tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18104099001309952462024-03-14T02:34:14.360-07:00This is [our] life.chris, melissa, zeppelinMelissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-26953127341448324182011-01-03T11:39:00.000-08:002011-01-06T10:34:07.708-08:00It's The Most Wonderful Time of The YearIt has been waaay too long since I've posted. I know. Don't worry. I will be better this year! The past few months have been crazy! I hosted Thanksgiving for both my family and Chris's family. It was a great time of fellowship and really good food (if I do say so myself!).<br /><br /><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">The "adult" table</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lSJKcyaOZarDh7rtqfOa69XtKYFiF_G4rkVFk14qDks1BtyhsZI7VavOARjxgogMXmI9DyPTNGnIbfJjC3vYlgwxDpwjFVoXl_2TlIIiDNdeEWg5L-3aIFsze4bmsRlXBI35EFD8EAI4/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558360523757048994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lSJKcyaOZarDh7rtqfOa69XtKYFiF_G4rkVFk14qDks1BtyhsZI7VavOARjxgogMXmI9DyPTNGnIbfJjC3vYlgwxDpwjFVoXl_2TlIIiDNdeEWg5L-3aIFsze4bmsRlXBI35EFD8EAI4/s320/IMG_0846.JPG" /></a><br />The "Kid" Table - We are all kinda wondering when we get to graduate to the adult table, since the youngest person at the table was 20!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJC_CnT_oDw0OWxMFAGSG9An25XjWYYGm-3hHPJcM0GG4HL79ftg8xM3oLHhSZWfvVhuhdFyQTEfyrQ759OYYx2-XVkK-xfNRrZoRe0n626ahWahLt25UxXZaqylwtHpGDLwO76om_xqeQ/s1600/IMG_0848.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558360519640451698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJC_CnT_oDw0OWxMFAGSG9An25XjWYYGm-3hHPJcM0GG4HL79ftg8xM3oLHhSZWfvVhuhdFyQTEfyrQ759OYYx2-XVkK-xfNRrZoRe0n626ahWahLt25UxXZaqylwtHpGDLwO76om_xqeQ/s320/IMG_0848.JPG" /></a><br />Super cute decorations<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4mXxPR9RYbiiJ1WCDn-VAlO_uUwhZe3yS9TT6oTOtC6rb_SCgngGnZggcPouqfYC_yrGuBq5_rgGLZiJLEF7PFQ0bwMgd1Vi3b17emv8QQgUhMSQWqa20l__iAxG_h-FPKkc66b13jzd/s1600/IMG_0849.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558359811961933410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4mXxPR9RYbiiJ1WCDn-VAlO_uUwhZe3yS9TT6oTOtC6rb_SCgngGnZggcPouqfYC_yrGuBq5_rgGLZiJLEF7PFQ0bwMgd1Vi3b17emv8QQgUhMSQWqa20l__iAxG_h-FPKkc66b13jzd/s320/IMG_0849.JPG" /></a> Matt (Chris's Brother) and Zeppelin<br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYaA_ugUGDQJ8DYfAEEXaO92GQGx79BCWYDEXct_7v0eQxss070XVurHcCJ1yX5eKzqM4SRyq9wMlGkLYMuGbT6KM-Co4II6pUbQHDPhQkJK6UuOGddzV7hZ9D1t_2URYJuFXslqDUKg3/s1600/IMG_0856.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558359808876031074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYaA_ugUGDQJ8DYfAEEXaO92GQGx79BCWYDEXct_7v0eQxss070XVurHcCJ1yX5eKzqM4SRyq9wMlGkLYMuGbT6KM-Co4II6pUbQHDPhQkJK6UuOGddzV7hZ9D1t_2URYJuFXslqDUKg3/s320/IMG_0856.JPG" /></a> During the first week of December, I had the privilege to go with Kim to the Ladies Christmas Tea at her church. It is a great time of Christian fellowship and all the tables are decorated for Christmas and are all different! It was a really fun day!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70QBXyJyGgCRBTlR-dMjGB6pjf0fGuvx_MMhdHP41f220vjoYJQsMlawVOoSF1xatXA7lyGm5Sjs_ASg5kfRTD-cIBJkpioZUr0UOnzMrK1YnqfRMUbkH2lRS8-iEhNq3PyUwbKJ2-M0l/s1600/IMG_0862.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558359803729516370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70QBXyJyGgCRBTlR-dMjGB6pjf0fGuvx_MMhdHP41f220vjoYJQsMlawVOoSF1xatXA7lyGm5Sjs_ASg5kfRTD-cIBJkpioZUr0UOnzMrK1YnqfRMUbkH2lRS8-iEhNq3PyUwbKJ2-M0l/s320/IMG_0862.JPG" /></a> During December I made the decision to take a few weeks off work and spend them in Nashville with my family. It was a great relaxing time and I enjoyed being able to help my mom with so many things around the house. I cooked dinner every night, did lots of laundry, and spent some quality time with my grandparents, parents, and sister. During this time I also did a lot of soul searching and really focused on getting back to the basics with Christ. I am really excited to share some of the upcoming changes in my life, but that will be a later post. One night my mom, dad, and I went to Opryland Hotel to see all the Christmas lights. It is soooo pretty!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFvvnM8I37fpYZyKcukg6LGUUv37iix8pmSeHdhGqYcPRI0XBxvZIOgrJFeY64l2iJ1MuBqQecwCIvx-GFh4U9ocgIyQx_zkF0bQCqBZx3HfOkwaGGNnkSMSLn3TRVXoXvulNFfxz7StP/s1600/IMG_0869.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558359801976457010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFvvnM8I37fpYZyKcukg6LGUUv37iix8pmSeHdhGqYcPRI0XBxvZIOgrJFeY64l2iJ1MuBqQecwCIvx-GFh4U9ocgIyQx_zkF0bQCqBZx3HfOkwaGGNnkSMSLn3TRVXoXvulNFfxz7StP/s320/IMG_0869.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCBacZBgX5cwiRBp9grvLK8GPdsQ0L7APdwv6ZS2qebSTYsMwEc3Mh9xTTF_zfyHnF0R6Rk5IkhIRwuvjz8pQ6a5cn0hAGIh17CSCBPY7g86eujALFc230DQ4LYVbvCfE6dMhRStAYLKx/s1600/IMG_0876.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558359799025011218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCBacZBgX5cwiRBp9grvLK8GPdsQ0L7APdwv6ZS2qebSTYsMwEc3Mh9xTTF_zfyHnF0R6Rk5IkhIRwuvjz8pQ6a5cn0hAGIh17CSCBPY7g86eujALFc230DQ4LYVbvCfE6dMhRStAYLKx/s320/IMG_0876.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZNVnxWnAFLQQDzUkOqzXhxSPpWbcXqB_0NjMJd5nyTxglbg3mmIMKDyhSI0v3QHyyG05NZf9XlPq8ZwQ5oMON1MZDiEb8Cc8ph41Vs-qDzGT9a0K1HIS6PTSjP-JEDEy0AxW3poVZ3sm/s1600/IMG_0879.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558358192355139298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZNVnxWnAFLQQDzUkOqzXhxSPpWbcXqB_0NjMJd5nyTxglbg3mmIMKDyhSI0v3QHyyG05NZf9XlPq8ZwQ5oMON1MZDiEb8Cc8ph41Vs-qDzGT9a0K1HIS6PTSjP-JEDEy0AxW3poVZ3sm/s320/IMG_0879.JPG" /></a> For the first time in 4 years, I was home for Michelle's birthday! It was great to celebrate her special day with her!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtTb8S5l3nRi7umsS-sg7ZyYV5lMo5JoUFcAC21mRcLrLBtidppwYf5LSW2kB8PxW_qV-5jyHGo6NSg-K_pxEDDvbpHl0dMcARdzMNUt6qdcjeI_QjUJIfvJa2fbRKgBj_TLP0s1hda-h/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558358186278710818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtTb8S5l3nRi7umsS-sg7ZyYV5lMo5JoUFcAC21mRcLrLBtidppwYf5LSW2kB8PxW_qV-5jyHGo6NSg-K_pxEDDvbpHl0dMcARdzMNUt6qdcjeI_QjUJIfvJa2fbRKgBj_TLP0s1hda-h/s320/IMG_0882.JPG" /></a> Michelle had found this awesome cake that had a filling in the shape of a heart. Her and mom started making it, ended up needing my help, and we learned alot about cooking this cake! Most importantly, purple food coloring and white frosting do NOT equal blue! Hahaha! It tasted really good though.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVCu1NtVVXnXZexLHUcgGZ4Paz2cv1lbp0ioc87pWcw4EDPeykpAxBOkWg7mcsZHwQqleC7qsFUPp7fKWf7KWclRG8xByBEEyCgFiLvNlLg8V5iWFQo-dEmN3ycchIasQeLgSA8WakNIO/s1600/IMG_0885.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558358181795865234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVCu1NtVVXnXZexLHUcgGZ4Paz2cv1lbp0ioc87pWcw4EDPeykpAxBOkWg7mcsZHwQqleC7qsFUPp7fKWf7KWclRG8xByBEEyCgFiLvNlLg8V5iWFQo-dEmN3ycchIasQeLgSA8WakNIO/s320/IMG_0885.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKHPN5yvS0XuXDr2yBue22HsAqiOKe4c158YG7wT14X9rNrXqz6hcGsLpJAX_Gp_U-ryqwuKLcrhDTkoQ_XHnOdJAX5dpYIke2LVbG6oXIrwdshTg-Q1hHt6mF5boCqs4R8bNpLOikbQ7/s1600/IMG_0893.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558358175113132258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKHPN5yvS0XuXDr2yBue22HsAqiOKe4c158YG7wT14X9rNrXqz6hcGsLpJAX_Gp_U-ryqwuKLcrhDTkoQ_XHnOdJAX5dpYIke2LVbG6oXIrwdshTg-Q1hHt6mF5boCqs4R8bNpLOikbQ7/s320/IMG_0893.JPG" /></a><br />Chris and I spent Christmas Eve with his family. We had a great day of food, laughs, and presents!</div><div> </div><div align="center">Chris and Matt with some presents</div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdNoOmiBwVv2AT-zHlite_LpjkBxAfOlEf3VadzuaXfT80BuJ7Mr5sYLkrT-poauVd5idQyvm33Wv8eqDTg7vQGsjPJcHnoY-2ZC6mT8c2ypwLMI9rjYDN025Fst76ArYzbxvyspJQZua/s1600/IMG_0894.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558358171174830626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdNoOmiBwVv2AT-zHlite_LpjkBxAfOlEf3VadzuaXfT80BuJ7Mr5sYLkrT-poauVd5idQyvm33Wv8eqDTg7vQGsjPJcHnoY-2ZC6mT8c2ypwLMI9rjYDN025Fst76ArYzbxvyspJQZua/s320/IMG_0894.JPG" /></a> We drove to Nashville to spend Christmas with my family. We woke up to a white Christmas!</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2Nb7RyJtyrN3X3rWYtB7Flp27fAhXv11GYNmWMnkev-yB2acEC7JdcV0NK1CQ7unkjDMJcDvzuK36W0BnpftxmBUmQV1dT6sZqAg7NyBungDrUqYaRVP2Dd0161vSZW-7DDDc5D7uSsM/s1600/IMG_0906.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558356303884295218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2Nb7RyJtyrN3X3rWYtB7Flp27fAhXv11GYNmWMnkev-yB2acEC7JdcV0NK1CQ7unkjDMJcDvzuK36W0BnpftxmBUmQV1dT6sZqAg7NyBungDrUqYaRVP2Dd0161vSZW-7DDDc5D7uSsM/s320/IMG_0906.JPG" /></a>Zeppelin in his jingle bell collar. He loved it.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHHTm4K_YSNt2XBQ41N1-km9e9h4r91qGxJqMOqvbBPefwe195tVZb-ixhKi842WdQKrvx82zWD0Dtdn86FCJHa3BOezXRmC7_w71Fx_9I8M_xaz0ltjvwsllfLqTHWQF78w6b2zV0yGs/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558356297476049506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHHTm4K_YSNt2XBQ41N1-km9e9h4r91qGxJqMOqvbBPefwe195tVZb-ixhKi842WdQKrvx82zWD0Dtdn86FCJHa3BOezXRmC7_w71Fx_9I8M_xaz0ltjvwsllfLqTHWQF78w6b2zV0yGs/s320/IMG_0904.JPG" /></a> Zeppelin was actually really good! He laid down and slept during most of the present opening. Much better than last year!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfL88_NPJxOoyGb4QhX_GbwYcYbKHbEtaJkzkJcYAFQVBwP8kyiEjPFLmduimYZ5bE6yIcA3OapHjua8huzPBqxMn9RgKsmdWr-uHc55_PuiAyReFDb3NGzWunrNmmRoxf3pmwKXrAv2E/s1600/IMG_0909.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558356292093812850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfL88_NPJxOoyGb4QhX_GbwYcYbKHbEtaJkzkJcYAFQVBwP8kyiEjPFLmduimYZ5bE6yIcA3OapHjua8huzPBqxMn9RgKsmdWr-uHc55_PuiAyReFDb3NGzWunrNmmRoxf3pmwKXrAv2E/s320/IMG_0909.JPG" /></a>Opening awesome new dishes from Grandparents<br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6IMf-R-XDbmYf6l6T70swJawu1XIjABrLIP-uqfRlOFENVDIJQkFAMzzbtCpjKxUZuco3rOw1K-20baXOTj0CXfsXykvcG5H69ZS3eZ0sqdbGgGtJvBQN78UtZbriAQKHWjuiMVAOW6i/s1600/IMG_0920.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558356290568508674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6IMf-R-XDbmYf6l6T70swJawu1XIjABrLIP-uqfRlOFENVDIJQkFAMzzbtCpjKxUZuco3rOw1K-20baXOTj0CXfsXykvcG5H69ZS3eZ0sqdbGgGtJvBQN78UtZbriAQKHWjuiMVAOW6i/s320/IMG_0920.JPG" /></a> On my birthday, Mom and Michelle came down to spend the day with me. I don't know why I don't have any pictures, but don't you worry. I will find them. I also got to see my BEST FRIEND who lives super far away in Michigan. It was great to get to see her!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLO747H_gMOb1ESTCrP4m0wiAa9uheNHo66zl6LlimK2Jhm6TtUK4L_YN5T0YlLoWihCfSJAXrVaCePOaoYoUaR4xEI0VGkSSDxBb6JBfLsDTfWVMvmSCF_pSeuN5KzYVJmGKTjUoF_DGY/s1600/IMG_0924.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558356283386300002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLO747H_gMOb1ESTCrP4m0wiAa9uheNHo66zl6LlimK2Jhm6TtUK4L_YN5T0YlLoWihCfSJAXrVaCePOaoYoUaR4xEI0VGkSSDxBb6JBfLsDTfWVMvmSCF_pSeuN5KzYVJmGKTjUoF_DGY/s320/IMG_0924.JPG" /></a> I am so thankful for all of the time I got to spend with friends and family this Christmas season. I know that God has great plans for 2011 and I can't wait to see where He takes me!<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-74833115346374392262010-11-11T07:25:00.000-08:002010-11-11T07:53:12.661-08:00YoYo, YoYo, A Tasty Pumpkin TreatPrepare yourself. This might be the yummiest fall treat on the planet. Yeah, its that good. Pumpkin <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">YoYo's</span>. Or Pumpkin <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Whoopie</span> Pies. Call them what you want, they are the perfect fall treat.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHCAFt83Ot6RnG5gquYu9LgIIeFlmsav4oj5LtRhKg0lkYqdry4RNk4FTwCsOIPO0P64sD4zeujUynYxtU-sqcp446thVEdcbKNAAe4EtRAjixEqwOS2s9lQD12xJ6RkapEgEhpiXfJx2/s1600/IMG_0819.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538315755631400594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHCAFt83Ot6RnG5gquYu9LgIIeFlmsav4oj5LtRhKg0lkYqdry4RNk4FTwCsOIPO0P64sD4zeujUynYxtU-sqcp446thVEdcbKNAAe4EtRAjixEqwOS2s9lQD12xJ6RkapEgEhpiXfJx2/s320/IMG_0819.JPG" /></a> I had a very handy helper! He made them from start to finish, with help from me of course! He was a great sport and we both enjoyed making them and spending time together.</div><br /><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Yc_jcsDNcANeIzYrLKdk1RBQ-r4nV8AArZYBskyoLO2WkeDi8QF1aXCxX7J3ZIabCxMzSsEBf4tPIiP3bS2vovQ52L9XxYCVMRqasM8nkMQruUVXF-lKI9kLmQmZH11wJrInxMvFN5ZK/s1600/IMG_0820.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538315753561264850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Yc_jcsDNcANeIzYrLKdk1RBQ-r4nV8AArZYBskyoLO2WkeDi8QF1aXCxX7J3ZIabCxMzSsEBf4tPIiP3bS2vovQ52L9XxYCVMRqasM8nkMQruUVXF-lKI9kLmQmZH11wJrInxMvFN5ZK/s320/IMG_0820.JPG" /></a> Looking yummy...hurry up and bake!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3ZPnGAGLjfg2k4YqXGi48klUdTr3QTbOUqOFndxX_nb-KZ0IqStsfZendBHm_qxGQg7kfmqRbr8bsWl0Y3pj4tJefwW22-Ygk9otePTBkmOSliyjS4i6K3wGR2fvOhLYyfQL5jZIGPLl/s1600/IMG_0825.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538315742151845250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3ZPnGAGLjfg2k4YqXGi48klUdTr3QTbOUqOFndxX_nb-KZ0IqStsfZendBHm_qxGQg7kfmqRbr8bsWl0Y3pj4tJefwW22-Ygk9otePTBkmOSliyjS4i6K3wGR2fvOhLYyfQL5jZIGPLl/s320/IMG_0825.JPG" /></a> Cooling down. We made ours too big. WHEN I make them again, they will be smaller so there will be plenty more to enjoy.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUC9EXW9YzEIgKgThXNYFaHzs5WFzRXyyiGPkPk1Hz7ChQowGscW3tcJV6hqlQafSmU66LwSuR4Ch-AzykRCvp1gis7PUqr54cwVuHbvSJ4msGWZyrIlhNMG66aDs-EjQwHjCEN0EC8TA/s1600/IMG_0826.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538315736687858498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUC9EXW9YzEIgKgThXNYFaHzs5WFzRXyyiGPkPk1Hz7ChQowGscW3tcJV6hqlQafSmU66LwSuR4Ch-AzykRCvp1gis7PUqr54cwVuHbvSJ4msGWZyrIlhNMG66aDs-EjQwHjCEN0EC8TA/s320/IMG_0826.JPG" /></a> Make the Cream Cheese filling and put on cookie! Check. I'm good at that!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CJB9RCBdkftFYWlO0qcgJpOSGYlHqV5skT_Dgwk-PXt8iJuk1f4RkJjEGyKL8nEWJvub6LOnJuWSU_jB291svO8X898a-r0UDtjsnl9lKhJNMoFbpchfwOE-qVE-FegOgj-qJq-JpSo3/s1600/IMG_0842.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538315730812571442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CJB9RCBdkftFYWlO0qcgJpOSGYlHqV5skT_Dgwk-PXt8iJuk1f4RkJjEGyKL8nEWJvub6LOnJuWSU_jB291svO8X898a-r0UDtjsnl9lKhJNMoFbpchfwOE-qVE-FegOgj-qJq-JpSo3/s320/IMG_0842.JPG" /></a> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Smush</span> two cookies together and Voila! A sweet little taste of Heaven.</div><div></div><div align="left">I'm sure you are dying for the recipe. Not so sure I want to share it...just kidding. Get to baking these treats! I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">guarantee</span> they will not disappoint!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Pumpkin <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">YoYo's</span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="left">Pumpkin Cookies</div><div align="left">-2 eggs</div><div align="left">-2 cups brown sugar</div><div align="left">-1 cup oil</div><div align="left">-1 tsp. vanilla extract</div><div align="left">-1 can pumpkin</div><div align="left">-3 cups flour</div><div align="left">-1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon</div><div align="left">-1/2 tsp. cloves</div><div align="left">-1/2 tsp. ground ginger (I left this ingredient out and they were still amazing)</div><div align="left">-1 tsp. baking powder</div><div align="left">-1 tsp. baking soda</div><div align="left">-3/4 tsp. salt</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Cream Cheese Filling</div><div align="left">-4 oz. cream cheese, softened</div><div align="left">-1/2 cup butter, softened</div><div align="left">-2 tsp. vanilla</div><div align="left">-4-5 cups powdered sugar</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">.</div><div align="left">Beat eggs, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pumpkin. Add spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat again. Add flour and beat until smooth.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">.</div><div align="left">Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">ungreased</span> cookie sheets and flatten slightly. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.</div><div align="left">.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Filling: Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time until frosting is thick, but spreadable.</div><div align="left">.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">After cookies have cooled completely, spread a generous amount of cream cheese filling on one, and top with a second cookie. </div><div align="left">.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Happy Baking!</div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-21607443709927956642010-11-04T10:38:00.000-07:002010-11-04T13:16:41.069-07:00Built to LastThis past weekend, Chris and I had the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">privilege</span> of going to see my cousin Adam get married. His bride, Anna, was absolutely stunning and their love for each other was so evident. The music for the wedding was perfect and I am so glad that we got to spend time with all of my family and be there for such an important occasion. It was definitely a long drive, but my super sweet man did majority of the driving!!!!<br /><br />On Thursday, we spend the day in Nashville with my grandparents. It was so good to get to spend some time with them and just relax. Then on Friday we got up early and headed out for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Collinsville</span> (near St. Louis). We spent some time with my family before heading to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rehearsal</span>.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIay4egb9Iw1Lz2DgXI6Nrr8UbYP5KMzpsxOszX0nx1oQIBSm0aOAe2g377WuUiJ41851gCVYOYLPXWKQhlR3asV2RfkGo3NjUfZqNCz1VWM76sGOCKGu3Nz2si6tNXOcfLo9AHJ8BmfFO/s1600/IMG_0770.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535771869772501474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIay4egb9Iw1Lz2DgXI6Nrr8UbYP5KMzpsxOszX0nx1oQIBSm0aOAe2g377WuUiJ41851gCVYOYLPXWKQhlR3asV2RfkGo3NjUfZqNCz1VWM76sGOCKGu3Nz2si6tNXOcfLo9AHJ8BmfFO/s320/IMG_0770.JPG" /></a> Chris and I at the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rehearsal</span>.</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgq6tARcwrKPZSwV7a1fVZcMItKkhiQ6W4x0In7exTlm2bx6M5EcsLS2ycqUcGlAGePL_V-X6Aq-9itkt3Br9LDYMTUzDZHY3wg2mFNhqYoCPDDl6ih0p-6340HMAvvDVj5J2UmX6ProV/s1600/IMG_0771.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535771866851259026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgq6tARcwrKPZSwV7a1fVZcMItKkhiQ6W4x0In7exTlm2bx6M5EcsLS2ycqUcGlAGePL_V-X6Aq-9itkt3Br9LDYMTUzDZHY3wg2mFNhqYoCPDDl6ih0p-6340HMAvvDVj5J2UmX6ProV/s320/IMG_0771.JPG" /></a> Mom and Michelle<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS02K45ZxZ7YnpHIuVC-rh1FmI1jtb1mmzVoVjmWHbhHEKcm53ZPH1ueXrPjWaq9eWWKwYHn2MxyNYfJG-TYsmmQAQO85fjihRr8Io7jRMLd-3oPtNQd1aYCt72uy_7BZVq94jXBI5V6hK/s1600/IMG_0777.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535771857676853890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS02K45ZxZ7YnpHIuVC-rh1FmI1jtb1mmzVoVjmWHbhHEKcm53ZPH1ueXrPjWaq9eWWKwYHn2MxyNYfJG-TYsmmQAQO85fjihRr8Io7jRMLd-3oPtNQd1aYCt72uy_7BZVq94jXBI5V6hK/s320/IMG_0777.JPG" /></a> The entertainment! I'm so impressed that no one cried. Uncle Gary started out with the sweetest song called "I'll Be Here" by Steven Curtis <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Chapman</span>. Then my dad played guitar and Uncle Gary, Uncle David, and Aunt Sheri sang "My Wish" by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rascall</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flatts</span> and then Aunt Sheri and Uncle David sang "When God Made You." The songs were are so perfect and the music was gorgeous!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HnDUh_pvvFe5-Hbgcy2CczTQvypfZNvWP02-2Q8_tIy9TQGL5ybsMJ7S9uH3-S7puXVbpAnP5G6hFNSMLzSQ4SLVfAquuIiLvz3k4b0Hoh9Y8sb4EGqVA0EuawOPOSnk-GmG_n5S5B6S/s1600/IMG_0785.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535771852046398338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HnDUh_pvvFe5-Hbgcy2CczTQvypfZNvWP02-2Q8_tIy9TQGL5ybsMJ7S9uH3-S7puXVbpAnP5G6hFNSMLzSQ4SLVfAquuIiLvz3k4b0Hoh9Y8sb4EGqVA0EuawOPOSnk-GmG_n5S5B6S/s320/IMG_0785.JPG" /></a> The Bride and Groom ~ They wrote their own vows and Adam sang Anna a song with his vows.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tmEpe4O0asK_ftuC0VdFp2RbT03CR6CHhvP83jkVu7nrVUnc0thVKa8KB4YQ19xusJvsnckShyntwWeUdxRXPHFgJtbX-COijfqoRlMW_DtC7f7qqhBym_FevTbd5AX6bNilpHZwni_A/s1600/IMG_0789.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535769936146526962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tmEpe4O0asK_ftuC0VdFp2RbT03CR6CHhvP83jkVu7nrVUnc0thVKa8KB4YQ19xusJvsnckShyntwWeUdxRXPHFgJtbX-COijfqoRlMW_DtC7f7qqhBym_FevTbd5AX6bNilpHZwni_A/s320/IMG_0789.JPG" /></a> Wedding Day! I love my daddy!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwUV0Av0Bp5-Lgl2eri8dYKYpEZtcWMXNyzLu9oZ2uq-lAeItqgOhu2yospD9PioNsOZmUdQxZPsr6DuAJmRU4D1Q8X4PyBCLySzoH49ChRIVBVdXUlKsMPKLNs_NPC-gMaEfekW1TqnR/s1600/IMG_0790.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535769930765651698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwUV0Av0Bp5-Lgl2eri8dYKYpEZtcWMXNyzLu9oZ2uq-lAeItqgOhu2yospD9PioNsOZmUdQxZPsr6DuAJmRU4D1Q8X4PyBCLySzoH49ChRIVBVdXUlKsMPKLNs_NPC-gMaEfekW1TqnR/s320/IMG_0790.JPG" /></a> My perfect family. (I picked out mom's pretty dress)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2-4a1lNL1-Lg6gjjQyYeNw_UKUn0Y3f5wx4EPa3FfvjsxnnZBHCN05ldLyKbjG8S5y6ZLTmEOtnO5At03JAzx0PZXVUwBcmSDrCHYqRARU6G0ok5a9ay_088a4oIccxtjoy1AbQjv6dY/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535769925458027426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2-4a1lNL1-Lg6gjjQyYeNw_UKUn0Y3f5wx4EPa3FfvjsxnnZBHCN05ldLyKbjG8S5y6ZLTmEOtnO5At03JAzx0PZXVUwBcmSDrCHYqRARU6G0ok5a9ay_088a4oIccxtjoy1AbQjv6dY/s320/IMG_0793.JPG" /></a> Mr. and Mrs. Adam Linnell<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZAetbpZEETlCbnAtaLjrOPYgvLD7ZVzPlItD9MJsTy5mZNni2sTHssv2aMFy3fmysjPI_7on6X67d_SlaEh6BrUntMIKfA6EI9FPOx5xDMnj5l05uZfwFJ0EB-HSC34g5IBjpsQc2CMK/s1600/IMG_0796.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535769918334768706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZAetbpZEETlCbnAtaLjrOPYgvLD7ZVzPlItD9MJsTy5mZNni2sTHssv2aMFy3fmysjPI_7on6X67d_SlaEh6BrUntMIKfA6EI9FPOx5xDMnj5l05uZfwFJ0EB-HSC34g5IBjpsQc2CMK/s320/IMG_0796.JPG" /></a> I am so glad he came too!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2KmZDOsF99WKKofqepay_afxQhywDz0LNoluF_9UZI0yfGdAGwQUf_0XklH_aBVr1-pHzXP4r4SWmzf6_9ark3Grp_jABPZN7Kg032kBqoab9ZUVxd8sJtm-xGPAGvwHG7Ekl5WMYfTk/s1600/IMG_0799.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535763556505851218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2KmZDOsF99WKKofqepay_afxQhywDz0LNoluF_9UZI0yfGdAGwQUf_0XklH_aBVr1-pHzXP4r4SWmzf6_9ark3Grp_jABPZN7Kg032kBqoab9ZUVxd8sJtm-xGPAGvwHG7Ekl5WMYfTk/s320/IMG_0799.JPG" /></a> Trying to get a Christmas picture.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvsRkXR0gYGPZHUTJ8dKa67IQl3CKDxUPJf_qB-4Kp8WZp4Drh8O3f5LsxDx6fEfFbK0194_-d0Ic_BkBn-vd0DJ6KrekhNJjV9xeTU5XBVKehli1WoCAiEMmp9TFWZZiDeOOy5byC7-/s1600/IMG_0800.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535763539993192002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvsRkXR0gYGPZHUTJ8dKa67IQl3CKDxUPJf_qB-4Kp8WZp4Drh8O3f5LsxDx6fEfFbK0194_-d0Ic_BkBn-vd0DJ6KrekhNJjV9xeTU5XBVKehli1WoCAiEMmp9TFWZZiDeOOy5byC7-/s320/IMG_0800.JPG" /></a>Dad, Michelle, and I with Aunt Sheri and Uncle Gary.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMOTQlm-EuuALeDmuRITNnBBSgCQmkIrVXiwVfYaQ3yRkuO86h97wfqc-d-Ar4T3RIKA6mlc3Yp3GZJOan5UAVVXjRNpp00DM6q8mGMsCDxhdWOLX1MezBLMcV9EOQXMrZNITE1XoC3Kg/s1600/IMG_0801.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535763527143910706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMOTQlm-EuuALeDmuRITNnBBSgCQmkIrVXiwVfYaQ3yRkuO86h97wfqc-d-Ar4T3RIKA6mlc3Yp3GZJOan5UAVVXjRNpp00DM6q8mGMsCDxhdWOLX1MezBLMcV9EOQXMrZNITE1XoC3Kg/s320/IMG_0801.JPG" /></a> LOVE HER!!!! Andrea was so pretty!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiqM2NzmB0_2oxc84rmI2p8oRKHtgnt0OUyfb7brPVY-gNL88TMob5VY9kHruDO60AtQ3059AiAjYK3Veh_xCjZj1WtG6A-7BpggSOI-3U87ma0Bj5MNGYPR3jBVdbzjXq6uU3Uz7DzT6/s1600/IMG_0805.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535763521049588866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiqM2NzmB0_2oxc84rmI2p8oRKHtgnt0OUyfb7brPVY-gNL88TMob5VY9kHruDO60AtQ3059AiAjYK3Veh_xCjZj1WtG6A-7BpggSOI-3U87ma0Bj5MNGYPR3jBVdbzjXq6uU3Uz7DzT6/s320/IMG_0805.JPG" /></a> Papaw and his kiddos<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZYkrXFgRoHV8-O8xCbg8PP4GKWAu7n5NTsYFNU5CGxTZ0sB9rMKC4ES1qSI0sddc2VDT5sWqvxjwXUEUc61ONtAXb7px8xkhyxhGVbrtktH7YVe2VAyzj5BXXdAppTy3MyxPLEfCH3lS/s1600/IMG_0806.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535753029515426962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZYkrXFgRoHV8-O8xCbg8PP4GKWAu7n5NTsYFNU5CGxTZ0sB9rMKC4ES1qSI0sddc2VDT5sWqvxjwXUEUc61ONtAXb7px8xkhyxhGVbrtktH7YVe2VAyzj5BXXdAppTy3MyxPLEfCH3lS/s320/IMG_0806.JPG" /></a> One of the most precious men alive. I will be the luckiest girl ever if I marry someone half as awesome as he is. He made sure to call <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mamaw</span> all weekend and was so excited to get back to take her out to lunch. Too cute!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB4GGiAe_-FUW5GnWBU4SuAEZUoWMmEcWXUs_wYvS6XjkewSSEMO1ulgpNubT11lKivHQR_CC3tdl1AnmHrbno982SpzBHQIZhwqn_hgJZxMOWzEZIznebE-9c5tISWskXSB2yzImPZB9/s1600/IMG_0808.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535753020023798706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB4GGiAe_-FUW5GnWBU4SuAEZUoWMmEcWXUs_wYvS6XjkewSSEMO1ulgpNubT11lKivHQR_CC3tdl1AnmHrbno982SpzBHQIZhwqn_hgJZxMOWzEZIznebE-9c5tISWskXSB2yzImPZB9/s320/IMG_0808.JPG" /></a> They kinda rock for making me!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE8SXr7wkAxf3679QCerOaiYYQx8mt6l9Tpg4LIlR32JVIs5RRDuU7GfPqIhEr5506n8WV6Y_Ug6LZ1Oyb1U6Q8h9LmcuatzKW4gOSrZofj2fO2uiz9g_1wMLHWYb0Q1fhZB64hqGnhjn/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535753012945542258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE8SXr7wkAxf3679QCerOaiYYQx8mt6l9Tpg4LIlR32JVIs5RRDuU7GfPqIhEr5506n8WV6Y_Ug6LZ1Oyb1U6Q8h9LmcuatzKW4gOSrZofj2fO2uiz9g_1wMLHWYb0Q1fhZB64hqGnhjn/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" /></a> Adam and Anna did most of the reception themselves. It was so pretty! Aunt Sheri made 300 cupcakes that were amazing. I helped frost a few of them. We had a blast making a mess at 5:30am.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkMVGdBypc-YWQGo8J5ZFNmxNi0Q3DNHQ0ROioNIQNOBThyVHum8JU8s847iToKEwbtR4QnbndPii1SHpQ0jXNkouvV7NXSdhPYXAGSqrBOHD87sRBRuoJJaEzVsJ9-KYNiXzLGgK6XAZ/s1600/IMG_0813.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535753010704036546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkMVGdBypc-YWQGo8J5ZFNmxNi0Q3DNHQ0ROioNIQNOBThyVHum8JU8s847iToKEwbtR4QnbndPii1SHpQ0jXNkouvV7NXSdhPYXAGSqrBOHD87sRBRuoJJaEzVsJ9-KYNiXzLGgK6XAZ/s320/IMG_0813.JPG" /></a> Two Beautiful <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mommys</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCGnyTgY8EEhiLYYwgOd-jrf8eqRawa_qaSaKhXL8k4UkvWbodOfD76vrEpFTc06S9zzxQiOa8Iopksub2Shcb-hlsRfYrrfwmPwRiBoy89D2Cq1yPzEBGk0n1J3E0SxjnspNv62ojDS6/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535753004082672626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCGnyTgY8EEhiLYYwgOd-jrf8eqRawa_qaSaKhXL8k4UkvWbodOfD76vrEpFTc06S9zzxQiOa8Iopksub2Shcb-hlsRfYrrfwmPwRiBoy89D2Cq1yPzEBGk0n1J3E0SxjnspNv62ojDS6/s320/IMG_0815.JPG" /></a> So happy for them!</div><div> </div><div align="left">I am so blessed to have such an amazing family. I am happy that Chris was able to come and meet them and I realize more and more how lucky I really am. It was a perfect weekend!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-57220235119102104172010-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:002010-10-20T11:02:11.168-07:00Pumpkin Carving FoolsChris and I decided to carve our first pumpkin together. For some reason or another, we didn't carve one last year, but this is definitely a tradition we want to keep up! Chris was like a little kid in a candy store, and was adament that the pumpkin needed to look "perfect." Which means he ended up fixing a bunch of the places I cut out because apparently, I am no good at pumpkin carving. Who knew!?!?! Haha! Zeppelin enjoyed being outside with us and barking at the pretty fall leaves blowing around in the wind. He was great, and mostly sat on his chain, just like in this picture.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlrj0-89Nim-KwQS2HHQBbGYzbXe8Hr-nW8_DdV7ZzoDPf0V1nCFPYjC79XqyjDdJ3j9E1M5nXEs2kk9HX1lYOxBAR5hMlYj6WArq7s2BQVZzG4iw9OJmsM9qqQmCB4eE9vn2zKhr-joE/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530188258956612834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlrj0-89Nim-KwQS2HHQBbGYzbXe8Hr-nW8_DdV7ZzoDPf0V1nCFPYjC79XqyjDdJ3j9E1M5nXEs2kk9HX1lYOxBAR5hMlYj6WArq7s2BQVZzG4iw9OJmsM9qqQmCB4eE9vn2zKhr-joE/s400/IMG_0761.JPG" /></a> Have you ever seen a cuter puppy?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjboD7yUEmC_r1OPL6opr9s_Fz9Yi-JnANBr-Oz4eXcEMuQ_ngsyMm3SxA43p9XLQ8oPfRsVsvj706BOY1IxSelgEA2RGiKd9-Mc9YmVIeZ_fFucE80pYpDt92O_lVXUVqbkiI_EcQ11M/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530188250011982114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjboD7yUEmC_r1OPL6opr9s_Fz9Yi-JnANBr-Oz4eXcEMuQ_ngsyMm3SxA43p9XLQ8oPfRsVsvj706BOY1IxSelgEA2RGiKd9-Mc9YmVIeZ_fFucE80pYpDt92O_lVXUVqbkiI_EcQ11M/s400/IMG_0751.JPG" /></a> Our "Perfect" pumpkin before surgery<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVuTFuLWkAj8MLtnFDyiX9yeg90TQDx1RE2PRXA3qz7c5L8REMbE66tg4N-Nu4JqNed88xS5Iugg-__VLKVJGzLmdQi8IbJ5Qv9t0K8I79ynGrYTa361x2xzzu5GecH4hldBLLKKCefba/s1600/IMG_0752.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530186441559786642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVuTFuLWkAj8MLtnFDyiX9yeg90TQDx1RE2PRXA3qz7c5L8REMbE66tg4N-Nu4JqNed88xS5Iugg-__VLKVJGzLmdQi8IbJ5Qv9t0K8I79ynGrYTa361x2xzzu5GecH4hldBLLKKCefba/s400/IMG_0752.JPG" /></a> Chris took care of most of the guts, cause I don't like to get my hands messy :)<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnJcsRdhB_i12aDJphePQoyHZD_dh5_JQAHsJ14lCO9nZb7bA07a86PUz5vw1RB1siyOfQmi0WvcYQe_3AfatwnlR7rrFKn4yKssYulHQw27zSOVopbqtSLSwBEpLWlZLwigNNcdxgAFA/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530186437527181058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnJcsRdhB_i12aDJphePQoyHZD_dh5_JQAHsJ14lCO9nZb7bA07a86PUz5vw1RB1siyOfQmi0WvcYQe_3AfatwnlR7rrFKn4yKssYulHQw27zSOVopbqtSLSwBEpLWlZLwigNNcdxgAFA/s400/IMG_0755.JPG" /></a> He was really excited he got to carve the mouth.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqLjlYuIzn523i-uyhwaCn0c8UFjWUi405f_A_HsmFZZNmELLTS_D36VeCt0XCdNlEtDcIbKifye3GxY3pRXNXc7EnCqgLLjfiuKEq3V4-pN1abdFpZ5tP0nV1BEEX5Cx4EvCKv1isKsv/s1600/IMG_0763.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530186428125286002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqLjlYuIzn523i-uyhwaCn0c8UFjWUi405f_A_HsmFZZNmELLTS_D36VeCt0XCdNlEtDcIbKifye3GxY3pRXNXc7EnCqgLLjfiuKEq3V4-pN1abdFpZ5tP0nV1BEEX5Cx4EvCKv1isKsv/s400/IMG_0763.JPG" /></a> I carved the eyebrows and 1 eye.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o8HBc5N6d7H8fI83fcPhQu3bGVx49sV9h0cuqeoZSiHwB0wkGqjBW7WMiRt_9NTdQBslEtoWslunBa-78dx8Bzw0B7bGbDzCHPJn2ar18hhr5ZTOqcF37NErBuX4ALSaFXZ1RxteEw_I/s1600/IMG_0764.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530186418116033282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o8HBc5N6d7H8fI83fcPhQu3bGVx49sV9h0cuqeoZSiHwB0wkGqjBW7WMiRt_9NTdQBslEtoWslunBa-78dx8Bzw0B7bGbDzCHPJn2ar18hhr5ZTOqcF37NErBuX4ALSaFXZ1RxteEw_I/s400/IMG_0764.JPG" /></a> Our Pumpkin, after surgery (it looks way cooler at night)<br />.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUus2ASViEr7TTPyfhmRADRWP5WwMd30O9RlYAcHEGjCEcEsgV4-XvYzbAVkGcgkd-LvBZCU6SyY7Bahwfzvnnsf0up4UV9SFzLsPPqGnFvE877oZAUrlpF4nITKabUj1xOdaN2KqI9hC/s1600/IMG_0765.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530186398844664546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUus2ASViEr7TTPyfhmRADRWP5WwMd30O9RlYAcHEGjCEcEsgV4-XvYzbAVkGcgkd-LvBZCU6SyY7Bahwfzvnnsf0up4UV9SFzLsPPqGnFvE877oZAUrlpF4nITKabUj1xOdaN2KqI9hC/s400/IMG_0765.JPG" /></a> A cute fall family photo! Love my boys!</div><div> </div><div align="left">Happy Halloween!<br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-27273402025189883072010-10-15T08:33:00.001-07:002010-10-15T15:08:45.639-07:00Trick or TREATSHappy almost Halloween! I am enjoying these last few days of peace before I get back into the real world of work. Zeppelin and I have been taking long walks, playing with tennis balls, and eating lots of food. Yesterday my best friend Whitney and I got together to make some adorable Halloween treats. We made a ton, so after we each took some, I delivered the rest to a local nursing home, where the residents loved them! They are super cute and decently easy to make so I wanted to share our baking adventure with you guys! And the fact that they turned out okay, that's awesome in itself. Just ask either of our moms how many batches of soupy blueberry muffins Whitney and I made when we were younger ;)<br /><br />The first thing we made were eyeballs. I originally found them <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/pop-star-amie-in-texas/">here</a>. <span style="color:#ffffff;">Those looked</span> way better and cooler, but we did pretty well for our first time. They were pretty easy and fun to make, however, we had problems with the candy coating. I would like to try to make these again and get the coating right, but they taste great and were fun to make!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK9-NQqyCEkXOnIKQYrDz8kycIoudErkoc8Xs_Jh0h_M1_d7e9V9-zZkZZa_IIMGtPsAFbszhq-U9MmWsTtflMaBV4t63yaVFBv-uUT8KwkCwG2SVGBHFxzL4jAve0z-JkhWeNjmfTHRp/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528319129200960642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK9-NQqyCEkXOnIKQYrDz8kycIoudErkoc8Xs_Jh0h_M1_d7e9V9-zZkZZa_IIMGtPsAFbszhq-U9MmWsTtflMaBV4t63yaVFBv-uUT8KwkCwG2SVGBHFxzL4jAve0z-JkhWeNjmfTHRp/s400/IMG_0672.JPG" /></a> These are the ingredients.</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOhqsGm7KV6lUpW5fWtZBmnLBs2UIX6JtKY0AaCLcFiqm4CLP_tNPsYps92iEiIXzcZmNPu-ZsoAgtCoI1H9i9YMVnUZhmeh2MNVf1k1RZCEO8TXC4-QfH86uNY1mIqUVIJCf2T669Egy/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528319115076005762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOhqsGm7KV6lUpW5fWtZBmnLBs2UIX6JtKY0AaCLcFiqm4CLP_tNPsYps92iEiIXzcZmNPu-ZsoAgtCoI1H9i9YMVnUZhmeh2MNVf1k1RZCEO8TXC4-QfH86uNY1mIqUVIJCf2T669Egy/s400/IMG_0686.JPG" /></a> Make the cake per the box directions, and let it cool completely.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpPTSHBf2wM6_MGEVPKNdww-IVk_OUDT5QNZd_STaQap6k4oWxpr7Jw6wa8Q6e_-YW0F00Oc_n692DYrnS06ySDaTx_4d-G1PQB4FG_pjmH2NYHQttic1mky9HZsBOYQxTzC95Lc81ZJT/s1600/IMG_0687.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528319102016184018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpPTSHBf2wM6_MGEVPKNdww-IVk_OUDT5QNZd_STaQap6k4oWxpr7Jw6wa8Q6e_-YW0F00Oc_n692DYrnS06ySDaTx_4d-G1PQB4FG_pjmH2NYHQttic1mky9HZsBOYQxTzC95Lc81ZJT/s400/IMG_0687.JPG" /></a> Crumble the cake into a large bowl.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLw9nTa-qvL6VKJ5LiPcmmjunu51AdetGoz_j6Jq1jiAP1JGKX1YZ47SVLf0v6BK3vz4vI0SalCB2C_w04eej0wk96FVfZ9QN_9jgAMXWqDDT39i8vooKAl1w3qnKqYLuhu-HWxNa4SEK/s1600/IMG_0689.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528319097988406194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLw9nTa-qvL6VKJ5LiPcmmjunu51AdetGoz_j6Jq1jiAP1JGKX1YZ47SVLf0v6BK3vz4vI0SalCB2C_w04eej0wk96FVfZ9QN_9jgAMXWqDDT39i8vooKAl1w3qnKqYLuhu-HWxNa4SEK/s400/IMG_0689.JPG" /></a>Mix in one container of cream cheese frosting and mix together well.</div><div>It's messy, but it's easier to do if you use your hands.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-L48OPMt4zziOeYDNS7OVpLQK87kHe1XLq86bSqWJTQuP7u2BmvGI-KHxTdrZ_ECnYGg0_fMKIbghBt8tXKYUU9VaLmV13aMrG0DNVXxqZcTH3BMwzznRyBT9aE0HkR8CfmyJJgAnTbGF/s1600/IMG_0690.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528311804211459122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-L48OPMt4zziOeYDNS7OVpLQK87kHe1XLq86bSqWJTQuP7u2BmvGI-KHxTdrZ_ECnYGg0_fMKIbghBt8tXKYUU9VaLmV13aMrG0DNVXxqZcTH3BMwzznRyBT9aE0HkR8CfmyJJgAnTbGF/s400/IMG_0690.JPG" /></a> Told you it was messy! Roll mixture into small balls and place on cookie sheet(cover with foil or wax paper).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeEOObZo3dHPPQqI8XxZDuu5lBnXXhcHD6GXvANlLfuKtUueVHIWoG6LYLohFrFMhIPkhQXzk_Jax9RfwxuvFJOmKe8Nx2_SsSRtTjzOtNz_vrm-kTVDa75e2Zkyj0xCESkTqOk_ZEq4B/s1600/IMG_0692.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528311797361587074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeEOObZo3dHPPQqI8XxZDuu5lBnXXhcHD6GXvANlLfuKtUueVHIWoG6LYLohFrFMhIPkhQXzk_Jax9RfwxuvFJOmKe8Nx2_SsSRtTjzOtNz_vrm-kTVDa75e2Zkyj0xCESkTqOk_ZEq4B/s400/IMG_0692.JPG" /></a> Place in refrigerator for a few hours or the freezer to speed things up.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZw33Y_Y7VSwaMIhT0GQlckqXp6i5_qfqWpnXoET0ep3vRTJKs7rIW29bhqMRfd_XRoX3ONaLwKFKe9oQ-qjr9XrrJH_SdhHSXXhxW1_qA5r-5cH6ie9WrXnpIGXxV3t-Jtatep6z_0sO0/s1600/IMG_0696.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528311794104388898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZw33Y_Y7VSwaMIhT0GQlckqXp6i5_qfqWpnXoET0ep3vRTJKs7rIW29bhqMRfd_XRoX3ONaLwKFKe9oQ-qjr9XrrJH_SdhHSXXhxW1_qA5r-5cH6ie9WrXnpIGXxV3t-Jtatep6z_0sO0/s400/IMG_0696.JPG" /></a> Melt your vanilla candy coating and generously pour over balls.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElJUL5WAqQkbuSRmKhj4mahyphenhyphen4Aa3ZNxGKXQ8twFim35zLoTqcveLsEHMUy9prIOBnBKPyrJme9ARFRfaBU5H4PZvaKhlloaYZJlxS22VyX2tEVJthYR8Vb8eM8aOl0EdZarHgUQEzUcFO/s1600/IMG_0713.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528311787080454994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElJUL5WAqQkbuSRmKhj4mahyphenhyphen4Aa3ZNxGKXQ8twFim35zLoTqcveLsEHMUy9prIOBnBKPyrJme9ARFRfaBU5H4PZvaKhlloaYZJlxS22VyX2tEVJthYR8Vb8eM8aOl0EdZarHgUQEzUcFO/s400/IMG_0713.JPG" /></a> Add lifesavers and use red gel icing to make veins. We had the wrong red icing, and couldn't get the candy coating to cover the way we wanted. The residents at the nursing home didn't seem to mind the way they looked though!</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfZOZpjnh281jiRX1MbTc8TWfxBuLm5UZN3vC_YrvQT0DIa_QUFubvq-LGFgUHHVx-5kPP0I-eNDyCRRYn49F23M3TeyC0OQAWZYJvVIkQRhCnF9pdMuBBPir10KXFtVRAJysjmCydzQa/s1600/IMG_0716.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528311781759684290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfZOZpjnh281jiRX1MbTc8TWfxBuLm5UZN3vC_YrvQT0DIa_QUFubvq-LGFgUHHVx-5kPP0I-eNDyCRRYn49F23M3TeyC0OQAWZYJvVIkQRhCnF9pdMuBBPir10KXFtVRAJysjmCydzQa/s400/IMG_0716.JPG" /></a> Then goof off with your best friend!</div><div></div><div align="left">The next we made adorable mummy cupcakes! I originally saw them <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=503060113542&set=t.8727965901">here</a>. These were pretty easy to make, and these have to be my favorite so far!<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8Evc_RA2uGDFHxW72dw1Zq5SPRNMJyoQNGiBPN2ppWqQLxfwWCHjKKKYutvCOroLlHLwUDy6HYrF0nBtgpy8V-J8OW1CXrgJb8GzdkKGI68FzmL468ieAPkiUwj0yp3bfrauvAaz8ANS/s1600/IMG_0673.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528304032294456850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8Evc_RA2uGDFHxW72dw1Zq5SPRNMJyoQNGiBPN2ppWqQLxfwWCHjKKKYutvCOroLlHLwUDy6HYrF0nBtgpy8V-J8OW1CXrgJb8GzdkKGI68FzmL468ieAPkiUwj0yp3bfrauvAaz8ANS/s400/IMG_0673.JPG" /></a> These are the ingredients. We opted not to use the chocolate chips.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfj8B_GAZ-glDOZBjkOr8KyU81EVuSk99i0gR_owdPCZdaT39l6vSD6FRoJCiOvKXF3-jBpHSWxUk2XkigTEFJYuOZxq2tV3nqr4rZBK9Li3_AcqwTXZ0GK3Z4svhlBbDw7YczJ0TdCT4f/s1600/IMG_0699.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528304028404565874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfj8B_GAZ-glDOZBjkOr8KyU81EVuSk99i0gR_owdPCZdaT39l6vSD6FRoJCiOvKXF3-jBpHSWxUk2XkigTEFJYuOZxq2tV3nqr4rZBK9Li3_AcqwTXZ0GK3Z4svhlBbDw7YczJ0TdCT4f/s400/IMG_0699.JPG" /></a> Make the cupcakes per box directions.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEims79Lf1xx-FOf9K3174GB8mW3qS_tz3d7ZLcuinRe-1HkOj8dqHVmtW9lnlDuieXZOpUviM60xhCWbhhqGnJUi_JoStZlptzBcCZsf0XnON2ditJsaClynTMFi-bybQm_z-z6QJomWF27/s1600/IMG_0698.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528304024563599202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEims79Lf1xx-FOf9K3174GB8mW3qS_tz3d7ZLcuinRe-1HkOj8dqHVmtW9lnlDuieXZOpUviM60xhCWbhhqGnJUi_JoStZlptzBcCZsf0XnON2ditJsaClynTMFi-bybQm_z-z6QJomWF27/s400/IMG_0698.JPG" /></a> Let the cupcakes completely cool.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLjLWPtlTh7gL8yiOYzQAfkOfDL-ofSyfjdYMGBFdrnOb-8UdraAQ-N50VBYwS0Z9i6M2LcOo81ZCBDRm1194fbW5e5yzGmFHX1oLfqx4wVIQgTz4l3nZWUazLesEK7itlTJfIDly8zTs/s1600/IMG_0708.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528304014604753490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLjLWPtlTh7gL8yiOYzQAfkOfDL-ofSyfjdYMGBFdrnOb-8UdraAQ-N50VBYwS0Z9i6M2LcOo81ZCBDRm1194fbW5e5yzGmFHX1oLfqx4wVIQgTz4l3nZWUazLesEK7itlTJfIDly8zTs/s400/IMG_0708.JPG" /></a> Ice the cupcakes with regular vanilla icing.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv7t0d-CzX3Ee1vHkKnWqfHYS3Q2EFy0xaovO-KYGpme9WDSSc4clp4OdZfzvM0W-HYi4ti_p0xm1RJodu3PnfkNqaxhSqNt2cAeL2Ogt-VbKI1wct6P1rDvyoUJE13ptmQXxGG1f3vk-/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528304012503296034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv7t0d-CzX3Ee1vHkKnWqfHYS3Q2EFy0xaovO-KYGpme9WDSSc4clp4OdZfzvM0W-HYi4ti_p0xm1RJodu3PnfkNqaxhSqNt2cAeL2Ogt-VbKI1wct6P1rDvyoUJE13ptmQXxGG1f3vk-/s400/IMG_0704.JPG" /></a> Add gummy eyes.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIStbDsAHyAodj2UgFjL8XWhDbHUY-pnvEX0-ZRk5k8KDnM7kM1GWgtRlOKZwW2lKdfZMY1wqaG5Djkts-lOrjyWMsqxQg_Jw_5ME2nInakrh3JGvNpKEFZKVq6t5Dh9LJ5upUfx9FR03j/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528300941072037042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIStbDsAHyAodj2UgFjL8XWhDbHUY-pnvEX0-ZRk5k8KDnM7kM1GWgtRlOKZwW2lKdfZMY1wqaG5Djkts-lOrjyWMsqxQg_Jw_5ME2nInakrh3JGvNpKEFZKVq6t5Dh9LJ5upUfx9FR03j/s400/IMG_0700.JPG" /></a> Roll out the fondant. Except, apparently that is the one thing I'm missing in my kitchen. So we pulled, flattened, and rolled with a soup can. Talk about being resourceful!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-UmASJpY32jCF3xB8tWg16ffmyfbkKMWFGQa_WsFItY7UvLB70q8CUVHzDv_-zBGtL4YMYjjJ4ZEdcYGLNia68JZTWIGu04Z1dgdukjzBc54Nt74t_ZCurzWr5gQAH8X5dKpOgfRCycD/s1600/IMG_0719.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528300924157488578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-UmASJpY32jCF3xB8tWg16ffmyfbkKMWFGQa_WsFItY7UvLB70q8CUVHzDv_-zBGtL4YMYjjJ4ZEdcYGLNia68JZTWIGu04Z1dgdukjzBc54Nt74t_ZCurzWr5gQAH8X5dKpOgfRCycD/s400/IMG_0719.JPG" /></a> Slice the fondant in long thin pieces and apply to cupcake.</div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0io8HZtuX4raj8kSo7ygitOUwxl8L_WJ-QN3G1QLOQ79WojvkLKadN3xpKyCYziMLiX8Spl879MdhF8r2wFgA8i0rlZu2kXf1lmrr4Lz8vigV5wR6_ioczZMlkINNKzi9Wy1iKKcjU6Y/s1600/IMG_0721.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528298735848106818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0io8HZtuX4raj8kSo7ygitOUwxl8L_WJ-QN3G1QLOQ79WojvkLKadN3xpKyCYziMLiX8Spl879MdhF8r2wFgA8i0rlZu2kXf1lmrr4Lz8vigV5wR6_ioczZMlkINNKzi9Wy1iKKcjU6Y/s400/IMG_0721.JPG" /></a> Done! And yummy to boot!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYaml9ZbMJK2StUkQ-9ZISdNGd77sg1BEkAlqVZIwdep9cfATcBVkdhQz_q0DkkOgM4aHcodzmaa5v4R8H0FpmRLDaxS71hJ3low0ouzpEJOhkj9VUzEJvQFW6RA0Ye9WFHxqy9s1b-6d/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528298705109325122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYaml9ZbMJK2StUkQ-9ZISdNGd77sg1BEkAlqVZIwdep9cfATcBVkdhQz_q0DkkOgM4aHcodzmaa5v4R8H0FpmRLDaxS71hJ3low0ouzpEJOhkj9VUzEJvQFW6RA0Ye9WFHxqy9s1b-6d/s400/IMG_0717.JPG" /></a> I LOVE LOVE LOVE this girl!</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HyblSiANOTvMHPBID-HszZfoJukLYyB2Zt5fnHbsUww-YmbqFmGKd9lvlY3XJRX2bXZMqnafpb8oSl3M3Fjg1AUS-fqGgq5ns1SjQ4E_bRyxH_lvDaUgVB-mdZFaOwJcK62yXsbik3Ac/s1600/IMG_0718.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528298674656955154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HyblSiANOTvMHPBID-HszZfoJukLYyB2Zt5fnHbsUww-YmbqFmGKd9lvlY3XJRX2bXZMqnafpb8oSl3M3Fjg1AUS-fqGgq5ns1SjQ4E_bRyxH_lvDaUgVB-mdZFaOwJcK62yXsbik3Ac/s400/IMG_0718.JPG" /></a> My loot!</div><div></div><div align="left">We had an awesome time creating these. Hope everyone can enjoy a fun project too! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-13263156612900140042010-10-14T07:55:00.000-07:002010-10-14T08:10:31.141-07:00Yummy Vegetarian DishI have had a little extra time on my hands lately, try an extra 70 hours a week compared to the last 5 months, so I have really enjoyed taking time to cook great food. I have been trying to experiment with vegetarian dishes because it is so healthy and they taste great too! I was a little leery of this dish, but decided to give it a whirl anyway! It was sooooo <span style="font-size:180%;">GOOD!!!</span> I originally found the recipe <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/zucchini-parmesan/Detail.aspx">here</a>, and wanted to share it with everyone! Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ucUx1dGXxBJd23554wabK12k1RmAfseeb9rE-ycN7X-e7gLQlGpuOXDA_s5M9GHTZFAzFf7FHNnPfC9_27GaQZqK1NsbBEhEFet9jAJQYUb5muKS45kGvF42XK_VlA9qsWVoUIGlr16F/s1600/Zucchini+Parmesan.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527915526176568306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ucUx1dGXxBJd23554wabK12k1RmAfseeb9rE-ycN7X-e7gLQlGpuOXDA_s5M9GHTZFAzFf7FHNnPfC9_27GaQZqK1NsbBEhEFet9jAJQYUb5muKS45kGvF42XK_VlA9qsWVoUIGlr16F/s400/Zucchini+Parmesan.jpg" /></a><br />Ingredients:<br />-4 Large Zucchini(the recipe calls for 2, but Chris and I demolished that, so I would suggest more zucchini)<br />-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil<br />-1 large onion, diced(I used 1/2 an onion and it was perfect)<br />-2 cloves garlic, minced<br />-16 ounces of your favorite spaghetti sauce(I used Prego Traditional)<br />-1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese(I used Italian Style)<br /><br />Directions:<br />-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F<br />-In a large pot, boil the zucchini until tender, drain<br />-Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat<br />-Saute the onion and garlic until onion is tender<br />-Combine the zucchini, onion, and garlic in a 9x12 inch casserole dish, and mix well<br />-Pour the pasta sauce over the mixture and stir well<br />-Top with Mozzarella cheese<br />-Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly!<br /><br />The recipe says it makes 5 servings, and that each serving only has 217 calories. I didn't make any side dishes and we both got full. I wouldn't change any amounts in the recipe except for adding more zucchini! EnjoyMelissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-52239040666803329902010-10-14T06:58:00.000-07:002010-10-14T07:44:42.639-07:00Getting Back In The Swing Of ThingsLife has been very mellow lately. Considering how the last five months of my life have been, I welcome the change of pace. I have moved back to Knoxville, found an apartment, and I start work next Tuesday. Its funny how life can bring you full circle because I will be working for the same company where I had my first job...Texas Roadhouse. I start server orientation next week and then will hopefully be "rolling in the dough" soon after! I feel blessed that I have found a job, and there is actually some great opportunity for management at this store, so we will see where it leads. It helps to know God is in control.<br /><br />Before I found an apartment, I was lucky enough to be able to stay at Chris's parents house. They have 3 beagles, and Zeppelin was staying there too, so it kinda felt like a zoo sometimes, but it was so nice!<br /><br />Enjoy the pictures!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFkjz6Da_eHhpIgvyH6n0P4PzvTQUMPooSk_ltOC3zaBjZxjIT_45CWbJufJY-Ne8BQS-n0e_bZ190L1U8UrtcPx4CseEdIGdMDWmQhErFIRIDyFhV0pevlIqtkuXhMC5o9-1AM38O2xq/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527907718717222306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFkjz6Da_eHhpIgvyH6n0P4PzvTQUMPooSk_ltOC3zaBjZxjIT_45CWbJufJY-Ne8BQS-n0e_bZ190L1U8UrtcPx4CseEdIGdMDWmQhErFIRIDyFhV0pevlIqtkuXhMC5o9-1AM38O2xq/s320/IMG_0648.JPG" /></a> Chris's brother, Matt, with Obie</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">Mom came up for a 3 day weekend to help me move in, decorate, and SHOP!!! I am so blessed to have a mom who will drop everything to come and be with me. I had such a great time just spending time with her, talking, and hanging out. We had a great time and I can't wait to do it again soon!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vvFCBGJTZgrAzkSO-7ViP5riEGUGmaO2jIlav8WZgVWl4Ohx41kNq1TLLYN8bYuG08K7GcGSfXAIroEYgyjNNtXnPlIHfTgRFhbuzRAqE68-qsxNaW0LDxauvZkRBko63rB9YeVVt-MD/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527906885523830626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vvFCBGJTZgrAzkSO-7ViP5riEGUGmaO2jIlav8WZgVWl4Ohx41kNq1TLLYN8bYuG08K7GcGSfXAIroEYgyjNNtXnPlIHfTgRFhbuzRAqE68-qsxNaW0LDxauvZkRBko63rB9YeVVt-MD/s320/IMG_0660.JPG" /></a> The living room...thanks mom for the great paint job!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNknvFmxBaFjuogkCSCwedmZSdjMYzudobetzq3iOA8mFjZLWGQSF8JMcFNNkB43Y1O1sQHKtJA6rta1v_AxaEC7Y04dBxCg8sAMZHB1Zrtlk7ynPZBgd_AcaiyQ88uHPxo9a9Pjy_WR9y/s1600/IMG_0661.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527906880021137090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNknvFmxBaFjuogkCSCwedmZSdjMYzudobetzq3iOA8mFjZLWGQSF8JMcFNNkB43Y1O1sQHKtJA6rta1v_AxaEC7Y04dBxCg8sAMZHB1Zrtlk7ynPZBgd_AcaiyQ88uHPxo9a9Pjy_WR9y/s320/IMG_0661.JPG" /></a> Love my kitchen theme!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSugH0hLXX8U9xqbHnmEA9S2N6SKusaApMHfq5Ej1l2Nw4bF8mkBQf9NMCf7gjqtlIG27Zcy5cBubtIIh7kcX2EkU3g7aoSMPSPH81zDL2UFzINHeyUCp3hqf8x1MzX5CWAqShO7gJte9C/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527906875459961442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSugH0hLXX8U9xqbHnmEA9S2N6SKusaApMHfq5Ej1l2Nw4bF8mkBQf9NMCf7gjqtlIG27Zcy5cBubtIIh7kcX2EkU3g7aoSMPSPH81zDL2UFzINHeyUCp3hqf8x1MzX5CWAqShO7gJte9C/s320/IMG_0662.JPG" /></a> How cute is this?!?!?! It's the new theme for the kitchen!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYtiw2xcmpDRLla7B0wc7b3Ykvcp8qIe7fqOSM1LJOIFLFXHQaVU-pSdVUVALTDiClhvMNyzRAv5Ig4hxH8x5izdPXAlNRtHEwGfMe-X3QWozIsyUtXg5ChJZf2SAPCqS73KPv1z_FfGd/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527906867494068386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYtiw2xcmpDRLla7B0wc7b3Ykvcp8qIe7fqOSM1LJOIFLFXHQaVU-pSdVUVALTDiClhvMNyzRAv5Ig4hxH8x5izdPXAlNRtHEwGfMe-X3QWozIsyUtXg5ChJZf2SAPCqS73KPv1z_FfGd/s320/IMG_0663.JPG" /></a> Dinning room(pardon the mess, we are working on a puzzle)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLx2dQo52x1HHGqFUoGOTIpisXjU48AbCk5jlAJSFIqUxA71M8FCitNWVyKuIJusdD9p9lVk7dhBD7yShGvedJtf4urVz6iscUBxpdgZIjfJDiwInasnktwFa2ufAuJGPDjsHCoErv9p5/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527906866475960354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLx2dQo52x1HHGqFUoGOTIpisXjU48AbCk5jlAJSFIqUxA71M8FCitNWVyKuIJusdD9p9lVk7dhBD7yShGvedJtf4urVz6iscUBxpdgZIjfJDiwInasnktwFa2ufAuJGPDjsHCoErv9p5/s320/IMG_0664.JPG" /></a> My SUPER CUTE fall centerpiece(Thanks Grandmama)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25jqNIa2yAdYYDIK5DvkqZDGyk1YShC-M9yqP1dvxNYwuCGk8zlElMK33K30qx8NgtrtiwSnVvwZ3yY6S4ZDHAKUdYWioGMvxWWPXzi0D0rYrU5tYhD896PHgXihZhsJRuIackcsJblek/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527904889625157394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25jqNIa2yAdYYDIK5DvkqZDGyk1YShC-M9yqP1dvxNYwuCGk8zlElMK33K30qx8NgtrtiwSnVvwZ3yY6S4ZDHAKUdYWioGMvxWWPXzi0D0rYrU5tYhD896PHgXihZhsJRuIackcsJblek/s320/IMG_0666.JPG" /></a> Spare Bedroom. It will eventually be the scrapbook and music room. Right now it is the throw everything in here that we don't want Zeppelin to get! It's a work in progress!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2iVI1eS9cywu8hDj4HYOH0lbkUQmiB8p3KGKOxFHyau1Fn68RUvPN7vpiAd4SMkbDyf1TR03B-YI1CoH4tq0vC8npLX7OaVdUlTd5ljiBXaQXuWRqQeREUkZumMPZAKYTmItG0S2c0O4/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527904883320753410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2iVI1eS9cywu8hDj4HYOH0lbkUQmiB8p3KGKOxFHyau1Fn68RUvPN7vpiAd4SMkbDyf1TR03B-YI1CoH4tq0vC8npLX7OaVdUlTd5ljiBXaQXuWRqQeREUkZumMPZAKYTmItG0S2c0O4/s320/IMG_0667.JPG" /></a> Bathroom! Love the red shower curtain!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIvvoqfW3AiurZVdfUzk1ddSHPvoaB_1pONqkS9FG64ceen8uN2yZo2JXNETAK9iGPLYBI6PEv3J1KdTjnWkpJpSG9t_64nJVsDpqdtaxXJcGABEzm_hrXl8akCbPUvX5t2gl_cGJ1K0k/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527904875233677858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIvvoqfW3AiurZVdfUzk1ddSHPvoaB_1pONqkS9FG64ceen8uN2yZo2JXNETAK9iGPLYBI6PEv3J1KdTjnWkpJpSG9t_64nJVsDpqdtaxXJcGABEzm_hrXl8akCbPUvX5t2gl_cGJ1K0k/s320/IMG_0668.JPG" /></a> Vanity in the bedroom.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVRcTTmUzbDBeYjpLULBs-8jzmr7-yE8T8t7eFNipmL3v_CYGsP2LAFJA6pFa1T2I_-4wAWjsKbsK_hlKkxWSJwWtIquiSFgI0JbqGmx6YzLBkqUGdMus22S91IvA8uxk_zp8G7MOY6Ju/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527904871791582354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVRcTTmUzbDBeYjpLULBs-8jzmr7-yE8T8t7eFNipmL3v_CYGsP2LAFJA6pFa1T2I_-4wAWjsKbsK_hlKkxWSJwWtIquiSFgI0JbqGmx6YzLBkqUGdMus22S91IvA8uxk_zp8G7MOY6Ju/s320/IMG_0669.JPG" /></a> Great big closet!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzojCPl8GZuM-4tsNJj4qVofwqm0koG8llRszvPlnw-6TQUnQBs0wUJbHXbFNa7wtGUYW-YaseLohJOIsb69C2Bi8fNjGIopbBFNPdeggxxrL8z-H7rCY6NNK1aGh9ldtrQG5i8NGNnYme/s1600/IMG_0670.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527904864341573922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzojCPl8GZuM-4tsNJj4qVofwqm0koG8llRszvPlnw-6TQUnQBs0wUJbHXbFNa7wtGUYW-YaseLohJOIsb69C2Bi8fNjGIopbBFNPdeggxxrL8z-H7rCY6NNK1aGh9ldtrQG5i8NGNnYme/s320/IMG_0670.JPG" /></a> I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bedroom! Mom did such an awesome job painting it!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Chris and I will be taking a short vacation at the end of the month to Saint Louis! We will drive to Nashville to meet up with my family and then head out the next morning. We are driving up for my cousin's WEDDING! I am so excited that we get to go spend this time with my family and can't wait!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Until next time!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-49499624456459927002010-10-07T06:57:00.000-07:002010-10-07T07:20:15.946-07:00Becoming Something Out of Seemingly NothingI found this beautiful article <a href="http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/deeper-walk/blog/22616-what-it-means-to-wait-on-the-lord">here</a> and just wanted to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">repost</span> it.<br /><br />"I left graduate school believing that very soon I would have a job, career, ministry...something that I would feel fulfilled in and gain experience from. I didn't feel the need to pay attention to a conversation I had with my grandfather driving home cross-country back to Oregon. we were talking about knowing what one is supposed to do with one's life, and I asked him, "how do I know that it is exactly where I should be at?"<br /><br />My grandpa shared a piece of advice I would forget, only to remember it after I had to learn the hard way: "Larissa," he said, "when you pray, pray as to get to know Christ. Prayer is about knowing our Father in Heaven."<br /><br />A little taken aback at the seeming irrelevancy of the advice, I nodded my head and changed lanes. <em>I have to remember this, </em>I thought. <em><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ok</span>, </em>I told myself,<em> I should pray to know Christ.; OK, I have to do that...then I will know what God's will is for me.</em><br /><em></em><br />Months down the road after discouragement, angst, anger, and frustration, I found myself still in the same place, still with no perspective future, unemployed, and even more worried and restless than before.<br /><br />I sat on the rocks by a river near our house, having spent a week in tears and confusion, feeling broken and overwhelmed. I felt as though I had somehow fallen into a deep ditch, and I could not even find any foothold to climb out. I had never felt so discouraged in my life. When looking at where I could be in five years or even five months, I could not even conjure up a small picture through the blackness that enveloped me.<br /><br />Looking out across the river, I just sat. I did nothing.<br /><br />And a question came to me: "Larissa, what are you waiting for?"<br /><br />That was easy. "For You, Lord."<br /><br />"Larissa, what are you waiting for?"<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hmm</span>. "For You, of course, Lord."<br /><br />"Larissa, what are you waiting for?"<br /><br />I began to feel like Peter, "Um...for You, Lord!"<br /><br />"Are you really?"<br /><br />This question came softly, like a gentle hand that lifted up my chin to help me see more than my feet.<br /><br />I asked myself the question again, "Am I really?" It dawned on me slowly and my grandfather's words came back to me: "When you pray, pray to know Christ."<br /><br />Yes, I had been waiting for the Lord, but for Him to come through for me with a job, a plan, anything that came up, just something more than waiting on the Lord.<br /><br />"Waiting on the Lord" can become cliche quite quickly, but I began to finally see what my grandpa meant. I had an agenda each time I prayed. My prayers did not reveal a satisfaction in God but a dissatisfaction with Him. I knew I could trust Him, but I prayed as though my plans were wiser and better than His. I prayed as though I did not trust Him.<br /><br />As soon as I began to pray without an agenda, my inner anxieties began to dissolve.<br /><br />I relaxed about where I was and who I was.<br /><br />My vision seemed uncannily clearer. I no longer prayed with the nonverbal ultimatum of "come through for me or else."<br /><br />I arrived at a place of "being" instead of waiting. I became comfortable and comforted.<br /><br />Sue Monk Kidd tells a story that reflects our often mistaken viewpoint on waiting. During a retreat at a monastery, in her restless state, she notices a monk:<br /><br />"He was sitting perfectly still beneath a tree. There was such reverence in his silhouette, such tranquil sturdiness, that I paused to watch. He was the picture of waiting.<br /><br />Later I sought him out. "I saw you today sitting beneath the tree-just sitting there so still. How is it that you can wait so patiently in the moment? I can't seem to get used to the idea of doing nothing."<br /><br />He broke into a wonderful grin. "Well, there's the problem right there, young lady. You've bought into the cultural myth that when you're waiting, you're doing nothing."<br /><br />Then he took his hands and placed them on my shoulders, peered straight into my eyes and said, "I hope you'll hear what I'm about to tell you. I hope you'll hear it all the way down to your toes. When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing. You're doing the most important something there is. You're allowing your soul to grow up. If you can't be still and wait, you can't become what God created you to be."<br /><br />This is where God eventually called me after all those months: to a new perspective of becoming something out of seemingly nothing."Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-6555133769450974362010-09-28T08:52:00.000-07:002010-09-28T09:11:32.399-07:00Crunchy Leaves and Crisp Cool AirLife is a series of ups and downs. I think I'm realizing this more than ever right now. I'm still job hunting and while I have a few prospects, its unnerving to know that it could be a while before I find one. I found an apartment and will be moving in Friday! My wonderfully fabulous mother is coming for the weekend to help me get everything set up. I am so blessed to have such great parents. Please continue to pray that I would quickly find a job and that I would trust in the Lord to provide!<br /><br />Chris and I took Zeppelin to the park last week since the weather is slowly becoming more fall like. I got a little camera happy (Chris was not so thrilled about that) and liked how a few turned out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYQvo10Xd5CQ9V7sOHh7HQnm2cHt5Cltesihg88nKC6NHKoFwIb_M1zcGqowAArgnFePNSr7IqUL2JkjW0fjAl3jMRtkOQUUp9qaLjEpsfY0tzKdS88y42vC9jd07GR2N2oY_9CzetDj6/s1600/IMG_0629.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521994105096898834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYQvo10Xd5CQ9V7sOHh7HQnm2cHt5Cltesihg88nKC6NHKoFwIb_M1zcGqowAArgnFePNSr7IqUL2JkjW0fjAl3jMRtkOQUUp9qaLjEpsfY0tzKdS88y42vC9jd07GR2N2oY_9CzetDj6/s400/IMG_0629.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox0Zy8IUWeDeEPP_Mv3y_VKU-hoiaPCw2uKogOlqOwM_WcClN1QXMU0efOVRIgeyeG2oEEEc3ILASRJC-HMuaat9GRnd2jXC573WAgQuxWndUVZyzuKRgPlVxCSz8SpVZ9VgHnQFhKcpT/s1600/IMG_0636.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521994095974851522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox0Zy8IUWeDeEPP_Mv3y_VKU-hoiaPCw2uKogOlqOwM_WcClN1QXMU0efOVRIgeyeG2oEEEc3ILASRJC-HMuaat9GRnd2jXC573WAgQuxWndUVZyzuKRgPlVxCSz8SpVZ9VgHnQFhKcpT/s400/IMG_0636.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZDWWOMGqgVjQeuj_dgxcp6K22ExiO2Ma7JXUp_C8UdAod3GlEHxRgPuwqBomvA5tS-0QFMIZIymKOKrfHkkPFmMDihBjmtPgfnLiFtFJ3UOdRhOhVjebf3Fm5wMFZR4gEvv84aOjouLJ/s1600/IMG_0640.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521994089366108018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZDWWOMGqgVjQeuj_dgxcp6K22ExiO2Ma7JXUp_C8UdAod3GlEHxRgPuwqBomvA5tS-0QFMIZIymKOKrfHkkPFmMDihBjmtPgfnLiFtFJ3UOdRhOhVjebf3Fm5wMFZR4gEvv84aOjouLJ/s400/IMG_0640.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv_EHf2bfFNt8d7tIeMqTP8qst_l4v1S08-aczEOk8iYQ_CaMALHwBP_mgLS4-9sBQF5_-ytCMzYOIPI-Shw9dBqbaOj0LI-oCPcWWDFXC0xGZbA0-DF-uAhBBs8WS-zAfcka7nl-tsSB/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521994088367945810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv_EHf2bfFNt8d7tIeMqTP8qst_l4v1S08-aczEOk8iYQ_CaMALHwBP_mgLS4-9sBQF5_-ytCMzYOIPI-Shw9dBqbaOj0LI-oCPcWWDFXC0xGZbA0-DF-uAhBBs8WS-zAfcka7nl-tsSB/s400/IMG_0641.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32ddrvM2e8GsyUplJt8sMdFGzwR0QBhRwKpT79a6TG2X5oFydWndokRtVzxKTjfyPdOa2Tug27CANHvVzd0FOqI98pcuJoc1r3fF5DZYVdUcwPXh4ndcSAcWeFbUWA3eYuRGd4VtjUPG6/s1600/IMG_0642.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521994082465116402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32ddrvM2e8GsyUplJt8sMdFGzwR0QBhRwKpT79a6TG2X5oFydWndokRtVzxKTjfyPdOa2Tug27CANHvVzd0FOqI98pcuJoc1r3fF5DZYVdUcwPXh4ndcSAcWeFbUWA3eYuRGd4VtjUPG6/s400/IMG_0642.JPG" /></a></div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-50207209608451274582010-09-26T07:45:00.000-07:002010-09-26T08:19:08.264-07:00And the Southern Girls With the Way They Talk, They Knock Me Out When I'm Down ThereAs part of my job with AT&T, I went to sunny California for a few weeks. My hotel was in Ontario, and the store I was managing was in Chino Hills. Overall I had a great time, learned a lot about myself, and I also realized that this was not the job for me. I am now back in Knoxville trying to figure out where I go from here. Prayers are definitely coveted and I know that God has something 10x better in His plans for me. I was able to see my grandparents many times and was also able to see Aunt Cora while I was out in LA. Here are some pictures of my trip(when I wasn't working my 80 hour weeks).<br /><br />One Saturday night a bunch of us were hanging out and I decided at 11:45pm to go skydiving with some other managers who go all the time. It was so much fun! We left at 6:30am and drove out to Lake Elsinore. We were up in the air and jumped around 9am. It was so awesome and I can't wait to do it again!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVGLYo20VyOkL92vhO-YXtaiKzi5kj1rBg0JvE6o7fAc6kAub50rY8eCiN2qi4leZeC9Blu4Aig5vxaMlatJlVpVa8PoNK7PTDW4jBJncLo8Pqo4koOKn9DRYah0gZz18ENsXv3d1CZVa/s1600/IMG_2042.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521238425185847234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVGLYo20VyOkL92vhO-YXtaiKzi5kj1rBg0JvE6o7fAc6kAub50rY8eCiN2qi4leZeC9Blu4Aig5vxaMlatJlVpVa8PoNK7PTDW4jBJncLo8Pqo4koOKn9DRYah0gZz18ENsXv3d1CZVa/s320/IMG_2042.JPG" /></a> Pardon the way I look...it was early</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UmLohEozZ43MY51U_o_Z3xW0dToMA7C-I2rg7UBZIYjOf3qjrZtgSGVLHzOk3ybB3qgXDofzhL1YzxDaMQr57RLDuhEqfQC70skGfFf4kQSiC-CHv6r9dd-1NWpEGaVrEq9fVO1oRJBD/s1600/IMG_2056.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521238423061486306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UmLohEozZ43MY51U_o_Z3xW0dToMA7C-I2rg7UBZIYjOf3qjrZtgSGVLHzOk3ybB3qgXDofzhL1YzxDaMQr57RLDuhEqfQC70skGfFf4kQSiC-CHv6r9dd-1NWpEGaVrEq9fVO1oRJBD/s320/IMG_2056.JPG" /></a> My BEST FRIEND EVER...cause he brought me down safely<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6WdkuHrD7hqzNmQvfpchsIqyyXPYXqM_MTGbD3-bFpCM86h_GHX8k3HP0hzROtIa7kKA_iRh9KRzWSNSzxSIJdVz0VWTWtXAvz3KxTBZ9T5qevh4opnZ66EHY5Wxfp4P5lZZ5TfoG4rx/s1600/IMG_2058.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521238413735081346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6WdkuHrD7hqzNmQvfpchsIqyyXPYXqM_MTGbD3-bFpCM86h_GHX8k3HP0hzROtIa7kKA_iRh9KRzWSNSzxSIJdVz0VWTWtXAvz3KxTBZ9T5qevh4opnZ66EHY5Wxfp4P5lZZ5TfoG4rx/s320/IMG_2058.JPG" /></a> Walking to the plane...I still wasn't nervous. Seriously.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJc7wdWEhKE8NDj57YAJ-_eiftrL3D0w5ZKWc4EU-GzOwSsQkFrFMplNuQ4B5YrNax91704biP29FSc0HO4ciLYSU-ch23AfSZtEWAwX3c-mUjZwohDQrPERQlW8Q61NRjVQfSD1MfJle/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521237742001588482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJc7wdWEhKE8NDj57YAJ-_eiftrL3D0w5ZKWc4EU-GzOwSsQkFrFMplNuQ4B5YrNax91704biP29FSc0HO4ciLYSU-ch23AfSZtEWAwX3c-mUjZwohDQrPERQlW8Q61NRjVQfSD1MfJle/s320/IMG_2068.JPG" /></a> Right after we jumped out. It was SUPER FUN!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwQpq7rc_geaYuvfMYjo0fdB3pF1F49H2cxHGKrJSqJrMtA8Xnahn-TQM8CGX_iMGarfslQz7J-XW96b4IsRRWUKw4nzQXm7fxobYI7e4ai7h9rguIkypHQc-RA8jk9cqnR4Xe2dukWbR/s1600/IMG_2087.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521237733457313074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwQpq7rc_geaYuvfMYjo0fdB3pF1F49H2cxHGKrJSqJrMtA8Xnahn-TQM8CGX_iMGarfslQz7J-XW96b4IsRRWUKw4nzQXm7fxobYI7e4ai7h9rguIkypHQc-RA8jk9cqnR4Xe2dukWbR/s320/IMG_2087.JPG" /></a> Free Fallin'<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfb4cYLn-DhDyFZP3vkf2GECp7xPfI3a2Gf6iC4jUY9I9PqvShsiHlj_57unY0GCZqJ14JSry4rsuorc5HgPziYiHLR0qKRWY1e8DKNpAddVwlbc_W5w9wikVtMZbjvqbAm6C-8jg5hgto/s1600/IMG_2127.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521237729697487570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfb4cYLn-DhDyFZP3vkf2GECp7xPfI3a2Gf6iC4jUY9I9PqvShsiHlj_57unY0GCZqJ14JSry4rsuorc5HgPziYiHLR0qKRWY1e8DKNpAddVwlbc_W5w9wikVtMZbjvqbAm6C-8jg5hgto/s320/IMG_2127.JPG" /></a> Safe landing. It kinda hurts the rear a bit.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZhJAF9GiAI_SRPpn-VHdbc76CdK6NmgepTyd322drDqa_F5QBJos0BcXt6Jtgs38Jj_u4PjlOZ9kV7UBn6VsCPp3mT0adKRLCEl40UTwaDnT0jh4wVhAhVgN49evb_Wrn6r3ulU8fkYu/s1600/IMG_2138.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521237720259775698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZhJAF9GiAI_SRPpn-VHdbc76CdK6NmgepTyd322drDqa_F5QBJos0BcXt6Jtgs38Jj_u4PjlOZ9kV7UBn6VsCPp3mT0adKRLCEl40UTwaDnT0jh4wVhAhVgN49evb_Wrn6r3ulU8fkYu/s320/IMG_2138.JPG" /></a> I DID IT!!!!!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA2BnPvGY2kn_0h2D3Jzligx-jZ8I08-U88fQjG2KScIZ3jFgbs3PZ5ze5kYZZuB2oWvnJpvp0xy6puAsF9VmYcQKABJPXA7qwKVtFOPL1K28V9YrSmdNugXavFozQktjj7c2KX7c1CQS/s1600/IMG_0551.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521235842260803570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA2BnPvGY2kn_0h2D3Jzligx-jZ8I08-U88fQjG2KScIZ3jFgbs3PZ5ze5kYZZuB2oWvnJpvp0xy6puAsF9VmYcQKABJPXA7qwKVtFOPL1K28V9YrSmdNugXavFozQktjj7c2KX7c1CQS/s320/IMG_0551.JPG" /></a> Papaw and I took Mamaw to Disney for the first time in over 5 years! She loved it and I was so glad I got to go with her.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesco2hEoUQQCymm3q-2Nlw6smCGScP06D1OOFUBt6jjKjFHXsKfWX1LEFRbop8d9mJ11H0_6vAiZ38Ar6-x7Xygzhx64aY4qpQgoeiQU4QQ0wBo0cDn6GF9G5IGkr_r5_h8wEySdcDPgf/s1600/IMG_0536.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521235831165771522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesco2hEoUQQCymm3q-2Nlw6smCGScP06D1OOFUBt6jjKjFHXsKfWX1LEFRbop8d9mJ11H0_6vAiZ38Ar6-x7Xygzhx64aY4qpQgoeiQU4QQ0wBo0cDn6GF9G5IGkr_r5_h8wEySdcDPgf/s320/IMG_0536.JPG" /></a> I went to Disney with Rita and Candace, some girls from my class.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvuUVV6FOIinyeOYwG1P-zhnoiMbPCw1IHtFHWEQtyygDqRQ02csE9nzITFRy66tWjzx6WWeXhSHohZTsY5VAJu38nZpr9qCwr576fTcTDS8Fi5OZorRhw6ngq-PVLrYINmbhXdJFcMJL/s1600/IMG_0542.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521235827580448642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvuUVV6FOIinyeOYwG1P-zhnoiMbPCw1IHtFHWEQtyygDqRQ02csE9nzITFRy66tWjzx6WWeXhSHohZTsY5VAJu38nZpr9qCwr576fTcTDS8Fi5OZorRhw6ngq-PVLrYINmbhXdJFcMJL/s320/IMG_0542.JPG" /></a> We are slight hams.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDxv7oGx-lqYhCYhmgT5IybqrwRvs8nFC5cH3OqN7NuUzaaGEg3a_L-UVcrf2uRzoeXRL9EQAL9QunkzImKGvShfgEIwIewI2cJy1C6KFi-JM09fpz4QCgf91k5Fh6dyHPe220ap8j2zc/s1600/IMG_0512.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521235818042661234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDxv7oGx-lqYhCYhmgT5IybqrwRvs8nFC5cH3OqN7NuUzaaGEg3a_L-UVcrf2uRzoeXRL9EQAL9QunkzImKGvShfgEIwIewI2cJy1C6KFi-JM09fpz4QCgf91k5Fh6dyHPe220ap8j2zc/s320/IMG_0512.JPG" /></a> Ready for a great day!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtEaiEHBGUIt-JmAbT1_YfNkbOgb0u3fIc_9SAWwGGvdXhWIYVSsoQO4VEeLoGhKj7MkIUCZJ8Qk-cdh8ohYgcPiL3kai-0fStrNtfDDseLKIg8vJbs1GKpIJxU0HzaKLRXGULsxGaYfs/s1600/IMG_0569.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521235815595575522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtEaiEHBGUIt-JmAbT1_YfNkbOgb0u3fIc_9SAWwGGvdXhWIYVSsoQO4VEeLoGhKj7MkIUCZJ8Qk-cdh8ohYgcPiL3kai-0fStrNtfDDseLKIg8vJbs1GKpIJxU0HzaKLRXGULsxGaYfs/s320/IMG_0569.JPG" /></a> I, being the amazing granddaughter I am(and I do say so myself),</div><div>went to my Grandmama's parents graves to clean them and </div><div>put flowers on them. I thought this picture was awesome!</div><div> </div><div></div><div align="left">I learned so much about myself and was blessed to spend so much time with my family. Even though the job ended up not being right, I know that it has prepared me for anything else life chooses to throw at me. I can't wait to see what's next for me!<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-24078485615907789182010-07-25T16:28:00.000-07:002010-07-25T16:45:58.431-07:00<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>My life is INSANE right now! Work is super crazy as I am preparing to go on my 6 week rotation to SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!!! We will be flying out Friday August 13th (not the day I would have picked) and getting to LAX around 5. My 8 classmates and I are all spread around the LA area, from Irvine to Pasadena, and from Santa Monica to Chino Hills. I will be in Chino Hills, which is about 18 miles from my grandparents, so I am really happy that I will have a chance to see them. We will be in CA for 6 weeks (we fly back September 26) where we will be in a sales position for 2 weeks, assistant manager for 1 week, and the store manager for 3 weeks. I will be working open to close 6 days a week, so I will appreciate all the prayer I can get! I will miss my family immensely, but when I get back from LA I will only have 27 days until I am done in Atlanta and I will be preparing to move...only God knows where! Which is rather comforting that He knows!<br /><br />I was very lucky and got to go home to Knoxville last weekend and see my boys. I love spending time with them and enjoyed every second of that weekend. Especially getting to "Chillax" on the couch!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisK3yF3S9kPHhdeknyzTQ-rzX9fLbeAjIRo79_zBU6IFQMxaYfNVmBUFbViP01lM7fC2USoPW7jsCPLlbIjK6Uol73AUtx8HMiMfzmvSFGbzmXLYqWKsK3O89fmcULHX5iQ1GHjffnzN5x/s1600/photo(2).JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisK3yF3S9kPHhdeknyzTQ-rzX9fLbeAjIRo79_zBU6IFQMxaYfNVmBUFbViP01lM7fC2USoPW7jsCPLlbIjK6Uol73AUtx8HMiMfzmvSFGbzmXLYqWKsK3O89fmcULHX5iQ1GHjffnzN5x/s320/photo(2).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497991186813559282" border="0" /></a><br />Mom and dad came to visit this weekend, and I got to eat some GOOD food! We went to the Coca-Cola factory today and had a really good time just being together. I love the fact that my parents spent their anniversary weekend with me since we hadn't been able to find another weekend that would work...that's love right there! I pretty much have the best parents on earth! Here are a few pictures from the Coca-Cola factory.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJlxAU3Z32ekBCcTANTKwPm0htuUn-RHsal8ChkoqfkY3MDOsAm5u4SG5NLN43ieijWT7acqM2vFuPOWc08NjL1hIuqNvcyQRXvLpQLUnyP7FFuVOojcmNLsN2OmdSws8mXNJ0btcuKsB/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJlxAU3Z32ekBCcTANTKwPm0htuUn-RHsal8ChkoqfkY3MDOsAm5u4SG5NLN43ieijWT7acqM2vFuPOWc08NjL1hIuqNvcyQRXvLpQLUnyP7FFuVOojcmNLsN2OmdSws8mXNJ0btcuKsB/s320/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497990989335993970" border="0" /></a>Mom at the Coca-Cola Factory<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAPrffXi_ouwMS9917mPlzeADbn8qUQsq9MJIlfnNhCLkBNQTeqFCOHWLj0GjGZZFSCsT5S-BGGUlvg0b3JU1SSoqpKbGkYJKDodwIEfO725p_QJ3hUzXNU9V4eqywzQxnpK-LJAXIQ8A/s1600/photo(3).JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAPrffXi_ouwMS9917mPlzeADbn8qUQsq9MJIlfnNhCLkBNQTeqFCOHWLj0GjGZZFSCsT5S-BGGUlvg0b3JU1SSoqpKbGkYJKDodwIEfO725p_QJ3hUzXNU9V4eqywzQxnpK-LJAXIQ8A/s320/photo(3).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497990984430594114" border="0" /></a>Dad and I are ready to watch the 4D movie!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I have been very blessed that I have been able to see Chris and my parents! I am SOOOO ready for rotation! Can't wait!<br /></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-10101709034603499942010-06-05T05:15:00.000-07:002010-06-05T07:05:19.507-07:00Life is CRAZY!Good morning yall!<br /><br />I am so sorry I have been so bad about updating my blog! I will do my best to get better. Atlanta so far has been incredibly busy. Just to put this in perspective, my typical day consists of:<br /><br />-Waking up at 5:30 to get ready for work and eat breakfast.<br />-Getting to work around 7 to work on homework, projects, mentor meetings, etc.<br />-Class normally starts about 8:30. Class is led by our instructor, Tim, and sometimes we get to have vendors or special guests come in and talk to us.<br />-We normally go to lunch at 12:30. 4 out of 5 days I go home and eat lunch.<br />-In the afternoon, we either have more class, or we are taking Web based trainings in the lab.<br />-Around 6pm, we are normally heading home, or if we are lucky, we just made it home!<br />-5 of the people in my class have a dinner rotation planned out, so we each are responsible for cooking one night a week. This works out very well. We normally eat dinner around 7 or 7:30.<br />-After dinner, we either work on homework, study, go to the store, run errands, or occasionally we get to relax.<br />-10:30 is bedtime! So please don't call me after that time lol!<br /><br />So there you have it. My day. Except my day is about to change. Before we head out on rotation, we need to get practice in a store. So we are all assigned GA market stores to work in. I was incredibly blessed because I have been placed in the closest store, which is only about 2 miles from my apartment (some people have stores that will be about 2 hours away with Atlanta traffic). Since my store is so close, I am expected to be there about 4 or 5 days a week. This means instead of going home and eating dinner, I will now be going straight from work to close my store down. So I will be getting home closer to 9:30. Yippee! I also have to work in my store for about 4 to 6 hours on Saturdays. Work is about to get even crazier than it is now!<br /><br />I'm not meaning to sound like I'm complaining. Because I'm not. I have been given an opportunity to work for a fortune 7 company and I am getting to meet very important people and learn from these people who are in positions that I would want to be in later in life. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It has been one of the best experiences of my life so far...and I only expect it to get better. </span><br /><br />I have matured so much in the last few weeks and I am excited to see how I continue to mature. One of the best examples of this is last Monday (Memorial day) I drove back to Atlanta from Knoxville and got in around 1:30pm. I immediately began laundry, 4 loads to be exact. While it was washing, I began to organize my room. To every last detail. As all of my dress shirts were coming out of the washer, I immediately ironed them (mom would be so proud). My closet is arranged in a very organized way, which is great since at 5:30 in the morning I do not want to have to think at all! Because I spent that time getting my room organized, I have been able to maintain it without hardly any effort. I've been making my bed everyday, which might not seem like a big deal, but I don't think I've done it everyday since I was....8. Or at least whenever I stopped getting in trouble for it. Lol.<br /><br />I will take pictures of my very clean apartment soon. I will also keep up with my posts. Anyone who is close and wants to come visit me should. The only time I will really be able to do anything is Saturday night and Sundays. Just thought I would throw that out there. I love to get mail as well, or phone calls, anything to remind me that I do have a life outside of work! Email me at mmink27@gmail.com if you need any of my contact information! I would love to give you guys more information about my life right now, but I need to go shopping for another suit and then my class is throwing a BBQ for the new class that just started (see even my days off are busy!). Love you guys and I will update again soon!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-26532417712138048442010-05-15T06:39:00.001-07:002010-05-15T07:08:11.118-07:00I'm Working for a Fortune 7 Company at Age 22<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1chlFE8TcD_zEJnsjhFdnKghvIe6VvpMIlkxJZYGLo-8Q6sX-lu_VYebLUjUlFrGT620o9MBOAfHCg_Ox0siMmN7nrPP8U91qJSRQ-K0948BuG4xthvelzpUvrXd5TA-j_mShMvm4oZlM/s1600/Camera+088.jpg"></a>Well, it's official. I am an employee of AT&T's Retail Sales Leadership Development Program (RSLP). I moved down to Atlanta this past Wednesday to a furnished apartment provided by AT&T. Everything is so nice, and while I will be moving to a different apartment next week(long story), so far everything else is going great! My "class" is very small. There are 8 of us, 4 guys and 4 girls. 5 of them graduated from University of Florida(YUCK), one from FSU, and one from somewhere in Minnesota. We seem to be getting along okay and I hope we can continue to work well together, since it seems like our success here is based on that.<br /><br />So far, some things I have found out about the program include:<br />-I will be working 70 hour weeks. So please do not feel left out if I do not call you very often...life is going to be CRAZY the next 6 months.<br />-My tentative graduation date from the program is October 22. This is important because I will be in my final city about a week after that date.<br />-Atlanta is a BIG city and for the directionally challenged, like me, it is very easy to get lost.<br />-I have both a business cell phone (Blackberry Bold) and a business laptop. That seems CRAZY to me!<br />-On my very first day of work we sat in on a Town Hall with John Dwyer, the Senior Vice President, of AT&T Mobility. He is a very important man, only a few spots away from CEO of Mobility. This was very imformative and very cool that we were able to do this on day 1.<br /><br />While all this is GREAT, there are definitely some things I will be missing in Knoxville. I was able to go hang out with my friends the last few days I was there, which was awesome. Here are some pictures of all the things I will miss in Knoxville(keep looking through the pictures. You will want to see the one at the bottom. PROMISE!!!).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Chris playing barrel of monkeys at Chill. It is a really cool ice cream shop, where you get liquid ice cream, add your toppings, and then they freeze it with liquid nitrogen. TOO COOL!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_N3pvfDgIL1ZY5cBXM8lO1GM9w2aZEgFj7XeI_oXryfav7VYBOPBmSHQ6cbiXuf5RYkjU3KL651JO6Lc2dPCReSvaBJ7jGrpp3nHY6KtN3PFCKvhx47YUE9YFzu1vdAFDI7Pi9GzQmcDM/s1600/Camera+091.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_N3pvfDgIL1ZY5cBXM8lO1GM9w2aZEgFj7XeI_oXryfav7VYBOPBmSHQ6cbiXuf5RYkjU3KL651JO6Lc2dPCReSvaBJ7jGrpp3nHY6KtN3PFCKvhx47YUE9YFzu1vdAFDI7Pi9GzQmcDM/s320/Camera+091.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471492352252236194" border="0" /></a><br />Whitney is so proud of her chain. Miss you Seester!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4Un3hIjtysE1_8XKz9zoXKzZtzdzJPJShxsFPR6s6IZxCplFtUus-WKbCBkkIkrVhex43KbzE47Zm6fScKB6D4qU9soviQDubt4yAU4wtS9UTQT4ZxSvkexVnGgurhTLcmW6wIJi3g1F/s1600/Camera+092.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4Un3hIjtysE1_8XKz9zoXKzZtzdzJPJShxsFPR6s6IZxCplFtUus-WKbCBkkIkrVhex43KbzE47Zm6fScKB6D4qU9soviQDubt4yAU4wtS9UTQT4ZxSvkexVnGgurhTLcmW6wIJi3g1F/s320/Camera+092.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471492105514048914" border="0" /></a>Josh<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHtQVO7WPyvvA97NPOveIp27Au6L0aeUsg2EmRlH4-0glQZ321Tg1nnHezHzrRD3WztUBNmreexH9pjTNe8DIzy0TSZQcHJJnqgXpTS8ZuaaXF8flu59f3nKbYXITfWNDYv4HdS1_4tvz/s1600/Camera+098.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHtQVO7WPyvvA97NPOveIp27Au6L0aeUsg2EmRlH4-0glQZ321Tg1nnHezHzrRD3WztUBNmreexH9pjTNe8DIzy0TSZQcHJJnqgXpTS8ZuaaXF8flu59f3nKbYXITfWNDYv4HdS1_4tvz/s320/Camera+098.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471492099757092002" border="0" /></a><br />My best friend ever, Grace, and Jenny<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHHHuxfJtYW5NPggKoxCWpk8AXJjqv_EQZJxTgf56q8OWesLhTyXWp_AHgAnvCYh0Vr6vTWay3lNaXiKtVzpmm9KM_Wxo5siFubK7lqOoJYPDJkmpaL4UtTgGCX3OMYCskrFoTeKk9Zuo/s1600/Camera+099.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHHHuxfJtYW5NPggKoxCWpk8AXJjqv_EQZJxTgf56q8OWesLhTyXWp_AHgAnvCYh0Vr6vTWay3lNaXiKtVzpmm9KM_Wxo5siFubK7lqOoJYPDJkmpaL4UtTgGCX3OMYCskrFoTeKk9Zuo/s320/Camera+099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471492091119874450" border="0" /></a><br />Who wouldn't miss this? haha.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyyaNkEvt6IE9PizGHDrsWoS6wLq09xnc1a46A-d1gOtmw5_6ELqVnacBMtweAU9s44UHvsMoimjJfAiHr6bfgXV-jNtUVgxnh0gtHAly0_cWkSzP4QL0poNUu0AzkYV61BKmDw9K3sNc/s1600/Camera+097.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyyaNkEvt6IE9PizGHDrsWoS6wLq09xnc1a46A-d1gOtmw5_6ELqVnacBMtweAU9s44UHvsMoimjJfAiHr6bfgXV-jNtUVgxnh0gtHAly0_cWkSzP4QL0poNUu0AzkYV61BKmDw9K3sNc/s320/Camera+097.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471492082350061058" border="0" /></a>They had temporary tattos at Moe's. You got a free coupon if you put it on...so Chris did. It was so funny!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I will miss everybody so much. Thanks for supporting me and helping me become who I am today.<br /><br />And last but not least, I can tell I'm really growing up. On my first day at AT&T, I just knew my mom would want a picture of me. So, being the AMAZING daughter I am, I took one. So here is the picture of me on my first day.<br /><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4SgFlKQj3ord2W6JoYl9SJElDCmMY5ojpDK-jsF1dMJnCReKYetVrfyewBG0zF9DBXGma8BrJ_BtO0csRyGjeKODnKjPvjJOf_JRRR1WBIZeVuA2d8mtKX_r9aFUrHCB3VrFVHkaH-hG/s1600/Camera+101.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4SgFlKQj3ord2W6JoYl9SJElDCmMY5ojpDK-jsF1dMJnCReKYetVrfyewBG0zF9DBXGma8BrJ_BtO0csRyGjeKODnKjPvjJOf_JRRR1WBIZeVuA2d8mtKX_r9aFUrHCB3VrFVHkaH-hG/s320/Camera+101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471492078497101538" border="0" /></a>Thanks to everyone who has helped me over the past 22 years to grow into the adult I am today. I am so excited about my first "big girl" job, and know that I couldn't be here without your love and encouragement, and financial support. I love you guys more than you will ever know. Please continue to pray for me, especially that I will learn to go with the flow, for safety in Atlanta, and that I will learn everything I need to be successful in my career. Love you guys!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-65685587512751197032010-05-14T15:50:00.001-07:002010-05-15T05:38:25.412-07:00Mother's Day Project<span style="font-size:130%;">A few months ago I decided to do a </span><span style="font-size:130%;">special project for parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I had been realizing how truly blessed I am and wanted to give back in some way. I read a blog talking about <span style="font-size:130%;">a project similar t</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">o this and began to become very excited. You can see the original post <a href="http://zeppelinsfamily.blogspot.com/2010/02/mothers-day-may-9-2010.html">here</a>.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">My mom and best friend Grace helped me so much with the bags. We are very proud of what we did and I wanted to share it with you. Hopefully we can get more support next year and make these bags even better!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Grace and I (mostly Grace) hand painted each bag, 10 in all.<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-t6jsBG-yLlp8cSE9OhBIRvXzoLoWC-ki6-5cXVpNggzWMkhb38IPdkY1qVwsSqsZVYWk_EWThErsIe3PfbwqYWFRl_44LM7144yzpNTdPw03ki_8hwHuhboJ4VqxTTKk_o6-k3wjdqE/s1600/Camera+082.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-t6jsBG-yLlp8cSE9OhBIRvXzoLoWC-ki6-5cXVpNggzWMkhb38IPdkY1qVwsSqsZVYWk_EWThErsIe3PfbwqYWFRl_44LM7144yzpNTdPw03ki_8hwHuhboJ4VqxTTKk_o6-k3wjdqE/s320/Camera+082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471313260625044770" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">This was one of the designs (sorry it's sideways).<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HdYLE6t22u_tb1pN4EqoaMrd4HEy_zeGsv2V_DNyTCVogU2pDjpU5F6UgwxPGh19hz0aesCsFLYulCPGkrbEgmtXWxiJaB0bnTi1vlq555MlqEvW7Z3A-Svvgvr_ngtYH8y1MRu8mUDQ/s1600/Camera+083.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HdYLE6t22u_tb1pN4EqoaMrd4HEy_zeGsv2V_DNyTCVogU2pDjpU5F6UgwxPGh19hz0aesCsFLYulCPGkrbEgmtXWxiJaB0bnTi1vlq555MlqEvW7Z3A-Svvgvr_ngtYH8y1MRu8mUDQ/s320/Camera+083.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471262913675426338" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />This was an adorable bag for a little baby boy.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfqE-B0Vveevxx51_amm7GXFe_XYnUJ8EUpXUGQRkP_Jc1yeegyx9_5yVXhXSsH9BSybzkvcz1Flmd-ZEHwbeOF7jWbxmLMCBOCi6AmD2FM1eyGJGgdA_ICWojrZAfbFhpATqDh864r8j/s1600/Camera+085.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfqE-B0Vveevxx51_amm7GXFe_XYnUJ8EUpXUGQRkP_Jc1yeegyx9_5yVXhXSsH9BSybzkvcz1Flmd-ZEHwbeOF7jWbxmLMCBOCi6AmD2FM1eyGJGgdA_ICWojrZAfbFhpATqDh864r8j/s320/Camera+085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471262908930101154" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Rattles for the girls<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_1pPXJ8Vuo4dFLqgJuRfIfg-Y5PBiuF_u7d8IG_NXQ7c8b9mDJ3s0PR9nqp3XJtdXVAiciOd86cWctHf3ZB1eYxaY_b_L6oxbT4kfw1o_jeY1igw9pKicc2CiRxNELIoN8xmM1SjvgeA/s1600/Camera+086.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_1pPXJ8Vuo4dFLqgJuRfIfg-Y5PBiuF_u7d8IG_NXQ7c8b9mDJ3s0PR9nqp3XJtdXVAiciOd86cWctHf3ZB1eYxaY_b_L6oxbT4kfw1o_jeY1igw9pKicc2CiRxNELIoN8xmM1SjvgeA/s320/Camera+086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471262900508860498" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />We were so lucky to be able to get all this stuff for each bag!<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHKn2Hg2kKUyN8PR0HIseIHuAHrax59_QvplAM8kGQt8WlobtGJU1kguMatBvB3EdpSGmWLMdEzysWQScxE7S6GgNuBuUzLSqQhyphenhyphenBhZ_l0DTnyOsAmbF19GrymETUx2SMV3DWFp7VbcQj/s1600/Camera+087.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHKn2Hg2kKUyN8PR0HIseIHuAHrax59_QvplAM8kGQt8WlobtGJU1kguMatBvB3EdpSGmWLMdEzysWQScxE7S6GgNuBuUzLSqQhyphenhyphenBhZ_l0DTnyOsAmbF19GrymETUx2SMV3DWFp7VbcQj/s320/Camera+087.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471262896142061490" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Mom, thank you so much for everything you were able to get for these bags! You are definitely storing up more treasures in Heaven! Grace, thank you for the time and creativity you put into each bag. They loved the bags! I was able to take them to Children's Hospital in Knoxville. As I was dropping them off to the nurse, she was so excited to be able to give these to the families. They sent us a very sweet thank you note, and said they have been a HUGE hit! Thanks again everybody. Love you all!</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-57922839306712596182010-05-14T15:28:00.000-07:002010-05-14T15:50:16.303-07:00Cabin FeverThis past weekend Chris and I went to Gatlinburg and stayed in a cabin with his family. We had a great time and are so appreciative for the time we got to spend there and the fun stuff we got to do!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Too cute - Smokey Mountain Brewery<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUIAbGsWbXabTni0T-txzL5OLDZQ9if2szc24UDdVVCHMp1qWswlwMl7fTyklTVRNIw1lf4HF75I0IvoJwupjGizFjARa6HFlNtaaCau-sN6KFIRu0UGr_GD-CeVDwKompUhHz_D92r6j/s1600/Camera+019.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUIAbGsWbXabTni0T-txzL5OLDZQ9if2szc24UDdVVCHMp1qWswlwMl7fTyklTVRNIw1lf4HF75I0IvoJwupjGizFjARa6HFlNtaaCau-sN6KFIRu0UGr_GD-CeVDwKompUhHz_D92r6j/s320/Camera+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471260035103317778" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Chris and I got up early on Friday morning and took a hike.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoA6N30R1ece2OYYWfOG3-LWATaleFvXZsOfQlDwb8z75HS_yrxy1L2KQq3QRqWVI-5NBFzEFl83GSEPhm1DKenfeKHNDfBUXX1orz_dacoHQDW6iH9tqvJDehXPcmDKgE7L2oJGqnhjkx/s1600/Camera+021.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoA6N30R1ece2OYYWfOG3-LWATaleFvXZsOfQlDwb8z75HS_yrxy1L2KQq3QRqWVI-5NBFzEFl83GSEPhm1DKenfeKHNDfBUXX1orz_dacoHQDW6iH9tqvJDehXPcmDKgE7L2oJGqnhjkx/s320/Camera+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471260005848592370" border="0" /></a><br />I'm soooo strong!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8h3bcMa-KsUKek_fWU-ld52R_wPBJVVGydl9jBDh72WvCWmD0IAZrwRwxUZsPzsid_YcSMQDguUrtNFoxYVVDGmyfgfOTa5JF1a8uopXtu5h4lws5V3LFkmtQIPYBJCZRd0Wq98DjE3O/s1600/Camera+022.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8h3bcMa-KsUKek_fWU-ld52R_wPBJVVGydl9jBDh72WvCWmD0IAZrwRwxUZsPzsid_YcSMQDguUrtNFoxYVVDGmyfgfOTa5JF1a8uopXtu5h4lws5V3LFkmtQIPYBJCZRd0Wq98DjE3O/s320/Camera+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471259997512161058" border="0" /></a><br />Climbing around<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDwHaQFPVQohE1arq-Fgyuy0Bf96jslcEeg5Js-nLTcVInm0bDuFVRCZqjXfr6x8ynxhtRp97Lp9t-bhILX80jjr2F-Y8jkOyoBCuVXZ2J5BIps8XiI-a6zyHG5Jw6IAdjRSaK5rV_OqF/s1600/Camera+026.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDwHaQFPVQohE1arq-Fgyuy0Bf96jslcEeg5Js-nLTcVInm0bDuFVRCZqjXfr6x8ynxhtRp97Lp9t-bhILX80jjr2F-Y8jkOyoBCuVXZ2J5BIps8XiI-a6zyHG5Jw6IAdjRSaK5rV_OqF/s320/Camera+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471258624048602226" border="0" /></a>So I am so lucky I have a great boyfriend. He climbed up to help me down...and if he wouldn't have, I would have busted my butt on the way down!!!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SIcvIr7etJXWbTyTIsCim5n49fYlpaY604ihZqcp7DVchtHN8avJ7JQA6gsWDcCW20lvOEdAlnyu8oRPGB41njP8XcW61Q2KYpMKFnXYa5JN4lY4vOHZwLrleOZaV0jTEYIuF2O5tTwR/s1600/Camera+030.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SIcvIr7etJXWbTyTIsCim5n49fYlpaY604ihZqcp7DVchtHN8avJ7JQA6gsWDcCW20lvOEdAlnyu8oRPGB41njP8XcW61Q2KYpMKFnXYa5JN4lY4vOHZwLrleOZaV0jTEYIuF2O5tTwR/s320/Camera+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471258617272212962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmz4iYbFUyGj0qQE9E4oBgSDpQbPBDpDkmvfRSw-gAv5pQUvXlmGxZZtZniBzMqJNpTVoG1faWYwEIyiRGKnmaf5yyI852Ktdsh-Yx98LazLYRpogdw-HZ_D-bR92aAYYcaP-h9j5HH1Bh/s1600/Camera+031.jpg"><br /></a>We got to go to the Titanic museum. It was so interesting!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJym4Ya9yjKwvPqMhSvs31oe2X7CzivEoVt28GiM0k7zJXhbumBOsNCy1CLwgPVjtmDcsTSahWOLDID-Urr1bHoT2-t7NRpANFGKbEqfTIj1krBbiBDRbT99UpAnsWHqCwlIVR0P0WSGl8/s1600/Camera+038.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJym4Ya9yjKwvPqMhSvs31oe2X7CzivEoVt28GiM0k7zJXhbumBOsNCy1CLwgPVjtmDcsTSahWOLDID-Urr1bHoT2-t7NRpANFGKbEqfTIj1krBbiBDRbT99UpAnsWHqCwlIVR0P0WSGl8/s320/Camera+038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471258602342478754" border="0" /></a><br />Dan and Kim - awwwww<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw-aX568BJVRdzEoijPL2mw4EFIz1WU55pCtwieUxdvbLDSTkcu2YjE1M3kdornJG7fUsiCjgELeX7nt9WlqMp-mj2p4w4ohQvj5QxH24qQuB8mHfvc8LxLY74xFR0txh4mgjAS8xBj6Z/s1600/Camera+041.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw-aX568BJVRdzEoijPL2mw4EFIz1WU55pCtwieUxdvbLDSTkcu2YjE1M3kdornJG7fUsiCjgELeX7nt9WlqMp-mj2p4w4ohQvj5QxH24qQuB8mHfvc8LxLY74xFR0txh4mgjAS8xBj6Z/s320/Camera+041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471258598121837442" border="0" /></a><br />At the front of the ship<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgv_iX8k7Y5FPG6MUxm0tOlEwK8uWK8eGgH8vRXSxOUswh6vpBZTwysstsLdT1VFthfB-nCpnFzMufsYq6CZX7JWXUcwXH-lAgR4XKJwoaJR4LanPSKHN-Oz44NwjnqYN9yPUh66GT5qy/s1600/Camera+044.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgv_iX8k7Y5FPG6MUxm0tOlEwK8uWK8eGgH8vRXSxOUswh6vpBZTwysstsLdT1VFthfB-nCpnFzMufsYq6CZX7JWXUcwXH-lAgR4XKJwoaJR4LanPSKHN-Oz44NwjnqYN9yPUh66GT5qy/s320/Camera+044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471257117236356578" border="0" /></a><br />We played lots of pool - FYI if you want to win....do NOT team up with me. I am not good!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qcn_nzh_H9h9iY97mVYqcoiZiZDTxW2ed3CJyq6VKldPcMXYhiKmi4Wja-oa9mJQ1lkR1tWpL6Yk1sqITtt21vk19M6kmYwC_cxf4ZgLijDPdybEccHb5F-f_gmkpKRa09kj8-O9K2nK/s1600/Camera+048.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qcn_nzh_H9h9iY97mVYqcoiZiZDTxW2ed3CJyq6VKldPcMXYhiKmi4Wja-oa9mJQ1lkR1tWpL6Yk1sqITtt21vk19M6kmYwC_cxf4ZgLijDPdybEccHb5F-f_gmkpKRa09kj8-O9K2nK/s320/Camera+048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471257114169903794" border="0" /></a><br />Pretty view from the cabin<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFv9tYWAkutOb8cVTDg8eBrhFhVvS-du4F0fwQkeXLM1U6daU5VuXFO6G4jqLmKzpEp1CH71EXyu9kjk9NLufYRqn71ssLDNCseyZWCsOUstEadWyqO50Nefjsz9zyZ_NRAOte01VMIPJ/s1600/Camera+056.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFv9tYWAkutOb8cVTDg8eBrhFhVvS-du4F0fwQkeXLM1U6daU5VuXFO6G4jqLmKzpEp1CH71EXyu9kjk9NLufYRqn71ssLDNCseyZWCsOUstEadWyqO50Nefjsz9zyZ_NRAOte01VMIPJ/s320/Camera+056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471257103603496562" border="0" /></a><br />Kim is super great at pool!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iMB1MupObfcO046psx82cxK0JEoUSv3UNrJkOF_6GgSAL3JPYrUlikEsIrsJMRd_k3dnAAjD0XXWlxi0IlKP-09DWmH6anDWzEaPaUGUH2PuSAVACI00a_iwd31JGPmcayIsQM-9-TEv/s1600/Camera+080.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iMB1MupObfcO046psx82cxK0JEoUSv3UNrJkOF_6GgSAL3JPYrUlikEsIrsJMRd_k3dnAAjD0XXWlxi0IlKP-09DWmH6anDWzEaPaUGUH2PuSAVACI00a_iwd31JGPmcayIsQM-9-TEv/s320/Camera+080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471257097896045234" border="0" /></a><br />Chris and him Momma!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xsKeu8H7j3UOyzi7heR9Y3ZZgi8vaXGWyVUrhOd7BzaAPYQnD2WqoEFnN1kkppYcFMgKFCzFIHFvh0MjzYx0BMjda6AJ4IJu8lTVXKpcI-7W8Eh5BW3UXoZbK73euNmnZ_Yqh3PDcTaD/s1600/Camera+081.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xsKeu8H7j3UOyzi7heR9Y3ZZgi8vaXGWyVUrhOd7BzaAPYQnD2WqoEFnN1kkppYcFMgKFCzFIHFvh0MjzYx0BMjda6AJ4IJu8lTVXKpcI-7W8Eh5BW3UXoZbK73euNmnZ_Yqh3PDcTaD/s320/Camera+081.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471257094111173410" border="0" /></a>We are so glad we got to go to Gatlinburg! It was great to spend the weekend relaxing before I had to move to Atlanta. I know you guys want Atlanta updates. It might be a few days...I'm behind, and I'm TIRED!!! Love you!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-88056237903197335322010-04-30T14:33:00.000-07:002010-04-30T14:39:11.046-07:00Fun Day at the Park<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqrmvOyCaxiQZpgKmXeKani7kAmASp4aqFGQCq4vXaIhsyrS8Cb5CKoa7osVeIP_4vDXPVAhLMUIHT8TC9wJtdhyphenhyphenki6zaSEYCR5F32gW2hBba8roNchT_W_pRnKZ9gUSbM1lcHb0CpcOz/s1600/Fort+Dickerson+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqrmvOyCaxiQZpgKmXeKani7kAmASp4aqFGQCq4vXaIhsyrS8Cb5CKoa7osVeIP_4vDXPVAhLMUIHT8TC9wJtdhyphenhyphenki6zaSEYCR5F32gW2hBba8roNchT_W_pRnKZ9gUSbM1lcHb0CpcOz/s320/Fort+Dickerson+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466047007574316578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLEiukuC1NcZi-0eFmWoT2AvWpH0SwH27SZcwxmIP0gE-R8kmYMbeb0ir3kSXU1WVKj07E28Hd_aM1Cuvh4QKkhLzwxN3R4nW3Xyk2hl0MdnoFTJBnjlLvHaSQaycSjCHjUCf8vrnab_6/s1600/Fort+Dickerson+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLEiukuC1NcZi-0eFmWoT2AvWpH0SwH27SZcwxmIP0gE-R8kmYMbeb0ir3kSXU1WVKj07E28Hd_aM1Cuvh4QKkhLzwxN3R4nW3Xyk2hl0MdnoFTJBnjlLvHaSQaycSjCHjUCf8vrnab_6/s320/Fort+Dickerson+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466047005746174162" border="0" /></a><br />Today Chris and I took Zeppelin to a park in south Knoxville. It was very peaceful and Zeppelin was awesome...didn't even try to run away! It was a very fun day and the weather was beautiful!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-84414108289879679252010-04-25T16:27:00.000-07:002010-04-25T16:56:36.483-07:00Happy Birthday Dear Zeppelin, Happy Birthday to You!Today was Zeppelin's first birthday. Our little boy is growing up (sniff sniff). We had a little party with some friends! Enjoy the funny pictures!<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMswxXKzYEboJSuWxC2KehsB1-xWu-X3y7AhBnSpwO2wJdGdUPwCVoiLFKhuSI2E8NyaUWDA4EHRl1TenSmv2VqgCl8xFf4UdhL0oKr9vnN_vQd8lRwdtV63Ns_jrbYDD4lmxW8iVVw6vk/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464225338345074146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMswxXKzYEboJSuWxC2KehsB1-xWu-X3y7AhBnSpwO2wJdGdUPwCVoiLFKhuSI2E8NyaUWDA4EHRl1TenSmv2VqgCl8xFf4UdhL0oKr9vnN_vQd8lRwdtV63Ns_jrbYDD4lmxW8iVVw6vk/s320/IMG_0295.JPG" /></a> Chris, Whitney, Me, Josh, and Justin and the birthday boy!</div><div align="center">And yes, be jealous of our super cool hats!</div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwocYtP_rk0UpPC-JzdkXsQ3JZxdkOhjlEpt238FMJ__VHiGN-tE_ccq9w9k2Z_LiwHneSl6ho__eWhcRcFTEI6Zps77FCWvKtkDPIUc4iI1nZbeJCun96V8ID6sRpPCS4fueFFHe1dXM/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464225324142496642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwocYtP_rk0UpPC-JzdkXsQ3JZxdkOhjlEpt238FMJ__VHiGN-tE_ccq9w9k2Z_LiwHneSl6ho__eWhcRcFTEI6Zps77FCWvKtkDPIUc4iI1nZbeJCun96V8ID6sRpPCS4fueFFHe1dXM/s320/IMG_0293.JPG" /></a> Might be the best picture ever! So adorable! Zeppelin loves his aunt Whitney!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lY8mocmdD4dlL9mcWt13LtXPod0jihvcHwDn8A7k5juNSh-Nu7WSS8-bho-wRRYvhjK_LXCr3ESNxwMxnc9-Wx4SRdAGdnjCOnEBpYIJEIVdShaNbB1GPqCGQykv2iiVyysiRjLSxQcY/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464225322592187330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lY8mocmdD4dlL9mcWt13LtXPod0jihvcHwDn8A7k5juNSh-Nu7WSS8-bho-wRRYvhjK_LXCr3ESNxwMxnc9-Wx4SRdAGdnjCOnEBpYIJEIVdShaNbB1GPqCGQykv2iiVyysiRjLSxQcY/s320/IMG_0292.JPG" /></a> Even Chris was a sport about wearing the hats. Too cute!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsY-EJzRTqd73qgrYb9QtastKu64ZeHwcAfTzhBos-uihJa67tw2ZSJNWm2GVUZo6l9BzdVe3AeDQzNJtmLkjxTQMxr6MoK5DNYYwJ83oM-sckfZ9-xLgnA54n3P2Fiz9sOsX4ogxxOGh/s1600/IMG_0291.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464224384622269042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsY-EJzRTqd73qgrYb9QtastKu64ZeHwcAfTzhBos-uihJa67tw2ZSJNWm2GVUZo6l9BzdVe3AeDQzNJtmLkjxTQMxr6MoK5DNYYwJ83oM-sckfZ9-xLgnA54n3P2Fiz9sOsX4ogxxOGh/s320/IMG_0291.JPG" /></a> I look rough, but its a cute picture if you can get over that part...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47vIAOxIufC5_Y83J9hHNYsTJQEfsSVHdsdffoUs6vDMVsffiixCn8kh_lPDNE_tEaV0sriofIWOYw2yyld5lThFDaxOuvh0fNwoErdfoFpn-OmnUROgRITte4FHt-1wv-YpR2-xHY_OK/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464224381016594466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47vIAOxIufC5_Y83J9hHNYsTJQEfsSVHdsdffoUs6vDMVsffiixCn8kh_lPDNE_tEaV0sriofIWOYw2yyld5lThFDaxOuvh0fNwoErdfoFpn-OmnUROgRITte4FHt-1wv-YpR2-xHY_OK/s320/IMG_0289.JPG" /></a> Even Justin (Whitney's boyfriend) came to celebrate!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVH3prB38GZngMINC8ENrrG9KuCfYx82Yy0Lsiu3QhYbD129tGFqs_wsjoAGG0v8JxPvJ6ZhyLLPkY0CYs0xKI37SJQKsjaa7x1pSJJKE7SiwQY2eny-xrjIZY1tNv7YgwlozcUA23O309/s1600/IMG_0284.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464224373121555666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVH3prB38GZngMINC8ENrrG9KuCfYx82Yy0Lsiu3QhYbD129tGFqs_wsjoAGG0v8JxPvJ6ZhyLLPkY0CYs0xKI37SJQKsjaa7x1pSJJKE7SiwQY2eny-xrjIZY1tNv7YgwlozcUA23O309/s320/IMG_0284.JPG" /></a> My attempt at making a dogbone cake. I'll get better before I have kids I hope. If not, I'll be saying, "Mooooommmmy....!"<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7JKzO6Ua2F46to0ZZhaVcvSUvGAJQeFijqPjfnVlk-8JoD026KMkiJdldmltQd9pqxUrES15wc1HIbM4fiiVLKl2b1O0aeAxLYID0-QjwggMKE37NGxhU9fVVxvALz1BFfmVibk0xE5o/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464224364883663762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7JKzO6Ua2F46to0ZZhaVcvSUvGAJQeFijqPjfnVlk-8JoD026KMkiJdldmltQd9pqxUrES15wc1HIbM4fiiVLKl2b1O0aeAxLYID0-QjwggMKE37NGxhU9fVVxvALz1BFfmVibk0xE5o/s320/IMG_0282.JPG" /></a> We were determined to get a picture of him with the hat on...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6PVXGMgwd4lYMhnXRfhKcYcyHuC92gOvjPRQIo6FdjzX9n5YCEveUzvyfthcELzOdOSw1cgFF1nqw05zGrBH6GbTx5jdkLchjqY6DA5nGTxdweybU-3AmK28gaFwbVFZMbqGw2T2D7bH/s1600/IMG_0280.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464224356916998658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6PVXGMgwd4lYMhnXRfhKcYcyHuC92gOvjPRQIo6FdjzX9n5YCEveUzvyfthcELzOdOSw1cgFF1nqw05zGrBH6GbTx5jdkLchjqY6DA5nGTxdweybU-3AmK28gaFwbVFZMbqGw2T2D7bH/s320/IMG_0280.JPG" /></a> This was as good as it gets!</div><div> </div><div align="left">I'm so glad we have such great friends. They were all great sports about wearing the hats, playing with Zeppelin, and letting me take blackmail pictures. I LOVE my friends!</div><div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-76116272036532535122010-04-23T09:12:00.000-07:002010-04-23T09:16:52.919-07:00I Need a Vacation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrR7LCXqW3KL0fmUNCEiNsjKjFqAAn8HnFTwHEmwHAnDfnj1NnsdTwnAYi5gquZGYLmOySpJL2By6IQMdPLxbM1PtlvSX4P9np8yM2HHhircSXCxuA9-F_aJ8keFzbbpvft4GgIg7qnFP/s1600/beach.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463366879207342482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrR7LCXqW3KL0fmUNCEiNsjKjFqAAn8HnFTwHEmwHAnDfnj1NnsdTwnAYi5gquZGYLmOySpJL2By6IQMdPLxbM1PtlvSX4P9np8yM2HHhircSXCxuA9-F_aJ8keFzbbpvft4GgIg7qnFP/s400/beach.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p>This is where I want to be right now!</p><p>Good thing I'm going to get a 12 day vacation I didn't plan on. My start date with AT&T got bumped back to May 12.</p><p>The good news is, I can get a bunch of stuff done, see my friends, and get a tan!</p>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-13432283538780545432010-04-20T08:40:00.000-07:002010-04-20T09:08:25.591-07:00Need to Post<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">So I have been really bad about updating on here. There hasn't been much going on as of late, so there isn't really much to post. So bare with me, this will be incredibly random!<br /><br />-I will be living in Atlanta in 2 weeks and 1 day. This is crazy to me, because I can not imagine living there BY MYSELF!!!!<br />-I'm currently working out my notice at PerfectServe...and have been put back to the text agent 24/7. Its great since it allows me to do tons of other things, but it is slightly boring, for someone who thrives on learning new things!<br />-I made my new budget for the next 6 months yesterday, and things are looking VERY exciting! I'm going to make the most of this time of paying no rent, utilities, cable, etc and SAVE SAVE SAVE!<br />-I was told last week by an amazing lady who I admire that I am really "growing up." I've come to realize that this means I'm learning to make the "unfun" decisions, such as going shopping for business suits, instead of summer clothes...NO FUN! hahaha<br />-Apparently no one under a size 8 would need to wear a suit. Because thats one of the smallest sizes for 90% of suits (I'm a 2!). The good news is...I feel very thin!<br />-God is so amazing! I'm learning so much in my new Biblestudy, "BreakFree" by Beth Moore. Only one week in and I can't wait to dig deeper into God's Word.<br />-I'm getting a lot better at cooking smaller portions! I used to always have tons of leftovers, which neither Chris or I like to eat.<br />-Zeppelin's 1st birthday is this coming Sunday (April 25). Happy Birthday Zeppelin! Now its time to start acting like a big boy (ie...stop going to the bathroom in the house)!<br />-I went to the Knoxville zoo on Sunday with my friend Kristen and her almost 3 year old son Jamison. It was great to hang out and watch Jamison get so excited about seeing the animals!<br />-I NEED a tan. Pronto. Seriously.<br />-Found this website (</span><a href="http://www.groupon.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">http://www.groupon.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">)! They have all different deals for big cities around the US, but they sell them at incredible prices. Example: I just bought a $40 coupon for dinner in Atlanta for $15. If you sign up, use this link </span><a href="http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1679971"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1679971</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"> please! When you refer people, you get extra goodies when you buy stuff!<br />-Life is hectic. Just trying to slow down, spend time with people I love, and prepare for this new adventure! Can't wait to see where I end up in a few short months!<br /><br />Okay. Well thats life. Can't wait to update from my new stomping grounds!</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-72507927671450364792010-04-08T16:24:00.000-07:002010-04-08T16:30:22.725-07:00New Job...AGAIN!!!!Praise the Lord! I officially accepted my offer for AT&T's Retail Sales Leadership Development Program! I will be starting on May 5, and will be moving to Atlanta for the next 6 months to complete training. Upon the completion of training, I will be relocated to some city in the United States! While it is slightly unnerving to not know where I am going, it is very comforting to know that God already knows, and he is preparing a church home for me and new friends for me to meet!<br /><br />The basics of the next 6 months are:<br /><br />-13 weeks in Atlanta, GA for training<br /><br />-6 weeks in an unknown city working at an AT&T store to apply my lessons<br /> - 2 weeks as a sales person<br /> - 1 week as the assistant manager<br /> - 3 weeks as the store manager<br /><br />-5 weeks back in Atlanta to complete the training, receive my store assignment, and come up with my game plan<br /><br />At the end of the 6 months, I will be a store manager at an AT&T retail store, with the goal of moving to regional retail manager within 1 to 2 years. From there, the sky is the limit!<br /><br />Thanks for all of your prayers and support during this process of finding a job. Please continue to pray for me as I prepare for this journey. Love you all!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-70132126930391982832010-03-22T10:41:00.001-07:002010-03-22T10:47:45.812-07:00Go look...NOW!This weekend, I took Zeppelin on a 1 mile hike, to the "Top of the World" outside of Maryville, TN (in the outskirts of the Smokey Mountains). I went with two of my friends, Grace and Josh. We had a great time and Zeppelin loved all the new smells and things to look at. Josh is an amazing photographer and took pictures along the way. Zeppelin was WORN out by the time I got home, and Josh was sweet enough to take some ADORABLE pictures of Zeppelin. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jw_photo/sets/72157621907893335">www.flickr.com/photos/jw_photo/sets/72157621907893335</a><br /><br />and...I took a few of these lol! I'm a budding photographer!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-38650908539714303392010-03-15T15:32:00.000-07:002010-03-15T15:56:44.705-07:00With Heart Headed HomeI have recently began reading Max Lucado's book "Come Thirsty." It is a great book about how we should be drenching ourselves in the Word, Christian fellowship, etc. There is a beautiful story in there that really put things in perspective for me. Thought I would share it with you guys.<br /><br />"Search the faces of the cap Haitian orphanage for Carinette. Study the 57 dark-skinned, bright-eyed, curly haired Creole-speaking, fun loving children for a unique 7 year old firl. She appears no different from the others. Eats the same rice and beans. Plays on the same grassless palyground. Sleeps beneath the tin roof as do the other girls, hearing the nearly nightly pounding of the Haitian rain. But though she appears the same, don't be fooled. She livves in a different world - a world called home-to-be.<br />See the slender girl wearing the pink shirt? The girl with the long nose and bushy hair and a handful of photos. Ask to see them; Carinette will let you. Fail to ask, she'll show you anyway. The photos bear the images of her future family. She's been adopted...(her adoptive parents) brought her pictures, a teddy bear, granola bars, and cookies. Carientte shared the goodies, asked the director to guard her bear, but she keeps the pictures. They remind her of her home-to-be. Within a month, two at the most, she'll be there. She knows the day is coming. Every opening of the gate jumps her heart. Any day now her father will appear. He promised he'd be back. He came once to claim her. He'll come again to carry her home. Till then she lives with a heart headed home.<br />Shouldn't we all? Carinette's situation mirrors ours. Our Father paid us a visit too. Have we not been claimed? Adopted?...God searched you out. Before you knew you needed adopting he'd already filed the patpers and selected the wallpaper for your room. Abandon you to a fatherless world? No way. Those privy to God's family Bible can read your name. He wrote it there. What's more, he covered the adoption fees. Neither you nor Carinette can pay your way out of the orphanage. we don't finance our adoption, but we do accepth it. Carinette could tell the prospective parents to get lost. But she hasn't. In the same way, you could tell God to get lost. But you wouldn't dare, would you? The moment we accept his offer we go from orphans to heirs...Heaven knows no stepchildren or grandchildren. You and Christ share the same will...Oh but we forget. Don't we grow accustomed to hard bunks and tin plates. Seldom do we peer over the fence into the world to come. and how long has it been since you showed someone your pictures?...Adopted, but not transported. We have a new family, but not our Heavenly house. We know our father's name, but we haven't seen His face. He has claimed us, but has yet to come for us.<br />So here we are. caught between what is and what will be. No longer orphans, not yet home. What do we do in the meantime? Indeed, it can be just that - a <span style="font-style: italic;">mean</span> time. Time made mean with chemotherapyy, drivers driving with more beer than brains in their bodies, and backstabbers who make life on earth fell like a time share in Afghanistan. How do we live in the meantime? How do we keep our hearts headed home? Paul weighs in with some suggestions.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also graon to be released from pain and suffering. we, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Now that we are saved, we earegly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently (Romans 8:23-25).</span>"<br /><br />I pray that I will live with a heart headed home. Love you all!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-90132912922321590722010-03-13T14:00:00.000-08:002010-03-13T14:37:10.214-08:00Home is Where Your Heart Is<div align="left">Moved into a new place over a month and a half ago. It's a one bedroom townhouse with....a bigger kitchen and washer and dryer connections! I just finally got around to putting up pics.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Bakers Rack in the kitchen</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeBZf6d9a3Dkp55mcHOAtAUQESEmnKmp5F1K_vkDSmKa99UiXegC3MH1rP0V5IaO8cm33FS-DmMdzmJAy3rY3S2nbqnTbxyFct7NsSRl0Ez4b-w7_Ebeaq14dzmkgsw0FsQLoyYXsodQN/s1600-h/IMG_0241.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448248296178059010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeBZf6d9a3Dkp55mcHOAtAUQESEmnKmp5F1K_vkDSmKa99UiXegC3MH1rP0V5IaO8cm33FS-DmMdzmJAy3rY3S2nbqnTbxyFct7NsSRl0Ez4b-w7_Ebeaq14dzmkgsw0FsQLoyYXsodQN/s320/IMG_0241.JPG" /></a> BIG kitchen (at least compared to the old one)<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjOq9M63cJijqpyS9fuAWvvD01BK4nWneT6XrzngeoXfrM3Ywf6S7Wk9oGccY31t47yxNoun7A9kl2wY_kdd1mPqFW72JdIQZoWEzufr7Ls9GVLIUvVuOetcPGlkq87z3YU2k8ibB36fb/s1600-h/IMG_0223.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448248290251853490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjOq9M63cJijqpyS9fuAWvvD01BK4nWneT6XrzngeoXfrM3Ywf6S7Wk9oGccY31t47yxNoun7A9kl2wY_kdd1mPqFW72JdIQZoWEzufr7Ls9GVLIUvVuOetcPGlkq87z3YU2k8ibB36fb/s320/IMG_0223.JPG" /></a><br />Entertainment Corner<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHo7VZ6fPG4r2YGJVn54mf0uD2qbMJFHyurFcKR16suoKlarEBImWHBWAPR1Z0Q5S7iSwlyDA_pcS3nw0ddHcAOAaAt6oLAMz0SawrM38bWM9TguwC6GuUPd-7Z8ayHQ4RIw7t4UvnNe4c/s1600-h/IMG_0233.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448248286046737618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHo7VZ6fPG4r2YGJVn54mf0uD2qbMJFHyurFcKR16suoKlarEBImWHBWAPR1Z0Q5S7iSwlyDA_pcS3nw0ddHcAOAaAt6oLAMz0SawrM38bWM9TguwC6GuUPd-7Z8ayHQ4RIw7t4UvnNe4c/s320/IMG_0233.JPG" /></a> Desk/Scrapbook area<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyGmawPkAhc8rcYUDEXeewJYRQl2B84xh5IrHBq0dkK6ky59QBLa_Tf6Ewbc5wxJr929CAzETkqITbbjBGVbLTDEmYKVU9PX9H2WCdCYcSfGUWjWz_DlbwBqgELIEXQueI50dIySadAzb/s1600-h/IMG_0234.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448248278545380626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyGmawPkAhc8rcYUDEXeewJYRQl2B84xh5IrHBq0dkK6ky59QBLa_Tf6Ewbc5wxJr929CAzETkqITbbjBGVbLTDEmYKVU9PX9H2WCdCYcSfGUWjWz_DlbwBqgELIEXQueI50dIySadAzb/s320/IMG_0234.JPG" /></a><br />Couch (need more decorations)<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV80Ybwz65UmIh66Yq60NrLnQKRC41uJLxQILckk-2IZkawLoiNJPi66IlfXHlZcyxCvnEy8jvGjV_ghkTVNFlzqhpV6-udLoso9J0FdqWS7-WrDgs-JAtyVDgj-y7PjQC8IwNgRGkUEjY/s1600-h/IMG_0236.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448248275217415138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV80Ybwz65UmIh66Yq60NrLnQKRC41uJLxQILckk-2IZkawLoiNJPi66IlfXHlZcyxCvnEy8jvGjV_ghkTVNFlzqhpV6-udLoso9J0FdqWS7-WrDgs-JAtyVDgj-y7PjQC8IwNgRGkUEjY/s320/IMG_0236.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Dinning room<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW4JaObhsFcg4XSC2svTDjs-lMC5O46JyOcgjZjMRfQU30GcPCCn_FPVIiyT0M4_q7dH7Vs4wxuzLsr5rhmvpVZxKxTKAZDZFyndSUrooHYCJlmC8a_etlC52VNmHjcS06vnFLXGMeq82/s1600-h/IMG_0240.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448246756778700434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW4JaObhsFcg4XSC2svTDjs-lMC5O46JyOcgjZjMRfQU30GcPCCn_FPVIiyT0M4_q7dH7Vs4wxuzLsr5rhmvpVZxKxTKAZDZFyndSUrooHYCJlmC8a_etlC52VNmHjcS06vnFLXGMeq82/s320/IMG_0240.JPG" /></a><br />Beautiful picture in the hallway<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD46EI7IwhoRgSMsEfAtldvUVpcOvxMK0wENcHtKWT1eFtv-KiafsmOe0v9j1vLYwMiJL4y6tgVZk8dBLQcMGcleY78TgyDJzqZ7lUzG0DGyuMdQd2QC2r6tsVLhqBgZHugIjUzwc8aOAT/s1600-h/IMG_0232.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448246755984210498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD46EI7IwhoRgSMsEfAtldvUVpcOvxMK0wENcHtKWT1eFtv-KiafsmOe0v9j1vLYwMiJL4y6tgVZk8dBLQcMGcleY78TgyDJzqZ7lUzG0DGyuMdQd2QC2r6tsVLhqBgZHugIjUzwc8aOAT/s320/IMG_0232.JPG" /></a> Downstairs bathroom<br /><div align="center"><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4mFhAI7IM_iSASH8_pTVpNUPBzpSuLU4GYzepzLclfWB1ne4PyOLB0jwhpSp5V1IXOIFQA9JHmABl3FTSXtzspbKHMdK-UXnmVIy7-9Uq0YnVS9GiN83u5WPH_4Dy0KTi6_r16nm6WJu/s1600-h/IMG_0222.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448246745065527874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4mFhAI7IM_iSASH8_pTVpNUPBzpSuLU4GYzepzLclfWB1ne4PyOLB0jwhpSp5V1IXOIFQA9JHmABl3FTSXtzspbKHMdK-UXnmVIy7-9Uq0YnVS9GiN83u5WPH_4Dy0KTi6_r16nm6WJu/s320/IMG_0222.JPG" /></a><br />Stairs(there is a baby gate at the bottom. </div><div align="center">Do we have a baby? Yes, and his name is Zeppelin)<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX26QNwyGQIBS3lksvW5BG66KI8T1WikQ8DS9TB5AAv4Ama68534ZbHUbcGH-nEJfGxabu21bG3RmyTV1K1S7f8Sg9_NeWJx77_pVDhpluJhwAIGfzWPHJ6k50V82E4tUm-sVGP-am3uv/s1600-h/IMG_0220.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448246740360376402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX26QNwyGQIBS3lksvW5BG66KI8T1WikQ8DS9TB5AAv4Ama68534ZbHUbcGH-nEJfGxabu21bG3RmyTV1K1S7f8Sg9_NeWJx77_pVDhpluJhwAIGfzWPHJ6k50V82E4tUm-sVGP-am3uv/s320/IMG_0220.JPG" /></a><br />Bookshelf at the top of the stairs<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7qN_24U4fajddJCwjGYnTuQgFBISGMB4dHpp3pskd2ZJI2tOi7sAUeLApL6GkiiO9NjUzAVpqLF3rX-g4U853p_bW4y3inSx9SJb2Eoks1vndGL7lRCnjfTopoHogFpwCya5b_-qvXpo/s1600-h/IMG_0219.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448244641901363010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7qN_24U4fajddJCwjGYnTuQgFBISGMB4dHpp3pskd2ZJI2tOi7sAUeLApL6GkiiO9NjUzAVpqLF3rX-g4U853p_bW4y3inSx9SJb2Eoks1vndGL7lRCnjfTopoHogFpwCya5b_-qvXpo/s320/IMG_0219.JPG" /></a><br />Bedroom<br /><div align="center"><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIyOhbnpLkX2lrPrRwGfeYTVDfnq7b2FqxlKiyIk0h1IxHYAJoTUGEflWUGn5K9jr43JhJa1qMYaPD-5vtaTxg21iUwsDQ5w9C6wkiJcQpRiHQbmPAPROnBToxEg5fP8OFAvJsbXYD8Ep/s1600-h/IMG_0206.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448244633479474482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIyOhbnpLkX2lrPrRwGfeYTVDfnq7b2FqxlKiyIk0h1IxHYAJoTUGEflWUGn5K9jr43JhJa1qMYaPD-5vtaTxg21iUwsDQ5w9C6wkiJcQpRiHQbmPAPROnBToxEg5fP8OFAvJsbXYD8Ep/s320/IMG_0206.JPG" /></a><br />I LOVE the new bedroom furniture!<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT5Q663XzanpEP0Mlp6peexHiLiD8vYg2ayZAdGIEdWrxHr27lBqjYTFIxD0y2GSpe8pVTdnFvKyZXi0qEf6HO8SuDG-mAQW1XZ3rPKKZqjUG4r15fGJdZPhQzkMFf1XkOXZkxVZ8J_04/s1600-h/IMG_0213.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448244627639411154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT5Q663XzanpEP0Mlp6peexHiLiD8vYg2ayZAdGIEdWrxHr27lBqjYTFIxD0y2GSpe8pVTdnFvKyZXi0qEf6HO8SuDG-mAQW1XZ3rPKKZqjUG4r15fGJdZPhQzkMFf1XkOXZkxVZ8J_04/s320/IMG_0213.JPG" /></a><br />On the dresser to remind us "All you need is LOVE"<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4DSW9qDEHjf2Z03EGp63yXwjd31rYBD3zgP4sTHLIFLgpxQnDixmCgJvYQKILeyCfSPjIjGuZB-nQcitAYuHOLut1MlDzlai7R7JeKAsTBhHZExIPc91oC45wf_lSvlhJuQ9pmmezzWg/s1600-h/IMG_0214.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448244620268454498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4DSW9qDEHjf2Z03EGp63yXwjd31rYBD3zgP4sTHLIFLgpxQnDixmCgJvYQKILeyCfSPjIjGuZB-nQcitAYuHOLut1MlDzlai7R7JeKAsTBhHZExIPc91oC45wf_lSvlhJuQ9pmmezzWg/s320/IMG_0214.JPG" /></a><br />Those are candle holders I made<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCO6m7gVciMHVVbREarV3UBMD_xPZHQL1posDNdtAnaNJOjq3lBXlhf6RTuRHUteBZgj35afjaBr9ZUbFLs6ICdJaHck_0WLT6uafV63HKjFntG_xPjHnF4pdXIQKE6AmSgk_9baspbwi/s1600-h/IMG_0210.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448243298032238450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCO6m7gVciMHVVbREarV3UBMD_xPZHQL1posDNdtAnaNJOjq3lBXlhf6RTuRHUteBZgj35afjaBr9ZUbFLs6ICdJaHck_0WLT6uafV63HKjFntG_xPjHnF4pdXIQKE6AmSgk_9baspbwi/s320/IMG_0210.JPG" /></a><br />New decorations in the bedroom<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4Tfxp9dEXnTWdPwexjHi42HV_XEmIpyJqS0qJPM_QJ4rdsGah4xvkbabTvu-AV3i8Y_0ipPO93JAy6dd9QvRMn90KY0E_FpV-4-p43eCPOLSHuI8A0IKks2e9FFKIsCRKWZRQywX3g3e/s1600-h/IMG_0208.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448243288000079442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4Tfxp9dEXnTWdPwexjHi42HV_XEmIpyJqS0qJPM_QJ4rdsGah4xvkbabTvu-AV3i8Y_0ipPO93JAy6dd9QvRMn90KY0E_FpV-4-p43eCPOLSHuI8A0IKks2e9FFKIsCRKWZRQywX3g3e/s320/IMG_0208.JPG" /></a><br />I painted all these!<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyU9JssB9ksqSPFLwn7U_SECHPmFsKqeTbIN-xO8_WjzGSKMs9l_NONB61zX5pi9IlrOIi8Dg-q8cxJYbcsgl_rxZyy9LNI7mV7oqvBqPfvPZAFM1DsyERMdpEh0qboxcZPFyVZ5RnH02/s1600-h/IMG_0248.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448243278889274082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyU9JssB9ksqSPFLwn7U_SECHPmFsKqeTbIN-xO8_WjzGSKMs9l_NONB61zX5pi9IlrOIi8Dg-q8cxJYbcsgl_rxZyy9LNI7mV7oqvBqPfvPZAFM1DsyERMdpEh0qboxcZPFyVZ5RnH02/s320/IMG_0248.JPG" /></a><br />Bed and new artwork<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjox8EyzcteRdwFclDQGWmE6jpuL6ptNLi_cqQsr2xZ7sYfLbGT1GlmNJ2Danzx2B7JtquN96S-Q044gs-cxp8I0UQmbDdNzVegvheBraS02InljXLPyp9IBtvSugxS_9mqa2MKGwXTblz/s1600-h/IMG_0250.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448243272392251298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjox8EyzcteRdwFclDQGWmE6jpuL6ptNLi_cqQsr2xZ7sYfLbGT1GlmNJ2Danzx2B7JtquN96S-Q044gs-cxp8I0UQmbDdNzVegvheBraS02InljXLPyp9IBtvSugxS_9mqa2MKGwXTblz/s320/IMG_0250.JPG" /></a><br />Messing around with the accent color on my camera<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1PQG_PU8c5XfgPlMe5t3WOsRwj1B4vLFoQHGQBc8zH_812-jmmeD2qnKSW910WMU8lWINrZAilffVbfGehyqyz-i2HIbFARP7rjn9IKOIHCXQ_oNlg1Qp4WzKyBFvF_OhdapO24ifknJ/s1600-h/IMG_0246.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448243266420972658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1PQG_PU8c5XfgPlMe5t3WOsRwj1B4vLFoQHGQBc8zH_812-jmmeD2qnKSW910WMU8lWINrZAilffVbfGehyqyz-i2HIbFARP7rjn9IKOIHCXQ_oNlg1Qp4WzKyBFvF_OhdapO24ifknJ/s320/IMG_0246.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-44582872162751035422010-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:002010-02-27T06:16:29.589-08:00Yummy Dinner Recipes (and really easy too)!So I decided to start making some different stuff for dinner recently, since it seems like I've been making the same things lately. Here are two new recipes I tried, both easy and they turned out really well!<br /><br />Butter Chicken:<br />2 eggs, beaten<br />1 cup crushed buttery round crackers (I used Club crackers)<br />1/2 teaspoon garlic salt<br />ground black pepper to taste<br />4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts<br />1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces<br /><br />Directions:<br />-Preheat oven to 375. Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate bowls.<br />-Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt and pepper.<br />-Dip chicken in eggs, and then dredge in crumb mixture to coat.<br />-Arrange chicken in a 9x13 baking dish.<br />-Place pieces of butter around chicken.<br />-Cook about 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juice runs clear.<br /><br /><br />Baked Ziti:<br />1 pound dry ziti pasta<br />1 onion, chopped<br />1 lb of ground beef<br />1.5 jars of spaghetti sauce<br />6 slices of provolone cheese<br />1.5 cups of sour cream<br />6 oz of mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />2 Tablespoons of parmesan cheese (grated)<br /><br />Directions:<br />-Cook pasta following instructions of box.<br />-In a large skillet, brown beef and onion over medium heat.<br />-Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.<br />-Preheat oven to 350. Butter 9x13in baking dish.<br />-Layer as follows: 1/2 ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture.<br />-Top with parmesan cheese<br />-Bake for 30 minutes, or until all cheeses are melted.<br /><br />Hope you enjoy!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810409900130995246.post-34733388131890698442010-02-21T08:29:00.000-08:002010-02-21T10:06:51.120-08:00Mother's Day ~ May 9, 2010I realize more every day how truly blessed we really are. Chris and I both have full time jobs, our puppy is pretty funny, his parents live very close, and my parents don't live too far away either. Both of our families are healthy, and our parents are all very sweet and kind. We have great friends and we are getting to spend time both growing individually and as a couple. And the weather has been B-E-A-UTIFUL these past few days.<br /><br />Recently, I have been wanting to give back, but I wasn't sure how, and I hadn't really found anything that tugged at my heart. Well, today I did. While sitting at work, I was hitting the "next blog" button, and came across a very sweet family. Her daughter passed awy last year at the tender age of 2, but the blog talked a lot about the first 4 months of Maddie's life, where she lived in the NICU.<br /><br />For some reason, this story really tugged at my heart. Someone brought "Care bags" and she said it was incredibly generous and helped ease some of her stress about things. This is amazing since she needed to put all of her time and focus on Maddie.<br /><br />So, I have decided I am going to make some "Care bags" for one of the local NICUs. I know it will take me awhile to get all of the items, so I figure these would be GREAT mother's day gifts for these families. I would like to make 10 bags, and any help would be greatly appreciated. I pulled the instructions that Maddie's mom used when she "paid it forward" and made bags.<br /><br />"Ways to Help -<br />1. You can donate money to be used to purchase products for the bags. I will be going and getting stuff for these bags over the next few weeks.<br />2. You can donate products. I've put together a list of ideas, and most of the products are pretty inexpensive. Here's the list:<br /><br />-hand lotion (extreme care)<br />-chap stick<br />-kleenex<br />-antibacterial lotion<br />-energy bars<br />-gum, mints, and mouthwash<br />-toothbrush and toothpaste<br />-hairbrush<br />-wetwipes<br />-oatmeal cookies (oatmeal is good for breast milk production)<br />-a notebook and pen to journal thoughts, procedures, etc.<br />-Disposable cameras (so other people can take pictures when the parent's are not there)<br />-trail mix<br />-bottle for water<br />-crossword puzzle or sudoku (anything to help the time pass)<br /><br />3. You can donate food. As you might have noticed, there are a few food items on the list above, but I'm sure any food would be appreciated. If you live close and want to make something homemade, I'll get it from you the day before Mother's day (May 8).<br /><br />4. Time. For anyone who lives close, I think it would be fun to have someone to go shopping with, decorating the bags, and delivering the bags.<br /><br />I know Mother's Day is over two months away, however, if I'm going to do this I want to do it right, and I think taking time to make sure they are perfect will make them even more special. ANY help would be great. Like I said, I would like to make 10 bags, so I need at least 10 of the above items. Thanks again guys and God Bless.<br /><br />LOVE YOU ALL!!!!<br /><br />p.s. I will keep updating on how its going as time goes on.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700588320628704532noreply@blogger.com2