Weekend in Orlando/Jacksonville

The first weekend of December, Princess had her first cheer competition! We were SO nervous because we had a rough year with our gym last year ~ decided to stick out because we now have a new owner that we LOVE. The new owner is awesome and really has a passion for this, so it's like a whole new cheer gym.

The girls did great - they hit every stunt and placed 2nd place! The team that won 1st TOTALLY deserved it, too - so it made it a nice competition.

We decided to head to Jacksonville to watch the Gator game, since we were only about an hour away! We met up with GRITS and Just Dandy and watched the game at a really fun restaurant! I met these girls on Twitter and blogging (yes, I really did) and met up with them and 6 other girls in Atlanta. We have gotten to be great friends, so it was nice to see them again. It's no secret our Gators played like highschoolers and pretty much HANDED the title to Alabama, but it is what it is. Big Daddy and Wild Child were at the game and said it was pretty painful to watch in person. We LOVE Tebow and can't wait to see what he does next.


Princess and GRITS - Princess kept us in complete and utter hysterics the whole weekend. Seriously, the stuff that came out of her mouth was killing me .....




It was a great weekend, short of the Gators losing! We had a wonderful time and look forward to heading back to Jacksonville sometime SOON!

Seriously Adorable Frame Winner

The winner of the "Believe" frame is:

Tricia ~ please email me your address so I can get this shipped off to you!

CONGRATS!

Random.org was used to generate a number - I used 1-10 {after removing Shawn's comment} and it chose #4

Thank you all for entering!

Believe ....

I'm hosting a giveaway and the 'prize' is something from one of my favorite people! Shawn, one of my best friends, is a fabulous artist. One of her most popular items is the canvas frame.

Take a look below at several of the designs she has created:


A fall-themed frame - I LOVE this cute little scarecrow!



These precious little birds make my heart happy! I LOVE THEM!


How cute is this summer frame? Would look perfect with your beach picture inserted in the frame!

This is one of my favorites too - would love to rotate out pictures of the kids from Halloweens past.

This is a custom piece she did for a customer!


A birthday frame!


WHO doesn't LOVE a fleur de lis??


One lucky reader is going to win the adorable "Believe" frame below! This one is designed to be placed in an easel, but I'm sure if I ask nicely, Shawn will make it into a frame that hangs! You can place your favorite picture from holidays past! It holds a 5x7 picture, too!

The best part is the frames are EXTREMELY affordable and make EXCELLENT gifts! Just $19.95 and they come packaged up in cellophane and ribbon, ready to give! So head on over to Shawn's blog or her website, Seriously Adorable ~ to enter the contest, please just leave a comment! That's IT! Contest will end FRIDAY, Dec 11 at midnight and winner will be announced Sat - so I can get this packaged up and ready for you to enjoy before Christmas!

8 yrs ....

Today marks our 8-year anniversary! We were married in Vegas after dating 9 mths - so I guess the old saying goes "When you know, you know".

We've been through some crazy times, some very dramatic times, some wonderful times, but all in all, these past 8yrs have shaped us as a couple. Our marriage has taken work {and y'all are lying if you are saying yours doesn't and it's perfect} ~ I'm happy to say I've got a man that will stand beside me NO MATTER what.

The best part of our marriage so far? These two:

This past year has been great. We have traveled with our best friends to Dominican Republic, we have been to Atlanta many times, we've gone to lots of concerts together, we've grown within (and with) our church, we've deepened friendships and our marriage has gotten closer than it's ever been! It's really been GOOD!

For those of you that don't know, this is my second marriage and Big Daddy's third (EEK!! But honestly, I'm a Lt Colonel - we've been married THREE TIMES as long as his first 2 marriages COMBINED) - I will tell you this: Divorce is too easy these days. Please know this is just my OPINION, but if you can work GOD into your marriage, it will last forever. I truly believe that. There have been a couple times in our marriage that it just wasn't fun, easy or even enjoyable, but because of our FAITH and belief in Christ, we stuck it out and we're in a place now where I know we'll continue to grow deeper together as a couple. Marriage is hard work - but a friend sent this to me today and I wanted to close and share:

The purpose of marriage is not so much to make us happy, but to give us opportunities to grow in virtue and learn how to love by weathering those frustrations and irritations. If we can get over our mindset towards our spouse of "meet my needs", we can appreciate what they are instead of focusing on what they aren't!

Menu Planning Monday

As promised, here is my menu for this week:


Monday - Chicken Katherine

Tuesday - Chicken & Dumplings (in crock pot)

Wednesday - Bear Creek broccoli & cheese soup w/turkey sandwiches

Thursday - Chicken Alfredo, salad

Friday - Baked Ziti, salad

Saturday - Christmas Party and it includes the kids!

Sunday - French Fried Chicken, couscous, green beans

Chicken Alfredo:

Sautee frozen mixed vegetables in a pan, once thawed, add alfredo sauce

Cook chicken breast and then dice chicken into chunks

Add chicken to alfredo sauce

Cook egg noodles as directed

Combine alfredo mix and egg noodles in a pan. Top with panko bread seasoning. Bake in oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Baked Ziti:

Cook 1 lb ground beef and Jimmy Dean Italian Sausage

Drain, rinse and add spaghetti sauce

Cook ziti noodles as directed

Combine ziti and ground beef mixture. Put in pan and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in over on 350 degrees for 15-20 min.

French Fried Chicken (this was a dinner my BFF Amber was fixing the other night when I was at her house ... I have to try it).

Crunch up French Fried Onions and put on plate. Beat up 3 eggs. Take 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts and coat in eggs, then cover with French Fried Onion mixture!

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Is it December already?!?!

WOW ~ I can't believe I haven't posted in over a week! I am SO SORRY!! We have been so busy here at The Brock household, but now that we are in some sort of a routine, I should be back to my regular posting!

Will be back later today with Menu Planning Monday, and then check back later this week for a giveaway, a Christmas tour, and results from Princess' first cheer competition!!

Appetizers, dips, and cheese balls, OH MY!

I love food - it's really not a secret. I really love good, country, SOUTHERN food, but since my move to Florida, I have broadened my horizons a bit and realized I can eat, AND ENJOY, some, ahem, what I call ... fru fru food.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I thought I would post some recipes of some wonderful dips, appetizers, etc that I have come to enjoy! I hope you enjoy them too!

Endive Stuffed w/Goat Cheese* and Walnuts

My friend, Stacey - you know, the one that does all my flower arrangements and has no blog, she brought these to a wine tasting this past weekend and they were DELISH!

*I had this the other night and she used blue cheese instead of goat cheese - ALTHOUGH - I really like goat cheese. Blue cheese is just easier to find. You will find yourself chomping on these and going back for more. They are ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! I think I stood over the plate and ate about 10 of them. Seriously. I will be making these for Thanksgiving Day appetizers.

Toffee Dip

I have no picture for this one, but trust me, it's SO good and perfect for fall! I make it and it doesn't last long at all. I normally serve with apple slices and graham cracker cinnamon sticks.

Cheese Ball

This one was introduced to me by Shawn. She makes it and it disappears ...like all the rest of these!

1 pkg Kraft Roka Blue

1 pkg Old English

1 block cream cheese

Garlic to taste

Mix together - put in fridge to harden - shape into ball and serve with crackers!

Baked Brie

This is my go-to now for just about anything I have to go to ... it always goes fast and is quite delicious! I have used many different types of preserves, and I'm thinking cranberry preserves would be really good (if I can find it).

What are your favorite recipes?