Thanksgiving, a few days late

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone's day was fabulous.

So we did, in fact, get up and watch the Macy's Parade. I coaxed Josh out to the couch with coffee, cinnamon rolls, and bacon... it worked. The rest of the day was filled with family dinners and a lot of laughs. Our first Thanksgiving was just as I'd hoped it would be. I'm excited about the many, many more to come.

And I made the Pinecone Dip! Here's how it turned out:
It was really good! And everyone thought it was adorable. It was as easy to make as I thought it would be... I'd definitely make it again.
Part of the family
My uncle carving one of the two turkeys.
Placecards my cousin Jill made... all by herself! Too cute.
Dad and Papaw watching football til dinner was ready.
Josh says he doesn't like kids............ right.
Helping get everything ready.
Cousins waiting patiently.
Thanksgiving dinner is served.
Jill excited about eating...
Us.
And lastly, I thought I'd take a moment to say:
I thank the Lord for my husband, my puppy, my family, my freedom, my job, my health... for Vera Bradley purses, Chick-fil-A, country music, Target, Pumpkin Spice Latte's, craigslist.org, and flat heeled shoes. =)

Josh, Kim & Abby

Pinecone Cheese Spread

I just thought this was the cutest idea and had to share. It's so easy to put together too. I think I'll make it for Thanksgiving tomorrow... along with the corn casserole I promised and Josh's homemade bread.
I found it on Taste of Home's website, and this is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Fresh dill sprigs
• Breadsticks, crackers and/or raw vegetables

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add the feta, mozzarella, onion and cayenne ; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
• On a serving platter, form cheese mixture into a pinecone shape. Beginning at the narrow end, arrange almonds in overlapping rows. Add cinnamon stick and dill for the stem and pine needles. Serve with breadsticks, crackers and/or vegetables. Yield: 3-1/2 cups.

I'll let you know how it goes! Looks delish though.....

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Josh, Kim & Abby

Domesticated

I wasn't required to do many chores growing up. My mom always told me that once I was an adult, I'd have to do all the adult chores, so she wanted me to be a kid while I was still a kid. I really, really appreciate that to this day. She also told me that one day I'd understand why the chores were important, and that I'd actually want to do them when I had my own house and my own family to take care of.

And she was right. Of course.

I think because of all this, I'm finding the little things I accomplish to be a bigger deal to me than maybe they would be to others. Or maybe other young newlywed women feel/felt this way too. I don't know.

Take for instance, cooking our nightly dinners. Josh and I sit down to dinner together every night at the kitchen table. We established this from the first night we got home from our honeymoon. The challenge has been finding enough dinners that we both (read: Josh) likes so that I'm not repeating the same recipes every week. This has taken me quite awhile and with much input from my Mom... but I am now proud to say I am up to 24 dinners we rotate through.

Another example that's kind of silly is magazines. My parents always ordered magazines from me during drives we'd have in elementary and middle school - the ones where I'd win prizes for getting a certain number of subscriptions, etc. They would order their "grown-up" ones, and I got the typical childrens' ones. As I got older, they always got me Guideposts (which is an amazing little magazine).

Well, a few weeks ago, my co-worker's son was doing the same said magazine drive that I used to do. This is the first time I have ordered magazines for myself and I was really excited to pick them out. I was even more excited when I got my first issues of my "grown-up" magazines a few days ago: Real Simple - which covers how to simplify tasks like home organization and decorating, cooking, gift giving, and finances, and Cooking Light - which is a recipe magazine. I seriously think I jumped up and down a bit when I saw them lying on the kitchen counter.

And then yesterday and today, I made broccoli casserole and 7-layer salad, all by myself, to take to a pot-luck luncheon at work... I used both my Pampered Chef glass trifle bowl and my Pyrex casserole dish and warming carrier. I got both of these as gifts over the past year and felt like such a grown-up cooking and using them today. And, the best part was that my two dishes were completely gone by the end of the luncheon. Success.

My mom called me domesticated when I called and told her what I did... I was all excited like a little kid. I'm sure she got the same feeling as when I used to bring home things I had colored for her to hang on the fridge. Such typical, every day things to her, but to her daughter such a huge accomplishment. Too bad you can't hang 7-layer salad on the fridge.

Little things like these keep happening that probably should not excite me as much as they do. I guess I'm just finding that being a young newlywed wife is fun. I like doing the adult chores. I like taking care of our house, cooking, reading, organizing.... and cleaning.

This all kind of snuck up on me. But I'm glad it has. And I'm glad Mom was right.
Kim

Gator Game Day

We got to go to a game!! Wooo!

And we won this time. Last year we got to go to the Ole Miss game, and it's the only game we lost the whole season. Since then though, we've won 21 straight games.....

Josh and I also just found out that I will definitely be able to get student tickets once I (hopefully) get into the Graduate Program, and TWO to each home game at that (since I'm married)!

I learned at the game that this was actually Josh's Mom's first Gator game ever. With a 62-3 win, it was a great one to be her first!

kickoff

halftime

touchdown pass!

Josh, Kim & Abby

"My current location is"

Josh loves his Palm Pre (it's a fancy cell phone). He is always getting these updates for it and always getting new "apps" - which is short for "applications" or programs that you can run on the phone. Every now and then he'll come over to show me a new app he just downloaded, and explain how cool it is.

Truth is though, that there are some really useful apps on there. One in particular has really been helpful for us.

If you recall the time Josh and his buddy were hiking in the forest and had the near bear experience, what you don't know about that day is that Josh and I had miscommunicated on exactly which State Forest they were in. He was in the habit of hiking for a couple hours each morning, but on this particular morning, he forgot to tell me they were switching forests. Had that situation turned serious, I would've had the rangers searching a totally different forest....

Don't worry, we fixed the problem. Which leads me to this wonderful app on Josh's phone.

I don't know what it's called, but for sake of this post, let's say it's the "Google Locator" app.

Basically, the Google Locator lets Josh send his exact location coordinates and a link to a Google map to me in one push of a button from his cell phone. In either email or text form. And I, in turn, with one click of the mouse or opening of a text message can see exactly where he is.

It's fantastic.

So now, every time he goes out into the woods, I'll get a text message from him or whoever he's with that says "My current location is: ____________," showing me exactly where they are. What's neat about a Google Map is that it will also show me terrain and satellite, so I can see that they really are completely off the beaten path. This one is from when they went out to watch the meteor shower last month:
They're the little red flag with the A on it.

He also uses the Google Locator when he's flying for the Reserves to show me where they are. I think he finds it more funny than anything though, because most of the time I don't know where they are planning to fly, so when his location comes in it's always a surprise. Like yesterday, I got a text message showing me he was all the way up in the northern part of Florida - I had no they were flying up there! And the ones when he lands in Gainesville are hilarious too. I get jealous. lol

Seriously though, it's a relief having this feature so that I can keep track of my husband as he pops up all over the state. And I so appreciate that he thinks to use it and understands why it's important for me.

I guess I'll admit that's he right about his Palm Pre... it really is very cool. Maybe I should get one when it's time to upgrade my phone?

Josh, Kim & Abby

Happy Veterans Day!

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived and Fought For This Country." -Patton/PH

I stole that quote from our good friend Angela.

I tell Josh I'm proud of him a lot, and I jokingly say "thank you for serving our country" to get him to roll his eyes at me. He isn't one for getting attention because he's in the military, nor is he one to ask for military discounts often. Unless he's in uniform in Clearwater. Then, you can count on him stopping by Sam Seltzer's with the other soldiers for 50% of his steak....

But today, he has to let me tell him, along with everyone else.

Josh,
I am so proud of you. For all that you've done, been through, witnessed and survived - for me, a citizen of this country. I am so thankful to you and your fellow soldiers who have served. You would give your life for this country, and some of your good friends have. I do not take this, or my freedom, for granted. I know you see it as a job, but I really do see you as a hero. My hero. I love you. I love being your wife. I love being a military wife.
Kim

If you forgot today, say thank you to a Veteran tomorrow. Without them, we wouldn't be here. God Bless.

Josh, Kim & Abby

View from Josh's "Office"

Just another day at work for my husband. This was Friday with gorgeous weather, flying over Orlando, getting ready to land at Orlando Exec then head downtown for lunch at Little Saigon.

It's a rough life. But someone's gotta do it. =)

Josh, Kim & Abby

Fort Hood

I don't know what, if anything, would be adequate for me to say about the Attack on Thursday.

I can tell you that I don't understand. More than anything, I just don't understand.

Last week, Josh lost a good friend he served with in Iraq, in the 57th Med. Shawn McNabb was one of the soldiers killed in last week's helicopter crashes in Afghanistan. He was also the first of Josh's Army friends that I've met to pass away. Needless to say, it was a tough week.

This week, over 40 people (mostly soldiers) were killed or wounded - not overseas in the war, but right here in the U.S, on an ARMY BASE, by an Army Major.

Really?

All this absolutely breaks my heart. We've been glued to the TV since we found out. When they started releasing victims' names and stories today, I got even more upset than I already was. Newlyweds, expectant mothers, recent-grads out of Basic Training... just going about their business at another day at work. Not fearing for their safety in their own country.

To add insult, it's my understanding that this all happened in a Processing Center, for soldiers either leaving or coming home from deployment. Which means, some of the soldiers had survived the war, made it home safely, but STILL lost their life.

I just don't understand.

Our prayers are with the victims and their families. May the deceased Rest in Peace, and the families and wounded heal quickly.

P.S. I haven't even mentioned the shootings in Orlando today. I really don't know what our world has come to. Just keep praying.

Josh, Kim & Abby

In Memory of Shawn "Big Grab" McNabb

14 May 1985 - 26 October 2009

Below: Shawn is making a funny face in this picture, next to Josh.

L to R - Kevin, Shawn, and Josh. Interviewing in Iraq for a news reporter.

What's 27 in dog years?

It's Josh's Birthday!!! He's 27 today. Hence, the title of this post.

We celebrated by... me taking the GMAT this morning. =)

But then, Abby and I had a little surprise party for Josh when he got home from school, which was followed by dinner at Texas de Brazil (without Abby). We are STUFFED!! Josh thinks he ate about 2lbs of meat. That place is amazing. Seriously. Go.

Abby helped out with our little party by carrying around the Happy Birthday balloon for Mommy. She liked it almost as much as her Gator jersey.
Our little surprise party:
Watching for Daddy, but watching out for the killer balloon too... you can also see my dead garden in this picture. =)
STILL waiting on Daddy at the top of the stairs.... so she can take it off.
Yay Daddy!! Happy Birthday!
Josh blowing out his 2 and 7 candles...
Birthday Key Lime Pie
She was more brave on Josh's lap... but still didn't like the balloon even when it was tied to the coffee table.
Abby's Card
Opening presents. Josh got Wheat Thins, sour gummy worms and gum... he had to have something to open on his birthday since his actual present is an IOU headlamp thing, but he didn't want me to order it yet.
Happy Birthday sweetheart! I love you!!!!!

Josh, Kim & Abby