Another Weekend has Come & Gone

What a wonderful weekend we had! We got to spend time with friends, each other, shop, relax, and work. After a whirlwind week at work for both Jason and me, we definitely needed some down time.

The last few weekends have been wonderful, but busy. They've been the kind of weekends where you need another weekend to catch up from the weekend.

As you all know, I'm right in the middle of planning my wedding. We are officially 68 days away! I feel like almost every conversation I have is full of wedding talk...and I love every minute of it! So far, I really have enjoyed every part of wedding planning. My mom and sisters have been INCREDIBLE at tackling all of the decorations for our ceremony and reception. I've handled the majority of booking things, big picture planning, and administrative things, such as getting the invitations prepared to go out.

Speaking of invitations...

off they go!

And here are a couple of other "sneak peaks" at what my mom has been working on:

flower pots pained by my sister

pales for the flower girls

flowers to go at the end of the pews in the chapel.
complete with sentimental broaches from my grandmother.

boutonnieres for all of the guys -- handmade by my mom and sisters

My mom and sisters seriously could go into business making this stuff! Every time they send me a picture I'm so stinkin' impressed! They have gone way above and beyond every expectation I could have imagined!

So far I've had the hardest time finding shoes to wear on my wedding day. I've probably bought and taken back five pairs of shoes. Finally, I decided to just wear the same shoes as my bridesmaids (red patten leather ballet flats) because I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I wanted to wear flats, I wanted them to be red, I wanted a sandal, I wanted some sort of embellishment, and I didn't want flip flops because I don't want to make noise when I walk. I really didn't think this was too much to ask, but after five months and five pairs of shoes, I thought maybe it is too much to ask.

Yesterday, Jason and I decided to go out to the outlet mall in Leeds. We'd never been out there shopping, but we both love a good bargain, so we headed that way. While we were there, I stumbled upon these little babies -

THEY ARE PERFECT!

I'm literally almost as excited as I was after I bought my wedding dress.

So, I'll quit my wedding rambling - I'm sure there's a lot more of that once we get closer! If anyone has advice on how to not freak out (in a good way) every day that the wedding gets closer and completely obsess (again, in a good way) on the day just getting here, please pass it along to me!

Asheville Wedding Weekend Recap

Source

Well, hello everyone! I am back after my little vacation/blogging hiatus.

I appreciate all of the prayers from last week for Rock the Block. We had such a wonderful time sharing Jesus with all of those little kiddos. As I mentioned last week, Jason and I taught the lesson on Wednesday. It went really well, but those kids definitely kept me on my toes. Great responses were given and good questions were asked. What else could we have asked for?

We also had a guest "speaker" that day. Jude (age 11) came to share his testimony and lead the group in worship. Jude's dad, Jim, is the owner of Steel City Pops and a friend from our church. He surprised us all and broke out an awesome stash of pops for the whole Rock the Block group!

Jim handing out popsicles.

Thursday we headed off to camp at Shocco Springs. Jason had been hired by the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes to shoot b-roll and some interviews for foster parent promo videos. I used to be an intern with their organization, and I still help out at the Children's Homes doing communications. So, I got to help out with social media and shooting some photos at camp. I always forget how much I love being a part of the Children's Homes until I'm back in the thick of everything. Jason and I also loved working together! We hope that maybe someday we'll be called to do just that...

The lake at Shocco Springs

After we left camp, we stopped for dinner at Sonny's BBQ (a.k.a. Jason's favorite place in the world) on our way to Atlanta. Jason stuck to his usual BBQ chicken, while I hit up the pretty amazing salad bar.

When we got to Atlanta, we didn't waste any time...we went straight to IKEA (a.k.a. one of my favorite places). Jason said that since we'd both worked really hard all day, we could spend up to $100! We came out with some really great ideas, a couple items, and we only spent $50!

What I would like our kitchen to look like someday.

What I would like our bed to look like...we bought the curtain and curtain rod!

After IKEA, we went to Jason's best friend from childhood's house. She and her husband live in such a cute little home in Atlanta. We had a great time visiting with her, and we're so thankful she opened up her adorable home to us.

Friday morning we hit the ground running. We were on the road by 9:00 (Atlanta time...so 8:00 to us) after a brief search for a Dunkin Donuts (COFFEE).

I drove most of the way to Asheville, NC, which actually ended up being really fun. I don't know why, but sometimes I just really really enjoy driving and then other times I hate it. I'm weird, I know...

We arrived in Asheville and went straight to Men's Wearhouse to pick up Jason's tux for the wedding. We had to hang around that area for a little while because they had the wrong size pants for Jason (try six sizes too big)...but that was okay with us. After we were done there, we drove around Asheville a little bit and snuck into a Sheraton to use their public restrooms to change for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (hey, at least it was clean...that's all I've got to say about that). We attempted going to the Biltmore...but after seeing the $60/person price tag, we decided we'd come back when we could make a day out of it (we only had about an hour and a half).

The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were fun and beautiful. It was great for Jason and I to see a lot of friends.

Jason and the groom.

Sarah and Cameron practicing their "I do".

Jason and I at the rehearsal dinner.

Samford groomsmen picture with the groom.

Saturday was the big day! Jason met up with the groomsmen at the mall in Asheville, which was 100% okay with me since that meant I got to shop! I found some great deals on what I'm calling "cruise clothes" (basically shorts, shirts, and dresses for our honeymoon cruise). I got Jason some "cruise clothes" too! His swim shorts ripped last time we were in Destin, so I found some on sale while I was shopping. They are the "Speedo" brand, but they're just normal board shorts. You should have seen Jason's face when he heard I bought him "Speedo" swim shorts :) I also got a pair of sandals for $3...how can you beat that? You just can't.

It was time for the wedding! I'll just sum up the whole thing with a couple of bullet points:

• Sarah looked incredibly beautiful
• Cameron is a super blessed guy
• Jason looked awesome in his tux (even if it was a little big on him)
• The food was good
• The friends were great
• I'm overly excited for The Free's! 

Being at Sarah and Cameron's wedding made me realize that my wedding is getting super close! I spent a lot of time on the phone with my mom this weekend going through decoration ideas and wedding plans. She even made all of the boutonnieres (along with a bunch of other really cool stuff)!

Red burlap boutonnieres for the guys.

Aren't they awesome?!

Monday, Jason and I went to our first pre-marital counseling session. I was really excited about beginning this phase of our engagement, and it definitely lived up its expectation. We really loved it and are so thankful for Pathway's Professional Counseling and their services in providing Christian counseling to Alabama. I can't wait to go back next week!

And with all of that said...GUESS WHAT?

Only 87 days until I'm Mrs. Morales!

Scatterbrained

Good morning friends! I just want to warn you that I'm probably going to be a little bit all over the place today. I have a couple of things I'd like to say, but none of them really have a direct focus.

So, here we go...

Eating Better

Remember a few weeks ago when I went to the doctor, got blood work done, and he put me on a diet? Well, I told you that I'd share that plan with you. I think it is time.

Here are the basics:

This is the breakout of what I am allowed to eat each day.

According to the plan that the doctor gave me, I try to disperse between my calories, carbs, fats, and proteins like this -

Breakfast

• Lots of protein (eggs of some sort, which also has some fat in it)
• Little bit of carbs (fruit, yogurt, or skim milk)

For example, this is a pretty normal breakfast for me: 1-2 boiled eggs, a glass of skim milk, and coffee with a little bit of creamer and some Stevia.Usually if I eat two boiled eggs, I forgo the milk, but I was hungry this morning.

Lunch

• Lots of protein (usually from 99% fat free turkey of some sort)
• Little bit of carbs (fruit, yogurt, cheese)
• Green vegetable (salad, green beans, celery, etc.)

Here's another example - this is my lunch for today:

Dinner

• Lots of protein (lean chicken, lower fat ground turkey, grilled fish, or a very extra lean red meat)
• Lots of veggies
• Just a few carbs (sauces, cheese, MAYBE a piece of whole wheat bread, MAYBE a tiny bit of whole wheat pasta, fruit)
• Fats (just in random foods that I'm already eating)

Here's an example of a good dinner from a couple of weeks ago (dinners have been hard for me lately):

Usually, I eat a snack either in the morning or the afternoon. It's usually another Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, or sometimes a 0% Greek Yogurt with a dash of cinnamon.

Out to Eat

Jason and I have been SUPER busy lately. Lots of traveling, lots of friends/family in town. We have been eating out a whole lot, and I honestly don't know when that will change. I've had to really discipline myself in what I order though. Jason's tendency is to find something he likes on a menu and sticks with it. My nature is to try everything on a menu at least once. I've got to hand it to him, in this scenario, he's right. It's better to stick with items that you know will be healthier choices rather than jump around and try new things just for the sake of eating something new.

Remember that if you're going out to eat, you don't have to get off  your healthy lifestyle plan. Lean steaks are good to order with a veggie on the side. Fish is a great "night out" option as well. Say no to the rolls that are brought to the table, and always opt for a vinaigrette dressing on the side and steamed/grilled veggies as your side dish.

Here's my go-to meals for "out to eat" meals:

Japanese: Forgo the rice and add double veggies
Mexican: Fajita, no tortillas
Thai: Salad; chicken with brown rice (only eat half of the rice serving)
Italian: Salad?
BBQ: Salad or veggie sampler; sandwich with sauce and bun on the side
American chain restaurant (like Chili's): Fajita, fish, grilled chicken (look for their lower calorie options, usually they're marked)
Greek: Chicken with salad (dressing on side) and veggies

Fajita from Moe's Southwest Grill

Rock the Block 

Yesterday was day #2 of Rock the Block. Jason and I were in charge of games and we had a blast. Jason was Simon and kept a pretty consistent game of Simon says going on throughout all of the games (I'm not really sure how he did that, but it happened).

We played one game called "Mummy" and I got completely wrapped in toilet paper. I got a little bit claustrophobic, but it was for the greater good, so I toughed it out.

Tonight, Jason and I are in charge of the lesson. We are teaching on Romans 3:11 and John 1:29. We would seriously appreciate all of your prayers. We hope that the kid's (and hopefully parents) lives are changed through this week of Rock the Block.

4 Day Meals

As I said yesterday, Sunday Jason and I went grocery shopping. I bought enough food for dinner for four days. Since we have Rock the Block this week, I decided that we needed some easy-to-reheat meals for Sunday-Wednesday. So far, it's worked out well.

For Sunday/Tuesday I made BBQ Chicken Biscuits and Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole was (is) on the menu for Monday/Wednesday.


Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole:
Ingredients:

• 5 cups chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1 cup fat-free sour cream
• 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (98% fat free)
• 2 cups crushed Reduced-fat Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 rolls of crackers)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 T poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper until done. Let chicken cool slightly and place cubed chicken in a 9X13 casserole dish.
3. Stir together the condensed soup and sour cream. Pour over the chicken.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter. Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve plain or over rice

Camp of Champions

Tomorrow Jason and I are headed to Shocco Springs for the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes Camp of Champions. Jason will be shooting a video and I'll be helping out with some general activities as well as shooting so photos.

We are so excited about getting to do this together. Our dream is to someday built a client base to where we can do this type of thing full-time to make a living. We love the ministry that the Children's Homes has and we love being a part of orphan care to advance the Kingdom.


Weekend Wedding

On Friday, Jason and I will head to North Carolina. Jason will be a groomsmen in a friend's wedding. We are so excited to celebrate this special day with our friends Cameron and Sarah, and we are praying for them as they begin their marriage. We are also very excited to have a little mini-vacay this weekend to a place that we've never been together! I'm hoping that Jason will love it so much that we can go back next year (fingers crossed).

That being said, this could be my last rambling for the week. I'm sure that I'll have access to internet, but I'm going to just enjoy myself and I'll post about all of our upcoming weekend activities next week. I'm so excited for these FUN TIMES!

"no one understands; no one seeks for God." - Romans 3:11

"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" - John 1:29

Productive Weekend in Review

Here's our VERY productive weekend in review:

Friday -

I just love a trip to the mall. 

Friday night we got new dishes. They look a little something like this:

Jason with our new dishes.

We also got a "something old". Jason's step mom gave us some really awesome red cups as well as some red vases. The cups are from 1967 and they're really cool looking!

We also went to eat at Stix. I went with the teriyaki  chicken with veggies and brown rice. I had enough left over to eat Saturday night as well. Definitely our new favorite Asian food joint.

Saturday - 

Although we didn't we get to sleep in, it ended up being a pretty restful day. We got up early and took Jason's family to see our wedding venue. They loved it, and it was perfect weather.

Then we went to eat at the wonderful Olexa's in Mountain Brook Village. We wanted to make sure that they got to taste our cake :)

Next, Jason got fitted for his tux/suit! Look how hot my fiance is!!!

This is what Jason will be wearing.

This is what the groomsmen/dads will be wearing.

After lunch we kind of went our separate ways. We were all tired and wanted to rest. After about an hour of just chillin' by the TV, Jason and I decided to be productive. We basically just ran errands until dinner time.

Then we rented a movie and watched it at the apartment.

Sunday -

We got up early again to go to the 9:00 service at Brook Hills. We wanted to make sure that Jason's fam got to go to church with us but they also had a long drive ahead of them. I was okay with going to church early...it meant that I got to eat "Perfect Oatmeal" from Starbucks on the way.

After church we went to eat lunch to celebrate Father's Day with Jason's dad. We went to The Fish Market, which is right by our church and only a couple of miles from our wedding venue. While we were there, we asked if they can accommodate rehearsal dinners. After lots of looking, talking, and booking, we now have our rehearsal dinner location! Just one less thing to do :)

After church, they hit the road and Jason and I hit the grocery store. It had been a while since I'd done anything even close to a full grocery run. Since we were in the area, we decided to go to Target rather than the usual Publix.

We ended up leaving with a new TV!

Jason setting up his new toy...that lives at my apartment :)

We decided to rent another movie, but we ended up just watching Netflix instead. We also made our third voyage to Steel City Pops. I went with coffee and Jason rolled with strawberry cream.

Sunday night, I made lots and lots of food. I spent probably an hour and a half cooking four meals for two...but more on that tomorrow.

Monday - 

I know Monday isn't a weekend day, but since I'm kind of running a day behind on my blog, I'll just include it.

Yesterday Jason and I both had to work, and then we helped put on Rock the Block with our small group.

Rock the Block is basically Vacation Bible School in a neighborhood or, in this case, an apartment complex. The goal is to reach more people in the community with the gospel as well as build relationships with the folks that live around you.  

We played games, did a bible lesson, and ate popsicles.

Celeste teaching about Moses (right) and the Egyptians (Pharaoh in his "robe" is on the left)

David sharing the gospel to all of these kiddos.

Prayer time. How precious?

Hope you all have a happy Tuesday. Rambling done now.

One for the Books

This weekend was definitely "one for the books"!

Friday night started off with a little tour downtown with some friends from one (one of my bridesmaids and one of my flower girls to be exact).

Reese (age 8), was taken with my scarf collection and the Vulcan, but not so much with Reese St. or her lemon popsicle.

We ate a wonderful Greek dinner at Taziki's, complete with three Friday Specials and one grilled cheese :) I love having a kid around. Even things like what they order for dinner cracks me up. 

We'd told her about the new place in Homewood, Steel City Pops. Jason and I had not had a chance to try it yet, and we've heard wonderful things about it, so we took Chastity and Reese after dinner (well, first we made a quick pit stop at the Vulcan because Reese was very interested in the statue man).

Unfortunately, since Jason and I had never been there before we didn't really know how to advise Reese on what to get. She doesn't like pieces of fruit in things, so her choice of a lemon popsicle kinda threw her off. But we all had fun anyway! Jason enjoyed his Blood Orange pop, Chastity rolled with coconut, and I ventured out to strawberry  balsamic. All three of us loved ours!

We even got her picture on Reese Street (although I don't think she really wanted to get out of the car in the middle of the road to take a picture...oh well)!

Saturday morning the girlies and I woke up and started cleaning and organizing everything for my shower. My family came in town around lunchtime and sent me away while they decorated and got the food ready. Reese and I went to get manicures.

Reese with her purple glitter nails after her first manicure!

When I got back the apartment was all decorated and it was breathtaking! Carlee, Julia, Chastity, and my mom had put in so much hard work! I loved it so much!

The shower was definitely a success! I loved every minute of it and it was so wonderful to see some friends who I haven't seen in a while!

We ended the night at the mall. I really don't spend a lot of time just "hanging out" at the mall like I did back in the day :) Chastity and I did the photo booth with Reese. Julia, Shara, and Reese rode the carousel. We grabbed some dinner, and ended the evening with a little window shopping.

Reese and Shara on the carousel.

Sunday we got out the door just in time. Jason, Julia, and I had planned on doing our engagement photo shoot Sunday morning. Julia is an extremely talented photographer, and we just knew she was the girl for this job!

I'd say that the morning was a success! We had a little rain, but honestly I think it made the pictures even better!

We spent the rest of the day hanging out with my family and went to the evening service at church with Julia and Shara :)

Amazingly enough, this weekend was so great that I don't even need to keep on rambling! It was one for the books and we've got the pictures to prove it.

Prayer Focus of the Day: Pray for high school and college graduates as they are in a time of transition. Graduation is over, everyone is moved, and now is the time that all of the life changes really start to sink in. My sister Carlee is going through orientation at Samford today and tomorrow. I know that it's an extremely exciting time for her (as well as all of the other incoming freshies), but it can also be scary and unknown. Pray for peace, wisdom, courage, and strength for those you know who are experiencing this transition right now.