Turkey Day started off with a bang...or a burn actually.

I woke up this morning and immediately made my way into the kitchen. I wanted to make a pie to take to my grandmother's. I grabbed a can of juice out of the freezer and went to sit it on the stove top. Long story short...I laid my hand on a burner that had just been turned off, leaving me with 2nd degree burns on my fingers. My sweet Momma kept apologizing like it was her fault. I was the idiot that wasn't paying attention. I've laid in bed with my hand in ice water all day. I was unable to go to my grandma's which bummed me out. Alex stayed home to take care of me. The pain is getting bearable which I'm thankful for and I'm getting really good at typing with one hand. :)

We were able to celebrate Thanksgiving w/my immediate family last night.

I really enjoyed having them all over...here are some pics.

Cary carving the turkey

My brothers always cook the turkey.

This year, they smoked one and deep fried one...they were delicious!

My personal fave...the desserts!

My sister, Joy

Sara & her little man, Jackson

Me & my man...we look so tired in this pic!

Kandace :)

Kasie

My Dad with his namesake :)

Tony & Joylyn

My sis, Jayna & niece, Jessica

Drew, Cody, Dad, Ty

Kids playing the Wii

I got to love on my nephews & nieces...loved it!

Me & Kandace

Jackson

Joylyn

Pryce

We have a tradition that we do every Thanksgiving...

we all write what we're thankful for and read them aloud.

It's so neat to hear what the little ones are thankful for

and how each year, their lists reflect maturity & spiritual growth.

We can always count on my brothers to add a little humor into the mix. :)

It was a wonderful evening. I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving as well!

Love to all,

Jill

For this I am thankful...

Well, I'm closer to finishing my Christmas decorating. I decided last night that I would stay up until I was tired and work on everything. That ended up being 1:30am. Unfortunately, a lot of the side effects of the lupron depot have hit me all at once...headaches, insomnia, a few hot flashes, but the hardest has been that I have very little desire to do anything. I have found myself crying A LOT and on a daily basis. It was getting harder and harder for me to get out of bed and start my day. I finally called my doc yesterday and told him what was going on. I knew there was no way I could make it through the holidays feeling this way, let alone the next 3 months. He called something in and I'm hopeful that it will kick in over the next few days and I will start feeling some what 'normal' again. I love the holidays way too much to feel like sleeping through them.

I volunteered at the Union Rescue Mission, this morning. What a wonderful organization. We handed out hundreds of boxes for families to have a Thanksgiving meal of their own. As I handed boxes to these families (some who came on foot), it was a huge dose of perspective for me. God has blessed me beyond measure and I lose sight of that sometimes. I focus on this one thing that has become my job, so to speak. The occupation of trying to conceive. I so don't want to be that person. It's something that I have to fight on a daily basis...sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. God reminds me that I'm so much more than that and He desires way more for me than that. I'm so thankful that He doesn't give up on me.

We were encouraged on Sunday to list what we're thankful for...to count our blessings.

For this I am thankful...

I'm thankful for my Heavenly Father...He came, He died and He gave me eternal life. He is truly my source of strength.
I'm thankful for my husband...he is so patient with me. He always shows me unconditional love. And trust me when I say, that's not so easy these days.
I'm thankful for my church...it's a place where I can go and totally be myself. It's the one and only place that I want to be on Sunday.
I'm thankful for my family...God chose the best family in the world for me to be born into and then He blessed me again with a wonderful family to marry into. There is nothing like having family that you truly enjoy spending time with, that you want to be around as much as possible, with whom you are best friends.
I'm thankful for God's provision...financially, these aren't the best of times for many, but God has blessed Alex with a wonderful job that provides for our needs as well as our wants.
I'm thankful for my infertility...though this is at the bottom of the list, I certainly have a need inside me to find ways to be thankful for this. As hard as it is most days, I can still see the blessings that have come from my infertility. I pray that I never lose sight of those things, for it's those things that God uses to teach me and to remind me of just how far He has brought me.

Love to all,
Jill

Happy Birthday to my Husband...

Today is my husband's 32nd birthday! I can't imagine my life without this man. He is the love of my life and my very best friend. Alex and I started trying to conceive over 2 1/2 years ago. A lot of the time, I get wrapped up in how I'm feeling and I forget how this affects him. I'm the one going through surgery, shots, pills, exams, etc. Sometimes I forget that he is going through it as well. He is the one that prays over me every morning before going to work, wraps his arms around me when I need to cry, encourages me to have hope when I feel like I want to quit...he is my rock.

Sweetie, I just want you to know that I couldn't do this without you. You are the one person in this life that I can always depend on. You are my precious blessing and I thank God for you on a daily basis. Thank you for taking care of me in so many ways. You're a sexy man of God and I'm a lucky woman to have you by my side! :)

Happy Birthday, Love!

TGIF...

I'm so happy it's Friday! We've had a busy week. The first part of the week, I spent preparing for Journey Thanksgiving, which was on Wednesday. It was so much fun! The food was good and the company was even better...

Me and my sweetie.

I went to high school with these two sweet girls! When we get together, we seem to do nothing but laugh at each other! I'm so glad they came!

My little buddy, Jackson. :)

Cary and Sara are moving this weekend, so we have Jackson tonight...here are a few pics from tonight during/after bathtime...he's so precious.

I almost forgot, we went to see these guys last night...it was a great concert. Thanks to my Uncle Kev and Aunt Sandi for the tickets!

Well, I could write more but I'm tired and according to my S-I-L, Jackson gets up around 5am, so I had better get some sleep. :)

Have a great weekend!

Love to all,
Jill

Gobble, Gobble...

We're preparing for Journey Thanksgiving which is tomorrow evening. This is our first big holiday meal as a church, so needless to say...we're excited! I'm making all of the dressing, so come tomorrow morning, my kitchen will smell like Thanksgiving! I'm making my Mom's crockpot dressing (4 crockpots to be exact) and it's SO GOOD. It's easy too, so if you've never made dressing, try this recipe...you won't be disappointed!

Crockpot Dressing

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery

3 slices of bread

3 biscuits

2 tsp. sage

1 can chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 (9 inch) pan of cornbread

1 sleeve saltine crackers

4 cups chicken broth (from your cooked chicken)

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3-4 cups cooked chicken

Directions:

Saute celery & onion in butter.

Crumble breads (bread, biscuits, crackers, cornbread) & mix together.

Pour celery & onion mixture over breads.

Add sage, salt & pepper.

Beat eggs with chicken broth - add to bread mixture.

Add baking powder & remaining broth.

Add chicken and lightly ladle mixture into crockpot (spray crockpot w/Pam)

Cook 1 hour on high and then 4-6 hours on low. DO NOT STIR.

Don't be alarmed that it seems 'runny' when you first put it into the crockpot, it will set up nicely and all of the liquid is what keeps it nice and moist.

*If by chance, you don't have enough chicken broth from your cooked chicken - just substitute canned chicken broth*

I know it sounds like a LONG recipe but I cook my chicken, cornbread, biscuits and chop onion and celery the night before, so really all you have to do is mix everything together and put it into the crockpot the next morning. It's nice because you just put it in and let it cook all day!

Looking forward to my first of three Thanksgiving meals, tomorrow night! :)

Love to all,

Jill

It's a Bloggy Baby Shower!

I read of this on Faith's blog last week and immediately thought, WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA! This shower is honoring sweet Kelly over at Kelly's Korner!

I was trying to think of how I first came to know Kelly and then remembered...my friend, Becca went to school with her and knew of her struggle with infertility. She thought I would benefit from reading her blog and sent me her link. I'm so thankful that she did! I remember reading Kelly's blog for the first time and immediately being hooked! I not only loved reading how God had blessed her and Scott with a baby (Harper is due in a little over a month) but this girl also loves to cook, bake, decorate, entertain, she loves her some Razorback football (GO HOGS!)...she was a southern girl after my own heart! :)

Kelly, the gift God has given you is so precious...the gift of a daughter. Harper is so blessed to have a mother who loves God and who loves others the way you do. You are beautiful inside and out! I'm so excited for you and Scott to begin this next phase in your lives...you're going to be wonderful parents. If I could give you any advice, it would be to love her unconditionally and raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Congrats, girl!

8 Things...

I was tagged by Rathi….this was a fun one!

It's called 8 Things...

8 TV shows I love to watch:
1. Gilmore Girls (re-runs)…this is my absolute favorite TV show of all time!!
2. Jon & Kate + 8
3. Martha
4. Barefoot Contessa
5. Grey’s
6. Private Practice
7. Brothers & Sisters
8. How I Met Your Mother

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Delicious Temptations
2. Mimi’s
3. Kobe
4. DG Pies – best pizza!
5. Bonefish Grill
6. Olive Garden
7. Shorty Smalls
8. Cantina Laredo

8 Things that Happened Today:
1. Went to breakfast with my man
2. Went to the mall
3. Bought cd from door-to-door salesman
4. Laughed with my husband
5. Went to the grocery store
6. Made homemade hot chocolate
7. Went to my S-I-L’s book party
8. Came home to a surprise…my Christmas tree up & with lights!

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Church tomorrow...Alex is giving the message :)
2. Thanksgiving with our families
3. Journey Thanksgiving
4. Volunteering at Mission
5. Finishing my Christmas decorating
6. Building our gingerbread house
7. Holiday baking with my girlfriends
8. Christmas with our families

8 Things on my Wish List: (Okay, if we’re talking a true wish list, here goes!)
1. Single Serve Coffee Maker (that uses the little pods)
2. Colorful Scarf…I LOVE scarves! (a wide one that can be wrapped around my neck a thousand times!)
3. To-Go-Coffee-Cup…preferably something cute & girly of course. :)
4. B&W dvd of “The Shop Around The Corner” (it’s the original “You’ve Got Mail” but MUCH better…no offense Meg Ryan)
5. Some new ballet flats
6. New handbag
7. William Sonoma’s newest “Baking” cookbook & “Holidays” cookbook
8. Sound on my laptop...been w/out it for a while and it's driving me nuts

If you would like to do this one, consider yourself tagged! :)

Love to all,
Jill

Here Comes Menopause, Here Comes Menopause...

I was thinking of writing new lyrics to the tune of "Here Comes Santa Clause" to tell of my excitement about my 1st injection of Lupron Depot but decided against it. :) I had my first shot today. I'm not looking forward to all of the side effects that go along with this medication but am more than willing to do it, if it will up my chances of a successful pregnancy in Feb '09!

I'm getting ready for my 'weekend away' with my awesome husband! We have tickets to The Rep tonight and then off to dinner and an evening at The Peabody. I have been sick all week (sinus/headcold stuff) and he started feeling icky last night but we are determined to have this weekend, so pray we both feel better in a matter of 2 hours. LOL Even if we don't feel 100%, it will still be a good time. I treasure any time that I have him all to myself. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well!!

Love to all,
Jill

Apple Pie...

My M-I-L had surgery last week, so our church has been taking her meals while she recovers. She is doing well...just needs to take it easy, so she can heal. Linda, if you're reading this...no meetings for the rest of the week, stay in bed. Daughter-in-laws orders! Tonight was my night to cook for her, so I took chicken enchiladas, spanish rice, salsa & chips and an apple pie for dessert. I went ahead and made extra for Alex to have for dinner and since apple pie is his favorite, I made him a pie as well. I'm going for daughter-in-law & wife of the year. ;)

Several months back, I bought these little pie crust cutters at Williams Sonoma (love that store!) I've been saving them for fall/thanksgiving and figured there's no better time to use them than for my sweet M-I-L. Take a look at the finished product below...I was so pleased! Now I want to go and see if they have Christmas ones as well!

My Mom started making this pie over a year ago and at first I refused to eat it because #1. it was apple - have never been a fan & #2. she called it Sugar-Free Apple Pie - I don't do sugar-free. After I finally gave in and tasted it, I loved it! This is the only apple pie recipe that I use now. It's called Sugar-Free Apple Pie because the only sugar in the pie are natural sugars from the 100% apple juice and apples themselves. If you choose to make your own pie crust, you can limit the amount of sugar in that as well. I do not make my own, so I guess mine isn't truly 100% natural sugars. Oh well, it's still yummy! :)



Ingredients:
4 Tbsp of corn starch
1 can of frozen apple juice
2 Pillsbury Pie Crust
4 Golden Delicious Apples

Directions:
Slice and peel your apples.
Mix Corn starch and apple juice in a saucepan on medium heat.
Whisk constantly until mixture starts to thicken.
Once it thickens, remove from heat immediately and mix with your apples.
Place apple mixture into bottom crust.
Place top crust on top of apples and prick with fork to allow steam to escape.
Brush with egg wash mixture.
Bake @ 375 degrees for 30-35 mins or until golden brown.

Love these!

Mix these together...

Until it looks like this...


Mix with your apples...

Pour into bottom crust...

Use your WS pie cutters to make the top crust...

This one was for my M-I-L ...it was so pretty! :)

This one was for Alex...not quite as decorated as M-I-L's but he was okay w/that. :)

Enjoy!

Jill

Hanging on to hope...

Alex went into the attic and brought down all of my Christmas boxes last night. Such a good husband. :) Every corner of my living room is filled, as well as a corner in one of my guest rooms. So now I sort through each box and start making a place for it all! Christmas music is officially playing (all day long) in my home. You will all be sick of me and my excitement by the time Christmas actually gets here.

My sweet husband called me this morning with a surprise! Friday night plans are to have dinner at Capriccio and then spend the night at The Peabody. I love getting away, even if it's in the same town that I live in! Weekends are so busy for us, so it's hard to actually leave town - unless for a full week of vacation. We just really need this...he has been working crazy hours on a new project for work and I've been down, due to the fact that my hormones are crazy and this time of year...well, it can be hard. I love the holidays with everything in me and for that reason it makes my infertility even more difficult. I'm ready for Alex and I to have children to shop for, to surprise on Christmas morning, to make our annual gingerbread house with, to read the Christmas story to...I could go on and on. :) Though it's much easier now than it was a year ago, the desire is still there. I still pray on a daily basis that God would open my womb and allow me to have a child or would open the door for us to adopt. I pray with hopeful anticipation...knowing that He will answer this prayer someday.

I receive emails that include a bible verse or devotion for the day. These were my verses for yesterday and today.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
~ Romans 15:13, NLT

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. ~ Hebrews 10:23, NLT

Definition of hope:
1. To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.
2. To have confidence; trust.

I just love that!

Love to all,
Jill

Bagels....mmmm!

Alex had men's bible study last night, so I was on my own for dinner. Instead of ordering take-out, I decided to make this yummy bagel that Emily shared with me.

Toasted wheat bagel, cream cheese, slice of tomato, sliced avacado, sprinkled with lemon pepper. If you like tomato and avacado, you should try it. I fixed a cup of tomato soup to have with it on the side.

YUM-O!!!

Love to all,

Jill

Holiday House 2008

Holiday House was this Thursday-Saturday. I always buy a 3-day pass and go at least two of the three days. It's just fun to be around all things Christmas! There have been so many Christmas Open Houses and still a few coming up over the next week...not sure how I'm going to hit them all but I'm certainly going to try. :)

The first day, it was me, my Mom, my Sister and my S-I-L (Sara), so that meant Jackson joined us. He did so well...I'd take him shopping any day! :) He just sat in his stroller, ate his crackers and flirted with all of the little girls rolling by in their strollers. As always, he was too cute and we all enjoyed loving on him for a few hours!

I just had to mention one of my favorite vendors that's always at Holiday House...Cherry Republic! Below are just a couple of their items that are SO YUMMY! After coming home with a few things, Alex went through the catalog and found the Chocolate Covered Cherry Turtles. I went back the next day and picked those up for him...oh my goodness, they are DE-LISH! I'll definitely be ordering more of their yummy items for the holidays!

Alex is going to start pulling the Christmas stuff out of the attic, this week. I want to have the house decorated on Thanksgiving, so I need to start sorting through things. I usually wait until the day after Thanksgiving but Alex has given in to my insanity and agreed to start a little earlier this year. (hehehe) Surely there are some folks out there that put their tree up on the day of Thanksgiving! When do you put your Christmas decor out? I found a fun quiz on Kim's blog. Go over and take it to find out what type of Christmas tree you are! :)

You Are a Bright Christmas Tree

"For you, the holidays are all about fun and seasonal favorites. You are into all things Christmas, even if they're a little tacky."

That descibes me pretty well! LOL

Love to all,

Jill

Congrats to a friend...

I woke up this morning to read that one of my sweet friends had her baby girl today!!!

Sara has been through so much. She has been on bedrest throughout her entire pregnancy, has been in and out of the hospital, on and off meds to stop labor, fighting just to keep liquids down...it just hasn't been an easy pregnancy at all. The thing that I love about her is that she has kept the best attitude and has even stopped to encourage others, like me, who are still waiting for their miracle baby. She has waited so long for this baby girl and I'm ecstatic for her!!

Brynn was born at 1:13am, is 18 inches long and weighed in at 4 lbs even. She is spending some time in the NICU but Mommy and baby are both doing well! Say a prayer that they will be home as a family, very soon.

Congratulations, Sara!!! Can't wait to see pics of that baby girl. :)

Lots of love,
Jill

Don't forget to...

Jackson and I did our civic duty and voted, today. We've been sporting our "I Voted" stickers proudly! Make sure you get out and vote before the polls close this evening. This is such an important election year...let's all do our part.

Love to all,

Jill

Countdown to Christmas...

I went to 2 Christmas Open Houses this weekend. One at Austin's in Little Rock and the other at Express Yourself in Bryant. All of the Christmas trees were so over the top and I loved it!

Holiday House 2008 is this weekend...I can't wait!! :)

Here are a few of the trees at Austin's...one of my favorite places.

Only 51 days until Christmas! Are you ready!??

Love to all,
Jill