Know and Tell Friday

TGIF again!!! And it's time once again for Know and Tell Friday, hosted again this week by Kayren...thanks Kayren for all the GREAT questions!

0. If you want to, leave a comment for Heather to let her know how much you missed her last week and wish her well. Hey Heather! Hope you are hanging in there and doing well...I've been praying for you and your sisters' family.

1. Do you have fake plants in your house? Do you like them? No. I used to have real plants, but I killed them all. Then I had fake plants (3 ficuses....er, ficusi?...3 ficus plants), but I HATED dusting them, so we are currently a plant-free house. I figure I'm doing goo to remember to feed my kids and my dog...I don't need to remember to water (or dust) plants as well! (Did I mention I have a bit of a black thumb?)

2. What is the oldest piece of furniture you have that is not an antique? Describe it. Probably the oldest piece of furniture in our house is an old chair from Hubby's grandparents farmhouse. It is a red upholstered chair with beautiful wood etching on the armrests. It was left in the old farmhouse for decades after everyone moved out (the house was occasionally used for overnight hunting expeditions and shelter for bad-weather camping trips). I first spotted the old chair before Hubby and I were dating when a bunch of us when to his family's land for a camping trip. His family couldn't believe I loved it so much, since it had always been "that old red chair" to them. Hubby knew I had always loved it, so about two months before our wedding, he had it brought down and moved into "our" house (which at the time was my house) while I was out of town on a business trip. I still love it!


3. Do you have any antiques? We don't currently have any antiques, although we did when we first got married. We had a 100-year old piano that Hubby bought me when we were dating (our first Christmas together) and an antique dining room set that we bought when we were first married. But 2 children later (and in the same "quaint" house), we've had to sell those to make room for cribs, toyboxes, toys, balls, etc. I would love to get some more in our "next" (bigger) house.

My piano that is no longer mine...sniff, sniff

4. What type of dishes do you use? China, stoneware, Corelle, Tupperware, paper plates?

We use red Fiestaware dishes for everyday. Well, the kids have plastic Dora, Sesame Street, etc. dishes. I do have a set of China that I absolutely love. We got it for our wedding. I think we've used it once. It's currently packed away waiting for the impending move "some day."

My china that WILL get used some day!

5. What is your favorite thing in your house? Probably our leather couches and chair. It's the first furniture Hubby and I picked out together when we were married. And it's the most "lived in" and therefore the most comfortable furniture we have. I love to cuddle up and watch TV, surf the Internet, or blog from our cozy, comfy couch...although the leather gets cold, so we always have blankets close by!

6. Do you like to use lamps or overhead lighting? I definitely prefer lamps. I like the cozy ambiance they create.

7. Are you a pristine white wall person or do you love color? I like color...but I like muted colors on walls. When I first bought my house (which is now our house), the walls were all a light tan color. It was nice, because it was neutral. However, I did have to paint the kitchen a deep red after a few years, because all the tan finally got to me! It works because we have a brick floor in our kitchen...as a matter of fact, that's what sold me on the house!

Be sure to pop over to Kickin' It In Crazyville to see what Heather & Reese have been up to as well!

Happy Friday to all!

Chuck is Back!!

I was so excited last Fall to find a new show that I absolutely LOVE. That hasn't happened since I stumbled across The Office a few years ago. There are shows that I enjoy from time to time, but no other show had that do-not-miss-under-any-circumstances hold on me...until I met "Chuck."

Maybe it's the refreshingly witty writing, maybe it's the quirky characters or the natural chemistry of the cast, or maybe it's the fact that it's one of the few shows that Hubby and I BOTH thoroughly enjoy. I enjoy it because it's fun, it's quirky, and you can't help but hope that Chuck and Sarah eventually end up together. Hubby loves it because it conjures up a huge helping of nostalgia for him. You see, Hubby is a true-to-life Chuck (minus the whole special agent thing).

Hubby worked at a real-life "Buy More" through college and when I first met him. Most of his longtime friends have worked there, too...the real-life "Nerd Herd." I love to watch Chuck with him because he laughs so hard and makes comments like, "Stuff like that really happens," (e.g., the break-room antics of the Buy More staff) or "I worked with a guy just like him!" (e.g., a Buy More employee you're sure the writers created from the darkest recesses of their imaginations).
I was devastated when I found out last spring that, due to the writer's strike, "Chuck" would not return until the Fall. I have counted the days, weeks, and months, and now it's here. I must admit, thanks to I-tunes I previewed the season premiere and I have to say...it is really a must see!

If you're already a "Chuck" fan...YEA, he's back!! If you're not yet a fan, I encourage you to check out tonight's season premiere on NBC...you might just find yourself setting the DVR to record every Monday night like I do!

What shows are you looking forward to this Fall?

Fall Family Fun

We're still waiting on the weather to reflect it, but the calendar shows that Fall is officially here. So our family kicked our fall festivities off in full swing this weekend. We started Saturday morning with a childhood favorite of Hubby's (made by his grandmother, then mother). I heard much about these Apple Fritters long before I ever tasted them....and let's just say I was NOT disappointed. This is only the second time I've attempted to make them since we've been married (actually it becomes a team effort with the peeling, coring, slicing, battering, frying, etc.). I think it might have to become a first-weekend-of-fall tradition around here! Here are some pics, and the simple and delicious recipe...

Hubby taking his turn at the stove...

And the delicious finished product...YUM!

After breakfast, we headed out to a Fall Festival at a local farm park that recently opened. It's the first time we had been there, and we all had a great time!

The kiddos LOVED the animals.

And we even got to "milk" a fake cow! (After my comment on last Know & Tell Friday!)

Hubby and the kids "driving" a tractor.

They even had a pumpkin patch, and Little Miss and I got some pumpkins to bring home!

It was a great weekend to kickoff this Fall season, but I'm ready for some cooler weather, and I have the sunburn to prove it!

And as promised the Apple Fritter recipe...

Grandma's Apple Fritters

3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup flour

1 egg

milk--enough to make batter the right consistency

1-2 Tbls vegetable or canola oil

1 cup of sugar and cinnamon mixture

Batter: Combine flour and egg. Add enough milk to make batter
the consistency of a thick liquid (make sure there are no lumps).

Heat oil in a skillet. Dip each apple slice in batter, making
sure it is completely coated, then add to skillet. Cook until
lightly browned, then move it to cinnamon and sugar
mixture until completely coated. Allow to cool.

Know & Tell Friday

Kayren at Everything's Coming Up Daisies is hosting this week's installment of Know & Tell Friday: Animal Edition. Click here for Kayren's original post and more great answers to these fun questions.

1. What dog do you most resemble? I would say my personality most resembles a Golden Retriever--loyal (to a fault sometimes). My friends jokingly refer to me as "The Golden Retriever" of the group as I tend to remain loyal (to people, relationships, even commitments) longer than what is healthy at times.

My in-laws' Retriever, Jodie

(photo by my bro-in-law, Omerad)

However, after giving a quick glance at TerrificPets.com, I'd have to say I probably resemble the Chow-Chow more physically. I have very thick, very-naturally-curly hair, and according to Terrific Pets, "The Chow Chow is commonly recognized for the massive amount of fur that seems to encase its body." There are many times (for example when the humidity is high) that I feel a bit like this:

2. What is your favorite zoo animal? The giraffe...they're so amazingly huge, and yet they move with such grace.

3. What zoo animal reminds you most of yourself? I'm going to have to say bear...again the hair thing (thick and dark), plus the fact that I would LOVE to hibernate all winter long. I mean if I could get by with sleeping for months on end, you better believe I would do it!

4. Do you have any pets? If so, how many, what kind, and what are their names? Yes, just one...our first "baby" Chester. He was a gift from Hubby when we were dating, and he's named for the dog in Disney's movie, "The Kid." You know the one...."Chester, the world's greatest dog."

5. Have you ever ridden a horse? Yes. A couple of times on "trail rides" on vacation and once with a friend and his girlfriend who owned horses. Also, my uncle had a pony when I was little. We rode him quite a bit.

6. Have you ever milked a cow? Nope, and I never want to. My grandparents had a milk cow when I was little. I remember my grandma giving me chocolate milk then telling me afterward that it was cow's milk that she put chocolate in. She is such a smart woman, because she knows I would have never drank it otherwise!

7. Why don't sheep shrink when it rains? I have no idea, but Kayren shares some interesting theories in her answers.

Hope you enjoyed this week's edition of Know & Tell Friday. Don't forget to head over to Kickin' It In Crazyville and check out Heather's and Reese's answers, too. Happy Friday!

Zoe is a Star!

For those of you following the amazing story of my nephew, Zoe, he is currently making the local television stations buzz. The three major news affiliates in Savannah have covered his story, and K-Love and Air 1 radio stations will air an interview with my sister and brother-in-law next week.

While we would never have wished for this situation to have happened to our family, we are so thankful for the voice it is giving to proclaim God's faithfulness and healing power. I am sorrowfully aware there are many similar stories out there, many with less-than-happy endings. I know my sister's and brother-in-law's intention is not to "flaunt" or "exploit" what is happening in their family. I know their intent is to bring glory to God and hopefully encourage someone else who is going through a similar battle.

We thank God for giving us Zoe, for sustaining Zoe's life, for giving Zoe a miraculous story. We know it's not because of anything we have done. It is because we serve an all-powerful, all-loving, ever-compassionate God whose love and grace know NO end!

Click here to see the news coverage of Zoe's story and a list of K-Love and Air 1 stations that will be broadcasting the story.

Fall Into Reading 2008

It's Fall....yea!!!! My favorite time of year. Even though it's currently 75 degrees here, I'm looking forward to the crisp, cool weather and curling up with a cup of hot apple cider, warm pumpkin bread, and a good book. That's why I'm looking forward to participating in the Fall Into Reading 2008 challenge hosted by Katrina at Callipider Days.

Since this is my first time participating in the reading challenge, my list is a bit sparse. With two small children and a hectic fall ahead of us, I'm trying to "ease" into this whole reading-challenge thing. I suppose I can always add to the list if, for some reason, I fly through the titles more quickly than expected.

I am also using this as an excuse to bring more variety to my reading repertoire. I tend to gravitate toward one type of book, so I'm trying to shake things up a bit and branch out by reading things I might not typically take the time to pick up. So, without further ado, here's my much-anticipated list:

The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson (currently reading)

The Shack by William Young

Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

If you're an avid reader (or even if you're not), check out the details of the Fall Into Reading challenge, and join in the fun! There are so many good books waiting for you!

Menu Plan Monday

I have some bad news...my Beef Sour Cream Noodle Bake from last week turned out rather...bland. I mentioned it was a new recipe and promised to post it if anyone was interested. There was some interest in the recipe, but I'm afraid it was so disappointing, I just can't (in good conscience) pass it along. The good news is that I realized (as I was making it) that I already have a similar recipe that I really like. (Sometimes it takes me a while!) So, I'll post that one soon.

With birthday celebrations last week and Hubby working all weekend, we didn't get to a couple of the meal plans from last week. That made this week's menu so much easier! ;)

Monday--No Peek Chicken, green beans, french rolls (I found the link...yea!!)

Tuesday--Italian-baked tilapia with garlic-tomato pasta

Wednesday--Teriyaki-grilled pork tenderloins with Asian noodles/veggie stir-fry

Thursday--Leftover buffet

Friday--FAMILY NIGHT OUT!!

Saturday--Grilled Tri-tip, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies

Sunday--Mama's kitchen is closed!

For lots more menu ideas, head on over to Org Junkie or check out the menu plans at newly-renovated Blissfully Domestic.

********I don't know why there are no hard-returns...I can't get them to
stay once I publish. I apologize for the run-on post!*******