o holy night

"O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our dear Savior's Birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

The thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees!  Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born."

My favorite Christmas hymn.  I've been reflecting quite a bit on these words through this holiday season, and it is the meaning of why we even celebrate Christmas.  We should constantly fall on our knees to our Savior and be in awe of His presence with us and how we were chosen as His.

Thanks to my friend Aud (and pinterest), I'll have these words hanging in our house throughout the season as a constant reminder of why we are celebrating Christmas.

well hello there...

...little neglected blog....  Life is great and we are enjoying it and staying so so busy (like I'm sure everyone else in the world is).  Starting two new jobs has been wonderful and I love them both very much and am very blessed.

We had a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday with the Carter family (and the extended Carters, too!) in Oxford.  The weather was awesome and we had some delicious food.

It seems as though every year when December comes, there is something scheduled EVERY day.  Why is that??  It is all usually things I enjoy attending, too, so then we are busy... a fun busy though!

I did finally manage time to make a little desktop calendar for December, so I hope you enjoy!  You can get it by clicking here...

Merry merry to everyone and let's all remember the reason for the season.

catch up to the new year

We had a very blessed and special holiday this year.  Many of you probably heard our sweet niece, Juliette, was at Le Bonheur PICU with RSV.  You can read in more detail over at Leslie's blog.  She has written some beautiful words about their 2 week experience patiently waiting for sweet Juliette to recover.  We all needed that reminder that we are NOT in control and God's timing is His, and there is nothing we can do to change it.  Ever.

Little Jules is now recouping at home and I know Leslie and Jonathan are, too.  Le Bonheur has a special place in our hearts after spending two weeks and our Christmas there.  Thank you to the staff for making our family feel so special and loved.

Tradition.  We Guinns love it.  T-man and I decided the first year we were married that we would do Thanksgiving with his fam, and Christmas at our home in Memphis where my fam lives.  Every Christmas eve morning Leslie holds a yummy brunch, and then we head to our parents that evening for pimiento cheese sandwiches in the shape of Christmas trees and gift-opening with our Granny and my dad's brother's fam.  It's always a good time and last year I believe we played Beatles rockband.  Christmas morning mom makes the same delicious breakfast and we enjoy a lazy day opening presents and watching Christmas movies, usually Home Alone.  Leslie, Scott and I know all the words to the movie.  It's our favorite.  Scott used to be so tricky like ol' Kevin McAllister.  With all this said, we love our Christmas traditions.  It was obviously very different this year, but we tried to still make it just as special for Leslie, Jonathan and Juliette.  We took the usual breakfast down to the hospital and all ate together with our fam and Jonathan's fam too.  I loved this.  I loved not getting so wrapped up in "our" Christmas and remembering there are families in sad/different situations... say, in a hospital.  We went back down there for a chili & tamale dinner and took some more gifts for Leslie and Jonathan to open.  And an answered prayer... Juliette got off the ventilator on Christmas day.  It was a great day.

I'll just share some photos from the rest of our holiday.  T-man and I enjoyed last week off together before he gets busy busy in the next few months.  I'm still deciding what my busy season project will be this year.  Happy new year everyone!

We opened our gifts and annual pj's Christmas Eve night with lil Gibson.  We are so very blessed.

 My parents gave us a new mailbox!

Awesome new fire pit from T's parents!

Christmas morning at Le Bonheur

Loving the Kindle (and the Hunger Games)

Meal made by my sweet guy

Me and T made New Year's Eve/Day Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls.  MMM.

Time of year for the coral bark Japanese Maple to actually be coral.  Pretty.

 Already loving 2012!

January 2012 desktop can be found here.

cookies and other

It was another successful sugary night at the cookie exchange a week ago.  I got to host it at our home and there were cookies everywhere, but it was so much fun... SO many cookies..

Everyone really "brought it" this year with their cookies and packaging.  I have such creative friends!  Here are the results from this years cookie exchange/party/competition.

WINNER: Sara Midyett with her Lemon Cookie



The Runner-up this year for overall winner (Anne Nowlin asked for runner-up to be announced for each category):  Jamie Jerkins with her Momo's Molasses Cookies.

The Most Unique Cookie : Leslie Poe with her Cheese Date Tarts

The runner up for Most Unique : Leslie Jerkins with her Clementine Chip Cutie

The Best Packaging/Presentation : Leslie Jerkins with her Clementine Chip Cutie Box (this category was VERY close as there were so many great packages)

The Runner-up on Best Packaging/Presentation : Sara Midyett with her Lemon Cookies

Such a fun night, but so many cookies to taste.  It's so fun to take them all home so you can actually taste each cookie again by itself.

I loved all these winners, but my personal favorite was Mandi's Mocha Rounds... Chocolate cookie with coffee/kahlua flavored icing. :)  I've already made them (so easy) to give to neighbors for a little holiday treat.

Last week T and I enjoyed Monday off together getting our Christmas shopping done.  First year we started and finished on the same day.  We even squeezed in a nice lunch date at one of our favorite spots.. Las Delicias.  I tried something different this time, the torta, and it was delicious.  I highly recommend it!

This weekend we came to Oxford to spend time with his fam before Christmas.  He, of course, spent most of the time in the woods while I shopped with my MIL and enjoyed time with her.  Since their tree [unfortunately] fell over two times in a week, we helped put all the ornaments back up and it's now secured with a thick rope.  They also pulled out their life-size dancing Santa, and the dogs went crazy.  Gibson just looked at him very confused, but Weezy (Katy's dog) went nuts barking at him non-stop.  Gib finally just looked at her like, "chill out, girl, it's just good ol' St. Nick."

He's never phased when we come visit Oxford.. Makes himself right at home...

I snuck up to the square on my lunch break today and it was such a pretty day.  I'm so thankful for days like these...  I hope everyone is having a relaxing and memory-filled holiday season!

merry happy

Our favorite season has arrived.  And it has arrived quickly.  It is St. Jude marathon weekend here in Memphis, and it seems like just yesterday I was finishing up the marathon.  I can't believe it's been a year.  This year I'll be having some fun with Leslie doing the 5K.  Whoop whoop!  Good luck to all half-marathon and marathoners! 

I love this season for many reasons, but mostly for the celebration of the coming of Christ.  Celebrating the truth, love, and the hope of eternal life.  It just so happens that we give presents, bake & eat delicious cookies, build roaring fires, and smell a nice fluffy green tree.

We're still in the process of putting out all our fun Christmas decorations, but I finished up with the mantle last night and it's so cheerful!

I hope everyone is enjoying this busy season of celebrating.  We Carters have a bunch of fun things happening this month, and Gibson is so pumped his Santa toy is back.  He'll be busy carrying him around the house for the next month. :)

December desktop calendar for ya --->

november is a whirlwind

I feel like just yesterday I posted our little wedding montage, but it's already the end of November.  In one day, it'll be December 1. Wow.

Lot's has happened these last few weeks-- T and I headed to the mountains to celebrate our 2-yr anni.  It was a wonderful relaxing long weekend, and we enjoyed all the cheesiness that g-burg has to offer.  At Cades Cove we got up close and personal with some bucks [one charged at us] and T was just in heaven.  I made him pose with the deer.  The whole trip all I did was look in the woods for bears.  I just wanted to see one bear.  Well I saw 3!

We enjoyed a big ol' pancake breakfast at the infamous Pancake Pantry.  T had choco chip, I had sweet potato and they were divine.  We also got some airbursh tshirts and our names "Dudley & Martha 4ever" carved in a wooden plaque.  [I'm joking, but there is an option for either of those in every other store]

My sweet fren Audrey suggested we have dinner one night at the Buckberry Lodge, and dummy me forgot about it until we got there.  We drove past it on the way up the mountain to our condo, and I remembered!  It was the best meal I've eaten in I don't know how long.  We started with the [best] fried calamari, even T ate it.  Then we had a delicious shrimp "compliments of the chef," and homemade bread with sweet butter or goat butter.  I went out on a limb and tried the goat butter and I couldn't get enough of that stuff. MMM.  T enjoyed a juicy filet, and I licked my plate of halibut, veggies & rice.  We ended this deliciousness [because we weren't full yet] with homemade peach cobbler & ice cream.  I'm telling you, best meal I've had in awhile.  If you're ever in the G-burg area, I highly suggest you make a reservation at this place.  You won't regret it!

For Thanksgiving, we headed on down to Scooba to visit with T's Granny and made some precious memories I'll always remember.  We slept on our air mattress and every night we ended up smooshed together in a canyon.  Air mattress is now in the trash, and Audrey & Ross tried to warn us there might be a leak.  Should have listened to you guys!  I learned a fun new card game, we fished, and ate, and ate, and ate, and ate funnel cakes.  I had enough food last weekend to tide me over for the marathon this weekend (too bad it doesn't really work like that).

When we got home we celebrated my [little] brother's birthday with my grandma and aunt & uncle who were in town for thanksgiving.  We stuffed our faces at the best mexican in town [Las Delicias], and then enjoyed Scottie's request for a "boston cream pie cake."  Mom and grandma made it and it was very delish!  Happy birthday little Scottie! [I know you're not so little anymore]

We closed out our wonderful holiday weekend by trimming our tree.  T absolutely loves Christmas [as do I], and couldn't wait to put the tree up!  Now we can enjoy this beaut for all of December.

Gibson found his Santa toy and can't get enough of him...carries him around everywhere, and I found this little part alone in the den = Santa's mustache.

This week I'm gearing up for the ol' marathon!  It's finally here, and I'm ready.  Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I am so thankful for my health, family, puppy, friends, and most importantly, my hubby who takes care of me everyday.  I'm thankful for the sweet memories I'll have from Thanksgiving twenty ten.

exterior house phase 3

When we first bought our house, I'll be honest that I had a hard time with envisioning it looking great one day. Well, with new paint, new door, no nasty bushes, new numbers it was already looking great! With phase 3, it's so much better. I mean, SO MUCH BETTER!

And I reveal, phase 3.

New shutters!!!! Merry Christmas to us from my parents. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love them.

We got them from J&L Shutter and they will last a lifetime. We picked Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze for the color and it looks perfect.

Now we just need to powerwash that bottom area that the bushes used to cover up, and some landscaping. It's a slow process, but I love our first home.