30 Days of Thankfulness: Weeks 3 and 4

Hi!  Sorry for the delay!  Better late than never!  Here's the last half of my November thankfuls...

15.  Greg and I were able to get a new Christmas tree this year, and that has been exciting! One day, we'd like to do a real tree, but we just need more space.  We found the perfect tree at Target.

16.  I am thankful for an unexpected day off!  One of B's grandmothers came to town, and I was able to take the day off.  A bonus on this day is that Greg also had the day off, so we were able to spend a lot of time together.

17.  I'm so glad that we started our Christmas shopping already!  We are hoping to get it done early.

18.  I spent the afternoon with a new friend.  We went to see Argo in the theater and then we spent the afternoon chatting.  I'm thankful for new friendships.

19.  I'm thankful for cold days spent cuddling with the dogs.

20.  Call me crazy, but I'm thankful for the struggles that Greg and I face.  I think that they bring us closer together and make our relationship stronger.

21.  I had a long phone conversation with a friend on the phone.  It had been way too long since I talked with her.  I am so glad that we were able to chat and catch up!

22.  I am thankful for mine and Greg's low key Thanksgiving together!  Don't get me wrong, we love being with our family on holidays, but it's nice to not have the stress of cooking for a large group!

23.  Greg and I were able to get out to the movie theater to see Skyfall after he napped to recover from working black Friday.
 
24.  I went to the mall, and it made me realize how thankful I am that we are almost done with our Christmas shopping!  Bonus: since Greg works at the mall, when we think of something we need to get for someone... Greg can just grab it when he's on break.

25.  I'm thankful for a long Skype date with one of my best friends.
 
26.  I am glad to have play-dates with friends and their children.  B really enjoys playing with his sweet friend.

27.   I love wrapping presents.  My mom always made wrapping presents an art, and I guess I got it from her.  I think that it's refreshing and exciting to sit down and make presents look beautiful.

28.  I'm thankful for a GREAT day with B.

29.  We had a wonderful meal tonight for dinner!  It's quickly becoming one of my favorites!  Homemade salmon fish sticks and pearled couscous.  SO good!

30.  I'm thankful for an afternoon off!  Greg and I were able to finish the rest of our Christmas shopping today!

I feel like I should clarify that I'm thankful for so much more than the 30 things that I have listed this month.  I just don't always take time to think about what I am thankful for on a daily basis. I feel like it was a really good thing for me to do this year.  Greg and I have had our fair share of struggles over the past year, but it's still been a good year with so much to be thankful for.  I hope that you were all able to think about all the things that you are thankful for during the past 4 weeks.  Now, we are moving forward to the craziness of the holidays.  I cannot wait!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Week 2

Hi!  I hope that everyone has had a great week!  I am excited that I have inspired some other people to post their weekly thankfuls.  I look forward to reading them all week!  Here we go with week 2 of November thankfulness.

8.  I am thankful for my wonderful in-laws.  I often talk with people who struggle with their relationship with the in-laws.  I seriously won the lottery when it comes to my in-laws.  They are wonderful to Greg and I, and we are so happy that they are such an important part of our lives.  They support us, and love us no matter what is going on, and we are thankful for that every single day.

9.  I am thankful for extra money that Greg and I had to use for a nice dinner out.  We don't go out to eat often at all because we don't always have money to spend on a fancy meal out.  This night was a rare treat for us, and we went to eat at PF Changs.  It was a delicious treat!

10.  I am thankful for new friends that we are making in Durham.  We have been getting to know several new people, and I am looking forward to seeing where our friendship takes us!

11.  I am thankful for veterans.  Greg and I have several veterans in our families.  We are especially thankful for those in our family that have served our country.  

12.  I am thankful for friends that call, text, and message when I'm having a bad day.  Those thoughts and messages really help when you are just having a crappy day.  It makes me think of how I can easily send those types of messages when I know a friend that's have a hard day.

13.  I am thankful for fuzzy socks.  I don't think I really have an explanation for this.  I just love them.  I am thankful to own several pairs that I wear all the time when the weather is cold.

14.  I am thankful for our sweet babies, Hershee and Penni.  It's amazing how they love us unconditionally.  I am so thankful that they are there to snuggle with me on cold nights.  I seriously cannot imagine our life without them.  I'm going to go love on them right now!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Week 1

I love November.  It's the month that I was born, it's the beginning of the holidays, it's a great month for college football, it's the month when cooler weather moves in, and it's the month when I like to think about all the things I am thankful for.  Last year I did one post where I talked about all the things I was thankful for, but I think this year I am going to try and do a weekly post.  I think it will give me time to really reflect on the past year, and I'll spend time each day thinking about what I am thankful for.

1.  I am thankful for Greg.  I know that I say it every year, and I will continue to list him every year.  There is really no one that I would rather face the challenges of life with.  I am thankful every single day that Greg is my partner in life.  I love him every day more than the last.

2.  I am thankful for time spent with family.  We were in Gatlinburg, TN last week with my parents, my brother, sister in law, and my sweet nephew.  I am so glad that we got to go there together and spend time together laughing and joking.  We missed that my other brother was not able to make it.  But, I am looking forward to all of us being together again at Christmas.

3.  I am thankful for my parents.  I am especially thankful for the time we were able to spend with them last weekend.  I am glad that we have the technology that we have, so that I can see them on FaceTime whenever I need/want to.  I am glad that Greg and I have their love and support throughout our journey.

4.  I am thankful that I got so spend time with my college roommate, Allison, last week.  I hadn't seen Allison since her wedding!  It had been way too long.  I am so glad that Greg and I decided to detour over to Cherokee, NC before heading to Gatlinburg last weekend.  I loved seeing her and Danny, and I really loved putting my hands on her belly trying to feel the baby move.  I can't wait for their little one to arrive!

5.  I am thankful that Durham is really starting to feel like home to us.  We have signed our lease for another year, and I am looking forward to staying.  We haven't lived anywhere long enough to feel the "home" feeling that we are starting to have here.  I'm excited about friendships that are being formed with people that we have met and been spending more time with in Durham.

6.  I am thankful for the holiday season.  For some reason, I am really ready to get all my Christmas decorations out!  I am sure that Greg would tell you how shocking this is because he thinks that I don't have a ton of holiday spirit, but he only thinks that because I don't love watching all those terribly corny Hallmark channel/ ABC Family holiday movies.  ugh.  They are awful.  But, I am looking forward to the long trip home at Christmas to see our families, and just general holiday cheer.

7.  I am thankful for Lauren, Bryson, and B.  I have been taking care of B for 14 months now.  I cannot believe how big he is getting!  I am so glad that I have a job to go to everyday that I love so much.  Every single day with B is an adventure, and I wouldn't trade spending that time with him for anything.  I am so happy to be a part of their family, and I look forward to watching B grow over the next year.

Wordless Wednesday

Fall decorating!

I've started decorating for fall now that it is officially autumn. For some reason, I have found myself mildly obsessed with fall decor this year. I absolutely hate that we have our TV hanging above the mantle because I think it severely limits my ability to decorate the mantle. I'm trying to figure it out because I kind of gave up during spring, but now I'm trying really hard to make it work. Here is a preview... I plan on doing a whole post when I get everything ready!

How are you decorating for fall? Do you have any tips for decorating around your TV to give your mantle a fall look?

Weekend trip home

In July we flew home for a weekend because one of Greg's good friends was getting married, and Greg was a groomsman.  We actually flew into Atlanta and rented a car for the weekend because that was cheaper than actually flying into Birmingham.  We stayed in Tuscaloosa with Mom and dad on Thursday and Friday night, and then Saturday night after the wedding we stayed with my brother and sister-in-law in Birmingham.

We spent Friday hanging out with my Mom, and luckily dad was able to meet us for lunch.  We ate at the new Jim 'n Nicks in Tuscaloosa.  Shocker, I know.  It was pretty good, and really busy.  Friday night we drove up to Birmingham for the rehearsal, dinner, and after rehearsal get together at Pale Eddie's Pour House downtown.  We had a good time, and it was really good to see some old friends.

Greg and I at the after rehearsal get together

Saturday was a little crazier.  Greg got up and went to Birmingham early to hit golf balls with the guys, and then they had lunch before they started getting ready for pictures.  I didn't want to go up there and be stuck with not much to do all day, so I stayed in Tuscaloosa with Mom.  We went shopping and got a manicure and pedicure.  It was a really good morning/afternoon.  After we got home, I rushed around getting ready for the wedding.  I drove up to Birmingham to my brother's house and dropped the car off, and he took me over to the church for the wedding so that Greg and I would only have one car.

The wedding was beautiful.  It was in an adorable Episcopal church downtown.  After the wedding, we all headed to the Vulcan Museum for the reception.  I had actually never been to Vulcan, so I was pretty excited to check it out, and see the views of downtown Birmingham.  It was so pretty!  We had a really good time!  I got Greg to dance with me a few times!  We ended up seeing a lot more friends at the reception, so it was really good being able to catch up with them.

Brian and Carson during the ceremony 

Greg and I at the wedding reception 

Brian and Carson's first dance

Sunday morning Mom and Dad drove up to my brother's house because we were all going to go have brunch at Another Broken Egg in Mountain Brook.  We got there around 11, and luckily only had to wait about 20 minutes.  It was DELICIOUS!  I'm so glad that we were able to get together with the entire family!

Mom and Dad at brunch 

Guy and Andrea at brunch

Ben and Alicia at brunch

 Greg and I at brunch

Overall, it was a crazy busy weekend, but I am so glad that we went!  It was really great seeing friends that we haven't seen since our wedding, and of course it was great to see my parents, siblings, and my nephew.

Here is Justin holding the book that Greg and I got for him.  I seriously cannot believe that he is going to be one this week!  It's amazing how time flies when you have little ones in your life.  I am looking forward to going through it all again starting in late January when Greg's sister has her little girl!  We are looking forward to become Aunt and Uncle again!  I can't wait to begin spoiling my newest niece!

The Science of Beer

Tonight we went over to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham for this after hours event. They had 25 different local breweries there serving samples. It was a lot of fun!

I'm not a huge beer fan, but Greg likes trying different beers, so I knew that it would be something that he would enjoy. I found a couple of beers that I liked, and I made sure to write them down.

They also had three food trucks outside the museum for dinner options. We got pizza from Pie Pushers and it was delicious!

Facebook Break

Hi guys! I recently made the decision to take a break from Facebook. I had gotten to the point where I was checking Facebook on my phone a couple times an hour. That's not okay with me anymore. What is so important that I needed to see?? I end up seeing old friends with life news that is exciting, but it makes me sad because I'm not in their life anymore. I see way too much political talk, and even more football talk. I either end up getting worked up and upset or frustrated with people that in reality I hardly know.

It just has not been a good place for me to be visiting so much. So, I'm taking a break. I am not even sure if/when I'll go back.

I know that I will now have more time to communicate, email, and call people that I actually care about. I think that Facebook has been putting too much negativity and sadness in my life.

Currently Reading

These are the books that I'm currently, or about to be reading. What have you been reading lately?

Going home: Childersburg/Roanoke edition

I'm a terrible blogger.  Sometimes I really feel the inspiration, and actually have the time to post.  Other times I'm just not into it at all.  I wish that I could become better, but I'm not going to make any promises.  This post is very long overdue.

Greg's dad is a UMC minister, and back in April he received a new appointment from the Bishop.  We found out that they would be moving to Roanoke, AL come June.  Greg's parents have always been so great to come and help, or help us in other ways when we have had to move (SEVEN times) over the past 3 years.  So, there was no question of whether or not we would be there to help them.  We decided that Greg would drive down with the dogs on Sunday before the move, and I would work Monday and Tuesday and then fly down on Tuesday night.

Well, the Friday before Greg was supposed to go down, we got a call that a very close family friend had passed away.  They had asked Greg to come be a pallbearer, and I strongly felt like I needed to be there for Greg.  I called my boss to talk to her about it because it's always hard for me to ask for last minute time off because I know that means that one of them will more than likely have to take a day off from work to take care of the baby.  But, my boss is amazing, and she told me that I needed to go and be with Greg and the family.  (side note: I am continually thankful for the family that I work for because they are so wonderful to me.  I realize that there are many nannies who are in a less than positive work environment, and I hate that for them.  I feel blessed to be a part of their family everyday)

We ended up leaving together Saturday night after Greg got off work.  It was actually kind of nice to get there early because we were able to attend Greg's dad's last service and the pot luck lunch the church had afterward to honor them for their service.  Sunday afternoon I was exhausted!  I am so glad that I was able to take a nap because the visitation was that night, and I knew that we were going to be there for the whole thing.  It's always nice to see family friends, but I hate when it is at such a heartbreaking time.

Greg worked so hard the entire time we were there, and apparently the dogs did too.  HA!

I'll spare you all the packing details because there are a lot of them!  We got the Uhaul on Monday morning, and Greg packed it as tightly as he could before we had to leave to go to the funeral.  When we got back his parents told us that they were going to need a second Uhaul to get everything, and Greg wouldn't accept that we couldn't fit it all in one truck.  We got everything there in 4 car trips on Tuesday, the Uhaul and 4 cars on Wednesday.  It was crazy, but I don't know why I was surprised because moving is always insane.

Moving day!  We finally had everything loaded up!  

We did manage to squeeze a trip over to Atlanta in for a Braves game one night with Greg's parents.  I am really glad that we were able to go because I think we all needed a break from the craziness that is moving.

On Sunday, we went to both services at Roanoke FUMC.  It was really nice.  Everyone that we met was super friendly, and I think that it is going to be a really good fit for Ralph.  We are so happy for Ralph and Linda as they begin their new journey in Roanoke.

Side note: We don't have Sonics in Durham.  I was so excited about getting a Cherry Limeade!  

We brought a lot of Greg's stuff back with us, and bless the dogs for tolerating the fact that they had no where to sit.  

Zucchini Bread!

About a week ago I decided to make some zucchini bread because I had several zucchinis that were going to go bad if I didn't use them soon.  I asked a few people if they had any recipes that they loved, and I never really got a reply from anyone.  I decided to google and look around to see what I could find.  I found a recipe on  Allrecipes.com that was okay, but I thought I could make it healthier.  I made some good changes, and the result was super moist and delicious zucchini bread!  I was shocked at how much I liked it, and I was even more shocked at how much Greg liked it!

My healthier version of zucchini bread: 

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 3 eggs

- 1 cup applesauce

- 1/2- 3/4 cup brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 2 cups grated zucchini (I just grated 4 medium-large zucchinis, it was probably more than 2 cups.  You don't have to strain it because the juice helps to keep the bread moist)

- 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

You sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon) together in one bowl.  Whisk the eggs, applesauce, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.  Next, fold in the zucchini and nuts.

This makes enough for two loaves, so split the batter between two buttered loaf pans.  Bake them for somewhere between 45-60 minutes depending on your oven.  I would start checking them, and you can stick a toothpick or knife in to see if they're done.  If the knife comes out clean then you are good to go, but if it comes out with batter on it then keep baking.

Your house/apartment is going to smell amazing.  I love the smell of spiced bread... This is super delicious.  It's also a good way to get vegetables in your kids or picky spouse (ha!).  I hope that you enjoy it as much as Greg and I did!

Going home: Tuscaloosa edition

I made a last minute trip home to Alabama back in May.  The family that I nanny for was going to be gone for a week, and Mom was missing me (and wouldn't come to Durham)... So, I decided to go home for a few days.  It was a relatively short trip, Saturday-Wednesday, but it was certainly nice to see my family.

I had a pretty long layover in ATL, but it was actually a nice change from having to run to catch my next flight.  I enjoyed being able to get breakfast, and do some people watching.

I coordinated a family get together while I was home.  We met at one of my favorite restaurants, Jim 'n Nick's in Hoover.  To my surprise, everyone was actually able to make it.  Having everyone there certainly made it more fun, although we did all miss Greg.  I got to spend some time with my nephew, Justin.  He actually got to chew on his first rib bone!

Okay, so Jim 'N Nick's is actually Greg's favorite restaurant.  He was extremely jealous that we went to eat there without him.   

Here is me and sweet Justin.  I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with him! 

This is Alicia, Ben, me, Guy, Andrea, and Justin.  It's always great to get a picture of all of us together.

I also got to have dinner with my sweet friend, Mary.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture together.  It was one of the highlights of my trip home.  One of the hardest things about living so far away is that you don't get the opportunity to see you good friends on a regular basis.  I am always missing Mary, so it was especially nice to get together with her for dinner.

Mom, Dad and I went out to dinner at my all time favorite restaurant in Tuscaloosa.  I absolutely love Depalmas.  I think the food is really good, and I love it's charm.

It's so cute!  I wish I had some pictures of the inside to show you.

I got one of the specials, and it was so good!  

Like always, it was really good to go home and see my family.  I wish that I could do it more often, and that Greg had been able to join me for this trip.  I was so glad to see my parents, siblings, and Mary!  We will be heading back to AL in a few weeks for a wedding, and maybe we will be able to see a few more people during that visit!

Sangria and Baked Brie!

When our friends were visiting, I decided that I'd make some sangria!  I had never made any before, and so I looked around at a bunch of different recipes to try and figure out how to make it.  I kind of picked parts from several different recipes, and this is what I came up with.  It was absolutely delicious!

The first step is to cut up all the fruit.  I used 2 lemons, 2 limes, 1 orange, 1 red apple, and one green apple.  You slice the citrus fruits and dice the apples.  Throw them in your pitcher.

Then you add the booze!  I decided to do a bottle of Spanish red wine (it's one of the cheapest bottles that I could find at Trader Joe's, all the recipes I read said to use cheap wine, so here you go).  Then I added a cup of orange flavored vodka and a cup of Triple Sec.  Then you should pop it into the fridge for several hours so that the fruit can soak up everything.  

This is the finished product.  We started drinking it, and I felt like it was missing something.  A few of the recipes mentioned adding something with bubbles like ginger ale or sprite.  Well, I didn't have any of those, but I did have a bottle of Prosecco.  I added a splash of that into each glass and it was perfect! Something worth mentioning, the fruit really soaks in the alcohol, so be prepared to be shocked when you take those first few bites of fruit.  It is seriously like taking a shot.  whew.  

Besides wine, one of my favorite things to buy at Trader Joe's is cheese.  They have very affordable cheese.  While I was there picking up the Spanish wine, I got some Brie and French bread.  This recipe is super easy and really delicious.  Put the Brie on a baking sheet and bake it at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Also throw your sliced bread in there too, so that it can get crusty and toasty and delicious.  While the cheese and bread are cooking, toast some sliced almonds in a skillet.  When the cheese is good and oozy then pull it out of the oven, put it on the plate, throw the almonds on top and drizzle with honey.  NOM.  I mean, SO GOOD!

You should make both of these of your next get together.  I think that you should make a double batch of the Sangria if you are entertaining people.  YUM!  I hope that you guys enjoy this as much as we did.  Happy eating!

Friday Favorites: Currently Reading (or just finished)

I tend to go through spurts where I will read a lot in a short amount of time, and then I will take a break for 1-2 (well, maybe more) months.  I'm not sure exactly why it happens to me like that.  I've always wanted to be the type of person that reads at the end of the day, before I go to sleep.  I have just never been able to achieve that goal.  Recently, I have been successful at reading before bed and not staying up too late!  It all started with something that I'm kind of afraid to admit to all you blog readers out there...

50 Shades of Grey- I had seen a lot on twitter recently about this book.  I knew that there was going to a special on 20/20 with the author, and I had read some online about it.  I didn't know if I really wanted to read it.  It's about a recent college graduate who met a very successful business man, and there was an instant attraction.  She feels like she could fall in love with him, but he's into some serious stuff.... BDSM.  Now, that's not at all the kind of thing that I'm in to, so I have no clue why I was so drawn to this book.  I don't think it's fun or sexy, but I seriously could not put this book down.  I read the whole thing in 4 sittings over 5 days.  Now that it's over I'm debating about whether I should continue on with the trilogy, or if I should call it a day and be done with reading about freaky sex.  (HA!)

After flying through such a serious book, I needed something a little less intense.  I had bought this book right after it came out, but I just hadn't decided to pick it up.  I talked about Ree Drummond in my last Friday Favorites post.  I love her.  I love her food (in extreme moderation).  I love her blog.  I love her dog, Charlie.  I love the life that she lives.  I was very intrigued when this came out because I'm always wanting to know more about famous people that I like.  I also flew through this book, it was finished within a week.  It's her and her husband's love story.  It was so sweet and touching and heartbreaking and amazing.  I loved everything.  One reason I may have loved it so much is because it was simple, pure, and very sweet, which was a huge contrast to what I had just finished reading!  If you just want a sweet love story then you should pick this up.

Little Bee is another book that I picked up FOREVER ago, but after finishing the last book I was desperate to start reading something else right away.  I just started this one a few nights ago before bed. I have just read the first chapter, but I'm certainly intrigued!  I can't wait to get further into it.

I know that Little Bee is more on the serious side of things, so I decided that I needed to pick up something that was a little lighter to balance it with.  I couldn't resist picking this book up yesterday.  I'm already 60 pages in and I am seriously LOVING it.  I have already had several LOLs, and everyone that I have talked to that has read it highly recommends it.  I'll have to let you guys know how it goes.

There you have it!  Those are the books that I'm into right now.  I seriously cannot believe that I blogged about 50 Shades of Grey!  I feel like no one talks about reading it (at least I don't know one person that has told me they've read it), so maybe I broke the ice.  If you have read it, I want to know!  I hope that everyone has had a wonderful week!  I am planning on blogging with my Sangria and baked Brie recipe this weekend.

Scott and Kathleen visit!

Our very good friends Scott and Kathleen came to visit us this past weekend.  We had SO much fun, and it's always so good to see them!  They drove over on Thursday afternoon after they got off work.  Greg and I were so excited about their arrival that we both stayed up until 12:30 waiting on them to get here, and then we all stayed up an hour or so more talking.  If you know me, that's a pretty big deal (I tend to go to bed on the early side).

We did a lot of fun stuff on Friday.  First we went over to Duke Gardens.  It was so pretty!  We really enjoyed walking around and checking everything out, and then we walked over to Duke Chapel.  It is so gorgeous on the inside, and I think there were some organ students practicing in the Chapel.  I haven't been when the organ was being played, and so I just sat down to take it all in.

 Kathleen and I at Duke Gardens

Our handsome husbands 

The Gardens were beautiful!  I loved these flowers. 

Scott and Kathleen 

Me and the hubs.

The inside of Duke Chapel.  Isn't it gorgeous?!

After we walked back to the car, we headed over to one of my favorite lunch places in Durham, Foster's Market.  Scott and Kathleen had sandwiches, I had a salad, and Greg had a milkshake (of course).  When we finished eating, we headed home to catch a nap because we were all tired from the late night on Thursday.

Friday night we headed over to the American Tobacco Campus because they were starting their Music on the Lawn series.  We took a couple of blankets, and a bottle of wine for me and Kathleen.  The boys walked over to Mellow Mushroom and grabbed a pizza.  We had a really good time just hanging out and listening to the really good bluegrass band that played.  I think that was my favorite part of the weekend!

The Lucky Strike Tower is at the center of the American Tobacco Campus downtown.  The band plays right underneath it on the stage.  It's one of the big Durham landmarks.   

There were a lot of people there! 

I really love Bluegrass.  I think that Greg and I will become regulars at Music on the Lawn 

Scott and Kathleen really enjoyed it too!

Saturday morning, Scott and Kathleen went to meet some family friends for the Farmer's Market and brunch.  I just took it easy, and went out to run a few errands while they were gone.  Greg had to work a few hours that afternoon.  When they got back over to the house, we headed to Trader Joe's.  I absolutely love that place!

Saturday afternoon the boys went over to the driving range.  Kathleen and I had some sangria, and I made some baked brie with honey and almonds.  It was incredible!  I'll be posting the recipe later.  When the guys got back, Greg started getting the grill ready to cook dinner.  We had a pork tenderloin, grilled corn, grilled zucchini and squash.  It was delicious!  After dinner, we just hung out at the house, had some dessert, and played a few board games.

Absolutely delicious!!

Sunday morning we went to Watt's Grocery for brunch.  It was fantastic!  They had the best grits that I have ever had.  SO good!

Overall, I would say it was a great weekend and we had a wonderful visit.  We absolutely love Scott and Kathleen!  We are already planning a trip to Chicago in the fall to visit them.

Friday Favorites- TV edition!

Greg and I are both loving Smash!  I think that they definately has good and not so good episodes.  It's recently been renewed for another season, and I can't wait to see what happens!  If you like musicals, theater, singing, or drama then you will love this!  I also love Katherine McPhee and Debra Messing!

Castle is one our of all time favorites!  I find that I'm becoming more and more frustrated with the state of Castle and Beckett's relationship!  Anyone else feeling this way?  I think that the tension between them is getting to be more than I can stand.  I wish they would just tell each other how they are feeling!

I love Jeff Lewis and Jenni!  I'm so glad that they are back with a new show.  It makes the time between Flipping Out seasons more bearable.  It's so entertaining to watch them move in with clients, and try to help them work through issues.  I find this even more amusing because Jeff has so many issues of his own, it's funny to watch him react to other people's strange habits and design sense.

I know, I don't need a lecture about how this one is on it's last leg.  Everyone is saying that ABC is going to cancel it, but I still love it.  I think that Shonda Rhime's writing is phenominal, and the acting is great as well.  I love that this show deals with such difficult topics, and I always find myself crying at some point during the episode.  I will be very sad to see it go if ABC decides to cancel it.

Greg only tolerates this show because I love it so much.  I've really enjoyed watching this season unfold.  I am a tad bit peeved with the HUGE break that they have been on for the last two months.  Why does ABC think that is such a good idea?  Although I love this show, I am not sure how it can carry on for more than one season.  I guess we will just have to see what happens.

Okay, seriously, don't judge me.  This show is hysterical.  The Robertson family is a total hoot.  I find myself laughing throughout the entire show.  It's interesting to watch their family dynamic and how it affects the family business.  Greg will claim that he doesn't like this show, but you know what?  He laughs through the entire episode too!

Hello!  Have you seen this new show?  If not, then you need to stop reading and go over to ABC's web-site and watch it.  Now, do it.  Great show!  I just love Shonda Rhimes writing, she is very talented.  I love all her shows! (even though Grey's Anatomy isn't getting any love on this post)  I love how intense this is, and the Olivia Pope is a total bad ass.

I have no idea why I love this show so much.  I think it's the people on the show that I love.  I think that Troy and Bruce (I call him Big Sexy) really make the show.  If you haven't seen this then you should hop on over to the History Channel and give it a try.  It's very entertaining!  Again, Greg will probably try and deny that he likes this one, but we watch it together every week.  

I love Ree Drummond.  period.  I don't necessarily think that you should make her food every single day, or just as the recipe calls for.  I think a lot of improvements could be made to her recipes to make them healthier, but sometimes nothing is better than a butter and cream filled batch of mashed potatoes with a big juicy steak.  I love the insight into her life and cooking on this Food Network show.  They have just restarted the first series, and I'm looking forward to the new season.

If you haven't been watching this show then you are really missing out.  Discovery Channel makes the most magnificent shows about Earth.  They have ways of capturing the most amazing moments on camera.  I have loved seeing this mini-series!  My favorite episodes are the ones that show the behind the scenes footage because I think it is crazy to see how they are able to film these wild creatures in their natural habitat.

Well, there you have it.  This is my first Friday Favorites post, and hopefully I will be able to keep it up every week.  If you have a suggestion on what next Friday's post should be about then just let me know!  I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend, and grab your remote to set the DVR!