hard work paid off

UTC United Way

adventures in the kitchen

This weekend I utilized my time off to... cook!? Yes, a little cooking, a little baking, and lots of dirty dishes later I felt quite satisfied with my endeavors.

I was already planning on making a brocolli chicken casserole for a family at church, so it propelled me into cooking-for-the-week ahead mode. I made an additional brocolli (yes, that is a green vegetable that I eat- in case you were freaking out.) casserole for us to keep and then these two other dishes to freeze and eat this week:

Pasta & Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Noodles Romanoff

Also, I had just read about this bread on my friend Elaine's blog (which is where I stole the title of this blog), and I had to try it! The first attempt didn't look too hot, but it tasted great! I ended up sending it with the first casserole, so I wanted to make a loaf to keep. The second loaf early on looked like it was going to turn out way better, but in the end it wasn't that pretty. The Rochas gave it their seal of approval in the taste category though, so I think I'll keep trying!

Lastly, I found this Pioneer Woman recipe too yummy-looking to pass up, so I gave them a try too. They turned out fine, but they aren't sweet enough for my sweet tooth. They are kind of shortbread-ish which is a nice change I suppose.

So, there. Proof that I'm a little becoming more and more domestic. And enjoying it!

PS- I have pictures of some of the above, but I left the camera cord at home. Check back later.

heritage

When we went to Birmingham last weekend, we just missed my parents. They also were in town for Step Sing, but they went Thursday so they could spend the rest of their weekend at the annual Marriage Enrichment retreat (David and I can't wait to go one of these years!). Regardless, they left all kinds of goodies for us when we got there. My mom, of course, made amazing goody bags filled with delectable Valentine's treats. She is so creative and uses that gift in such thoughtful ways. (Oh, and she made dog treats for Harley and Bella. Yep. Made them. Some baby food and other stuff. Harley and Bella didn't think much of them, but David and Peter thought they were fine!)

Additionally, my dad (also of course) left a stack of books for us. Some were just to borrow, some were to keep (we're a book-loving family, in case you didn't know), but this one is my favorite. My dad has recently re-read this family treasure, and he knew I would want to also. It's called Kiss Josey for Me: Authentic Civil War Letters. The title is pretty clear, but the special thing about this book is that it is a compilation of letters written between Henry G. Ankeny and his wife, Fostina, during the Civil War. Henry Ankeny was my great, great, great grandfather. Josey (Joseph Newcomb Ankeny) was his son.

The best part about the book is obviously the fact that it is rich with my heritage. My blood. My family. The second best part is the hand written note in the front. In case you can't read it above, it says, "To Molly [even though my mom's name is spelled "Mollie", oh well]- These are the letters of your great great grand-father Ankeny. Little Josey was my father. - Aunt Louise." I get chill bumps just reading that. Aunt Louise was (from what I'm told) one of the most loved family members. So much so that everyone named their kids after her! A funny side note about that... many of us have Louise as a middle name (Susan Louise, Mary Louise, Emily Louise, Amber Louise, Reagan Louise) except one (who's first name is Louise), and Aunt Louise (apparently, again, I wasn't around for this) complained that no one was using it as a first name. The ironic part is that Aunt Louise's first name wasn't even Louise! She's Harriett Louise -- and I'm thankful we've carried on the Louise part.

We do have pictures of me as a baby with Aunt Louise, and I treasure those! In fact, Aunt Louise's legacy lives on in so many ways. Of course my mom and her sisters talk about her plenty, and I love learning more about her life. Also, I wear a ring on my right hand that was hers. My parents gave it to me for Christmas in 2007, and I cherish it!

Please excuse the terrible picture and the chubby looking hand. Oh, and the battle wounds of having a puppy who nibbles.

I am thoroughly enjoying reading these memoirs of a time I'll never know. A world so free of technology that required hand-written records of the events of a day. A family that still values our heritage. A God who provides so much!

PS- If you want your own copy of Kiss Josey for Me, you can buy it off Amazon. There are three options that pop up. One for $102.35, 12 used & new from $14.95 and one for $60. Hm... awfully curious.

facebook marriage survey

This is kind of like the 25 things on facebook, but I figured you didn't want to know 25 more things about me (plus, there's no way I could think of more). Except on this survey there are pre-decided questions and it's about you and your spouse, not just you. Come on, play along - inquiring minds want to know! :)


♥ What are your middle names? Louise and William
♥ How long have you been together? 3.5 years. married for 6 months.
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? 3ish months? We were at camp for most of it though.
♥ Who asked who out? David asked me out
♥ How old are each of you? 23 and 23. 3 days apart!
♥ Whose siblings do you see the most? lately we've seen the Johnson's (David's sister's family) more- even though they live in Ohio!
♥ Do you have any children together? not yet!
♥ What about pets? if you read my blog at all, you know the answer to this. YES! Harley.
♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? David learning to listen well and me learning to not get angry about silly things
♥ Did you go to the same school? nope. But now he goes to the school where I work. Does that count?
♥ Are you from the same home town? nope. different states even.
♥ Who is the smartest? I don't like this question! I think we're equally smart, but in different areas.
♥ Who is the most sensitive? me for sure.
♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? Big River. it's free.
♥ Who has the craziest ex? I guess David since I don't have an ex. He's it!
♥ Who has the worst temper? Definitely me. I hate it!
♥ Who does the cooking? Well... I'd love to say me... I do prepare some sort of dinner most nights of the week, but it can't often be labled as "cooking". David is the better cook by far.
♥ Who is more social? Again, it depends. If David is in a comfortable social situation- he's way more social. I'm an introvert at heart (though Meyers-Briggs refuses to agree).
♥ Who is the neat-freak? David is tidier than I am, but we're both pretty clean.
♥ Who is the more stubborn? David for sure.
♥ Who hogs the bed? He would say me :)
♥ Where was your first date? We say our first date was at Chili's, though it wasn't planned to be that way. We were going out to eat with a bunch of camp friends on a Saturday night (we were working at camp at the time), and we got there after they all sat down. Apparently it was obvious that we were interested in each other, and they arranged for us to sit at a table all by ourselves. David of course paid for our meal and even ordered dessert to share! We still love Chili's (and Chocolate Lava Cake :))
♥ Who has the bigger family? Extended family- ME. Immediate family- David.
♥ Do you get flowers often? Yep. He's great.
♥ How do you spend the holidays? We've spent the past 4 Thanksgivings at the Geyers and we spent Christmas with the Bourkes this year. I think we'll switch it up next year so we can spend Christmas with Brianna and go to Sanibel with the Geyers.
♥ Who is more jealous? we don't really have issues with jealousy.
♥ How long did it take to get serious? For me- 6 months. For David- almost 2 years.
♥ Who eats more? It's probably equal. David eats one large meal a day and I snack all day long.
♥ Who does the laundry? Me. I'd trade laundry for yard work any day of the week.
♥ Who’s better with the computer? Umm... we're probably pretty equal, but I bet David would say he is :)
♥ Who drives when you are together? David. I drove home from Columbus once, but other than that he pretty much drives all of the time. I'm thankful!

our first Vday

Yes, our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, but it was also our first Valentine's Day EVER spent together! The last three were spent 400+ miles apart as it was always Step Sing weekend (not usually a good weekend to visit because of the craziness). We knew we had a crazy Saturday planned, so we celebrated on Friday. We had free tickets to the IMAX "Under the Sea 3D" show,

and we ate a fabulous dinner at Blue Water! Nothing beats a completely free date :).


Patrick Bryant spent the night with us on Friday, and we had fun with him as always. Harley (who looks possessed here) of course loved having new toes to nibble on.

We made our first car trip with Harley (other than to the vet). We took him to Birmingham with us on Saturday. I was a little nervous about how he would act (especially since he's a freak going to the vet), but he was wonderful! Super easy.

Bella was spending the weekend with Ashley, so we brought Harley so they could play together. They had SO much fun! They ran around and played like they were old friends (which I guess they are...). She is 4 weeks older than him, but they are pretty close to the same size. Their temperaments are totally different though. Harley is a rambunctious bundle of energy, and Bella is a laid-back cuddle bug. It was so fun watching them interact- we were glad we brought Harley!

In-dependant. In-dependant ladies. WHAT?! Sorry... flashbacks from the Independent Ladies Sweep Sing Sweepstakes victory of 2006. What is Step Sing? Well, I'm glad you asked! Here are a few quotes from the Samford web-page that explain it better than I could:

"Each year, more than one quarter of the total undergraduate population participates in this unique Samford musical tradition, which began over half-a-century ago. Each Step Sing show is developed, written, choreographed, rehearsed and performed by students. In addition to entertaining thousands of audience members, the proceeds of each Step Sing are donated to charity."

"Step Sing is Samford University's most time-honored tradition. For 59 years, students have worked together in producing every aspect of the show. Each year, thousands visit Samford's Wright Center to view the spectacle. Each show is developed, written, choreographed, rehearsed, and performed by campus organizations from every reach of campus life.
Students learn a great deal from the experience of Step Sing. They are not the only ones to directly benefit from the event, however. Each year, the Step Sing Committee devotes itself to charitable causes in the community. This year's Thursday night performance will be deemed Community Night, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting a local charity.
One of the thrills of Step Sing is the competition. Every year, each organization has its eye on the Sweepstakes Trophy. This year, organizations will be competing in three different categories for first and second place, and competing against one another for the coveted Sweepstakes Trophy. A tradition that began in simplicity has become inherent to Samford culture. Join the ranks of other Step Sing veterans by participating in or attending Step Sing 2009. It is an experience you will never forget!"

It's awesome. That's what it is. Ashley was in IL's show (Independent Ladies are a group of non-Greek girls and Dudes-A-Plenty are non-Greek guys. The Independents usually sweep the awards!) again this year for "Home Alone"- a show about wives of soldiers in the Navy. It was great and they won 3rd place! I'm pretty much obsessed with Step Sing. Check out this video of Dudes-A-Plenty's winning show in 2007. The quality isn't awesome, but you get a small taste of what Step Sing at Samford is all about.

We ate dinner at Jason's, and Mary Shelton came by!! It was SO great to see her- though way too short of a visit. Sorry for the blurry picture... I LOVE MS!

Being at Samford was great. I will always have such a dear place in my heart for that school. The best part about being at Step Sing was seeing some great friends! I didn't get in touch with anyone about us coming in town because I knew it would be such a quick trip, and we really wanted to hang out with Ashley and Peter. However, I got to see some wonderful friends while we were at Samford. Also, this was David's first Step Sing experience. He really enjoyed it, despite the fact that we drove home after the show and got back at 2am. Yuck.

Our late night made for a lazy Sunday. We took Harley with us to watch Hayden's soccer game, and it was a great day to play outside! There were a bunch of kids that took a liking to Harley and played with him the whole time. He fell asleep the moment we got in the car and barley woke up the rest of the night! They really wore him out!

Sorry for the crazy long blog post! If you've made it this far you deserve a prize (but you're not going to get one... sorry).

pay attention

Things I learned this week:

1. Every story has two sides.
2. Sitting on a display couch at Target for hours can be just as comfortable as sitting in your own living room when you're talking with your best friend.
3. I could get used to 65 degree weather every February.
4. Memorizing scripture is a vital component to a healthy life.
5. Having two monitors and a wireless mouse makes work and life so much easier (and fun).
6. If you need a crown, you should check with your insurance company to make sure you don't have a 365 day waiting period for crowns. But even if you do, you'll still need a crown because you usually can't wait a year to get that fixed. Then you have to pay $872.
7. Photography is complex and fascinating.
8. Free food is awesome.
9. "Undasauce" is a word Andy made up that means whatever you want it to mean.
10. When it rains, the dog is going to pee in his cage. It's just going to happen.

breakfast of champions

David left early this morning to beat up on his boss in basketball (really, he did), hence getting my butt out of bed and off to work an an earlier-than-usual time. I was getting started around 7:10 and my tummy was already growling when my phone rang. David was waiting outside with my favorite breakfast of all time- a cinnamon crunch bagel with raspberry cream cheese from Panera. What a sweetie.

6.

I know you're tired of hearing from me and reading my lists of just about everything I can think of... so, I have a special treat for you today. That's right. A guest blogger!

In honor of our six month anniversary today, David William Geyer has prepared a blog post for your viewing pleasure:

**DISCLAIMER** I wrote the above and planned this blog before I read his list (I had no idea what it was going to be about). He is way too kind and generous about the parts that make me look far better than I am.

6 Reasons why I am in love with Emily on our 6 month anniversary

6. I love eating dinner in our pj's every single night at our bistro table or under a blanket on the couch!

5. I love asking Emily to pick out a new shirt for me to wear everyday otherwise I would only wear the same 5 every week (pants are an exception).

4. I love how Emily always finds family/friends to fill our home on a weekly basis and watching her use her spiritual gift of hospitality to serve others.

3. I love how every single time Emily makes me dinner she never eats it and always has a bowl of cereal instead.

2. I love learning new ways to put a smile on Emily's face because no matter how bad of a day of work/class I have had if I see that smile and get a hug from her it seems to make everything okay!

1. I love how Emily challenges me in every aspect of my life and prays for me to be a better man of God and integrity. She is such a good servant and is the perfect example of how every women should treat their husband. I look forward to our future and all the good/bad times that we can both enjoy and learn from to become equipped to serve the Lord and each other.

**Emily here again. Sorry. And this, my friends, is why I am constantly overwhelmed by the fact that God has blessed me with David.

is it really February?

We are so thankful for a beautiful February weekend. a white fluffy dog to play with. Saturdays and time to be together.

say no to drugs

Thanks to my friend, Melissa, this has started my day with a laugh!

pure fun

OK. Yesterday David sent me an email and told me not to worry about making any arrangements for dinner (which was a relief because I obviously hadn't even considered dinner plans yet...). He told me he had a surprise planned for us since I didn't have my regularly scheduled Bible study group and the guys weren't getting together either. It was so fun to anticipate something for the whole afternoon! So, he finally got home from work (it wasn't later than normal, but since I was excited it seemed like it took a long time!) and we headed out- and I was still in the dark. We finally made it to our destination, and it was...

YEP! Chuck E. Cheese's. David is awesome. He found a great coupon that got us pizza, drinks and way more game tokens than we could use- for only $20!- and thought it'd make a fun date. He was so right! We had a blast.

The best part of the night was that David beat the high score on the Hot Shot game! He was determined, so we spent lots of tokens there. The ticket counting machine ripped us off, but we still ended up with 113 tickets! Instead of buying a half a piece of gum or one heart shaped eraser, we gave our tickets to some cute kid.

Have I mentioned how awesome my husband is lately?

Amen. Amen!

I mentioned in my list of 100 that I said the pledge to the Christian flag and to the Bible every day in school growing up. Since then I've been challenged to recite either of them from memory, and I failed. So, in case you were wondering what those obscure pledges were, I have them here for you...

Christian flag:
I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose Kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again with life and liberty to all who believe.

Bible:
(just in case you don't know what a Bible looks like)

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.

You know, as an elementary school kid I said these "pledges" out of obligation (and fear of punishment I'm sure). Yet even today if I was in a situation to recite such mantras, I more than likely would do so without much thought as to what I was saying. When I'm in Columbus at Pierce Chapel I say the Apostles Creed (from page 881 in the United Methodist Hymnal), sing the Gloria Patri or show off my memorization of the entire communion service with very little regard for what those words mean. Growing up with such ritual and routine was a blessing because these truths were ingrained in my heart, but unfortunately, because of their frequency in my days and weeks, they quickly lost all meaning. I want that to be different! Now that I am in a church that doesn't include liturgy in the worship service, I think I can appreciate the truth in the aforementioned statements. How true that I should pledge my allegiance daily to my Savior who was crucified, risen, and coming again with life! How true that I should hide God's words in my heart that I might not sin against God! How true that I believe in the Holy Spirit, the universal Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. How true that Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost!

Amen. Amen!

another time around

Friday- nada. TV, a little cleaning and an early bedtime. perfect.

Saturday- David went to the Boat show with Chris, Keith and most of the Bryants. I did girlie crafty things with Becca and Jessica! My day was way more fun :).

Sunday- early church (we love that Calvary has an 8:30 service now!), a walk in the park (literally)- it was the most gorgeous day ever, Super Bowl party hopping (first to the Bryant's then to the Rocha's), and time with the Johnsons!

Just strolling along (although by this point Harley was whining for one of us to pick him up. He was so tired!).

Uncle David and Niece Brianna snuggling. Harley being crazy.

The Johnsons had so much fun at Disney World! Brianna even brought us some Mickey Mouse shaped rice crispy treats and Mickey Mouse toys for Harley! She was so sweet :). Once again, she and Harley just wore each other out. He's not so sure what to do with her, but he loves having her around. They just chased each other around the house the entire evening, and Brianna laughed the whole time. It was precious.

Favorite Brianna quote of the night (when looking at a picture of herself as a baby): "Mommy, is this a picture of me when I was a boy?"

man's best friend

On Sunday, we took Harley to the park and wore him out! He and David napped the afternoon away...

Mrs. Mosier accurately described him as "looking like fuzzy slippers". So true. SO cute.