Thanksgiving Memories

Yay--Thanksgiving, one of my favorite times of the year! God was good and even though it didn't look like we were going to get the chance, we got to go see my family up near Chicago. Because they're so far away we only get to see them a couple times year, so it really meant a lot. The time home was just amazing. It was nice and relaxing, but beyond that it was great to spend time with everyone. We played games, checked out the Apple Orchard, went to Lake Geneva, went to the lighting of the square in Woodstock (the pic above was taken then--it was SO COLD--like, 17-degrees cold or something crazy), watched Elf, ate the BEST Thanksgiving meal ever...It was awesome. Nothing can take the place of family and the time spent with them. Thankfully we'll actually get to see them again in just a couple weeks when my lil' sis graduates from college (boy is that a crazy thing to think about!). That definitely made leaving easier this time. The in-laws will be back just before that too and it will be excellent to see them again as well. It'll be a week of "family reunions" and I can't wait! Now if I could just find a job...

New Master Bedroom!

Ok, so anybody who knows me [Lindsey] knows that I am horribly indecisive. Even when I can finally make a decision, it's often followed by second thoughts and changing my mind. This has certainly proved true in the setting up of our first house. From the time I was young I always had my decoration scheme in mind, at least for my kitchen area, but I've found myself at a loss for what to do with other rooms. Well, honestly, my original thoughts didn't turn out to be what I really wanted either. The latest room to receive a SECOND makeover? The master bedroom. When we moved in it was a poopy-brown color, which we darkened to chocolate and mixed with sage green and khaki. It was pretty, and we liked it, but the more we dealt with it the more it started to feel TOO dark, and the more I started to become worried by the fact that my house looked like a schizophrenic had decorated it--every room a totally different and not-subtle color. Trey and I have both LOVED the color of the guest bedroom since we did it though, so for aesthetic reasons and continuity, we decided to go with that. We found a duvet and sheets on www.overstock.com, and after our date-night Friday found a beautiful duvet on sale at BedBath&Beyond. So we spent all day yesterday working on painting, arranging, and setting up our new room and we couldn't be happier with the result. Check it out:

There is not a thing in this room that we don't love. The color is gorgeous and is beautiful with the woods in the room. The duvet cover is soft and chic, we found curtains that are a shade darker than the cover and have a different texture...It's all like being in some sort of spa retreat. It's beautiful and relaxing and feels luxurious (the new duvet is down-filled and the cover is awesome--it's like being in a nice hotel). SOOOOO STINKIN' HAPPY!!!!

Being indecisive can be a huge pain and lead to way more work, but in this case we still reached the perfect end result. Yay!!!

Life Update

Oh-my-goodness. It has been FOREVER since I last posted on here! Rest assured that Trey, Jacquimo, the chickens, and I are all alive and doing well. We've been having some really, really crazy times though. Although I had every intention of doing so before I sat down, I currently don't feel like getting into details of stuff, so let's summarize: Decided to try teaching for multiple reasons. Got a job teaching high school Chemistry here in New Orleans. Gave notice at LSU job and took said teaching job. Started teaching job and it was not good. And then stayed not good. And then it got worse, and then worse again. After the 3 weeks, determined that I had no other option but to recognize that I was in WAY over my head and didn't have the things necessary to keep me afloat, so quit the teaching job. That was last Friday. Now I'm unemployed. Searching for jobs like crazy but LOVING being a stay-at-home wife. Finally getting the chance to clean the house and put the guest bedroom back in order, catch up on laundry & grocery shopping, and getting to take care of my husband the way he deserves. I definitely wish that there was a way to make this more permanent, especially if we ever have kids, but for now I'm just thankful to have these days and praying for God to lead the way to whatever is next. Trey has a good job which he really likes (thank you Jesus!), now we just need to figure me out too.

Hope you're all doing well, we'll try to get back on track with posting. Should be easy with the holidays coming up!

Labor Day Weekend

Well, Labor Day was this last weekend & we were lucky enough to be invited up to Barry & Peggy's (Trey's sister & husband) lake cabin in MS. I was looking forward to spending time with the family but I couldn't have imagined how great it would be. We got there Saturday afternoon & it was BEAUTIFUL: great place right on the water & perfect weather. We all sat out on the deck pretty much all day which was great. It was good food (hamburgers) & wonderful company. I'm so blessed to have such a great "in-laws" family! I think that Trey & I just enjoyed the chance to spend some relaxing time with the family in such amazing surroundings (it was mother-in-law, father-in-law, 2 of the sisters-in-law, 2 brothers-in-law, and 3 nephews). We got to go out in the boat and watching the boys water-ski & tube was HILARIOUS. They had SO much fun & it was just as much fun to watch all of them. If we ever get to go back I'll definitely have to take a swimsuit. Whitney (my sis) happened to be in the area for a weekend forecast thing so she got to come too. We all gathered around the TV Saturday night to watch her, and no surprise she did well. We slept in a little on Sunday & then moved ourselves back to the deck (I know, rough weekend right?). After another morning in the boat we came back to scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes--enjoyed on the porch. After the brunch we headed back. It was nice to be home but we also enjoyed the weekend so, so much. Barry & Peggy are definitely blessed, but they are quick to share their blessings with others & we are so thankful. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect Labor Day weekend!

Weekend Drama

It's 3:19p on a Monday & I'm sitting on the couch, in my PJs, wrapped in a blanket. Wait, what? Aren't I normally at work on a Monday? Yes, you're right. Oh, what happened? Well....

Started Saturday night with a totally weird, very intense pain in the lower abdomen. Thought for awhile I was going to be sick but finally just took some Tylenol & went to bed. Started feeling better but felt...tender. Got up & reassessed Sunday morning. Still sore but otherwise okay. Went through the day feeling tender & having to sit down & stand up carefully. Started to think maybe I'd call my doc on Monday. Went to a friends house for a great dinner, we all sat around talking. Excused myself for the restroom and....wait, holy cow that hurts. I'm gonna be sick. Deep breaths. What's wrong? Trey, we have to go home NOW.

So we get in the car & head home, but it's worse. It crazy hurts & any bump makes me lose my breath from the pain (and this is New Orleans, so it's ALL bumps). End up in ER (thanks Trey). After hours of tests, 3 different rooms, 1 physician assistant, & 3 doctors: blood in the abdomen due to a ruptured ovarian cyst. Yup, a cyst that burst (ow) and then bled into the abdominal cavity (also ow---not exactly supposed to be anything extra in there). They monitored blood levels for a few hours to determine if it was done bleeding, & thankfully it was, so I was sent home with pain meds & an Rx of "rest & time". Not much they can do but let the body handle it now, so I'm spending today & tomorrow staying as immobile as possible & taking my meds. It'll take a week or two for the body to reabsorb/dispose of the misplaced fluid, but the worst should be over in a few days.

I am so thankful that I wasn't being a crazy wimp (I always have this irrational fear), & that everything is okay. Trey was--and continues to be--so great. He never left my side (except for when he was kicked out) & he's been helping me all day. Annie, my sister-in-law, also showed up. She helped keep us entertained & did food runs (for her and Trey; I wasn't allowed to--and didn't much want to--eat) & was just all around wonderful. She pulled an all nighter & then still went to work today. She amazes me...

But yes, I'm home now & doing much better. Trying to catch up with everything I can that I don't have to move much for--phone calls, emails, etc. Please keep me in your prayers for a quick recovery. Oh, and yay for nice doctors, nice meds, & my wonderful family!

Appreciating the Simple Things

Life is crazy. Not just "crazy", but C-R-A-Z-Y. We're always scrambling around at work & the house & yearning for yesterday & tomorrow. There's bills & cleaning & all the responsibilities & obligations of being an adult. Not knowing where to go or what to do or anything else. CRAZY. Thankfully there are a few times when you get the chance to enjoy something simple & wonderful, and tonight it was food. I looked up a recipe for eggless pancakes & then used some of the blueberries we picked earlier this year to make a spiced blueberry compote, which I poured over the pancakes. Finally I made FRESH eggs from the girls (over-easy) & enjoyed them on the side. It was simple, wholesome food--not packaged or preserved or overdone, just wonderful, clean flavors. If only life could be so wonderful & clean... :o) Here's to more simple, pure experiences.

Summer Vacation 2010

I can't believe we've been back from our vacation for a week. It's crazy how quickly this entire year is flying by! Thank you Lord that we had the opportunity to escape from "life" for a week & catch up with family and friends. It was quite an adventure & SO much fun. We started out by driving to the north side of Atlanta. Trey found us a S-W-E-E-T deal at a Marriot using Priceline (oh my word, love-love-love that site) so we went to eat at Fuddrucker's & then settled in for the night. The next day took us to Greenville to see some of my Aunts & Uncles. It'd been years since I saw some of them and one set had never even met Trey. Their hospitality was amazing & it was so much fun to see everyone and visit again. After Greenville was Charlotte, NC to visit some friends of Trey's. I had never met them so I was kind of nervous about staying with them, but the worry was all for nothing. They were incredibly nice & Libby & I totally hit it off. Fun! After staying the night with them we headed to Murrells Inlet where Trey's grandmother lives. It's just outside of Myrtle Beach & it's where we spent the rest of the week. The in-laws (father, mother & sister) were all there & while some may worry about a "family vacation" we had a wonderful time. On the way home we stopped in Atlanta again, although this time we stayed with another set of friends. What a blessing to get to see so many loved ones in such a short time!

For those of you who don't know, this is where we got engaged 3.5years ago, so it was fun to visit again :-)




Although the week flew by it was wonderful & the only real bad part about it was the end. It was very nice to get back home, but I could have done without the returning to work & all *lol*. We are certainly living a blessed life down here in New Orleans but if there's one thing I could ask for, it would be that we were closer to more family. It's great to have Trey's family here, but I miss my family too & I know everyone would like to see Grandmommy more. Still, we will cherish the times we DO get & look back fondly on our Summer Vacation 2010.

Still Around

Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. Apparently we live a noneventful life. That's not quite true though as plenty has gone on this last month. In the bad news department, we have said goodbye to both of Trey's paternal grandparents. Two funerals in one month is never fun, but it's especially hard when they're for people who are so close to you. I did not know them very well but they've left a great legacy in their families. We know that they are in a better place, but we pray for continued comfort for all of the family & friends. In the better news, we got to go to Starkville, MS and spend a weekend with my family earlier this month. It was my little sister's birthday (she turned 22--how is that even possible?!) so my parents came down from Chicago and we came up from New Orleans. It was great to see everyone again. Words can't even describe how hard it is to live so far from everyone and see them so infrequently. After a certain amount of time, it makes them like "family strangers", you know, people you're related to but getting together is still slightly awkward. It was wonderful though & I can't wait to see them again--hopefully soon! Other than that stuff, not too much going on. Trey's having a busy summer and is currently taking a class which he'll finish next week. I'm simply working, working, working. Things may seem sort of mundane, but I really am thankful for that. I'm thankful that I have a job to go to every day, a house that needs cleaning, a husband & sweet little kitty to look after. That's what you call BLESSED. Plus, we're going on a moonlight canoe trip tonight & we finally found a new color for our living room walls. Of course, there are some stressful things too. We have a number of decisions to make that will require wisdom, guidance, & God's providence. Please pray for these decisions as Trey & I continue to seek direction for our future.

Ok, that's the update. No pics or anything but just wanted to let ya'll know we're still around. Will post tomorrow/soon about tonight's canoe trip--I can't wait!!!

Y-U-M-M-Y

Our foray into vegan-ism (and now vegetarianism) has brought a number of good things into our lives (not just the loss of pounds). One of my favorite discoveries is a vegan banana bread recipe I found on a blog called "The Baking Bird" (http://thebakingbird.blogspot.com). THIS STUFF ROCKS! I don't mean that "it's good for something that's vegan", I mean that it's just plain good. As wonderful as Mom's banana bread always was, I would chose this one hands-down every time. I have to admit that I cheat--my version is only mostly vegan because I add chocolate chips. *Gasp* You could always use actual vegan chocolate chips though, or stick to nuts & raisins & such. Whatever way you chose to do it, trust me--you want to make this!

Lower-Fat Banana Bread from Veganomicon

Makes one loaf

2 large or 3 small VERY ripe bananas

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sucanat sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt
Any mix-ins you want: raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, etc (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and mix (spoon or whisk).

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Sift into the wet mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. If you're using chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in here.

Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes (I know that's a large span but it really depends on the oven; mine takes ~55min). The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean. Flip out of pan onto a cooling rack & allow to cool completely before cutting.

Green Thumb

Trey has talked me into A LOT of things since we've been married. One of the first things he talked me into after we moved in to our new house is a square-foot garden. Well, first we tried a regular garden, but the upkeep was so crazy on it (all the weeds grew like...well, like weeds) and we had such a problem with water not draining that most of the stuff ended up rotting. Hence, the search for an alternate method and the start of our own square-foot garden. For those of you not familiar with it, a square-foot garden is meant to maximize harvest with minimum space & complication. You create a raised-bed by making a rectangular box & filling it with top soil/compost, etc (we stick weedblock material on the bottom of ours). For instance, you could do a 4x4ft garden, or an 7x3ft garden, etc. You then create 1x1ft boxes using twine, and in each box you plant your vegetation of choice. Some things you plant one of per box, others you can plant multiples (it just depends on the eventual size of the plant, e.g. tomato plant vs onions).

By setting it up this way you can plant many different things in a concentrated space, you ensure good quality soil, you cut down on weeds and make it VERY easy to reach & pull any weeds that DO show up, it cuts down on how much water you need (because the healthy soil holds the water better and because everything is in a smaller space), and you can ensure that you're eating fresh, pesticide free produce. For instance, we're already enjoying lettuce--we just go out and pick it, wash it, and eat it!

What else is in our garden? Well, let's see what I can remember: Cucumber, squash, peppers, beans, tomatoes, beets, basil, mint, eggplant, okra....yeah, that's all I got. See pics below (be sure to check out the HUMONGOUS pepper)!!!





Oh, and I certainly can't forget about our coming blackberries!!!

Move In Day

The coop & run are officially finished! The girls are 1-month old now & have changed SOOOO much since they first arrived as little fluff balls.

They used to fit so easily in their little plastic bin & now they just seem HUGE. They've been in the coop for a little while now so that they can get used to it & learn to see it as "home", but now they finally get the run of the place. Trey & I worked on it yesterday and finished the door for us to get in & out of the run, & I constructed & mounted the ladder for them to get from the coop out into the run. THEY ARE SO CUTE GOING UP & DOWN IT!!! It's like a theme park for them or something---they gingerly work their way part way down it, then jump off & scurry around the pen, then run back & climb it. Who knew chickens were so interesting? Anyway, here they are--enjoy baby chicks!

We Have Lift Off...

Well, here we are. It's the first post on our first blog. These last [almost] three years have been full of firsts: marriage, cat, house, garden, chickens...It's still undecided whether we should be excited or scared about what the coming years will bring. *Laugh* God has blessed us with friends and family all over the world and since we can't be everywhere at once, we at least hope to have a central place where we can record what's going on in our lives. Most of all, we hope to share these experiences with YOU!