Happy Late Birthday Mason!!!!

Spring doesn't officially begin for another 3 weeks or so, but I guess you could say it's already "springing" here in Columbus.  The past few days we have enjoyed beautiful, fairly warm weather, which makes us even more ready to get February behind us so that we can enjoy the outdoors again.  Those who know me know that I do not at all consider myself "outdoorsy".  I don't particularly like to be a "part" of nature (i.e. hiking, fishing, working in the yard) but I do like to passively observe nature (i.e. walking, sitting on a boat, sitting in the yard).  We have slowly, but surely, started spending more time outdoors as the weather gets warmer, and will probably continue until it becomes way too warm, which hopefully won't be 'til late June.

I will start the recap of the last couple of weeks with an update on Chris.  He passed his first couple tests and has about 4 more weeks to go of academics.  He has been studying a good bit, but most of his activities so far have been for physical preparations to start flying.  For instance, he experienced low oxygen to determine what symptoms he has so that if he ever has low oxygen while flying he will be able to pick up on those (Everyone is a little different.  Some people get giggly.  His hands get tingly.).  He has been spun around in chairs to simulate what the g-forces will feel like on his body, he has had some physical tests done and had to perform his physical fitness test.  Here is a picture of him getting fitted in his oxygen mask:

This morning he had to go in at 5 so that they could practice shooting flares in the dark.  We have really enjoyed meeting the other guys in his class.  We have already had a couple of class parties and we have both really enjoyed getting to know everyone.  There was a cookout last Monday, then we bowled Friday and had an afterparty.  I'm looking forward to the bonfire that Autumn and I are throwing in the cul-de-sac between our houses in a couple of weeks, and for the St. Patty's day party that Chris and I are throwing.  Good times ahead!

This past week was incredibly busy for me.  I have been going to Birmingham every week for a month now, so sometimes things at home get a little overwhelming when I have so much to juggle.  It's not entirely new for me.  I know that no matter how hard I try not to be, I am a perpetually busy person.  If I have free time, one way or the other I fill it...even when I don't mean to! Last week we had the class cookout Monday, then I had modeling practice for the fashion show.  Tuesday was the wine tasting.  The guys couldn't commit to going because it was supposed to start at 6 and their schedules said that they wouldn't be out til 6:30.  It turned out that they got out early and the wine tasting started late...it's too bad, because I know Chris would have loved it...but since we had to RSVP in advance, it was a girls-only event.

Casey, Jaime, Autumn, me and Emilee (all spouses) after the tasting.

On Wednesday through Thursday I went to Birmingham to work.  I had to be back by 6 for the mandatory dress rehearsal for the fashion show.  I was so exhausted and overwhelmed when I got back at 5:45 because I was tired from working, the house needed cleaning, I had no idea what to make for dinner and I knew modeling practice would probably last way too long.  At 7:30, it wasn't over, but I told the girl in charge that I had been working out of town and I just had to go home and get some things ready for my parents and sister to come visit over the weekend.  We had already practiced a couple of times, so it was fine for me to leave (turns out I probably could have used the extra practice, but I'll get to that later!)

When I got home, my sweet hubby had already made dinner, and since the weather was fantastic, he had set it all out (complete with candlelight) and had it waiting when I got home.  Seared tuna, sweet potatoes, and rice...and the fact that I didn't have to make it made it taste even better!!

Isn't he dreamy??? :)

Friday was the day of the show.  I was actually pretty nervous since I've never been in a fashion show before! I just knew I was going to trip and fall on the runway...I didn't.  However...I don't think I have a future in modeling, I will just put it that way.  What we were supposed to do was pose at the back of the runway, walk to the front, pose, turn around and walk back, pose, and walk off the stage.  I had this purse I was supposed to be showing off.  After doing the first pose with the purse hanging off my wrist, I was going to throw it onto my shoulder to walk down the runway...well...(haha)....instead of throwing it onto my shoulder, I somehow managed to just throw it completely over my shoulder, behind me, and onto the floor! It was actually pretty funny, but it would have been funnier if it happened to someone else and not me!! In cheerleading I learned that when you mess up, to just keep going! So I walked to the front of the runway, posed (laughing a little the whole time but trying not to laugh too much!)...then when I got back to where I dropped the purse, I just picked it up and posed with it "show and tell" style.  My sister has the whole thing on video...all I can say is...1) I don't think my modeling career is going anywhere and 2) I will not be carrying a purse in the fashion show that I (unfortunately) already signed up for in April!  They are actually selling videos of the entire show to people, which just about makes me want to die, because if anyone actually purchased one then they can watch me drop my purse over and over again haha.  Oh well...that's life...at least it made for a funny story.

I was glad that my parents and sister got to come for the fashion show.  On Saturday, we all went thrifting/cheap store shopping (there are lots of those in Columbus).  We went back to Dirt Cheap and dug through the piles of junk to find some pretty good stuff, like a scale and a silent fan.  We went to the Columbus Riverwalk Park after lunch.  I have been there to run on the running trail before, but I didn't realize how nice of a park it was besides the trail.  There is a really cool old bridge that is open to the public (it's a lawsuit waiting to happen with the holes and rusted rails, but it was still pretty neat), and also a lot of areas for picnics. 

I did a little cooking for dinner... a recipe I found on pinterest for Mexican Stuffed Shells. 

The weather here was simply beautiful on Sunday.  Chris studied some and found that he was already well-prepared for the test he had coming up today, so had a little dog party in our yard complete with champagne and human company as well.  Truly the perfect definition of a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Here are Mason and Dubs later in the evening, completely passed out while Autumn and I watched the Oscars and Chris and Jon worked on their latest batch of beer:

Well, as the title of this post suggests, our wittle baby turned one.  He's growing up so fast!  We feel like pretty bad parents though because we didn't even know when his birthday was until today! During the move, we kind of lost Mason's papers.  That was okay, registering his papers wasn't that big of a deal to us. Except for his birthday was on them! We realized a couple of weeks ago that his birthday was coming up because we knew he was born in February, but didn't remember when.  Today it occurred to me to search my old emails for my correspondence with the breeder, and email her to see if she could tell me when his birthday was.  She responded to me with lots of good information about his birthday, shot dates, where I could go to register him since we lost his papers...she asked to see some pictures of him, which I shared with her, and she also sent me this picture of Mason's daddy so that we could see what his coat may eventually look like!

Isn't he handsome? A little lighter colored than Mason is right now, but I can certainly see the resemblance, as he has a longer snout, like Mason, and looks to be a little bigger, too. 

Anyway, it turns out that Mason's birthday was February 11...I am kind of sad that I missed the opportunity to throw him a little doggie birthday party (yes, I really will look for any excuse to have a party).  I probably would have made him some kind of cake out of rawhide and dogfood.  However, I thought about it and decided that when you're Mason, you get treated like it's your birthday every single day, haha.  And considering as Mason has no idea that he had a birthday, I guess I won't let the guilt get to me too much. 

Here is a (low quality) video from last week of Mason totally exhausted after an intense session of fetch with his favorite ball...I have never seen a dog love anything more than Mason loves that ball!

Tomorrow I head back to Birmingham for a couple of days of work...I will be back in Columbus Friday and then am turning right back around to head to New Orleans for the race! I am so excited about it and just wish that Chris were able to come cheer me on, but his training schedule just won't allow for it. Our little group of girls will have an absolute blast, though, I'm sure, and I can't wait!!

He's Back!!

Well, this has been quite the thrilling week for our little family since Chris returned from Colorado last week! He got a strong finish to his training, and did it just in time to avoid some bad winter weather that set into Colorado just after he returned.  I was working in Birmingham last week when he finished up, so I was able to pick him up from the Birmingham airport and we drove straight down to Panama City to spend a few days together before Chris had to report to training on Monday.  Those few days together were just what we needed, and it was actually the first trip we have taken anywhere, just the two of us, since we went on our honeymoon.  The weather was really nice. Even though it was supposed to rain the whole time, it didn't rain at all.  Here are some pictures:

Mason was so exhausted from traveling and all the excitement of his daddy coming home! Speaking of his daddy...doesn't he look the slightest bit creepy popping up in the top left corner of this picture? hehe :) Unfortunately, we had to board Mason for most of the time, but we boarded him at this great place where we could pick him up during the days to take him out with us, and he was only crated while he slept..the rest of the time he got to play with other dogs!

Mason enjoys the scenery at Tyndall Air Force Base beach...that beach is so gorgeous and undisturbed! We love going there.



At this German place in Pier Park.  I am currently having to wear my glasses because I had an allergic reaction in my eyes (in case anyone is wondering).  I actually had to have some glasses overnighted to me in Panama City because the reaction started while I was in Birmingham...just days after I had ordered a new pair from the doctor that hadn't come in yet! I lost my old glasses in Jamaica.  What awful timing, but at least I had them in time for the beach!



We met up with Scott on Friday night, who is stationed at an AFB nearby.

Singing some good ol' karaoke at the local dive.

Me and wittle Mason at the dog-friendly beach in Pier Park...he met two other Pom friends.  Mason loves the sand, but doesn't love the water.

Beautiful beach sunset on the last night!!

My husband is so sweet...he surprised me with this the morning that we left. It's just like our breakfasts were at Sandals! He went out the night before to rent us a movie from RedBox and took forever while I was cooking dinner.  He said that there was a long line at the RedBox, which was partially true, but he had actually gone into Winn Dixie and bought stuff to make breakfast.  He snuck it in the condo and hid the food inside a beer box we had in the fridge.  Then he asked me what time I wanted to wake up, got up before me, and did this.  Such a lucky girl! :)

Since Chris has been back, he has been going through a routine checklist that includes various physicals and meetings before he can start training next Thursday.   Tomorrow night I am making a fabulous Valentines Day meal (at least, I hope it will be fabulous!).  It's early because we are going out to a new restaurant on actual Valentines Day. We don't have any big plans for the weekend, but I will probably work on some of my Pinterest projects on Saturday.  Saturday night I am going to a girl's get-together at this girls house that I actually got to know through Chris and Jon, because she went to the Academy with them.  I am really excited about Sunday, because I'm having a dinner party for some of the other couples in Chris' pilot training class.  Looking forward to getting to know them! I can't wait to post pictures.

On my last post, I was getting ready to host a "girls night".  It went really well and I really enjoyed meeting some new girls! I hope to see some of them again tonight at the wives' club social, where we are making Valentines Day decorations.  Here are some pictures of two of the things I made from Pinterest recipes (unfortunately, I didn't get any "people" pictures...I didn't want to freak out my new friends by telling them I would be posting all about them on my blog, haha)

Strawberry Mojito...wonderful!!! But just about as hard to make as a strawberry pie...which I have never made, but I'm guessing it takes a while!

Bleu Cheese Guacamole...everyone liked this, even the girls who said they don't normally like bleu cheese. 

I volunteered for the Columbus AFB Fashion Show!  I get to wear three outfits and "model" them on the runway.  I am too excited! It should be fun, and I'll probably get to meet some girls that I have some common interests with.

I am looking forward to my next post so that I will be able to share all the cooking I am planning for the weekend, possibly a couple of Pinterest/Decorating projects, and most exciting of all, I will be able to tell y'all all about Chris' first week or so of pilot training! I can't believe it's finally here! Even though I will miss all the free time I am used to Chris having...what can I say?  We have been here in Columbus waiting for this to start for over 6 months now...by now, we are just ready to get this show on the road!

The Single Life (Not really, but kind of...)

It's been quite a while since I've blogged...what can I say? Life seems less eventful without hubby here, yet I seem to be much more busy from doing everything on my own! I guess I've been a little spoiled by going from college, where I had fewer responsibilities, to immediately being able to share my responsibilities with Chris (such as having Chris proofread this blog, which will probably be filled with errors this week!).  Chris has been gone for three weeks now, and if anything, this time apart has reminded me that I'm actually a pretty independent girl...a girl who likes to get things done and who doesn't like to be bored.   So, as soon as Chris left, I jumped right in to filling my schedule with activities and entertainment so that I wouldn't be sitting around the house, lonely and bored.  And I think I've been pretty successful thus far.

After Chris' grandfather's funeral, which was really very lovely and, of course, quite sad, I returned to Columbus to host three of my very best girlfriends, Hannah, Sara, and Lauren, at our home for the weekend.  I was so excited that they were willing to make the trip to my not-so-glamorous town just to see me and keep me company on Chris' and my first weekend apart.  We had as much fun as expected...actually, probably more.  I was a little worried about whether they would get bored in Columbus, but I should have known better...I think the four of us could entertain ourselves if we were stuck in a cardboard box...or jail, but luckily it hasn't come to that (yet!). 

Getting ready to head out onto the town :)

Taking the girls on a tour of the base

Mason is so excited to cuddle his aunties!!

We basically spent most of our weekend at the house, with field trips out to give them a tour of the base and to go to dinner/downtown on the second night they were in town.  When they left Sunday, I was pretty sad to be alone in the house, but luckily, my favorite show Desperate Housewives was back on TV for the first time in a month...so that helped ease my sorrows!

I took the next Friday off and spent the weekend in Atlanta visiting my friend, Tori, and her boyfriend, Bennett.  I hadn't seen Tori since football season, and even then our visits were short.  Tori lived with me in college...we are just about the same size all over, and sometimes I miss having access to her closet almost as much as I miss her! We went out to a really cool restaurant/brewery that Friday night that I know Chris would love. Saturday morning, Tori had to work, so I took Mason on his very first trip to a dog park.  This dog park was super cute...it doubles as a coffee shop/restaurant/bar/dessert shop and is called "Coffee Unleashed".  At first I felt weird being there all alone with Mason and all these other people who seemed to be there in groups.  Then I realized a little something about "Dog Park Culture"...dog people bond with each other.  At dog parks, apparently.  At first, I stood over to the side while Mason (literally) kept jumping into my arms and shaking because he was so overwhelmed with all the dogs running around.  Eventually, I decided that I would make him walk around the park once, and if he still didn't warm up, that we would leave.  Before I knew it, Mason was running around the park with all his new dog friends, and I was chatting away with all my new human friends.  By the time we left, my boots were dirty, Mason was muddy (and stinky), and he did not want to leave!

This was a spitz  mix that I thought looked just like a giant Mason (except not as cute, of course)

Mason had another adventure once we got back.  The Sweetwater factory is one of my favorite places to go in Atlanta...for $10 (the price recently went up) you get to keep a Sweetwater glass, sample their beers, and hang out in a really cool tasting room/veranda-type setup.  When we got there, it was like an Auburn reunion with all the people I recognized from college.  It really is a popular place for people our age to go on a Saturday afternoon.   Added bonus...dogs are allowed! I've heard Atlanta is one of the most dog-friendly cities (small dogs are even allowed in Lenox mall).  Mason was feeling very sociable by the time we got to Sweetwater, probably because of his successful debut at the dog park, and I wound up holding him because he kept running up to other dogs, getting people tangled up in his leash on the way. 

Luckily Mason's tongue wasn't long enough to reach the beer, because he isn't 21 yet in dog years!

After Sweetwater, Tori and I (sans Mason) went to the mall...you know I can't pass up an opportunity for a little shopping when I go to Atlanta.  We were planning on going out, but we were quite honestly pooped after the days' events, and wound up staying in and going to bed early. Sometimes I look at myself and think, wow...at some point or another, you really did start acting older!

Continuing my constant stream of entertainment, my mom met me in Birmingham on my way home from Atlanta and went back to Columbus with me.  Monday was MLK day, so we did some shopping in Tupelo and went out to eat.    It was nice having some company, especially since I had a whole day off.  She stayed through Wednesday.

And then I was alone.

So, for almost a week, it has been entirely up to me to entertain myself! No worries...I think I've done quite well.  Autumn and I have been doing some cooking for each other and keeping up with my many television shows that I have become addicted to since graduating college and having actual time on my hands to be a "real" American, i.e. couch potato.  I've been keeping up with my training, too, and ran 10 miles last week, so I guess I'm not a total couch potato.  I decorated for winter and am working on getting everything perfect for Valentines day.  Autumn and I visited a coffee shop in Columbus Friday night and listened to a local musician...the coffee shop allowed you to bring your dogs so we brought Dubs and Mason. And, not that I need any new addictions since I already have TV, running, and blogging...but I discovered the most fantastic thing EVER last week....Pinterest!

Winter table setting.  My mom also brought me some cute silver "snowflake" chargers.  Stay tuned for pictures of my Valentines decor. 

People have been telling me about Pinterest, a website where you make virtual "inspiration" boards, for a while, but for some reason it seemed really confusing to me and I didn't ever feel like trying it out.  I don't know why I thought that, because it really isn't confusing.  In fact, Pinterest has become my new "happy" place.  In ways it's like Facebook, but the only things shared on there are ideas with accompanying pictures.  It has really helped me get my creative juices flowing...especially when it comes to the awesome DIY ideas I have found on it! I'm not going to share any of them until I actually get them completed, because some might sound a little weird.  Thanks to Pinterest, I am in a "decorating on a dime" stage, because I have seen so many ideas on how to take every day objects found in thrift stores, antique stores, or even that I may already find around my house, and turning them into unique and beautiful decor! More to come...now that Chris is going to be in pilot training he will be very busy over the next year or so. Time for me to get some hobbies!

Tonight, I decided to host a girls night.  I am pretty excited because I haven't even met half the girls coming and this is a great chance for me to meet some new girls from the base! I am on the welcome committee for the student spouses club, so one of the girls coming is someone I have only met over the phone, when I called her yesterday to welcome her to Columbus.  Two of the girls are friends of Autumns' that I haven't met yet. I will be sure to take some pictures to post.  I'm making Blue Cheese guacamole...I hope it turns out well.  It sounds promising.  I found the recipe on Pinterest!

Enough about me (actually, MORE than enough).  Many of you would probably rather hear about Chris' adventures in Colorado at IFS.  Unfortunately, I feel like I have barely talked to Chris! He has been so busy with academics and 12 hour days, and has really needed his rest too much to talk to me on the phone for hours every night.  I did get to talk to him for quite a while on Saturday and get updated.  His flights have been going really well, and he got called out during one of his classes for having the best call signs (i.e. pilot language).  He's been trying to take some double turns (flying twice in one day), so if all goes well, he should be home around the beginning of next week.  He was actually supposed to have a double turn today, but the weather caused it to be cancelled. Actually, it seems they have been pretty lucky overall with the Colorado winter weather, and haven't experienced that many delays.  He's been spending his weekends in Colorado Springs vising some of his old stomping grounds.  He also decided to "surprise" me by growing a heinous mustache, which I believe he finally got too embarrassed to wear in public, so he sent me a picture of it with a message saying that he had decided to shave it.  I am very glad, because that is NOT the kind of surprise I like to get!  It made him look a little creepy, like someone you wouldn't want to walk by if they were sitting in one of those big vans with no windows.  We are hoping that this week he will do his solo flight, at which point it's time to wrap things up and get ready to come home.  Fingers crossed! Mason and I miss him!

One thing I have learned this month (and these are purely observations from my perspective) is that while living alone isn't the worst thing in the world, it really takes a lot of the joy out of every day life not having that special someone there to share it with---the good, and the bad.  I haven't found my time with Chris being gone being depressing, necessarily.  Like I said, I'm a pretty independent girl.   But coming home to an empty house after working all day just isn't as nice as coming home to the one you love.  Mason can listen to me talk, but he can't talk back...and having a dog alone can be a bit of a handful (especially one that's used to so much attention). Cooking for one isn't as rewarding as cooking for two. And let me tell you, when my to-do list has everything from taking out the trash to spraying for bugs to cleaning the dishes, and I've got it all to myself...things can look really bleak! Yes, I can be independent, and I'm glad to be reassured of that, because as a military wife, there will be times when I have to be.  But I love good company, which is one of the many reasons I fell in love with Chris.  He can talk to me about anything, and he enjoys experiencing the world with me, whether it be a new recipe I'm making or trying a new dish, like escargot, at a fancy restaurant; whether we are traveling to California or Jamaica or just watching the travel channel and talking about places we want to go. Sure, I could travel or try new things on my own...but it's just more fun with my hubby by my side! I'm looking forward to trying some new recipes when he gets home and having a welcome home dinner with some other couples in his class, as well as a romantic dinner for just the two of us...I'm breaking out all the fancy wedding gifts like fine china, crystal, and silver and we are going to celebrate! Because my man is officially on the road to being a pilot..woohoo! ;)

xoxo, Amanda

P.S. Our wedding announcement is online if anyone wants to check it out... you can find it at http://www2.oanow.com/lifestyles/2012/jan/18/wilson-beck-ar-3068895/

Countdown to Christmas

Wow, the holidays are exhausting! In a great way though.  Everyone knows I like to stay busy...very busy.  Mission accomplished the past two weeks! I have been too busy to blog but I'm finally getting a chance to share some pictures of our latest festivities. 

I am beginning to feel like I am writing a cooking blog sometimes! Be ready for a lot of pictures of food this week and not enough pictures of people.  All the cooking I have been doing just looks like a work of art in our festive Christmas serving dishes so I took lots of pictures. 

Two weekends ago we attended the Christmas party for the fighter pilots' squadron that Chris works for.  The theme was ugly Christmas sweaters, and we played dirty santa.  The party was a lot of fun.  After working for the figher pilot squadron all year, Chris has kind of started to consider whether he would enjoy pursuing that career path rather than some of the other planes he has considered.  Fighter pilots have a very...distinct culture.  Lots of hard working.  Lots of partying.  Lots of...confidence :)  It's an interesting mix of traits but, needless to say, Chris and I don't lack any of them entirely, so we both felt at home in the midst of the fighter-pilot crowd. Luckily, Chris has a very long time before he has to put in his preferences for planes...and even then, I'm not convinced that the Air Force really even considers them that much.   So, it's good to have an idea of some areas that you might fit in well, but it's probably not a good idea to get too hung up on what kind of pilot you want to be because, in the end, only Uncle Sam and God can determine that!

Here are some pictures from the party (they didn't turn out very good because they were taken with my phone and sometimes the iPhone doesn't take the best pictures in dark rooms)

Picture of the room while we took turns getting presents for Dirty Santa.  The party was held in a restuarant in West Point, MS called Anthonys.  West Point is it's own city, but it really doesn't take any longer for us to get there from base than it does to get to downtown Columbus.  The party started with a cocktail hour, followed by a 3 course meal and then ended with Dirty Santa.

Our final winnings (after picking a bunch of good presents and getting them all stolen from us!)...3 bottles of Muscadine wine...very "Mississippi".

I thought this was a creative way to present a 6 pack of Bud! I'm pretty sure whoever brought that gift had a wife...I don't really imagine a fighter pilot sitting around gluing red cotton balls and googly eyes to beer bottles, but I could be wrong!

Tammy donated us the sweaters...thanks, Tammy!

We really didn't accomplish anything else last weekend that I can think of.  It was actually pretty nice! Jon and Autumn are gone to Washington for a whole month, and I can tell that a lot of other families have taken leave for the holidays, too.  Things are pretty quiet on the base. We did a little cooking to warm up for our families' visits...a little bit of a Mexican theme.

This probably the fifth time I have made this guacamole...it is so easy and delicious!! Not to mention healthy.  If anyone is interested, here is the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/guacamole/detail.aspx

We were improvising with the stockpile of groceries I had on hand from couponing...refried beans, cheesy mexican rice, and steak.  We decided the steak would go with it since I'm sure they have steak in Mexico (although I'm not sure if they have much filet...) Chris' favorite thing to gril is a steak, and we eat it a lot because we get such good deals at the commissary. 

Last week I attended another spouses' social in one of the old antebellum homes in Columbus.  Columbus isn't known for much (other than being the "possum town", I suppose), but it is known for all the beautiful Civil War era homes scattered among it's neighborhoods.  There is a community initiative to preserve and showcase the homes, so all of them have signs out front telling what year they were built and, in many cases, the original owners.  I, myself, have seen at least 20 but I know there are a lot more that I just don't drive by.  The one our social was in is decorated just like it would have been in Civil War times. It was just like stepping back in time...Gone With the Wind has always been one of my favorite books of all time, and so I think a lot about Scarlett O'Hara sitting in a house just like the ones in Columbus, waiting on one of her many suiters.... So in honor of my favorite book, I have elected (along with Autumn and some of the other wives) to volunteer to dress up just like Scarlett and give tours of some of the homes for the annual "Spring Pilgramage" this April.  Spring Pilgramage is this annual event in Columbus where people come from all over to tour all of the historic homes.   Dressing up and talking to a bunch of random people...sounds like fun to me!

I only get one day of vacation for Christmas and Chris and I aren't coming back to Auburn for New Years because we are going to the bowl game in Atlanta, and then Chris is leaving for Colorado for a month of training on January 4.  Since we weren't going to get much family time this year, we decided to have everyone up to visit last weekend.  My parents came on Friday night, followed by Tammy, Greg, and Warren on Saturday.  We had a good time just hanging out by the fire pit and playing with the kinect.  That whole crowd left Sunday morning, and Sunday evening, Chris Sr. and Lisa arrived to visit for a couple of days.  We stayed up half the night on Monday playing cards, which was also a lot of fun...unfortunately, the guys beat the girls, which probably had a lot to do with me not catching onto the rules as quickly as I probably should have.  The whole Friday-Tuesday could not have turned out more perfect, and I hope that as long as we are in Columbus, it can become a yearly tradition.  We really appreciated everyone taking the time to come up and see us...I esspecially enjoy entertaining family because they are always so complimentary of my cooking and decorating.  If something does go wrong, it's not as stressful.  And they never think badly of me for trying to show off! :) That makes it the perfect time to do just that...I really pulled out all the stops.  We had out every Christmas plate and serving peice, Christmas music, and Mason in his Christmas sweater and reindeer antlers.  Thanks to Tammy for taking the pictures of people (which I stole off of her Facebook), because the only thing in my pictures was food! woops!

Baked brie with cranberry relish...yum!

Steaks on my Auburn Christmas plate

Tomato mozzarella salad.

Twice baked potato casserole with shrimp, courtesy of my friend, Paula Deen.

Guys in front of the fire pit.



Warren holding Mason in his new Christmas digs!

Here are some pictures from Sunday morning brunch...

Broiled parmesan tomatoes and Spinach-cheese quiche

Cheddar cheese twists

Yummy coffee from the Keurig

Where I had all our plates and silverware set up for the buffet!

Other goodies (the basket contains pecan bread that Tammy and Greg brought us)

And here is our dinner on Monday night with Chris and Lisa...we tried grilling asparagus and it went pretty well.  Lisa made the Asian-inspired salad, which contained one of my favorite foods, Ramen noodles!

It is so hard to believe that this time next month, Chris will be gone to Colorado training.  We hope that the weather out there will not cause his class to be delayed.  The class that went during this time period last year took 6 weeks instead of the usual four because of delays.  I have a lot of things planned to keep me busy, so hopefully it will go by fast.  I think this is probably a lot harder for the wives who did not go four years living in the deep South while the husband was in Colorado, like Chris and I! I'm definitely going to miss him, but...lets face it, there were times that Chris and I didn't see eachother for 3 months, so I think 4 short weeks will fly by. Still, I realize that now I am used to seeing him every day and having him around the house.  I think I am probably going to get pretty lonely being there by myself, but I have my mom and some friends coming to town at different times to keep me company! I am also going to try to go to Atlanta for a weekend.

We are looking forward to our first Christmas together...so far, this Christmas season has been so special, and I know it will only get better.  Mason has been so excited about Christmas, sometimes he starts acting a little crazy!

Case in point! :)

With that, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Hello, everyone! We don't have a whole lot to talk about this week...but I do have lots to show! I met my dad in Birmingham while we were both working there last Friday, procured the decorations, and got to work (fun work, of course).  Here are some pictures of the house, starting with the outside:


Here is the front door in the daylight, so you can see the ribbon I tied around all of it so it would coordinate.  I made the wreath, we bought the trees at Lowes (great deal), and the garland is a hand-me-down from my grandmother (it's so much prettier than anything I found in the store)



Our deer eating their grass!




Our whole half-of-the duplex lit up...Chris says I really only had the right to put lights in half of that tree to the right, since the other half is on our neighbor's "side", but I laid claim to it first!!




The door all lit up at night! :)



 Here are some pictures of the inside:

I painted the names on our stockings :)



My bridesmaid, Maryann, threw me an Auburn ornament shower to decorate this tree.  I decided instead of using any kind of garland, that I would wrap it in toilet paper (if you are reading this and don't understand why I would do something like that, google "Toomer's Corner", and enlighten yourself on the best game-day tradition of all time! :) )




Those coffee mugs each have their own individual sayings on them.  They match my Spode Christmas dishes, and they have Christmas tree on the other side. We have four, but I was using one...the one that says "Christmas is love with all the trimmings" (I thought it was appropriate to use while I decorated)



Window above kitchen sink

Mistletoe, of course!

When we finally get around to taking our Christmas card picture, I'm going to put it in that frame. 



Christmas Village given to Chris as he was growing up by his grandmother, Nancileigh, and Aunt Bette. Tinkerbell's house is to the far left...that's the addition that Nancileigh and I picked out when we went to visit her and Chris' grandfather, Matt, last Christmas.  Chris and Warren were given a piece of the Christmas Village every year for Christmas growing up...they all got mixed up and no one remembered whose was whose, so we held a "draft" over Thanksgiving weekend with Warren and we each took turns picking a piece.  I'm very happy with what we chose!



The ornament on the left says "Our First Home".



I painted that picture at a Sips-n-Strokes that we did for a Clothes Rack Christmas party a few years ago. I also put out all of our Christmas glasses.





 And the grand finale...the tree!! Yes, there were rumors that we bought a huge tree that may or may not fit in our house.  Well I am happy to share that the tree fits! The star wouldn't fit on the top, but we improvised.

Some of you may wonder how in the world I acquired so many decorations at the age of 23.  No, I didn't buy most of them.  No, I didn't steal them either.  90% were given to me by friends and family, mostly my mom and grandmother, because it doesn't take people long to figure out how much I love Christmas decorations.  You should have seen my apartment in college.  It was like a circa 1985, 1200 square foot version of Calloway Gardens' Fantasy in Lights.  Back then I used all hand-me-downs and K-mart decor. I decided to make my "real" house a little more...classic than the college version.  But I've never tried to hide the fact that this chick loves to decorate! So friends/family give me decorations a lot and I love them! My mom and I ALWAYS hit the stores the day after Christmas and shop till we drop at 75% off sales, so the collection has grown rapidly over the years. Most everything I have has been saved for a long time and never used...a lot of it I've had since high school, but have been saving for my first "real" home. It was so fun to get it out for the first time!

Before I move on, I want to share that on Saturday Chris was able to go up in the plane of a guy he met in the fighter pilot squadron he is currently working with.  He wanted to get some of his motion sickness out of the way before beginning IFS in less than a month (his initial training in Colorado)...well guess what? He didn't get sick at all! We are so relieved! Also, I didn't realize this guy was actually going to let Chris fly his plane...but he got to take off and land 3x.  Great preparation for IFS! I am so excited for him!

While he was flying, I took a little adventure outside of the "Golden Triangle" area (which is what they call the Columbus-Starkville-West Point, MS area that we live in)  into Tupelo, MS because I heard that the only places to shop around here are there and in Tuscaloosa, and I try to avoid Tuscaloosa at all costs.  The shopping there actually was pretty nice! They had all the major stores that we have in Auburn...Bed Bath and Beyond, Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, Pier One, and an extremely nice Belk.  I would definitely say it was worth the hour long drive to get there! Boy, it was crowded.  I actually did some Christmas shopping for other people, and didn't buy a single thing for myself (a personal victory!).  Chris and I decided to have a competition to see who can get the best stocking stuffers for eachother for $35 or less.  That's the only Christmas presents we are doing, so they have to be good! I got a couple of things for his stocking and mostly finished the rest of our shopping as well. 

Friday night we stumbled upon the coolest little event...it was called Wassail Fest.  Autumn told me about it...so when I got back from Birmingham Friday  night, I said to Chris "We are going to Wassail fest.  I don't know what a wassail is, but there will be snacks there".  It turns out, Wassail is like cider, and it's very tasty.  Columbus does a lot to promote its downtown businesses.  At Wassail fest, all the businesses had wassail--"grown-up", and kid versions--and snacks, as well as door prizes and sales.  We had a lot of fun, and went into a lot of places for the first time.  And it was free! Columbus really does have a unique downtown. I'm glad we found out about the event.

I get to work in Columbus all week this week, which gives me a little extra time on my hands.  So, we invited Jon and Autumn over for dinner last night because they are leaving to go home to Washington on Friday and will be gone for about a month.  Monday night, Autumn and I went to a wive's social that focused on military and dinner-party etiquiette, so I decided to use some of what we learned in my meal.  I went all out...I even set the table and served the first two courses instead of doing buffet style like I usually do.

Here are the pictures:



Little Santa Clause cheese tray on the coffee table before they arrived was the appetizer.If you can even see it...I kind of decided to take a picture of the whole room while I was at it, so you can barely see it sitting there!



The table all set...complete with Christmas china and Christmas silverware!

The first course was salad.  I actually didn't do much to make it, I just bought one of those bags of salad and the store that already has all the toppings and dressing in it, then served it out of a Christmas bowl.  But everything else from here on out I made myself.

After the salad, we had this beer cheese soup.  It was delicious.  I put chives in it that I grew myself. Following our etiquette class, I served this course to everyone (Lower Left--Remove Right). 

I didn't serve the main course to everyone--we did it buffet style.  What's the point in having a bunch of festive Christmas serving pieces if no one gets to see them? The dish on the left, with the brocoli and sundried tomatoes in it, was one of the two dishes Aunt Bette gave us for Christmas.  In this middle is the beef stroganoff I made, a Paula Deen recipe that I love, then on the right are honey glazed carrots. The brocoli and carrots came from the Bride and Groom's First and Forever cookbook that Nancileigh and Matt gave us as an engagement present.

 

And for dessert...chocolate covered strawberries and White Russians!

Chris was so sweet and surprised me yesterday when I got home from work with the cutest ornament he got for me on the tree...it has a picture of Mason inside a paw print in his Santa outfit, and it says Mason 2011.  He knew I had been looking everywhere for a Pomeranian ornament and decided to get me one with my favorite pomerianian on it! I just love my hubby! I wish I had taken a picture, but I will try to remember to post one next week.

After dinner we watched Glee and then played the dance competition game on our Xbox Kinect.  We stayed up a lot later than usual, but it was so much fun! Boy we are going to miss Autumn and Jon while they are gone!

Wow, it's hard to believe that we are actually going to have our second weekend in a row at home.  That's only the second time we have spent two straight weekends at home since we've been married! We don't have anything planned for this weekend, but I have a feeling we will come up with some kind of adventure to keep us occupied.  Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas Season! I'm going to end by leaving you with a few last pictures that I hope will make you smile :)



Dubs grows exponentially every time I see him.  Mason can't wear his clothes around Dubs because Dubs...well, he might just eat them right off of Mason's back! But I LOVED seeing Dubs in the first outfit I've ever seen him wear.  It said "#1 On Santa's List" on the back!



Not sure if Chris did this to keep Mason warm, or himself warm! It has been pretty cold here lately...we have even gotten snow!

Mason's Christmas portrait!