• Travel

    Rochester, NY | Trip Report Day 1

    September 4, 2016 - By 

    Back in August, Rob flew out to Rochester, NY on Sunday for some training. However, I didn’t have enough vacation days so I couldn’t fly out until Tuesday night. I left work a little early to head to the airport. I arrived in Rochester just before midnight. The next day I drove Rob to his training, so I could use the rental car. I had my day roughly planned out. First stop was the Charlotte–Genesee Lighthouse located on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genesee River, which is about 7.5 miles North of Rochester. I wanted to see this…

  • Travel

    4th of July in Chickamauga & Chattanooga

    September 30, 2015 - By 

    On the 4th of July, we drove through the area of the Chickamauga Battlefield. We first stopped at the visitor center where we were sent to a link on our iPhones that we could Bluetooth to our car to listen to a guided tour (Audio Tour). With the controversy that’s been going around as of late with the Confederate Flag, we saw many folks riding through the area showing their support of it. Wilder Brigade AKA Chimauga Tower (more info) provided beautiful views of the surrounding areas. After leaving the main battle field area, we stopped at Lee & Gordons…

  • Life

    Win an Alabama Beaches Swag Bag! #StayAlBeaches

    September 29, 2015 - By 

    Today I’m excited to be giving a way an awesome Swag Bag from Alabama Beaches! I can’t have a give away like this without saying that if you’ve never visited Alabama Coast, you need to add that to you travel list. You constantly hear about how great Florida beaches are and I agree there are some great beaches in Florida. However, I find Alabama’s beaches to be just as gorgeous with less crowds and a host of wonderful family activities. Lots of awesome stuff will be included in this swag bag prize. Beach towel, Tervis tumbler, a visor, beach tote,…

  • Dessert - Recipes - Sides

    Baked Cinnamon Apples

    September 28, 2015 - By 

    Cooler weather, leaves beginning to change, football… It is officially fall and I’m loving it! I love seeing the large bushels of apples at the market during this time of the year. This recipe is one of my favorite standbys. I used these Baked Cinnamon Apples as a side dish, a dessert (just add some whip cream or caramel sauce on top), or a warm afternoon snack! Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 3 peeled apples 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1 tsp. of cinnamon dash of all spice Directions: 1.…

  • Travel

    44th Annual National Shrimp Festival! #StayALBeaches

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Just around the corner is the 44th Annual National Shrimp Festival, which is a great excuse to travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama. The National Shrimp Festival is October 8th – 11th. It’s free to get in thanks to Zatarain’s as well as a host of other sponsors. The festival takes place right in front of The Hangout at the end of Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores. Not only is there 200 lbs. of fresh shrimp brought in daily, but there is also a great line up of entertainment, fine art, arts & crafts, as well as a Children’s Activity Village…

  • Travel

    James D. Martin Wildlife Park

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    A few weeks ago Rob and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Alex had a soccer game in Gadsden, AL, so we decided to make a day of it and head on up there. When I was googling free things to do in or around Gadsden I found James D. Martin Wildlife Park, which said it was a walking trail behind Gadsden Mall that is open to the public. I googled the mall address [Gadsden Mall 1001 Rainbow Drive Gadsden, AL 35901] and typed it into the GPS. When you turn into the mall, just follow around the edge of…

  • Beef - Dinner - Recipes

    Philly Cheesesteak Roll-Ups

    September 10, 2015 - By 

    It’s been awhile since I’ve come up with a new variation to my yummy roll-ups. The other night I had a serious craving for Philly Cheesesteaks, but we didn’t have any buns. Then, it occurred to me that I could make Philly Cheesesteak Roll-Ups. These were so delicious and since it was soccer practice night I could have them ready for on the go. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 lb. steak (I used a cheaper cut, like Chuck Steak) Next time I’m going to use frozen thinly sliced steak similar to this: Philly…

  • Travel

    Tennessee Aquarium {Chattanooga, TN}

    September 6, 2015 - By 

    During our 4th of July trip to Chattanooga one of the days we went to Tennessee Aquarium. When Rob and I first got together and even after we had Drew, we enjoyed spontaneous weekend road trips. Chattanooga was one the cities we would go to on those quick little jaunts. Chattanooga’s Tennessee Aquarium was my favorite aquarium (until the Georgia Aquarium opened.) Needless to say I was super excited to get back there. Something we didn’t take into consideration was that we were there around a major holiday…Oops! It was super crowded, which made it really difficult to enjoy ourselves…

  • Life

    Band-O-Rama 2015

    September 5, 2015 - By 

    There are many sights and sounds that go with start of Fall. One of my favorite things about Fall is football and the sounds of the marching bands. At the end of the summer around here many times you step outside and you hear the tapping of the snares and the whistle of piccolos. My heart just jumps for joy. Here in town every year right before school starts one of the local high school hosts a gathering of bands from surrounding areas called Band-O-Rama. The Auburn University band comes too, which is very exciting and gets us all pumped…

  • Appetizers & Snacks - Mexican - Recipes - Sides

    Southwestern Salsa

    September 4, 2015 - By 

    I always enjoy going to “covered dish” events. Being the foodie that I am, I love food and trying new recipes makes me heart and my taste buds happy. When we were at the lake with our Scout Troop, I got to try a few new recipes that I kept a mental note of. One was a salsa similar to this one that I called Southwestern Salsa. This recipe is perfect for a potluck or covered dish event, because you can whip it up at the last minute or make it the night before. One thing to know about this…

  • Memories of the Month - Taking time to document the important memories from January.
    Life

    Memories of the Month {9.2014}

    September 30, 2014 - By 

    This month I was happy about: Drew having a date for homecoming. This month I was sad because of: my Granny is really sick. Something I accomplished this month was: almost done with Soccer League pictures. Just got to get them packaged up and delivered.

  • Appetizers & Snacks - Recipes

    On-The-Go Pizza Bites

    September 30, 2014 - By 

    Here’s another easy recipe to whip up before your next tailgate or party. These Pizza Bites are very versatile and can be thrown together at the last minute. Simple finger foods are always the best when your standing around cheering on your favorite team. Servings: 24 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 jar of pizza sauce (I used my homemade sauce) mozzarella cheese pepperoni (or any of your favorite pizza toppings) basil (optional) refrigerated dough (I used my homemade dough) Mini-muffin tin

  • Life

    Dad’s Birthday

    September 28, 2014 - By 

    Today is my Dad’s 62nd birthday. Although, he is not on Earth to celebrate it, I know he is cycling pain and care free in Heaven, then finishing up the day with a few beers. I may drink a couple myself for you, Dad. Cheers! In the mean time, I’ll be looking through pictures, enjoying the memories. Dad’s (Short) Journey with ALS

  • Life

    Dad’s Birthday

    September 28, 2014 - By 

    Today is my Dad’s 62nd birthday. Although, he is not on Earth to celebrate it, I know he is cycling pain and care free in Heaven, then finishing up the day with a few beers. I may drink a couple myself for you, Dad. Cheers! In the mean time, I’ll be looking through pictures, enjoying the memories.

  • Fall Bucket List
    Life

    Fall Bucket List 2014

    September 23, 2014 - By 

    Fall is my favorite season, so I’m so happy that it’s finally official! I’ve enjoyed getting inspiration from boards on pinterest and bloggers sharing their fall bucket lists, like the one from Adventure Mom and Love of Life . Kids Activities blog also had a great list of things to do with family during the fall. I made a list of all the great things that I try to do every fall. So here’s my Fall Bucket List 2014. What’s on your list to do this fall?

  • Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas - So easy, healthy, and delish!
    Lunch - Mexican

    Chicken And Cheese Quesadillas

    September 23, 2014 - By 

    This Chicken And Cheese Quesadillas recipe is so easy. I’m not sure how many of you have a panini maker. It was one of those interesting gifts I got from the in-laws which turned out to be awesome! However, I got tired of throwing bread and a different variety of meats in there, so I decided to try quesadillas in the panini maker. So much easier! Even if you don’t have a panini maker, still a super easy thing to put together for a tailgate. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: taco seasoning 1 lb.…

  • Life

    Acolyting at Church

    September 19, 2014 - By 

    At the end of the summer, Alex went to acolyte training at church. A few weeks ago, he and all the new acolytes were installed and recognized. He received his cross.

  • Life

    Labor Day at the Braves

    September 16, 2014 - By 

    Today I’m sharing about our day at Turner Field watching our beloved Braves play. On Labor Day this year, we went to the Braves Game. It was a blistering hot day, but we managed to enjoy ourselves even though the Braves lost to the Phillies. We found our seats, which were great by the way. Then, we got up to go see if we were early enough to see the pep rally that they do out on the concourse.

  • Life

    Library Story #9

    September 16, 2014 - By 

    This is a post that never got published from about year ago.  This was an email I sent to my 2 bosses to let them what happened one evening at the Circulation Desk. Had a weird occurrence this evening, but wasn’t sure if it warranted an “incident report.”