Autumn & Jerry » Family

Let the Holiday Blur Begin..!

Autumn — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:03:43 +0000

Personally, the holidays seem to fly by in a magic flash starting back at Halloween, but especially between Thanksgiving & Christmas! Before we know it, 2010 will be celebrating its finale and 2011 will be here. Every single year I say I’m going to slow down and try to enjoy every moment more than the year before, but every year seems busier than the last and again, flies by. Even still, I do enjoy every minute.

Some things to look forward to as December arrives:

12 Days of Cookies from The Food Network! I love the recipes, and each one is emailed daily. Of course, there are plenty of extra options on the website too, but there’s something special about the daily cookie selection <3

25 Days of Christmas on ABC! Gotta love all those movies & cartoon classics. Our newest tradition is saving up a selection to watch on Christmas Eve after dinner and before opening gifts with my family : – )

As tempting as it is to absolutely throw all common sense, health, and nutrition out the window during this time of year, it is still important to make good choices to balance out the less-good ones : – ) It isn’t fair to deprive yourself of all the goodies that come once a year, but make time for some exercise and healthy meals in between the parties and splurges. Here are a few tips to help make that balance happen.

P.S. Here’s another casserole I want to try making for the holidays! Looks yummy and reminds me of the amazing dish my Granny used to make. Disclaimer: while what I said before about making healthy decisions is true, this recipe doesn’t quite meet that criteria due to its butter content, so file this one under splurges ; – )

Lazy on the Lake

Autumn — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:08:42 +0000

Due to work, I’ve missed the past few family gatherings held at my aunt & uncle’s awesome lake house, so I decided weeks ago that I wanted to venture north for a lazy lake day of my own, first chance I got. That chance came this week, with my freedom from both work and school.

My mom & brother joined me, and after a nice, long lunch with my aunt at The Brick, we made our way up to Lake Sinclair. The summer heat was still in full gear, but it was bearable in the shade and we had no trouble enjoying ourselves and taking in the serene view from the lakeside pavilion. It was so calming – not even one boat passed by that afternoon, and I got my lazy lake wish. <3

Happy 95th to My Sweet Granny!

Autumn — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:02:05 +0000

On Monday, the 9th of August, my Granny turned 95. We celebrated a day early, with cake, other sweet treats, and lots of family. She is an amazing woman, and is as graceful and gentle as they come. I love you, Granny, and happy birthday. Many more to come! <3

Rock Stars

Autumn — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:12:57 +0000

I’m so proud of my baby bro’s band – they were recently reviewed by Highwire Daze, and the praise is highly deserved by this group of dedicated & talented boys. Yay, Rise with Honor!

Rise with Honor

Autumn — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:22:51 +0000

My baby brother’s band, Rise with Honor, is awesome, and they’re gaining steam while sharing their music all over the state of Georgia. Last month Jerry & I had the pleasure of doing a photoshoot with them that is now featured on their all new & updated website. I admire Cason for what he’s doing, and while this is the same music I loved when I was the same age, he is actually making it while I just enjoyed listening to it. Rock on, little bro!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Autumn — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:16:23 +0000

Today is my mother’s birthday – I hope it’s a wonderful, happy day because she deserves it! We celebrated last night with a lovely dinner of her choice, followed by good conversation & cheer over coffee at ABC. Great night with great people.

I love you, Mom – thanks for always being my #1 fan! <3

Ringing in 2010

Autumn — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:24:04 +0000

Poor Jerry was out of town for a short & unplanned trip, so we couldn’t bring in the new year together. Still, I managed to have fun & ring it in with style! My brother & I went Downtown for dinner at a local pizzeria (not good.), coffee & dessert at Dolce Vita (awesome!!!), champagne with friends at a house party, and then back to the heart of Downtown to watch the Cherry Blossom Ball Drop at midnight. It was lots of fun, and in the end Jerry & I did welcome the new year together, even if it was only over the phone. Good times!

Hope 2010 is off to a good start for everyone!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Autumn — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:48:08 +0000

We spent the day with my mom for a wonderful Mother’s Day. First, I joined the fam for church and then we visited both grandmothers bearing gifts. After lunching on pizza (mom’s choice, yum!), we lounged poolside and munched on fresh fruit trays and cheese & crackers before a delightful dessert in the form of an ice cream buffet with all the toppings. Yum-o. Hubby, with his iron will, only munched fruit & angel food cake. I, however, enjoyed it all in a bikini no less. Mom loved her gifts. It was a great day!

We Love Our Coffee…

Autumn — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:50:47 +0000

…and we just ordered one of these:

AeroPress Coffee & Espresso Maker

J recently read about it in Wired – it’s sold on Amazon, is inexpensive, and has great reviews across the board. A no-brainer, right? So, today after sweet J cleaned the whole office all by himself without even being asked to, I decided now was the time to order him a little gift. It should be on our doorstep in a few short days, and we will surely be posting a review of our very own! Hopefully, we’ll love it and then I can try out the matching milk frother…mmm, homemade cappuccinos here I come!

Happy Saturday to all…a very rainy one for us, but productive and happy nonetheless! We have company coming in tonight, and look forward to hanging out with our cousin Jen & her friends as they make their way home from the beach. Besides, everyone knows there is no better or wilder way to wrap up your Spring Break than to spend a weekend in Macon! Especially when the Cherry Blossom Festival is in full swing…watch out! Hopefully, the rain will slack off in tme for tonight’s Street Party, or at least for tomorrow’s Mulberry Street Festival. Fingers crossed!

Night Out, Night In

Autumn — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:27:46 +0000

Work has been exceptionally busy & stressful lately, so I am positively thrilled to have a four day weeked to enjoy, completely work free! It’s already started off wonderfully, after a good workout at the gym first thing after work, a good solid nap during a heavy rain shower this morning, a long lunch at Panera with my mom & aunt, shopping at two fabulous stores (Ulta! & DSW!) with mom, strolling Downtown for a bit to admire the abundant cherry blossoms with my sweet hubby, then off to enjoy this week’s Cocktail Hour, and finally, back home to get comfy on the couch with dinner and this week’s American Idol! Looking at that long sentence, I certainly accomplished a lot in one day. But it was relaxing rather than busy, and all around lovely. Yay.