the good and the bad

So today wasn't the best Monday/last day of November. Not my favorite way to kick start my week either. But I didn't really have high hopes for a great day, especially coming off of a holiday.

But there is good news and bad news. I'll share the bad news first.

*I woke up late. Never good. On a Monday even worse.

*I found my first gray hair this morning! And I can't pull it out because it's short which means it just started growing recently and it is right on the crown of my head. But I part my hair on the side so it gets covered up. Ugh!

*I put my hair in a ponytail before I even left the house. I never do that. I never put my hair in a ponytail even during the day. I've done it maybe 2 times in the last 3 years. No joke.

*I had to be at work/the high school extra early on a Monday/first day back to work of almost a week off. School traffic sucks.

*Today was cold and rainy.

*So my window in my car won't roll up without me pulling it up with my hand also. Can we say ghetto? It only does this when it is rainy.

*I am constantly wanting something sweet...darn you Thanksgiving!

in other {good} news...

*I can't believe November is over and tomorrow is December!

*25 days until Christmas!!

*We put up our Christmas tree yesterday and started decorating. Done with the tree but not the decorations. And I don't see myself finishing before Thursday.

*We got a cold front here in South Texas and I mean it's a real cold front! Instead of just long sleeves I actually needed my jacket today and it's going to be like this all week!

*My office building is decorated beautifully for Christmas and it makes me SO HAPPY! I can see the lobby from my office window and there is a beautiful tree and garland and holly berries and poinsettias that are making me smile.

*We have our first Christmas party on Friday night! I love this time of year!!!

*ABC Family's 25 days of Christmas starts tomorrow! I've enjoyed the countdown and am looking forward to the real thing!

*NaBloPoMo wasn't so bad this year. I tried to do a meaningful post each day. Not saying I did but I tried. I'm sorry if they were lame!

Well, there are more good things than bad things so Happy Monday! It's been real NaBloPoMo!

Love,

Lindsay

maddox weekend!

last weekend Candace and Maddox came to visit. We hadn't seen them since we left Hamilton last summer so the visit was long overdue.

Can you believe this kid is 3?!?! He's SO ADORABLE!!


Friday night we spent hours playing football and building towers with these blocks!

Saturday we spent the day at the beach. Maddox had never been before and even though it was cold, overcast and windy we had so much fun!

John had the clever idea to teach Maddox to run to the seagulls and yell as loud as he could.

He loved it and now runs and yells at any bird he sees!

We found a hermit crab! (3 actually...he got to take them home!)








Maddox and his mommy Candace!

We love you guys and had so much fun! Come again soon!

Thoughts from the road

On the road again...

We left Dallas this afternoon around 4:00.

We are currently back in the 254 (that would be Waco).

But only passing through.

John is listening to This American Life and I'm reading The Shack on my Kindle app.

Ps: Baylor is beating Tech right now!!!

Pps: I can't wait to put up our Christmas tree and decorate!!

- Posted from my iPhone

i think we need one...

Meet Daisy.

She's my brother's girlfriend's dog.

She loves John. (and don't tell him I told you this, but I think he loves her too!)

He loves her so much he's getting pretty close to wanting one.

I think we need one.

I mean, seriously. She's pretty cute.

today, i'm thankful for...

my husband

cool fall weather (finally)

our new life in Victoria

diet root beer

our church

our home

my job

friends..old and new

my iPhone

my blog friends

happy thanksgiving!

turkey day prepping!

Sorry friends. I'm having too much fun to take the time to do a real post.

I've been shopping and cooking with my mom and sister all day.

It's been SO.MUCH.FUN!

The boys (John, brother and brother-in-law) are watching Star Trek now.

We just put a couple pies in the oven.

The turkey is brining.

The cranberries are about to be turned into sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

on the road!

We are about to leave for McKinney for Thanksgiving!

Unfortunately I don't have more time to share something more exciting.

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Happy Birthday to my favorite brother-in-law!

3 year olds...

...have SO MUCH ENERGY! :)

we had a such a FUN weekend with Maddox and his mommy Candace.

They left just a little bit ago and I'm way too tired to go through ALL THE PICTURES we took this weekend so stay tuned for tomorrow.

I'll leave you with this precious picture.

Oh what I would give for eyelashes like that!

the results are in...

So one of the perks of blogging and reading TONS of other blogs out there are the amazing giveaways that happen.

A little over a year ago I won my first giveaway..a blog makeover from Fabulous K! I was thrilled because that meant my first custom blog design. It is so exciting to see your name appear on the “results show” of a blog giveaway.

With that being said, I enter LOTS AND LOTS of giveaways. Mostly they are on blogs where thousands and thousands of other people enter and really, what are the chances that I am going to win out of 36,000 other people? (Yes, this is referring to Pioneer Woman’s giveaways!)

So imagine my EXCITEMENT when I saw my name appear on Joelen’s blog that I had won a Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor!!! I literally was in shock and confirmed it by clicking the “Lindsay link” to make sure it went to my blog!

I have a 14 cup Cuisinart Food processor and I absolutely love it but it is such a pain using it for smaller jobs . I have been wanting a mini one for a long time and have just never put it on my Christmas list or purchased it for myself.

But soon it will be mine! And I am THRILLED!

So..thank you so much Joelen!

And check out her blog because she has tons of fabulous giveaways and has great recipes too!

Friday Flashback!

Shortly after John and I started dating his mom turned 50. John, his sister and his mom's best friend planned a fabulous 50th surprise birthday party for Susan.

Being the new girlfriend I was very nervous because I would be meeting lots of John's family friends and some family. It was a big deal but we had so much fun. That was the weekend that I started falling in love with John.

Whoa...look at that hair! John used to spike his hair WAY up! I loved it though!

to clip or not to clip

It seems like "couponing" is all the rage these days. It's almost a game that women play to see how much they get for so little.

Growing up my mom was a huge coupon shopper. She would clip coupons match them with store sales and would sometimes get paid to take things home. And that was in the 80s and 90s.

Now in the world of blogging there are tons of money saving sites out there and I would love to be a part but I can't seem to find the time to do all that work.

Plus, (maybe this is me not knowing much about this), but it seems as though you really don't get actual fresh food and you don't really have the freedom to meal plan and do what you want. It seems like you are bound to eat whatever you get.

I don't know. Those of you who play this game share your insight, wisdom and knowledge to this woman who is probably paying too much at the register.

And check out this video. This alone makes me want to try it. I was un shock with my jaw dropped when I watched this!


BTW...I'm posting this in the "updated editor" and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Anyone else made the switch?

facials and thanksgiving

You know those word verification things?

I always read the word and it reminds me of something. Usually it's really dumb because they are never real words.

Well about 2 minutes ago I was typing one and the letters "f-a-c-i-a-l" were an actual word.

And a gloriously beautiful word. Anyway, not where I was going with this post..but I wouldn't say no to a facial right now.

I am so excited about Thanksgiving next week. 1 week from yesterday John and I are heading up to Dallas to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

Living so far away from my family now is harder than I thought.

In Waco it used to be so easy to jump in the car and take a day trip up to Dallas.

Now, in Victoria..not so much.

But in one week..we'll be there and I cannot wait!

And I want to officially add a facial to my Christmas list. kthanks!

bullets

• Today marks day 2 of "cold" weather here in South Texas. Lows in the upper 30s and highs in the low 70s.
• We have some weekend guests coming on Friday and I'm getting so excited! More on that later.
• Last night at church there was a bat in the worship center. It reminded me of The Office episode with the bad loose in the office.
• Jesus Needs New PR is giving away a copy of Chris Tomlin's new Christmas Songs of Worship cd...head on over there to enter!
• Yesterday I went to the hubs office for lunch. He offered me something to drink and pulled out a Pibb Zero. I asked him where they came from and he said he bought them. When asked why he answered, "I was going for something different." The man usually drinks Diet Dr Pepper. ha! :)
• I haven't worked out in 4 days.
• For a few days now I've been craving a really good hamburger. I've been good and haven't given in.
• Even though I haven't pulled out any Christmas decorations I'm so excited about ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas movies. I've already gone through and set the DVR to record the ones I want to watch.
• Happy Tuesday!

The Ultimate BLT

My husband LOVES LOVES LOVES BLT's. He could eat them everyday for lunch and not get tired of them. What am I saying, I really think he would eat them for every meal and not get tired of them.

So when he mentioned to me that we hadn't had them in a while I knew I was failing as a wife. You gotta give your husband what he wants! I make brown sugar bacon, mash the avocado because I hate it when there are slices of avocado on a sandwich and they slide out. I've tried to amp up a normal BLT and created what I think is the ultimate BLT.

You decide.

The Ultimate BLT

this makes 2 sandwiches

8 slices of center cut bacon

light brown sugar

freshly ground black pepper

2 avocados

1 tablespoon light mayo

2 butter lettuce leaves

4 slices of tomato

4 slices grainy whole wheat bread toasted

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using a broiler pan or a sheet pan with a cooling rack on top (you want something that can drain the bacon as it cooks) place the bacon on the pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over each slice of bacon. Then sprinkle with the black pepper. This friends is brown sugar bacon and it is out of this world. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy. Watch it closely and check it often to make sure it doesn't burn.

Mash the avocado and then mix with the mayo. You can omit the mayo but it makes it really creamy. Spread on each slice of the toasted bread.

Each sandwich gets 2 slices of tomato and a piece of lettuce. Top with the bacon and then put your sandwich together and eat!

still

originally uploaded by goodman chris

Yesterday morning we sang these simple words in church. In the midst of hard times these words can be so comforting. These simple words are reminders that when hard times do come, that God is there.

Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me within Your mighty hands
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father, You are king over the flood
I will be still and know You are God
Find rest my soul,
in Christ alone
Know His power,
in quietness and trust

Still by Hillsong

one at a time

It's the same story each year. Decorating before or after Thanksgiving. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I love the smells, I love decorating for it, I love the time spent with family.

And each year it seems like it goes by quicker and quicker. Today I realized that Christmas is 6 weeks away. Yet I am still enjoying fall. I'm not ready to decorate yet.



I am still enjoying the smells of fall, looking at my pumpkins and thinking about Thanksgiving.



I can't wait for Christmas, but I am focusing on one at a time right now.

I know several of my readers are "decorators before Thanksgiving" but I will decorate after Thanksgiving.

Plus, it's still too hot for Christmas!

Pear Crisp with Spiked Cream

I love crisps/crumbles in the fall! They are perfect because they are absolutely delicious, easy to make and when they bake they make your home smell heavenly.

I used fat free whipped topping to keep the calories low and added the bourbon to add a depth of flavor and take away from the packaged taste. You can of course whip your own heavy cream and use the real stuff which I prefer. But you gotta pick your battles.

You may also use vanilla extract instead of the bourbon if you don't like cooking/baking with alcohol. Either way, I promise you will love this!

Pear Crisp with Spiked Cream

FILLING:

13 peeled and cubed Bosc pears
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
the juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

TOPPING:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup regular oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
1/2 stick chilled butter, cut into small pieces

fat-free whipped topping, thawed

1 tablespoon bourbon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare crisp, combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; stir to combine. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over pear mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until browned on top.

Mix bourbon and whipped topping together and serve with crisp.

christmas card help PLEASE!!!

Question: (say this like you're Dwight Schrute) Those of you who are "digital scrapbookers", what program do you use? PLEASE TELL ME!

PLEASE SHARE YOUR ANSWER! I am making our Christmas card this year all by myself and I have a few programs I am looking at and have started playing with but wanted to make sure I am not leaving one out.

And PLEASE even if you are a blog stalker PLEASE share also b/c chances are...I BLOG STALK YOU TOO! :)

PLEASE SHARE!!!!

PLEASE!?!?

Flashback Friday - May 2003

John and I had only been dating for about 2 months when we went to his fraternity's formal in Dallas.

It was so much fun to be there as John's girlfriend and getting ready with all the other girls who were there; talking about our dates and sharing stories about how we started dating.

hibachi!

Last weekend we went to dinner with some friends at a super fun hibachi restaurant here in town. I love hibachi. It is such a fun event. You get a show and dinner!

Me and my sweetie.

Our sweet friends.

Our fabulous chef.

I didn't get the silly smile memo...

kenya on my mind

for the past few days my heart has been so heavy for Kenya. It's been about 2 1/2 years now since we were there.

About 5 months ago I shared more about our trip here.

I don't know how and I don't know when, but I want to go back.

Oh how I want to go back. God did such amazing things on that trip.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our trip.

Orecchiette with Wild Mushrooms

I love pasta and I love mushrooms. So when I found this recipe I knew that I would love it. I made quite a few changes though. I used a different shaped pasta, way less butter and added olive oil and reduced the amount of heavy cream. The original recipe called for sherry and I prefer marsala wine with mushrooms. The recipe posted below is with my changes.

Orecchiette "little ears" really holds onto the sauce. The little cups fill with the sauce it is so good. The marsala adds such a richness to this dish. Perfect!

Orecchiette with Wild Mushrooms

adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
2/3 cup boiling water
8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
3 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon butter

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
4 ounces wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dry marsala wine
2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon truffle oil

Rinse porcini mushrooms thoroughly. Combine porcini and 2/3 cup boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Chop porcini mushrooms.

Cook pasta with 1 tablespoon salt in boiling water 10 minutes or until al dente; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, mushrooms, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in porcini, marsala, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in pasta, 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, cream, and pepper; toss well to combine. Drizzle with oil; toss. Place about 1 1/4 cups pasta mixture on each of 4 plates.

happy birthday betherbob!

Have a fabulous birthday!
I wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

applewood smoked bacon

Every year our church has a Christmas pageant.

This is a big pageant. The church actually owns a camel. Her name is Lucy.

Rehearsals started about 3 weeks ago and for the last 2 rehearsals there has been a new cast member.

Meet Applewood Smoked Bacon.

Apple for short.

These were taken with my iPhone after we let him out of his cage and chased him around the worship center for about 15 minutes trying to catch him.

It was a Kashi granola bar that lured him in and we were able to get him back in his cage.

He is so cute and has some mighty lungs for squealing!