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