52 Pix Week 50

Ho, Ho, Ho

Merry Christmas!! 

Hope you and your family have a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

(Hudson Krissel, 1 month old today!)

The New Addition

I got some QT with the little man when I took his picture two weeks ago....he is such a tiny little sweetheart!  He made these precious little snorts and would take these big stretches...we love our newest family member.  :)

Baby hands and feet are so stinkin' cute.....

52 Pix - Week 49

We spent Thanksigivng in Virginia this year.  After a busy week with Hudson's arrival - we got in the car on Wednesday afternoon  (with every other Atlanta resident...traffic was C.R.A.Z.Y) and made our 10 hr. drive to Foster, VA.  It was a great few days....we spent some time in town & at the river where J.B. lives, visited family in Richmond, enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast, and I learned how to play Yahtzee (and loved it!).  I loved it so much that we downloaded a Yahtzee app on the iPad and John Neal and I play when we're bored. (...which seemed to be all the time before we got cable back)   :)  That makes us sound super dorky (sorry, John Neal). 

As we've said before - Mulligan loves the water.  He would jump off the dock at the river totally unprovoked....at one point, when he was walking out of the water and re-jumping, and we realized mud started to collect on his paws.  When he was finally done with the jumping/swimming routine, he plopped on the porch and looked like he had on boots!  Defintitely earned the picture of the week. 

52 Pix - Week 48

I'm behind on blogging my weekly photos again.....the little guy is already three weeks old!  I just had to post some more pics from the week he was born cause he was so stinkin' cute.  :)

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

This recipe is going to the top of my fall dessert favorites list.  I don't actually keep a list, but I should and this one should be on it.  I wouldn't say actual pumpkin pie is a favorite of mine, but I do love pumpkin flavored things (pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice latte, etc.)....so when I saw this combo of pumpkin, pecans and cheesecake on the cover of Southern Living, I knew it had to be delicious.  It's not so much a quick-fix dessert, but usually if you're giving something a whirl from SL you don't expect it to be done in half an hour anyways.  I had a free Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago (or I should say, a Saturday where I was looking to not watch football all day) and this was a fun and tasty dish.  You must try it!

Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake



2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

5 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Praline Topping

Before I could get to Step 1....I had to chop some pecans and crush some graham crackers...maybe my favorite part of the process!  :)

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  NOTE: I did not use a springform pan...I used a regular old pie dish.  Worked just fine.

2. Beat cream cheese and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. (Pan will be very full.)

3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.

 

4. Remove sides and bottom of pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving plate. Prepare Praline Topping; immediately pour slowly over top of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/4 inch of edge. Garnish with pecans, if desired.

PRALINE TOPPING (The best part!)

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute; remove from heat. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Use immediately.

52 Pix - Week 47

Thanksgiving is such a special time of year - I hesitate to say it's my favorite holiday because I love different things about each of the holidays.  But the spirit of gratitude during this time also means delicious food, perfect fall-ish weather, QT with family, and usually way less stress than Christmas.  Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas, and I don't want to reduce the important message of the season in any way...but there is something about Thanksgiving that seems light, joyful and less fussy.  And I thought this picture of my cousin's little boy was an image that portrayed just that! 

Grateful this Thanksgiving for:

• Our loving family and the time we spent with them for Thanksgiving
• A healthy new addition, Hudson
• John Neal's upcoming long break
• The beautiful fall colors lighting up the trees
• Southern Living (loving the last few issues!)
• Pecan Pie

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Meet Hudson!

This year we are extra thankful....Hudson just arrived!

Congratulations to my sister, Heather and brother-in-law, Scott on their new baby boy.  We're all so glad he is here!



52 Pix - Week 46

Two years ago this week we got Mully! 

Many moments of joy, a few stages of frustration, and loads of memories made since that drive home from Kentucky.  The new little 8 lb. puppy climbed up behind my neck for a lot of the ride home....funny how he still does that on the couch now at 35 lbs!  Some things never change.... 

52 Pix - Week 45

Haven't the fall colors been beautiful this year?  The leaves made their way down for the most part after all the much needed rain this week....luckily I got this picture before it happened!  I looked like a crazy lady in the parking lot at work (I hope no one saw me) - I was heading out and saw this little scene, kicked it into reverse, and jumped out of the car to take the picture. Luckily I had my camera with me from Emily's baby shower! 

I sure am glad I got this shot - this picture makes me want to grab a cup of tea or coffee and just watch the sunset.  In a long sleeve t-shirt and jeans.  With a fire.  I love fall.....

Boo!

The night before Halloween, JNS & I made a trip over to Pharrs Road to see the kids unofficial family costume parade.  When we walked inside my grandparents house we were greeted by Woody (Parker), Ariel (Hadley), the Princess (Ellie) and the little pink pig (Reese). 



 Three very precious little girls....all looking so cute in their Halloween costumes.

Grandmother & Granddaddy with most of their great-grandkids (everybody was looking at the camera= success!) 



The parade continued...everyone piled into Granddaddy's truck to make the quick drive across the street to Heather & Scott's house.  You might be wondering if we only had to cross the street why we wouldn't have just walked....but with this many little ones and a busy road - the ride in the back of the truck method seemed to be best (albeit illegal). 

 We made time for a few pictures with the girls...they were worn out from all their "trick-or-treating"...

 

Meanwhile, we had our lion to come home to....it was indeed a Happy Halloween!

 

52 Pix - Week 44

More to come on Halloween...but this week's picture was too cute not to go ahead and post.  The great grandkids were all dressed up the night before Halloween and we got to see them all at my grandparents house.  We were standing around outside and these three were cutting up and giggling with each other...made my day to see them so carefree and happy!  Oh, to be a kid again....

52 Pix - Week 43

So...Week 43 was pretty big.  Mulligan was in his first costume contest.  :) 

I know you're thinking "seriously, you put your dog in clothes?"  I really didn't want to...but there are a lot of really cute little things out there and quite frankly I can't resist.  (and neither can my mom....)

It first happened when Mully was a pup...we got him an argyle sweater for Christmas Day.  Yep. 

I wish I could say it stopped there.

Here is Mulligan this year as a Lion...he absolutely 100% hated me for putting him in this outfit.   But I mean, c'mon, he looks HILARIOUS and so cute.  (and angry...)

He got 2nd Place in the costume contest but we think he deserved 1st.  Evidently the dog who won was also well-behaved....maybe next year.  :) 

52 Pix - Week 42

This team is "WINNING!"

As if running a 24 hour, 12 man, 200 mile relay wasn't enough of an accomplishment...team Zatopek had to go off and win the competition again this year.  Several of the guys on the team have said this is one of their favorite running experiences yet.  The collaborative spirit, competitive vibe, and crazy fast pace will probably keep them in this competition for years to come.

   

The boys all came together to cross the finish line as a team!

52 Pix - Week 41

 Happy Halloween!

I'm a little behind on blogging about the weekly photo project....however, this post comes just in time since Daye was so festive at our little shoot a few weeks ago.  Her momma made sure her nails were painted and everything!  :)

 Beautiful Daye!

What do you really know?

A few weeks ago, we attended the bittersweet, farewell Sunday for Dr. Browning at Smoke Rise Baptist Church.  Dr. Browning became a dear friend of the Scott's during his 12 years serving as the church pastor, and John Neal and I had the privilege to be married by him almost four years ago.  I appreciate the blend of confidence, humor, kindness and humility that he possesses; it was a joy getting to know him during our pre-marital counseling and our time in the Sunday School class he and his wife led. 

In his final sermon at Smoke Rise he shared things he "knew for sure" and I loved the message.  He went on to share with the congregation things he had learned, things he loved and things he clung to as truths he "knew for sure".  He encouraged everyone to spend some time doing a similar reflection....as I thought about this for awhile I realized there is a LOT that I don't know.  But then, there are a few things that I do...

What do I know for sure? Well, I know that...

• If I get comfortable on the couch after 8PM, I will fall asleep.
• John Neal is a lot like a mouse; if you give him a cookie, he will definitely want milk.  Me?  I'll just want another cookie....
• I would have to be unconscious or dead to go sky diving.  Never going to happen. 
• Men are funnier than women.  This pains me because I love nothing more than when JNS laughs at my jokes...I wish I made him laugh as much as he makes me laugh. 
• Dogs have it made.  Their owners feed them, play with them, scratch their belly, pick up their poop, talk about how cute they are, etc.  The dogs get all of this without having to say a word AND they get to lay around all day while we work.  No wonder Mully always looks like he's smiling....

In a more serious reflection, I know for sure that....

• Family is a treasured gift.  My family grew up in between my grandparents and my uncle/aunt/cousins.  We visited both sets of grandparents every Sunday - clearly, family is a priority.  I don't take for granted how blessed I am with my in-laws too...how grateful I am that I love and am loved by John Neal's family!  The older I get the more I realize how lucky I am to call all these people my family...I'm thankful for each of them and recognize the true gift that they are to me.
• I am blessed.  Although I can get distracted with current circumstances, I know without a doubt that I am blessed.  As an individual, I am fortunate to have a dependable job, work with some incredible girls, have a solid and encouraging group of friends, and be a part of a loving marriage & family. As Americans we are extremely blessed to live in a country where we can choose where to live, what career path to pursue (or change), how many children to have, who to marry, and more...I think we easily get wrapped up in all the current economic woes and forget this is a blessed country.
• I am not in control.  As much as I try to control my life - I am not in charge.  This is true, in part, because I cannot control outside factors (like people or events) & they can alter my plans or effort to guide certain things.  However, the biggest reason I can't control is because God is in the driver's seat.  No matter what I try to plan, His plan will prevail.  This should sound daunting for those of us who need to plan, but it actually comes as a great relief.  When I think back to different times in life when I thought I had "my plan" on track, God's plan fell into place and was not-so-surprisingly a much better plan than I could have ever constructed.  
• God loves us.  This is something that has been ingrained in my mind since childhood, but I don't think I truly began to grasp it in my heart until recently.  He created this world and all the people in it - although human nature is to sin, He still loves us dearly and wants us to love Him and others in return.  Jesus says in Mark 12 that we are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart..." and to "...love your neighbor as yourself" - these are the greatest commandments.

Although I feel I truly know these things, I still need to be reminded of them.  Depending on what's going on around you, you can easily forget truths you should know.  I'm grateful to Dr. Browning for what he has done for John Neal and me in the last few years, but also for this opportunity to search and cling to these things I do know for sure.

52 Pix - Week 40



Heather & Scott are just weeks away from welcoming their little one (Baby Krissel will be named on arrival and the suspense is killing me!)....we're all so anxious to meet him! 

Don't they look so excited?!  :)

An Apple a Day....

Growing up, my Grandmother & Mama always had dessert handy.  Sunday afternoon's were spent visiting with family, and they always made sure we didn't leave hungry.  These special ladies certainly contributed to my love of desserts.  ;)

 I have always been a big fan of pecan pie and both of my grandmothers make two different delicious versions.  However, I will say the last few years I have grown to love apple pie.  I've held on to this recipe from an old Southern Living, and we think it's really tasty. 

Apple Dumplings

(adapted from Southern Living, October 2009)

Ingredients:

1 box of rolled pie crust (I used Publix brand)

Apples (I used Gala, but you could use whatever type you enjoy!)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups of water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine sugar, ciCinnamon, nutmeg in saucepan - stir in water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in 2 Tbsp. butter. 
3. Peel and core apples.  Cut in half horizontally.
4. Roll out pie crust on floured surface and cut into squares (recipe calls for 6-inch squares - you could make them larger or smaller depending on the apples)
5. Place 1 apple half in each square.
6. Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg - sprinkle over apples. 
7. Fold dough over apples, pinching edges to seal. 
8. Place dumplings in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish.  Pour sugar syrup over dumplings.
9. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. 

We served with ice cream (Publix Premium Deep Dish Apple Pie - yum!) and it made for a perfect fall dessert!  Enjoy. 

52 Pix - Week 39

Mulligan is one happy pup!

Whether he's at the dog park, jumping in the lake, or hanging his head out the window - I love Mully's energy and enthusiasm in everything he does. 

We used to take him to doggie daycare once a week, but the place closed down at the end of last year.  It was a sad day for the Scott family when he could no longer play with his pals at Ruff & Tumble.  The owner loved Mulligan like she loved all her pups, and she always had the funniest things to say about him.  They would do activities throughout the day and she said he would run from activity to activity as if every one was his favorite! 

Some of my favorites comments from her when I would pick him up:

"His face always looks like he's smiling."  (And it does!)

"I just love the days when Mul is here.  He lives life with such verve!"  (FYI I had to look up the word verve when I got home - for anyone else who was wondering, it is a spirit of energy or enthusiasm)

"Mully is a part of the wild pack - always playing hard." 

We do love our little guy so much.  His verve gets him into trouble from time to time, but we wouldn't have him any other way....

Happy Happy Birthday

 I love birthdays.  :)  To be clear, I don't mean just my own, but birthdays in general.  These milestones provide a reason for celebration, fellowship, food (read: cake), reflection and anticipation. 

In addition to the usual birthday routine (family meal, time with friends, and dinner with JNS) we can add celebrating Mulligan to the list.  We share the same day of birth - just 25 years apart.  :)

In our house, birthdays include lots of treats....Mully got doggy ice cream and LOVED it.

JNS and I had a birthday date night to Empire State South in Midtown.  It was delicious - I had chicken & dumplings and John Neal had duck.  Both were really good!  One of the main chef's at this restaurant is from Athens (known from his restaurant, Five and Ten) so it made trying this new place extra special!  Oh how we love Athens.... 

We got coffee at the end of our meal...this is a classic "little thing" for me in life.  After-dinner coffee...yuummmm.

We had brunch at Murphy's on Saturday with our parents.  The meal did not disappoint and neither did the weather or the company.   

As we left the restaurant, there were some little kids behind a lemonade stand and I couldn't resist.  They were selling Blackberry Lemonade and Ginger Peach Lemonade (pretty fancy selections) - I gave the kid a $10 bill for the $1.50 lemonade and he counted out my change to $7.50.  Clearly that doesn't equal $10 but I wasn't about to tell the 8-year-old he still owed me a dollar.  He then says "can you check it?" - I think to myself, am I supposed to say that he actually owes me $8.50 or am I supposed to verify that he gave me $7.50?  How cute is that that he wants me to check his work?  I didn't know what to say and I figured I would rather him think I'm stupid than mean, so I counted it and said  "$7.50 - this is exactly right."  Maybe the cute kid's incorrect math was a ploy for making an extra dollar off the stupid customers...if so, I totally fell for it. 

We finished the day with friends in Decatur.  Back on July 4th, we had some pretty heavy rain and a lot of the fireworks shows were cancelled.  Many of them rescheduled for the following weekend, but for whatever reason, the city of Decatur decided to reschedule for September 24th.  Fine by me - I love fireworks!  So we met up with the Stanfill's, Lonergan's, Guntor's and Smith's for some dinner and stuck around for the show.  Thanks guys for a fun night!

I know they wouldn't hold as much value if we had them more often - but it sure is special to spend your birthday with those you love.  It makes you truly appreciate those dear friends and family, and look forward to all that this next year will bring.  I thought about how often you tell people "Happy Birthday" without thinking a thing of it....it's nice to look back over the whole weekend and see it was happy indeed.