5 things..

I had a wonderful Easter weekend. We went to Calhoun and spent time with Andrew's family. Lots of good food, coffee and quality hang out time. And Dakota loved getting to be off the leash and run freely through the property.

Dakota, he was experiencing FREEDOM. something we get to experience because Christ our King is RISEN. I always say fall is my favorite but boy do I love spring time too. Perfect representation of what Easter is all about...new life coming forth..Amen!

Well thought I'd kick off the week with a post inspired by Maiedae...5 things about yours truly..

1. I am a picky eater...I try to say I am not...but the truth is ..I am SO picky. There is no formula (as my husband likes to say) to what I do and don't like. There are just a lot of foods I just don't like... I love cheese and coffee with cream, I hate banana's and cake (really most desserts). I don't like sauces like ranch, ketchup, mustard or salad dressing...but I love salsa, hollandaise sauce and buffalo sauce. I hate soda but like sparkling grape juice and champagne. I am more of a salty than sweet person...unless it's dark chocolate..then count me in. (see what I mean..no formula!)

2.When I was in college.. I camped out everywhere! We camped on top of our student union(shimmed up a pipe and tossed sleeping bags up to get there), in the fountain on campus in the winter when the water was shut off, on the intramural fields, in the outdoor chapel, in the gazebo...just about everywhere on campus. My friend Rosie and I were obsessed with being outside in Gods creation and sleeping under the stars and going on adventures..so we camped out just about everywhere while in college...including in the winter time..when I once got mild frostbite from it. We were crazy and it was amazing!

3. I am terrible with time. Time slips by me so fast..I am usually late (working on that) and I can't keep track of time for the life of me. I tend to be such a perfectionist (with everything) that I take my sweet time on the little details and before I know it I am engrossed in whatever task it is and by the end of it I realize I have just been super inefficient and unproductive because of how much time I spent on perfecting one little thing.

4. I love candles....especially fall scented candles. I think this comes from college and my sweet friend Amyrose....we started a tradition where every Thursday night was candlelight night..where our friend group gathered for coffee, the best tunes, and great fellowship and deep conversation..of course..all with candlelight and often star gazing. Ever since then candles have warmed my heart!

5. I love the south! I do miss my family in Kansas City and my brother in Japan ...but I have truly enjoyed becoming a "southern girl" I have embraced the word "ya'll" and southern hospitality and southern family loving from my husbands sweet family. The midwest was fun and full of wonderful people but man is the south great! So close to the mountains and beaches, warmer weather, good food and hospitality and great people too!

And that is 5 things you probably didn't know about me!

Eat like a Cave Man..

This week Andrew and I decided to try the Paleo diet. Just for a week. A lot of our friends from church have switched to a paleo life style and just rave about it. We like to say we will try anything once..so here we go!

Photo Credit

Paleo is also referred to as the Cave Man diet or Hunter-Gather diet. In this diet one eats pretty much only veggies, fruits and meats. No grains, no starches, no dairy, no beans and no processed foods. All natural.  Which if you know me, and how much I love cheese, and bread and chips and dip..you know how hard this must be for me...which makes it even better for practicing the skill of discipline.

We don't necessarily agree with the diet 100%. I'm never quite sure how I feel about cutting out entirely some of the major food groups...but it will be interesting to see how I feel and how I have adjusted after a week.

So far today I have been REALLY hungry. I feel like I am eating more because I am not filling up on starches and grains. It also has been hard..I have been craving cheez-its or chips and queso. But I've made it through the first day.

Here's to the journey of trying knew things and practicing discipline...

All Aboard!

Back from the cruise...it was amazing!

Every year Chick-fil-A takes all their restaurant owner/operators, staff and spouses on a big Seminar trip. An annual meeting to help reflect and cast vision and of course..we do more than meet...we have a  lot of fun! This year Seminar was on a cruise. Allure of the Seas - the biggest cruise ship out there....and I think the ship is only about 3 years old. It was incredible. My first cruise and I loved it...here are some pictures from our fun trip....

The Bahamas...

The view from our room...

Rockwall on the ship...they had a speed  climbing competition and I got first place in the women's league ;) 

The flow riders...simulated waves for surfing and wake-boarding....(and our friend Seth rocking at it)

Me...this is about as far as I got on it..haha...

The Captains Dinner... fancy smancy...

Atlantis resort in the Bahamas...

Watching the sun  rise and set from the balcony over the water in our room...

It was a great trip. So incredible to be out deep deep at sea. (first hand I experienced and saw why they call it the "deep blue sea") I don't know how anyone could go on a cruise and see the bigness of the waters spanning across the earth and not believe in an all powerful God to create it all....incredible beauty!

out to sea...

Setting sail....tomorrow I am headed off on my first ever cruise. I am so excited...not only is it my first cruise, but it is an a pretty amazing cruise ship. The ship we are going on has  a zip-line, a rock wall, a track that runs round the boat...I can't wait...and we are going to the Bahamas! It is a work cruise..for our 2013 Chick-fil-A Operator's seminar.

I am looking forward to the quality time with my husband and some time to unplug and connect with people from all over the Chick-fil-A world. So no social media while on board...but I can't wait to share pictures when we return...

(and promise I will post and share pictures.. I am going to get better about this blogging thing and post more often.....learning curve ;)

We will miss our little pup while we are gone....

...but thankful we have an amazing friend to stay over at our house and take care of him!

Blessings- and well wishes for a wonderful week!

off to sea we go...

Daddy Daughter...

Today I got to help with a pink, sparkly, yet classy event... My Prince Dance... a night of Hero's and Princess.....a chance for dad's to take their daughters on a date.

I helped with the photo booth (of course)...which was fun...so great to get to see these dads kneel down  on one knee or 'whisk away' their daughters for the photo.

Boosterthon put on the event...and really did an incredible job. From the dancing, to the flowers, to the canopy and motte, red carpet, horse and carriage, chocolate fountain, bling bling rings, and flowers it truly was remarkable (with a little decor help from Orchestrate too of course). The whole idea of creating a remarkable experience for dads and daughters on a date night together is brilliant and so special.

I wish there would have been an event like this for me and my dad when I was little. I guess the memories of dancing around the living room with my dad are great and memorable enough though....;) Thankful I got to be a part of the experience and I know the impact from tonights event will be further and deeper reaching than we may ever know.

Taco Ring Recipe

An easy meal that's always a hit...

Preface: I don't measure anything when I cook...so sorry ahead of time for not having exact measurements...make your best guess and follow your taste buds! ;)

What you need:

• 1 can of crescent rolls (I like to get the big crecen rolls) 
• 8-10 chicken tenders or 4-6 chicken breasts
• shredded yellow cheese
• cream cheese and/or yogurt ranch dressing (I like to mix the cream cheese and yogurt ranch but either work)
• cilantro
• lime juice
• mild taco sauce (I like to buy whatever sauce I can find in the authentic/latin food isle)

Let's get cooking: 

• Preheat oven to 350
• cook chicken (I like to boil it in a pot, adding in cilantro and lime for seasoning for it to simmer in)
• rub olive oil on bottom of pan or pizza stone (to prevent sticking)
• lay individual triangle crescent roll pieces in the shape of a star on the pan (making a circle in them middle.) Overlap them and slightly kneed them together. 
• in a bowl mix the cream cheese and ranch (and if you really want to spice it up..sometimes I will mix some boursin cheese in there..if I have it on hand)
• once the chicken is all cooked cut it into little pieces with scissors or shred it and toss it in the mixing bowl you just prepped.
• After chicken mixture is prepared and at the right creaminess for you, spread it around the circle of the crescent rolls that are overlapping. 
• Next drizzle the chicken with the mild taco sauce and a hint of lime juice
• sprinkle shredded cheese around the top of the chicken
• take the ends/points of the crescent rolls and roll them towards the center covering the mound of chicken and cheese
• tuck the ends of the crescent roll into the inner ring 
• place in the oven and bake until golden and barely brown on the edges (I would guess 15 or so minutes)

Then your Taco Ring dinner is ready to be served... (should feed 2-3).... also great served with Guacamole to dip in! 

Bon appetite!

 

Cabin escape...

Thursday evening Andrew and I spontaneously decided we were in need of a weekend getaway. So we quickly searched online and found a cozy rustic cabin in Blue Ridge to reserve and venture out to for the weekend.

We had a blast. I left all my make-up, hair products, jewelry and stylish clothes at home AND we decided to cut out social media and put our phones on airplane mode for the weekend.

It was such a sweet escape to enjoy quality time together and God's beautiful creation. 

Our cabin was right along a river...I LOVE the sound of natural flowing water. In our world today, especially living in a city in western culture...we are constantly distracted and overwhelmed with overstimulation.

Getting away like this, shutting out our phones and turning up the sound of nature was so good for the nourishment of the soul. It reminded me how important meditation time, free of distraction truly is.  

I highly recommend mini sabbatical's like this, whether with your family or by yourself. Turning off your phone, unplugging, and unwinding in an environment where nature is free and screams out beauty is so good for the soul! 

Cali, Dr. Rice & Friends..

Weekly Recap:

Last week I got to spend some time on Standford's campus in Palo Alto, California. Beautiful city and campus. It was a business trip and I got to spend some time with John Maxwell and Dr. Condoleezza Rice. What a privilege. I was so impressed with how nice and down to earth Dr. Rice was in person. She really is a remarkable individual. I haven't got to it yet, but would love to read her new book No Higher Honor  I've heard great reviews on it.

So here is a photo of our group photo with her...hopefully I can post the actual photos at a later time.

Then after a great trip to Cali, I got to spend time with some beloved Berry friends (my husbands college friends, but I claim them as my own too). We got together to celebrate a birthday, but big group get togethers like this are far an in between so it was cherished time for sure. This panoramic photo is right before the girls and guys battled at 3-N-a-Hat...an all time favorite game of mine!

This week is flying by and I'm ready for another wonderful weekend!

Time to join the blogger world....

So I think I am going to give this blogging thing a try...we will see how it goes...

Let's start with a recap from Christmas....

Andrew, Dakota and I ventured on a 13 hour drive to see my family in Independence, MO (Independence is to Kansas City what Marietta is to Atlanta). We got to spend time with lots of family and we got to play in the S N O W ! It was Dakota's first time to see snow and he LOVED it! He was pouncing around in the snow like a bunny. He sure was born for that cold fluffy white stuff!

It was a long drive, but well worth it.

I love the holiday's! Such a great time to stop, rest, spend quality time with people we love and reflect on the most amazing gift in the world. The gift of a Savior that came to sacrifice everything so that he could make us pure and white as snow and to give us the opportunity to have eternal life with our heavenly Father and creator. A time to reflect and be thankful for all the blessings I have and do not come near deserving!

2012 was great, my heart is full of smiles and thankfulness.

C H E E R S to another exciting and adventurous year! 2013 I can't wait to see what you have in store for me and my family!

Blogger world...that's all I've got for now ... more sprucing of the site and adding pages soon to come!