Video Queen

Y'all, I HATE video games. I don't like them, at all. In fact, my husband loves them and he has a Playstation and a Wii that he could play for days on end, but not me. No sirree!
Until, this game came along. Now, if you're around my age, you probably remember this game from our childhood. It was one of the first Nintendo games, and I liked it way back when, but I never owned it.
I have never wanted to be known as "that girl who plays video games". Usually, those girls are dorks and the same ones who like Star Wars and other spacey movies. That's not me, at all. I like romantic comedies and flowers and baking cakes. I'm a true girly-girl, excpet that I do like mowing the yard. If you do happen to be one of those kinds, celebrate it! You are every man's dream!
Well, my husband has tried and failed many a time to get a video game to hold my attention for more than a few measly minutes, but to no avail. However, this weekend was a turning point. We figured out that we can get online on our TV through the Wii thanks to the modern convenience of wireless connections. And, my precious man bought me this game! We played the day away, and it was fantastic! Alas [sigh], I'm "one of those girls who plays video games".

It's the Little Things

I love old windows. They make me feel whimsical and dreamy. They force me to wonder what they must have experienced and seen. I can't help but imagine who has gazed wistfully through them and what stories they could tell if only they could speak. Old windows are interesting and fun, and thus I often use them in my decor. I've always known that I'm a bit on the unusual side, but here's another reason why - I don't like artwork. It is incrediby rare for me to find an actual painting or picture that I would consider, even for a fleeting moment, displaying on my wall. Therefore, I'm always on the lookout for things that I can hang on the wall that I do enjoy seeing. I usually use things like metal trays, plates, scroll work, ceiling tiles, clocks, items meant for the garden, mirrors, sconces, etc. What is your decorating quirk, and how have you solved it?

Heaven on Earth!

Have you ever been whisked away to a little piece of paradise where you felt as though nothing in the world could harm you or cause you grief? I love these moments, because they, even with their faults, give me a tiny glimpse about how sweet eternity in Paradise with my Lord is going to be. AHHH, I can't even fathom it. So peaceful. So serene. So breathtaking, yet full of life.

To me, the ocean is one of the most spiritual places on the earth. The vastness and strength of it just boast of our Masterful Creator. Brian and I had the wonderful privilege of visiting the Caribbean for our honeymoon. And, it was a place that I'll never forget. If you ever have the chance to experience its beauty, don't pass it up.

My thoughtful husband planned our honeymoon. I told him that the wedding was my show, but the honeymoon was all up to him. He researched and planned, and created the most wonderful adventure for us. We spent a week at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

It was landscaped with lush palms and tranquil fountains and tropical flowers.

Here's my cute boy on the beach. Isn' he dreamy? :)


Now, here's a humbling picture. Me with no makeup - Ay! Yay! Yay!

The sapphire waters and sugary beaches - BEAUTIFUL!

The seaside pool - our favorite hangout.

Throughout this week, Brian and I were treated like royalty. We received service to the max which allowed us to just lay around and drink in the life of leisure. This was just what I needed following our wedding. Oh, I can't wait for another trip to paradise!

"On the Road Again . . ."

"Just can't wait to get back on the road again." Those all to familiar lyrics to the old Willie Nelson song couldn't be a better descriptor of the way I feel about road trips with my husband. I LOVE driving across the picturesque countryside with my man behind the wheel and my tunes blaring through the speakers. This a source of pure enjoyment for me. Luckily, this summer Brian and I have had the blessed opportunity to partake of such adventures. If I had my way, we would've gone on many more. But we'd probably have to take out a loan just to put gas in our tanks, so that really hasn't been an option.

Several weeks ago, we made the short jaunt to Dallas to celebrate my 25th birthday. Here is Brian behind the wheel, and I can assure you that Coldplay's fabulous new CD was the soundtrack of that drive. We purchased it that weekend, and I think that we listened to it no less than 15 times. Fanatics? I think so. As you can probably already tell, we enjoy eating. Actually, I think that "enjoy" is a bit of an understatement. WE LOVE TO EAT. Here we are eating at Mi Cocina in West Village in Dallas. This was my first time at this restaurant, and I must say, it did not disappoint :).
This was my meal. Do not despair. I didn't eat ALL of this, though I wanted to. A girl's gotta watch her figure though, right?
In that same weekend, we made another road trip to a little town called Corsicana. We had some business there, but we couldn't resist making a stop by the famous Collin Street Bakery. This place is known for their fruitcake. I wouldn't touch a fruitcake with a ten-foot pole, though, so we made our escape with jalapeno cheese rolls and a fresh peach pie. Yum, yum, yummy!


Now, don't even begin to think that we waited until we'd made the long trip back home to enjoy our tasty treats. No sirree! We plopped those bready wonders into our salivating mouths as soon as we'd retreated back to the privacy of our car. And, once again, our selections pleased us.

Just writing this post has made me yearn for another escape with my husband from the daily grind of life. I encourage you, too, to get away. Enjoy your surroundings with someone significant to you. It's good for the soul!

Black peppercorn and garlic grilled porkchops, onion soup diced potatoes, fresh broccoli topped with cheese sauce, and warm buttery crescent rolls, followed with cinnamon and brown sugar apple crisp. That was the challenge for last night.

I had to turn this:

Into this:

And this:

Into this:

So that we could do this:

On many a Friday night, you will find my family gathered around a table together. Usually it takes place at my mom and step-dad's house, but I thought it was time for me to share the wealth. After all, I do love to entertain. And, my mom hasn't been feeling like her usual self, so I wanted to take the burden from her. Here are some other pictures from the evening.

Storytime with Nana and Papa.

Who knew that napkin rings had many uses?

Couldn't resist a picture of our kiddos chewing on their rawhides.

And a picture of my cute husband after a night of entertaining. We were beat!

Birthday Bashes and All That Flashes!

Yesterday was my new sister-in-law's birthday. She turned the dreadful age of 25. I, too, am 25, and I just keeping thinking, "GEEZ! A quarter of a century? Where has the time gone?" I'm getting too old, too fast. And, I even found a gray hair the other day, and I've been fighting off the crow's feet for years. Anyway, my vanity is a whole other post, so on with the story. Brian and I have the convenience of having all of our immediate family right here in the same town. I know, I know, we're so lucky. But, here's the problem, when your family is only a stone's throw away, you tend to take them for granted, rather than setting aside intentional time to spend with them. However, the birthday extravaganzas always envoke a sense of nostalgia and specialty in me. I love celebrations! I love any reason to decorate. This particular bash was at my in-laws house.

Aren't these cupcakes cute? My sister-in-law (not the birthday girl) made them, and she even made one for each of our dogs. She is the cutest!

Yes, that is my humorous husband blowing a wooden whistle. You know how you just kind of expect noisy toys to lose their threat after the recipient is, oh, about 10 years old? Well, no such luck for me. My man is a kid at heart, and I'm so glad that he is! He blew this thing 'til the sun went down. Actually, he blew it until I hid it in my purse :)

Here's Lauren, the birthday girl and bride-to-be. She's getting married in August.

And, here are some onlookers. Yes, Brian is still a little Whistlin' Dixie, or Pied Piper, as he referred to himself. Also pictured is Erin, my sister-in-law who made the yummy cupcakes, and Josh, Lauren's fiance.

I'm always interested in ways to make birthday parties for adults fun. Too many times, we kind of lose our gusto as the years creep by. What do you do to make adult birthdays a true bash?

Keeping up with the Joneses

Have you ever felt the pressure to have what others have or do what others do? I'm sure that we all have at some point. Well, my husband and I live in the teeny tiny house that I bought on my meager teacher's salary two years ago. Of course, I can't wait to move, but this morning I thought, "I love this place in the mornings. The way the sun comes through the big windows." So, I'm challenging myself to be content where I am, to bloom where I'm planted, until the time comes for us to make an upgrade. So, come along with me and look at our humble abode. . .

The above two pictures are of our bedroom. Most recently, I painted our big, very outdated wooden poster bed. It's a great, solid piece of furniture, but I just couldn't handle the wood look. I think this room has a coastal feel.
This is our guest room. And, yes, the walls are striped with shiny and matte stripes of varnish. I love the sophistication that this adds, and it's about the cheapest and easiest form of jazzing up normal paint.
This is the view from our front door. I hate the fact that we don't have a true entryway, but I love the openness of this living space. And, you'll probably notice, I love all things red.
With the marriage, I inherited my husband's huge, manly furniture. It's way too big for this space, but you do what you gotta do. And, it's SO comfortable! And, that's our dog, Samson.

And, this is our little kitchen. Again, love me some red!

So, I'd love your comments amd ideas about how I can make our space more visually appealing. And, please share pictures of your own comfy homes.

And Baby Makes Three . . .

It's not what you're thinking. No, I'm not announcing that I'm pregnant after less than two months of wedded bliss. Let me just let you in on a little experience that I like to call "birth control". You know the aforementioned cutest nephew in the world? He was the ringbearer in our wedding? Well, this child is my absolute favorite, so far anyway, he has a baby sister scheduled to arrive in October, and I'm sure she'll be right up there with him. Anyway, I crave time with him and for the first eight or so months of his life, I saw him pretty much every day - give or take a few. He is know the ripe old age of two-and-a-half, and we decided to have him over for a sleepover. It was a twenty-four hour frenzy of fun, but let me tell you, the Ponds are not gonna be known as "Mom and Dad" anytime soon. We were beat after only one night of fun!

First on our schedule was taking him to his first "big movie", Wall-E. It was all fun and games until the candy was gone, but who can blame him, after all, this movie was about robots - ICK!

After the movie, we went home and made pepperoni pizza. He was a great help at smushing the pizza crust. (And, some of you get a peak into our teeny little 1950s kitchen. Don't you love the original Kitchen Aid oven? It was one of the features that charmed me into this house.)

I love this picture for two reasons - one, Brian is doing such a good job of entertaining. And two, yay for early literacy. Am I a primary teacher, or what?

We have a playground across the street from our house, so I definitely couldn't pass up the opportunity to take advantage of that freebie :)

Bathtime with Vito. I'm not sure who got the better bath, but this war lasted for about 15 minutes.

Wildbird Walkabout at the zoo. Now, I've never been a bird fan, and frankly, I find them quite repulsive. But in the interest of our fun day, I put my grievances aside to feed the birds from a stick.

No zoo day is complete without finishing up with lunch at Dairy Queen. Actually, this was his choice - trust me! But, again, I put my own interests aside and indulged the boys in a meal of steakfingers and Texas toast and gravy. And actually, I hate to admit it, but this is a secret pleasure of mine, too.

After that, it was time to go home for a nap. I'm not sure who needed it most, but we all three sacked out for about two hours. And, rest assured, that's as close to parenthood that I plan to get for quite some time.

Secret Treasure!

For the next few days, I'm going to blog about some of the fun things that Brian and I have enjoyed doing this summer. First of all, I must say, we were truly blessed with God's perfect timing in the events of our wedding, honeymoon, etc. Since, I'm a teacher, I have the summers off - YIPPEE! There are few perks to education, but that just happens to be one of them. And, Brian was between jobs following the wedding, so we had exactly one month off together, and it was AWESOME! We got to go on our honeymoon and return home without the pressure of jobs hanging over our heads. We slept late, set up house, made the necessary financial transitions that accompany a marriage, and just enjoyed living together. I would highly recommend taking a little extended time off if at all possible; you won't regret it.

And, on to the good stuff . . .

A few weeks ago, some of our good friends, Jeff and Crystal, came for a visit. We brainstormed some fun things to do in our quaint little town in order to keep them entertained, and to hopefully coax them into moving our way :) Well, we discovered this local vineyard. Now, I had actually been to this place before, but I had never really had the chance to explore all that it had to offer. Here are a few peeks into our day.

It wouldn't be a vineyard without grapes on the vine, right? Aren't these beautiful? I wanted to snatch one off and pop it into my mouth when no one was looking. Unfortunately, I didn't have that chance.

We even got to tour the cellar where they keep the barrels.
This was the part of the vineyard where the wine is processed.

Isn't this exactly what you'd expect to see at a vineyard?

Another shot of the vineyard.

Our day was picture perfect! We had a private tour where this eccentric little lady drove us around on a golf cart and gave us the low-down on winemaking. It was so fun and relaxing! You should take the time to research your own town and discover its hidden gems. This is one that we'll definitely revisit.

Now, This is the Life!

Me and my sweet husband making a run for it!
Arriving at our car to find some questionable material :)!
The notorious cake - not exactly what I had in mind, but I think it survived the great fall in the parking lot pretty well, don't you?
Me and my two gorgeous sisters!
Me and my nephew, Maddox. Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?
Me and my new family - The Ponds! I already love them so much!
Brian and I after our special ceremony officiated by Brian's dad.
Cutting the cake.

One full shot of my dress. I still love that thing so much! I told Brian that I was going to wear it every single day.
Hand shot.
Me and my beautiful mom. Isn't she the prettiest lady? This wedding was our shared project, and I'm so grateful to her for her help.
My awesome dad congratulating me after the ceremony.

I love this shot because it shows both of our dads. Mine on my arm and Brian's on the stage.
Exchanging vows. My sister would want me to tell you that, yes, she is pregnant. She's not just pudgy.
A shot from the balcony of the church.

Balmy summer nights? Cozy snuggling on the comfy couch? The smell of robust coffee and buttery cinnamon rolls as you stumble into the kitchen on a lazy Saturday morning? What makes life pleasant for you? Where do you find joy in the monotony of daily living? Or, do you even make it a point to delight in each day?

This summer has been a true season of reflection for me. On 06-07-08, I joined the ranks of womanhood and made that long journey down the aisle to join in holy covenant matrimony with my best friend in the whole world. It was a day like none other and probably marks a turning point in my life like no other time ever has or ever will. It was magical! Truly, think Disneyworld with fireworks and patriotic music blaring over the loud speakers while Tinkerbell makes her famed flight from the topmost spire of Cinderella's castle. That's the kind of dream my wedding day was.

If I had only known the sweetness of marriage, I think that I could've stomached those dreaded months of engagement with a little more charm and grace. For those out there who have recently been engaged or who are currently engaged, you know exactly the chaos and utter panic of which I speak. No one really prepared me for the emotional turmoil and physical exhaustion that was to accompany the transition from "me" to "we". I just had to sort of figure it out as I went, and thankfully, I'm married to the most understanding and patient man in the world. He just ushered me through those last two months with love, gentleness, and playfulness when I was probably more fit for independent confinement than bridal bliss.

At last, we made it through. The to-do list is complete, the ceremony concluded, the thank you notes sent, and the servingware stored neatly away in cabinets until I truly emerge as a mature woman who uses those sorts of things on a regular basis. We throughly reveled in every moment, both waking and sleeping, of our exquisite honeymoon at The Ritz-Carlton Resort in Grand Cayman. And, now we're done. We've found ourselves in a new and normal routine. It's fascinating, really, to think how easily we've fallen into such a comfortable pattern of joyful existence. Everything is so good. So right. So fresh. And, we've finally earned the name of our residence - for all is well on Pleasant Drive.