Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming

I'm back with the post that I intended to do this morning. I had a wonderful weekend in Savannah, as per usual. I got into town a little earlier on Friday due to a brief appointment in Jacksonville, so I was thankful for the early arrival of 6:30 compared to my usual 8:30. This afforded David and I plenty of time to go out and enjoy the night life of Savannah on a Friday night for a change. We decided to try a restaurant that neither of us have been to. We tried Alligator Soul. It was very, very good. Plus it was in a cool location. It was actually in the cellar of another building. The builiding was once used as a grain warehouse (circa 1885). Therefore, it had a very unique ambiance. Plus, there were gators all over the place and this Florida gal could appreciate that! Saturday we loaded up and headed to Tybee Island to get our beach on with friends Paden and Lauren. It was a gorgeous day and perfect beach weather. Bright sunshine and a slight breeze. Perfection! Guess the downfall of the day resulted in me entering into a men's port-a-potty sans shoes. Yeah, that's a memory I would like to forget and hopefully I didn't contract some horrible disease from that encounter with the floor. But I had already walked 1/2 mile down the beach in search of a restroom, so I was committed at that point. Might as well pull a Britney Spears and go for it. Ha! After the beach, we got cleaned up and headed over to Thunderbolt to dine at a place that was right beside the boat landing that Paden was wanting to try. He is quite the food connoisseur, in that he will eat anything, anywhere. Horrible health rating and all!  The only thing I could find on the internet was off of Google Maps. Brace yourself. She is a beauty!

This place looked like it should be in Carrabelle, FL or somewhere.And if anyone ever went to Julia Mae's in Carrabelle, you will understand where I am coming from. It was interesting to say the least, but the food was good. I like hole in the wall places like this where mainly only locals know about it. David and I shared an order of fresh blue crabs (yum!) and boiled shrimp. It was super delicious and you just can't beat fresh, local seafood.

I headed back on Sunday. And much to my delight, I got the following message from Stacey.

I couldn't believe my eyes, Stacey was craving Taco Bell! There are two things in this world that Stacey doesn't care for food wise- Bananas and Taco Bell. When I got home, I made sure that I catered to her craving for delicious fast "Mexican" food.

I have been meaning to try the new Doritos taco for some time now. I am a huge fan of Doritos and a huge fan of Taco Bell. Put the two together and it's amazing. It did not disappoint. Although it didn't help my resolve of eating healthier this week. Or that today was any better, considering I ate some Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno chips and some Skittles for lunch. I am horrible!  
Another brilliant thing we stumbled upon last night were these bad boys:

Image from here

That's right. Monogrammed wayfarers. Whoo hoo!! We ordered these from Pineapple Grove Gifts. I can't even tell you how excited I will be when these come in. I almost broke down and ordered the Ray Ban version, but I'm glad I didn't. These were only $40, so a much better score in my opinion. They are even polarized, if you can believe it. (We will see..)

Anywhoo, that about sums up my weekend. Now I have the joy to go home and take care of this mess. Yay for unpacking. {sike}

Happy Monday, ya'll!

Beauty Out of Ashes

This wasn't the post that I was planning on this morning, but sometimes you gotta go with the flow. I got to work early this morning, and like most mornings when I come in early, I grab a cup of coffee and read a few blogs before I start my day. Of course, my favorite one to read is my cousin's blog. So I was pumped when I saw that she had a new post up. Fast forward to me reduced to tears at my desk, but in a good way, of course!  Her post touched my heart. You can read her post here (His Plans for Us). I find it funny that she posted this because last night, I was reading my Bible and I came across this:

I had dated it 5/17/2011. It's Psalm 56:8 and says "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." When I came across that, I shuddered to think about where I was a year ago and thanked God that I was no longer in that place. I remember being comforted by this verse because it reminded me that even if my husband didn't care that he hurt me or was upset over the tears that I cried and the pain he placed upon me, God did. God cared about my pain. He knows exactly how many tears I have cried over my divorce. And I have a feeling it is a lot. Stacey spoke about God having a plan for each of our lives, and she hit the nail on the head. I know that God brought her to Thomasville because He knew that I would need her. She may be my cousin, but she really is more like a sister to me. We may fight like sisters, but we love like sisters as well. I am so blessed to have her. She has been so patient with me this past year. I can't imagine where I would be today without her. She was the perfect person for me to heal with. She would allow me to cry, but at times, she would also tell me to dry it up, because he wasn't worth my tears. She gave me a reality check when I needed one. One of the funnier things she said to me was when we were at the Florida/Auburn game this past fall. We were sitting around watching the football game and I was behind a couple and it made me sad because I missed my husband. So of course, I was crying like an idiot right there in front of everyone. She looked at me and said "you came here to have fun, not to cry. so quit being retarded and have fun." Granted at the time, it made me cry harder, but looking back on it, it was actually pretty comical. Actually, I'm surprised she didn't just leave me right there and make me hitchhike back to Montgomery :) I was pretty ridiculous. I'm just thankful that she would force me to have strength when I had none myself. With all that being said, I hope one day I am able to repay her for all that she has done for me (hopefully, not in the same capacity, I wouldn't wish that on anyone). But until that day comes, all I can do is say thank you and that I love you, Stacey Suzanne. You are definitely the bomb.com. When I count my blessings, I count you twice.

I know that God has a plan for my life. I pray all the time that He will use what I have been through for something for His glory. Genesis 50:20 sums it up nicely, "What you intended for evil, God intended it for good." Satan won the battle over my marriage. However, Satan will never be victorious over me. He may win a battle here and there, but he will never win the war. I know that God will use what I have been through for the good. The Bible tells us that "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)." God created me for a specific purpose on this Earth that only I can accomplish. He chose me. I am important to Him. I am His creation. It is my obligation and duty to be obedient to Him, obey His commandments, and seek His will for my life. I have complete faith and trust in God that He will take care of me and see me through until He calls me home. Are there things I wish I didn't have to endure to grow more fully in Him? Sure! If I had my way, I would still be married and I would be rocking a baby at this very moment. But God has different plans for my life. Proverbs states that we may make our plans, but God determines our steps. I put my plans ahead of God's concerning moving ahead with IVF to have a child and I know that was probably what cost me my marriage. I should have waited for God's timing and not my own. When Joseph was ready. Instead, I pressured him and forced him to embarrass himself going through that process and allowed Satan to come in and plant that seed of discontentment in my husband. I'm not excusing his actions, but I can understand the part that I played. At the end of the day, hurting people hurt people. My husband was hurting and found comfort elsewhere. I know he didn't go out to seek it. The opportunity presented itself and he was weak and fell into a trap. Satan has had a long time to figure out how to deceive God's children. That's why I never saw it coming. For all I knew, my husband was happy and that he loved and cherished me. He prayed for me each night, asked God to strengthen our marriage daily, we were even in a Sunday School class that was devoted specifically to the marriage relationship.  Why would I think we were at risk for divorce? That's how it happens. Like a thief in the night, Satan comes in to devour God's sheep. To feed off of our insecurities and doubts and to lead us off of God's path to our own path of destruction. Like that first deception in the Garden of Eden with Eve and the fruit. It was dangled in her face, too irresistible to resist not taking a bite. And of course the famous line "did God really say...?" was uttered and caused mankind to fall into sin. We all have our own brand of fruit that Satan tempts us with. I know that when we are tempted and we know that it's not right, instead of making justifications and rationalizations, we should take the same attack plan that Jesus did when he was tempted by Satan and state - "it is written..." and go to the Bible for our answers. In the end, we could all save ourselves a lot of trouble and heartache if we only had the discernment and the fortitude to do that. It is because "it is written" that I have to forgive my husband and to pray for him (which I do). I don't think he is some awful, horrible person. I think he is someone who has been greatly deceived and truly believes that what he did was justified for him to be happy. God will work it all out in the end. He loves Joseph, too and has a plan for his life as well. I can't sit here forever and whine and complain about what all happened. I could stay bitter and hurt but that's not fruit of the spirit. A spirit of defeat does not come from God. There comes a time to heal, forgive, and move on. To forgive, because Christ first forgave us. It is written. You can enjoy fruits of the spirit- joy, love, peace, happiness- even in the midst of trials and tribulations. With God there is always hope for your future. There is always healing of your past. I tried my hardest to salvage my marriage and I was willing to keep my vows. Sadly, it didn't work out that way where this story has a happy ending. It will forever be a part of my life and it has helped shaped me into the person I am today. Like I said in the beginning of this post, that I didn't intend to address this topic today. It just sort of came about. These are just a few things that I have learned through this process. I haven't always acted and said things that I should have. I wish I had had a better grasp on my emotions and didn't let them run my actions. I did and said things that I am not proud of. I am ashamed of them. But thankfully with God comes forgiveness. I have learned so much and grown so very much. I have been showered with much love by my family and friends. They have been such a great support and I am so thankful that God placed me in my family. I can also say that I am thankful for the years that I had with my husband. He has made me a stronger person (whether he intended to or not ha!) and I am better off for it. I can also say that I am thankful for this past year. It has brought me closer in my relationship with the Lord and that, my friends,  is priceless. I will end this post with one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Isaiah 40:27-31. It reminds me to always wait for the Lord. He will always renew your strength. He can always make beauty out of ashes and mourning into dancing. Always.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

Weekend Plans and Other Ramblings

 This is on my agenda this weekend.

And I couldn't be happier to relax and soak up the sun!

It's been a good week for me. I received a raise at work and my boss told me that he really appreciates all my hard work and effort. So that's always a good note to end your week on! I'm so thankful for the provisions God has granted me. Without Him, I would be lost. He truly has provided for me and taken care of me. So, I will be thankful for my blessing this weekend and enjoy this wonderful life He has blessed me with!

And speaking of blessings. When I count my blessings, I count this lady twice! Here is the true gardener at our house. Glad to see that all of her hard work is starting to show off. It's actually a lot of fun to go out to the garden every afternoon and be amazed at how much the plants have grown in 24 hours!

And yesterday while I was out taking pictures of the garden, I even took some pictures of Bentley. He almost looks sweet in these pictures! =)

He's a cutie! But then he couldn't resist.....he just hates anything out of the ordinary. Vacuums, brooms, and apparently- cameras! This picture is more like it.

And while I am at it, I will update you on the saga that is my life being overrun with rodents. These poor babies don't stand a chance.

Especially when the squirrels do this to their bird feeder.

I try to feed the squirrels in hopes that they will leave the bird feeder alone (which had to be thrown away, after the accident above).

I put out a mixture of corn, sunflower seeds, and peanuts for these guys. And for the most part it keeps them hemmed up in the back of the yard until they devour all of it and call all their buddies from the neighborhood over to come enjoy the party.

That's right. We had 6 of these things out in our yard the other day at the same time. These things are out of control. Here and at work! And squirrels don't seem to be our only problem these days. Please meet Woody (as in woodpecker, of course).

He is Stacey's new BFF because he likes to peck on the {metal} rain gutter right outside her window bright and early. HA! She did  some research and I guess males will peck on metal or anything that makes a big sound to attract the ladies. However, I think Woody followed me to work the other day!

Yep, I had a woodpecker at my bird feeder at work. I give up! My life is being overtaken by critters!
Okay, that's about all I have for you guys today. I know this is some exciting, interesting stuff! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Plant Within Me a New Heart

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

 Remain in me, as I also remain in you.

No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.

Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I am the vine; you are the branches.

If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

John 15:1-17

Rose City Walk and Brunch Fun!

This weekend was the annual Rose City Walk in Thomasville. They do a 5k walk and then a 10k run every year around Rose Show weekend. Stacey, David, and I all did the 5k walk this weekend. I think most people do the walk to get health points at work (Stacey gets like $25 to do the walk, I'm a bit jealous!).Guess David and I just did it for fun.... We did have a good time. I was a little worried because the weather was supposed to be ugly on Saturday, but the rain held off until later in the afternoon. Therefore, we were able to complete the walk. Here we are before the race. All smiles and ready to rock this event. Ha!

I think David was a little disappointed that he didn't know that this walk was actually taken seriously and a big deal to some of the participants. If he had known, he would have practiced his speed walking and won the race! He is special, I tell ya! I'm not sure how many participants they have every year, but if I had to guess I would say like 500-600. It was a little crazy.

This was the crowd right at the beginning of the "race" and it was a bit congested. It thinned out a lot, thank goodness. I don't do big crowds.

We ended up walking next to a guy with a golden retriever. If we had known pets were allowed, we could have broght Moxley and got him some exercise. He looks really obese when compared to this guy.

We walked a fairly brisk pace, but didn't go crazy. We were in it for the fun and the experience. We weren't trying to break any records. Here is a picture of the cheater, I mean David going to the finish line. He skipped me so he could beat me! We ended up finishing the walk in 45 minutes and some change.

We really tore it up! Ha!!

I placed 309th. Guess I should have placed 308th, if David wouldn't have skipped me. (We are so fast, ha!)

Here is Stacey coming off the finish line. She was a little bit behind us because she walked with our friend, Carolyn and her two girls in the stroller.

Stacey was thrilled that I made her take a picture with her medal. Here is David doing his victory poses. He truly is a champion!

All in all, it was fun and I look forward to doing it again next year!

After the walk, we invited a few people over to the house for brunch. Nothing like walking 3.5 miles and then going home to pig out!

Gabby got to wear Bentley out in the backyard while we enjoyed our brunch inside. It was really nice to have everyone over and to enjoy our new house (which one of these days I will post pictures of!).

I am so thankful to have wonderful people surrounding me and enjoying a weekend with those near and dear to my heart. I even got to go over yesterday to enjoy a nice dinner with some of my favorite peeps. I am quite bummed that they are moving in June, so I guess I will have to enjoy them while they are still here.

Here I am will sweet Miss Emory. I could eat her up with a spoon. I had to read her 3 bedtime stories and say her prayers with her before I was allowed to go home :) Plus, I got some good loving on 6 month old Fischer. He's a doll! Which I sadly didn't get any pictures of.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend! Now back to the daily grind of the work week!

Lemon Pie Recipe

Happy Friday, ya'll!! If you are like me, you are glad that the weekend is upon us. I wanted to quickly share a recipe for a delicious Lemon Pie. I found the recipe in a Southern Living recipe magazine that I picked up last weekend on Wilmington Island on the way to the beach (am I weird for reading recipe magazines on the beach, in a bikini? huh). Any ways, I finally rounded up all the ingredients to make this last night and it didn't disappoint. I love a lemon or key lime pie. Especially during the summer! So, I think I will add this to my recipe book.

Ingredients

• 2 boxes (3.4 ozs) lemon pudding mix
• 1 can (12 ozs) evaporated milk
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 2 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 can lemonade concentrate
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (I think you could actually make two pies with this recipe, because I had leftover filling)
• Whipped topping (Cool Whip or if you have time to make some from scratch)
• Lemons for garnish

Directions

1. Whisk together the pudding mix and the evaporated milk for about 2 minutes or until thickened.
2. Add the lemon zest to the pudding mixture, set aside
3. In another bowl, beat with an electric mixer the cream cheese and vanilla until fluffy.
4. Add the lemonade concentrate to cream cheese and beat until smooth.
5. Add the pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.
6. Pour the lemon mixture into the pie crust. Add whipped cream and garnish with lemons, if desired.
7. Refrigerate for 8 hours (I didn't!) before cutting.

That's it folks. It was really simple to make and super tasty. I suggest you give it a try. I mean, the recipe had me at cream cheese!

The Ugliest Dachshund?

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I am a big fan of the 1966 Disney movie the Ugly Dachshund (and where my baby, Brutus gets his name). It's about the trials a couple faces with a gaggle of Dachshunds and one Great Dane. While looking at the blog The Long and Short of It All I came across this post about a certain Great Dane/Dachshund mix.

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The mind boggles on how that would even happen! Needless to say, it was a Great Dane mother and a Dachshund father. What a stud that doxie must have been to lock that one down! I just thought it was funny and weird and I needed to share.

Also posted on the blog was a very delicious ad for Jones New York, I believe. And I do have to agree- this may be the perfect man! A man who knows that dachshunds are where it's at!!

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I will have to get a picture of David walking my three dachshunds and drool over him! Real men have dachshunds!