Sailing the Happy Hippy!

Andrew and I have a dear friend named Jim. Recently he bought a boat in Florida, flew to Florida, learned how to sail, and is now sailing intercoastal waters from Florida to Corpus Christi during hurricane season. Crazy, we know! Jim is a war veteran who is partially handicapped and has wanted to do this his entire life and has decided... what the heck! So he is somewhere in the Gulf as we speak. Every time he reaches a port he uploads his daily logs on YouTube so that we can keep up with his journey. This is one big to-do item on his bucket list. The sail boat was named the Happy Hippy before Jim purchased it. So good luck Jim, you Happy Hippy!

You can follow Jim's Daily Video Updates Here!

Good News!

In my last blog I wrote that I would be getting some big news in the next couple of days and I can officially say that I have received two pieces of news that ended up being good news. About a week ago Friday, I went to the doctor because I have been pretty sick the past month or so. Female related issues... :) Going into my doctors appointment I knew that my diagnosis could be one extreme or another. This past Tuesday morning I went in to get an ultrasound to see if I had an ectopic pregnancy. Thankfully the ultrasound tech didn't discover an ectopic pregnancy. The only thing she discovered was a cyst the size of Texas residing on my left Ovary. Very painful but should go away in time. So that is one piece of good news! Now the other news is that last Monday morning while I was in the grocery store I got a call that I got the job I interviewed for last Friday. Lets just say I was trying not to scream too loud in the grocery store!

So overall what could have been a disastrous week turned into a fabulous week. I am still hurting from all the pain the cyst is causing me, but I am thankful that I do not have a tubal pregnancy. All I can do is thank the Lord for protecting Andrew and I and blessing us immensely. Take time to count your blessings... name them one by one!

OH MY! What a week!

This past week was one hectic week. One crazy week. One tiring week. I am so glad that I am past that week! But it seems that this week may be following in last week's footsteps. I find out some big news in the next couple of days and it could be good or bad. I will be posting later on in the week about it, don't worry!

Eager to get this news I could not sleep at all last night. I just flipped and flopped until I finally passed out. And then after only sleeping for about 5 hours I got up and cooked Andrew breakfast before he went to work... I'm an excellent wife... I know. :) Other than the fact that I am stressing about the next couple of days, I am tired, I am sick, and smell like breakfast sausage, there is something that the Lord has been putting in my mind and on my heart and I need to share it with you, RIGHT NOW!

Why do we judge people in haste thinking that we should just go ahead and judge them before they can judge us? I know, I know, you are thinking, "What a way to change subjects!" But this question is something that I have been thinking about a whole lot lately. Why do we judge everyday people walking down the street? Why, as women, do we size each other up and pick each other apart in our minds? Why do Christians judge non-Christians and why do non-Christians judge Christians? I don't know about any of you women out there, but I know for me when I say that when I am not only talking the talk but also walking the walk, it almost seems that people are very quick to think that I am going to judge them. My friends that are doing things that maybe they are ashamed of, try to keep me in the dark and always are surprised when I don't judge them. I can honestly say that I am the type of person that is going to love the person. I may hate the sin, but I will ALWAYS love the person. I mess up numerous times a day, we are all sinners in the sight of God. I think that it is funny how we can put someone up on a pedestal that we think has it all together and then we are shocked when we find out that they don't have it all together. The girl who is pretty, that always wears a smile, and tries to be kind, will always be judged more than you think. God calls us to look beyond the appearance of a man, beyond their flaws, and just love them as you would love yourself.

I have decided in recent years that I am tired of taking things so personally. When someone judges me before they think that I will judge them, I just remind myself that this battle is not against flesh and blood but it is against all the powers of darkness in this world. Scripture tells us that committed Christians will run into resistance. John stated plainly, "Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you" (I John 3:13). Hates you. That's strong language, and it's an echo from his Gospel, where he quotes Jesus as saying, "If you belonged to this world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world … That is why the world hates you" (John 15:19). Hates you. Even stronger language is the Greek word that underlies Jesus' prophesy: miseo. The word connotes an active hatred—that is, a hatred that is not content to remain inside a person. It is a hatred that culminates in external action, namely, persecution. It's no wonder that Jesus continued his warning: "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20). Persecution in some form or another is a thermometer of Christian commitment.

So before you are so quick to judge, think about who your actions are glorifying. Are they glorifying God? Paula Rinehart states, "In the inner chambers of your heart, God steps past all your talents and hard work-- all that you think he values. He goes straight for the messy broken places in you."

Last fling before the ring!

This past weekend, Megan, my girlfriend from college had her bachelorette party. Oh how I love a weekend with all my girlfriends! One of the hostesses parents owns a huge log cabin in Kentucky with a view of the lake and a very convenient 16 seater pontoon boat docked and ready to go. SO FUN! Saturday night we opened presents and shared words of wisdom. Then Sunday we spent the morning and the beginning of the afternoon on the lake. Megan's wedding is in about a week and a half and she is frantically preparing for the last minute details like so many brides do. Here are some pictures of the weekend. Enjoy

An incredible bargain!!!

So yesterday I went to Dillards to go and look at some Fiestaware that I love so dearly but before I got there I was lured away by a BIG clearance table in front of the Fiestaware. There sat a mibook. The mibook is designed to guide you step by step through all kinds of circumstances like: Cooking, Pregnancy, Decorating, Gardening, etc... It comes with SD memory cards that include 150 how-to-videos. This is a great product for a newlywed like me that is learning how to take care of a home. The mibook is regularly $130 and the SD memory cards are sold for $19.99 a piece. Never in a million years would I pay that much for all of that! Especially when I can go to FoodNetwork.com and print off recipes. But, then my eyes gazed at the clearance sign. The prices had been marked down 70 percent off... then another sign... take and ADDITIONAL 30 percent off the lowered price. Golly Gee Whizz... So Dillards basically paid me to take the mibook (that comes with 2 SD memory cards) and 2 other memory cards off of their hands. The memory cards that I got were the quick and easy meals, healthy cooking, irresistible desserts, and amazing party food. I used one of my last wedding gift cards to purchase my new mibook.

I always get such a thrill when I find a great bargain!

6 months going strong!

This past weekend Andrew and I took a trip to Chattanooga TN for some much needed R&R! July the 3rd marked our 6 month wedding anniversary and July the 4rth marked the day we began dating 2 years ago! Time really does fly when you are having fun! We rented a little honeymooner cabin outside of Chattanooga on the side of a mountain! It was breathtaking! Friday night we met some of our friends and their family at the AT&T baseball field to watch the Lookouts. After the Lookouts won the game we sat on the baseball field and watched the fireworks show. The next day we all met up to go whitewater rafting down the Ocoee River! It was a blast! Then we headed back to our little cabin where Andrew grilled ribeyes and I made twice baked potatoes and green beans. One of the best dinners we have ever made.... it was delicious! Sunday morning we woke up, checked out of the cabin, and then headed to Chattanooga to eat Mellow Mushroom pizza and check out the Aquarium. It was a fabulous weekend!

Couponing 101

I have officially been sucked in!

Andrew and I, along with the rest of America, are eager to find ways to save money. When you think about us we want you to think, "golly, they sure are wise with their money!" So I am now clipping coupons. The women at our church have sucked me in and I am a little obsessed with clipping coupons at this stage in my life. You can really save a lot of money if you pay attention to sales and search for coupons. In college I was always on the go and didn't really care that much and truth be told... I didn't cook at all! Well now that I am married, I am cooking everyday. So grocery shopping is more of an event for me now.

Coupon clipping has become a game or a challenge for me. I secretly giggle every time I look at my receipt and see how much I have saved. It's a great obsession to have. Also, Andrew and I love to travel! So what better way to help save money for all those trips we want to take while we don't have kids running around! Get in the habit now girls before you have families to take care of... it's a good habit to get into!

Here are some great coupon websites, check them out!

The Grocery Game , Couponing 101 , Coupons.com , Southern Savers , Fiddledeedee , Coupon Mom , SmartSource.com , CoolSavings.com , Kroger.com , A Full Cup , Shortcuts.com

Also, buy a couple Sunday papers and just see how many coupons you'll want to clip.
Happy Clipping!