Happy New Year!

I love New Year's Eve.  It's a time to reflect, remember and look forward.  2012 brought so much change to my life.  I gained a lot of family, but I also lost my grandmother.  I am so thankful to have gotten to know Effie and to have spent 26 years with her on this earth.  She knew I was pregnant and was so excited about baby Raleigh.  I wish they could have met!  I wish she could have been here for at least the rest of the year, to celebrate with our family as we grew.  She passed away in March.  In May, my sister Amy got married; in July, Raleigh Katherine was born and ten days later, my sister Courtney got married.  Another one of her grandchildren (Alan) also got married over the summer.  In October, another great-grandchild was born.  Even with all the joy during these celebrations, there was always some sorrow because of her absence.  So, we've celebrated new family members, new life, and we continue to remember the ones who are no longer with us.

And now, we look forward.  Most people come up with resolutions, goals, hopes and plans.  I don't (come up with anything specific), because they're usually out the window come March January 2nd.  I look forward by envisioning myself as a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and most of all as a better Christian.  I will strive daily to glorify Christ in all that I do, even on the days when I don't leave the house.  God has blessed us more than we deserve and I want to show Him (and it will never be enough) that I am extremely grateful.

Matthew 5:16

Wordless Wednesday

Mark (at Tupelo Honey)

Kaeley (at Tupelo Honey)

Playground

Red Friday

Static electricity on the slide at the playground

Watching BabyFirst TV

Mud Pie Photo Shoot

I had a few adorable Mud Pie outfits that my mother-in-law gave Raleigh, but they were too big for her this summer. Well, now it's Fall, but I had to have some pictures of her in them! So, we had a little photo session today.

She gave us some that are fit for Fall/Winter and I can't wait to show her off in them!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Halloween!

10/24/12

10/24/12

A few weeks ago

Tuesday Tastes: Baked Potato and Salad

Sometimes after a weekend of eating food like this...

Breakfast at Tupelo Honey 

Wedding Food: Fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and bacon; S'mores cupcakes

...you're still full on Monday night and just want something like this:

Baked Potato How-to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Separate two oven racks in thirds.  Line the bottom rack with aluminum foil or a baking sheet to catch drippings.  

Scrub potatoes.  Poke holes all over with a fork.  In a bowl, cover potatoes with EVOO and salt.  Place on center of top rack and bake for about an hour and 10 minutes.  

Top with whatever you like. Eat the peeling for better nutritious value!  

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tastes: Pesto Shrimp Pasta

This meal cooks quickly and is very easy to prep!  My sister found it here and passed it on to me.  Ray loved it (except for the tomatoes...he's weird about textures), but it wasn't my favorite.  Next time, I would use bigger shrimp and less pesto.

Pesto Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp*
1 pint cherry tomatoes
12 oz pasta (I used angel hair)
1 8-oz jar pesto
1/4 bunch fresh parsley**
salt and pepper

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta (3/4 of 16 oz box)
• While the water is coming to a boil, heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat.  While the pan is heating, mince the garlic and then add to the pan.  Cook the garlic just until softened and fragrant (1-2 minutes).  
• Turn the heat on the skillet up to medium high and add the shrimp (thawed, drained).  Saute the shrimp and garlic until the shrimp are fully cooked (about 5 minutes).  They will be pink and not transparent when fully cooked.  
• While the shrimp are cooking, rinse and slice the tomatoes in half.  Once the shrimp is cooked, add the tomatoes.  Season the pan with salt and pepper and continue to cook until the tomatoes start to break down just slightly (about 5 minutes).  
• Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet along with the jar of pesto.  Stir until everything is evenly coated with pesto.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

*I bought frozen, cooked shrimp, because I didn't want to have to take the tails off;  but, it would probably be better to use medium or large shrimp.  You can use cooked or uncooked.

**I bought this, but didn't end up using it. 

One thing I do wish I had done was prep everything beforehand (cutting the tomatoes, mincing the garlic, thawing the shrimp, etc.).  I felt like I was making the biggest mess and rushing to do everything!  

Throw some bread in the oven and save a little pesto and olive oil to mix together for dipping.  This was my favorite part of the meal, along with my glass of cabernet sauvignon! 

Wordless Wednesday

Got milk?

This counts for tummy time, right?

She loves learning about animals on the farm...

Maybe she'll be a cowgirl!

Jumparoo we bought from a neighbor

Our gangsta boo! ;) 

Tuesday Tastes: Papa John's Deal

This isn't a recipe, sorry!  But, it's a tasty deal.  Anytime NC STATE wins a football game on Saturday, you can make an online order from Papa John's and get 50% off on Sunday.  Promo code: Wolfpack.  Ray and I did this when we beat Florida State last Saturday!!

We got it in the last few seconds!! 

Monday Must-Haves: Boon Grass Drying Rack

I love my Boon Grass countertop drying rack.  It's cute and extremely practical.  The bottles we use have several different parts, so after I wash and rinse them, I leave them apart and stick them in the grass.  Nothing ever falls onto the counter or floor.  It's so easy to clean, too.  The bottom part comes off and I just rinse and dry from time to time.  Definitely a must-have!!

I registered for it at Target

Fun Friday

Last night we went to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the Orange Peel here in Asheville.  It's a great venue and we loved seeing her there! It was our first night out on the town post-baby.  My friend, Jordan, babysat for us and she did a great job! Raleigh went to sleep at 7:15 and slept through the night.

We went to Barley's to grab a bite to eat before the concert.  We'd only been to Barley's for drinks, but after the pizza we ate last night, we will definitely go more often for the food!  I got the Catawba Valley Farmer Ted's Farmhouse Cream Ale to drink. SO good!

Rayland Baxter opened for GPN. He was pretty good! Ray described him as a country Jack Johnson.

Here are a couple clips of GPN that I captured, but you must get some of her music! She's amazing!

We definitely felt like parents while we were out.  At dinner we kept talking about Raleigh.  While we were at the concert, I kept texting Jordan to see if RK was still sleeping.  It was a very successful night out, though - we had a blast!! 

Tonight, it's game time...

We will be watching it on TV, but if they win tonight we will be headed to Atlanta for Monday's playoff game!! 

Thursday Thoughts

Why I Stopped Encouraging Students to Become Teachers

I wanted to write a more thoughtful post on this article, but baby girl hasn't slept a wink today!  I'm just going to leave it at this...

I hate to say that I agree with what this guy has to say.  It's pretty disheartening.  However, I will continue to teach--or at least work in a school--to nurture children and be a part of that safe and secure environment so many kids don't have at home.  I love trying to make school a place where kids enjoy going every day. I love forming relationships where the kids have someone in whom they can trust and on whom they can depend.

Wordless Wednesday

My sister, Anna, and her two little ones (+ one on the way!) visited for a little while last Saturday.    

Raleigh & W

Sweet E!

Anna and Raleigh

W did such a great job with Raleigh!

Kisses

Monday Must-Haves

When we first brought Raleigh home, she was supposed to sleep in the bassinet of her Pack & Play.  That was the plan.  Reality: She wouldn't sleep more than an hour at a time in it, so she mostly slept on my chest in bed.  I wasn't getting much sleep, but it was easy to BF that way.  Bring in the Aden & Anais swaddle and the Rock 'n Play.

At first, she didn't like to be swaddled at all.  She would fight her way out of it every time.  But, whenever I used the Aden & Anais swaddle blanket that my sister gave us (Raleigh's first gift!), she wouldn't get out of it and she even liked it.  These blankets are large, breathable, and have a lot of give.  I also learned how to swaddle the right way: left arm, LEGS, right arm.  Before, I would do the arms and then twist and tuck the bottom part behind her.  Wow.  A good swaddle works wonders, especially for my active baby! You can find Aden & Anais blankets in packs of four at Target, but they aren't the best quality.  I have found that Raleigh prefers the one that my sister bought me (from a boutique in Charlotte) and the ones she just recently loaned me (also bought separately).  I'm guessing that the company makes them two different ways or something, so that they can have two different price points.  One more thing to add, I use two blankets for Raleigh!  The second blanket doesn't have to be an A&A one for her to sleep well, but it just ensures that she won't break out of the swaddle.

The Rock 'N Play is perfect.  It's almost bed level, so I just put it beside the bed; when she woke up, I didn't even have to get out of bed to pick her up to feed her.  Now that she is sleeping through the night, we usually let her fall asleep with us while we watch TV in the living room.  Then, Ray will carry her (still in the RNP) upstairs to her nursery.  She loves it!  It's very portable.  You don't have to take anything apart as it just folds up.  That way, when we go places, she's still sleeping in the same thing she has at home.  I know soon I will have to start putting her in the crib, so I hope that transition goes okay!

Raleigh Kate sleeping in her Rock 'n Play, swaddled in her Aden & Anais blanket.
My nephew giving her a kiss! 

What's for Dinner?

As I try to be the best (temporary) stay-at-home mom I can be, I plan to have dinner ready when Ray gets home from work.  It will work much better now that he works mostly 8-5 shifts.  It's actually dinner time when he gets home, rather than 3:00 in the afternoon! The crock pot will be my best friend, since I can prepare everything when Raleigh naps; then, at dinner time, I'm not juggling cooking with trying to keep her entertained.  This week I tried two crock pot recipes: lasagna and salsa chicken.  Both were delicious!  Ray grilled pork chops, which is his go-to quick (and inexpensive) meal.  I like it because it's lean, but flavorful, and clean-up is easy!

Pork Chops

Ray seasons the (boneless) pork chops with Daddy's dry rub.  We get it from my dad, who gets it from one of his patients.  Canned green beans and (instant) mashed potatoes complete this meal.  We usually eat this with baked red potatoes, but we were too hungry and wanted something quick that night.  I'll have to post about Ray's red potatoes the next time we have them.    

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken tenderloins (or chicken breasts)
1 c. salsa (not fresh)
1 can Cream of Cheddar soup
1/2 packet Taco Seasoning (I use Hot & Spicy)

Put chicken into crock pot.  Cover chicken with taco seasoning.  Pour salsa and soup over chicken.  Cook on Low for 5 hours.  I have a new crock pot, so I only cooked it for 5 hours and let it stay warm for an hour after that.  If you have an older one, you might need to cook it for longer.  The chicken should be very tender!

I served it over brown rice (yes, I used the 90 sec. microwaveable kind) with a side of black beans.  You can also shred the chicken and make burritos!

Crock Pot Lasagna  

I've never made lasagna before, but this couldn't be any easier!  This will probably be my go-to meal when we have company.  I stole this recipe from my neighbor's cookbook when I went over to turn the crock pot on for her.  

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 t. Italian seasoning 

8 lasagna noodles, uncooked and broken into thirds

24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce 

1/3 c. water

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained (Ray and I don't like mushrooms so I left this out)

15 oz. container ricotta cheese

8 oz. pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

Garnish: shredded Parmesan Cheese

Combine ground beef and Italian seasoning.  Arrange half of the lasagna noodles in greased slow cooker.  Spread half of the ground beef mixture over noodles.  Top with half each of remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese.  Repeat layering process.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.*  Garnish with Parmesan cheese.  

*Mine cooked on Low for 4 hours and stayed on Warm for an hour.

I put some cracked red pepper on top for a little heat.  This lasagna was a big hit with the hubs!  I prepared a salad and garlic bread to complete this meal.  

Money-saver:  We had leftover hot dog buns in the pantry, so I split them to make the garlic bread.    

What is your go-to dinner for two or more?  Any crock pot favorites? 

Catching up

Just want to make a quick note of everything we have done since Raleigh's been with us!

July 18 - Raleigh's birthday!
Stayed in the hospital until Friday, July 20th.

July 28 - Charlotte for Courtney and Vinny's Wedding
Went to Charlotte 7/27. I was her MOH.  Raleigh sat in the front pew with Aunt Lynn and Ray and didn't make a peep!  We had our own little room at the Reception at Quail Hollow for which I was extremely thankful.  Courtney was so accommodating and understanding the whole weekend.  She was a gorgeous bride and they are one happy couple!!

July 29 - Daphne and Randy came to our house to celebrate my and Daphne's birthdays.

August 1 - Went to Spartanburg for another joint birthday celebration...this time mine and Ray Ray's! :)

August 18-19 - Knoxville to visit Ray's family

August 25 - Carly and Mark's wedding
Went to Charleston 8/24-8/27.  It was stressful traveling with Raleigh and, as a bridesmaid, having to be at different places at certain times.  It was a lot of fun though and a beautiful wedding!! Ray and I stayed an extra night to have some down time in a place we love.

August 30-September 5 - Atlanta
8/31 NC State/Tenn game at the Georgia Dome!*
9/1 Downtown ATL and World of Coca Cola
9/2 Ray's mom stayed with Raleigh in the hotel so we could go out to dinner by ourselves! We had an amazing night!
9/3 - 9/5 Braves vs. Rockies series - Go Chipper!
*We left the wipes in the truck and of course she had an extremely messy diaper during the game. I had to use paper towels.  The restroom was so crowded and the changing station was in the most awkward place - in everyone's way.  It was so embarrassing, but something I will never forget about!

September 7 - My dad's 60th birthday celebration!
Went to Charlotte for a wonderful party my mom put together for my dad whose birthday is on 9/11.

In between all our travels, some friends and family came over to meet Raleigh.  It really meant a lot to us!

Friends who came over to meet the baby
(Angela, Dalinda, Bill, Bryan, Kristen, Kendra)

Ray started training for his new job on September 10 in Knoxville.  He was gone for two full weeks but came home the weekend in between.  We missed him so much and he missed his baby girl!  A couple of my neighbors helped me out while he was gone by having me over for dinner and bringing me dinner. One neighbor even stayed at my house while Raleigh took a nap so I could make a Target run!

Raleigh Katherine has been one busy baby! It's hit or miss whether or not she does well riding in the car, but other than that she has done great running around with us.

Now that we're up to date, I can post more regularly.  Look for a monthly photo tab coming soon!