Thoughts on school

Have I mentioned that Beau and I are in school together? We’re getting our Master’s in Project Management from The Citadel (mine and Beau’s father’s alma mater). We started in January and we are halfway through with our mid-terms marking the dates!

 

Throughout this last weekend we’ve been presented with opportunities to tell people how it’s going and well…it’s going very well. I mean between me and Beau.

 

People were skeptical. I was skeptical. (I have to admit.) Beau was never skeptical (at least not to me). But as we drove to class together last night I was thankful that I didn’t have to go alone, while leaving him home to play or vice versa. We get to go together. Yes, it’s a ton of work but we’ve learned a lot about each other. I’ve learned that my dear husband has some incredible study methods that I wish I knew in college. And last night I was able to see his graciousness yet again when he was reassuring me that I would pick up on my study habits again. I have just been out of school a decade and he’s only been out 1.5 yrs (MBA). Smile.

 

I love being in school with him. And when we walk across that stage together we’ll be the happiest and most proud couple on that day. Here’s to studying together for the next 18 months!

 

New Reading

Check out the new blog I’ve been tracking. It’s super good. And gets your heart all melty inside. Ladies, get ready to smile and be a bit envious. J

 

Friends

Have I posted this picture yet? I can’t remember and I can’t check right now so here it goes. Josh Murphy and Beau at the Ducks Unlimited Oyster Roast last Friday night. Had a super time and it was great to see Josh. Miss you Kelly!

 

 

SEWE

So we did the South Eastern Wildlife Expo last weekend with friends and went to the soiree Saturday night. Because nothing would say Carolina more than pulled pork and an oyster roast, there it was! Big oysters! And Beau jumped in and took part!

 

I am now a certified Grant Writer! I received the certificate in the mail last week. I was so happy to have passed the exam and can now write grants! J

 

 

Bread

This is the bread that Beau and I made and baked on the Big Green Egg (our grill)! Our first time! And although, the bottom was a little charred, the flavor was there and we’ll be doing this again! Way to go babe!

 

George Washington

Beau and I headed downtown Friday night to celebrate George Washington’s birthday with the other members of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). We were the youngest people there by at least 20 years. There was a nice speech given about George Washington and his contribution to the war. It was only a couple hours but it was nice to see some similar faces and do the meet and greet. Then home to a movie…with a little jaunt to YOBE. J

Thankful Thursday - Take 30

633. Knowing that Grandma Effie is with Jesus now.

634. Time with my dad’s family, even if it was for a funeral.

635. Professor’s understanding

 

636. Support from friends in the WW ventures

637. Beau’s hand to hold

638. Chinese food from Donna

639. Super fun times with Martin, Ivania, Dave, Robyn and Carl this weekend

640. Seeing friends from Middle School

 

641. My new Dutch Oven from the hubster!

642. Talking to Pop-Pop yesterday

643. Pizza tonight. Oh my gosh I’m craving it!

644. Jennifer’s baby is no longer breeched!

645. Back to running!

 

646. Great weather. I was in a t-shirt today!

647. A close family.

Commodore's Ball

A few weeks ago we had some friends invite us to attend the Commodore’s Ball with them at the Yacht Club. My first time at the Yacht Club! We had a great time with the Moore’s and their friends and we had another excuse to dress up!

 

They had seared scallops, a raw oyster bar, martinis poured through ice sculptures, made on-site chocolates, sushi, Osso Buco, Foie Gras, caviar, etc. And they had a wonderful band!

 

Dutch oven

Beau got me a dutch oven!

Grandma Effie

Grandma Effie passed away this weekend. She died knowing she would see Jesus and she was ready to go. Her four boys were together, which made her happy. We celebrated her life yesterday and we will continue to do so. Here’s the obituary I wrote:

 

Effie Mae Montgomery Kimbrell of Covington, GA, born June 28, 1935 in Nauvoo, Al to the late William Ed and Dora Clee Montgomery has gone to see her Savior-Saturday, February 19, 2012. She is survived by her siblings: John William Montgomery of Pensacola, FL; Dora Faye Morris of Ft. Worth, TX and Donald Edgar Montgomery of Hattisburg, MS. She had four boys with Walter Leon Kimbrell (deceased 1991): Michael Leon (Debbie Childers) of Powder Springs, GA and their three children; William Lewis (Annette Smith) of Covington, GA and their three children; Walter Anthony (Karen Moran) of Whitsett, NC and their three children; and Joseph Weldon (Mary Gregg) of Albuquerque, NM and their three children. Effie was also blessed with eight great-grandchildren, with one on the way. Effie was loved by all. Here’s to a woman who was famous for her homemade buttermilk biscuits and her ability to beat anyone at a card game, for expressing her thoughts on life with conviction and honesty and for making us all laugh with a one-liner or a story of her past. She loved her boys and she loved her Jesus. She was ready to see Him and confident in her relationship. Grandma Effie fought the good fight and finished well. We love you.

 

A memorial service will be held for Effie on Monday, February 20, 2012 at 11:00 am at East Newton Baptist Church. Flowers and gifts may be sent to the church or a donation can be made in the place of flowers and gifts to the following: Diabetes Association of Atlanta, Inc.

 

Here’s to you! Thanks for loving us all so well! You were one of a kind and we love you!

 

 

This is Dave. He just announced that the bloody mary Beau made for him this morning was the best he had ever had!

Thankful Thursday - Take 29

It seems that it wasn’t just me and Beau who thought the beginning of the list was a little forced. So I think we made a good decision in cutting that out. Thanks for suggesting it honey.

 

615. A husband who can suggest these things freely. J

 

616. A wonderful Valentine’s Day at home enjoying the love of my life.

617. Beau making me feel special with a rose and framing a picture I’ve been wanting framed for a long time.

618. The wonderful bottle of red wine that Paige and Chris brought us this past weekend. We celebrated Valentine’s with a bottle!

619.  My grandma Effie is starting to improve after being in the ICU since Sunday. Thank you for your prayers.

620. Resolution

 

621. Friends that need/want to talk to me. It’s wonderful.

622. A trip from my siblings and their other halves. It was wonderful to spend time with them and see them. So thankful that made the trip!

623. That in the midst of everything else we have going on, Beau and I still manage to find time to finish our homework and assignments.

625. My first attempt at Tiramisu was a hit! Now it has to be a go-to dessert. Super easy!

 

626. Great weather that allows us to sit on our porch and talk without freezing to death.

627. Always thankful for clean water.

628. A wonderful home to come back to

629. A fantastic honeymoon that I will always remember

630. Hand lotion

 

631. A dog that likes children

632. Grandma Effie and the laughter and smiles she provided through the years, her faith in God and her biscuits. J

 

 

Thankful Thursday - Take 28

Due to my husband’s suggestion (and I agree with him), I’m not going to be posting “thankfuls" from the list provided to me any longer. He and I both feel as if they are forced. And while it’s true that I am thankful for those things. They are, in a way, forced. I will be returning to my normal Thankful Thursday lists effective immediately. J Welcome back to normalcy.

 

601. Walking in the women’s bathroom and seeing the toilet seat up. This means it has recently been cleaned and I’m the first to sit on it!

602. Flowers from Beau.

603. Coming home yesterday to find that Beau had cleaned the den and the kitchen.

604. Weight Watchers and accountable friends. I have already started seeing results!

605. Jelly Bellies from Rosa, to celebrate my returning to DTC. Thanks Rosa!

 

606. Having Angel squeal out of excitement when she saw me!

607. New friends and great parties. Here’s to the Moores and the Commodore’s Ball!

608. Crossfit wearing Beau out yesterday so much so that he wanted to go to bed early. I’m always in favor of that!

609. My new found desire to run. I don’t know where it came from except the equal desire to want to look good in my bikini while we’re in Vegas!

610. Cereal. How I love thee.

 

611. Coupons. Thank you for saving me money that I can then go out and spend on something else. J

612. The large scale at work that is accurate and reads lower than I thought it would. J

613. Coffee to wake me up

614. Ladies tonight at Social!

Cereal...My tribute

Let me just take a moment to recognize cereal and what it has brought to my life. Growing up it was Grape Nuts and Honey Bunches of Oats. The latter was my choice. Oh how I wanted my mother to buy me Fruity Pepples or Lucky Charms. Only if I was good she said. Only if it were a special day. Those came, but not often. ;)

 

Then off to college I went where Lucky Charms were staring me in the face and my mother wasn’t around to tell me they weren’t a good idea. By the end of college, with some extra weight on me, I hated Lucky Charms.

 

To China…no cereal in site. Granola. Granola I make. Milk. No good milk. Cereal had to take a sabbatical.

 

Charleston. My love of cereal has returned. It’s my go-to.

What do I eat for breakfast? Do we have milk? Cereal!!!!

What do I eat for a light snack while waiting on a late dinner? Cereal!!!!!

What do I eat when I need a late night snack? Cereal!!!!!!!!! (It has no calories if consumed after 8:00 pm.)

What do I eat when Beau is out of town and I don’t want to cook? YOBE!...or…Cereal!!!!!!

 

There is everything perfect about it. It’s light. It’s cold. It’s refreshing. I can get it in multiple flavors. I can mix flavors and it stills tastes fabulous. It digests well. No bad breath afterwards. It’s easy. It’s comforting. And I can easily keep adding to the bowl when there’s just a little bit of milk left that I don’t want to go to waste. J

 

Here’s to you Cereal! Here’s to many, many more years of your enjoyment. I promise to pass on the love and tradition to my children as best I can. J

 

Flowers from my sweets

My dear, sweet husband made me feel special on Sunday. We had been married 11 months. He and I ran a couple of errands and then he dropped me off and went back out and bought me a bouquet of flowers, some ice cream from Menchies and filled my car up with gas! Love  you sweets! Thanks for making me feel so special!

 

Cooking and handing out

Too much fun and too much cooking. We had Trent and Nicole over on Sunday night for the super bowl festivities. Too much food for just four people for sure! I made this here dessert, Spumoni Sundaes with Espresso Hot Fudge Sauce. Although, the fudge wasn’t hot. L It actually hardened too much and was inedible. But the flavors were there and they were good. The Amaretto marinated cherries were my favorite.

 

In addition, I joined WW last week. Therefore, Beau is on WW when it comes to dinner. J So last night I made up some really good Buffalo Chicken Burgers. Beau LOVED them! And thanks to Martin and Ivania Trojanowski, I can grind my own chicken! So that’s what I did. J Presto! Ground chicken and I KNOW there is nothing in there but chicken. Super yummy. We’ll be having the leftovers tonight (more like 4:45) for dinner.

 

Thankful Thursday - Take 27

566. 3 gifts that might never have been – the rest of my life with Beau, my experience in China, life in this world

567. 3 graces found in your friends – accountability,

568. a song heard, a soft work, where you saw light – hearing Beau singing a song we heard in church, writing notes of thanks, light peering through the clouds

569. 3 old things seen new – books I’ve not read but are still sitting on my shelf, the importance of exercise,

570. A gift found on a paper, in a person, in a picture – old letters from friends giving encouragement, love and acceptance, memories help and kept

 

571. A gift found at 11:30 am, at 2:30 pm, at 6:30 pm – lunch (it means I finally get to eat after such a tiny breakfast), timesheets that remind that I have a job I get paid for and therefore am thankful for, dinner (it means Beau and I stop the craziness of the afternoon/evening and enjoy food together while sitting close and talking and smiling)

572. 3 things over heard today, all gifts – my dad waking up my mom and bringing her coffee in bed, the jingle of Argos’ collar,

573. A conversation with a friend. Restoration, reconciliation, hope for future, forgiveness, tears, smiles, growth.

574. Helping someone learn to swim

575. A fabulous husband who drove me down to Florida so that I could take a certification test. He took the day off from work and sat in a hotel all day working and encouraging me and making appointments for me. I’m so thankful!

 

576. We were able to celebrate in Florida together after taking the test. So thankful.

577. An accountability partner in Beau.

578. I love class!

579. Friends to travel with.

580. Indian food. I’m so glad there’s variety in foods!

 

581. Free time at work that is allowing me to get some school work done.

582. Morning phone calls with my mom.

583. A husband that enjoys being organized with me.

584. A plan. We know the plan changes and adapts as time goes on, but glad we’re not flailing through life without a plan.

585. The discipline to wake up early this morning and work out. We’ll see what tomorrow morning brings.

 

586. Michael Angelo’s frozen Eggplant Parmesan – it’s really super good

587. Beau opening the garage door for me in preparation for me coming home

588. Friends to have for dinner

589. Hair cut

590. Bathrooms in grocery stores – are these new things?

 

591. Green vegetables

592. Clean water to drink

593. Learning about all sorts of things. So much to read and listen to and watch. It’s everywhere!

594. www.aholyexperience.com –teaching me so much on love this week. Dying to self and taking time, and laying down and being still. Forgetting my plans…

595. Pondering thoughts of greatness

 

596. Fruit

597. Bread with salted butter ;)

598. Okra – one of those vegetables that incredibly underutilized

599. Early dismissals

600. Hearing my husband say that he couldn’t wait to talk to me J

 

 

 

What you want to tell them

The website, A Holy Experience, had a great post this week that I just read today. You can find it here. It touched me. I am not a parent yet. I will be someday. But I am somebody's child. Read it. It's everything I know I want my children to know. It's everything I want myself to know...and remember...and believe. Life is so short. Haven't we all heard that before? Yes, yes I know. When will I start living like I believe it and quit wasting my time doing things that don't matter, quit giving up time with Beau because I'm tired, quit missing out on things because of tasks I need to complete or a schedule I need to keep, quit missing opportunities to bless someone out of fear?

Love

Love is not passion. It is the pulse of sacrifice.

Orlando...again

Well, it was mine and Beau's 3rd trip to Florida in a 7-week span. If you remember, our first was for the cruise with Donna out of Pork Canaveral and the other one was to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl at the beginning of this month. And this weekend we headed down there for a class and a Grant Writer's Certification Test for me. We left Thursday after work and arrived kind of late that night, but not a big deal. We woke up early Friday morning and Beau dropped me off at the class at 8:30. I sat in a classroom setting all day learning about Grant writing, while Beau did Pfizer work, made a hair cut appt. for me, worked on his Master's project and did some homework. He came to pick me up that evening and when we got in the car to crank it up and head out to dinner, it was dead. No moving for the us or the Subaru. We were able to get a tow truck and a rental car from Enterprise which was located in the hotel that my class was in! Very convenient! So then there we were riding the rest of the evening in a giant Suburban! It was huge!

 

We went to Downtown Disney for dinner and had a nice little break from studying. The night ended early so I could get more studying done and get to bed early. My test was the next night!

 

Saturday was the same deal. Up and at the hotel to take my test! Overall, I feel like I did really well. I finished a lot earlier than most, but that's always been the case for me. It doesn't mean I aced it or anything, just fast. But I feel good about it.

 

Beau and I celebrated being finished with that task looming over me by going back to Downtown Disney for a drink and then catching the bus to the Contemporary Hotel where we had reservations at the California Grill. The restaurant overlooks the Majic Kingdom and at 8:00 the fireworks go off!

 

We started off our evening at the bar. Beau having a dirty martini, which is his new go-to and I had a French martini with chambord! Super good.  We were taken to our table where Jorge served us bread and water. Beau ordered a bottle of red wine and our dinner was underway. We ordered a Sopprosetta Salami flatbread with arugula and a balsamic syrup, as well as Gnocchi in a garlic cream sauce with exotic mushrooms, pancetta and edamame. That was one of two favorite things all evening!

 

For our entree, both of us ordered the seared Bison with roasted brussels sprouts and truffled mac and cheese. Yep, it was fabulous! The bison was super tender and flavorful (rolled in black peppercorn) and the mac and cheese was heaven in my mouth.

 

The weekend could have been drab with class and a test, but we made it into a super fun weekend that we loved.

 

We took a leisurely drive home doing homework and studying for class. I read to Beau. He was driving.