I had a relaxing holiday weekend. Kelly had to work, so I mainly spent time at my parent's house. We grilled and watched movies with my two nephews, Brandon and Westley. My sister and brother-in-law celebrated their twelfth wedding anniversary Sunday. Congratulations guys! Many more to come!

Cha-Cha Chicken Salad

I tried this recipe from the latest Southern Living magazine last week, and it was very good. I ate it with wheat thins. If you are a chicken salad fan, give it a try!

1 8oz. Package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 tsp. Curry Powder
1 tsp. Salt
6 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapple
2/3 cup orange-flavored sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup chopped roasted, salted almonds

Whisk together cream cheese and next three ingredients in a large bowl; stir in chicken, pineapple, cranberries and almonds just until blended. Chill 8 hours.

TGIF and a Long Weekend Too!

I hope everybody has had a good week. I don’t know about you, but TGIF! I felt a small tremor today. It rattled the windows and scared Wendy Gul and Zeek Zeekster something fierce! What was it you ask? Why, the teachers’ last day of school of course! I think it was them firing up their engines in unison and screeching out of the school parking lots! Hmmm, maybe that could also explain all of this smoke I have been inhaling around the house this week. (Ok, I know I know it’s all of the forest fires…that’s another story.) Anyway, I also even heard the faint echo of Alice Cooper’s song “Schools Out for Summer” in the distance!! I envisioned them blaring this song on their car radios while throwing their faithful red pens out the windows and driving away into the distance. :) On a more serious note, Congratulations to all of you teachers out there who have the next few months off! Stay up late, sleep late, lay by the pool…live it up! Also, I have posted a few pictures of the house that I took this afternoon. They have worked hard this week. Kelly’s uncle Charles Lee even joined in on the fun today. Have a great long weekend!

House Update

Ok, this is my last post for today…I promise! I just wanted to add a few of the newest pictures of our house so far. It has come a long way since I posted shots last month. The top picture was taken May 13, the middle picture May 17, and the last today. We have gotten the plumbing completed and the foundation and porch poured. Today, Kelly and his Dad raised the first of many walls. YAY! How very exciting! More to come! :)

Weekend Wedding

Weekend Wedding

This weekend, Kelly was a groomsman in his friend Rob Miller’s wedding. We left Friday morning headed down to Mobile, AL for the big event. It was great seeing Rob again since it had been quite some time since we last saw each other. This was also the first opportunity I had to meet his sweet bride, Lindsey. Kelly and Rob became friends in college when they played football together at ICC. We also got to hang out with Lewis; another college friend of Kelly’s that we don’t get to see very often. The outside wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Ezell House. It was beautiful! Unfortunately, many of the pictures I took were too dark to post but I did manage to get in a few (check out the slide show above). It was really great to see our old friends again, especially during such a special time. Congratulations and Best wishes Rob and Lindsey!

Thank Heaven for Little Boys!

What a very busy weekend it has been! I have a lot to post about today. First, the most exciting news is that my sweet friend Tori and her husband Bo are the proud parents of a healthy 7 lb 7oz. 20 1/2 in. long baby boy! Brayden Hughes Edmiston was born at 1:14 Friday afternoon. Isn’t he beautiful! Tori and I were in the same social club together at MUW, and she was and still is a special friend to me. How blessed Brayden is to have such a great Mommy and Daddy. Congratulations guys! I can’t wait to meet him!

Happy Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a nice Mother’s Day, whether you were the one being celebrated or if you were the one doing the celebrating, it is a very special day nonetheless. Moms really should have more than one recognized day. Especially when you have Moms as WONDERFUL as mine! I have been blessed with two amazing Mothers. My Mom and my Mother-in-law are so important to Kelly and I. No words that I could think of would even come close to describing what they mean to us, so I won’t even try. The really cool thing is that I have heard a lot of people saying the same thing this past week. It’s awesome to know that there are so many Mommies out there doing such great jobs! Keep up the good work all of you Moms out there and know that you are LOVED!!

First and foremost, Kelly’s cousin Ashley and her husband Bradley welcomed a beautiful healthy baby girl, Ally Grace, into the world Saturday. She weighed 8 lbs. and 8 oz. This little bundle of sweetness also has a proud Big Brother, Cade. What fun they are going to have together! I left my camera at home when I went to see the baby, so I don’t have a picture to post right now. Never fear though! I will have one soon and get it on here! ;)
Until then, the picture of my new bathtub will have to do. At 9:00 yesterday morning, I learned that Kelly and I had to have a tub picked out by the end of the day. Yikes! The plumbers were working at our house and needed to know the tub’s measurements, etc. to ensure that everything was arranged properly. I have been looking forward to getting to pick out my bathtub for quite some time now and was flustered about having to rush. See, I think that there are few things better than a long, warm bath in a nice tub. This was important business! I didn't really care to have a jacuzzi tub, but I wanted the same size. Luckily, I learned that you can order the exact tub but without the jets. Kelly thought that this all should be a simple choice...coming from someone who hasn’t taken a BATH since he was probably 6 years old! :) Anyway, we finally found what I was looking for! It’s different...has a funny shape...that’s what I like about it though. Can’t wait to soak in a big fat bubble bath!!

For the Love of Cats

It just occurred to me today that I haven’t posted any pictures of my little darlings Wendy (aka Wendy-Gul) and Zeek (aka Zeek-Zeekster). Oh, the happiness they bring to my heart and the daily annoyance that they bring to Kelly. It is important to note here that although Kelly claims to despise them, HE is the reason I have them both. Kelly got Wendy from the local Humane Society, and a few months later Zeek was found near our mailbox and brought to him by our neighbors. They were both kittens when we got them. My intentions never were to have two cats in the house, but I was NOT even going to think about putting one of them outside, how unfair! As you can see, there is a lot of Wendy-Gul to love (top picture). She sort of became…well…big-boned after her hysterectomy (well, that’s what it is!). I have heard this is common in animals. Zeek just had his surgery. I wonder if he will get bigger too. I caught them doing what they do best…napping! Wendy loves to sleep under my desk next to the heater that I have on year-around. (She isn’t very modest is she?) Zeek, on the other hand oozed charm for the camera, waking up to pose for his glamour shot. I don’t think he liked the flash of my camera all that much. I LOVE cats!!!! I always have. I prefer them over dogs any day. Now, now! I know many of you are dog lovers-owners. Please don’t hate! :) I like pups too!!! On a different note, Kelly and I are going to see a cabinet-maker tomorrow for the house. Fun times!!

Fun TV

If you haven’t tuned in to this TV Show yet, it’s worth your time….SO funny! It comes on NBC Monday nights 10/9C. I can’t believe that these couples are inviting Wedding Crashers to their special day, but I’m glad that they are because it is hilarious to watch!!

85% Dixie

Go to this link and take the test to calculate your percentage of Yankee or Dixie. It is from the Harvard Computer Society Dialect Survey. I am ALWAYS asked about my southern accent when I travel to various places for work. It used to embarrass me, but no one (so far) has ever been ugly about it. In fact, they are usually very complementary. Anyway, I’m proud of my 85%! What about you?