Joy to the World and a Happy New Year

Wow, it's been entirely too long.  Somehow I got off track with my writing and never made it back.  Until now, that is.  2012 has been a whirlwind of a year and I'm almost in disbelief that it is coming to a close.  At the end of each year we challenge ourselves to think of what lies ahead and many of us even set goals for the new year.  We decide to change something about the way we live and hope that it makes the next year even better.  Personally, I'm not very good at accepting change.  I find places where I'm comfortable and I tend to bury myself and hold on for the long haul.  Maybe that's a weakness of mine.  Sometimes change can be good.  It keeps us guessing and helps us live a life that is more full.  If we never change, we will never take risks, never learn new things, never experience anything different than we already know.  Being that it's the last week of December, it's probably about time to start making my list of resolutions.

First and foremost, I want to choose to be more joyful in my everyday life.  Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly happy and I feel very blessed.  I merely want to recognize the things in my life that make me happy and put more focus on those things and less focus on the stuff that is stressful or mundane.  I found this little gem today and I wanted to share it with you:

found here

I think the world needs more people to dedicate themselves to simply spreading joy and love to those around them and I want to be more mindful of doing just that.

My second resolution is to be more diligent about reading a daily devotion and spending time in THE WORD.  I bought a devotional last week that I'm hoping will also help me choose to be joyful more often.  You can find it here.  I always start a devotional and less than a couple of weeks later, I've put it down and moved on to something else.  I know in my heart how important the Lord is to me but all too often, I fail to show Him how much He means to me.  Isn't it great though to know that no matter how often I fail, God's love never fails me.  If for no other reason, that is amazing enough to take a few minutes out of my day to praise and thank Him.

My third resolution is to floss more often.  This may seem small to most people but I hate to floss.  Seriously, I really don't like flossing.  I know, I know...it's silly and I need to get over it.  I really want to be better about it though.  It helps that Andrew loves to floss and always does so.  Maybe I'll ask him to keep me more accountable. 

So, to wrap things up, I'll start making a list:

1. Choose Joy

2. Spend time in The Word each day

3. Floss like my life depends on it

I have many more resolutions so stay tuned.  Are you making a list?  What kinds of things are you changing in the New Year?

End of Summer Madness

The last few weeks have been filled with tons of fun!  Andrew and I had the chance to hang out with some great friends and family, cook some tasty treats and spend a little time, one on one.  Hang on because this is going to be a whirlwind!!!

First off, do you remember that baby that Andrew got to meet and hold, while I was out of town?!?!?!  Here, I'll remind you.  His name is Knox!

Well, I finally got to meet him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like to think we bonded.  He is quite the sweetie and I can't wait until I get to see him again.

A few days later, I made my very first loaf of bread.  And...it was so good!  Now, we've talked about how sometimes when I cook it is a disaster.  I'm proud to say that I mastered this bread.  You don't believe me?  Check it out for yourself!

The dough.

This is the bread after the first turn in the oven.  P.S. I used my grandmother's old orange pot to make this bread.  I remember her making rice pilaf in that pot.  It is similar to a Le Cruset but some other brand.  I love having this pot because it brings back so many memories of her and her kitchen.  Maybe I had some help making this bread and that is why it turned out so good?!?!  Thanks Grammy!

Finished product!!!  Tasty, crusty bread!!!!  Oh and did I mention this was the simplest recipe I've ever made?  Well, it was.  Check it out, here!  I think my next endeavor will be to try one of the spiced loaves.

For now, go make this bread and then make this sandwich using it!

Hummus, herby cheese and cherry tomatoes.

Andrew and I love taking the pups to the dog park.  Ellie eats it up.  Luha on the other hand...

sticks pretty close to mom.  

We always start off at the little dog park but we want our pups to know how to interact with little and big dogs so we end up taking them to the big dog park as well. You may be wondering why I don't have a picture of Ellie at the park and that is because SHE NEVER STANDS STILL!  But, I don't want her to feel left out so here is a different picture of her, just because.

Look at her, she is even smiling for the camera.  What a ham!

I don't know about you but I am ready for Fall.  I'm ready for colder weather, football, pumpkin and gingerbread spices and fall fashion.  In fact, in the hopes that it would inspire some cooler weather, I wore my first fall outfit today.  

Here's hoping!

Much love,

Rachel Elizabeth

Home on the Range

A while back, Andrew bought us a groupon for a gun range experience.  We've had the groupon for a long time and always found some reason not to use it.  Well, we finally decided to head on over and try it out and man am I glad we did.  The groupon included a shooting package for two people.  We got one .22 caliber hand gun, 50 rounds each and two targets.  Of course, if you know Andrew and I at all, it immediately became a competition.

I was quite timid because guns scare the you-know-what out of me but the staff at the gun range were amazing and they walked us through how you load the gun, how to hold it when you fire and then how to aim for the target.  Of course, my first couple of rounds were slightly off but as soon as I got the hang of it, that target was in trouble.

Here are some bullets and our targets at the end of the range.

Andrew was a natural as well.  It was quite scary how two people, who had never shot a .22 before, could pick it up so quickly.  That realization just made me more afraid of guns.

We took turns shooting 10 rounds each.  For the first twenty rounds we aimed for the center bullseye, then for the head, then for the small red targets to the side of the head and finally for the red targets in the bottom corners.  Can you spot the shell casing flying in the above picture?

This is a picture of my target after we shot at his head.  My poor guy didn't make it.  Better luck next time, sir.

We had a fantastic time and hopefully we'll go back again someday.  I think we'll probably pick different targets next time.  They had zombie targets.  I want to shoot at zombies!!  All in all, it was a fun Saturday morning.

The Pharmacy

Andrew and I are all about exploring Nashville and really taking advantage of what the city has to offer.  We constantly watch for those daily deals to places which we've been wanting to try but maybe not at full price.  Well, we've tried a ton of new restaurants and adventures this summer and I have to share some of them with you.

Today we shall discuss...The Pharmacy.

The Pharmacy is a cute little restaurant in East Nashville that serves two of my favorite foods...burgers and beer.  Yes, beer is a food group, and an important one at that.  We had heard a lot about it and couldn't wait to try it.  Simply put, IT. WAS. AWESOME.  Andrew got The Farm Burger which he describes as breakfast and dinner all-in-one (sorry, I didn't get a picture of it).  It is a regular burger with a fried egg, bacon and a piece of ham on it.  Yeah, not really my style but he loved it.  I got the Falafel burger and, oh my, was it tasty.

If you are unfamiliar with Falafel (don't worry, my mom wasn't sure what it was either), it is a chickpea patty that is fried crisp on the outside.  That's right, I went to a burger place and got something vegetarian.  Who does that?  Anyway, it was fantastic and that, coupled with a side of sweet potato fries, made the perfect combination.

Now on to the beer....

We must not forget the beer.

The beer was served in fun mugs and they had a great selection.  Also, we've been back since this first encounter and the beer menu had completely changed.  I love that.  Trying new beers is a fun pastime.

As you can see in the above picture, they have a great patio and I highly recommend going on a beautiful night so you can sit outside.  The string lights and picnic tables make for a romantic combination.  

We had a blast!

Go try it.  TODAY.

Jake and Lindsey's Wedding

Andrew's sister, Lindsey, got married in July and I was so blessed to be a part of her special day.  It was truly a fairytale day so bear with me because it started long ago.  (P.S. That is the correct usage of the word "bear."  I googled it.  If I were to say "bare" with me, it would mean that I wanted us to get naked.  Let's just stick with "bear," shall we.)

Ok, enough jokes...

One afternoon, while hanging out at Andrew's parents' house, Lindsey totally caught me off guard when she asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.  I was in shock!!!  Literally, I think I just sat there and didn't say anything for a good 30 seconds.  Finally, I was able to conjure a smile and accept her request.  You are probably reading this and thinking I didn't really want to participate...that is absolutely not the case at all!!  You see, at that time I was still fairly new to the family and her invitation was such a compliment and display of acceptance that I was literally overcome with emotion and was at a loss for words.  I'm actually surprised that I didn't start crying tears of joy.  You see, I am in love with Andrew's family and I so badly wanted them to love me as well.  At that moment, I think I realized that they considered me one of their own.  I was speechless and so grateful.

As the wedding approached, Lindsey asked if I would go bridesmaid dress shopping with her!  You see, there were two other bridesmaids and they both live out of town so I was a lucky lady and got to spend a couple of lovely days shopping around Nashville with Julie and Lindsey!  We found some great dresses and, more importantly, bonded a lot during that time.

The rehearsal dinner was held in the clubhouse of Andrew's condo building.  It was the perfect setting. Everything was very relaxed and we had plenty of time to mingle and get to know one another.  Since Jake's family lives in Connecticut, most of us were meeting for the first time.  We ate barbecue, drank beer and wine and afterward, we headed just down the street to the honky tonks.  Lindsey and I didn't stay out too late as we wanted to be fresh and ready for the big day.

Andrew and I at Wild Horse Saloon.  Check out the line dancing behind us.

Lindsey and I stayed at a hotel and woke up bright and early on the Wedding day!  I think the time I got to spend with Lindsey, before everyone else got to the hotel and the day actually started, was one of my favorite parts of the whole experience.  I count it as a blessing that we were able to hang out and grab some breakfast together, just the two of us.  We actually had a very relaxing start to the day and I think that helped set a very positive tone for a time that had the potential to be quite stressful.  Of course, as soon as all the other ladies got there, we popped the champagne and it was time to get things underway.  

Lindsey and Jara (Jake's sister) before we broke into the bubbly.

All the ladies getting the party started!

This is the only picture I have of Julie and I.  I really hate that it is blurry because it would have been a fantastic picture.  We still look pretty good though, if you ask me.

Junior bridesmaid, Caitlin, joined us later in the morning.  Here she is modeling Lindsey's cowboy boots.  What a stunner!  

With our hair and make-up done, we headed off to CJ's in downtown Franklin, TN.  CJ's is a historic home turned into a wedding venue and it was gorgeous.  The ladies had the whole upstairs to get dressed and wait for pictures.  Please look at how beautiful our rooms were:

Those flowers are the bridesmaid bouquets.  And that mirror hung, from the wall, with ribbon...oh that mirror.  I'll take one please!

This is Lindsey's bouquet and our bridesmaid dresses in the background.  Everything was just stunning. 

Of course, it wasn't just our rooms that were stunning, the wedding venue was just as gorgeous.

This suitcase belonged to Lindsey's grandfather.  What a great way to ensure he was involved in her special day!

Check out the hilarious cake topper.  

Oh and the guestbooks were cornhole boards.  How creative!  Something to cherish for a long time, especially during those family cornhole tournaments which Andrew and I dominate.  Maybe these will bring them more luck.  ;)

Lindsey, right before it was time for the dress!!!!

My favorite picture from the day!  Can you tell we like each other?!?!?!

Finally, it was time.  We headed down to the ceremony and it was raining.  It had been raining all day and so, what was supposed to be in the garden was moved to the back patio and they got married on the dance floor.  It seems only appropriate.  Both Jake and Lindsey have amazing personalities full of spunk and laughter.    I mean even during the wedding, as Jake spoke his vows, the rain poured so hard that Lindsey cracked a joke, "I can't hear you" and everyone laughed.  It was perfect.  So perfect that you have to know that someone else planned for that rain.  We prayed and prayed that it wouldn't rain but God had a different plan and the result was a very intimate ceremony surrounded by family and friends that really brought out the wonderful love that Jake and Lindsey have for one another.  I've been to many weddings in my life and most of them, I cannot remember a word that was uttered.  As for Jake and Lindsey, I remember their jokes and I remember how the minister incorporated the rain and attributed it to blessings pouring down from above.  God took a day that, by it's nature, was destined to be important and made it unforgettable.  See, God knows what He is doing.

Then of course, we danced the night away and had a blast!  

I'll leave you with one last picture... Andrew and I caught the bouquet and the garter.  Dun Dun Dun!!!!!

P.S. I neglected to get a single picture of Jake or Buzz!!!  Terrible photographer, I am!  I promise they were there and very much a part of everything.  Especially Jake!  ;)

Much love,

Rachel

I've got a little catching up to do

Oh man has it been a long time!!!  Sorry for the delay but life has been incredibly busy for the last few months.  Between Andrew and myself, we've attended four weddings, three wedding showers, one baby shower and a bachelorette party.  It's been more than a little crazy around here.  

Here is a little peek at what we've been up to!

First stop was in Atlanta for the beautiful wedding of Levi and Meg.  The  rehearsal dinner was on the top floor of a building downtown and it was gorgeous.

This is us at the actual wedding.  Sorry for the terrible picture.  Somehow I only got one picture all night and this is how it turned out.

At the end of June, Andrew and I officially moved in together!  I didn't take any pictures because they would have consisted of me holding a box and then Andrew holding a box.  I probably should have taken a picture of Andrew's face that day that we got to the storage unit and I had forgotten the key.  It was priceless.   I will never forget the key again.  All jokes aside, I feel so blessed to be able to take that next step with him.  I love coming home to him everyday.  

Our friends Kyle and Sara Keene got married but unfortunately, I was unable to attend.  They had the wedding in the Dominican Republic and from what I've heard, it was a ton of fun.  Andrew went.  He could tell you.  They also had a reception in Nashville but I was out of town at a baby shower...

My beautiful cousin Emily is pregnant!!!!  We held a baby shower in Asheville and it was really great to finally see her.  It was practically killing me that she had been pregnant for so long and I hadn't seen her belly.  I also got to feel the little Avocado kick and move around a little bit.  What an absolute blessing.  It was so exciting!  Hurry up and get here little Avocado, I can't wait to meet you.  Wait...I take that back.  Stay in there a little longer.  You aren't ready yet.  Please make your arrival on September 15th.  Thanks, Auntie Rachel

While I was in Asheville, another baby made his first appearance.  Meet sweet little Knox!  

I don't really want to discuss how upset I am that Andrew went to visit him without me.  Seriously, I need to meet this little fella. And soon!!!!  How cute is he???  The baby.  I'm talking about the baby.  Andrew is pretty cute too though.  :)

While I was in Asheville, I got to spend some much needed time with my wonderful friend, Meredith.  We went paddleboarding at Lake Lure and spent a couple of hours out on the lake chatting and catching up on everything.  I really cherish every moment I spend with her.  That lady is good for my soul.

Every time we get together I get this feeling like all is well in my life.  We grabbed a pizza for dinner and saw a late night movie.  Dates with best friends are important.

Then, it was time for the 4th of July.

Happy Independence Day!  I know I'm a little late but better late than never.  This is a view of the downtown Nashville fireworks from our balcony.  They were awesome!  Andrew and I celebrated in a very low key way.  It was perfect though.

Ellie experienced a lot of milestones in the month of July!  She lost her first tooth.  And her second.  And her third.  You really don't need to see a picture of each one.  I could show you though.  Yes, I took pictures of each one.  

She also got her first haircut.

I think she likes it!

On July 14th, Andrew's sister got married.  It was an incredible experience.  I want to do a whole separate post on her wedding because I have tons of pictures and I want to share the love and joy we all experienced on that day.  I will give you a little sneak peek at one of my favorite photos.

All the bridesmaids wore vintage lace dresses (mine's in the middle).  You may recognize this photo from somewhere. ;)  It was truly a blessing of a day and I can't wait to share it with you.

In late July, Andrew's friends Jess and Laura got married.  It was a very fun time.  I knew a few other people there and we all had a blast.

The venue was very pretty and Andrew and I made a point to get a decent picture this time.  

They served Krystal burgers at the end of the evening.  You may be thinking... "They did what?  At a wedding?"  What you don't understand is that Jess loves Krystal burgers so much that they inducted him into the Krystal customer hall of fame and put his face on the Krystal burger boxes.  You think I'm lying.  Folks, you can't make up things like this. 

I've also attended a bachelorette party since then and something else really exciting has happened but I will save those for another day.  This post has gotten way to long and I'm not allowed to tell my fantastic news just yet.  Stay tuned!

Much Love,

Rachel Elizabeth

Productive Weekend

Happy Monday!!

I don't know about you but I had a very productive weekend.  Andrew and I have been booked pretty much every weekend this summer and we finally had one to sit back and relax.  But we didn't.  Because we've been so busy, we've had no time to run errands.  We made up for that this weekend.  All day Saturday we were out and about in Nashville taking care of things we've neglected over the past couple of months.  It was exhausting but I feel a lot better knowing that we crossed a lot of things off our to do list.

Sunday seemed equally busy but most of the stuff we did was around the house.  Here are some pictures from our productive weekend.

I cut up this huge watermelon.  I'm pretty sure that half of our fridge is stocked with tupperware full of watermelon.  Anyone want some...anyone?

We went for a run on Sunday.  I haven't run in months so even though that time is not great, I'm just glad we did it.

While we ran, Ellie napped on her beanbag.  Oh the life of a dog.

We spent some time poolside.

And lastly, I made cheesy stuffed shells with homemade tomato sauce.  This rocked!!  I will admit that I am not the best cook.  I have my moments though and this moment is happening again.  Soon.  Like for lunch today.  MMMMM...

Here's a look at my homemade tomato sauce.  It was the best part and I got the recipe from pinterest.  I get most of my recipes from pinterest.  You can find this one here.  It is super easy and I froze a ton for later recipes.

Here's a close up of the sauce.  The best thing about this recipe is that you can put whatever you want in it.  It is totally customizable.

Then all I did was pour it over these babies and bam! dinner was ready.  I got the stuffed shells recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Eat, Live, Run.  She mentions that this recipe makes a ton and she was right.  I had this whole dish, a second, smaller dish and I still threw out some shells and filling because I knew Andrew and I couldn't eat it all.

The whole endeavor of making my own tomato sauce and these stuffed shells was a little overwhelming.  If you decide to make these, I suggest making the sauce ahead of time and just thawing some to cover these shells.

Well, that about sums up my weekend.  What did you do?