This weekend was so looooveely. My hard-working man was able to take Saturday night off and so we headed out to the drive-in with the boys!

It was perfect weather with not a cloud in the sky and the drive-in was packed with families eager to see Shrek Forever After and Iron Man 2! We loaded up the truck with blankets, pillows, lawn chairs and labradors and were off for a relaxing evening to stuff our faces with hamburgers & corndogs :-)

Jeep & Seven do awesome at the drive-in, and never bother a soul. One family came by when we first pulled up to see the boys and thought they might be noisy through the movies. But after both films were over, the mom came by and said she didn't hear one peep from either of them and was so impressed! We couldn't be more proud parents! Discipline pays off people.

Here's Seven a little too eager to get ready for the movies. He didn't want to wait to get out of the truck through the door, so he just pulled his 70 pound self through the back window. And of course, our even bigger labrador Jeep had to follow suit. After the movies were over, he entered the truck the exact same way he crawled out. Goober.

And THAT my friends below, is a real life thumbnail. MY thumbnail to be precise. I all of a sudden overcame my nail biting habit that I've had my entire life and have grown my own long & healthy nails! Weird, I know! But seriously, if you know me, you know this is HUGE :-)

I attribute the healthy strong nails to the new vitamin/herbal supplement regime I've been on. I said I would update everyone what vitamins I decided on after being diagnosed with PCOS. And this new plan is working out fabulously I might add :-)

I take 800 mg of Vitex/Chasteberry (this one is key and is working awesome!)

10,000 IU of Vitamin A

5,000 IU of Vitamin D

100 mg of Vitamin B6

1,200 mg of Fish Oil/Omega 3 (HUGE vitamin - yuck!)

And a little prenatal to give me all the other nutrients I might need.

So far so good!

Women of Faith

Last Friday I turned 32 years old - and like many women I reflected on my life and where I'm at and the milestones I have and have not accomplished thus far. It's easy for me to get discouraged and down over the things I have yet to overcome or attain to in my own life. It's easy for me to get frustrated.

But then I think of these women. Women of faith. Heroes to many.

Women like Karen King - an amazing woman and mother who for many years was a large part of my life and to whom I affectionately call Mama King. I grew up with her kids and our families have always been close. Four years ago this month Karen was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Every day she enters the boxing ring of cancer & rings the bell enduring weeks and weeks of chemotherapy and treatments. Her faith, strength and joy blows me entirely away. She's a hero to her own family, to others and to me.

Women like Stephanie Neilsen, who back in 2008 survived a plane crash with her husband and has been on a long journey of recovery, but who's gentle and strong spirit encourages me and inspires so many.

I often think of these modern day women of faith, heros to many and in light of their situations and trials they continually choose joy & demonstrate love, trust in the Father and yet also take on their individual battles with grace and beauty.

They inspire me, I hope they've inspired you too.

Something I will always remember about my childhood is waking up on a Spring morning and seeing the beautiful pink blossoms from our cherry tree dancing outside my bedroom window. I absolutely loved that tree through all the seasons of the year, but Springtime was truly the most magical.

When we eventually settle into the home we will raise our family in, I want to plant one by the house so my kids will have the same memories I do.

Isn't it beautiful?

Total Honesty, So Brace Yourself

I haven't been much for blogging lately because the things that consume my mind were not really issues I was ready to talk about. I've been struggling so much emotionally and mentally with my body image and overall mood. A year or so ago I was on a low dose of Lexapro which made me feel so much better and much less moody and anxious, but as a result I put on 15 pounds. Jason and I always said that we would want to have a good 5 years together before we started trying to have a family and so last fall I made it my goal to wean myself off of the different medications I was taking like the Lexapro and birth control so I would be in a healthier place. But not long after came this rush of emotional heaviness once again combined with the extra weight and some horrible acne (like 13 year old puberty acne). After a rough few months and a blood test I was finally diagnosed this week with PCOS, which also explains some of the weight gain, the acne and depression I've been dealing with. Of course my doctors immediate response is to put me back on more types of medication to control it, which is the last thing I really want to do. So in my spare time I've been trying to research vitamins, supplements and herbs to rebalance my hormones and get me back on track.

Through all of this I have not been the most fun person to be around. And I feel horrible about it too. My poor husband works so hard pulling double duty by working two full time jobs and I feel like whenever he's around me I'm always stressed, grumpy or irritable. He tries so hard to lift my spirits or make me laugh, and sometimes it really helps and for a moment I forget the mountain looming right in front of me. Sometimes I can't help but think that he got the short end of the deal by choosing me, that I'll never be able to be the wife that he deserves. It doesn't help that now that I've caught the baby bug that I'm so much more aware of how my friends continue to easily get pregnant and have child after child moving on with growing their families. And I for some reason can't help but feel like I'm just struggling to feel normal and have my body for once work right for me.

So there's my honesty in all its glory - I don't have some fluffy and fun blog to post about how life is grand and I'm daydreaming about flowers, puppies, drive-ins and long summer days. Moment by moment my cry is that God would meet me, help me to focus on the positive, love my husband deeply, trust fully, be grateful for everything and keep trying.

Vegas Baby!

I've been super pumped thinking about my trip back to Seattle in June for my sister's graduations! I'm so proud of them both for sticking with it and finishing strong! After being in Seattle for a few days, the three of us girls are taking off to celebrate in Vegas for 5 days!! Whohoo!! I've never been and am so excited for it! What better way to celebrate than to stay in luxurious hotels, feast from amazing buffets, sit by a dreamlike pool and sip fruity non-alcoholic drinks with a good book? I honestly could care less about the gambling, I just thought it would be a fun getaway for just us girls! It's been FOR-EV-ER since the three of us have had any sister time.

I booked us the Bella Suite at the Palazzo, which is an all-suite hotel built alongside the Venetian.

The room is breathtaking and has a sunken living room, desk, 40 in. flatscreen tv, and sectional sofa.

The bathroom sounds insanely indulgent with a sunken tub, separate glass shower, a flatscreen(!), double sinks and a little seated vanity for getting ready! (Note to self, bring some LUSH bath bombs with us!)

You can see from the map, we're smack dead in the middle of the action on the strip. (We're located where you see the green dot for the Venetian).

A whole week away in the sun with two of my favorite people!!! Now I have even more motivation to lose some weight!

Drama, Drama, Drama

You ever feel like you have one of those days when it's all you can do to keep it together & stay sane? That's my day. From grouchy bosses to rude receptionists to relationship struggles - holy smokes more than once today I was ready to throw my hands up and wave the white flag. Seriously, when it rains - it pours.

On a happier note - my inlaws were here this last week and I enjoyed every moment with them. Our weather jumped into gorgeous springtime with it being in the 80's and the trees beginning to bud and flowers blossom. We spent time hanging out in downtown Franklin, having yummy dinners out, cooking at home, baking a big ol carrot cake (which turned out divine!), vegging in front of the TV, putting together a puzzle and hanging out with friends! It was a blast and I will miss them - but hopefully seem them again soon!

But until then - tonight I'm looking forward to the comfy couch, my pj's, getting some laundry done, maybe a little tivo and some leftover ham from Easter - yummmm..

Thank God, His mercies are new every morning.

Serenity now

I came across this picture and fell absolutely in love with this kitchen.

Photo by Ashlee Raubach Photography

Isn't it divine? I know there's no way I could have something like this with 2 dogs and hopefully kids someday, but a girl can dream right? How gorgeous are those light blue pendant lights and glass tiled backsplash?

Or how about this kitchen & living room remodel from The Lettered Cottage?

Amazing...and you can see the before pictures from the blog here. You seriously won't believe the talent of this woman, it's insane.

Spring has sprouted

I've changed my blog header to show two people lying in the grass because that has become my all consuming fantasy right now. I'm truly not being sarcastic, so let me explain. Since the beginning of winter/late fall we have been waiting for our "winter rye" grass to grow. We had planted it with the intention that it would make the backyard a lot nicer through the winter & rainy seasons and to also help cut down on the mud & dirt.

Well it never grew.

And as a result I've been doing my best not to sink into a deep depression from the amount of mud and dust that is daily tracked into my house from our two Labradors and even ourselves.

It's a battle that I've often lost.

This isn't a picture of our yard or our dogs, but I swear it could be since they look like our boys and that looks JUST like our yard. Blech!

But this last week...we spotted a little of this action....

And every day I peek out the windows and the back door to see if my fantasy is really coming true. One day this summer, we will put a blanket out on the grass and get to enjoy it!

But until then, these are the things I'm looking forward to...

Mom & Dad Keith will be coming out for a week long visit over Easter and I'm so excited to have the company! Plus, it gives me an excuse to cook, bake & entertain.

No doubt there will be plenty of this...

a little of that...

definitely a whole lot of this...

and a tad bit of that...

just a few of these...

and I'm going to try my hand at making some of those... (photo & recipe by Joy the Baker)

AND it wouldn't be Easter without some of this...

(photo and recipe by Southern Living)

Don't you wish you were having Easter at our house?

I am ready for spring.

Yesterday we were teased with a gorgeous 67 degrees & bright sunshine. It felt like I had been holding my breath for three months and didn't realize it until I was able to exhale & breathe in the warm fresh air. It was so refreshing and then just as suddenly it all went away and I went back to work in cold 45 degree drizzily rain. Ugh. I need the sun to come back, no like I really NEED it to come back.

Because it was a gorgeous weekend, Jason and I were able to spend an entire day together walking around and touring homes for sale in East Nashville (NOT because we're looking for a new home, just for fun). It was the first day we'd had together in two weeks since last weekend he had to work so much with it being Valentine's. Call me selfish, but this weekend went by too fast & I want another day with my man.

This is a house down the street from us that is for sale - it is SO beautiful and I love what they've done to update it and yet keep the old floors, original built-ins and fireplace sconces. It's a 4 bed/2 bath and is listed for $325K

Look at all these gorgeous windows! And unlike ours, they actually open & are not painted shut.

Check out the original builtins - and a huge dining room.

The kitchen was a bit small, but had a lot of counter space & very open to the rest of the house. And beyond the kitchen a mud room. WE NEED A MUD ROOM. That's going to be a huge selling point for our next house someday. Muddy dogs + muddy husband = necessary mud room.

One of the bedrooms downstairs - and it has a huge original built in window seat. LOVE.

Original pedetal sink in the downstairs bath. Adorable claw foot tub.

And check out this amazing master suite upstairs. Freakin amazing. I would actually turn it into a bonus room/office.

And HUGE master bath. love love love.

I love looking at the old homes & how people restore them, its so amazing. We've learned a lot with the house we now have and its been a great starter home, but I do look forward to the day when we have a home that better suits our needs. ie - more closet space, more storage space, a mud room, more countertop space in the kitchen & a bigger bathrooms.

Someday...

January Baker's Challenge - Nanaimo Bars

Well I got back on the horse & decided to participate in January's Daring Bakers Challenge. Not that we needed the extra calories around, but it looked fairly easy & not as time consuming as the other challenges often are, so I thought I would give it a shot and make them for Small Group.

And oh. my. word. They were insanely good. It's almost a bad thing that they were so easy to make, because now I want to make these OFTEN. Especially since I know you can make them in peanut butter or mint versions as well. The Small Group seemed to enjoy them as well being as how the plate was empty before the last person left last night.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca. I however, did not make the homemade gluten free graham crackers, because I simply just did not have the time. But this one is definately going in the recpie box!

The bars consist of three layers, the bottom being a mixture of coconut, cocoa powder, almonds and crushed graham crackers. Then, you make a vanilla buttercream layer for the middle and then finish off with a chocolate ganache layer on top. My top layer was a bit more crunchy since I just melted chocolate chips and poured them on top. But still amazingly delicious and super rich. Pairing them with a rich cup of coffee was pure heaven.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of mine before they were gone, so I grabbed a couple pics online that looked very similar to how mine turned out.

Thank you to Lauren of Celiac Teen for a choosing a great challenge! It was a fantastic way to kick off the company weight loss competition I'll be participating in starting this next Monday!

Waiting

I've been getting impatient & restless with waiting on the Lord with a number of different situations. My heart has pulled back from trusting in His timing and His faithfulness and I wasn't even aware of it till a friend of mine encouraged me to check out the song While I'm Waiting by John Waller.

What a beautiful song and may it be the cry of my own heart. I give all my desires & all our hopes back into the hands of God and will go back to trusting Him and in His perfect timing.

I hope this song brings you as much encouragement & peace, as it has done for me.

4 years down, eternity to go.

Soooo...I'm way behind on catching everyone up on life with the Keiths.

Let's jump real quick back to December. Jason & I flew back to Seattle for Christmas, but sadly our flight on Christmas Eve was cancelled due to the snow in Dallas where we needed to change planes. So they re-booked our tickets for Christmas Day and we picked up our bags, turned around and headed back home. Our pups were already at the boarding place, so we had a quiet night at home alone on Christmas Eve. But I was sad. And I cried.

Christmas Day arrives and we finally make our way to Seattle. It truly was an awesome Christmas vacation with family and friends and went entirely way too fast. Did I take any pictures, of course not silly! Until I lose 25 pounds, the camera and I are not exactly friends.

We were spoiled with waking up to coffee in bed and delicious meals prepared by mom. We did a puzzle, watched movies, saw Avatar, Sherlock and Nine, shared presents & drank more coffee. I was also seriously blessed to spend an entire afternoon & evening with one of my best friends Jessica, who currently lives with her husband in Germany. It had been close to 4 years since I had seen her! Dinner with the Rowlands & Frees' family was also a treat and flew by way too fast. We packed in as much as we could in the week we had there, but it was long overdue and what I desperately needed to feel like it was finally Christmas.

Flash Forward a few weeks................

Jason and I celebrated our 4th anniversary :-)

Has it really been 4 years already? I got off work early and we headed out to see It's Complicated (which we HIGHLY recommend, it was hilarious!) and then to dinner at Allium in East Nashville. It was perfect and lovely and Jason bought me a tart pan, a quiche pan and a Madeline cookie pan all from Williams Sonoma (LOVE that place). (Uh-hum, his gift is still in the mail...grrr...but he's going to LOVE it.)

I love you sweetie - these have been the best 4 years of my life and I'm honored and blessed to share them with you. I count each day a blessing and hope to never take one for granted. God is so good for all He continues to work in us as a couple and in our marriage, may His work never be done. Oh and you are still as yummy as the day I married you ;-)

A few days later.........

Jeep & Seven turned 1!
Boy does time fly.

I was able to enjoy a relaxing & laid back weekend with my man, which NEVER happens, since he typically gets scheduled to work either Saturday or Sunday. But as it turned out we had two whole days of togetherness and it was blissful. We did a little shopping and found ourselves an ottoman for the living room that was marked down in clearance at American Signature, we ran some errands, read, napped, watched some football, and had some serious grubbin BBQ at a local East Nashville spot.

As the weekend was winding down and we had just finished storing all the Christmas & Thanksgiving boxes up in the attic, I was in the mood for a yummy drink and decided to whip up some up Virgin Strawberry Daiquiris. YUM.

What should have been a fairly foolproof process, turned into a bit of a fiasco.

See our lovely little Cuisinart Blender? Well apparently I loaded too much ice in to begin with and it wasn't blending well. I quickly got frustrated that the ice wasn't being crushed and had to jab the stuff around with my wooden spoon to get some cooperation. Then disaster struck.

Oops. Strawberry Daiquiri splattered all over me, the cabinets, the dogs, the counter tops and yes, even my ceiling. I may or may not have said a bad word. Oh well, there was still enough in the blender for Jason to have a glass, plenty on the floor for the dogs to enjoy and I still had enough to start a new batch for myself.

Yummy huh honey?

What that? Oh nothing, just a few wood chips blended into the drink - just think of it as more organic and you probably won't even notice it.

Oops. Or maybe not. We had to pour his drink into the strainer and there was quite a bit of shredded wooden spoon in there. My bad. Love you mean it!

I'm in a funk.

Christmas is probably one of my favorite holidays. I love to bake lots of cookies and treats, shop for gifts to bless family & friends with, watch holiday movies and sit in front of the fire. But this year...I'm struggling to get in the spirit. Right now the holiday season feels like no other season to me, just that there's a tree in my living room and stockings hanging from the mantle. I'm not in the mood to bake, because my clothes are too tight as it is. I'm not in the mood to shop because my account is too dry. I'm not in the mood to watch holiday movies, because I don't want to watch them alone. I know this would be a little easier if Jason was able to be home more in the evenings, but he's been working really hard so that we could afford to spend Christmas together out in Seattle. I'm blessed by a man who loves me that much that he's working all through the day and the evening so we could have Christmas together, so I truly am thankful for that. It just doesn't make it any less lonely at the moment either.

I know at the 11th hour when we finally arrive into Seattle, it will finally feel like its Christmas. It's been far too long since I've seen my family over the holidays. I miss them and I miss showering them with love, goodies & gifts and cozying up together to watch While You Were Sleeping. It's not the same without family. I want to drink hot cocoa, sit in front of a real fire, play a game, do a puzzle, read a book cuddled up next to my sisters, watch a movie with the family while dad nods off, eat mom's home cooked turkey & stuffing. I'm a traditions girl, I need them. I've tried my best to make some of our own, but its not the same. I want a little boy and a little girl of my own to share these traditions with, to buy gifts for, to snuggle on Christmas Eve with, to sew stockings for, to bake goodies with. It shouldn't be any shocker to hear me say that - I am 31 after all. I know, all in God's timing.

We're going to a Christmas party tonight and I'm not even looking forward to it. Friends are great, but I want my family. I wish we were leaving tomorrow, I'm homesick.

Truflle Balls

Last night was our book club's Christmas Party and we were asked to bring a yummy dessert. I know it comes as no to surprise to many of you that I sat there and mulled and stressed over this decision for a few days. I absolutely love to bake and the look on people's faces when they eat one of my treats makes me so happy.

Finally a friend at work suggested I try to make these Oreo truffle balls that she had at a party the night before. So I looked up the recipe and with a few modifications of my own, made what is some seriously heavenly pieces of goodness.

They also present beautifully at a party and are easy as pie to make! I made two different kinds - the milk chocolate ones have a peanut butter/Butterfinger filling and the white chocolate ones have a mint Oreo filling with some flaked coconut on top.

Rach - this recipe is for you darling!

Milk Chocolate/Peanut Butter Truffle Balls

Ingredients: 1 pkg. Nutter Butter cookies; 2 boxes Butterfinger Minis; 1 pkg. Cream Cheese, softened; 1 pkg Milk or Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips.

Directions: In food processor, grind up a entire package of Nutter Butter cookies until powder-like consistency and pour into a bowl. Then grind up two packages of bite-sized Butterfinger bars (found in the candy aisle), also until a powder-like consistency. Add one whole package of cream cheese into the food processor and process with the Butterfinger until smooth. Remove that mixture from the food processor and add to the bowl with the Nutter Butter powder. With wooden spoon, blend well until fully incorporated. Using a tablespoon or melonballer, spoon onto a cookie sheet covered in wax paper or parchment paper then roll into balls. Chill in refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours. Once chilled, melt entire bag of chocolate in either the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth or using a double broiler. Roll the balls into the chocolate on a spoon and place onto wax paper. Place back in the fridge to set and chill. Serve at room temperature.

White Chocolate Mint Oreo Truffle Balls

Ingredients: 1 pkg. Mint Oreos; 1 pkg. Cream Cheese, softened; 1 pkg. White Chocolate Chips; Shredded Coconut.

Directions: Same as cookies above, just swapping out the Nutter Butters for the Oreos. Also I found it easier to pour the melted white chocolate on the Oreo balls, since the rolling them in the chocolate left Oreo residue in the chocolate. Then sprinkle a tad of coconut while the chocolate is still soft & refrigerate to set.

Best served at room temperature! Enjoy!

What's YOUR Opinion On The Matter?

First of all, before I get started on this heated topic - Jason and I are not pregnant. So don't ask.

Moving on, here's my question.

Many of you are either working moms OR stay-at-home-moms (SAHM's). And I've heard from different women, even single women without kids, what they think the best route for raising their kids should be. I haven't had to cross that bridge yet, but I'm curious. Personally, I've had a job working full time since I was 14 years old. I've never really been without a job for more than a couple months, which was when I moved out to Tennessee with my husband. In the office where I work I've asked a couple ladies, and it seems that they're preference is to definitely work and put their kids in daycare, because "kids need to be socialized" and these women are career-driven. Of course, I'm not going to get the SAHM opinion here in the office, cause well, you're not going to find one in the workplace.

Ideally, if my husband and I could afford it, I would love to be able to raise my kids at home until they're old enough to go to school. And ONLY if financially strapped, then pick up a part-time job. I fully realize that some moms don't have the option and have to work. My best friend was a single mom for many years and had no choice but to work to provide for her daughter.

But here's where I'm curious. Is it more enjoyable to be a Stay At Home Mom OR is it more enjoyable to be a Career Mom? I would think, it would be more enjoyable to be a Stay At Home Mom (Not saying they're working any less) but that it would be much more rewarding to be pouring into your kids lives rather than sitting in a cube answering a phone and to the whims of a boss or two....or three. Though I do appreciate being able to bring home a paycheck, I just think I would get way more satisfaction out of raising my kids and knowing that I'm the one raising them.

What stirred all this thinking was when I caught a few mothers talking on TV. The three moms, who were all friends, were sitting together at the zoo with their kids and one of them said, "This sure beats working a 9-5 job!" And her friend turns to her and says, "No, its definitely harder." And I just kinda sat there thinking - "Really? Is it harder? You're at the zoo with your friends, and your cute kiddos petting the animals and I sit in a cube answering to two men every 5 seconds and being at their beckon call, punching a time clock." I don't know and I'm curious as to what y'all think?

So please, what are your thoughts on this?

So good.

Kristin Bell was on Craig Ferguson the other night and mentioned the Surprise Kitty video from YouTube. I of course, had to look it up to see for myself.

Oh.

My.

Word.

Reeaaaallly makes me want one of these. After all, what's one more animal in the house?





Then I was watching an Oprah episode I had tivo'd and saw this performance of Mary J. Blige & Andrea Bocelli singing What Child Is This. A-maz-ing. It gave me chill bumps.

Girls Weekend on The Farm

Last weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to join a few girlfriends for a weekend away at a beautiful cabin on some acreage just outside of Nashville. It was an open invitation to all the girls in our book club, but due to many scheduling conflicts, it ended up only being 4 of us in a gigantic 5 bedroom, 4 bath cabin/barn for 2 1/2 days. Complete and total bliss.

I'd had a rough couple weeks with all the pain from the dental surgery, roof leaking issues, HVAC quitting on us ect... I was stressed and was grateful to have a few days to recharge my batteries and do nothing but stay in my pajamas and read. And the best part about it, it was completely free. The cabin/barn belongs to a friend of one of the girls and they had offered it to her for the weekend.

I did take some pictures of The Farm (as it's referred to) so you can get an idea of this piece of heaven I was able to enjoy!
It was constructed as a barn and the right side is used for events, while the left side is the actual home.
This is what it looks like from inside the barn, you can see the stables on the right.


Here are some shots of the surrounding acreage and ponds.







We would take walks in the afternoon around the property to look at the creek, ponds, cows and this lovely little duck. It took me a couple days before I realized it was plastic. Awesome I know.
Here is the entrance to the cabin side of the barn. Aren't those rocking chairs just precious?

Once inside you see the great room that includes the dining table, living room, kitchen and pool table.

But my favorite aspect of the house was the breathtaking 20 ft fireplace surrounded by comfy leather chairs.

And can you believe I had this room all to myself? It was almost too quiet to sleep, but I'm not complaining! Gorgeous!

A huge thank you to my dear friend Julie for hooking us up that weekend and to the family that was so generous by sharing The Farm with us!