chicken is cooked, just shred it all up, or have your husband do it...which is what I like to do.  

Then, you will put the shredded chicken into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish

Next you will take your can of cream of chicken soup, can of cream of mushroom soup (or chicken again if you are like me and thought your were prepared, but you actually weren't) and a soup can full of milk and put into a whisking bowl like so: 

Whisk it all together until it becomes a nice creamy consistency like so: 

And then pour it on top of your shredded chicken, which will look like this: 

The next step is important (or so says my mother, and I have to agree).  Open your package of cornbread stuffing and pour it into the mixing bowl with the remnants of the soup/milk mixture that was till in there.  And, then melt your butter and pour it over the cornbread stuffing.  Stir that all together.  The soup/milk mixture and butter are going to make the stuffing a little moist, which is what you want. 

Pour that mixture on top of the chicken and soup mix in your casserole dish and bake it for about 30 minutes at 350, or until it is golden brown.  Here is the end result: 

And here it is in my plate, next to my quart of home canned green beans and those really delicious sister schubert rolls.  I probably should've had another side, but you know...it was snowing and we had been playing and I didn't have time to come up with something else.  :)

Let me know what you think if you try it!  

Organization Project 101: User Manuals

This past week was an unusual one for me.  It has been fragmented by rain, ice, then snow and frigid temperatures.  This has caused my work to be closed for the past few days, and luckily has given me some time to work on a few things around my house that I have been needing/wanting to do, but just never got around to doing.

One of those things was organizing a drawer full of product manuals that I have had since we moved into our house.  Being as it has been almost 5 years since we got married and moved into our house, you can imagine what this drawer looked like.  Pretty rough.

Here is the problem.  This pic doesn't really do it justice.  

So, for the solution, I had been planning on/wanting to load everything up into a notebook to keep it all organized, but like most things, I just hadn't gotten around to it.  Some time back, I think I saw this on pinterest or something like that, but I went back through all my pins and I can't find it.  Just know I am not smart/creative enough to come up with this idea on my own, but I can't direct you to the site where I found it because I don't remember.  Shocker.  Anyway, it worked out really well, and now I know where to find these user manuals in case I need them, which in a lot of cases I do.  Also, I now have a free drawer in my dining room, which is awesome.  Here is what I did: 

I used a basic 3-ring binder, a pack of sheet protectors and some dividers for different sections. 

Then I loaded up those babies with all the different user guides/instruction manuals I had and voila:

 Nice and organized.  I separated my sections into small kitchen appliances, household products, baby products, large appliances and miscellaneous.  It felt great to get some extra organization going on during my snow day.  

Also, I will say this will be nice in case we ever sell any of those items, we can go and pull all of the instruction manuals that go with it, which would be helpful to the new owner.  

How do you all keep up with these types of things without letting clutter overtake your life?  

Mama gets a Mini-Makeover + Stitch Fix #1

Ya'll...I am soooo excited!  I had such a great weekend a couple of weeks ago, and I finally have all my ducks in a row to share it with you.  The weekend of fun was much needed after having a really stressful and emotional week.  

I started my weekend off with a girls day out, with one of my best friends Ginger.  We left from work and drove over to Knoxville where we spent the afternoon shopping and getting pampered.  Who doesn't want their weekend to start out like that?  I had scheduled a haircut with Priscilla, at a local salon in Knoxville.  She used to cut my hair while I was in college, which is too many years ago to mention, but to my pleasant surprise she was still there.  So, I set up the appointment and Ginger and I planned our day!  Once my hair had a much needed cut (sadly I think it had been about 6 months) we went on to the mall.  We were both wanting to try out the new Bare Minerals liquid foundation, and lucky for us, there was a Bare Minerals store in the mall.  So, we both got a little mini-makeover and makeup tutorial.  We perused the mall for a bit and topped our evening off with a Chik-Fi-A picnic.  We are cheap dates...

It is so rare that I get to go out of town, so I loved being able to do this.  I am so lucky that my husband was willing to pick up Carter from the sitter's house and tend to her all evening so I could enjoy my girls day!

Post Mini-Makover with new makeup and haircut.  Don't mind the bump.  hehe

The fun continued on Saturday, when I had to take some large and bulky items to the laundramat because they were too big for my washer.  While my items were washing, I walked over to the nail salon next door and got my nails did.  Ya'll...I don't have nails.  I bite my nails.  I have for years and years.  It is the single most frustrating habit that I have.  I see other women with beautiful painted nails and I envy them!  After a scolding from the nail tech, and a lot of work, they came out looking pretty awesome I think.  I hope having them painted will keep me from biting them.

To top it all off, when I got home from the laundramat, I found my 1st Stitch Fix box waiting on my porch!  Yipeeeee!!  I have been so excited about this, since I signed up.  Basically, the idea behind Stitch Fix is that you sign up and enter in all of your size information and what type of clothing that you prefer.  The "style profile" only takes about 10 minutes to fill out and then you request your "fix".  After that, a personal stylist will hand pick 5 items based on your profile and send them to your house to try on.  You pay $20 for the shipment of items and keep what you like and send back what you don't.  If you keep anything in the box, the $20 shipment cost is deducted from the total purchase amount.  If you absolutely hate everything and send it all back...well, you are out $20.

My first "fix"

This concept is totally genius for someone like me...dang, why couldn't I have thought of it?  Here's why I wanted to try:

1. The closest mall to my town is about 2 hours away.  Let's let that sink in for a minute.  In order for me to travel to a Target, or mall, I have to basically slate away the whole day.  So, it obviously doesn't happen very often. 
2. I am clueless on style and trends.  I mean, I see things that people are wearing that I like and admire and I know the types of clothing I want to wear, but when I get inside a store, I just go blank.  I get overwhelmed at trying to put things together, and when it comes to accessorizing, just forget it. 
3. I recently cleaned out my closet (and then found out I was pregnant).  I finally, after realizing that my body was probably never going to fully recover and bounce back to my pre-pregnancy size and shape, went through and got rid of all sorts of clothes and it left me pretty bare to the bones.  I decided that I was going to work on re-building my wardrobe and trying to stock up on basics and some fun accessories along the way...things that I could focus on mixing and matching together, so I didn't end up with a huge closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.  And then....I found out I was pregnant.  So, I had to drag out the maternity clothes, and luckily my sister-in-law sent her things over to supplement my sad pile.  So, definitely after this baby, I want to get back on the bandwagon of working on my wardrobe.  
4. I like clothes, but I really don't like to shop.  I love having fun new pieces and outfits to wear, but traveling a whole day to shop and then the stress of trying this on and trying to hurry and decide is a lot for an indecisive person like me.  So, the idea that I could try the items on at home and see what other things that I could wear with them, that I already owned was perfect.  
5. It didn't seem like a huge financial commitment.  I mean...the worst I would lose is $20, and let's be honest...I would spend $20 in gas traveling to shop for a day.  

My letter about my fix from my personal "stylist"

My box when I opened it up!

So, after careful consideration I gave it a shot.  I tried really hard when filling out my style profile to be as honest as I could and as clear about the types of clothing I liked.  I also took a chance on doing this while pregnant, because they don't really offer maternity clothing, but their website said that they offer maternity friendly styles.  So, even though I was pumped about trying it, I was trying not to get my expectations way up there in case none of the items worked for me.  To my surprise, it was better than expected.

Here's what I got:

1.  LA Made - Mikah Maternity Cross Front Dress

So, I really wanted to like this dress, because I could wear it to church, and it was nursing friendly...but, it was really really bad on me.  The material was very clingy and showed off every curve (and dimple) and I just did not feel that I was flattering on me.  I got too much junk in my trunk...you know?  But, it was encouraging because it was actually a maternity dress, which made me think that Stitch Fix probably has more maternity clothing than they mention on their website...

The other thing that is great about Stitch Fix is that they send these really helpful cards with each item to show you a couple of different ways to wear the item.  I love that.  I am terrible with putting together a whole outfit...or I will just find one way to wear something and never mix it up, so I found this really helpful. 

The Final Verdict:  Sent back.  

2.  Daniel Rainn:  Remy Split Neck Maternity Blouse

I really loved this top when I pulled it out of the box.  It was such a beautiful color and I liked the fact that is it was loose and flowy.  However, when I tried it on it was waaaaay to big.  It was a size medium, which is what I requested, but obviously some brands are sized differently than others, and for some reason, this one was really oversized.  I even tried to add a ribbon belt above my bump, but that just looked awkward.  

The Final Verdict:  Sent back.  sad. 

3.  Market & Spruce:  Alan Cowl Neck Asymmetrical Cardigan

When I saw this, I thought it was pretty, but I wasn't quite sure I could pull it off.  But, happily, after I tried it on, I really liked it.  It is longer in the back, which is good and it is a decently heavy material, so I think it can be worn as a light jacket in the spring.  It does zip up, but I definitely can't zip it up now over my bump, but that's ok, because I think I would prefer it unzipped and flowey anyway.  This is also something that I can wear when I am not pregnant, so it was definitely a keeper!!

The Final Verdict:  Kept and have worn a few times already!

4.  Eight Sixty:  Maria Maternity Scoop Neck Eyelet Trim Knit Top

The coloring on the card pic didn't turn out so well, and the picture of the top I took is not the greatest, but this top was my favorite thing when I took it out of the box!  I loved the color and the design and luckily it fit perfectly.  It is a longer top, so it covers my bump.  It says that it is "maternity" but it is really stretchy and I feel like it's something I can probably wear after I have the baby.  The back scoops lower than the front, and I have a couple of tops like that, and I love love love them.  This is something that I can wear to work, or if I get to go on the occasional date, I could wear there as well!

The Final Verdict:  Definitely kept...favorite of the box. 

5.  Bancroft:  Trisha Clover Charm Layering Necklace

This necklace was the final item in my box.  It was simple, dainty and pretty, and I feel like I will be able to wear it with a lot of different things.  Since I don't own a lot of jewelry and I  don't have a long necklace at all, I decided to keep it.  I have already worn it once, and I felt like it worked well!  

The Final Verdict:  Kept. 

So, that was all of the items in my first stitch fix box.  Overall, I was very pleased and I absolutely loved the experience of being able to try everything on at home and decide instead of being rushed in a dressing room.  Also, I must note that I was going to try all of the items on and have The Lineman take pictures, but it got really hectic that weekend, and before I knew it I had to send the unwanted items back, so had to rush and take the pictures.  I will do better next time, I promise!  

If you are interested in trying Stitch Fix for yourself, please follow the link here: 

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4632427

I am obviously not compensated for writing about my experience, but the great thing about stitch fix is that when you refer someone, you will get a credit that can go towards your purchase.  I would not recommend it if I hadn't had a good experience... and as a side note, a co-worker of mine also tried it around the same time as me, and kept ALL of the items sent to her.  So, I think 2 great experiences speaks for itself.  

I have scheduled another "fix" to come in March, but after that I will probably wait until after baby girl arrives.  I will share how my next fix is...hopefully as good as the first!

Carter's First 2 Years

Because I am new to the blogging world, and one of the main reasons that I wanted to do this was to have a centralized location to document the happenings in my life. Today as we celebrate Carter's 2nd Birthday...I would like to share some of the best moments over her first 2 years of life.  I am the WORST with pictures.  I know I need to take more pictures.  I know I want to make scrapbooks.  I know I want to have more family pictures and hang them around my house.  But, I also know that I am a procrastinator and some of these things just won't get done.  But, here I can share them and have them to come back and look at later.  For now, I guess that's good enough. 

Before the magic happened  :)

First Moment's of Life



Hanging in the Hospital




Snuggled for the ride home



First Bath at Home

With Great Grandmother - Nannabelle

The picture above is very special.  She is in the arms of her 92 year old great grandmother, and they share a birthday with one another.  Nannabelle turned 92 years old the day Carter was born.  They are both special Valentine's babies. 



First Easter Church Service




Ready to Swim



Loving her bathtime

Me & Mini-me

First Thanksgiving

First Birthday

Hanging in her Jammies

Easter 2014 with her Cousins

Ready for the Beach - March 2014

Beach baby - March 2014

Summer 2014 in her Nana & Pap's Garden

Ready for Church - Oct. 2014

Halloween 2014

Christmas 2014 at Rock City's Garden of Lights

Bundled up after her Bath

I hope you enjoyed seeing some highlights from Carter's first 2 years.  She has been such a blessing to us and all of our family and I can't wait to watch her grow in the years to come.  Lots of changes are going to be happening in our little family, but I hope she always knows how loved she is!