Friday, December 30, 2011

Back in Ohio

We're back in Ohio in the cold rainy weather but happy to be home. We pick up Max and Lila tonight so they will stop torturing Alicia's kitties!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

What's wrong with this photo?

We had to make a quick run to Kmart last night because Jason (my brother) left his swim trunks at home and we came across this in the beach section:

Monday, December 26, 2011

We made it!

Made it to Tampa, waiting for our ride to Sanibel island...then the fun can begin!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Sunny Florida

Just a quick post to say Merry Christmas to all and thank you for reading our blog!  We truly appreciate the support!  We had a wonderful few days with family and cherish the time spent together.  2011 has been a great year and we have many new adventures to look forward to in 2012 (more to come on that after the first of the year).  In a few short hours, C and I are leaving for a few days in Florida...can't wait for some sun and sand!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Belated Anniversary Gift

On Friday night, I was able to cash in my anniversary gift from Chris, a Sur la Table cooking class!  We chose the "Cooking with Wine Date Night" on Friday night and here was our menu:

Coq au Vin Blac
Seared Duck Breast with Port Cherry Reduction
Campanelle with Roasted Tomato and Zinfandel Ragu
Merlot Raspberry Sorbet

Our favorite dishes were the Coq au Vin and the Duck...both were delicious!  They provided the recipes so I can't wait to give them a try at home.  I only took one photo before the event of Chris and here it is (you can see our Chef, Eric, in the background)!


Such a fun way to spend a Friday night...but we did both come home smelling like food in a big way (like leave the coats outside over night).

Super Shegan Give Away!

Just thought I'd let you know of a give-away over at my friend Christie's blog, Super Shegan.  We met Christie when we lived in NC and now she and her husband Patton are in Washington and we're in Ohio but we still keep in touch...Army friends are for life.  Christie is vegan and her blog features awesome vegan recipes (and some of her gorgeous photography)!  You can also check out her Juice Plus Complete give away here.  Let's help her get to her goal of 50 comments by the 23rd!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

One More Week...

before Christmas!  Are you ready???? 

We've finished the shopping and wrapping...
And the tree trimming and White Christmas watching (it's our tradition)...
And the baking (I only made one type of Christmas cookie this year, Peppermint Whoopie Pies, yummy)...
And the Christmas cards...
And some Christmas sewing, well almost done...
And the Advent masses at church...
All that is left is the ENJOY time with friends and family and the birth of Jesus! 

What are your plans for the next week?

Merriest of Christmases and Happiest of New Years to you!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christmas Stocking

A few months ago, while browsing around one of our local quilt shops I came across this old-world nautical fabric and knew that it would be perfect for our friend Grant (here are a few posts where Grant has made an appearance on the blog: Thankful Day 9, C's Brazil Trip, Pre-Deployment Charleston, and our UK Adventure).  Grant is one of the friends that Chris first met when he started his Army career and they deployed together twice.  Now he's one of both of our dearest friends.  Grant is working on his masters in history at the University of Exeter in England so even though I made this stocking months ago, I had to wait until he received it to post it!  
  
 Close of up of the toe:
 Close up of the top, I did a slight ruffle (but not too much since it's a guys stocking!)

I've got a few other projects to get to before Christmas so more to come!  Are you hand-making any Christmas gifts?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Finals are over, amen!

Both Chris and I took our last finals yesterday...so ready for a break from school.  More posts to come!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Lila Bug

Last weekend, we took the dogs with us to Thanksgiving at my grandparent's house.  They love it there, lots of food dropped and people to pet them.  Lila even let Baby J give her a hug...so sweet!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Holidays

I'm hoping after the next week to be back to blogging regularly, these classes are really consuming all my free time and I will be so happy when they are done on Dec. 8th!  In the mean time, I'm starting to think about our Christmas holiday and decide what's most important to us.  I would LOVE to do it all, the decorating, the tree-trimming, the baking, the Christmas cards, the caroling, the gifts-bought and wrapped but I'm fairly certain that it won't all get done and if it does, I will be too stressed to enjoy the season.  What I KNOW for sure is that we WILL make time for the most important parts of the holiday, attending mass during the Advent season, spending time with family and friends and reflecting on the season.  My plan for this year is to have a relaxed holiday season while focusing on whats important.  What are your favorite traditions for the holidays?  And what do you skip out on?      


Monday, November 28, 2011

Thankful


 We had a great Thanksgiving...and hope you did too!  Chris and I are blessed with large, close families so in our usual tradition we attended FOUR Thanksgiving dinners (thankfully spread over a few days).  Needless to say, we get our fill our turkey, mashed potatoes, pie and all the rest.  We really enjoy the time spent catching up with family and spending time with the ones we don't get to see very often.  We hosted a small dinner at our house on Thursday (nine adults, two babies and four dogs) and everyone got a chance to hold the twins.  So thankful for a few days off to spend with family!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thankful-Day 16

Okay, I fell a little behind here...so sorry!  Both of my classes are a few weeks away from finals so that means A LOT of time spent on papers, presentations, take home tests, in addition to work and getting ready to host our first Thanksgiving dinner (with help-thanks Sharon and Danielle).  Both of my classes require extensive group work this semester and I'm so thankful for good groups!  Everyone I'm working with this semester is pulling their own weight, willing to work together and respecting each other's opinions.  I'll be even MORE THANKFUL Dec. 8th when this semester is behind me (and I'll only have ONE more class before graduation in the spring....YAY!)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thankful-Day 15

I'm thankful for our parents.  Chris and I have great parents that are always there for us and are so supportive.  They are both willing to pitch in and help us out by watching the dogs for a week, helping us with yardwork or giving encouraging words.  We were both oh so lucky to be raised in warm, loving homes.  We love you!


  

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Thankful-Day 14

Today I'm thankful for my education (both formal and otherwise) and the challenge that it is currently bringing to my life.  I think that we have the opportunity to learn something EVERY SINGLE DAY about the world around us and ourselves.  I've been in my job 2.5 years and I'm constantly learning something new, which keeps things exciting and never boring...that's for sure.  I've been working on my MBA for a few years (3+) now (you can read about taking the GMAT here and staring school at East Carolina University here and then going back to school here).  I'm thankful for the professors who've shaped my view of the world, my classmates who've helped me through it and my family for understanding that it just gets crazy sometimes!  And, THANKFULLY, graduation is next spring.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Spicy Caramel Corn

Looking for a recipe for a quick, popular and EASY treat that is easily portable?  That's when I break out this recipe for spicy caramel corn...I'm sure I've made it hundreds of times.  We've taken it tailgating and to parties. I've sent it to both Iraq and Afghanistan (many, many times because it travels well) when Chris was deployed because guys really seem like the kick of the cayenne pepper and the way it offsets the sweetness of the caramel coating.  Seriously, it's delicious and easy (as in, you use the microwave) so give it a try:



Spicy Caramel Corn:

Ingredients:
2 batches of popcorn (popped) in a brown grocery bag
1 stick butter, melted
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white corn syrup
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. baking soda

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until boils.  Continue to microwave for 2 minutes. Stir in baking soda, cayenne pepper and cinnamon, mixture will become "fluffier" (this will make sense, I promise).  Pour over popcorn in bag and shake to distribute.  Fold over top of bag and place in the microwave on side.  (I turn my microwave down to 80% here...each microwave is different you may need to adjust) Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.  Remove from microwave and shake bag.  Place back in microwave on the other side and microwave for 1 minute and 15 seconds.  Pour caramel corn onto foil and allow to cool.  Once cool seal in an air-tight container and enjoy.  If you have kids or don't like heat, feel free to skip the cinnamon and cayenne pepper but if you like spicy add some extra!  I used to double the cayenne before sending to the guys deployed... you know, because their lives weren't "spicy" enough!

     

Thankful-Day 13

Today, I'm thankful for those who understand technology and keep it working for me (um, this would be my gadget-loving husband).  He's been in the process of updating the backup systems on my computer so don't have to worry about loosing the thousands of photos and years of grad school work on it.  He also was kind enough to set up my new iphone for me a few weeks ago even though he really wanted it for himself...now that's love!

Are you tech-savvy or do you have help too?

Thankful-Day 12

Today, I'm thankful for this crazy (but beautiful) November weather we've been having in Ohio.  It's been un-seasonably warm...like 70 degrees!  And sunny!  So nice!

What's the weather like where you are?


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Thankful-Day 11

I'm thankful for weekends!  It's so nice to be able to sleep in (until 7am or so but that's still two hours later than usual for me), spend time with Chris and the dogs, do homework and just relax.  We usually hang at home on Friday nights and clean on Saturdays.  My Sunday routine includes spinning class, church, homework and doing some cooking, which is relaxing for me.  And in a few short months, no more homework! Yay!

What's your favorite part of weekends?

Max and Lila relaxing and watching Sunday afternoon football

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Thankful-Day 10

Today, I'm thankful for my job.  I'm thankful to have a job in these economically tough times AND to work for a company that is growing!  I have the best co-workers who are fun and work hard and care about each other.       I'm thankful for a job that I enjoy and that takes care of our family financially (and with insurance...so important).  I'm thankful for a company that allows me the freedom to make the best choices for my clients and that is very ethically sound...as we say "we do what makes sense".  I love that!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Thankful-Day 9


I'm thankful for our veteran's and the sacrifices that they make in order to protect our freedom.  Their jobs are not easy and I can speak from personal experience here as I'm married to a vet and I'm proud to count many of them as friends and family!  They have this sense of duty that runs deep and they are motivated to serve.  They leave their families for months upon months at a time to work 12-14 hour days, 6 days a week sometimes because that's what's needed.  And they don't complain about it (I'm sure that I would).  They travel thousands of miles from home, missing birthdays and holidays.  And they don't complain about it (again, I'm sure I would).  So please, take a moment today to say thank you to our veterans!     
Prayer for Veterans Day
God of peace,
we pray for those who have served our nation
and have laid down their lives
to protect and defend our freedom.
We pray for those who have fought,
whose spirits and bodies are scarred by war,
whose nights are haunted by memories
too painful for the light of day.
We pray for those who serve us now,
especially for those in harm's way.
Shield them from danger
and bring them home.
Turn the hearts and minds
of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace.
Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!
May the peace you left us,
the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains,
the peace that saves us.
Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
Amen.
-ConcordPastor
Austin Fleming
Military Ball, 2008

Home from Iraq, 2008

Home from Iraq, 2008

Home from Afghanistan, 2010

Grant and Chris, Dress Blues 2010

Ben's Wedding, 2010

Chris in Iraq, 2008

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Thankful-Day 8

Today, I'm thankful for our home. Chris and I became homeowners 2 1/2 years ago and it has been an adventure!  Part of that comes from owning a house built in the 40's with a "Bexley Basement"...which means it floods sometimes.  We do enjoy our cozy 1400 square foot home, even though we know that some day we'll need to move due to the space constraints but for now, it's perfect for us.  We have a great kitchen, which allows me to get creative when cooking, a beautiful backyard and I LOVE that we can paint the walls any color we want (which is refreshing after 6 years living in apartments with white walls) and we have!  The dining room is now chocolate brown and the bedroom is now a deep tan/yellow and the bathroom is sage.  I'm thinking about the tiny bath next....     

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Thankful-Day 7

Today I'm thankful that we live in a free country that allows personal freedoms.  Politics seem to be at the forefront with election day yesterday and we should all be thankful that we are able to express our views without fear of government interaction.  I'm also thankful that most people seem to be respectful of other's views as well!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Thankful-Day 6

Today, I'm thankful for the fact that we are healthy.  Our bodies treat us well and have allowed us to do things such as skiing in Colorado, jumping out of planes (Chris in the Army) and running marathons!   

2011 Columbus Marathon and 1/2 M

Monday, November 7, 2011

Thankful-Day 5

Have I mentioned how great our friends are?  Well if I haven't, I'm sorry because they are AMAZING and I'm so thankful to have them!  Here are some photos of our friends over the years...  

Sonya and Kelly, 2007 Marathon

Kelly, Annie and Sonya, NYC 2008

Sonya, Grant and Lea, 4th of July 2008

Chris, Matt, Zak, Heather and Jamie Savannah St. Patrick's Day 

Sonya, Chris and Grant, Charleston, SC

Alison, Sonya, Missy, Lea, Caitlin, Christie

Brian, Patton, Bryce and Steve

Sonya and Jenni

Caitlin, Lea, Missy and Sonya, Slip N Slide

Grant, Chris and Yonel, London 2010

Nicole, Rachel and Sonya Homecoming 2000

Eric, Zak. Chris, Sonya and Aaron OU Halloween
These are just a handful of photos of all the fun we've had with our friends...can't wait to make more memories with you over the years!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Thankful-Day 4

Yesterday was our 5 year wedding anniversary (time flies!) so I'm going to do a repeat...today I'm thankful for Chris, my husband, and the five years that we've been married AND our beautiful wedding.  Many of you know our wedding story, but for those who do not, it's a great story (as my Mom likes to say, one to tell your grand-kids about someday).  Chris and I got engaged about 6 months after graduating college, right before Christmas.  He was in-between OBC (Officer's Basic Course) and moving to his first Army assignment, Ft. Bragg, NC.  We decided that we wanted to get married in a year so the planning began.  To make a long story short, when you're in the Army, they have first priority in your life, so about two months before our original wedding date we moved our 400 person wedding up about 3 weeks because Chris was leaving for Iraq.  Invitations has been printed (but THANKFULLY, not sent) and everything was in place but after a few days and a lot of phone calls (thanks Mom!) we were able to get everything rescheduled to November 5th.  We still sent out the invitations with the wrong date with cards with the correct information so event the ones we have framed in our house aren't correct.  Even with all the deployment excitement, everything turned out beautifully and we had so much fun at our wedding.  We are so THANKFUL for our friends and family who were able to spend the day with us and make it so memorable and special.  What are some of your wedding memories?  

Our wedding, 2006



4 year anniversary photos
4 year anniversary photos
Here's how we've spent a few of our other anniversaries: year 2 photos and year 3 flowers and year 3 post and year 4!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Thankful-Day 3

Today, I'm thankful for Max and Lila, our dogs.  They are so much fun to have around and are great companions.  I think I've spent more time with Max than Chris during our marriage due to deployments, ha!  Although they are the same breed (mini-dachshunds), they each have their own distinctive personality.  Max loves to play ball, sleep in and likes to be petted on his terms.  Lila likes to cuddle, is ferocious to the mailman and thinks her place in on an open lap.        
Dog Park Agility Course...still needs some work!

Their favorite perch, on the back of the couch.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Thankful-Day 2

Today I'm thankful for family.  Chris and I are both blessed with large, wonderful families who are so supportive of the choices that we've made that have brought us this far (living the Army life, two deployments and now being grad school students).  Both sets of our parents are still married after 25+ years of marriage, a great example for us to follow.  We are lucky to be close to our siblings and we enjoy spending time with them.  Yep, we've got great families!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Thankful

For the month of November, my posts will be on the theme of Thanksgiving.  I want to take time to show gratitude and to acknowledge the blessing in our lives.


It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,
and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high:
To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning,
and thy faithfulness every night
— Psalms 92.1-2


I'm so thankful for my partner in this life, my husband.  We've been married almost 5 years and it truly has been adventurous!  We've moved twice in three years and have spent about as much time apart as together.  He makes me laugh everyday, is so caring and understanding.  I'm so lucky to share my life with him.  I love you Chris!

Before the Ruckus Race and the broken hand, July 2011

OBX Trip, June 2011

Please join me this month, post comments about what you are thankful for!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Glass Jars-My latest obsession

Over the past few months, I've been checking out every TJ Maxx and Home Goods  store I see to search for these glass jars.  I love the way they look and I'm not crazy about keeping food in plastic containers.  My "set" certainly is not all matchy-matchy but I love them anyways.  I use them for my baking staples (flours, sugar, chocolate chips), in my pantry and in my fridge...they are so versatile!  I started with one or two and, as you can see, my collection has grown!  What are your kitchen must-haves?



Thursday, October 27, 2011

Father and Son complete Iron Man

Have you seen this video?  A father and son complete the Ironman, it is truly amazing and so inspiring and is worth a few minutes to watch!  

A Son asked his father, "Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?" The father who, despite having a heart condition, says "Yes". They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons. The father always saying "Yes" to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his fater, "Dad, let's join the Ironman together."

To which, his father said "Yes".

For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island.

Father and son went on to complete the race together!

Thanks Brittany for sharing!


Sunday, October 23, 2011

ipad Cover-Take 2


A few months ago, I made an ipad cover for my Mom, you can check that one out here.  She loved it but wanted one that she could use WITH the screen cover on it.  The green one provided a snug fit and left now room for the screen cover. It's taken me a while but I've finally had the time to make another one for her.  (I apologize for the wonky photos, my camera wasn't available so I used my new iphone....clearly, I have a lot to learn about taking photos with it!)

I didn't use a pattern and just used our ipad as the template.  One of Mom's favorite colors is purple so when I saw this fabric, I thought she would love it.  I added a ruched section in the middle for a fun detail.  I used fusible fleece to give it some padding and a soft purple flannel for the interior.

Front cover, work in progress
Closure detail, button and elastic loop
Final product, our ipad and cover!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Race Recap-Columbus Marathon and 1/2 Marathon

  Last Sunday, Chris and I both participated in a local event, the Nationwide Columbus Marathon and 1/2 Marathon!  I'm asked Chris to give his perspective on running the full but wanted to just post a quick update.  You can read about his decision to run this race here, which I think he was regretting when I caught up with him at mile 20. 

I thought the weather was perfect for the race, cool (about 50 degrees) and cloudy.  We started in the middle of the pack due to our estimated times and we ran together for the first 1/2 mile or so  (I knew ahead of time that Chris didn't want to stick with me until the finish line for the half, something about me messing up his pacing...) and then we each got into our own groove.  I've done this race a couple of other years and the biggest notice for me is how much its grown, I've never seen the course so full of participants.  I think it's great that the community is embracing the event and getting fit but from a selfish perspective, I liked it better with fewer runners.  The course was so full around mile 3 that I almost stepped on a dead squirrel that I couldn't see due to the runners in front of me...that would have been so gross.

Sonya's Time- 1/2 Marathon with 2:05:49 for an overall pace of 9:36 per mile.

Chris' Time- Marathon with 4:48:57 for an overall pace of 11:02 per mile.



Chris and I, after the race
Our fan club, Mom and Dad K.
BIG thanks to Mom and Dad K. for all of their support (driving us around, cheering for us and the kind words)

Recovery time with the puppies