Picture Proof

I know I said the Viper Pilot would be the one to write a post about my {death-defying} roller coaster ride. But he's been pretty busy. That and he doesn't think he'd be any good at this. I beg to differ, but whatev. We went to Six Flags Fiesta Texas with the Viper Pilot's aunt, uncle and cousins. I am not, never have been, and never will be, a fan of these types of places.


I will say, I did enjoy the shows we saw. It was before Christmas, so there was much caroling and lots of decorations to look at.
Pictures with Scooby Doo? Not my thing.
Gravity defying rides? I'll pass.
I would much rather people-watch. It's fun.

But, woe is me, I was convinced (by two cute kids who had been paid by the Viper Pilot to beg me) to ride a roller coaster.




And we have picture proof.
For the record, I see this as a form of public humiliation, so you're welcome. Enjoy.

Just as the ride was starting.

 Did you notice how the Viper Pilot is clearly enjoying himself? The good thing that came of this situation is that I have FINALLY convinced the Viper Pilot that I hate rides and he will never force me onto another one again. At least, not for a while...

Cheers!

Pasta al' Tonno

Hi! I hope you are enjoying the changes to the blog. Having a good week so far? Mine is going swell compared to last week. I leaned that it is possible to put too many cubes in my Scentsy...talk about fumigation. Ooof. Just a wee bit of a nugget ache. NBD.

I have resumed my "Little White Dress Healthy Lifestyle Plan" and am getting back in the routine of Supreme 90 workouts. It would figure that my first workout back at it was the tabata inferno. In case you aren't familiar with this workout, it translates exactly to: 'high intensity interval training HELL' and I think that pretty well sums it up. Yes, according to wikipedia, inferno is Italian for hell. I think that it is appropriately titled.

So, my parents are keeping Mouser for a few weeks since I've been so busy. I don't like to neglect my fur-baby by leaving her home alone all the time, but I really miss her. I was eating popcorn the other night and let me tell you now, I am THE messiest popcorn eater you will ever meet. I grab handfuls and throw it at my mouth, hoping at least a few will make it in. Elmer is usually right there to help me clean up. It dawned on me about halfway through the bag with a quarter of the popcorn on the floor that she wasn't there. I had to get out the broom for that mess. She would have had a hay-day.

On top of that, the Viper Pilot has been insanely busy this week. They got to fly with some F/A-18s and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the heck out of that. He sounded like a giddy 5-year-old talking about it. He's been putting in 14+ hour days lately. He hasn't complained once, but I know he's worn out and tired. However, the long days mean he has to come home and go right to bed. I have hardly spoken to him.

I'm in Elle-and-Viper-Pilot-withdrawal.

Okay, sad. Let's talk about something else.

The other night, I threw together a healthy twist to tuna casserole. I've been at the Columbus house for 5 days in the past month, so there is NO food here. I ate brown rice for lunch yesterday. So I didn't have much to work with when I decided to spice things up for dinner.

I rounded up what I did have...

And this happened...

Pasta 'al Tonno
adapted from my nugget

• 8 oz 100% whole wheat spaghetti (can use any pasta)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 (6 oz) can tuna, drained
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I had to use parsley flakes...but I recommend fresh)
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted 
• Crushed red pepper
• Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large pot, cook spaghetti with a teaspoon of olive oil in boiling water until al dente. 

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, saute the minced garlic in 2 Tbsp of olive oil until it begins to give off its aroma and is slightly brown. Add the can of tuna and let cook on medium heat for about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, cooked pasta, and toss. Turn burner to high heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and toss with the fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately. 

This is a classic, easy Italian dish which takes just minutes to prepare. I wouldn't put it top of the list for your weekend dinner, but it definitely works well for a school night. It really is as easy as opening a can of tuna. The tuna, of course, is key. At a minimum, use tuna fish packed in olive oil. "Light" tuna packed in spring water {and the like} will result in a mundane, rather insipid dish, no matter what you're making. I would also suggest adding capers to the dish - just remember to rinse and squeeze them dry. 

Please pardon the large chunks of Parmesan. I can't find my cheese grater and ended up having to use the potato peeler. It worked, but it looks goofy. Heh...heh...

Cheers!

BBQ Chick-en/pea Pizza with Gouda

Bring in the buckets. You're gonna need something to catch your drool.

Okay, but first, let's discuss a few things. I really hope that you noticed that the blog has changed ever so slightly. Well, that's because I now pay $100/month to have someone update it and make it look nice.

JUST KIDDING!

No, I've just gotten a little more "skilled" at this whole blog thing. I've added a few pages at the top. Some are still a work-in-progress. The one I am most excited about it the 'food' page. If you click on it, you will find links for all the recipes I've ever posted categorized by type. I will continue to update it each time I add a new recipe. 

Also, if you look over in the top right has side just above my "Profile" you will find a new search container. You can type in anything and it will search my entire blog! 

Lastly, you will now see at the bottom of each post a "Print" button. This is a wonderful new feature, guys! If you click the button, it will open a new window with the entire post inside, pictures and all. You can go through the post and delete the contents you don't want printed (for example, if you just want to print the recipe, delete everything except the recipe). You have the option to print to a pdf file, also. 

I am so excited about these new changes. Please let me know what you think!! Check out the 'contact' page and you can send me an email directly! I would love to hear your comments, questions, feedback, etc.!

Okay, but you're not here to read about my adventures with HTML. It's all about the pizza, babay. Am I right? Yeah, I am.

You know the feeling you get when you put on that one pair of skinny jeans and they just fit oh so right? Guys, I'm guessing you don't know this feeling and I'm trying to think of a good analogy for you, but I can't...sorry. Anyway, this is kind of how this pizza made me feel.

I've made pizzas before. We prefer our standard homemade pizza, but I decided to put a twist on the usual this time.

BBQ Chick-en/pea Pizza with Gouda
adapted from eat, live, run

• 1 pizza crust (recipe follows)
• 1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce of choice 
• 1 cup shredded chicken**
• 1 cup freshly grated gouda cheese

Make the pizza dough according to recipe directions. The recipe makes two large pizza crusts, so you may want to freeze half the dough for later.

For best results, preheat a pizza stone in the oven at 450 degrees F. 

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add chicken breasts. Boil chicken until cooked through. Cut into bite size pieces or shred. **If you have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, you're in luck. Put the chicken breasts in the mixer bowl (preferably while still warm) and set the mixer to med speed using the cookie dough attachment until chicken is perfectly shredded. 

Roll out your pizza dough into a large rectangle or circle on hot pizza stone or on a large pizza pan. Drizzle with BBQ sauce. Sprinkle with some of the cheese, then sprinkle on the chicken and chickpeas. Cover toppings with remaining cheese.

Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake pizza for 15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and crust is done. Let cool, then cut into slices and serve. 

Pizza Dough

adapted from eat, live, run

• 3 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached white whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 packet yeast
• 1.5 tsp sea salt

In a mixing bowl, combine the warm water and yeast.

Stir in the salt and flour and mix on medium high speed on your Kitchen Aid stand mixer for 5 minutes. While the mixer is going, drizzle in the olive oil. 

When the dough is soft and elastic, take out of the bowl, rub with olive oil and then place back in the bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise for one hour. 

After the dough has doubled in size, cut in half to make two large pizza doughs or make mini doughs. You could also freeze the dough in a plastic baggie for another time. When you are ready for your pizza, roll out the dough, cover with your toppings and bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes. 

*You could also make this dough without and electric mixer, just knead by hand for about 8 minutes and then follow above steps. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm a cook.

The BBQ sauce I used made this pizza. Without this sauce, it was just pizza. I picked this up at Whole Foods. It's a local (ish) place from Austin. The Viper Pilot shot me a judging look as I licked the spoon...

We made this pizza with every intention of getting some leftovers out of it. However, there was only one slice left. The Viper Pilot kept going back for more. "I am stuffed, but I can't stop eating it! It's so good!" His exact words. Yup. Pilot approved.

Enjoy! 

Beef Stroganocchi

Hello, friends.

This post-kidney infection dinner turned out better than I expected, which explains why I only took one picture of it. I was still a bit under the weather and cooking was enough work as it was. But, trust me, pictures or no pictures, it's really good.

As the Viper Pilot said, "It's a keeper." He said that about me, too. :)

Flashback.

Beef Stroganocchi (beef stroganoff with gnocchi)
adapted from eat, live, run

• 1 lb beef tenderloin, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1.5 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour + a few pinches to thicken sauce, if needed
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 oz baby peas, fresh or frozen
• 3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• gnocchi for serving

In a cast iron skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk quickly, forming a light colored roux. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously until the color of the roux is caramel-like. Then, slowly stream in the beef broth. Simmer for another minute and then take off the stove and set aside. 

In another skillet, brown the beef on both sides (about 5 minutes). Season with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Once beef has browned, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate to keep warm. 

Meanwhile, prepare gnocchi or noodles, per directions on the container.

In the same skillet, heat the olive oil and remaining 1/2 Tbsp of butter. Add the minced garlic and baby peas to the pan and cook on medium for about 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let the peas get mushy. 

Pour the sauce over the peas and add the Greek yogurt (or sour cream if you're using it instead). Add the beef and stir until everything has heated through. 

Serve with buttered egg noodles or with potato gnocchi. Add sea salt + black pepper to taste.

Get yourself a hefty post-kidney infection portion (oof!) and some steamed baby broccoli.
But for the record, I didn't even come close to cleaning my plate. My eyes were a bit bigger than my stomach...

I purchased the ingredients for this dish before I got sick. The last time I was in the hospital with a kidney infection, the first meal I ate after I was healthy again: beef stroganoff. Weeeird. It's like I was jinxed.

But this time, I took a healthy twist on it. No cream and less butter - just the good stuff made the cut. Also, I don't eat 'shrooms so I made a substitution. If you're not like me and don't live your life sans 'shrooms and onions {though I don't know why you would want to live that way...} you could use sliced mushrooms and shallots. But that's not how I roll. You could also use the traditional egg noodles. But the potato gnocchi sang to me when I walked by in Whole Foods. It completes me. It's a comfort food thing.

Enjoy!

Healthy Once More

The good news is, I'm healthy again. Hooray!

Last Saturday, I was feeling healthy enough for a walk. My lungs desperately craved fresh air and I needed to see the sun.

There is a quaint little park in Castroville that has a walking path all the way around, plus hikes in in the foothills of hill country that we might have to scope out next time. The path around the park was all I had the energy for, though. It was a beautiful 80 degrees. 

The path meandered around along the river which was thick with swamp trees. It was so picturesque and really seemed so out of place compared to the rest of the park. I could not get over how crystal clear the water was - it was so blue! And the moss hanging down from the trees provided a muted, hazy canopy. The whole thing was accented with traces of greenery, a sure sign of SPRING in Texas! 

That evening, I even got my appetite back. And much to the Viper Pilot's delight, I was craving Thai food. We had a loving dining out with Dustin, who is in training with the Viper Pilot, and his lovely wife, Kassie, who has become a very dear friend of mine. After dinner, we went to their house and chatted until midnight, mostly about our dogs. Turns out their fur baby, Russell, is Elle's long lost brother from another mother. I'm not even kidding - they are SO much alike it is scary. We're planning to get them together for a play date soon. Since both are timid around other dogs and have very similar attitudes/behaviors, we think they might actually get along really well. I really hope so! We were all apologizing for being "not-fun" people because we never did decide on a game or a movie to watch. But by the end of the night, we concluded that we had a ton of fun being "boring" together. It was a lot of fun, but I was exhausted from the long day and was out before I hit the pillow.

The other good news is, I was welcomed back to Mississippi with the first sign of SPRING:

Well, I'm off to my Columbus kitchen to create a dinner for uno. It won't be much. But I have a couple recipes I'm anxious to post about, so check back for those soon!

Cheers!

A Pain in the Kidney

You haven't heard from me in a while, I know. I apologize. I told you I was going to post again with another recipe. Well, the food in the "Emily pile," as the Viper Pilot calls it, is not gourmet by any means. 

First of all, the engaged encounter we went to last weekend was an excellent experience. We didn't really learn anything new about each other (we've been together for almost 7 years, I would be worried if we did learn something new...) but it gave us the opportunity to revisit important topics and reminded us how madly in love we are. We're pretty excited to get married. True story. We also met some new friends - double date night, anyone? 

The last night of the retreat, I woke up around midnight with a fever and pain in the kidney. I knew that I was in trouble. I didn't want an "incomplete" on our marriage prep report card so I decided I could probably stick it out until it was over at noon on Sunday. That was a bad idea. A few hours after the retreat ended, I found myself in a hospital bed with an IV and antibiotics flowing like liquid gold. 

I'm relatively familiar with kidney infections. I've been getting them frequently since about 2006 and I was working toward figuring out a solution when the insurance company decided I was too much of a problem and denied me. Thanks, guys. Thanks. I rilly 'preciate that. 

That being said, I haven't exactly been doing anything blogworthy in the past few days. I lost my appetite, so I was busy forcing down jello, applesauce, brown rice...last night was my first craving for real food and the good news is, I still have sweet teeth - I really wanted cake. I've also spent quite a few hours sleeping. 

On a lighter note...

Lately I've been "planning" our honeymoon, which I know I am not supposed to do. Since we will likely be moving in August and we still don't know where that will be, and we don't really know the Viper Pilot's training schedule around the wedding date, the honeymoon is currently on HOLD. Nevertheless, I've scoped out THE place I want to go and the Viper Pilot likes it, too. (We just don't like the $$$, but that's the case with everything these days, isn't it?) It's a beautiful place with our two favorite things: mountains AND sandy-white beaches. ohmagosh...  

I'm thinking tomorrow I will be back up-and-at-em(ily). 

{Lightened Up} Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Promise me you'll make this for dinner tonight.

There is a Whole Foods in San Antonio. So guess where I went while the Viper Pilot was at work?





...and I got my lunch in a container there, too.

I'm not going to elaborate on the making of this dish - it was excellent. And chances are, you already have most of the ingreeds. <-- Best part.

{Lightened Up} Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
adapted from eat, live, run

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 shallot, minced (I just used extra minced garlic)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup cream
• 6 oz dry linguine pasta (I used whole grain)

Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and 1 tsp Cajun seasoning blend and cook until the chicken has just cooked through, about six minutes.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and the add the minced shallot and garlic to the hot skillet (add a little more oil if necessary). Saute until the shallot is tender and then add the tomatoes, cream and additional Cajun seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for a couple minutes. Add chicken back to sauce. 

Add linguine to the pan and toss to combine. Serve pasta with a grating of fresh Parmesan cheese. 

Servings: approx 3-4, I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers. That's the nice thing about pasta dishes is the serving size is just right.

I found the "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun seasoning at WF. It is from Louisiana, so you know it's gotta be good. And it was. I doubled the recipe to begin with, but I doubled the amount of the Cajun seasoning, as well, because it makes the dish.

Recruit a hunky Viper Pilot to assist you.

I think this dish would also be extra delish with shrimps, but the Viper Pilot don't like no shrimps, so chicken it is.
Enjoy!

Well, tonight we're off to the marriage prep class (if there is something I don't know about the Viper Pilot now after 7 years, I will supposedly learn it this weekend) so you may not hear from me again until Monday. Since I have another person to cook for again (my life has purpose again), I will surely be cooking next week. You can expect another recipe post!

In the mean time, read this book. It is so good, that it should only take you a couple of days. And the good news is, it is a trilogy, so it doesn't have to stop with this one!

Also, get pumped up for the movie coming out March 23. I'm pumped. (Taylor Swift recorded a song for the movie - it just might be the first and only Taylor Swift song that I actually like...) It makes me smile. I wanna read the books again...

Cheers! ...and may the odds be ever in your favor! (only my fellow Hunger Games will get that...)

I'm in Music City??

The title is rightfully posed as a question because indeed I am in Nashville, but I don't really know it because I'm shelled up in this resort and haven't seen daylight since Sunday. Oof. They have skylights allowing for natural light, but there is something to be said for fresh air. My hotel room doesn't even have a window looking to the outdoors - it looks into the large atrium inside the hotel called the "Cascades."

I am at the 50th AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) Aerospace Sciences Meeting  held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center....and it's huuuuge. 

The conference is huge.

And the resort is huge. I mean...HUGE. Note: the pictures were all taken with my iPod, so that's why they aren't so nice.

There were shops and restaurants in a little village.

A river which you could take boat rides on.

More of the village.

Waterfalls...this is all indoors!

And super cool fountains that shot water in all directions.

I am at this conference to present my recently published paper from my grad school research.

I presented on Monday morning and it went very well.

I need your help! Please (!!!) click this link, if you are on Facebook, and "like" this picture. It is entered in a wedding giveaway with an awesome prize and being the competitive person that I am, I really want to win!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.phpfbid=10100442798979260&set=o.120451508000151&type=3&theater

It is also posted on my Facebook profile if this link doesn't work...

If you don't have Facebook, that's okay. Here's the picture, it's a collage of some of our favorite engagement pictures!

Now, I am off to San Antonio for our marriage prep classes. Check back later for a food post!
Cheers!

Need a laugh? Yeah, you do...watch this video.

B "the Circus" Family Christmas

We spent the rest of our winter break in Iowa for my family's Christmas. With all the kiddos, it was just a bit more chaotic than the S Family Christmas. But wonderful all the same. We call ourselves the Circus. Spend a couple minutes in that house big top and you'll understand...

One of the million things I love about my family are our traditions. Some are newer than others, but I have a feeling they'll stick around for a while. ;) Here are just a handful of my favorites.

1. BINGO! 
For the past...I don't know, 4?...years we play BINGO. My parents run the game and arrange the prizes. We have women and men prizes and girl and boy prizes. Every time you get BINGO, you get to pick a prize, get a new card and keep playing until all the prizes are gone. My favorite part is when my dad calls out, "O-67" and the kids all echo, "O-67." Gets me every time.

2. FAMILY PHOTOS
This was our 2nd Annual Circus photo. Since the kids grow so fast, it is nice to be able to capture our family at its current state. I got my new DSLR in November 2010, so I'd been able to set up a tripod and use the remote to take the picture. It works out alright and I'm learning how to use my camera, so hopefully the pictures will get better each year, too. That being said, the older the kids get, the easier it is...so that should be in my favor in years to come, as well. I'm sure we'll get a few more at the wedding, too.

Back row: Jack, Shane, Alex, Emily, Keith
Middle row: Angela, Dave, Alison
Front row: Madeline, Nicholas, Henry, Connie, Cale, Blake

I also took a family picture for my sister's family. They are fun to photograph, so I'm hoping I can get together with them again soon and do a full photoshoot outside! It's good practice for me.

Alison, Keith, Cale, Blake

3. T-SHIRTS
This is a tradition that Alex and I started three years ago. I was going to University of Colorado at the time so I gave the kids CU t-shirts. They loved them and the CU shirts still make appearances to this day. Since they liked them so much, we decided to keep it going. The next year, I was at Mississippi State University, so guess what shirts they got? This year wasn't really a tough decision. The Air Force has been a MAY-JAH part of our lives this past year and since their uncle-to-be is in the Air Force, it seems only appropriate. The pictures below are from the photoshoot I did while they were playing outside in their T-SHIRTS. In DECEMBER. In IOWA. Crazy.

Cale David (7) and Blake Michael (10)

Madeline Marcella and Henry William (9)

Nicholas James (2)

Jack Virgil (17 months)

4. JUMP!
2nd annual JUMP! picture. I took this picture last year and just for the fun of it, did it again this year. I am so glad I did. Check out how much they have grown in the past year - look how long their legs are! Hopefully, next year we can get Jack in the picture.

2010 (Blake, Henry, Madeline, Cale, Nick)

2011 (Nick, Henry, Cale, Madeline, Blake)

5. KERMIT THE FROG FOOTIE PJS
A new tradition started by my sister Angie when she gave these [awful] things to me for Christmas last year.  I regifted them to my dad this year. The best part was, I had completely forgotten what was in the gift as he was unwrapping it. I am known to give things away when people are opening a gift if I know what the gift is so it was a huge shock to everyone, including me. The rule is: if you receive them, you HAVE to wear them.

He ran downstairs going, "Look what I got! Look what I got!"

He was a good sport about it and the kids thought it was the funniest thing in the world. I didn't want to hog the humiliation of having to wear them  last year, that's why I gave them to him...to share the glory of it. Think green!!

Speaking of being a good sport...

6. CIRCUS FAMILY PICTURE CALENDER

Every year (since 2007) I have made a picture calender for my mom full of pictures taken of our family from the previous year. She hangs on to them, so it is fun to flip back through the past ones and reminisce. We discovered this year that I forgot 2008...oops! 

Last summer when I was in Ireland with my mom and my grandma, we went to the Blarney Castle. We climbed the 500+ stairs to the top to kiss the Blarney Stone and I took pictures, naturally. Well, after further review of the photos, we realized that my mother looked...um, well, less than graceful. We laughed until we cried at this picture and when we couldn't cry anymore, we just kept laughing. Our abdomens were sore from laughing. We first looked at the picture in public and people stared. I mean, they stared as they quickly duck-walked away from us. Every time we see this picture, we burst out laughing - to this day. Mom was mortified and wouldn't allow me to post the picture, and I obliged but there was no way I was letting it go at that. 

The picture made an appearance on the cover of the calender. I decided not to put it on a month inside the calender, because I had a feeling that month would go missing...

That's the last tradition I have to share, but that's not the end of the Blarney stone story. 

Mom thought the picture on the calender was the end of it. She was very wrong. We made her a t-shirt with the picture on the front and a caption that read,

Kiss my Blarney!

Connie's Irish Adventure, July 2011

wrapped it up as a gift and prepared ourselves to maintain composure as she unwrapped it. 

I don't really have pictures for her reaction after this moment because I had to put the camera down. She figured out what was on the t-shirt and cracked up, but it didn't stop there. We had another surprise for her.

The whole thing couldn't have worked out any better. She picked up the t-shirt and held it up in front of her (covering her face) to look at it. As she was doing this, we all frantically removed our sweaters (it was huh-larious how we scrambled around to get sweatshirts off as quickly as possible). When she put the shirt down to look at us, she discovered that WE WERE ALL WEARING THE SHIRT! 


This is her reaction to the sight of the lot of us.

The adults were in tears laughing so hard at our luck of how smoothly the whole thing went and the kids were swinging their sweatshirts over their heads. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen and I only wish I could have seen the whole thing from her perspective.

We lost Grandpa's shirt, so since Jack was snoozing, he "wore" Jack's. We also didn't realize until later that poor Grandma got hidden in the back of this picture, but she had a shirt on, too!

Jack still participated.

She is such a good sport. The best part is...she still loves us all!

Alex and I wrapped up our break with dinner and drinks with our parents. It was so fun to get together and, of course, talk about the wedding. :)

Dave, Connie, Emily, Alex, Sondra, Dennis

It is without a doubt going to be a huge and special year for Alex and I. We will keep the blog updated with all the excitement and sincerely hope you continue to follow along as we march along in our journey of a lifetime. 

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed 2012!