Happy 30th Anniversary

Thirty years ago today this absolutely adorable couple started their life together and what an amazing life it's been.  They have taught me so much about unconditional love and support between a husband and wife and the importance of having fun and putting each other first. They have always made marriage look so easy, and they truly have a love worth celebrating. Happy 30th anniversary to my sweet mom and dad!!

Cheers to 30 years. :)  Can't wait to celebrate this weekend!!

Third Year Memories :)

I cannot believe it's been three years since we said "I do!!"  Time seriously flies when you're having fun. :) 

The best part of my day is spending time with Gaines and every day is full of love and happiness because of him. He makes me laugh 1,000 times a day, he supports me no matter what, and he's always the best at bouncing ideas off of and answering my random questions.  He's the most loving, supportive, and thoughtful person, and I am so incredibly lucky I get experience life with him. Not to mention he's pretty smart and good looking, too. ;)  So, in honor of our third year of marriage, I picked out one of my favorite memories from each month. 

[June]

Celebrating our second anniversary in Hilton Head, SC

[July]

Celebrating the Fourth of July with Gaines' whole family at the Coast

[August]

Spending Labor Day weekend with my family at the Rivah

[September]

Celebrating my 27th birthday with friends at Good Day Cafe

[October] 

Attending the annual "Casino Night" with friends

[November]

Cheering on our Dawgs vs. App State in Athens, GA

[December]

Having fun with our friends at the McCary's Christmas Party (and of course celebrating Christmas with our families!)

[January] 

Singing along to Jason Aldean and Florida Georiga Line at their concert in Columbia, SC

[February]

Celebrating Gaines' 28th birthday with a crazy ice storm

[March]

Hosting a fiesta-themed wedding shower for Bo and Christey at our house

[April]

Celebrating the marriage of our friends Bo and Christey (along with the four other weddings we went to the month before and after!)

[May]

Spending Memorial Day weekend at the Rivah with my family

I can't imagine spending my days with any else!  I love you so much, hubby!!

P.S. You can see my favorite memories from Year One and Year Two, also. :)

Crusing on the Savannah River

Yesterday Gaines and I went to the Savannah River, which is about 20 minutes from our house, to test out the boat he's been working on.  He's been fixing up his dad and uncle's 1988 Cimarron boat (we drove to Jacksonville back in March to pick up a new motor), and I am seriously SO PROUD of all of his hard work.  The fact that he knows what needs to be fixed and exactly how to do it kind of blows my mind.  We cruised up and down the river several times (it's just so beautiful and peaceful!) and then met up with friends at the sandbar.  We only ran into a few, minimal problems and never had to pull out the paddle. ;)

 

We stayed for several hours and then ended our fun day with pizza at home. Way to go, hubby!!

Five on Friday

[one]

Last Friday we grilled out (yum!) and gave our extra ear of corn to Molly.  She nibbled off all of the kernels and loved it.  Buuut not as much as she loved when we dressed her up like a person later in the week.... ;)

[two]

Last Friday night we also watched Lone Survivor.  If you only watch one more movie all year, make it this one!  It's a war film that takes place in Afghanistan and follows four SEALs during a mission.  It's intense, but also heart-warming in an odd way. I totally ugly cried at the end.

[three]

On Saturday night Gaines and I drove to Augusta for dinner and a movie.  We saw 22 Jump Street, and if you could only see two movies the rest of the year, make one Lone Survivor and one 22 Jump Street!  We thought it was absolutely hilarious, as did everyone else in the theater.  It was packed, and everyone just erupted with laughter every few minutes. 

[four]

I finished reading "The One and Only" (which I mentioned here) and hate to say that it was terrible.  Seriously, don't waste your time or money.  I really liked it at first, but it quickly became boring, predicable, and kind of creepy.  After I finished I started reading some reviews to make sure I wasn't crazy, and just about every one I read said the same thing.  Gaines reminded me that that's why smart people read reviews beforehand. ;)  

[five]

Our church had Vacation Bible School all week from 6-8pm and this year the theme was "Workshop of Wonders."  I co-taught 1st grade with one of my real-life co-workers, and we both realized we have a much deeper respect for elementary school teachers now.  Our kids were adorable, just veryyyyyy energetic.  Overall, it was a great week, and I loved watching them have fun and learn about Jesus! 

Happy Friday and enjoy your weekened!! 

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

I took dinner over to a former student's family the other night and wanted to share the quick and easy recipe.  It's not the healthiest, but I've made it once before and really liked it.  So that's all that matters, right? :)

Cheesy Chicken Casserole 

[original recipe]

Ingredients:
1- 12.5oz can of premium chunk chicken breast in water
1 lb. of Farfalle pasta 
1 bag of Steamfresh peas
1 and 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of milk 

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta in lightly salted water for 7 minutes (4-5 minutes less than the directions). 
2. Cook peas for 4 minutes in the microwave. 
3. Drain the chicken and then empty it into a mixing bowl and shred it with a fork. 
4. Add soup, 1 cup of cheese, sour cream, and cooked peas to chicken and mix. 
5. Drain the cooked pasta, add it to the sauce mix, and blend. 
6. Place in baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

I took it over to the family with salad and bread, but of course you can add whatever sides you want.  

Enjoy!

Five on Friday

Happy Friday the 13th! And fun fact: It's also a full moon which won't be the case again until 2049.

[one]

I've been pretty good about working out lately and think there's nothing better than a post-workout smoothie! They are so easy to make and are a good way to cool off in the summer heat. I just blend:

• About 5 or 6-ounces of vanilla Yoplait Light yogurt
• Four or five large ice cubes
• A splash of orange juice
• And a bunch of fresh fruit (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and bananas are my favorite combo!).  

[two]

Molly and I have been spending a lot of quality time together this summer and pretty much any time I get up and go to another room she's right behind me.  I was blow drying my hair the other afternoon and looked down to see this sweet face under me. 

[three]

A bunch of us went to Whiskey Bar (Kitchen) in Augusta the other night for dinner and drinks, and the food was amazing!  I would definitely recommend it.  We had such a great time, and I know I say it all the time, but I just love my friends.

[four]

My parents were up in New Hampshire this past week visiting my grandparents and they Facetime'd me so I could see everyone.  It was so good to see their faces, and I can't wait to be back home again in July. Thank you, technology!

[five]

I've started reading Emily Griffin's "The One and Only" and really like it so far!  It's an easy read, and they talk a lot about college football, which I love.  Gaines walked in and saw me reading it one afternoon, though, he said, "Aw, that's so sweet of you to be reading a book about me." ;)

Have a great weekend! 

Date Jar

Since Gaines has had to work a lot lately, I wanted to make the most of our time together and do some fun, random things this summer.  So I decided to make a "Date Jar" like I'd seen on Pinterest.

[via]

 I bought a cheap glass container at Hobby Lobby, along with wooden disks and colored Sharpies.  I found a list on Pinterest and modified it to make sure the ideas were free, local, or both (minus the "go to a movie" one!).  Then, I wrote each idea on the back and front of a disk and placed it in the container.  We won't pull one out each night, but I thought it would be fun to pick one or two throughout the week or if we don't have plans one weekend.

Oh, and Dales and I love the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere, so I tried writing "Date Jar" like she shows here. ;)