5 on Friday [09.26]

Happyyyyy Fridayyyyyy!

*one*

I love Fall and everything about it. The cool weather, the leaves, the football-everything! Probably my most favorite part is the attack of pumpkin, though. The best place to soak in pumpkin and all its glory? Trader Joe's! I'm literally going to have to limit how much pumpkin stuff I buy on my weekly trip. This week I splurged on pumpkin pop tarts. As delicious as they sound! 

*two*

It's time for the Fall Food Truck Rally!! We went last year with our church community group and pigged out! Excited to share it with our little love this year:-)

*three*

Alright, online shoppers, what are your favorite discount shopping sites? I'm a member of Rue La La and Zulily, but I'd love to hear about any others that will save us money!

*four*

TGIT! The return of Scandal and Parenthood and the introduction of How to Get Away with Murder have this girl excited! What shows are you excited about this Fall??

*five*

Ever look at your calendar and totally freak?? That was us last night. We thought that after we got through the summer our lives would simmer down. Ha! We could't have been more wrong. We are so blessed to have so many people to see and things to do, but we will definitely be soaking in any breaks we get;-)

Five on Friday [09.12]

Five things for this Friday. . .

*one*

We were fortunate enough to have our sweet friend (and wedding photographer!), Amaris, come capture a few pictures of our little love bug yesterday. Here is a sneak peek:

*two*

The original plan was to wean off the prednisone for good following Amelia Grace's birth. Well, my body seems to have other ideas. After a quick check up and lab work this past week it looks like I have elevated protein levels in my urine. No bueno. Hello, 24-hour urine test and hopefully more answers. Prayers appreciated!

*three*

I am SO excited for a quiet weekend at home with both of my loves. After pure insanity for the past few months it's going to be so nice to do regular Saturday things-leisurely breakfast, run errands, and gorge ourselves on football!

*four*

 It took four years, but the Mobleys officially have cable. *gasp*

So, what have we been watching? Lots of HGTV!

*five*

Y'all know we have a slight issue with binge-watching shows on Netflix. Well, this past summer we started Dexter, and I am happy to say we FINALLY finished. After the tiny interruption of a wee one, we found the time to knock it out this past week. Whew. Now, onto the shows of Fall! 

5 on Friday [04.11]

Happy Friday!

 *one*

 Have y'all ever written an essay with a group of students who has never written an essay before? I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart. Don't get me wrong, I am SO glad we are doing it, but it is wearing me out! Let's just say the kids won't be the only one glad to be done with these and back to reading novels.

*two*

 Any other fans of Nashville out there? I just heard rumors there is going to be a tour with the stars. SO EXCITING. David is refusing to go with me. . . any takers??

*three*

Spring has arrived! So thankful for this beautiful weather and the chance to be outside again after all these months of freezing ick. 

*four*

Between Scandal and The Good Wife I consider myself an unofficial lawyer. Every time I hear about a court case of crime I automatically try to see if there is any foul play and who is really to blame. Any other weirdos out there?

*five* 

I need book suggestions! We are a week away from Spring Break and I don't have anything. HELP!

Friday's Letters [06/28]

Happy Friday, folks!!

Dear Nashville, Oh, how you have sucked us in to your sordid, twisted, musical drama. I don't know what we're going to do when we finish the first season on Hulu!

Dear Daisy, Thank you for being so good when we took pictures last weekend. I know it was crazy hot, but you were a rockstar. I'm pretty sure you had the best pictures of any of us.

Dear Jen Lancaster, Thank you for continuing to crack me up with your crazy antics. Tao of Martha has been a great reminder that I'm not alone in the world when I mess up yet another "easy" recipe/craft/project. 

Dear reading friends, Looking for a good book to read this summer? Look no further! This list of 14 books being made into movies has quite a few on here that will keep you hooked for hours! My personal fave? Divergent, but I'm excited to read a few of the others too!

Dear Davido, You are one pretty stellar dude, you know that? Thank you for your continued patience with my crazy.

Deroutinizing Date Night

Date night has always been important to us, but like lots of other couples we fall into the trap of routine. Instead of seeking to try new things we go to our usual restaurants for supper and our usual grocery store to pick up dessert and a Redbox. Sound familiar? This weekend we got out of our bubble and tried some new things!

We began with supper at the local TacoMac restaurant. We'd heard great things about it from friends, but had never given it a go. We will definitely be heading back come March Madness time and football season. I lost count of the number of TV's surrounding us, not to mention the 100 beers on tap pleased my beer snob hubby.

Then we skedaddled over to the local used bookstore. They were running a promotion on Groupon, but we wanted to check it out before we took the plunge. At The Last Word we sipped on a hot s'mores mocha (they have an in-house coffee shop!) while we wandered around. I ended up finding three copies of The Outsiders for $1.80 each! When we went to check out we found out they offer teachers a 10% discount-score! AND, Fridays are "Magic" nights; great for people-watching;-)

We wrapped up the night catching up on The Office. I totally realize that's not out of the norm, but it was a cold night and snuggling on the couch was just what we needed after a long week!

A Themed Thanksgiving

We seemed to have a bit of a themed Thanksgiving this year at my parent's house. This was not done on purpose. Let me back up. . .

We arrived at my parent's house on Thursday morning after spending a few days relaxing and pigging out at the Mobleys. Daisy went in ahead of us with a pink scarf to announce our big news. After hugs and celebrations we settled in for more food and visiting. None of us were overly impressed with the Black Friday sales, so we skipped that tradition.

The next morning we decided to head out and see what was left. Have you ever tried to get nine people out of the house and moving? This was not a simple process. We ended up going in different directions for a bit with a plan to meet up later. The Bed, Bath, and Beyond was having a sale in which you could take 20% off your entire purchase, not just one item. The BB&B in Winston Salem has a HUGE baby selection as well, so we spent some time there. Mama could not fathom how expensive everything was. She kept saying over and over that she just couldn't believe it. Even with the 20% deal, we didn't see anything we needed.

The boy car called and said they were headed to Gander Mountain (a massive camping and outdoor store). Mama scurried us to the car so we could get there quickly. She was on a mission to check out their gun selection. Mama and Daddy spent the next 30 minutes analyzing guns while the Wardlets entertained ourselves with some people-watching and iPhone fun. By this point this preggers mama was struggling. It had been hours since I ate and I needed a nap. Daddy sensed my frustration and as we were leaving he went back into the store to get something he thought would cheer me up-season 1 of Duck Dynasty!

This is when our themed weekend really takes off. Have y'all heard of the magic that is Duck Dynasty? It's the story of the Robertson clan and the multi-million dollar empire they have created around duck calls. I know it sounds crazy. That's because it is. This people are unlike any others that you have ever met. Or, maybe you have, but that would make it that much better! We piled into the den and proceeded to watch three and a half hours of their antics before we got into our own.

Daddy had found out about a local Boy Scout troop that was doing a turkey shoot fundraiser. For $20 you got eight shots at a target. After hours of watching the Robertsons doing the same thing, and making it look easy, we thought we'd give it a go! Who knew David had a secret talent for shooting? He won us an actual turkey! After a few hours of shooting fun, we headed home to watch more Duck Dynasty.

Daddy giving Mama a few tips.

David and Tyler plotting.

Daddy teaching Manda how to shoot.

 Abby even gave it a go!

We're already planning more marathons for Christmas vacation and perhaps a little more shooting. Maybe we'll have our own show a few years down the road!

Liebster Award

I am honored to announce that my sweet friend, Dana at Let's Meet for Lunch, nominated me for a Liebster Award! This award is given to "up and coming" bloggers with less than 200 followers.

The rules:

1. Post 11 random things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions that the nominator asked of you

3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

4. Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.

5. No tag back (but please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you)!

11 Facts:

In the Fall, football is life.

I am a sucker for a Peppermint Mocha Latte and will allow myself to drink as many as I want over Christmas Break without even thinking about how bad they are for me!

Our puppy is the princess. . .

. . . but will only be for a few more months. Our first is due in April!

We don't have cable. We watch everything on Netflix or Hulu+.

I love buying people gifts!

North Carolina is the only state my hubby and I have ever lived in.

Date night is super important to us in our marriage.

 

I would eat a sweet potato every day for lunch if they were available. Side note-I did do this my freshman year of college when the dining hall had them!

 

I fuss and complain about my "rattletrap" car all the time, but deep down I still love Suzy Subaru.

 

I always have at least one thing of chap stick with me at any given time.

 

11 Questions to Answer:

1.  If you had a free Saturday, what would you do?
2. What's your favorite "go-to" thing to cook?
3. What's your favorite book of all time?
4. What would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow?
5. What's your dream career?
6. If you could give the 18 year old version of you advice, what would it be?
7. Of all your Pinterest boards, which is your favorite?
8. What's your favorite holiday tradition?
9. Are you a dog or cat person?
10. What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
11. What is your favorite season?

 

11 Blogs:

1.  Fun, Love, and Football
2. Everything Changes
3. Just Sayin'
4. Sweet Like A Song
5. Mrs. In The Making
6. Established 2008
7. In the Queen City
8. Adventures of the Southern Wife
9. Pamela's Place
10. Life as Mrs.
11. A Sweet Simple Southern Life

 

 

 

 

Friday's Letters [11.16]

Happy Friday, folks! Today I am linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds for another edition of Fridy'as Letters.

Dear Peanut, I am SO excited to find out if you are a he or a she next week! Then I will finally have an excuse to start buying you precious little things:-)

Dear conference week, You about killed me this year. I don't know if it was all the bookings or the fact that I am preggers and exhausted, but I am pooped. I will definitely be getting a good night's sleep tonight when it is all over!

Dear readers, Any avid readers out there with suggestions?? I am looking for a few good books to dive into over Thanksgiving Break and am welcome to any and all suggestions.

Dear movie theaters, Please do not sell out of Twilight tickets. I would really enjoy getting to see the final installment of the Bella-Edward-Jacob drama ASAP. Want to save a couple for the Mobleys?

Dear Duck Dynasty, Thank you for the ongoing laughs and great things that come from your show. I am officially hooked and will be catching up as much as possible over break next week. Keep up with the crazy!

Kitchen King

Have you met this man?

No? Well, you should. This is Gordon Ramsay and he is awesome sauce. Te he he, get it? He's awesome sauce and he's a chef. Ah, I crack myself up sometimes. Anywho, we first made Mr. Ramsay's acquaintance two summers ago while flipping through the few channels we have on basic cable. There was nothing else on so we settled in to watch Hell's Kitchen. This is where our love affair began. Since then we have become fans of all the shows he has on Fox- Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and Master Chef.

I never watched TV series until I met and married David. I never saw the point in it. Then, David showed me that there was more than just superfluous junk on TV and so now we've become "those people". You know the people, the ones who watch certain shows on certain nights. The truth is, I don't really mind being "those people" any more.

Back to the main man, Mr. Ramsay. He is a fast talking, no-nonsense kind of guy. Everyone thinks he is a total jerk, but once you get to know him (yes, I just went there) you learn he isn't a total meanie-poo. Thanks to his wise ways we've actually become more conscious of what we eat and are braver in our restaurant choices. So, before you shut him down as a total tool, check out his shows. I should also probably tell you that watching anyone of these shows will also turn you into a bit of a restaurant snob. . . fair warning!

Friday's Letters [06.01]

Hello fab readers! It's another fantastical Friday with Adventures of Newlyweds!

Dear June 8, What is taking you so long???

Dear new treadmill, I am stoked about your addition to the workout fam. I am hoping you will be kinder to my feet and ankles than your predecessor. Your awesome auxiliary input will make watching Mad Man that much more awesome. Now if only I could get back in shape as easily as your manual promises. . .

Dear Harris Teeter, As I was wandering the aisles the other day I stumbled upon an interesting frozen treat-"Sweet Tea Ice Cream". I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I'm intrigued, yet not intrigued enough to buy it. Perhaps if you put it on sale I may be a bit more ambitious. . .*hint*hint*

Dear students, I really enjoyed reading your "letters to future selves". It was neat to see what some of you wanted to remind yourself about this year. I hope all your dreams for life come true!

Dear 50 Shades of Grey, Why do you have to be only three books long?? I wanted so badly not to enjoy your crazy but I just couldn't help it. The ever-changing moods of Mr. Grey coupled with Ana's stubborn attitude made for a good read. How about you continue the story with a fourth book? I'm pretty sure there would be a gazillion dollar profit from it, and who doesn't love that?

Dear Suzy Subaru, My how awkward your one cup holder is. About the only thing that fits in there is a grande-sized drink from Crackbucks. How convenient. Who knew cup holders would be such an important asset in life? I resolve to make sure my next car has more cup holders than you.

Please excuse my disgustingly dirty car. She needs a visit to the spa.

30 Before 30-TV Show

Earlier this year I created a list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn 30. Some of them were fairly large goals (going on a mission trip, adding to our family, etc) while others were a little sillier (keeping my nails painted for a month for instance). Well, folks I'm here to tell you about my most recent feat-I watched an entire show from beginning to end!

I know this seems silly. That's because it is. This is a bit of an accomplishment for me, though. While I have never been formally diagnosed with ADD, I'm 99.99% sure my job has given me some form of it. Between the children constantly shouting questions and concerns at me coupled with the million things I have going on with my computer at any given point in time, I have developed a tendency to stay away from focusing.What the heck does that have to do with watching a TV show? Well, prior to this I had never watched an entire TV series from beginning to end. I usually start it, then somewhere in the middle I lose focus and quit watching. The TV show that has snapped me out of this funk? None other than Friday Night Lights!

I found it after searching Netflix for an hour-long show I could watch while I was on the treadmill. This gem was recommended after Netflix perused my previous collection. I was hooked from the first episode! Everything from Eric and Tammy's love-infused marriage to the drama of Jason Street's accident kept me watching. The writers never gave us an opportunity to get bored with the storyline. My only complaint was the way it all ended. It was as if they weren't renewed for another season and they had no way to end it but to cut it off.

So if you're looking for something to do this summer while the shows on are hiatus, I highly suggest checking out Friday Night Lights! I've since moved onto Mad Men and have actually broken my own rule of "only Netflix shows while on the treadmill" to keep up with the action. Don't be surprised if I start replicating everything Betty Draper wears and pursue my masters in advertising. . .

Friday's Letters [04.27]

It's another fantastical Friday with Adventures of Newlyweds!

Dear Alabama, Thank you oh so very much for returning my sweet husband to me! Daisy and I have been quite lonely without him and are overjoyed at having him back. Three weeks is far too long to be apart, especially when one of us works days and the other works nights. I hope you don't want to see him again because I don't plan on returning him to you. Ever.

Dear tomato plant, My sincerest apologies for not thinking of you during that ugly little cold snap earlier this week. I totally should have brought you into the warmth of our home sooner than I did, but the fact that I remembered to do it one night counts, right? Right?!? Please don't die on me now. That would make me oh so very sad.

Dear thisiswhyimbroke.com,  I don't know quite what to say to you. You have truly thought of everything that I never knew I wanted. You've also thought up quite a few things I have no interest in, but certainly make me giggle. Thank you for providing me with another opportunity to waste time.

Dear Davido, I am SUPER excited to have you home again. Three weeks is far too long to be apart. The house was very lonely without you. The neighbors did a fabulous job of helping me out, but it wasn't the same as having you home. I'm going to need you to never leave again. See what you can do about that, OK?

On our wedding day. . .

Dear Mad Men, Why are you so wonderful? You really to slow down on being so fabulous because now that my sweet husband is home, I can't devote my entire evening to taking you and all your 1960's glory in.

Dear baby fever, Please vamoosh. And do so as soon as possible if you can. I have you caught a pretty bad case of you. In case you forgot I have this whole kidney issue to conquer first. So I would really appreciate it if you could disappear for a bit and come back later. Muchos gracias!

Friday's Letters [04.13]

It's another Friday with Adventures of Newlyweds!

Dear Mad Men, Why are you so fantastically addictive?! The moment I started watching I knew it was game over on the rest of life. The temptation to do anything else fades away when I begin to ponder Mr. Draper's next move. Keep on rockin'. 

Dear pollen, You have really overstayed your welcome this time. I'm not sure how much more sneezing and itching I can take before I lose my mind. Not to mention my cute little green car had taken on a not so flattering yellowish hue. Please take your sneezes and itches and vamoosh!

Dear Easter candy, I still cannot believe how much of you is at our house right now. It looks like my students will be receiving you as a reward until next Halloween. 

Dear tomato plants, PLEASE grow! The anticipation is absolutely killing me! Everyday I dutifully water you in hopes of seeing something the next day, yet I am continually disappointed. Any chance of some growth happening anytime soon?!?

Dear NC weather, Wooooeeee you have really thrown us for a loop. It felt like just last week I was laying out redneck diva style in my backyard soaking in some rays. Oh, wait. . . that was just last week! Now here I am bundled back up in my North Face. Any chance those beautiful days of 80 will be back?

Dear Little Suzy Subaru, Oh how adorable you are! My apologies for not always saying the nicest things about you. My b. The fact that you have hit 123k and are still trucking along makes my heart oh so happy. I'm sorry about sometimes (OK, all the time) whining about wanting a new car. You really are the cutest.

Dear Friday the 13th, Please don't make my students cray cray. I wouldn't call myself "superstitious" per se, but you (along with your friends the full moon and impending snow days) have a tendencies to make me want to pull my hair out. See what you can do about that. K, thanks.

Bits of Splendor Link-Up!

I'm linking up with Laura over at Bits of Splendor for this Monday's Bits of Splendor Monday! 

I read her fabulous blog on a regular basis and felt compelled to link-up today thanks to the fabulous day that was had yesterday. Laura blogs about the its of wonderful, or splendor, that she finds in her day to day. I fully believe that it is the little moments in life that make life the incredible thing that it is. If we are too busy racing around only focusing on the big details, we miss all the little ones!

Yesterday I posted about the precious baby cow one of the "Sammies" has blessed the farm with. It was so exciting for this city girl to see the calf stumbling around after its momma. It was so cute with its adorable face. Too bad Momma Sammie was not interested in letting it come near the fence. I'll be back out there this afternoon with carrots and apples to see if I can lure it over for a better picture! David and I are also taking name suggestions. We have the Chick-fil-A cow (I'll give you one guess what it looks like), the Sammies (two brown cows that we can't really tell apart), Big Ben (a BIG mean-looking black cow), and Bambi (this was the littlest one last August when we moved in and he reminded us of Bambi).

Look closely and you can see the baby getting some lunch!

The day got even better as it warmed up. I had quite a lot of school to do (the work of a teacher never ends!) but I was able to move to our front porch by the afternoon. I plunked myself down in one of the fabulous rocking chairs my husband made. I sat there for hours catching up on school work and soaking in the Vitamin D. The only thing missing was a glass of wine but I figured that wouldn't be a good idea considering I was working on some grading!

The day of wonderful continued with a delicious supper of grilled pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, and roasted asparagus. Mm mm mm! It was the perfect meal to finish off the weekend. David and I then snuggled up on the couch to catch up on our new favorite show-Kitchen Nightmares. Never seen it? Get on hulu now! Gordan Ramsay is so lovingly harsh you can't help but love him for what he's doing. We discovered this weekend that hulu has THREE seasons of it! If we don't answer our phones in the evenings for the next few weeks, you know why. . .

How do you find bits of splendor in your day?

Tag . . Again!

Happy Friday blog world! I hope this day finds everyone in a wonderful place. Lucky for me, I was tagged again! This time around it was by Beth at Sweet Southern Pearl. Be sure to pop on over and say hello:-)

1.  What is your favorite thing about blogging?
I love sharing the fun of our lives and all the love I receive from my readers. When I started I had no clue all the friendships that could begin!

2.  If you could pick ONE artist to listen to for the rest of your life, who would it be and why?
Ahhh, such a tough question! Hmm, probably the marvelous T.Swizzle (Taylor Swift for you normal folk). I love all her stuff!

3.  What is one quality you look for in a significant other?(this is a repeat question but I liked it)

A strong relationship with God. That is one of the biggest things that drew me to my sweet hubby.

4.  If there was only ONE season in the year, what would you want it to be?
SPRING! Hands down, Spring is my favorite time of the year.

5.  Heels or flats?
There is a time and place for everything, heels and flats included!

6.  What is the best vacation you've ever been on?
This is a tie. Either our honeymoon to Disney World or our week in Charleston, SC for Spring Break last year. Both were incredibly special for different reasons!

7.  What's your favorite perfume/scent?
I don't really wear perfume because I just love the smell of lotions. 

8.  Favorite outfit (type) to wear?
Sundresses and Jacks:-)

9.  What's your life motto or a quote you live by?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. I remind myself of this each morning as I walk into school.

10.  What do you think is the best quality to have in a friend?
Support. The support of a true friend can take you anywhere.

11.  What's your favorite television show?

Another toughie! Our "shows" are Modern Family, Once Upon A Time, The Office, Glee, and New Girl. Wow, didn't realize we had so many! I'd have to say that Mod Fam is my most favorite of them all.

The Line-Up

I've never been a die-hard fan of TV. Yes, I've found some shows over the years that I've really enjoyed, but few that I would rearrange my schedule for. Until now. My sweet husband has me hooked on a few shows. Due to my early bedtime (yes, I am ninety years old in a twenty-somethings's body) we watch them the next day on hulu. For those of you not familiar with hulu, I would like to formally introduce you to our cheapskate way of avoiding cable fees! What's the point of paying for cable if we can find it all fo' free online?!

Glee!

 Who doesn't love the upbeat takes on new and old songs?

New Girl

 A hysterical take on an awkward girl's adventurous fumbles through life.

Once Upon A Time

 A modern twist on all the fairy tales we grew up on. The best part? We have no idea what is coming next! 

Side note: This is from the creators of LOST.

The Office

  It's not the same without the bumbling Michael Scott, but the crew has kept up with their hilarious antics.

and last but not least. . .

Modern Family

 It's sad how much we can relate to the ridiculousness of each and every one of these characters.

What are you watching these days?