I suppose summer is officially over, considering Robert is back at school. Ahh...his final semester. Technically he will have to take one Jan-Term class for 3 weeks after he graduates, but that's just a technicality. We're so thankful SEBTS is letting him walk before he takes that final class. Otherwise, we would have to come back here 4 months later for graduation. Because of that, we're calling this his last semester. This semester he is taking sermon delivery, a book study on Psalms, Theology, and 9 Marks (a weekend intensive in September). Shout out to R for taking 12 hours a semester. I've only met a couple of other people who do this, and they either aren't married or don't have much of a job. He's Superman!
We had a very fun Sunday School social on Saturday. We had a scavenger hunt around town, and my team got second place. Tasks included a picture of a yellow car, a video interviewing strangers and asking how they met, and bringing back a bottle cap. We had countless other things to photograph, record, and bring back. It was a lot of fun! I was bummed Robert had to work so he couldn't attend, but he made it in time to enjoy dessert with everyone back at the house.
This week we had to say goodbye to some of our dear friends, the Rudolphs. Emily was the first person to befriend us at Faith. We met her on Halloween and she invited us to come to her Sunday School class which was taught by her husband. They no longer teach so we've joined a different class, but they're still our good friends. Robert and I have house sat for them multiple times. They're such a sweet family. Mike finished his doctorate in May, and they decided to move to Ohio. I helped Emily clean on Saturday, and Robert and I helped out again on Tuesday. Robert helped with the storage unit, and I helped stage and tidy the house to be put on the market. They headed out on Wednesday. It was sad to say goodbye. It made me think about how difficult it will be to say goodbye when we move, but I left feeling so thankful that we know and love friends so much that it's painful to say goodbye.
Sunday was our Fantasy Football draft. We had about 10 people from Sunday School at the draft. I'm not one to brag, but...at the end of the draft the computer system estimated what everyone's record would be and mine came out as 14-0, so...
The main bummer of the week was that our computer broke. We only have one computer, and it's well used. Robert got it about seven years ago. I like to say that it works well, minus the fact that sometimes it locks up, it can't connect to the printer, it doesn't read PDFs, it burns your lap off, and it overheats every 30 minutes. But other than that it's a great computer. Anyway, it bit the dust last Saturday. Pretty much the worst time possible since Robert was to start school on Monday. We did our research for a few days and settled on an Asus. In the meantime, Robert had a friend from church take a look at the broken computer and he was able to fix it enough to turn it on again, and he charged us a mere $20. We were able to boot it up and save everything onto an external hard drive. Crisis averted!
Also, I can't let this post go by without giving a birthday shout out to my mom!
Friday, August 29, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
What I've Done: Our Engagement Dinner
One of my favorite meals of all time is our engagement meal. I'm sure some of it has to do with the nostalgia and good memories of what happened shortly after eating, but it was also just a great meal. Robert is a great cook and did an excellent job of the picking the recipes. We still enjoy making this meal on occasion, and we did just that this week. After hearing that, I know you're just dying for the recipes, so here you go.
Chili-Lime Chicken Marinade
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
*If you want to save money or just don't want to go to the store you can substitute the lime peel and lime juice with some lemon juice.
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeno seeded, finely chopped
*Again, if you want to save some money you can just sprinkle in some crushed red chili flakes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Marinade and grill
Corn Con Queso
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
*Or chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cobs of corn
Queso fresco (cheese)
Combine ingredients, rub on corn, wrap in foil, grill.
Garlic Cilantro Mashed Potatoes
1 pound of potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspon of salt
Butter and milk
You probably noticed that each of this dishes have similar ingredients. I like this for two reasons: It gives a bit of a theme to the meal and it helps you use up a fair amount of cilantro at once so it doesn't go bad. I don't know about you, but it's always hard for us to finish up the whole bunch of cilantro before it goes bad.
Chili-Lime Chicken Marinade
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
*If you want to save money or just don't want to go to the store you can substitute the lime peel and lime juice with some lemon juice.
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeno seeded, finely chopped
*Again, if you want to save some money you can just sprinkle in some crushed red chili flakes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Marinade and grill
Corn Con Queso
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
*Or chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cobs of corn
Queso fresco (cheese)
Combine ingredients, rub on corn, wrap in foil, grill.
Garlic Cilantro Mashed Potatoes
1 pound of potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspon of salt
Butter and milk
You probably noticed that each of this dishes have similar ingredients. I like this for two reasons: It gives a bit of a theme to the meal and it helps you use up a fair amount of cilantro at once so it doesn't go bad. I don't know about you, but it's always hard for us to finish up the whole bunch of cilantro before it goes bad.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Charleston, South Carolina
My parents came to visit about two weeks ago. It's hard to believe this was their last visit before Robert graduates. Actually, we don't have any more house guests scheduled to visit until graduation. Weird! Of course, we're open to changing that if you want to come and visit. :) One of the things on Robert's and my to do list of things to do an see while we live in NC was going to Charleston, SC, so while my parents were here we made a weekend trip, and it was great! Here are some highlights of the trip:
Fort Sumter - I can't say that I'm much of a history buff, but this was still an enjoyable stop. It took about 30 minutes to get there by ferry. It was a pretty ride, but it was unbelievably humid. I'm not even sure why I straightened my hair; I had it up in a ponytail with 10 minutes of the day.
T-Bonz - One of my former co-workers who is from Charleston had suggested several restaurants and attractions. One of the restaurants Tomeka recommended was T-Bonz, and it did not disappoint. I got a southern classic of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies. Delish! T-Bonz just so happened to be next to a bakery called Kaminsky's. This place was insane. We were too full for dessert right after lunch, but we went back that night, and there was a line you had to wait in just in order to get inside to wait in another line, although I was quite impressed that it moved as quickly as it did considering how many people were there.
One of my current co-workers (Ryan) is from Charleston, and he recommended The City Market. It was a lot of fun! It was kind of overwhelming at times as there were so many vendors and so many people everywhere, but we still enjoyed looking through all the different booths.
Our hotel was very nice. We opted out of a historic inn (too pricey), and really enjoyed our time at the Holiday Inn Express - tasty hot breakfast, a pool, and very clean rooms. That's all I need in a hotel.
We also made a trip to Folly Beach at sunset. Gorgeous!
Yet another former co-worker (Dorothy) made another good suggestion for our trip. Apparently, I only work with people from Charleston. Side note: Dorothy and I worked together in NC, but she had just moved back to Charleston the day before we got there so Robert and I were able to be her first guests as we stopped by one afternoon while we were in town. Dorothy suggested that we go to The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. We had told her that we wanted to go on some sort of tour but didn't wanted to pay the $40+ that it would take to tour a plantation. This was the alternative that she suggested, and it was really interesting. Here's a teaser from the website:
Fort Sumter - I can't say that I'm much of a history buff, but this was still an enjoyable stop. It took about 30 minutes to get there by ferry. It was a pretty ride, but it was unbelievably humid. I'm not even sure why I straightened my hair; I had it up in a ponytail with 10 minutes of the day.
T-Bonz - One of my former co-workers who is from Charleston had suggested several restaurants and attractions. One of the restaurants Tomeka recommended was T-Bonz, and it did not disappoint. I got a southern classic of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies. Delish! T-Bonz just so happened to be next to a bakery called Kaminsky's. This place was insane. We were too full for dessert right after lunch, but we went back that night, and there was a line you had to wait in just in order to get inside to wait in another line, although I was quite impressed that it moved as quickly as it did considering how many people were there.
 |
| We failed to take a picture of our own dessert, but here is a pic from their website. Sinful! |
Our hotel was very nice. We opted out of a historic inn (too pricey), and really enjoyed our time at the Holiday Inn Express - tasty hot breakfast, a pool, and very clean rooms. That's all I need in a hotel.
We also made a trip to Folly Beach at sunset. Gorgeous!
Yet another former co-worker (Dorothy) made another good suggestion for our trip. Apparently, I only work with people from Charleston. Side note: Dorothy and I worked together in NC, but she had just moved back to Charleston the day before we got there so Robert and I were able to be her first guests as we stopped by one afternoon while we were in town. Dorothy suggested that we go to The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. We had told her that we wanted to go on some sort of tour but didn't wanted to pay the $40+ that it would take to tour a plantation. This was the alternative that she suggested, and it was really interesting. Here's a teaser from the website:
Is the Old Exchange Building a fancy architectural jewel designed to house 18th-century assemblies? Or is it the ghoulish prison of the Revolution, the place where the martyr Isaac Hayne spent his last night? Or is it the place where George Washington greeted his fellow citizens? And there is no question that slaves were sold for close to a generation next to the very balcony from which the Declaration of Independence was read.We really enjoyed our time in Charleston, and I would recommend a visit if you're in the area. We're glad we got to go!
Sunday, August 10, 2014
A Very Good and Busy Week
Whew! This week was exhausting. My parents were here for a visit (separate blog post to follow) and left on Monday, and upon their departure we just kept on going and going. It was a very full week without much sleep, but it was so good!
Monday - We went to the Ayers' house and had dinner with them. The Aldrichs joined as well. Dinner was delicious, and we followed it up with a round of Wits and Wagers. I still don't think I've actually ever won this game before, but it's fun nonetheless.
Tuesday - We went to Starbucks to catch up with one of Robert's former co-workers. He's had an exciting summer of spending time at home in Alabama, working, and going on a mission trip to Mexico.
Wednesday - Wednesday's have always been Robert's busiest days. He works from 9:00-4:00 and goes to church from 5:00-9:30. Consequently, Wednesdays are usually my quietest days so I spent the evening cleaning and went to sleep at 9:00. It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for you!
Thursday - We had the Mills over. Our schedules haven't seemed to jive very well this summer, so it was great to catch up with them. We played Phase 10, and I lost yet again. Still fun though.
Friday - On Thursday night while the Mills were here Robert's grandma called to say that they were in Virginia and would like to come to NC on Friday. We said yes of course, and I was very glad that I had cleaned on Wednesday. :) They got here at 5:00, and we went out to eat at La Foresta. We had only been there once before, but it has been good both times. We came home and played Dice and enjoyed catching up.
Saturday - Robert's grandparents headed out on Saturday morning. I spent the morning babysitting Seth. He's such a fun kid! Robert was supposed to work from 12:00-7:30, but it rained all day so work was cancelled. When his shifts are cancelled it's such a mixed feeling because it's fun that he has more free time, but the whole not earning money thing is unfortunate. We were able to make the most of our time together on Saturday. We used up the rest of Robert's birthday gift card to Lone Star to enjoy a free lunch. Then we went to Ross. Neither of us had been there before, but I'd say it was definitely a success. We also walked around in Michael's a bit. We didn't buy anything, but it was still fun. Swung buy Bed Bath & Beyond to buy a new spatula and used a 20% off coupon. Then we went to Well-Bean and enjoyed buy one get one free coffee. We rounded out the journey with a trip to Target to buy some shorts that were on sale, and we used a gift card. Can you notice a theme here? Discounts, coupons, and gift cards. That's my kind of shopping!
Sunday - A day of much needed rest.
Monday - We went to the Ayers' house and had dinner with them. The Aldrichs joined as well. Dinner was delicious, and we followed it up with a round of Wits and Wagers. I still don't think I've actually ever won this game before, but it's fun nonetheless.
Tuesday - We went to Starbucks to catch up with one of Robert's former co-workers. He's had an exciting summer of spending time at home in Alabama, working, and going on a mission trip to Mexico.
Wednesday - Wednesday's have always been Robert's busiest days. He works from 9:00-4:00 and goes to church from 5:00-9:30. Consequently, Wednesdays are usually my quietest days so I spent the evening cleaning and went to sleep at 9:00. It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for you!
Thursday - We had the Mills over. Our schedules haven't seemed to jive very well this summer, so it was great to catch up with them. We played Phase 10, and I lost yet again. Still fun though.
Friday - On Thursday night while the Mills were here Robert's grandma called to say that they were in Virginia and would like to come to NC on Friday. We said yes of course, and I was very glad that I had cleaned on Wednesday. :) They got here at 5:00, and we went out to eat at La Foresta. We had only been there once before, but it has been good both times. We came home and played Dice and enjoyed catching up.
Saturday - Robert's grandparents headed out on Saturday morning. I spent the morning babysitting Seth. He's such a fun kid! Robert was supposed to work from 12:00-7:30, but it rained all day so work was cancelled. When his shifts are cancelled it's such a mixed feeling because it's fun that he has more free time, but the whole not earning money thing is unfortunate. We were able to make the most of our time together on Saturday. We used up the rest of Robert's birthday gift card to Lone Star to enjoy a free lunch. Then we went to Ross. Neither of us had been there before, but I'd say it was definitely a success. We also walked around in Michael's a bit. We didn't buy anything, but it was still fun. Swung buy Bed Bath & Beyond to buy a new spatula and used a 20% off coupon. Then we went to Well-Bean and enjoyed buy one get one free coffee. We rounded out the journey with a trip to Target to buy some shorts that were on sale, and we used a gift card. Can you notice a theme here? Discounts, coupons, and gift cards. That's my kind of shopping!
Sunday - A day of much needed rest.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
