Sickness, Yummy Food & Shoeboxes

Well I really couldn't think of a title for this post since I really just wanted to catch family up on what's been going on with us lately. I think Dad is my only avid reader every day! Thanks Dad!! Anyway, it's a rainy morning here in Atlanta so I thought I'd publish a post of our recent happenings. Last weekend poor Jeff got sick and has been sick for quite some time, and Sunday morning he received an injury to his rib cage during his soccer game. On Sunday night, one of my girlfriends, Lindsay, got baptized at church so we where all there to see her & I thought Jeff might die right then and there. He felt so horrible, so I dropped him back off at my house and met my girlfriends out to dinner at the OK Cafe in Buckhead. It's one of the BEST home cooking restaurants in Atlanta so I got some delicious crab cakes. It hit the spot!

In addition to sickness, my aunt Karen, who lives here in Atlanta, became very ill last week. She contracted the Swine Flu and that morphed into pneumonia, so needless to say she's at the hospital in the ICU. Surprising enough she caught it even though she's a scientist at the CDC. So last night, we went over to the hospital to visit her. Jeff stayed out but I went in and I had to put on a surgical mask, gloves and scrubs. It's been quite scary but it seems that she's turning a corner-hopefully. My grandparents came down yesterday morning and I hope Jeff and I can meet them for dinner one night this week.

Jeff and I have also been taking care of one of Jeff's neighbors dogs because the owner is never home. She is such a sweet boxer and is the same boxer we've been battling with Cobb County Animal Control who have done nothing to help her. So I left a nice note in his mailbox on Sunday hoping that he would relinquish her to me or at least let us help him take care of her. No response of course so Jeff is going to contact Animal Control again. AC and I haven't had the nicest conversations so we're thinking if Jeff calls, they'll be more likely to listen to him. Keep her in your prayers as we want to get her out of the situation she's in before the weather starts to freeze over.

In brighter news, Jeff and I have had some amazing food lately. We hit up our favorite Mexican restaurant in Marietta last night and this past Saturday we hit the Fall Festival where I got some delicious fried Oreos. I love good food! I have also started getting items together for Operation Christmas Child which gives gift filled shoe boxes to needy children around the world and shares the love of Christ. OCC is connected to Samaritan's Purse and Franklin Graham. Maggie started filling shoe boxes in high school and I asked my Mom what she was doing. Once she told me, I decided that I wanted to get involved and some of my girlfriends and I volunteered last year at the processing center. This year, some of my other girlfriends and I are going to do the same. I love packing the boxes with gifts and I think I'm going to try to do 5 or 10 boxes this year. That's about it with us lately. I'm excited to see all the little trick or treaters on Saturday night!

Chilly Finally!

Well let me say first that the Girls did not win the Tidy Cats Contest!! I was really upset about it on Friday because I thought that our story was the best. So I pouted all day long. I think Jeff was getting very tired of it, but I was so upset. I just thought our story was by far the best! There were a couple other stories that were okay, but not great. I am very competitive so I analyze everything, but the girls made it to the Top Ten which is wonderful. So I am happy they got that far! Recently, the temps in Atlanta have started to fall and it was a blistering 38 degrees this morning when I took Dixie out. So she was extremely happy and enjoyed her brisk walk. We had a wonderful weekend and celebrated an engagement of one of Jeff's closest friends, Todd. Friday night after the traffic died down I headed over to Jeff's house and we met Todd & Jenny for dinner at the Marietta Pizza Company. It was very good and I ate way too much, but it was nice & I love hearing about weddings.

Since it was so cold on Saturday, Jeff and I stayed in and he fixed beef stew in the crock pot. It reminded me of Mom's and it was so delicious that I took some home yesterday afternoon and heated up for dinner. One of my girlfriends, Lindsay, let me borrow her book, Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers and I have had my nose in that book since last Monday. It is one of the best books I think I've ever read. It's very long but completely worth the read. It poses the question, "How far can God's love really go?" and it's about a young little girl (age approx. 6) who is sold into child prostitution and the journey of her life. It is just phenomenal and I can't wait to finish it.

In other news, I found out some BIG news on Saturday night when my best friend from home, Kali, called me to let me know that she is pregnant. She is so excited & I am so excited for her. Kali and I have been best friends for longer than I can remember. We cheered throughout high school, laid by the pool every summer, double dated, were inseparable throughout high school and we have stayed close throughout college and the beginning of our adult life. So I am so thrilled for her! I am going to host a baby shower at my grandmother's house for Kali sometime either next March or April before she's due in May. My Nana loves to host things, so I thought it would be the perfect place. Plus, now Jeff can come and see Madisonville. Small towns are foreign to Jeff who is originally from Miami so I can't wait to see what he thinks about good ole Madisonville. Other than that, it was a very quiet weekend and lots of football watching.


Delicious beef stew!! So wonderful and filling..


Lady was monitoring the food progress, as she loves to smell the aromas coming out of the kitchen.


Jeff and little Lady...


I've only been to a couple, well actually only ONE baby shower as an adult, because most of my girlfriends are just now getting married or are not even married. Anyway, I want to make a diaper cake for Kali at the shower I'm going to throw her because I think they are just too cute & they seem to be in style these days. I'd love to do one like this with the baby lion because baby animals are just too cute!!!