Mrs. Rebecca Page!

Brian and Rebecca got married this weekend!!! We have been awaiting this wedding for a LONG time and I can't believe it has come and gone. Now we are all jealous that they are laying on the beach in Mexico. ;)

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Becca was stunning and glowing the entire day! Congratulations Brian and Becca! We love you!

Jai Ho! Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23AjQuc9beM

all things new

So, as many of you know, Jesse is in the area of Boone/Blowing Rock, North Carolina for the summer working for the National Park Service at the Moses Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We went to move him in this weekend and get him all settled. The house felt like it had a layer of dust over everything, and dead bugs and cobwebs in every corner, so we immediately started cleaning! With a little Clorox and elbow grease, we got the place looking good.

The weekend was really good....went to the farmers market in Boone, took a long walk on the trails on the property, and just enjoyed having time to spend together... but Sunday came a little too soon and was harder than we thought it would be. I guess we never really truly realized how close we have gotten (through the everyday things) and how our love for each other has grown until the time came for us to be apart. I did NOT want to get on that plane. I'm so thankful for him and couldn't imagine my life without him. Thank you so much to everyone that has been and is praying for us through this time. I know it is going to be hard, but it is going to go by fast! Already counting the days til we get to see each other. (only 10!)

Make sure to follow his blog this summer http://jrenglish.tumblr.com/ as he updates about everything from his world! He just did a post about where he is living. Check it out!!!

Anyways, enough of all that mushy stuff, right? Time for some pictures.

About a week and a half before he left, I came home to a wonderful surprise. I had been in Jackson for work and came home a little earlier than I had told Jesse. When I got to our apartment, I couldn't find him anywhere inside (not that it is very big!) and was confused... I walked into the kitchen and noticed that something was going on outside on the patio. I opened the door to plants everywhere! He was in the middle of sawing and drilling and was covered in dirt and sweat. He was upset that I got home early, because he was planning to surprise me with a brand new patio garden! Oh well, the time issue didn't ruin ANYTHING! I immediately ran upstairs, called my mom to tell her, and changed clothes so I could help him finish. I was so excited!

We have wanted to do something out there for a while (if you've seen our patio, you know it isn't much) but Jesse never had the time... which is the exact reason he did it for me. He apologized for how busy this semseter has been, and how he wouldn't be around much this summer, so he wanted to do something special for me. So sweet!

Here are some pics:

Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoy the real thing!

This is a busy week, then I am SO looking foward to Rebecca Warden and Brian Page's wedding this weekend! I can't believe it is here. I love you two so much and am so excited to spend this happy day with you! Pictures from their big day soon to come.

Omega 3s

On the menu tonight:

Baked Fish with Lemon-Pepper Crust

Long Grain and Wild Rice

Salad with Italian Vinaigrette

Baked Fish with Lemon-Pepper Crush

• 1 cup fresh or dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used fresh from my herb garden- thanks Becca and Stacey!)
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper (I put a little bit more)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 lb. firm white fish fillets, fresh or frozen, thawed
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 lemon, juiced

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, lemon pepper and salt. Set aside.
3. Dip fish into melted butter and coat both sides with crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake until cooked through yet flaky to the fork, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.
4. Enjoy!

It was delish!!! Very light and tasty. Try it out sometime soon. Sorry, no pictures to share- it was so good we gobbled it up!

I might be running another 5k this Saturday at the Double Decker Spring Run in Oxford with Mary and Becca, weather permitting! We'll see... is it worth it to run in the rain in Oxford??? I just don't know. Maybe we should just have our own 5k here in Starkville.

I can't belive this semseter is almost OVER! Where did the time go?

Currently watching the Madonna episode of Glee.... gotta go!

a preview of summer 2010

This past weekend, Jesse and I took a much needed trip to North Carolina! He has been so busy with school that we don't have much time to spend together, so we really wanted to get away for a weekend. Also, Jesse got an internship this summer with the National Parks Service on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC doing landscape architecture and historical preservation, so we wanted to take a chance to see where he would be spending the summer. He had been searching and we had been praying a while now for an internship. After applying to over 30, this is the place that the Lord led him and we were so excited to get to spend some time there together! So, here's our weekend...

With both of us having Good Friday (or as MSU calls it, spring holiday) off, we got up bright and early Friday morning (except it wasn't bright... it was quite the opposite!). The alarm went off at 4 a.m. and we were on the road around 5 a.m. I haven't seen those times in quite a while, so it was a little rough getting going, but once Jesse had his coffee and I had my Diet Coke, we were good to go! We had an 8 hour drive ahead of us, but due to the time zone change, it was really 9 hours.

We saw the sunrise, drove through Birmingham, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Johnson City, lots of small mountain towns, and finally ended up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now, if you have never been on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you are TRULY missing out!!! Just imagine the Natchez Trace Parkway, but waaayyy cooler. This was my first time and I was blown away. I was driving at this point and couldn't get the full view, but it was amazing! (We went back later when Jesse was driving so I could get a better look.) Here are a few pictures to give you a taste... I didn't take these, but look how beautiful!!!

As if it can't get any better, this is the road that Jesse will be living and working on this summer. I know, I know... and I'll be here in good ole' Mississippi. He will specifically be living and working at the Moses Cone Memorial Park. After driving down the parkway for about 12 miles, we pass Price Lake :) and then turn into Moses Cone.

You can read here what the place is:

Aaaand.... here is where he will be living!

Ok, ok... Just kidding. This isn't quite the house he will be living in, but this is the main home on the property. This was the Cone Family's home that is now home to the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

This is where he will actually be living... in the old servants quarters.

View from his front porch:

This is the old carriage house where they used to keep their carriages.

After spending some time on the estate, we made our way down the mountain into the adorable town of Blowing Rock, NC. We had dinner at an amzing restaurant - Canyons of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This place had been there since the turn of the century and has always been a popular hang out for the students at Appalachian State in Boone. It was recommended to us by a friend and did not disappoint. I wish we had known how large the portion sizes were becuase we got way more food then we could imagine eating, but it was divine!

This picture does not even do this justice, but we sat outside on the deck with a beautiful view of the mountains and valley.

That evening we stayed the night at the Boxwood Lodge in Blowing Rock.

If any of you have stuck around with this post, thanks! :) We spent Saturday morning walking around Blowing Rock and Boone, getting more familiar with the area. On the 15 minute drive to Boone, we found some outlets and HAD to stop and explore! After we gave too much money to Polo, Banana Republic, and Gap, we decided to get back on the road. Boone is home to Appalachian State University, so we took some time walking around the beautiful campus and town.

After eating Smoked Gouda Enchiladas at Tupelo's World Cafe, we made our way to Roan Mountain State Park. We wanted to tent camp Saturday night since the weather was so beautiful! We arrive at the campground around 7:15 - thinking we could set up the tent and hang out in the hammock before dark. When we arrive, we see a large sign that said tent camping did not begin until April 15. Hmmm.... what now? We didn't really have a back up plan and dark was coming soon.

Thankfully, minutes later a park ranger came by and told us to head on up Roan Mountain and that we could get on the Appalachian Trail at Carvers Gap and set up our tent on the bald. We didn't realize how close we were to such an amazing place!!! We made our way up to Carvers Gap, loaded up the packs and made our way up the rest of the mountain on foot. We arrived just as the sun had almost gone down, set up the tent and watched the stars come out. What a blessing! It was BEAUTIFUL. Elevation: around 5700 feet.We got in the tent with coyotes howling and settled in for the night. If you are wondering why I don't have any pictures to show you, my camera died at this point.... I know, right?! Terrible.

We woke up to an incredible Easter morning to one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. Here are some pictures I found online:

It's amazing how close you can feel to God on a mountain. With a thankful and full heart, we packed up camp and made our way back to the car. We are so thankful we weren't able to stay at the campground because we would have missed out on an awesome Easter morning experience. We left NC and made our way back to MS and got back around 6 p.m. Jesse went straight to the studio and I hung out with some friends. We were sad for the weeking to come to and end, but felt so refreshed and rejuvenated. I'm looking forward to more weekends like this over the summer! :)

Thanks for sticking around to read this!

-AC

Home Improvement... Easy as 1...2...3!

We have been lacking end tables in our living room since we moved in last August. I figured it was about time to do something about this... seeing that August was 8 months ago! Mary and I went to the Palmer Home thrift store and found some great tables for a great price. All they needed was a little face lift.

Step 1: Sand the tables.

Step 2: Prime the tables.

Step 3: Paint the tables.

It's so nice to actually have a place to put a lamp or set a drink down. Our living room feels so much cozier now! My parents gave me some old lamps that they had and I found some lamp shades at Wal-Mart that worked perfectly! I love to make old things new... according to The Today Show this morning, this is called "upcycling" instead of recyling. Glad to know I'm staying up with the trends! Haha

This picture is of my grandparents when they were young and in love. Grandaddy passed away when I was young. Grandmom passed away 4 years ago - March 31, 2006. I can't believe it has been 4 years. I miss her so much. She was an amazing lady. Devoted wife, stay at home mother of 7 children, grandmother and great-grandmother of too many to count- seriously. She had more love in her heart than anyone I know. This is one of my favorite pictures of all times... always makes me smile. :)