A good thing:)

L.O.V.E

Close to the top of the mountain

This past weekend T and I headed up to Ruidoso to go on our second ski trip together. We had heard that there were season passes on sale for $199, regularly $600 per person, so we wanted to see if it was too good to be true. Sure enough we asked and the tickets were good for any day and last through next April. We couldn't beat that so we ended up getting two season ski passes. We figure we will go at least 4 times and each time you go it is 100 bucks for a ski lift so it was well worth it! We even got to use it last weekend! T and I never thought we would be skiing in New Mexico. The ski mountain is better than we both ever expected.
      When we pulled out of the driveway Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. we were thrilled because the high was suppose to be in the high 40's and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Well as we started our way up the mountain we notice that there was no clouds in the sky except for one BIG one right over Ruidoso (the actual ski slopes). To say the least we froze our hinnies off all day. It didn't stop snowing all day. That didn't stop us though. We started skiing around 10:00 and didn't stop till 4:00. It was an AWESOME day! After skiing we headed to Farley's where T's eyes were a little bit bigger than his stomach. He definitely order the Mondo Hondo, which consisted of 2 hamburger patties! He couldn't even eat one patty so we ended up taken most of it and my meal home with us. We are headed up to Ruidoso next weekend to get our last weekend of skiing in.

                                                                   the mondo hondo

Buddy's Visit!

So I am REAL behind on my posting but I just haven't had a moment to sit down and write. Although the dishwasher is waiting for me to empty it, the clothes sitting to my right need to be folded, and the house needs to be clean, I just had to take some time to catch yall up. A week and a half ago, John (a.k.a. Buddy) came to visit. He was our first guest  in our new house! John flew into El Paso around 7:30 on Friday night. Remind you we haven't seen anybody since we headed off in that old truck leaving our reception, so we were both about to jump out of our skins to see a friend!! After we picked John up we headed to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. It was sooo good to catch up with buddy and eat some good food. We then headed to meet Mike and Rusty, Taylor's work friends, at this "Honky Tonk" place. John taught Taylor and I how to two step and the boys played several games of pool. On Saturday, I made a huge breakfast for the boys while they watched hunting and talked about hunting... nothing has changed! We got ready and headed to White Sands. Taylor and I were kinda frustrated because it had been like 70 degrees all week and then this weekend it was like in the 40s! So we froze our hinnies off at white sands but it didn't stop us at all! After hanging out and showing John White Sands we then headed up to Cloudcroft. It was AWESOME up there. The boys wanted to check out the public hunting land while I wanted to shop... that didn't work. We drove up and downs these beautiful roads with snow everywhere. We were told there was this beautiful lookout spot that we needed to check out. So we road all the way up there to find no lookout spot...so sad. We headed back to Alamogordo about 6:00. The boys picked up some sardines and C.C. on our way home. When we got home the boys sat in the kitchen in camping chairs eating their sardines and drinking their C.C. trying to figure out when they became friends!! haha I had to beg them to go to dinner at like 8:30! On Sunday, we headed to Lowe's, hung around the house, and headed to the airport. We arrived in El Paso a little early so we decided to go check out the border with the big ole fence. I was sooo cool. You could def. see Mexico...it was crazy! We finally had to go to their airport and I thought T was going to cry when we got there... instead I teared up! It was just such a FUN weekend together just like old times! We can't thank John enough for coming. It brought joy to our life and we are so thankful to have a friend like John! We love you Buddy!

St. Patty's Day

My Hubby!

The guys!

Hanging out at Pizza Patio

So I never celebrated St. Patty's Day till I met T! The past 3 St. Patty days always fell on Spring Break so we would always celebrate with our green on! This year we couldn't let it down! So last Wednesday two of T's work friends, Mike and Rusty, came up to Alamogordo and we all went to this Pizza Pub. We sat on the patio and enjoyed some live music (bagpipe that is) and watched the sunset over the mountains. We had the best time just hanging out. We couldn't get over that we were the last ones there and it was 9:30!!!! Everything here shuts down at like 9:00! haha The next morning, I got up and made the guys some yummy biscuits and sausage and they were headed out the door!

Photos of our new home!

Our Kitchen

Our Bedroom

Our Bedroom

Taylor's Office

Taylor's Office

Guest Bedroom

Here are a couple photos of our new place. We still have a lot to do but right now we can't seem to find the time to do it! I guess that's a good thing--staying busy but it would be nice to get things hung and off the floor. I didn't realize how much time it takes to get it all together. I love this place and am so blessed to be here. I sure do miss Birmingham and all the great people that love us but I have to remember daily the Lord has us here for a REASON! I have learned over the years that His plan is sooooo much better than ours! ha So I am letting Him be the planner from now on!

Easter is around the corner!

Our first real holiday together (St. Patty's doesn't count although we are celebrating!)... EASTER! I have already decorated our new little house with Easter decorations and I LOVE it! We are excited about this being our first holiday together. Does the Easter Bunny still come when you are married? haha We couldn't be any happier so I wanted to show yall a picture of our little house with our Easter decor. Let's don't forget the meaning of Easter... The Lord has risen!

A little taste of the beach!

Ok so I have another recipe for yall to try, but this one you definitely have to give it a try. It is another one of Mrs. Susanne's and it really is good! It just sounds kinda interesting and while you are making it you kinda want to gag BUT it is soooo good and guys LOVE it! It's called Salmon Croquettes. Here is the recipe...if you try it please let me know. Oh! did I mention it is EASY! whoo hoo

Salmon Croquettes


Ingredients:
1 can salmon (find this in the canned tuna area)
2 sleeves of saltine crackers (pureed in blender)
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
Pour can of salmon in large bowl, including juice. Add egg and crunch with hands. Add a little salt and pepper and one sleeve of saltine crackers (pureed in blender). Mix with hands. Make into four patties. Pat patties in pureed crackers on both sides. Fry in grease until brown. Great with homemade mash potatoes and peas w/ carrots.

*The salmon does contain bones (gross) but leave them in there. They are good for you.

Aunt Toots and Uncle T!

Well it is true...T and I are going to be an aunt and uncle this year!! WHOOO HOO Lesley and Mitch (Taylor's older brother) are expecting their first child in September!! They have known for a while now but didn't tell us till after the wedding. On Sunday, we went and said our goodbyes to our families and Mitch told us then. It was hard enough leaving and this made it even harder! I think we talked about being an aunt and uncle more than we talked about the wedding... no just kidding but we did talk about it a lot! It is awesome how the Lord puts such great blessings in our lives to look forward to. I can't wait till they find out what the baby is so we can start sending some little baby stuff their way! It has definitely given me an excuse to look at the cute baby stuff every time I walk into a store. We are so happy for them and cannot wait till he/she arrives in September!

New Recipe!

The first time I ever went home with T to Wetumpka, Mrs. Susanne made this delicious meal called Chicken Pesto. It was to die for! Every time I would go to Wetumpka she would always make it. With the chicken pesto she made a great salad and garlic cheese biscuits. So last night I decided I would try it out. It was AWESOME and surprisingly easy! T loved it! We are trying not to let all this cooking get to us; so instead of making garlic cheese biscuits I made a good salad and green beans to go with it. Here is the recipe if you want it! If you try it let me know what you think!

Chicken Pesto

Ingredients:
3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts
Basil seasoning
Pepper
Garlic Salt
Pesto Sauce
Olive Oil
Green Onions
Grape Tomatoes
Shredded Parmesan Cheese --not graded!
Angel Hair Pasta


Instructions:
Season chicken real well with basil, peppep, and garlic salt. Grill until done. Cut up onions and tomatoes. Cook angel hair pasta according to directions. Drain. Add pesto sauce, 2 tbsps of parmesan cheese and about 3 tbsps of olive oil to pasta....stir/mix well.

To Serve: place pasta on plate, topped with chopped chicken, parmesan cheese, tomatoes and onions. Great with salad, green beans, or cheese biscuits. ENJOY!

It's Official....

Well the 3rd time was a charm. I am pretty much a pro now at getting my forunner registered in a new state..haha. I have never felt so dumb when I walked into the MVD (Motor Vehicle Department) for the first time. I have never felt like a genius when I walked out the 3rd time and I had the tag in my hand. It was a wonderful feeling. I had been driving on an expired tag for ohh a week and 1/2 now and was prepared every time I went anywhere to get pulled over. It was so bad that I would drive down back roads just so I wouldn't see a cop. I don't have to do that anymore though! Last night T and I took off the Alabama tag (sad) and put on the new turquoise tag. It's a beauty let me tell you...not. I think it is quite hideous, but I will get use to it!  

El Paso

On Sunday, Taylor and I woke up exhausted and sunburn again from White Sands (remind you last Sunday we woke up exhausted and sunburned from the skiing). We have learned that we are going to HAVE to purchase sunscreen! Ha We decided we would give Christ Community Church a try. We decided to go to the early service since we were going to El Paso to return some wedding presents that we had gotten duplicates of later that day. We weren't sure that was the place for us; so we are continuing our church home search and hoping we will find one with some young couples and some sunday school classes. We feel that by being involved in a church will help us find some new friends.
        After church, we loaded the presents up and headed south for El Paso. El Paso is just about an hour south of us. It has EVERYTHING even a TARGET and CHICK-FA-LA!! whoo hoo When we arrived in El Paso we were really craving Chick-fa-la. We had forgotten that it was Sunday and they don't serve on Sunday so we decided we would go to Texas Roadhouse. There are all these new and fun places to try in a new city and of course we chose something that we have back at home... ha! We thought it was special though because we were eating in Texas at Texas Roadhouse. We are goobers! Well I thought this would be a relaxing shopping experience but it wasn't... to say the least. We started off at Bed Bath and Beyond where we had 2 shopping carts full of gifts to return. We stayed in BBB for ohh what seemed like 3 hours but just an hour and 1/2, which is still a long time. After BBB, we headed to Michael's where we got some frames for T's office and our bedroom. Macy's was next on our list so we headed there and T and I got a garment bag to use when we head back home. Last, we went to TARGET (my all time favorite store) and it seemed like everybody and their moms were in there too. We finally got back on the road at 7:15 and hurried home because we had some pork chops marinating in the frig. So at 9:00 we were grilling out pork chops. We both have never been that exhausted from a shopping trip. My legs and feet felt numb. We were excited though to have some new things to add to our little home.

a little taste of home

Zac Brown


Taylor and I went on our first outing with some friends last Thursday night. We went with Chelsea and David Roberts and some of their friends to the Zac Brown Band concert in Las Cruzas. We had a BLAST! We are so blessed that the Roberts are out here too. They are living in El Paso which is only like an hour drive for us, which is nothing out here! I knew David and Chelsea back in high school but they were a couple years older than me. It is crazy how the Lord puts people in your life when you aren't expecting it. We can't thank Him enough for placing them in our lives. We are excited to hang out with them more, whether it is in El Paso or in Alamogordo. 

First Meal = SUCCESS!

Eating on our new plates for the first time!

So I never loved to cook until now. I have been inspired since we have been married to make some good meals for T. I have been joking ever since we got engaged about how I have some huge shoes to fill in the cooking area and it is TRUE. Taylor's mom is a great cook so I have been trying out some of her recipes. The first night we were here I made Jolie's Chicken. This was one of Holly's recipe that I had gotten at my kitchen shower. It was divine. It was a taste of heaven in my mouth. The best part about it... it was sooo EASY! T loved it! I served it over rice with a salad and green beans. It made for a great first meal (not the healthiest BUT was great for a first meal!) :) Thanks Holly!

Jolie's Chicken Recipe 

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken (6)

1 Can of Cream of Chicken soup

8 oz of Sour Cream

Parmesan Cheese

Ritz Crackers

Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

Wash and trim chicken breasts. Pat and dry and salt and pepper. Put in a greases glass dish. Spread sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Crush lots of Ritz crackers on top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Sauce: 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1 8 oz sour cream. Mix and add 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Optional: Serve over rice!

February 20, 2010

February 20, 2010 was the BEST day of our lives. We were reminded that day of how blessed and loved we are. To be surrounded by our family and friends was a feeling I can't describe.  We both soaked every moment in because we knew it would fly by... and it did! We can't thank our friends and family enough for supporting us and being beside us every step of the way. Taylor said it right when he spoke this at the rehearsal dinner, "We wouldn't be who we are if we didn't have yall (our friends and family) surrounding us."  It means so much to have all of our best friends in one place at one time. We love each one of you and we thank God every day for you. Please continue to pray for us as we begin a new journey. 

Thorn in My Side

A couple weeks before our wedding John calls me up and tells me that Bussey (Nathan), Dave, and Richard are all coming in on Thursday so they can have a bachelor party for T. I was soo excited because I knew T was a little sad about not having one when he left for NM. But the problem was it was going to be a surprise... and I am the world's worst with surprises!! So a couple weeks went by and I didn't say a word. I listen to him complain about how much he missed the guys and etc. So Thursday finally gets here and he just knew that the guys weren't getting in till the next day. Well to his surprise Bussey was flying in from Orlando, David was driving from Atlanta, and Richard was on his way from Mobile. What awesome friends! Not only were they all going out but they were going in style. John had these awesome T-Shirts made that said "Thorn in My Side" (long story) and that were neon yellow so nobody could miss them. While T's family and my family were finishing up dinner all the guys show up with a lemo. Taylor was shocked. He couldn't believe that they were all in Bham and they were going out. They quickly put his shirt on him and headed out for down town. Taylor couldn't ask for better friends. This group of guys is one of a kind. They are so awesome and they would do anything for each other. Love you guys! 

so blessed

For five weeks I had been waiting for that Thursday when T would fly home to Alabama. Wow what a feeling! It was the most excited I think we both had ever been. The heart does grow founder with distance! I arrived at the airport about 30 minutes early and it was the longest 30 minutes I had ever waited. It was neat to know that after that weekend I would see him everyday. John flew home with T and it was so good to see him as well. T surprised me with new cowgirl boots:) Check them out!

new things!

Ok so I am not the best writer in the world, but I wanted to keep yall updating on what we are doing out here in New Mexico. It still feels weird to say "New Mexico" but it is becoming more homier (sp?)! When Taylor called me back in December and told me he had a phone interview with a company in Tulsa, OK, The Ross Group, I am about jumped out of my skin. I thought well Oklahoma isn't too far away but little did I know they were going to place him in Orogande, New Mexico. We tried not to get our hopes up but we couldn't help it because this was the first company that had pursued him since his Co-Op experience. The phone interview went well and a week later on December 23rd Taylor and I were last minute Christmas shopping in the Galleria when he got another phone call from The Ross Group. This time they wanted to see when he could fly out to Tulsa for a face-to-face interview... we were really about to jump out of our skin now! So the next week he got on a plane and flew west to Tulsa. The informed him of where the job would be and what he would be doing. The next day he got an offer and excepted  a day later. When we took a look on the map of where Orogrande was we couldn't really find it... that's because it consist of a  population of 51.. yes fifty one people! So then we started looking around to see what cities would be the closest. We came up with Las Cruzas, El Paso, or Alamogordo. T would have to commute either way so we started investigation these cities and we thought we would look at Alamogordo first. 

On January 8, 2010 we started our journey to Alamogordo, NM. We drove a 17 foot Uhaul with all our furniture and my forunner on a trailer behind it. We had research several apartment complexes and rental homes but didn't know a soul and had no clue what we were getting ourselves into. We drove all day Friday and Saturday and finally got to Alamogordo on Saturday night. Sunday we woke up to find a new little town. We drove around all day looking at places.  On Monday morning, we found ourselves sitting outside of Alamogordo Realty at 8a.m... they didn't open till 8:30 ( a little eager maybe?). We had already look at some of the houses they had up for rent online and so we asked if we could go look inside the house on Santa Cruz Drive. We went a took a look and it was AWESOME even with the shag carpet in the bedrooms. It was a three bedroom house, one bathroom, a cute little kitchen, living room, one car garage, and a fenced in back yard. We thought we had hit the lottery! So we trekked back to Alamogordo Realty all excited and giggly to find out we were the 2nd on the waiting list. We were devastated. We just knew the people in front of us would get it. So then we went to the next house up which was 950 a month, which was above our budget. We went and took a look and it was nice but HUGE! Remind you we had the Uhaul till Wednesday, so we started looking at maybe living in Las Cruzas. We went to the local coffee shop where we could get internet and started researching. We still had the key to the 950 house so we took it back and they asked us how we liked it. We told them it was way over our price range and we just needed to think about it. They looked at us and said well it doesn't really matter because the family in front of yall on the Santa Cruz house wants the 950 house so yall get the Santa Cruz house! Taylor and I again about jumped out of our skin! GOD is SOO GREAT! So we came back on Tuesday to sign the lease and moved everything in. The next day Taylor went to work and left me to unload all the boxes. I flew back home on Sunday and left him to work till February 18th! What a blessing. We have learned that it is sooooo evident the Lord wants us here. We know this is HIS plan for us and we are so excited to see what else he has in store for us. We never thought we would be living here in NEW MEXICO but we couldn't be more excited! Please keep us in your prayers.