grafted in

dancing in the minefields

2012-02-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

so i've been mia for a little while now. i've just been enjoying being a mommy and wife and watching my little man grow and change daily. it amazes me how things can change from one day to the next at this point. i can not believe that silas will be 7 months old next tuesday! the time has just flown by and he is growing and changing and it's so much fun to watch. he is the sweetest little guy and has so much personality. he is definitely mobile now (not completely crawling but can get where he wants to go no problem). he has two little teeth on the bottom and as of his 6 month appt is 15 lb 6 oz and 25 1/2 inches. (8% for weight and 5% for height). he's my little peanut and i love him more and more each day and am so thankfully to be his mommy!
tuesday i went with a friend and her 2 little ones to the zoo in jacksonville. silas seemed to enjoy looking at everything, though i know that he will really enjoy it a few months from now. here are a few pictures from that and a couple extras thrown in for fun. (i forgot my camera so they are iphone pics)

this is us on the train ride

relaxing during lunch (in his new peg perego stroller i scored off of craigs list for $50)

the elephant that came right up to where we were standing

me and my little man looking at the ostriches

this little guy is just 2 weeks old.

at the christmas parade

his new face he likes to make.

i hope to update more often. i'm trying to get better at taking more pictures and having my camera with me all the time.

my heart is full because of you.

2011-11-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

i can't believe my baby boy turned 4 months old on the 7th. he is growing and changing daily and i am loving watching him as he learns new things and as his personality develops.
we went to his 4 month check-up today. he weighs 13 lb 6 oz which is in the 10% and 24 1/2 in which is in the 20%. he has such a sweet personality and LOVES to "talk"! i am so thankful that God has given Jason and i this little boy to care for and can't wait to continue to watch him grow! i am one blessed mama!

we have also started "food" this week. so far he has had rice cereal and sweet potatoes. he seems to really enjoy eating. next week we are going to try carrots.

i could stare at this sweet face all day! (probably why i don't get half the things done i intend to!)

a baby boy to love.

2011-09-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

i've been MIA in blog world for a while but i have been spending my time enjoying my new role as a mama. i never could have imagined what it would be like and how i could feel but these past 8 weeks have been amazing. there have been some challenges (breastfeeding is hard) and i'm slowly learning how to function with much less sleep but i wouldn't change a thing. the joy that this little boy has brought to jason and i (and the rest of our family) is incredible! it's hard to believe that this coming wednesday he will be two months old! time is flying by! i am enjoying watching him grow and change. he has recently started smiling (real, not gas smiles) and they melt my heart. he also loves to talk and try and laugh at his daddy. and he is very busy. when he's not sleeping he has to be moving. he holds his head up very well now. i think he also thinks he wants to crawl. when we put him down for "tummy time" he pulls his little legs up under him and tries to push with his feet. i have a feeling he is going to be very active as he gets bigger. his 2 month check-up is friday and i can't wait to see how much he's grown.

jason and i plan to take some "real" pictures of him soon, but until then here and a few from my phone over the past few weeks. (it's sad that so far most of his life has been documented on iphones but hopefully that will change.)

we have discovered he prefers to sleep on his tummy.

mohawk :)

here's a video of him trying to "crawl"

"finally a bride!"

2011-08-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

"always a bridesmaid, never a bride." that quote is commonly used for people regarding marriage, but for jason and i it has been how we have felt about having kids. we have wanted kids for a long time and couldn't get pregnant. we would always keep other people kids but longed for one of our own. well on july 7, 2011 at 7:54 am we finally became the "bride". jason silas percy was finally here! the feeling that i felt the moment i heard his first cry (i had a c-section so i didn't get to see him right away) is one i will never forget. it is something i have thought about and dreamed about. it's a love like i've never known. this little person has just come into my life, yet i know that i would do anything for him. i am so very thankful that God has chosen to allow me to be this little boy's mommy. he is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to jason and i!

7 lbs 2 oz, 20 inches of pure sweetness

i'm so in love!

my loves! this is one blessed little boy to have such an amazing daddy!!!!

thank you God for this tiny miracle! he has been waited for and prayed for by so many.

almost there

2011-06-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

as of today i am 34 weeks pregnant with our little man. i can't believe how fast it has gone! he will be here before we know it. i found out at my last doctors appt. that i have to have a c-section so (unless i go into labor early) he will be here july 11 or 12. i like having a date to count down to and can't believe that it is only 4 1/2 weeks away! jason and i have been washing all of his clothes and tonight i got his diaper bag together. doing all of this and having his room set up is making it seem so much more real now. sometimes i just walk into the nursery and stare at it. :) i will post some pics of it once all the stuff is put away and it looks decent again. and then hopefully the next post after that will be pictures of our little man.

oh baby!

2011-04-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

i had another dr appt today. i'm 26 1/2 weeks now. my little man is doing good! he is very active and growing. as of the ultrasound today he is 1 lb 14 oz. i'm so excited to meet this little guy! it seems like it's going by so fast he will be here before i know it!
he may actually be here before planned. my cervix is shortening and is now 1.82 cm. (it's suppose to be at least 3 for a normal pregnancy). i'm hoping it will hold until at least 32-34 weeks. that's what my dr. is hoping for. more than anything we just want him to be healthy!

here is a picture of his sweet little face we got today. a lot of people are already saying he looks like jason. :)

and here is a picture of my big ol' pregnant belly! i feel like he's running out of room.

it's been a while...

2011-02-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

so it's been quite a while since i posted. i guess i just didn't have anything too interesting to post about.
well we are expecting again and very excited! i am 16.5 weeks and having a BOY! i think the reason i have waited so long to post about it this time is because i was afraid of something happening again. i had some issues at the beginning again which kind of added to the fear. i found out that i have an incompetent cervix and as of a couple weeks ago i had a cerclage put in. i am on complete bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. it's not how i saw my pregnancy being but i will do whatever it takes to get this baby here safe and healthy! i went to the dr. today and he is putting me on weekly progesterone shots to help prevent me from going into preterm labor. my due date is july 24! we can't wait for our sweet boy to get here. we are so thankful that God has blessed us with this miracle!

here are a few pictures of him at 14 weeks and 4 days.

profile

looking at mommy and daddy, waving (see his little fingers)

how precious life is

2010-07-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

http://andygullahorn.com/RTW%20Bonus%20Features/How%20Precious%20Life%20Is.html

i am in love with this song. i can't listen to it with out crying but the words just seem so perfect right now.

(sorry the video is so weird... it was made to teach people the chords but it was the only video i could find of the song.)

friends are the jewels

2010-06-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

so i'm a little late in posting this but better late then never......

mother's day... it was a little rough this year and i was just ready for the day to be over with. but two dear, sweet friends of mine got me a precious gift for mother's day... a necklace with three charms on it... a feather, a circle with an m for my sweet mikayah, and an april birthstone. it is something that i will treasure forever and it will be a precious reminder of my little boy who is in heaven waiting on me.

update from last post...

2010-05-05T15:28:00.001-07:00

i just wanted to let everyone know that the chromosome results came back and they were completely normal. so it was not the partial molar pregnancy.

not my will, but Yours

2010-04-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

(I thought this would be the easiest way to let those of you who were interested, know what we found out about our pregnancy.) Yesterday I went to the dr. and he had the results from the autopsy. We are still waiting on the chromosome results and as soon as we get those we will know for 100% that this is what happened but my dr. was pretty confident that this was it. I had what is called a partial molar pregnancy. Basically what happens is 2 sperm fertilize 1 egg so the baby ends up with 69 chromosomes instead of the normal 46. So even if I had carried to term Mikayah would not have lived outide of the womb. This type of pregnancy happens to 1 in 1000 and the dr. said that it is not something that I have to be concerned about happening again. My chances are like 1 to 2 % that this could happen again. He seemed very optimistic about me being able to get pregnant again in the near future and go on to have a healthy baby.
As I was thinking about this yesterday I was so tempted to ask God why... why am I the one that had to go through this. 1 in 1000... that's .01%! But I knew that asking why wouldn't change anything and I do know that for whatever reason it was His will. As I was talking to a friend I was reminded of Jesus when He was being crucified He said if at all possible let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will but Yours Father. And that is what I want my attitude to be in this situation. I did not want this to happen, obviously, but more than anything I want God's will for my life. And now that this has happened my wholehearted desire is that God will be glorified in and through this.
Through all of this I rest in the arms of my Savior and in the promise that He gave Jason and I about 4 years ago through a man that at the time we didn't even know. (some of you have heard this before) We were at a pastor's conference (the one we are leaving tomorrow to attend) and a man came up to us during a break and told us that God wanted him to tell us that we would have kids and that they would grow up to serve Him! And in that promise I find hope and peace and I am so thankful for that! Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Roman 5:1-5

mikayah samuel

2010-04-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

you came into this world on april 11, 2010 at 4:05 pm, although you were already in heaven with your Creator. we were surprised to hear you were a boy. your daddy and i thought all along you were going to be a girl. although we never got to see you or hold you, we love you very much. we named you mikayah which means who is like God, samuel which means asked of God. while we don't understand why God chose to take you home so soon we know that His plan is best and we rest in that. and we KNOW that we will see you again and we look forward to that day! our treasure in Heaven is even more precious now that you are there.
i love you sweet baby boy.
love, your mommy

baby of mine

2010-03-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

today was my 12 week baby appointment. the doctor listened to the heartbeat on the doppler, which was good and strong (we even 'heard' a kick). we also had another sonogram to check everything out. i was amazed at how different it was this time around. last month it was this little blob in there. now it really looks like a little baby! (and a very active one at that) we got to see the heartbeat and the little legs moving and kicking and at one point to whole body was moving all around. it was absolutely the most amazing thing i've ever seen! i am so in love already!

here are a few pictures of our little bean.

this is a 3D picture that she took. it's a front view. kind of look like a little alien baby to me. :)

i asked the tech is she could see anything "between the legs". she said she would check but it was still a little early to tell. this is the picture we got. she said if she was to bet on it she would say a girl. we aren't going out an buying all girl stuff just yet. we will wait until our 20 week ultrasound to make sure.

in my belly you grow and grow.

2010-02-22T20:22:00.000-08:00

baby percy at 8 weeks

"For you formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm 139:13-14a

for those of you who might not know, jason and i have been trying to conceive for about 7 years now. we have struggled with why God had not allowed us to have a baby. we watched as many friends and family members got pregnant and had their babies. we rejoiced with them but inside we were aching for a child of our own. i had been to a doctor in tallahassee before we moved and also one here and when i mentioned my "issues" i was told... "don't worry, you're young, you have plenty of time." well through what i know now was a divine appointment by God i met a friend's doctor when she had her baby. i was needing a new doctor anyway and really felt comfortable with him so i thought... why not? at my very first appt he diagnosed me with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). at first i was terrified but as he explained it i felt better. he gave me some prescriptions and told me to try this for so many months and if it didn't work we would try something else. well after being on this medication for 3 months i am so happy to say that jason and i are expecting our first baby! we could not be more excited! it has been a long, hard and trying road but we know that God's timing is best and he had this special little baby picked out just for us. we are so thankful for all the many, many prayers of family and friends throughout the years and are so happy that we can all now rejoice together at this answer to prayer! God is so gracious and merciful!
i am due october 5th and can't wait to experience this little person grow inside of me. it is truly a miracle!

new blog.

2010-01-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

so i decided to start a recipe blog if anyone is interested. it will document my adventures in the kitchen as i try new things.

http://www.its-delish-dish.blogspot.com

*poor jason. he is the one all my "trials" get tested on. lets hope most of them are a success. :)

sugar, spice and everything nice

2010-01-21T07:53:00.001-08:00

jason and i went to tampa this past weekend to visit with some friends of ours and celebrate their little girls first birthday! rachel and i shared in the struggle of having difficulty getting pregnant so for me this was an extra special treat to get to see all of those prayers for her and zac answered in this beautiful little girl!!

at first she wasn't quite sure what to do when the cake was sat in front of her and everyone started singing and staring at her.

then her uncle chris decided to "help" her with the cake. needless to say it did not go so well. but it sure made for a cute picture! :)

the other kids and grandma joann trying to show olivia what to do with her cake.

her cousins asher and maren were there to help celebrate!

opening gifts.

it was a wonderful visit and a fun celebration of a sweet little girl. i look forward to our next trip down there and watching olivia grow up!

thanks rachel for letting us be part of such a special day!

suzie homemaker

2010-01-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

so one of the things i have been wanting to do better is meal planning. i work from home so i have no excuses but i get lazy. sometimes i find myself saying... let's just go get something tonight and that has been happening way too often lately. we have been out of town a LOT the past 2 months so now that we are home for a while i decided to put this into practice. i think part of the reason that i tend to want to go out is because i get bored with the same old stuff. so in my quest to cook and eat at home more i have been in search of new and interesting recipes that are still somewhat easy and not going to cost a lot either.

so i thought i would share my list with you because i'm sure i am not the only one out there with this dilemma. a lot of my findings were from blogs. recipes are always more enticing when a picture is included.

here it is...

1/18-1/22

mon - beef stew with mushrooms served over egg noodles

tues - chicken enchilada casserole

wed - leftovers (wed is our leftover night because of church)

thurs - lasagna

fri - goat cheese stuffed turkey burgers w/ baked sweet potato fries

1/25-1/29

mon - lemon chicken pasta

tues - italian meatball soup

wed - leftovers

thurs - mustard broiled salmon, homemade mash pot., asparagus

fri - sesame chicken with fried rice

i do not plan for sat and sunday nights because our weekends tend to be crazy and if we are home we will eat leftovers or sandwiches or sometimes i make breakfast for dinner.

if any of these recipes look enticing to you i would be happy to send you the recipe or the link to the blog.

blog credit: www.thepioneerwoman.com, www.ohsweetbasil.blogspot.com, www.mondaynightdelight.blogspot.com

happy cooking!

it is well, it is well with my soul

2010-01-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

when peace like a river, attendeth my way

when sorrows like sea billows roll;

whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

it is well, it is well, with my soul.

i was reading something earlier this morning and the words of this song came to mind. and i had to stop and ask myself... "is this so with me?" when hardships come, when i'm faced with trials, when things don't turn out how i expected, when i get another false pregnancy test, when things at the church don't go the way i think they should, when a family member dies.... is it really 'well with my soul?' and if i'm honest i have to say lots of times... no. on the outside i may seem ok with it but on the inside i'm wrestling with hurt, anger, disappointment. all of these things that come so naturally but i know aren't from God. i have to remind myself daily and plead with God to help me remember that He is ALL i need!!! our happiness is not found in earthly things, relationships or in my case even being a mommy. our happiness and contentment can only be found in Him.

"beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. if you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. on their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified." 1 ptr 4:12-14

a virtuous woman, who can find?

2010-01-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

"who can find a virtuous wife? for her worth is far above rubies.

the heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain.

she does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

she seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands.

she is like merchant ships, she brings her food from afar.

she also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants.

she considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard.

she girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.

she perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night.

she stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle.

she extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

she is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet.

she makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

she makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants.

strength and honor are her clothing, she shall rejoice in time to come.

she opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.

she watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.

her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.

charm is deceitful and beauty passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

give her of the the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."

it comes and goes, another year passes

2010-01-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

it's the beginning of another year. i can't believe how fast time seems to be going. each year it seems to go by faster. as i look back at the past year i am so thankful for all the blessings that God has given me and the ways that He continues to provide. i don't deserve any of it but yet He continues to be gracious and merciful. i also look back on the year and realize that i have fallen so short of what i desire to be and do. i want to be so much more than what i am and to give so much more than i do. i desire to be the wife, friend, daughter (and hopefully soon mother) that God wants me to be. the wife that jason deserves. but i seem to always fall short. so as the new year starts i hope to continue to grow into the woman of God that i so long to be. i want to serve Him wholeheartedly and seek Him above all else. i want to be the wife that jason needs. i want to be a helpmate and an example to other women i meet. i want to be a good friend and someone that people can go to for prayer and just to talk. i desire the be a woman after God's own heart. this is my prayer and "resolution"as i start the new year.

*photo by my amazing husband*

leaves crunching under my feet

2009-09-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

fall is here even though the weather has not been feeling like it lately. however, today it does. this weekend i got out the few fall decorations we have to put on the front porch. it makes it seem a little more like fall now. :)

mums in the planters

my grandma got us this scarecrow from cracker barrell so he hangs out on the bench.
a handmade wreath i bought a couple years ago.

and i think i'm going to try and make these soon. they look so yummy! they are pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. i found the recipe here www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/04/super-soft-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/

nostalgia

2009-09-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

i am so excited about this movie coming out. it was one of my favorite books as a child.

and so now i want to make this cake.

oh baby!

2009-08-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

my dear friend erica is having a baby boy in september and i threw her a shower saturday. we had it at the church since in it kind of a central location. i was worried about decorating because it's a church but we moved furniture around to make it as "homey" as possible. i think it turned out cute!

baby bird cupcakes

all of her gifts

cow 'piggy' bank for everyone to sign

mommy with her mommy

to you, from me, with love

2009-08-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

my friend erica is having a baby boy at the end of september and so i decided to try and make her some things for the baby. i've really been enjoying sewing and doing other craft'y' things lately. here are some pictures of the stuff i made. i am also knitting her a burp cloth but it's not done yet.

my first attempt at a quilt.

onsies i decorated :)

little elephant pillow i made with some extra fabric i had (sorry the pic is blurry)

here is the bird mobile i made for her... a friend of mine posted it and i fell in love with it (thanks kellie) so i had to try it. it was harder than i thought it would be to put together but i think it turned out pretty cute. :)

birds and babies.

2009-08-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

my friend is having a baby boy in september and i am giving her a shower. i'm so excited to plan it and decorate. i have all these fun ideas. she's having a boy and instead of doing the "normal" blue theme i'm going with green brown and white. i bought some paper lanterns and a few other things today. i'm getting more and more excited. i'm also going with a bird/tree theme. we'll see how much i can find for that but that is my goal.
i also decided to make her gifts instead of buy stuff. i am making personalized onsies (which i'm excited about) and some personalized burp cloths.
and this.....

it's a bird mobile. isn't it cute?! i'm really excited to get started on it. i'm going to do the birds in blues and browns to match the nursery. i will post pics when i get some of this stuff done.

feeling crafty

2009-07-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

today jason's mom and i went to jacksonville to go thrift store shopping. while we were there i wanted to stop at one of my favorite stores... urban outfitters. they were having a 50% off 50% sale. i got two of these lamps i've been eyeballing for $10.00 each. however they don't come with shades and after looking and looking for one i like i have decided to buy a cheap lampshade that i like the shape of and cover it with fabric.

here's the fabric i'm thinking about covering the lampshades with. what do you think?

baby boy eyes so blue

2009-07-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

this little guy fills my days with smiles and hugs and makes my arms feel not so empty sometimes. until God gives me my own to hold i get to enjoy loving on him.

what makes your garden grow

2009-06-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

elaine and tara came to visit the week of my birthday and helped me redo my front flower beds. they we in major need of some tlc. here are the during and after pics. it looks so pretty now... and i can't wait until next summer when everything is really blooming. i have liriope and knock out roses in the little bed between the sidewalk and porch and i have agapanthis, a sago palm, african iris', crape myrtle, hydranga, lantana and purple heart.

thanks guys for all the help!!!

all done!

lantana

my foxgloves in my planters on the front porch. there are also some purple hearts in there with them but they're little right now.

blueberries

2009-06-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

jason and i have been in our house for 4 years now and had no idea these were in our back yard. some friends came to visit last week and found them. i can't belive we have blueberry bushes all over our back yard. about 20 or more! i'm so excited. i will be making lots of stuff with blueberries this summer.

projects

2009-03-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

i have been wanting to paint my house for a while now. so we finally bit the bullet and started. we painted our living room/dining room/ kitchen area last week. here are some pictures. i love the color! (sorry the kitchen is so messy...im in the middle of making a wedding cake)

i've been wanting to learn to sew for a long time and finally decided to start teaching myself. i thought pillows would be the easiest to start with. the first two are pillows i made (the brown one is from the curtains in our living room) the other ones are covers i made to put over our old pillows. i had some fabris left over so i thought i'd make a valance for the kitchen window.

i've also been working on these pillow case dresses. i hope to get some more of these made and some little tote bags and things and open an etsy store. in the mean time if you know of anyone with little girls that would like one of these let me know.

weekend visit

2009-03-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

our friends ryan and sarah and their baby girl, verity came to visit this weekend.

verity sure does love her uncle jason. he makes funny faces and she just giggles and coos.

saturday we went to st simons for an arts and crafts show. we ate lunch at a little diner called zuzu's. verity decided it was time for her lunch too.

having such a cute baby around was a good excuse to take some pictures. there are a lot more than this (check my facebook). she is such a cutie!

We had a really great weekend!

new blog

2009-01-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

"Confess your tresspasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16
I know a lot of us have blogs where we post what is going on and keep in touch with one another. It's a lot of fun to post and see what everyone is doing (especially when you live in a different state), but if we are not coming together and lifting one another up in prayer none of it matters. So... I had this idea and I have started a blog where we can share prayer requests and praise reports with one another and go on there and pray for each others needs. I'm not sure how this will work but thought I would give it a try. The blog address is www.findrestinhim.blogspot.com
If you have needs or praises you want posted for others to pray for or rejoice with you in you can email them to me at krpercy611@gmail.com. You can also post them in the comments section and I will repost them in a blog. We'll see how this goes... I just think it is important for us to be praying for one another and thought this might be a way to do it.
May God bless each one of you!

Finally...

2008-12-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

so a friend of mine taught me to knit back in september. i decided..."hey i can make some Christmas presents..." well i've had this idea before but never followed through. well this year i did!!!! i feel accomplished. :) and frugal to a certain degree because making gifts is much cheaper than buying them and to me they have more "heart" in them. anyway.... i made my mom, jason's mom and my two grandma's a set with a trivet and 4 matching coasters. now remember these are the first things i've knitted so they are not fancy or anything but i'm still proud of myself for sticking with it. i hope they like them. :)

Apple Butter

2008-12-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

I made easy homemade apple butter for Christmas gifts for a few people.

Here's the recipe if anyone wants it....

about 9 med apples (peeled, cored and quartered)

2 cups apple cider or apple juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

place apples and cider in 3 qt microwave safe dish and cook for about 15 min until apples are tender (stir twice while cooking). place in blender and puree until smooth. place back in dish and add sugar and spices and mix well. cook for 25-30 min until dark brown and thick (stirring once in the middle). the recipe says it makes 4 8oz jars but i got 5 out of it.

it's yummy!

Christmas Survey

2008-12-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

1.Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? egg nog at Christmas
2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? we don't have kids yet but we have already decided no Santa for us...
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? white
4. Do you hang mistletoe? no
5. When do you put your decorations up? usually the week after thanksgiving
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? my grandma's homemade dressing and my mom's corn casserole
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: waking up Christmas morning with all of our family there and eating a big yummy breakfast (we still do this!)
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? i don't remember
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? nope
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? we have ornaments that we bought our first Christmas married and lots that people have given us
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? i think i like it... have only been in "real" snow once
12. Can you ice skate? never tried
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? as a kid... probably the year my brother and i both got hampsters
14. What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you? the fact that it is the time we celebrate the birth of our Savior and i also like all the time we spend with family
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? my great-grandma's apple cake that my mom makes now in her memory!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? the big breakfast that my parents cook Christmas morning

17. What tops your tree? loquial expression: a wooden star

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? both (i like to give things to people that they want or need or are special but come on... who doesn't like to get something?) :)
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?" right now... Happy Birthday Jesus
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? yummy
22. Do you attend an annual Christmas Party? not anymore
23. Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJs? when i lived at my parents i stayed in my pjs until about lunch time... but now i usually throw on some jeans and a sweatshirt (we start christmas early!!)
24. Do you own a Santa hat? no
25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? my hubby, parents and brother, jason's parents and brother, my grandparents and sometime jason's grandma.

Only In South Georgia...

2008-12-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

So there is a house that we pass going to church and they put up a bunch of Christmas lights. They wrote out Merry Christmas with lights on the chain link fence that goes around the front of their house. Well this is how they wrote it....
MARRY XMAS!!!!!
I just had to share this. Jason and I laugh every time we drive by it. Only in South Ga.

elves at the disco

2008-12-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist posting this. You can make them at elfyourself.com. For those of you who don't know... this is me and Jason, my mom, dad, and brother Kyle. I took the pics with the funniest facial expressions and it makes it much better. Hope you enjoy. :)

Made with love

2008-12-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

So this year I am making most of the Christmas gifts by hand. I thought it would be fun and mean more. Also it helps in the cost department as well. We have our family Christmas party with my dad's side of the family this weekend. I made these little totes for my two little cousins. I was going to make my little 6 month old cousin a pillow with her name on it but Brunswick stinks and there is NO where to buy fabric here. I want to start sewing so I guess I'm going to have to order it online or buy it when I go to Tally.

Anyway... here are the little totes I made. I thought they turned out cute. I will post other things as I get them finished.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.......

2008-12-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

So we finally got our Christmas decorations up this week. I love to keep my house dark with all my Christmas lights on. So pretty. This year is the first year that we don't have a real tree. We have been talking about getting a fake one until we have kids but they are so expensive. My mom and dad got a new one this year and they graciously gave us there other one. It looks pretty good to be a fake tree if I do say so myself. (bonus: it's pre-lit)

Here it is.

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

We have been in Tallahassee this whole week for Thanksgiving. It has been great to have so much time to visit with family and friends that we don't see often. My family and Jason's family spent Thanksgiving together at my grandma's house. We had lots of yummy food and a good time visiting!

I made pumpkin gooey butter cake. It's a Paula Deen recipe and it was yummy. Here's the recipe for anyone interested.

Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Verity Jane

2008-11-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 12:22 am my dear friends Ryan and

Sarah received the greatest blessing one can receive (other than that of salvation). They welcomed their first baby into the world. Verity Jane Gray! She is absolutley beautiful! Congratulations Ryan and Sarah!

a little late i know...

2008-11-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

so i know this post is a little late but thought it was worth it.

http://www.americaschoicenow.com/

fiesta

2008-09-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

this saturday was my sweet husband's birthday. we were in tallahassee so we all went out for dinner. we went to a mexican restaurant that comes out popping a bag and singing and puts a sombrero on your head. it was lots of fun.

me and my little enchilada

my mom and dad and jason's grandma

ryan, sarah, jason's mom, dad and grandma

my grandparents (aren't they cute)
and my crazy brother in the background

oh what fun we have!

2008-07-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

so this week started vacation bible school at our church. we are doing a walk through the life of Christ. here's the journey...

monday - Jesus' birth
tuesday - when Jesus was baptized and then tempted.
wednesday - feeding the 5000 and cleansing the leper
thursday - the crucifiction
friday - the resurrection

last night went really well. we had 13 kids (which for those of you that don't know, we are a small church so that was good for us). we made pop-up manger scenes and had sparkly star cookies for snack. unfortunatly i forgot my camera but i will have pictures from the rest of the week.

under the sea

2008-03-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

here are a few pictures from the ripley's aquarium in gatlingburg and a couple of gatlinburg.
pirahna

froggies

jaws

saw fish

jelly fish

seahorse

gatlinburg

dancing on clouds

2008-03-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

finally... here are some pictures from our trip to tennessee. we had such a good time. it was beautiful there. we can't wait to go back.
waiting in the airport

our cabin

safe in my shell

2008-03-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

yesterday i took jayla (the little girl i keep during the week) to the sea turtle exhibit on jekyll island. we went with a friend of mine and her little girl. we had a lot of fun. we went to the hospital where they are rehabilitating sick sea turtles. most of these are loggerhead turtles. a lot of them got sick because they forgot to go south for the winter. :(

a baby loggerhead...

poor little guy, his back legs got run over by a car...

silly girls...

Yes, We Can Make A Difference

2008-01-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

So I've been reading this book, "A Passion For God" by Greg Laurie. Just thought I'd share and excerpt from it that really spoke to me.

A town somewhere in the US was battered one night by hurricane-force winds. In the morning, after the storm had abated, the citizens emerged from their homes and shelters to assess the damage. The power of the storm quickly became clear to one investigator who was dumbfounded by an incredible discovery. Mouths dropped open as people came to check out his report: a common plastic drinking straw driven deep into a telephone pole by the night's vicious winds. Obviously, under normal circumstances, a flimsy straw could never penetrate a telephone pole. But the tremendous power of the wind had driven the straw into the wood like a spike.
As believers living in an ungodly world, sometimes we wonder if we can ever make a difference. We wonder if we can effectively penetrate our cynicle culture with the good news God has given us to proclaim. The answer lies in the source of our power. If we rely on our own strength and methods, then no, we cannot make much of a difference. But if we choose to be driven by God's limitless power, we become like the straw in the hurricane where nothing can stop us. We can indeed make a dramatic difference!

he loves me...

2007-12-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

for christmas jason surprised me with a trip to tennessee. we are flying into knoxville and will be staying in the gatlinburg area. i'm so excited! it's beautiful up there. we will be there the week before our 6th anniversary. (the last week in jan.) hopefully it will snow. :) i will post pictures when we get back.

this is where we're staying.

http://www.majesticmountainvacations.com/cabin.asp?property_id=1294

i'm still here....

2007-11-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

ok... so i know i haven't put anything on here in forever but i promise some new blogs coming soon...very soon.

Starbucks at 11pm after too much caffeine!

2007-08-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

So tonight after the Women's Bible Study a few of us went to Starbucks. It was fun. Here are a few pictures.
(I know Elaine....you're in shock...a new blog) :)

2007-04-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

Friday night we had a "pizza and pippi night" at our house. We made homemade pizza (Mmmm...much better than carryout) and rented The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. I loved this movie as a kid and remembered every song in it (so of course I sang along). We had a lot of fun!

Day in Savannah

2007-03-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Tryna came to visit for a couple days so we went to Savannah on Monday. This was just a week after St. Patrick's Day and there was still green remnants everywhere. But we had a really good time.

Have your cake and Eat it too

2007-02-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a few cakes I've done recently for some kids. My favorite is Dora. I'm really enjoying doing this and hope that it will be something I do more often.

About time

2007-02-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

So I guess it's about time I update this thing. Jason and I are doing good. Today is our 5th wedding anniversary. Time goes by so fast.
I have just started watching a little boy during the week. It's going good so far (even though he gets dropped off at 6:30 in the morning!) :) He is 5 and starting school in Sept. so it's a temporary thing but I am enjoying it.
The church is going good also. God is continuing to bless us each day. The church is averaging about 40-45 people on Sunday morningsso we're growing. Next Tuesday we are having a women's winter tea. I'm having fun planning it and making it all "girly" and stuff. I think next we will try and do a mother daughter tea.
Other than that things are about the same. I'll try and update more often.

saturday

2006-10-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

saturday we painted the sanctuary. it looks good. now we just got to get the crown molding and baseboards up and do some finishing touches. the colors in there are pale green. it looks really good and doesn't clash with the crazy floor we were "blessed" with.

and this is us after we were all done...

friday night

2006-10-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

friday night jason and i went to st simons island to the pier. we walked around all the little shops and went to the lighthouse. the tide was out so we could walk down to the water underneath the pier. jason found a pretty shell to bring with us but when we got home (it was very dark) we realized there was still a crab in it. ooops...he's in crabby heaven now. then when all the little kiddies went home we swung on the swings at the playground there. it was fun.

then we went to this little coffee shop there and had some coffee (i'm addicted to nonfat chai tea lattes) and a yummy piece of summer berry cake. we had a really nice night. :)

We're all getting old

2006-09-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

So this weekend Jason and I went to some friends of ours wedding. It was lots of fun. When we first got married it seemed like we were the only people our age married but now it seems like most of the people we know are married. Marraige is fun!
Here are some pictures from the wedding. The reception was at Little Italy in Tallahassee.

my new hobby

2006-09-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

Beach Baptism Part 2

2006-09-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Beach Baptism

2006-09-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

So a few weekends ago we had our first beach baptism. We had a pretty good group come out and five people get baptized. That's pretty good for out little church. We grill some hotdogs and the kids played on the playground and then we headed to the beach for some songs and some dunkin'. It was a great day of food, fun and fellowship. The Lord is truly blessing Jason and myself here in Brunswick and is doing awesome things in our fellowship.
He is faithful even when we are faithless.
God bless.

Let's give this a try...

2006-09-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

So I thought that I would, like so many of you, try this blog thing out. We'll see how it works out. I guess it's a good way to let anyone who's interested know what's going on with us here in Brunswick.