Vote for Bubbles!!

I have entered our dog in a contest! It is through Bissell (the vacuum people). If we win this round we will get a free steamer vacuum. (And we all know how much I LOVE to clean!) Then if we win the grand prize we will get to donate $10,000 to the charity of our choice and Bubbles will be featured on Bissell packaging around the world! :) So please click on the link below and enter your name and e-mail. Then pass this link onto everyone you know!

http://www.bissell.com/MVP09/Week05/Vote5.aspx?ImageName=Bubbles&FileName=4728.jpg

Thank you so much!!!

It's been a while....

I took a blogging break for a few months, but I'm back! :) The holidays are always so hectic that I just couldn't keep up with the blog and then once I got out of the habit, I forgot about it. But since I so love reading everyone else's blogs, I figured I should return the favor. :)

So, what have I been up to for the last 4 months or so....not too much! We spent the holidays in Florida with family and loved every minute of it! We were able to spend Christmas with all of my family, which we hadn't done in a LONG time! It was so great to have everyone together. Hopefully we will be able to do that more often in the future. I so wish we all lived closer to each other. My sister lives in Ohio, my brother lives in PA (soon to be L.A!) and our parents live in FL....so we are all over the place! We stay in touch, but it's hard being so far apart. :( Maybe one day they will all get smart and move to ATL! (hint, hint)

I also turned 26 in November. That was a hard birthday for me, for some reason. I really struggled with the idea that I was past my mid 20s and had moved into my late 20s. I certainly don't feel 26! And I had a whole different picture of what 26 would look like for me. I envisioned having at least 1 baby by then, but obviously the Lord has different plans.

We also went to Vegas in November! We always love going there and had a blast! But the highlight of November was definitely our Trash the Dress Photo Shoot. After 4 years of being married we finally were able to get some great shots together. I put my wedding dress back on (which still fit just like the day I got married!) and got my hair done and spent the day taking pictures. Our friends James and Lindsay are amazing photographers! I highly recommend them if you have any need for pictures (wedding, engagement, new baby, trash the dress, anything!) Check our their website: http://www.annodominiprod.com/

February has brought with it some VERY cold days and will hopefully bring some snow! We had a few very light flurries in January, but nothing that ever stuck to the ground, so I'm holding out hope that snow will come this month! I mean, if it's going to be this cold it needs to snow! Otherwise it's just miserable. February also was the start of our infertility testing...yippy! (well, technically I guess it started in late January, but who's counting) Brian did his testing and now we are waiting on the results. It was a lot tougher than I had expected it to be. I was very emotional on the day of the testing and really didn't think it was going to be that tough. I'm just thankful that it's over! Once we get the results of Brian's test, we will take the next step which will be my testing. My tests are a lot more complicated, so it will take at least a month to get them all done. This is definitely not the way I envisioned us becoming parents. No one ever thinks that they will have to go through all this. Aren't there so many women that become pregnant by accident or after just one try? Why could I not be one of those? We don't know the answer to that question, but we do know that the Lord is in complete control. The Lord's plans are so much greater than ours and I am so thankful that my Savior has a greater plan for my life. Despite the emotional ride this journey has been, there is a peace that the Lord has given me to make it through. Every time that I get discouraged or lose hope, He is right there to pick me back up. He is constantly reminding me that He is in control. I am so thankful that I don't have to do this alone. It is out of my hands and there is nothing I can do (or not do) to change His plan! So, we wait. We wait on the Lord's timing and trust that He will give us the desires of our hearts.

It's downright cold!

What happened to Fall? It's so cold here! We had a few weeks of beautiful weather, but now it's freezing...literally! Last night we had a fire in the fireplace, which I would say is one of the few good things about really cold weather. Sweaters and warm soups being the others. :-) I keep hoping that the weather will turn back to Fall, but then I realize that it's almost Novemeber, so we probably won't be having many more "warm" days. I just wish Fall lasted longer!

This past weekend we spent Saturday night at a Halloween Party. It was a blast! Brian dressed up as the Joker from the latest Batman (The Dark Knight). His costume was amazing! I spent so much time helping him plan his costume, that I didn't even think about mine until the night before. Out of desperation I chose a witch costume. Everyone went all out on their costumes...it was hilarious! We had Britney and K-Fed, McCain and Cindy, and a Farmer's Daughter and her hillbilly husband. So funny!

This upcoming weekend we are doing our Trash the Dress photo shoot! I'm so excited about it. Our friends, James and Lindsay are doing the shoot for us. Mainly it's just an excuse to get back into my wedding dress and take some real pictures with Brian. Since we didn't get any shots of us from our wedding 4 years ago, it's time to get them now! (That's a long story, so if you don't know, just ask!) Hopefully we will get some good ones that we can frame. I'm not sure where we are going to take them, but I'm thinking Piedmont Park (those from ATL know what I'm talking about) might be a good choice. I don't think I will be bold enough to jump into any water, but laying in the grass or on "dirty" things will definitely be okay with me. I'm not going to purposefully try to ruin my dress, but I'm certainly not going to worry about messing it up. I hope it's not too freezing though. That would be pretty funny though, considering that when I took my Bridal Portraits I was SO HOT because it was August in FL....it would only make sense that for this shoot we would be FREEZING! haha I can't wait to have the pictures to post on here. :)

Recipe: Taco Salad Bowls

Main Course: Taco Salad Bowls
Total time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
4 eight inch 100% whole wheat tortillas (you can use flour, but 100% whole wheat are better for you!)

1 tbsp. chili powder, divided
3/4 pound extra lean ground beef
1 cup matchstick carrots
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. salsa, divided
2 tbsp. light mayo (optional)

4 cups torn salad greens

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Mexican style cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (whichever you prefer)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Crumple 4 large sheets of aluminum foil to make 4 3-inch balls; place on baking sheet.
3. Place 1 tortilla on top of each ball; spray tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp. chili powder. Bake for 6 minutes or until tortillas are golden brown. (tortillas will drape over balls as they bake)
4. While the tortillas bake, brown meat with carrots and 2 tsp. chili powder in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup salsa; cook 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
5. Now you have the choice to make at topping out of 2 tbsp. mayo mixing with salsa or just using whatever normal taco toppings you like. (We use lettuce, tomato, cheese, chopped parsley, and salsa)

Nutrition information per serving: 370 calories, 14g fat (this can go down depending on the topping you choose)

Back to reality...

We are home from Hawaii and back to reality. It was such an amazing trip! The pictures can't capture the beauty of this island. If you have never been you have to put it on your must-see list! We have been to other tropical locations, but nothing compares to the beauty found here. We spent an entire week on the Big Island of Hawaii. Most people chose to go to one of the other islands (Oahu is very popular) but I would recommend the Big Island! It is less crowded and offers everything the other islands have and so much more! We rented a car (a must) and drove around the entire island over the course of several days. The highlight of our trip was the two nights we spent in the little town of Volcano. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast called Kilauea Lodge. It was amazing! I was a bit worried before we left about staying in a B&B, and boy was I proven wrong! We liked the B&B more than the 5 star hotels we stayed in the rest of the week. Do not go to the Big Island without stopping for a night or two in Volcano! This is where the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located, so it's worth the stop. There are so many things I could say about our trip, but it's even better to see the trip through pictures, and boy do we have a TON!! I posted a few on my facebook account, but there are over 500 on my snapfish account. Let me know if you want to see them and I will send you an e-mail with the link to all the pictures. Since there are so many, you will want to have a few extra minutes to look at them all. There are so many pictures that you will feel like you went on our trip with us! :-) You can use the pics to take a "vacation" from your everyday life. Enjoy!! Here are just a few pictures to give you a sampling....

This was on the trail to Akaka Falls

Akaka Falls...SO huge!

This was our favorite stop on the island (beside Volcano)...Lapahoehoe Point...Amazing!!!

I'm a nanny AND we are going to Hawaii!!

It's been a while since I posted! I don't know why, but I just haven't been motivated to write...not that I haven't had anything to say, because I do! A lot has happened since my last post. I am now a nanny! I don't know why, but one night when I was up late (like tonight!) I randomly decided to grab the computer and start looking for jobs online. I searched on various websites and then started looking at nanny jobs available in my area. I found several postings on craigslist and then posted my resume on a few nanny sites. By the next day I had 3 offers and after a few more days I have even more. It all happened so fast! I set up interviews with 3 different families on various days. The first one I met with ended up being a perfect match and I ended up cancelling the other interviews. I just knew this was it! I am working for a family that lives about 3 miles away from us. They have 2 girls (5 and 8 years old). I work for them part time, M-Th 2:30-6pm. I help them with homework and then take them to their after school activities. So far it has been great! It's hard to believe that I am working again, but I think that it's going to prove to exactly what I needed right now.

We are leaving for HAWAII this Saturday (Aug. 23)!!! I can't wait! It's crazy to think that one week from now I will be in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park looking at an active volcano! Crazy! We are spending a full week on the Big Island...renting a car and driving around the entire island. We are spending most of our time on the Kona Coast but will have two nights in the little town of Volcano at a B & B. I'm a little nervous about staying at a B & B...we all know what a clean freak I am! Also, my husband has completely spoiled me with five star hotels! I am such a snob when it comes to hotels! hahaha But there were no other choices in Volcano...no hotels any where! Thankfully the rest of the week we are staying in the most amazing hotels on the island, which will definitely be more my style. :-) I just can't wait to spend an entire week alone with Brian! We have been blessed to be able to travel a fair amount throughout our marriage and our trips always prove to be such a refreshing time for us. We just love being able to get away and enjoy each other and new places! Traveling truly is such a passion for both of us....if only we didn't have to fly!!! I absolutely HATE flying! So PLEASE pray for our flights! It's really just the take off that makes me cringe...once we are up in the air I am usually okay, as long as it's not a bumpy flight. Oh man, I am already starting to get that nervous feeling in my stomach! haha

One last note....you might notice that my post hasn't said anything about us trying to get pregnant....that's because I'm not worried about it anymore! This is the first month in over a year that I haven't thought about it. I can honestly say that I have released it to the Lord and I have finally realized that He is in control! I have said it all along, but I didn't really understand what that meant until this month. There is NOTHING I can do to make this happen...the Lord will open and close the doors that He sees fit. So, it's not that we have given up...because we haven't...we have just given in to the realization that we are not in control! We trust that the Lord will provide (The Lord pressed that into my heart several months ago during prayer....that's another story though...) and know that He works all things for His glory and our good. So, please continue to pray for us...pray that this spirit of trust and reliance on the Lord would continue and pray that the Lord would bless us with a child!

Alright, it's now 2am....I think I really need to go to bed now! I will definitely write a post when we return from Hawaii...I'll make sure to include some pics too!!

I can't stop thinking about it...

I feel like all I ever write about on here is our pursuit of becoming parents. It's been a hard road and continues to be an emotional roller coaster. I could sit here and talk all about how frustrating this past year has been and how much I just want to see that + on a pregnancy test. But I have already said all those things. Now it's time to write about what a blessing this past year has been and how I really do love this baby-free time that we have.

The Lord has used this past year to grow me in so many ways. A year ago my relationship with Him was inconsistent. I wasn't spending much time in the word and my desire was lacking. Now, one year later, everything is completely opposite. I have learned to completely rely on the Lord. I have realized that there is nothing we can do to make this happen sooner. It is not in our control. My desire to spend time in the word has grown tremendously! I can honestly say that I have been consistently in the word for an entire year (not saying I read everyday, but the desire was always there!) That is huge for me!

The Lord has also blessed us with another year to strengthen our marriage. I wouldn't change these past 4 years for anything. I have loved having Brian all to myself. Having a baby would have prohibited our growth as a couple and would have limited what we could do. We have traveled to some amazing places (St. Lucia, Paris, London, Vegas, lots of NYC trips...) and are going to several more places in the next few months (Hawaii, Vegas again!...). If we had a baby, these trips would be nearly impossible. I am so glad that we have had these 4 years to develop a solid foundation in our relationship because once a baby arrives, there won't be nearly as much time to devote to our marriage.

So, would I be devastated if we had to wait another year to have a baby? Yes and no. I want to be a mother with all my heart and look forward to that day with great anticipation. There is nothing I want more! But spending another year growing in my relationship with the Lord and Brian would also not be the end of the world.

Thank you Lord for all your blessings!