Let the Madness Begin

I think I realized last night that this wedding is really NEXT weekend. Maybe it was long to-do list, the packing for 10 days in Tennessee or maybe just the excitement that we are so close to being married. No matter what it was it is now here.

I leave for Atlanta today after work. Due to the rock slide on interstate 40 I am detouring through the big city to spend the night with my buddy, Melanie. Tomorrow morning I will get up and drive to Jon's parents house in Chattanooga. Sunday afternoon I will party with our niece at her 2-year-old birthday bash before heading to West TN.

Monday kicks off last minute planning, mucho lunch dates with old friends, spa treatments, Jon flying into town, family arriving, Thanksgiving festivities and the wedding weekend.

I have not spent a week at my parent's house since I graduated college.

Here's to being a home and loving ever minute of it.

I am one lucky girl.

My Dream

I guess you know you are getting old when you dream of owning one of these. Maybe not old just domestic. :)

I remember growing up watching my Granny make cake after cake in hers.

Pioneer Women was giving 3 away yesterday.

But after 35,000 people entered a comment to win I decided to not get my hopes up.

building a strong marriage

When Jon and I got engaged I knew how important marriage counseling would be for us. We are not your average couple by any means. Honestly, on paper I guess you could say we have the odds stacked against us with our jobs and travel schedule. But are guaranteed to make it work.


I immediately went to MRO ( motor racing outreach) for advice on who we should seek our pre-marital counseling from. I wanted someone who understood what we did and who could equip us with the right knowledge. Jon's childhood pastor is marrying us, but he encouraged us to be counseled by someone we could meet with face to face as well.

I was a little shocked when MRO suggested someone outside of their organization to us, but I am so glad they did.

For the last several weeks we have been meeting with Mr. Charles from www.prepare-enrich.com and have enjoyed every minute of it.

Jon and I both had to take a 200 plus questionnaire on our backgrounds, beliefs and current relationship. From the questionnaire they formulated the places we agreed and disagreed on.

Luckily, we did not find any skeletons in our closet and scored very high on the over all test.

We learned our jobs are our number one stresser, but I don't think that shocked either one of us.

The entire program is very intense and not your normal marriage counseling, but I am a firm believer that we are building a foundation that will last a life time.

If you have a minute check out the website above and learn how you can participate in the program as well.

Thankful Heart

I am sitting in my living room surrounded by candles and listening to my favorite Christmas carols. Life is Good. Hard to believe that two weeks from today I will marry my best friend.
I often pinch myself to make sure that I am not dreaming. Best part .. is that I am not. This is really is my life.

When we picked our wedding date I didn't think much about "the season" it would be during.
It was more of a decision based around when our traveling schedules would allow.

But now as the holiday season is in full swing I could not have picked a more perfect weekend.

We have SO much to be thankful for and I cannot think of a better "season" for us to commit the rest of our lives to each other.

"rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness " Colossians 2:7 (New International Version)

Oh how thankful I am :)

Don't Know About You

But I needed this today.

A Casserole for Katie

Kate over at McDonnell Place is hosting a recipe exchange via blog world. This momma of four is in need of some new easy recipes for her family. Though my recipes are not "kid approved" they are for the most part quick, easy & good.

Mexican Casserole
1.5 pounds of ground beef (brown & drain)
1 can of rotel
1 can of ranch style beans
1 pkg of Spanish rice (follow directions on package)
1 block of Velveeta Cheese (16oz)

Combine the first four ingredients into a casserole dish (9x9).
Layer the top with slices of velveeta cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes (or until cheese is melted)
Serve with green salad and crescent rolls

BBQ Beef (courtesy of Stephanie) This is SO easy and SO good.
3 pound chuck roast
1 1/2 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
2 T of dijon mustard
2 T of Worcester sauce
1 tsp of liquid smoke
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper
1/4 tsp of garlic powder

Cook in crock pot on high for 6 hrs or on low for 8-10 hrs.
Shred it & leave it uncovered for the last hour.
Serve with buns, chips,beans, potato salad & cole slaw.


Spaghetti Casserole
1 package of spaghetti noodles
1 jar of spaghetti sauce of your choice
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 pound of ground beef
1 block of Velveeta cheese

Prepare your spaghetti sauce and ground beef as you normally would. Cook noodles.
Spray a 9x13 dish. Layer the dish with the following:
noodles,meat sauce,cream of mushroom soup, sliced Velveeta cheese.
repeat.
cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.
remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes.
Serve with salad.

Cream Cheese Sausage Casserole
6 cans of crescent rolls
2 pounds of sausage
2 packages of cream cheese

brown sausage & drain. while it is cooking layer the bottom of a 9x13 dish with one can of crescent rolls. after you drain the grease from the sausage add cream cheese and melt together.put meat mixture on top of the crescent rolls and cover the dish with the remaining can of crescent rolls. bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until brown.
** I fix this for breakfast and dinner **


Race Track Taco Salad
1 head of lettuce, broken (don't chop)
2 pounds of ground beef or ground turkey (cooked & drained)
1 pound of shredded cheddar cheese
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 can black olives, drained and chopped
1 small bottle of sweet french dressing
1/4 cup of Italian salad dressing
1-2 cups Doritos, crumbled

mix all of the ingredients, except for the Doritos, together in a salad bowl. top with crumbled Doritos.

** use as much dressing as you like, but I never use an entire bottle of french dressing **

Wedding Shower No. 2

This past Tuesday I had my second wedding shower. It was so much fun. It really didn't feel like a wedding shower .. more like A Girls Night Out. Lori and a dear friend from the truck series hosted all my racing co-workers for a night of good food and fellowship. Jon and I received so many fun gifts. We are so humbled to have such great friends.

Somehow the picture below of Jon meeting Brody for the first time was the only photo I took the entire night -haha.

I will post some more pics when I get them from Lori.

( a joke behind this picture is Jon does NOT hold babies .. so this was really big for him)