Pop

This post deserves a lot more than what I have the energy to produce tonight, but I wanted to recognize the loss of one of the world's greatest grandfathers. We will all miss you, Pop!!

December 27, 1931 - December 31, 2010

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Movin' On Up

Goodbye, Raleigh...

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Hello, Richmond!

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Oh, how this move is bittersweet! We're all packed and ready to go. We'll be traveling a lot for the holidays but will check back in after we're all settled!

Hello, Winter.

It's gotten cold here just recently. Really cold.

We're trying to stay curled up and warm!

B.R.A.I.N.

This past weekend we participated in the annual Celebration of Hope walk put on by the Brain Tumor Resource And Information Network. We were representing my sister-in-law's Team of Faith, in memory of her late husband, Daniel, who passed away from brain cancer in 2006. Many people are affected by brain tumors each year and this non-profit organization is just one of many that help raise awareness and funds to support ongoing research to find a cure.

Cancer sucks. Regardless of what type it is. I've written about it in two different posts in the past, but will never be able to fully explain how much this disease has affected the people I love.

*My uncle is currently battling brain cancer. He has had two surgeries, both fairly successful, but will soon undergo radiation treatment to further eradicate the cancer cells.

*My maternal grandfather lives with bladder cancer, and though it is currently under control, he has to have frequent surgeries to remove tumors.

*My paternal grandfather was recently diagnosed with leukemia. He is currently on chemotherapy.

The list goes on and on; a good friend's grandfather recently passed away from a brain tumor, another good friend's mother is in remission from breast cancer, a cousin of mine had a rare form of bone cancer and lost his leg, a family friend is in remission from non-hodgkins lymphoma, another friend's mother passed away last year from pancreatic cancer. I'm sure there are more that I haven't even listed.

My bantering is not meant to be a downer; instead, meant to serve as awareness that this disease affects everyone in one way or another. Organizations like B.R.A.I.N. are uplifting and positive ways to share hope. The walk was a success and the organization raised over $15,000!

Happy 1st Birthday, Reid!

I'm a little late, but this cute boy...

turned ONE a week ago. We celebrated his birthday this past weekend and I'm pretty sure he had a great time at his party!

Cake? Yes, please.

Happy 1st birthday, baby Reid!! And a big thanks to Katie for hosting everyone!

Fall Favorites

Raleigh can't decide if it wants to hang on to summer, or dive into fall. I, personally, am ready for fall. Don't get me wrong, I am totally a summer girl, but with several months of 100+ degree days I am ready for things to cool off. We've had a few days when it's been perfect - 50's in the morning, high of mid-70's in the afternoon - but recently the temperatures have been back up into the 90's and I'm just getting a little tired of it.

Despite the indecisive weather, I have a list of a few fall favorites I want to share with you. It's all about warmth and comfort this season.

Tall boots: Totally in love. These are my favorite lower leg warmers and I'm really looking forward to wearing them all fall and winter, rain or shine.

Leggings & skinny jeans: Again, it's all about comfort. I could live in these things. Best part...they're versatile. Easy to throw on to run errands, but can also be dressed up. Not to mention they look cute with the above boots :)

Long cardigans & sweaters: I love to layer clothes and this is the perfect layer every closet should have.

Trench coats: This coat is my closet's newest addition. I love it. It's warm, breathable, and *should* stand up to whatever weather the season decides to dish out.

Popcorn popper: I am a sucker for popcorn. I would eat it everynight if I could, especially when it's cold outside, but I know better than to do that. However, recently I purchased this air-pop popcorn popper and it's much healthier than microwave popcorn - score! No more feelings of guilt while indulging my cravings!

Pumpkin: One of the things I look forward to the most during the fall is anything flavored with pumpkin. Most of the things I've made in the past that involve pumpkin are sweet; my favorites being pumpkin roll, pumpkin chiffon pie, and mini pecan pumpkin pies. This year I want to try some pumpkin recipes that aren't sweet. Anybody have any ideas?

Oh, and these are obviously not real pumpkin...but I could eat these gems by the handful! Definitely a fall favorite.
Cookbooks: Is there anything better than eating warm comfort foods when it's cold outside? Nope, didn't think so. My slow cooker and stock pots will get lots of use this fall and winter and I'm hoping to come up with some new recipes for my recently-neglected recipe blog.

Games: A favorite pasttime, especially when family or friends are all gathered around. The two games below have recently made their way to the top of my fav list. If you haven't played either of them - get to it!