Thanksgiving

Well, I guess this is long overdue but I'll post about it anyway!

Jarred and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. This year we had Thanksgiving with Jarred's family (we alternate the holidays). This was the first year that they had Thanksgiving in Searcy at Jarred's parents house. Normally, we go to Flippin, AR to see Jarred's Nanny but as she's gotten older she doesn't do the cooking anymore and it's easier for Bernetta (Jarred's mom) to cook from her own kitchen. It was a nice change. I sat at the table with Jarred and his brothers and learned that this is the FIRST time in like 18 years, or something crazy like that, that Jarred's older brother Jeff has had Thanksgiving with his parents! They usually stay in Searcy to be with his wife's family but this year since we were all in Searcy they joined us. It was great to be with family and enjoy the holidays!

I got to help with a lot of the cooking this year! It was awesome! I made my green bean bundles, jello pretzel salad, devilled eggs (which I learned was my father-n-law's favorite!), and some cookies! I LOVE to cook so it was fun to get asked to bring something! I am sad that I don't have a picture of the spread because my camera batteries died and I've been too lazy to go to the store to get batteries...AND when I go to the store for normal stuff I ALWAYS forget! Maybe I'll get some batteries before Christmas! Guess you'll find out when you read my Christmas post!

Anyways, we stayed in Searcy Wednesday and Thursday night and came home Friday afternoon. Once we got home it was time to start decorating for Christmas! I LOVE to decorate for Christmas and I love to do it AS SOON AFTER THANKSGIVING AS POSSIBLE! So...while Jarred watched the AL vs. Auburn game Friday afternoon, I decorated for Christmas! I got my tree up and put all the ornaments on (except for Jarred's ornaments that he put on after the game was over), decorated my mantle, put a few Christmas odds and ends in my kitchen and on another table in my living room, and put up some lights around the entry to my house! I wanted to put up the rest of the outside lights that day but unfortunately we ran out of daylight! Our outside lights are up now though! My brother came with his really long ladder and put them up for us! They looked awesome until yesterday when one of my strands went out and now I need him to come back!!! I'm going to buy one more strand of lights to fix that one and hopefully we can get them up and running again. I LOVE OUTSIDE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! They just make me VERY happy! There is a picture of our house all lit up on my facebook page!

Saturday was probably one of our most memorable football game experiences EVER! The #12 HOGS beat #5 LSU which has now moved us up to #7 and them down to (I THINK) #10 AND...wait for it...wait for it...since Auburn beat South Carolina in the SEC Championship game...wait for it...wait for it...WE'RE GOING TO THE SUGAR BOWL BABY!!!! Jarred is beyond excited. I think HOG fans everywhere are excited about this. No one moved from their seats after the game was over. Normally the crowd starts clearing immediately to rush to their cars but not this time! They were all so excited that they (including us) stayed in their spots and sang "Pour some sugar on me!" multiple times! We ordered our tickets on Monday after the LSU game not even knowing if Auburn would win (which turned out to be a blow out!). So...on January 3rd we'll be heading down to Louisiana to the Superdome to watch the HOGS in their first BSC Bowl game EVER!

So, all in all, the Thanksgiving weekend was fantastic! I enjoyed every minute of being with family and friends and my sweet hubby! I'm so thankful for him! He's been gone to Vegas this week for his annual board meeting and he gets back TONIGHT! I can't wait to see him! As I finish I'll leave you with this verse I came upon today while reading an excerpt from a book that a friend recommended to me. It really spoke to me especially with what Jarred and I have been going through with trying to get pregnant. Maybe it will be an encouragement to you to.

Habakkuk 3: 17 - 19

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights."

~Jennifer

Thankful!

As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching I'm going to make a list of the top 10 things I'm most thankful for...just to keep things in perspective! :)



1. My Heavenly Father and the gift He has given us so that one day we'll be able to be with Him in Heaven!

2. My Wonderful Husband and how as we grow in our marriage we begin to learn more and more about each other on a daily basis. We KNOW each other so well and I'm thankful for that.

3. My Family- this includes my parents, brothers, sister-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. I have THE BEST family around. We all get along, we all love each other, we actually enjoy being together! I'm so thankful!

4. My In-Law Family- I actually enjoy Jarred's family too! I know this is unheard of but I really do. His parents are THE BEST as well and they treat me like I'm their own daughter. It's a wonderful relationship and I realize that's not something everyone can say so I'm thankful!

5. My Friends- Once again, I have THE BEST friends around. I have always known this but it's become more apparent to me lately. As I've been struggling with my own issues my friends have rallied around me and lifted me up in prayer. They are all so special to me and I'm thankful for them!

6. My Job- I really do like my job. It fits me. I have 2 amazing bosses that I really enjoy. One of my bosses I consider to me one of my best friends! She is like another mom to me and it's nice to have that when my Mom is far away! We like to call her and her husband our Little Rock parents!

7. My Home- I'm thankful that Jarred and I have been blessed with a home that is big enough to allow us to help our family. I'm posted about this earlier but we've been able to have my brother and his wife live with us since July. I'm thankful that we've been blessed and are able to share those blessings.

8. My Church Home- I'm thankful for PVCC because we've been blessed to be VERY involved. We've been given opportunities through PVCC that we may not have had elsewhere. Jarred and I were given the opportunity to work with an inner city school in NLR and have been blessed bc of it. I'm so thankful that someone saw something in us to allow us to have that blessing!

9. My Upbringing- Too often I get jealous of people that came to Christ on their own accord. I say things like, Man, that is impressive! They have such a better story than I do. What am I saying??? I grew up in the church and should be thankful that I did. I take that for granted too often! We all have a story and I shouldn't be ashamed of mine.

10. My Future- I don't know what the future holds for Jarred and I but I know that God has great things in store for us. I know that He will guide us. Whatever is next for us I wait for it with anticipation! Just like the song- While I'm waiting I will trust you Lord!

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving????

~Jennifer

Last Soup Recipe for October

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup



1 1/2 lb. plum (roma) tomatoes, halved

5 TBSP olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms, Crimini if you can get them

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can Campbell's chicken broth

1/3 cup tomato paste

pinch of sugar

3/4 cup whipping cream (I use fat-free 1/2 and 1/2)

Grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley for garnish



Place tomatoes cut side down in greased baking pan. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and seasonings. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until edges are browned. Cool slightly. Place tomatoes AND pan drippings in food processor or blender and process until smooth, then 1 more minute.



In a large saucepan or skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil 5 to 8 minutes. They need to be tender, but not browned. Stir in everything except cream. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in cream. Garnish.



SO SO GOOD!! Serve with french bread (or your favorite bread) for dipping. If you want to MAKE your bread visit my good friend Carissa's blog (http://prettyhungrygirl.wordpress.com/) for instructions on how to make some FABULOUS bread! Her bread is FANTASTIC!

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Waiting

A dear friend sent me this prayer that she prayed for both her and myself yesterday. We're both going through a rough time right now and I thought it was perfect. I thought I'd share the prayer with all of you.

"While I'm Waiting" by John Waller

I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait
I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

Prayer has been difficult for me recently and the Lord has blessed me with a MUCH wiser friend who has been helping me through it. I haven't shared much about what I've been going through on my blog, I'm not sure I'm ready to open that can of worms. I just want to say that I'm thankful for friends that will encourage me when I'm down, even when they are down too. This is the second prayer she's sent me and they are always perfect. I want to be the kind of friend to others as she has been to me. Let's be encouraging to others around us, even when we may be going through a rough patch as well.

Faithfully Waiting...
~Jennifer

Potato & Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

2 cup(s) potato(es), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large carrot(s), diced
1 cup(s) leek(s), chopped, white part only
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) uncooked barley
1 piece(s) bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz Canadian-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
2 oz fat-free half and half

In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, chicken broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and Canadian bacon. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender. Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half and heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes.

This is a recipe with some ingredients I wasn't so sure about (aka leeks, barley) but I'm telling you that if you try it you WILL like it!! It's a healthy (healthier than good ol potato soup) spin on a potato soup!! Hope you like it!

~Jennifer

Chicken Tortilla Soup! YUM!

Soup #2 for October

1 cup onion
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken (1 use 3 chicken breasts)
1 cup frozen corn
1 jalapeno (remove seeds and dice)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. chili powder
29 oz. chicken broth (1 box will do)
14.5 oz. tomato soup (1 can)

Mix all together and cook! This one can also be done in the crock pot all day. Put ingredients toether the night before and cook on low all day in crock pot! YUMMY!

Enjoy!!

~Jennifer

Soup Season!

I am SO excited that Fall is here and cooler temperatures are upon us! I am especially excited about this because it's time to start making SOUPS! I have so many soup recipes and I can't wait to make them all. Soups are so easy because I can put (some of them) them together the night before and just leave them in the crock pot all day while I'm at work! The best part of that is that when I get home there is NOTHING to be done except EAT! I LOVE to cook so it's not that much of a hassle to cook when I get home but there are always days when that's the LAST thing I want to do. Soups make that easier...I'm going to try to post a soup recipe every week in October. Here's the first...this one is also figure friendly (if you leave off the sour cream and chips!)

TACO SOUP

1 lb. ground beef
½ or 1 onion chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans (I prefer southern ranch style beans)
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
1 can chopped tomato (rotel)

Cook on stove or in crock pot. Serve with Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips, & Cheese.

I put it all in the crock pot the night before and then put the pot in the crock pot holder in the morning before I leave for work. I cook it on low all day and it's WONDERFUL. ENJOY!

~Jennifer

Last Weekend!

Jarred and I had a great weekend! My family came to town and we had a great visit! Here are some highlights!

1. Friday night we went on a DATE before my parents arrived! Jarred took me to Panera Bread (one of my all time favorites and a place I don't get to very often b/c we live so far away now!!) then to Orange Leaf for frozen yogurt! YUM!

2. Mom and Dad arrived and we planned our Saturday (heading to the HOGS game!)

3. We pulled out of the driveway at 7:15 AM and hit the road for Fayetteville...we got to watch the basketball team scrimmage, then went to tailgate w/ some folks from Jarred's work. They teamed up with some other businesses from Sheridan and had it catered! We had fajitas and chips and salsa, YUM!!

4. The HOGS played great and had the lead for MOST of the game...the crowd was FANTASTIC...loudest I've ever heard the crowd at that stadium. We were on our feet the ENTIRE game. When we scored on our first drive of the game the place went NUTS!! I truly thought we were gonna pull it out but we threw it away during the last minutes (literally!!). It was heartbreaking! Jarred and I stood frozen in place after it was over- in SHOCK! We almost beat the #1 team in the nation...way to go HOGS for putting up a good fight...I'm SO SAD we couldn't pull it out!!

5. The drive home we stuck GLEE into the DVD player and Mom and I watched (she needed to catch up from last season) and made the drive home go faster! I wasn't feeling GREAT so I fell asleep in Mom's lap and that made the drive go even FASTER!

6. My brothers and my sister in law came over Saturday night to spend the night and go to church with us on Sunday. I LOVE having my entire family together. We missed having Sierra with us but had a great time. We went to Moe's after class and then back to the house to play with the dogs, relax, look at houses (for my brother and his wife), and finish up some projects around my house (new air filters, sealing the door frames, replacing light bulbs, etc.). Mom and Dad had to head home around 3:00.

7. After church last night we all went to Wal-Mart to buy some meat to grill for dinner. My youngest brother, Jay, grilled us all some fabulous steaks and we had a GREAT healthy meal! I made mashed sweet potatoes and Kaitlin made a big salad to go with the steaks! It was a fun time. Jay spent the night with us again b/c my brothers are starting their first job today. They have started a business (Skinner Brothers) and hopefully it's going to take off for them. They can do landscaping, sprinkler systems, home repairs and projects, decks, etc...they do GREAT work and they are HARD workers!! You should give them a call if you're interested in hiring them! They've both been doing landscaping/sprinkler systems since they were little! Call 501-593-9844 for a quote today!!

Well, that's all for now! Have a fun week!

~Jennifer

Labor Day 2010

This past Labor Day we had our first Butterworth Family Reunion! This is my mom's side of the family and for some reason we've just never had a big family trip or anything on that side of the family. My Dad's side goes to the beach EVERY summer. So, we decided it was time for a change and that we'd all like to start getting together every year! This year my mom took the lead on picking the place and making all the arrangements! She did an excellent job. We went to Smith Lake in Cullman, AL (or maybe outside of Cullman, AL) and stayed at a Lake House that is owned by a family from Mom and Dad's church. It's called A Slough of Fun if you ever want to check it out for yourselves! See the pictures below. It was really nice and sleeps about 12-14 comfortably...My Mimi (mom's mom) graciously paid for the accommodations and told us that her only requirement would be that we had to do some Good Eatin!! SO...my uncle Chris & aunt Susie took breakfast and dinner on Saturday and I took lunch and my Mom took breakfast and dinner on Sunday and my cousin, Annie took lunch. Let me tell ya...we did some GOOD EATIN! My uncle Chris and my Mom know how to do it! They learned from the best, my Mimi!! The house was right on the lake so we played in the water, some of us went canoeing, we had our church service on Sunday out of the dock (best worship service EVER!!), we read, sat around and solved all the world's problems, played games, and had a fabulous time! We've already decided we'd like to make this a tradition and plan a trip next year! The ball was handed off to Aunt Susie and she's gonna make it happen! All in all it was a great trip and here are some pictures for you too all the fun we had!

My beautiful MimiUncle Chris & Aunt Susie My Dad acting silly as usual! :)Annie doing what she loves most!
Jay & Sierra
Mom & Dad
Uncle Chris & Aunt SusieAll the women, except Mom (she's taking the picture)Butterworth crew minus Chet plus Jordan! Butterworth kids with their momma! Me & Jarred
Skinner crew minus Michael, Kaitlin, Jay, & Sierra plus Mimi!!Butterworth women!All the Butterworth womenButterworth crew!

Mom & Dad
Jones's (Joneses???) No clue- Annie help me out...
Cousins!!!
As you can see I FINALLY remembered my camera and went a little crazy! This isn't even all of my pictures! Enjoy!

~Jennifer

Love My Family

For the past couple months my brother (Michael) and his wife (Kaitlin) have been living with us on the weekdays because my sister in law is working in Little Rock and they haven't been able to sell their house in Searcy. I have LOVED having them around. My brother isn't around as much as Kaitlin (b/c of his job he's gone for a week then home for a week, gone for a week, home a week, etc.- you get the point!). This has been so much fun for me because of several reasons but one because it's given Kaitlin and I a chance to get to know each other better. Kaitlin is extremely sweet and can sometimes be quiet (however, this COULD be because previous times I was with her was when my entire family was together and we pretty much DOMINATE all the talking- Kaitlin- we're very sorry!). Because of the loudness of my family I really didn't have the chance to get to know her on a very personal level! Having her at my house has been fantastic for our relationship. I just adore her and think she's hilarious! It's funny because the more I learn about her the more I realize how much she are Jarred are alike. They are both extremely generous, patient, loving, and never, ever want to be a burden on anyone, so much so that they will go out of their way, inconveniencing themselves just so that no one else is inconvenienced! Not sure if that makes sense but I'm telling you, they are JUST ALIKE!
Having them with us has also been great for Mine and Michael's relationship. As we grow older we get closer and closer and that just warms my heart! I love both of my brothers very much and it's always been my prayer that we'd be great friends as we became adults and have families of our own. So far, that's working out just great! My youngest brother, Jay, is dating a girl (pretty seriously) and I think she's fantastic as well. Kaitlin and I have even planned to have a girls night with her soon. I feel so blessed that my brothers and their significant others want to hang out with me & Jarred. I guess I'm just feeling sentimental today or something but it really is the best thing ever! Jarred and I have wonderful siblings and we are blessed to have great relationships with all of them! Michael and Kaitlin want to eventually move out to Little Rock and I'm SO excited they are going to be close to us! I'm secretly praying Jay will eventually do the same! Sorry Mom! Mom and Dad just need to move out this way too! :)

6 years!

Well, tomorrow is our 6 year anniversary! I can't believe it's already been 6 years! It's been so wonderful so far and I look forward to many more years to come. We're celebrating tomorrow by starting off the day serving over at Boone Park Elementary school. Boone Park has become such a special school to me and Jarred. It truly has a place in both of our hearts! Boone Park is made up of practically 100% of kids that are on free or reduced lunches. We're told that the small percentage that aren't on the free lunches aren't on them only because they didn't complete the paperwork. Jarred and I, along w/ a good friend, Holly, have been in charge of our church's partnership with this school for the last 2 years. Our church is the school's Official Partner in Education. We help with several events throughout the year but the Back to School Bash (the event tomorrow) is by far the biggest. We provide school supplies for EVERY child that will attend BP in the Fall. We put on this event and invite all the prospective students and their families to come out, play games with our members/volunteers, sign up for school, eat some lunch, and fellowship. It's AMAZING! So, we'll start our day with that and we'll probably end it by having a nice dinner and relaxing at the house. Our present to ourselves was The Complete First Season of Glee!! We love it- actually was I supposed to say WE??? I guess I did though, didn't I??? Haha, Jarred likes it to but if you ever asked him about it he'd deny it, I'm sure! I'll leave you with some pictures of Jarred and I through the years!!

Happy 6 year Anniversary Jarred!! I love you more today than I ever thought possible! I can't wait to see what the next 60 years have in store for us! It's so wonderful to spend my life w/ my best friend. You're my favorite!

A couple of years ago at New Year's Eve at the Tappe's. The picture cracks me up so I had to use it!
This was at our 5 year anniversary trip to Belize last year! We were just about to repel down the mountain...LONG hike to the top, I was wasted! So much fun!

This was this year's beach trip with my family back in June. It's the most recent picture I have of me & Jarred. My aunt is such a good photographer!

What's Been Going On at The Crow's?

Well...Lots of things!!

1st- WE'RE MOVING!!! We sold our house on April 15th and we'll be moving to BENTON in less than 2 weeks! We've been packing (correction- I've been packing!) like crazy! Unfortunately the deal worked out where we're closing on BOTH houses (the sell and the buy) on the same day so we're moving into a U-Haul Truck and a storage facility for less than 24 hours and THEN into the new house. Don't ask how that happened! :) I can't wait to move. I have LOVED our 1st home...it's been a great place for us but now that there are no pictures on the wall and it's starting to look empty I'm ready for the New Place! I'm ready to have a "home" again. The place we're leaving doesn't seem like "home" anymore b/c everything's gone! :)

2nd- BOONE PARK! I've been working (with the help of Jarred and Holly) on planning a Boone Park teachers/staff/students appreciation reception at our church! Luckily the process has been smooth so far. I think it's going to be a fun night, we're having finger foods, showing a slideshow of the events our church has participated in this past school year, and giving out outstanding teacher/student awards! I'm praying that we have LOTS of support from our PV members and that the students and teachers feel VERY special! Please make plans to attend if you are a PV member...I know the Boone Park folks would really appreciate it and I will too!!!

3rd- TRIPS! We have some fun trips that are coming up soon! We're traveling w/ the Casey's this weekend, going to Texas Memorial Day Weekend for a Crow-side Family Reunion, and going to the beach w/ my family in June (for an ENTIRE WEEK!)!! I am ready for vacation and I'm sure after the move I'll be VERY ready for vacation!

Needless to say we've been super busy but it's been very good at the Crow Home the past couple months. Hopefully I'll have house pictures to post soon!

MARCH MADNESS

I'm so excited! March Madness is here and Jarred and I are pumped. Especially Jarred. We both filled out a bracket and we compete every year! I'll let you know how it turns out. I was winning after the games last night! Probably won't be after today though, Stupid UTEP!!!

Great Friends

I just want to give a shout out to some great friends of ours...Chris and Carissa! Since they got married and are living so close to us, we have been able to hang out with them A BUNCH. They are the type of friends that you don't have to put on a show for. They are the type of friends that you can call at the last minute to make plans. They are the type of friends that I want to be for others. I don't feel like I have to look my best when they come over (or when I go over there) b/c they've become like family to us. We can be "real" together and that's something that I appreciate so much!

I've been hanging out at their house a lot lately (b/c of open houses or b/c Jarred's working late or coaching Upward, etc. etc. etc.). I just want to say that I LOVE it. They make me feel like family. When we get together it's usually to eat, cook, or watch some LOST, The Office, or Community! It's relaxing and I'm thankful for friends like that.

I don't have much else to say today...just that I'm thankful for ALL of our friends. We've been very blessed to make all the friends that we have out here. I just wanted to give Chris & Carissa a shout out and let them know that we love them and will be very sad to leave them when we move! I pray we stay close and continue to hang out as much as we can.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!

On the Market

Our house is officially on the market...has been now for a week. We've had some great activity so far and we've already had an offer. Didn't accept it but it was an offer! Anyways, if you're interested in moving to Maumelle, let me know! I have a great house for ya!

Love Worth Fighting For

So while I was driving to work this morning I was listening to KLOVE (this is becoming a regular occurrence b/c I like starting the day off on a positive note and remembering to be thankful for the day first thing) and they were interviewing Kirk Cameron! You know, Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains. They played the theme song to the show and now I'll be singing it all day long! Anyways, Kirk Cameron is heading up this Marriage Conference with singer Warren Barfield (whom I've never heard of) called Love Worth Fighting For. I'm intrigued. I really liked the movie Fireproof and I just really appreciated the message. Something that Kirk said this morning on the radio really spoke to me. He said:

"If you are trying to make this divine thing (meaning marriage) work without having God as the center of your own life it will never happen."

He said that MUCH better than what I just paraphrased but you get the point. See, I guess I don't think enough about how marriage is a DIVINE relationship that God WANTS for us. He designed the marriage relationship. It's almost like when Kirk said that a light bulb came on for me. It was an "AHA" moment. Jarred and I don't have major marriage problems but we do argue and fight, we're selfish, we're human...I just think that if you think about Marriage as something GIVEN to you from God it can change you. If you think about how you can make your marriage better just by having a personal relationship with your Heavenly Father you'd want to do it, right? I mean think of the blessings that would come if you and your spouse were trying to be more like Christ and one with him individually- it would naturally bring you together as a couple. I heard (at a marriage conference a couple years ago) that you can picture a pyramid. You at one corner and your spouse at the other, God being at the top...as you each grow closer to him you grow closer to one another as a result.

This is just something that hit me this morning, I'm still trying to gather all my thoughts on the matter but I wanted to put it out there for comments...I want to remember that my relationship with Jarred is a gift from God. I want to remember that sometimes if I'm wondering why we're not on the same page or wondering what's wrong, maybe before blaming Jarred for whatever it is I should look at myself first and wonder what my relationship with God has been like that day/week/whatever.

Looking for Something to Read??

I have recently (meaning in the last 2 years or so) become a reader. I would have to say that growing up this was NOT something I enjoyed doing. I don't know if it was because my parents really didn't push it on me that much and I just didn't think about it, if it was because I had no interest in the books my school wanted me to read, or because I had a cousin who was reading CONSTANTLY and I knew I could never keep up with that so I just didn't care to read. What I know now is that if I find something I really like...oh my goodness, watch out b/c that's all I want to do until I've finished it. I understand her love of books now. My affection started with the Harry Potter books. I read all 7 (see I started after they were all out) in about a month. Around the time I got really into the series we took a beach trip with several of our friends from church and they can all testify that that's ALL I did, that entire week. I think I read 3 of the 7 in that one week. Since then I've read the series all over again. I just LOVE it. I never thought I would get into something like that but I did. I also got really into the Twilight Series! I read the first book in 2 nights...it was ridiculous. Anyways, I'm learning that I enjoy reading. I don't necessarily like self help books or non-fiction books but anything that I can get lost in I enjoy. I like books that I can read and not have to think to stay with them. You see, about a month ago I tried to get into Jane Austen books...I LOVE the movies so I thought I would probably love the books. However, my simple mind couldn't do it. There were too many people named "Thomas" and "Edmund" or "Edward." I couldn't keep all the characters straight and when you don't have time to read every day it's hard to keep it all straight when picking the book up 3 days later. So, I've decided to stick to teen fiction! :) I know this probably sounds pretty lame but I'm telling ya, I'm in to it! I'm not afraid to say it! Here's the two books I just finished...they were so fun! They are both part of a series so I've got to borrow the next books in both series b/c I'm dying to know what happens.

I finished Maximum Ride not too long ago...here's a picture of the cover. Yes, it's about mutant kids. And Yes, it's good. Trust me on this one.

I also just finished (on Tuesday) The Hunger Games. Yes, it's awesome, it's set in the future, it's got a little love story (kind of) and I loved it...I'm dying to get the second book!

If you trust me, you should try these books out. Last night I started The Lightning Thief (based on the movie that just came out- or is coming out this weekend, I can't remember). So far so good, I'm only 3 chapters in. Here's the cover of it...I'm interested in seeing the movie but I wanted to read the book first. I'm new to this whole "reading the book before you see the movie thing" but so far I'm enjoying it! At least I'm enjoying it when the movie is good and doesn't leave out too much from the book. That makes me mad! Aka...the first Twilight movie! I thought they did a great job on the 2nd book though. I was happy about that. Hopefully it will just get better with the 3rd and 4th and not worse.

Well, that's what's been going on with me lately. I hope you don't think I'm crazy now- since you know I enjoy teen fiction, don't judge me till you try it!! I bet you enjoy it. It's fun reading!

Until next time...

Getting Ready...

So, since Jarred's new job is an hour away from where we currently live we are in the process of getting ready to put the house on the market! There is SO MUCH to do! We've already had several things done but my list isn't completely finished just yet! We've had painters come and paint and now the house looks better and brighter!!

We have a few more items that we're going to finish before we put the house on the market but the official date is FEBRUARY 16th!! I'm pumped! We meet with our realtor to talk about buying tomorrow. We're heading out to Benton/Bryant...somewhere over there. Not sure EXACTLY where but it'll be in that area. That will make for a much more pleasant drive for Jarred and we'll get to eat dinner together again (at a decent hour). Jarred's loving the job! We are SUPER happy about that. Things are going well at the Crow house just need to make it through this move and we'll be good to go! :) I am excited about a new house though, it'll be fun to get it organized and fixed just the way I want it. I LOVE organizing things so this is right up my alley!

Anyways, that's a little update for now...more to come later!

NEW JOB!

Thank you for all the prayers, notes, encouraging words, etc...we now have great news that Jarred got an offer last Friday night. He'll be the new Controller for a company out in Sheridan Arkansas. So, needless to say, we've started the process of trying to figure out if we should put our house on the market and move out to Bryant or Benton. Maumelle is REALLY far from Sheridan! Anyways, I'll keep you all posted on what's to come but I wanted to thank everyone for all the prayers. God is good!

Family Weekend

Jarred and I had a fun, relaxing weekend. Mom and Dad came down for my sister-n-law's basketball game at Harding. It was their first conference game so it was a good one to come to. We got to hang out with some great friends of ours, Zach & Emily Cheatham, on Friday night before Mom and Dad arrived. We had a great time w/ the Cheatham's, ate some good pizza and watched one of the Harry Potter movies! I think it was the 3rd one (Prisoner of Azkaban). Zach and Emily are watching them all so we decided to join them for one. I am a huge Harry Potter fan...I've read all 7 books twice now.

Mom and Dad arrived around 11:15ish so we stayed up talking to them a little and then we all crashed! Side Note: We are currently teaching our dogs to stay on their bed when they come inside. As you probably can guess, they aren't trained very well. That was a big mistake we have now learned from. So, since we have delinquent dogs (whom I love VERY MUCH even though they aren't very smart) we are trying to be better dog owners. Anyways, I bought them this really big bed from Sam's (only $21) and they are really doing such a great job. Since it's been so cold Jarred has graciously let them sleep inside the past couple of nights...if you know Jarred you will know this is a HUGE deal. Anyways, it takes the dogs a while to actually go to the bed but once we get them there they will stay...at least for a while. Yesterday mom and I were cleaning the kitchen and the dogs stayed on the bed the ENTIRE TIME!! This is a big deal b/c it wasn't just a "put the dishes in the dishwasher" kind of cleaning, it was a deep cleaning! We cleaned the oven, stove, microwave, everything!! Mom is very serious about her cleaning, she does a great job! I really appreciate her helping me with this! She did WAY more of the work than I did. Anyways, that was very random but I needed to say that my dogs are slowly become smarter (I'm sure of it) and my husband is being so nice to let them stay inside...it's so cold! So, I'm grateful!

Anyways, back to my story...Saturday morning Dad and I had planned to run. We're both training for the half marathon in March. Remember in my last post I said that we did a triathlon together? Well now we've moved on the half. I've NEVER been a runner and before I started training I think 4 miles was the farthest I'd ever run, in my entire life. So, now I'm up to 8 miles. Saturday Dad and I ran 8 miles. This was the second time I'd done 8 and I felt much better this time than I did last time. I don't know if any of you remember Saturday but it was COLD! I was so proud of us for doing it, even with it being so cold. Unfortunately now I have a cough (probably b/c it was so stinkin cold) but it was still worth it. Hopefully I won't get sick.

Mom and Dad left around mid-afternoon to head to Searcy to watch the Harding basketball game and Jarred and I stayed home to be lazy and just enjoy not doing anything for one night. We did have a visitor come over to watch the Cowboys game with us but since we were at home it didn't feel like we had anything going on. Last week was jam-packed so we needed a night of nothing. I am playing in a women's volleyball league on Tuesday nights and Jarred is coaching an Upward basketball team (senior high boys) on Thursday nights.

Sunday was a good day of being with our church family and my parents. I made dinner for us so after church we came home for lunch. We've been trying to eat at home more to save money! I really love to cook so that has worked out pretty well for me. I made Chicken & Broccoli Divan with Baked Potatoes and a Caesar Salad with Garlic Bread. It was really good, if I do say so myself! :) Anyways, after Mom and I (mostly Mom) deep cleaned my kitchen appliances they had to hit the road. We had a really good visit!

Jarred and I went to Sunday night church after that. I teach the 10th grade girls Platoons group. I have been with these girls since they were 7th graders...I can't believe they are in 10th grade now and I REALLY can't believe that some of them are driving now...man, things have changed since they were in 7th grade. I have really grown close to them and I will be so sad when they graduate! Anyways, enough of that mushy stuff...after church we got to hang out with some of our other great friends, Chris & Carissa Casey! We love having them so close to us and have enjoyed growing our friendship SO MUCH! Anyways, that's basically what the Crow's did this weekend...I'm trying to keep this blogging going...sorry no pictures! I know that's the fun part!

2010!

Well, I'm going to try again at this blogging thing! I'm terrible at it but I love the idea of it. We'll see how long it lasts this time. 2009 was a good year for us. We were able to do a lot of cool things. We are blessed to have wonderful families who like to get together and were lucky enough to get to go on 2 cruises last year for FREE! Jarred's Pappaw took the entire family (all 32 of us) on a cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel in June and my Granddad took the entire family (all 18 of us) on a cruise to Cozumel and Progresso in December. My grandparents were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Both cruises were a blast and it was so much fun to have everyone together. Here are some pictures from my family's cruise. The pictures from the Crow family cruise are on another computer so I'll have to get back to you for those.

All the grandkids w/ my grandparents

The entire family

Skinner family

The entire family (the way we really act!!) :)

We celebrated our 5 year anniversary in 2009! We celebrated by taking an adventure vacation to BELIZE! It was incredible. Not your typical luxury vacation, we definitely were in the middle of the jungle. I think if Jarred had to choose his dream vacation, this was it! It was right up his alley. I mean, don't get me wrong, I had an awesome time too but this vacation was MEANT for Jarred. We got to hang out w/ the locals, see some awesome animals, go repelling, canoeing through caves, hiking & swimming in caves (dark ones mind you! Apparently I'm a lot more adventurous than I thought!), etc. We went repelling in the Black Hole. It was the coolest thing I've ever done. Extremely scary for me since heights aren't really my favorite thing but I can say I did it and I was so proud. It was a 300 foot drop. Hardest part was taking the first step over the edge of the cliff...crazy! The resort we stayed at was a new resort called Mystic River. It was fantastic- it the middle of the jungle, excellent food, and great staff. Since the resort was so new not many people know about it yet (we just lucked out) and we were the ONLY guests they had the week we were there. We got the entire staffs undivided attention. Here are the owners...

Tom & Nadege

They had dinner with us most nights. Such interesting people. We had a great time. If you are ever interested in going to Belize you should stay at Mystic River. They were still building and growing the place when we were there so it's only getting better. We hope to go back someday! Here's a picture of us on the hike up to the drop site the day we went repelling...it was an hour hike, straight up!

As you can see, we are wet and beat!! So much fun though. If you look REALLY close through the trees there is white...that is the "wall" we repelled down on the other side of the mountain. We were halfway there at that point.

I also got to travel to some neat places with my work in 2009. In February I got to go to Colorado Springs, CO and stay at The Broadmoor! That was the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in...it was more like a resort. I had an awesome time, just wish Jarred could have come with me. One of my favorite people from the office got to go as well so we had a good time. Her name is Audra...here is a picture of us at dinner w/ some of the other ladies that we met at the conference.

Audra is on my right.

Me & Audra

I also got to stay at the Texas Gaylord Hotel in Fort Worth for another conference and then in October I got to go to Chicago for a conference. The Chicago trip was really fun b/c my mom got to come with me. The conference was on a Monday so we decided to meet up Friday night at the airport and have 2 days to site see before my conference on Monday. We had never been to Chicago before so it was a blast to see it together! We went to the John Hancock Observatory, Navy Pier, Millenium Park, Grant Park, Shedd Aquarium, walked Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile, ate Chicage style deep dish pizza- we did it all! In 2 days! Needless to say, I was beat by the time my conference rolled around on Monday. Mom left me on Sunday night and flew back to Alabama and I stayed Sunday by myself for the conference. I flew back Monday night once it was over. No pictures on this computer of that trip but check out my facebook page and they are posted there.

Apparently I decided to become athletic in 2009. I participated in 2 triathlons!! The first one was in Bentonville, AR in June! BTW, if you didn't already know it's HOT in June! I didn't prepare for the heat as much as I should have so I didn't do as great as I would have liked. I did finish however and I was proud of that. The distances were 800 yard swim, 16.4 mile bike, 4.2 mile run. The run almost killed me but I did it!! The 2nd triathlon went A TON better than the first. It was in Heber Springs, AR and I did it with a bunch of friends from church and my dad! It was so much fun and I felt SO much better after the race than I did after the first race. I was completely wiped out after the first one but I trained a lot better plus it was in October so it wasn't as hot! In fact, it rained the ENTIRE race. Here's a picture of the girls that participated in the race with me. Everyone did a great job and we all had a great time together! I'm currently training, as is my dad (he's doing SO GOOD), for the Half Marathon in March of 2010! So far we've been training since November 1st and we're still going strong! Hopefully that will continue and for my post in 2011 (since, let's be honest, I'm doing good to get one post in per year) I'll be able to say I ran a half marathon!

Sarah, Courtney, Jessica, & myself

I wish I had a picture of me & Dad from the race but for some reason we didn't get one...that was dumb! Next time we will! Dad did an excellent job!

2009 was the year of weddings! I was in one of my best friends from home's wedding in July in Decatur. The weekend after that my brother got married in Florida at the beach and Jarred and I were both in that wedding. 3 weekends after that we drove up to Kentucky to see my cousin, Dustin get married. Then 3 weekends after that Jarred was in the wedding of one of his life-long friends in Springfield, MO. As you can see, we really did some traveling in 2009!!!

2009 also brought us some trials...On September 28th Jarred lost his job. This has actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise! Jarred was unhappy at that job and getting let go gave him an easy out (that's the way we look at it). Although we still haven't found anything else we aren't down about it. Yes, there have been times we've been down but luckily we haven't both been down at the same time. We are truly blessed to have gone through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class a couple years ago and have been debt free (other than the house) for a couple of years!!! Because of that class we've been able to make everything work w/ my salary and Jarred's unemployment $$ we're still able to save a little every month. We did go through the Dave Ramsey course again this Fall (I'm a BIG nerd and really love the course) and although we didn't have to worry about the debt part it was nice to have a refresher w/ the budgeting section and know EXACTLY where all our money goes every month. I LOVE Dave's budgeting software. It's the best thing ever. I know, I really am a HUGE nerd, very type A. Oh well! Anyways, things are looking up. There is a job in Sheridan, AR that seems like a good possibility for Jarred and we're praying that works out. I'll keep you posted...hopefully! :) In the meantime, I've REALLY enjoyed having Jarred around all the time. He's been very helpful (after a couple disagreements/arguments) around the house and with getting dinner ready on occaison! We've gotten to hang out A TON and even go to lunch together some since he's been out of work. I am almost nervous about him going back to work b/c I've been so spoiled w/ his presence all the time. :) I know he will be glad to get out of the house b/c he's pretty bored so we're still praying for the job. :) I know that we were in a great situation to have to face this type of challenge and that's made it a ton easier to face. I thank God for that!

Anyways, as we start a new year I am looking forward to the Project 4:4 that our church is involved in. We're all (the entire church) reading through the Bible this year. The sermons on Sundays will go along w/ the reading and so will our classes. It's been the coolest thing so far to be involved in something that everyone is doing together. When we've gotten together with friends (already this year) we've talked about the reading. That just doesn't happen that often...talking about what you read in your Bible with your friends outside of church...but since we're all doing it and reading it together it's become a topic of conversation and I think that's awesome!

I'm excited to see what 2010 holds for us...please pray for us as we continue to look for a job. That's all I have for now...