Hanging with the Hollands

Some Thanksgiving and Christmas Pics

2011-03-26T21:31:00.001-04:00

I guess it's better to post late than never. I decided to blog a little tonight and realized I never finished this post. So, please enjoy a few pictures from last year!

BCM International Thanksgiving Dinner:

VSU BCM "Redneck Christmas" Party:

L to R: The girls in my bible study (Journey) group--Sara, Cristen, me, Brittany, Kati, and Cecelia (Not pictured, Mary Beth). Note: I had an event for work that I had to dress up for and didn't change into my redneck atire......oh well.

Snapshots from the BCM Leadership Christmas Party:

Ashley and Alice~

Ms. Anne and Sam~

Women's Dinner

2011-02-05T11:23:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending our church's annual Women's Dinner. It was an elegant evening filled with meeting new ladies, eating delicious food, and hearing testimonies of the Lord's work in these women's lives.

I volunteered to be a table hostess (this is the first time I've done something like this) and thus decorate our table. I thoroughly enjoyed contemplating how I would decorate my table and pulling out fine china pieces that we received for our wedding. Also, being thrifty/frugal is something that enjoy very much...it's as if I make it a game to see how much I can do for the least amount of cost, and I do love games! So, that's just what I did with this little venture. I enjoyed viewing others' tables and gleaning their frugal and creative ideas, too!

A white table cloth and a cream overlay with pink swirls were used to cover the table. I used small clear candle holders (I save these from candles that are given to me or that I purchase & turn them upside down on a cookie sheet covered with foil-- low temperature in the oven-- to get remaining wax out. Then, just put a new candle in and you can reuse it!) and tied coordinating ribbon around them. I already had the ribbon and new white candles, so I didn't have to buy them. And, I used the same ribbon to make napkin rings.

I purchased the pink and cream roses that I used from the Dollar Tree. I LOVE this store! I find so many things here that I can use for craft projects, around the house, and with my students. Five stems of flowers was enough to fill three containers. I borrowed Caleb's wire cutters to cut the stems apart before placing the flowers in containers that I had from around the house. Then, I used scissors to cut some of the petals apart to sprinkle around my table. Having the exact color petals to match the flowers looked really nice. Low lighting was used at the dinner, and one of the ladies commented that she thought the roses were real :)!

The final product!

My new friend Amanda and me.

I had such a fun time at this event. It's so nice to have "girl time" every once and awhile, and I'm so thankful for a husband who supports that.

Ideas that I gleaned from other ladies that you might enjoy: black chargers with paper lace doily make a pretty "plate; cover cardboard salt and pepper shakers with ribbon coordinated to your table; if your mugs are a neutral color and you want to "dress them up" use bands of sequins to wrap around them.

I would love to hear your frugal tips and ideas!

Cody and Kelli's Wedding Weekend

2010-12-05T13:01:00.000-05:00

I'm playing "catch up" with our blog:). Here are a few pictures I snapped with my camera of Cody and Kelli's wedding weekend, October 24th.

The red maple leaves were gorgeous that weekend!

Mom and Cody at the rehearsal dinner.

Cody with Groomsmen: (L to R) Jeremiah, Cody, Josh, Nathan

Mama and two of her best friends, Kathy and Ramona. They were so kind by helping with the food and drinks at the rehearsal dinner!

The soon-to-be bride and groom!

Caleb and my Daddy!

The guests.

Wedding Day!:)

1959 (I think) Chevy Impala. Caleb was Cody and Kelli's chauffeur. He loved it!

Bride and Groom's first dance.

Groom's cake. Fitting for a soon-to-be mechanical engineer, huh?

Toast!

Father/daughter dance!

We had a great weekend and were glad to be able to celebrate it with Cody, Kelli and family. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Cody Bollinger! We love you!

Grandma's 80th Birthday

2010-10-20T22:54:00.001-04:00

September 18th marked Grandma Mary's 80th birthday! My mom arranged a family party for her at a local restaurant, Quincy's, which is one of grandma's favorite places to eat. Most of the family was able to attend, and we had a great time! If I live to be 80 years old, I hope I am as vibrant, energetic, and full of life as she is! Grandma loves to be out and about, having fun!

My mama pinning a corsage on the birthday girl!

Above: Grandma opening presents.

Right: Some of the "grandkids" talking.

Grandma with her children--Tommy, Wayne, Johnny, and Yvonne.

Grandma with most of the grandchildren and their wives/husbands.

Grandma with her sisters, Gwen and Darlene, and her sister-in-law, Peggy.

VSU Homecoming Football Game

2010-10-20T22:54:00.000-04:00

October 2nd marked VSU's homecoming game. We had such a great day! One of the local churches joined with the BCM to host a free cookout before the game! Not only were we able to spend time with students, but we were able to spend time with Jeff's family, too. We had a blast!

The band! Those of you who know me well know that the half time show is my favorite part about the football game. That's why people go to football games in the first place, right? I mean why have football if you don't have a band?

Makenzie, Megan, and me. The girls made a "V" before the game so we could use them to cheer for the team!

The Homecoming Court

And VSU wins the game! It was a close game but the Blazers won by two points!

Surprise Getaway with Caleb!

2010-10-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Caleb planned a surprise trip for us! We really enjoyed some time for just the two of us!

We drove to downtown Atlanta (and stopped at The Olive Garden on the way---DELICIOUS!) for the 1-1-Six concert (I know some of you are Lecrae fans!) at the Depot. Since we got there early, we hung out at GA State and then went to Underground to browse.

Inside the Depot waiting for the concert to begin.

Random candid of Caleb during the concert.

Caleb arranged for us to spend the night with his parents. We had a fun time seeing them and relaxing. Alice cooked a delicious breakfast for us, too! On Saturday, we headed back and stopped at the GA National Fair in Perry. We had a fun time strolling, enjoying the food and music, and seeing the animals.

Enjoying the "lakeside" view as we ate our snack!

The horses were BEAUTIFUL, and Caleb wants a Clydesdale. I think it would be a nice addition to the farm I would like to have one day!

Kelli's Shower

2010-09-25T20:42:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to head up North to see my family! Several of my aunts, cousins and I planned a shower for my brother Cody's bride-to-be, Kelli. We decided to have a Fall theme, and everything turned out so cute! My aunts and cousins definitely have great taste for decorating! Just look at what they came up with :)!

Above, we had pumpkins and gourds at the entry way, mums in a cute basket with a scarecrow (there were several of these on the tables), and a pumpkin and wagon to hold utensils and napkins. There were more decorations, but I only put a few here.

And, here's the bride-to-be, Kelli! I think this is such a pretty picture of her! Here's Kelli again with her grandmother--Wynelle, and her mother--Donna. Lastly, here's Kelli with my mom--Yvonne:).

Aunt Jean made punch and lemonade. It was all so festive, pretty, and AND delicious! Aunt Brenda made the cakes (she makes delicious cakes!) and handmade each of the candies on the squares. They were so pretty! And the food was very scrumptious, too!

Here's Kelli displaying their fine China and opening gifts. And Grandma Mary (my maternal grandmother) is signing Kelli's registry. It was actually Grandma's 80th Birthday and we had all gone out to lunch to celebrate her birthday before the shower!

Left: Cody, Grandma Mary, Grandma Irene (my paternal grandmother), Wynelle (Kelli's grandma), and Kelli.

Below: Hostesses--Kimberly, Abby, (Kelli), Aunt Brenda, Aunt Jean, and Erin. Andie is not pictured but she helped so much before she left to go to her brother's wedding!

We had such a great time planning everything and seeing everyone at the shower! Cody and Kelli were blessed with many gifts as they begin their new life together! Four weeks from today, and I will have a sister-in-law, yea! I've always wondered what it would be like to have a sister, and now I'll at least have a little taste of what that will be like....stay tuned....for wedding pictures!

New Discovery...

2010-08-29T22:53:00.001-04:00

The night before we left Wake Forest, Caleb and I were sitting on the living room floor with a few of our things that we would have to pack the next morning. It was so weird to look out the window and see my car secured to a dolly attached to our 26-foot moving truck and our utility trailer attached to Caleb's truck with our out door things on it. We had spent 4 years, all of our married lives, in Wake Forest. Four years. A lot of things happened in those four years. It was just really different sitting in our cleaned, empty apartment with no furniture and nothing left to do. We had been so busy up until that point getting last minute things done and cleaning. We were so thankful that our friends and neighbors came out to help us pack and clean. We could not believe that we had a total of 21 PEOPLE show up to help us PACK OUR MOVING TRUCK and CLEAN! WE were amazed that so many of our friends would get up early on a Saturday morning to help us (Okay, we bribed them with Krispy Kreme donuts & pizza)! And, that night, our sweet neighbors Bryce and Shelly offered to let me drive their car to go get dinner for us since mine was strapped to the dolly:). So, what's a girl to do on a night like this? Well.......we still had our computers out, so of course I got on the web. And, I happened to come across this AMAZING SITE called "Start Cooking.com" After viewing a few of the tutorials, I was hooked! You can get to the site from this link:

http://startcooking.com/blog/58/How-to-Cook-Potatoes-in-a-Microwave

I absolutely LOVE the video tutorials. Kathy Maister not only shows you how to prepare each dish, but she does this in such an efficient manner. She even gives you a list of ingredients AND materials that you will need. AND, she used to be a HOME EC teacher :)! I wondered if she had taught (you'll see what I mean once you view the site) and when I read her bio, I confirmed this fact:). Anyway, her blog is definitely worth checking out, even if you have been cooking for a while! You might glean some new tips from her!

What cooking sites do you use as your "go to" sites?

VSU BCM Leadership Retreat

2010-08-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Early last week, Caleb and I had the privilege of attending the BCM Leadership Retreat. We had such a great time! Jeff and Clarissa (both campus minister's here) provided excellent training for the student leaders, and Caleb did a great job facilitating the team building games and activities. It was so fun to be able to spend time with the students and get to know them better. We learned a lot, and we had a lot of FUN! Here are a few pictures that highlight our time together:

This team building game was "Banana Surgery." Students were instructed to cut a banana into five pieces and make some type of picture using the banana pieces and peel. Above: Chase, Matt, and Allen are contemplating their design. Next, students were asked to put the banana back together in the peel using scotch tape and sewing pins. They were so creative with their designs, and did a great job putting them back together, too! Below: Sam, with her team's banana....somehow, her hands got taped to the banana:)!

We met in this conference room for most of our time together. This year's leadership team is composed of about 30 students. The students are divided into different teams with certain responsibilities. Throughout our time, the teams got together to brainstorm, plan, and pray together (oh yes, and there was the trip to the dollar store to get props for video clips & then then making those clips!). The heart's desire of these students is to reach their campus for Christ and to help students grow in a discipleship relationship with Him. It's very encouraging to see these student-leaders so willing to help others, but still be teachable themselves! We also enjoyed some relaxation time at the pool & a movie!

And, don't forget a favorite game "Ninja"! I had never played this before, but the students were sweet to teach me! Participants stand in a circle and strike a Ninja pose. The object of the game is to try to hit the person's hand next to you (which puts them out of the game), but not leave your hand in a position where it can get hit by someone else. You've got to be quick for this game. I'll have to practice in slow motion for a little while longer.

This game was similar to "telephone, " but pictures were used instead of phrases. The student in the back of each line was given a picture (hand drawn by Caleb himself!) and then had to "draw" that picture on the person's back in front of him or her. This pattern continues until it reaches the person at the front of the line. Then that person draws what the felt on their back, on paper.

And of course we had to eat! Here's Sam in the lunch line. The conference center reminded me of Summer Camp:).

The Sprinter--We borrowed this vehicle from a local church for the drive up to the conference center. Caleb enjoyed driving it!

2010-2011 BCM Staff
Caleb, Jeff, Clarissa, and Ms. Anne

Jeff's wife Beth, and I jumped in for this one!

Happenings around the Holland Home

2010-08-07T21:34:00.000-04:00

This week, I feel like we have really, really been able to settle in to our new home. We've only been here three weeks, but I feel like we've lived here for a while, which is a VERY good thing.

So what have we been up to, you might ask? Well, Monday morning I awoke to the sound of the lawn mower at 7am. Yep, Caleb decided to cut the grass. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. My husband enjoys cutting grass, the grass needed to be cut, and the rest is history! Later that day, Jeff's wife Beth, and their girls Mackenzie and Megan came over for lunch with me. They are all so sweet, and we had a wonderful time together. They brought us fresh blueberries that they had picked, and Caleb didn't even get to taste them, I gobbled them up so fast in the following days! Later that night, we went out to eat at a local Japanese steakhouse. It was so fun to watch them cook the food right in front of us!

Our closets were recently resheetrocked (I'm using this as a word although spell check says it is not a word--you get the idea), but needed to be sanded, painted, and have the shelving put in. So, I've been working on that. It's been fun for me since I've not done it before and I enjoy learning new things. I was able to paint the closets today, and I am so happy with how they turned out! The last time I painted was in high school. Wow. Over a decade ago....

Caleb's days have been filled with meetings, intern orientation, & planning the leadership retreat that's coming up. It's so neat to see him in his element and so excited! I was able to spend some time in how office with him today. I enjoyed decorating it for him!

I've spent a lot of time searching for jobs, filling out job applications, and dropping those off. The process of job hunting on the internet is actually fun for me when I find something that seems like it might be a good fit, but actually filling out applications and not getting any phone calls from the applications I've filled out is not. So, I'm trying really hard to trust the Lord in all of this. Psalm 3:5-6 keeps coming to mind, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight." I'm going to keep reading the truths of scripture when I'm discouraged, because turning to God and trusting in Him is what most glorifies Him! God has a plan in all of this, and he does not allow any situation into my life that has not passed through his loving, good hands. Isn't that what God wants from his people--for them to have faith in Him and His power and His goodness?

Thursday, I began reading The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. I believe I've read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was younger, but not the entire book. Oh my goodness! I LOVE IT! I'm so thankful that Mindy Williams (Women's Ministry Leader at our church in North Carolina) recommended that I read it. I'm on page 72 now...I can't wait to read the rest!

And yesterday, I had a chance to do a little baking. I had been thinking about making mini cheesecakes for some time now, but I didn't have all of the ingredients until this week. So, today I made homemade chocolate chip cookies (froze about 1/2 of the batter in wax paper logs (that's a first, too!) to use later)), and the mini cheesecakes. I asked Caleb what he thought of them, and his response that they needed more cheesecake, haha. So, next time, I'll have to put more filing in each muffin cup :).

And finally, I'm so glad that I have GPS on my phone. Valdosta is neat because there are city blocks. I've never lived anywhere set up like this, and it is fun. As long as I am going in the right direction, generally, I can find my way to where I am going. My GPS is not 100% accurate (I found out the hard way....trying to go to Wal-Mart and ended up at Hobby Lobby, which technically was not a bad thing), but that's okay. I still get lost A LOT, but I've always been able to find my way back home!

VSU Campus

2010-08-01T23:58:00.000-04:00

I thought you might enjoy some pictures of the campus! I'm still playing with the formatting for the blog. Mostly, I'm learning how much I don't know about formatting. Enjoy!

Neat clock!

Entrance sign across from main campus.

Walkway lined with palm trees leading to beautiful fountain.

Sidewalk along perimeter of campus. It's nice and flat to walk and jog down !

Floor of new Student Center

New Student Union. This place is awesome!

Engraving on one of the posts at the Student Union.

The letters "V,S,U" light up. Fun!

Our New Home

2010-08-01T10:53:00.014-04:00

Here's a picture of our new home! This is the front of the BCM house. All of the offices are downstairs and our apartment is upstairs. This house was built in the early 1900's. This is the view as you walk down the driveway around the right of the house. The spanish moss is really pretty when it blows in the gentle wind. Such a fun reminder that we're in the South! This building is attached to the main house via a covered awning. Students meet here throughout the week & local churches provide lunch for students once a week. Students can come hang out here between classes if they want to! This picture was taken our first night here! From this view, you are looking at the dining room (back side of our apartment). Here's Caleb's "home office." His work office is just downstairs, but a man's gotta have his own home office or man cave as he likes to call it. Can you see VSU campus just across the street? We are practically living on campus! And, here's out bathroom. Caleb took the sliding glass shower door off, and it really opened up the room. I'll have to post a picture of that later. We were so thankful that Tim and Alice (Caleb's parents) were able to come down to help us get set up! We rearranged a little, and it really helped give us more space in the bathroom. And here's my favorite room. The kitchen! I LOVE this kitchen! It was completely redone two years ago. I love how much counter space and storage we have in here. It makes it so fun to cook in. And, this is my second favorite room...the dining room! There are windows on three sides that let a lot of light in. I have lots of plants in here, although you can't see them in the picture. And, here's the view from our back deck. It really is beautiful down here. Lastly, I didn't include pictures of our bedroom/craft room or the living room since I am not finished arranging our things in there yet. Check back soon for that post!

Hello South Georgia!

2010-07-30T11:16:00.016-04:00

It has been WAY TOO LONG since my last post. In fact, my last post was 6 MONTHS AGO! Several of our North Carolina friends have persuaded me to update our blog since we have moved back to Georgia. South Georgia, that is. Valdosta, Georgia--nicknamed "TitleTown USA"! Valdosta is the 11th largest city in Georgia, with a population of over 48,000 people. Here's the link to the city's website if you would like to learn more about Valdosta or its history: http://www.valdostacity.com/Index.aspx?page=1. Fun fact since it's still close to Christmas in July--The composer of "Jingle Bells," James Lord Pierpoint, was from Valdosta :)! So, what are we doing in Valdosta, you might ask? Well, Caleb will be serving as the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) intern for Valdosta State University (VSU) this upcoming school year. Here's the link for the BCM webpage: http://blazerbcm.org/. Check back from time to time as it is being updated. Currently, I am a stay at home wife, and I have enjoyed having this time to unpack and settle in before the school year begins. I have applied for several jobs, and now I am in a season of waiting. I hope to hear something soon! We were greeted with such a warm welcome from the Ford family (Jeff is the senior campus minister here) and by Clarissa Morrison (she serves as campus minister at VSU, too) when we arrived. Here are a few pics: We were so grateful for the hospitality shown to us by the Fords and Clarissa. They went all out...made us a friendly WELCOME banner, and supplied is with official VSU gear, fresh Georgia peaches, fresh sweets from the South Georgia Pecan company,fresh flowers, and a nice meal! We were so thankful to be able to stay in the Fords guest room Sunday night (that was shortly after the locksmith came to reclaim our keys to the moving truck...yes, we locked them in the cab of the moving truck!). I will be posting pictures of our new home, soon!

Spice it Up

2010-01-30T11:40:00.003-05:00

I guess I can say one of my hobbies is cooking and baking. I really enjoy learning new techniques from friends, cooking magazines, internet sites, etc. My goal is to continue learning new recipes so that I can have an arsenal of recipes that I know we like. I view cooking as an experiment and just have fun with it:). It's so satisfying to me when I cook something that Caleb really likes.

I was at the grocery store recently, and I ran across some new spice combination packs by McCormick. The packs have a detachable recipe card on the back and include individually measured and sealed spices for the recipe. That way, you can leave out a spice if you want, and you don't have to buy the large bottles of individual spices to cook the recipe. Of course, if you like the recipe, it would probably be more cost effective to buy the large bottles, but this is a fun one-time way to try something without spending a ton of money on spices! This is a great option for new cooks.

Since Caleb really likes southwestern, spicy food, I purchased two spice packs-- Quesadilla Casserole and Spanish Chicken Skillet.

Here's what the packets look like from the front.

And now a rear view of the recipe card and along with the front view of the other spice pack.

Review: The recipes were easy to follow and didn't take too long to prepare. We really liked the Quesadilla Casserole (except for I didn't care for the flour tortillas...I'm considering using lasagna noodles next time to see how I like that), and the Spanish Chicken Skillet was pretty good, too (If I make it again I will leave out the peppers and onions for Caleb).

If you've tried any of the McCormick packs or have any tips, I'd love to hear from you!

Monster Jam 2010

2010-01-24T19:14:00.008-05:00

Last night, Caleb and I had a great time at "Monster Jam" with our friends Damone and Marleanda. We had dinner together in Raleigh and then headed to the RBC Center for even more fun!

Here are the trucks before the competition began.

"Grave Digger" brought the trophies home!

Damone and Marleanda:). Aren't they such a good looking, sweet couple!?!

Me and Caleb

I took several clips of video footage but I need to figure out how to upload it :(. Hopefully, I'll be able to post it soon!

It's Craft Time:)

2010-01-24T18:55:00.010-05:00

I've always enjoyed doing crafts (well as far back as I can remember), especially with my best friend Sara, growing up! Lately, my crafts have included Christmas presents and baby presents. Yep, most of our friends have been married for a while now, and they're expecting little ones!

Here are some pictures of several things I've worked on lately...

1. A purse for mom for Christmas:)

2. Ribbon clipboards for friends (front picture & back picture). These are small clipboards that will fit in a purse.

3. Travel Diaper Wipe Cases

I've been working on burp clothes, too, but I don't have pictures just yet!

It's Christmas Time!

2009-12-11T16:59:00.012-05:00

Christmas will soon be here, and I've really enjoyed decorating our home! Here's a brief tour of our Christmas decor as you come into our home.

I made a wreath for the front door from discarded Fraser Fir limbs from Home Depot & Lowe's. To make the wreath you will need:

--1 grapevine wreath

--wire cutters

--gloves

--Christmas tree pieces

--bows, picks, or other items to decorate your wreath

--newspaper

1. Gather your materials, and cut the Christmas tree limbs into smaller pieces so that you can place them in your wreath.

2. Begin placing the pieces in your wreath. Make sure they are all going in one direction.

3. Last, add any bows, pics, or other items to your wreath and display on your door!

Here's our staircase with garland, lights, and ribbon. This was my first year decorating with garland, and I really like it! It was difficult to put up, but it was worth it:).

Our cute little tree (for some reason it would not post upright :)). Our willow tree manger scene. Thanks mom for giving this Christmas gift to me a few years ago! I love it!

GA Tech Game

2009-12-11T16:23:00.011-05:00

Caleb and I had such a treat over Thanksgiving break! We headed down to GA on Wednesday after work. Caleb suggested we go to the Cracker Barrel for dinner. I was so excited because I love the Cracker Barrell (I guess now it's a tradition that we stop there on our way down to GA since we have done that on our way down the last few times:)). I convinced Caleb to play checkers with me and here's how things stacked up.

I was cream and he was brown...but I think he let me win because he wanted to get back on the road:).

Not only were we able to see our family while we were in GA and have a wonderful time visiting with them, but Tim got tickets for us to see the GA vs. GA Tech game! This was my first ever college football game, and I had a great time even though GA Tech lost :(. That was sad. I've included some pictures I took while we were there, below.

Caleb, Tim, and Josh resting before the game.

Caleb and me.

Here's the crowd waiting for the players to get off the bus and head into the stadium. Actually, I took this picture early on. Eventually, there were so many people packed close together that you could barely move!

Bubbles in the shape of GT!

The band.

Pre-game warm-up.

Thanks Tim, for taking us to the game!

NW Women's Day & Leaves in October

2009-10-31T11:54:00.011-04:00

This past Saturday our church, North Wake Baptist, had our annual Women's Day. It was such a wonderful time of fellowship and encouragement with friends~old and new! Our women's ministry team did a beautiful job of putting everything together--decorations, food, agenda for the day, etc, and the workshops were so fun and informative. Here's my friend Wendy (mom of three boys) teaching her workshop on "Creating Holiday Memories with Your Kids." She taught us how to make "rainbow toast," decorate a kids table for each season, and make sweet treats for different holidays. In this picture, Wendy, demonstrated how to use leftover pumpkins from the Fall to make a snowman for Winter!

Another practical workshop I went to was Brazilian cooking. Marina & Tammy taught this hands-on workshop by having us mix together ingredients to make rice and beans and then taking us into the kitchen to cook our food! We were able to sample an entire meal and then take home a pamphlet with the recipes. It was so yummy! Here's me cooking (with Marina's help!)

Throughout our time at NorthWake, Caleb and I have really enjoyed our time with our small group. It has grown a lot since we joined and there have been many small group births and new people to meet! Here I am with Jeni and Shawna, some of our newest small group members. I really enjoyed getting to know these two ladies even better.

Lastly, last Saturday was the peak of leaf season in Wake Forest (in my opinion). I snapped these shots before the rain came. Here's the view of our road...we live to the left and the seminary is on up ahead. The colors were gorgeous!

I couldn't resist capturing the beauty of these trees....gorgeous!

Baby Shower for Heather

2009-10-03T17:10:00.008-04:00

Last Saturday, I had the honor of hosting "Baby Cheat's" baby shower! We've known John and Heather Cheatham since our college days at NGCSU (before her last name was Cheatham and mine was Holland)....it's been so fun getting to know them even better in North Carolina, too!

Heather and John are waiting until the baby's birth to find out what gender they are having. So, I opted to decorate using Fall colors & yellow, of course. Here's Heather posing with the fun rubber duckies that tell you if the bath water is too hot.

Shower decor...

The food: homemade pumpkin bread, pecan tartlets, & oatmeal cookies with pecans & chocolate chips. And of course some healthier options (veggies/fruit/cheese:)).

Heather's shower favors included hershey's kisses and a little poem/bible verse for the baby.

Friends!

Kimberly & Heather

I had such a great time getting ready for her shower and planning all the details. It was so fun having new people in our home and meeting Heather's neighbors, friends from work, and church friends. Caleb helped me out quite a bit (thanks so much Babe!) to make sure that everything was ready, and I appreciate his help very much. I'm sure there will be many more baby showers to help with in the future since it seems that we're transitioning from all of our friends getting married to them having little ones. Fun times! Can't wait to meet "Baby Cheat" some time around November 4th!

Fall is in the Air!

2009-09-14T19:34:00.006-04:00

I just LOVE this time of year! The air is cooler, the leaves are changing colors, and the aroma of baked apples and pumpkin spice fills the air (or at least I want it to :)). I'm currently on my track-out break, and I have really enjoyed doing all sorts of things that aren't school-related...you know, the kinds of things that I want to do during the week while I'm teaching, but I'm so exhausted by the end of the day that it's usually difficult to muster up the strength (cleaning, organizing, reading, trying out new recipes, spending time with friends, going to some of Caleb's seminary classes, etc). Here are a few pictures of our Fall decorations.

This is a Fall wreath I placed on our front door. I made it some time in the last few years. I bought silk flowers at the dollar store (or possibly Michaels--on sale) and used Caleb's wire cutters to cut them apart. I bought the grapevine wreath (at Michaels, I think) and placed the flowers in between the vines.

This little display is to the left of our front door. Here, I glued a dowel rod to the back of the larger scarecrow (again from the dollar store) before placing him in this plantar (full of dirt & bulbs that will hopefully bloom again next summer!). I glued florist's wire to the back of his arms so that they would stay outright. I had several strands of Fall leaves that I wrapped around the top and bottom of the pot for decoration, but hopefully they will provide some coverage for the bulbs from cooler temperatures when they come. Eventually, I'll take the decorations off and cover the planter with hay or pine straw.

I added a little sign to this display that I made on the printer. It's actually double sided (with a picture of apples on the back that reflect against the bathroom mirror). I backed each picture with brown cardboard and glued a skewer in between the two pieces of cardboard so that it will stand up between the flowers (Thanks, Stephanie, for this cute idea from Hollie's baby shower!).

Mama and I found this candle display at the Craven pottery in Commerce, GA (since gone out of business) a few years ago. I placed some Fall garland around it (purchased last year on sale!) and added pumpkin tea light candles to the candle holders (dollar store).

I know it won't officially be Fall until next week, but I wouldn't mind if it were here already!

Abby's Wedding

2009-09-14T19:05:00.006-04:00

We went to Georgia over Labor Day Weekend for my cousins (Abby) wedding. Abby asked me to be a bridesmaid (how fun!) to which I readily agreed. I loved being able to see our extended family while we were down in addition to seeing our immediate family. Caleb and I were so blessed by our time with our families and by being able to spend time together. We even had time for some target practice and a chance to pick muscadines!

Abby and me on Friday night at the rehearsal dinner.

Abby and Troy getting pictures made before they said "I Do". Abby is so beautiful in this picture and Troy looks handsome, too. Congratulations!

Caleb and me at the reception at Franklin Springs City Hall.

Surf's Up?!?!

2009-09-14T12:11:00.005-04:00

During the hot month of July, I went to the beach with a group of girls from our small group. We had a WONDERFUL time relaxing, getting to know each other better, eating some great sea food, and just having fun! One night before our trip, I was talking to my sweet friend Doris about my desire to learn how to surf. It turns out that Doris has been surfing since she was little and wanted to teach me! She even arranged for us to have surfing lessons so we could learn the safety aspects of the sport and the proper way to surf! We weren't able to take lessons on our first beach trip back in July, so we decided we'd have to go back to the beach (how sad! :)) to take the lessons. So, one Saturday in early August we took surfing lessons at Carolina Beach (NC). We had so much fun learning together! Next summer, I would like to continue learning and maybe even get up on my board. A strong core is a MUST for surfing, so for now, I'll keep doing pilates exercises :)

I was a bit anxious about learning how to surf, but not scared like this picture depicts. But, I thought it would be fun to take a "before" and after picture, anyway. Below, Doris and I are posing in front of our surf boards after all of our hard work!

June and July 2009

2009-07-27T22:16:00.008-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted and a whole lot has happened in the past few months! I recently began my 4th year teaching...my how time flies...3 weeks under my belt already! I'm really enjoying this group of students, too. I hope it is a wonderful school year.

This post is somewhat random since I'm playing "catch up."

This first picture is of a gladiolus. I bought the bulbs at the dollar store, and I was pleased to see they grew so well. 3 of the 4 bulbs I planted, bloomed. They were beautiful.

We went down to GA for Caleb's maternal Grandmother's 80th birthday party, and we had homemade ice cream during the festivities. Here's Tim & Alice's cat, Lucky (AKA Satan cat) in one of our ice cream buckets. Isn't he so cute?!? Don't let him fool you, though, he will attack you in an instant!

This picture was taken July 3rd on the Seminary Campus as we waited to see the Town of Wake Forest fireworks display. We enjoyed the show and spending time with friends :).

I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer as fall is quickly approaching! Caleb started a summer class today, and I am still resting up from my day-trip to the beach this past Saturday. I enjoyed boogie boarding and catching some rays. My friend Doris and I are going back in a few weeks to take surfing lessons! I am so excited about this opportunity. I can't wait!

Friendship Bread Anyone?

2009-06-21T08:49:00.007-04:00

Delicious Friendship Bread

Caleb LOVES friendship bread, and our friend Ashley M. gave us a starter a week or so ago. I had never made this before, but had tried it this past Christmas (if not before) when a sweet friend, Anita, from Caleb's home church made us a loaf. The process is somewhat involved, taking 10 days from beginning to end, but not very time consuming. You "mush" the bag the starter is in every day and add additional ingredients on two of the days including day 10 when you bake! The recipe makes two loafs.

I have two starters left to give away if anyone is interested!

Brittany's Wedding in Nags Head

2009-06-20T20:23:00.008-04:00

Last weekend, my beautiful cousin Brittany, was married in Nags Head, NC. Mom and Dad picked me up on their way from GA, and we not only attended the wedding, but we were able to travel and see lighthouses and other sites, too! Caleb was a groomsman/vocalist in his friend Randell's wedding in Asheboro, so we had to spend the weekend apart. Unfortunately, Caleb's cell phone & camera died so he has no pictures of the big day. I have TONS of pictures of our trip, but I'll only post a few here :).

Brittany and LB planned to be married on the beach and had everything ready to go when a huge thunderstorm suddenly came up. It POURED and the wedding was relocated to the HUGE house that the wedding party had rented.

Exchanging of the vows and rings.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. LB Mooney!

I just love this picture of Grandma Irene and Brittany. It is so sweet & they both look gorgeous!

Cousins! Brittany grew up in Pennsylvania & I grew up in GA (our dads are brothers), so we weren't able to see each other as often as we would have liked to. But, when we did get together, we had tons of fun...it was that same feeling of seeing your best friend whom you hadn't seen in years and picking up where you left off. When she came to GA we'd do girly things like carry our "Caboodles" full of make up around and practice putting it on even when we were about to go on a fishing trip. We had to be gorgeous for all of the fish we were about to catch with the cane poles that Daddy made us! When we visited her family in PA, we always had fun going to Amish Country, Hershey Park, nearby caverns, the pretzel factory, and just spending time together!

Congratulations Brittany and LB! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day!

Wedding Anniversary

2009-06-08T08:05:00.008-04:00

This past Wednesday, Caleb and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. After watching our wedding DVD & reminiscing, I thought I'd share some pictures from our special day! Happy Anniversary, Babe. Thank you for making these past 3 years an adventure full of love, joy, and fun times. I love you!

Weekend Fun!

2009-05-30T21:26:00.002-04:00

Caleb and I have had a blast this weekend. Caleb's friend, Paul, does some handyman work for a man that has a 200-acre farm. It's a ways out in the country, and absolutely beautiful. Caleb and I went out there with him after work yesterday, and went fishing the pond. We took our new-to-us "Jon boat," fishing poles & tackle, and live bait (minnows, crickets, and night crawlers (my request, Daddy :)). We all caught some fish (mostly juvenile largemouth bass), and Paul caught a HUGE catfish. I also learned several things--how to put crickets and minnows on my hook; how to put a hook, sinker, and float on my line; that not keeping my thumb on the line properly causes severe backlash (for the fishing line) and a huge knot resulting in the line needed to be restrung :), and to duck when Caleb's casting and there are 3 people in the boat :). As evening approached, we saw turtles, ducks, geese (with two baby geese), and a lovely sunset. We had a very relaxing and fun-filled time!

Today, I took Caleb on a date to see a NASCAR film on the IMAX screen. It was a really neat documentary to see in 3D. Caleb is a huge NASCAR fan, and I'm still trying to learn about the sport. The film was very informative, and I have a better understanding of racing, now. It was fun to be in the drivers seat for some of those laps, too. After the film, we walked around in downtown Raleigh for a little while in the beautiful weather. There are many things to do down that way, so hopefully we will be able to explore a little more this summer.

Now, I'm trying to decide what to sew next. I have several ideas of things I would like to make, and with only 2 more teaching days in this school year, I'm actually going to have some major craft time on my hands. Yea! I can't wait!

Graduation from the Women's Certificate Program

2009-05-23T08:20:00.006-04:00

Today, I graduated from the Women's Certificate Program at SEBTS (recently renamed Biblical Women's Institute) with an Advanced Certificate in Women's Studies. I've been a part of this program since we've been here, and it has been a great opportunity for me to grow in my relationship with Christ and learn more about God's word. The program is designed for women serving in their local churches or for wives of ministers-to-be. The classes were only 6-7 weeks long (some more intense than others), so it was more manageable for me than working on a Master's degree. I am so thankful for this opportunity!

The graduation ceremony began at 10am in Binkley Chapel. It was very nice and Dr. Akin (Seminary's President) preached and presented the gospel. It was wonderful to be a part of this type of graduation ceremony...very different from my high school and college graduation ceremonies. I've posted some pictures from the day, above, but I still need to figure out how to rotate pictures :). The ladies in the second picture were a part of the certificate program, too, so we had some of our classes together.

Yesterday evening, Caleb took me to Ted's Montana Grill to celebrate. We both had delicious bison burgers and later, a milk shake. Thank you, Caleb, for celebrating this special day with me! I love you!

Strawberries

2009-05-19T18:55:00.004-04:00

Saturday, Caleb and I went to a local pick-your-own strawberry farm, "The Collard Patch," that our friend Amanda recommended. We had a great time picking strawberries. It rained a lot this past weekend, so we were glad that we could go in between the rain showers. Since the berries were so fresh, I just had to make a pound cake to go with them. Caleb requested one of his favorite dessert dishes that his mom (Alice) makes--poundcake topped with strawberries and strawberry sauce (the sauce has jello in it, so it's all jelled together when you pull it out of the fridge). It was delicious! I meant to take a picture of it, but we ate it all so fast.....I guess I'll have to make another one soon :) The Collard Patch sells other seasonal veggies, so hopefully we'll be able to go out later in the season for some fresh veggies!

The First (the second time...)

2009-05-15T19:14:00.002-04:00

Well, I did it. Yep. Today I decided to create a blog. I have not really had a desire to do this before. On the contrary, I just didn't think it was a good idea for me to begin a blog for various reasons. But today, I decided that I'm going to try blogging. Actually, Caleb started a blog for us a few years ago, but we only created one post! Our lives got very busy....FAST.

So why did I begin this blog (are we not busy now?)?

1. I thought it might be fun

2. It will be a good way for me to "scrapbook" our lives, if you will

3. I can share all kinds of random tips/findings with friends and family

4. It will be a new learning experience/adventure for us

And yes, our lives are very busy now at times, but I finally feel like I might be able to carve out some time for this :).

Thank you for coming by, and I look forward to posting again this weekend!