The Castle Family

Fall Fun!

2011-11-07T20:40:00.000-06:00

This is a random post but I figured I would share anyways :)

I love fall! One of my favorite things about fall is the tree that stands in front of our house...I hate to brag, but it is pretty much the most gorgeous tree in the neighborhood! The other day I walked out on my way to work and the sun was shining through the tree so perfectly and all the colors were so beautiful! I took a few pics (although they dont do it justice) but I thought I would try and capture the moment.

Earlier this week, we put Vandy outside and then heard him barking like crazy--and this is rather odd because he is not a barker. So we let him back in but eventually he kept nudging the door so much that we put him back out and he started doing in again. I went to the door and tried to get him in but he was frozen in the middle of the yard. Finally I looked up and saw a POSSUM standing on the fence. After freaking out a bit and getting Vandy back in I, of course, had to get a picture. Here he is...the creepy possum. Just as I went to snap the picture, he slowly turned his head towards me and looked at me....ugh, so CREEPY!

Friday night we participated in "Secret Church," which is something put on by the church I used to go to in Birmingham--The Church at Brook Hills. It is a 6 hour, intense bible study that started a few years ago to represent all the nations that have to actually meet in secret in order to study and worship. It makes me so thankful to live in a country where I can worship freely and shout out loud that "I love Jesus!" Since the first secret church a few years ago, they have started doing them every 6 months or so. This years topic was "Family, Marriage, Sex, and the Gospel" and boy was it PACKED with good stuff. David Platt spoke on everything from marriage, singleness, parenting, divorce, homosexuality, polygamy, and yes, even sex. It was so good and I am excited to dive back in all the notes we have and dig a little deeper--the study guide was 161 pages--we made it through (most) of it and it took about 6.5 hours. Good thing David is a fast talker or it would have taken 10! Here are some pics from the night...

All the study guides waiting to be opened

Victoria snacking on a cucumber :)

A view of the "thick" study guide

The whole group--cant wait to participate again next time!

Fall Party 2011

2011-10-30T18:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our cell groups annual party! There was lots of excitement and anticipation to see what kind of costumes everyone would have this year. Trevor and I decided to be Little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks, and it was quite a success! I made my dress, which was quite an accomplishment for me I must say :) The night was tons of fun--it is always one of my most anticipated events! Here are the pics from our fun night!

I made caramel apples...YUM!

Pumpkin cheesecake truffle eyeballs--thanks Pinterest!

Oreo eyeballs

Mummy's in a blanket :)

Justin and Brent hanging out at the par-tay

The Willis Clan--Becca and Jeremy were Tron, and the kiddos all disney characters :)

The Cudd Pirates

Annie, Daddy Warbucks, and "Sandy" aka Vandy :)

Thing 1 & 2 and the cutest care bears ever!

The cradle-robber and his gal

So sweet...Claire and Trev were digging each other last night!

The Browns :)

The Willis Chillins'--watch out, dont make Abby made or she will get you!

The German couple--with authentic German garb

A little pirate love

The Fontaines

Annie and Daddy W once again :)

Emma enjoying the trampoline

the Fontaines and the Castles

Me and Beth--man, between the two of us we have some CRAZY hair!

Officer Fontaine will arrest you if you are bad :)

The whole gang--another awesome Fall Party!

Now to start thinking about next years costume :)

Life Lately

2011-08-17T21:19:00.005-05:00

Well, its been (almost) 3 months since my last post....can you tell its summertime? Things have been crazy and blogging has been neglected. Summer has flown by and I can't believe that school has started again (for Trev at least). Pretty soon it will be Christmas!!

I havent been a very good picture taker this summer but here are a couple of sewing projects that I have done....

Burp Cloth

A sweet sleep-sack (this one is my fav!)

A personalized "nap mat" cover for a friend at work's kiddo

The nap mat cover folder up...I love the fun print of this fabric!

My next project is a tutu and so far its turning out nicely! Thanks Becca for the inspiration :)

Also this summer I passed my nurse practitioner boards--woo hoo! And I start a new job on Monday! I am really excited to be starting a new journey, but also really sad to leave the comfort and familiarity of my job at Vandy. I will also hate leaving my co-workers....but, its time to move on!

Another happening of the summer is that my awesome momma turned the big 6-0!! In honor of her, I threw her a little get together and it was so much fun! It was nice to celebrate her and let her know how much we love and appreciate her!

Lastly, I have had some pretty fun girls nights with some great friends!! Last night we went to Margaritaville and we had so much fun! I am looking forward to many more!!

Well, thats all for now....but I wont wait 3 months to post again next time! :)

Wedded Bliss

2011-05-24T20:59:00.002-05:00

Three years ago today I married my best friend...

...and I can honestly say that it truly has been "wedded bliss." The past three years have been wonderful and I cant wait to see where the Lord leads us in the future!!!

Ready to RUN!

2011-05-22T20:10:00.004-05:00

This weekend I ran my first 5K! I have been wanting to do something to get into better shape for a while but haven't really been motivated. About a month ago one of my best friends, Brittany, and I talked about wanting to do a half marathon--so we decided we would try to train. So we picked out a 5K and signed up!!! We had about 3 weeks to train but with a week of rain and no gym membership I only ended up running several (about 4) times before the race. I figured the adrenaline of running a race and running with someone else would get me through.....boy was I WRONG! This race was alot harder that I was expecting....it was a cross country race so we ran on grass and it was really hilly in some parts. I learned a good lesson that you cant just do anything because you put your mind to it....you have to train and work hard first so you are prepared! Dont get me wrong, it was fun, but next race I will train harder and be better prepared! Overall though I was proud because I finished....and I ran (mostly) all of it! Here are some pics from the day....

Before the race

Starting the race--we were super excited here...believe me about 5 minutes in the excitement had dwindled :)

Britt and I finishing the race...she was an AWESOME race buddy. I had to stop after about a mile or so and take a potty break (believe me it could NOT wait) so she went on and ran ahead. But after she finished she met me near the end and finished the last few tenths of a mile with me--I would not have made it without her!

SOOOOOOO glad it was over!

All of us after the race!

Trev and I are planning on running another race in June so hopefully the next run will go better for me!

P.S.--The person behind all the pics was my awesome hubby :) He was so supportive and woke up at 5am to come with me....he's AWESOME!!!!

Party Time!!!!

2011-05-18T17:25:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday I got to celebrate graduation by having a GRADUATION PARTY!!!! My sweet in laws were gracious enough to host it! It was so nice seeing and celebrating with all my closest family and friends! Thanks to everyone for all your love, support, and friendship!!!

My MIL fell and hurt her knee before the party so she was on couch arrest...and let me tell you she did NOT like that! :)

Sweet Avery and Callum loved each other--Cal kept hugging and kissing her...it was so cute!

Me and my girls :) (I would have gotten a pic with mine and all of their hubbies too but they were pre-occupied playing frisbee golf!)

Me and some of the fam

Cell group girls....of course Emma and Lily could not be bothered to look at the camera--they were too busy playing with each other!

Me, Becca, and Laurie--some more of my dear friends!

My friend Dawn and I

Little Avery--she was so good for the whole party!

Caps, Gowns, and Hoods!

2011-05-07T21:23:00.005-05:00

This weekend I accomplished something that I never thought would actually come....I graduated from graduate school! I now have a Masters of Science in Nursing with emphasis as a Family Nurse Practitioner! Wooooooo Hooooooo! My family and friends were there to celebrate with me on my "hooding" day. It was so great and I felt very loved and supported!! I am super excited--and also alot scared but most of all I am glad to be done!!!

Me walking in....excited?? I think so!

Getting hooded :)

Some of my besties :) So glad you guys could make it!

Me and my awesome momma!

The Castle Crew :)

Joanie Bolognie!

Me and my boo...he has been so supportive and awesome during the whole school time period--I love him...he's the best!

Me and my study buddies...couldnt have gotten through without them!

Now....for the party next weekend.....wooooo hoooo!!!! (Then back to studying for boards)

A full and fun weekend!

2011-04-25T15:55:00.010-05:00

This weekend was busy busy busy! First I worked hard making some personalized easter baskets for some friends. Each one got better and better, and I hope to sell them next year--I think they are pretty cute

Then, I stayed in the "sewing mood" and decided to make a dress for our friends 1 year birthday party...Its a pillowcase dress, complete with matching ribbons and monogram...I think it turned out pretty cute. Maybe I can sell these someday too.

Since I spent so much time sewing this weekend, I also took some time to organize my sewing room....I got a handy little rack for all my thread, and it made me super happy to put it up!!! (I know, its the little things in life!)

I have a bunch of spools of thread that I inherited from my grandmother, who was an avid seamstress. Trev and I noticed that some of her spools had prices on them....this one was 10 cents! How crazy! I wish it still only costs 10 cents for a spool....oh how times have changed! :)

We also decided to start painting the new and much improved front porch. My awesome in laws came over and we had a painting party! With all of us there it only took a couple of hours, which is pretty impressive considering all those spindles we had to paint! Thanks again fam for helping me out! Tim and Uncle Mark also finished the rails, which means that all it's lacking is one more coat of paint before its finished!!! It looks SOOOOOO much better, and I am so impressed with my father in laws abilities!

Of course we had to have some "play time" too :)

Then, our most important day of the weekend was Easter Sunday...we went to church and listened to an awesome sermon on the power of the resurrection! Then, we celebrated with family at my mom's house for lunch followed by a 2nd lunch at Trev's parents house :) Needless to say we were stuffed, but it was well worth it. All the kiddos had a great time hunting easter eggs and hitting the pinata!

One of the "money egg's" hidden by me!!!

One of the kids found a golf ball in the bushes :)

Banquet and Porch Renovation

2011-04-12T20:39:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we went to Lighthouses junior/senior banquet. Trev is one of the junior class sponsors, which meant that he was in charge of helping organize and set everything up for banquet. It was alot like prom....except no dancing of course :( It was at Old Hickory Country Club, and turned out really nice. The meal was good, and the entertainment (Mr. Keenan Hunter) was the best part. All the kids looked nice too! After banquet was over, we headed to our favorite place...Rita's of course!!!

The best DIL and MIL ever!

K-man jammin'!

Court being the paparazzi :)

King and Queen of Banquet

Say CHEESE!

Me and my love!

Trev and Timmy being silly :)

The next day, Tim came over to help us re-do our porch. Ever since we bought our house, the front porch has been falling apart, but we hadnt had the time or money to fix it until now. My awesome father in law agreed to build it for us. I told him what I wanted and he has turned the plan into a reality! He is pretty awesome! I am so excited to have a new front porch and can't wait until its completely finished!

My beautiful purple salvia!

Before pic of the porch...noted all the spindles that are missing on the handrail. Its hard to see just how rotted and messed up it was, but trust me--it was bad!

DEMO!

The new wood, ready to be cut and built into a porch!

Timmy Lee sawing....every time he started the saw I got nervous that he would cut his fingers off...luckily, he went home with all 10!

The end of day 1 (I forgot to take a pic of the end of day 2 so the next pic skips ahead a bit)

The end of day 3....its looking so good! I really love the squared look of the big poles instead of the 90's looking round ones :) All that's lacking are the rails and a few coats of paint! I will post an after pic once we are all done!

Happy Birthday Callum!

2011-04-02T17:12:00.005-05:00

Today we got to celebrate the 1st birthday of sweet Callum! He is the son of some of our dearest friends, Shana and Chad. Today we all got together to celebrate the first year of this sweet little one. Thankfully we were able to make it to the party....Trev and I had a touch of food poisoning on Friday so it looked questionable for a while. We had a great time celebrating Callum and hanging out with other great friends! Here are some pics from the day....

My mom and I made the cake...she did the main part of the cake and I did the animals...

Sweet Cal and his momma

The birthday boy....dressed as a LION!

Growling with Auntie Ashley

Farneth Family Photo!

Britt and Avery

Avery chillaxin' in the ball pit!

Waiting for the cake :)

Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!

The highly anticipated first bite

This stuff tastes pretty good!

I LOVE eating cake...its delicious!

Callum's cousin Anna in the apron that I made for her, its a bit big but she'll grow into it!

Opening presents

Cal really enjoyed ripping the paper off!

Avery had so much fun that she passed out on her daddy!

What a great way to spend such a lovely Saturday! Ta-ta for now!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-23T21:09:00.004-05:00

Every year, our cell group has a St. Patrick's Day party. It has become a great tradition and something that I always look forward to. This year we really missed our dear friends Virgil and Joy--they were the whole idea behind the party, and it wasn't the same without them. We miss you Virgil and Joy!!!!!!! Here are some pics from our fun night....we ate green food and dressed in green! It was a blast, as always!

A GREAT Saturday!

2011-03-12T22:10:00.004-06:00

We had a really great day today! After sleeping in (10:00am) we went and had a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel...yum! Then we decided to be productive and cleaned out our garage. I wish I had taken a before picture so that everyone could see the amazing transformation. Just imagine boxes and stuff covering almost every inch of the floor and that's what it looked like before. And now.....so clean and tidy!!!!

Then I worked on a sewing project....a friend of mine had asked me to try and make easter basket liners that she had seen on Pottery Barn Kids....so I gave it a go. This one is by no means perfect, and the fabric is just some old that I had lying around (I was thinking gingham for the actual ones) but I think it turned out pretty good! Its a really cute idea, and a great way to personalize your kids easter basket!

Also for my birthday I really wanted a new vacuum. Even though my b-day is still a month and a half away, I noticed some vacuums on sale this weekend at Kohl's. I knew my mom had a 30% off coupon so we decided to go look. We ended up getting a steal of a deal. They didnt have any more of the one I wanted (the Hoover Pet Hair Vac) and they couldnt find the price on it. So they gave it to us for the next model down's price (109.00) plus 10% off since I was buying the floor model plus my moms 30% off coupon. We ended up getting it for $76 including tax!!! WOW! I cant wait to start vacuuming! :)

Lastly, and most exciting....my sis in law went to DC for the week of her spring break. The last time Trev and I were there we went to Georgetown Cupcake (star of the hit TLC show DC Cupcakes) and fell in love with the cupcakes.....so Court brought us some back! And boy were they DELICIOUS! I am pretty sure they are the best cupcakes ever! YUM!

After the plane ride home a couple got knocked over...but we rescued them :)

Eating a key lime cupcake!

Everyone taking their first bite (Ignore my face in this one....I was REALLY excited!)

The damage :)

Overall it was a great Saturday....great weather, great food, and a great time with family!

Black Spaghetti

2011-03-07T19:07:00.003-06:00

So, for many months I have been admiring the "specialty" pastas at Target. I have really wanted to buy the black spaghetti, but couldn't really justify spending $4.00 on pasta when I can get the equivalent (minus being black) for about $1. But....today at Target I noticed that it was on clearance, which A. makes me think that they are discontinuing it so I better try it if I ever want to and B. makes me want to buy it since it probably will never be any cheaper....so I did! It was actually pretty good...not a whole lot of difference in taste but the texture was very smooth and slippery. The black color is squid ink...so YAY us for trying something new. I doubt I would buy it again, but it was fun for a try!!!

Kinda creepy and cool at the same time!

What a weekend!

2011-02-06T21:27:00.002-06:00

This weekend our friends Philip and Gloria asked us to go to Phil's parents cabin in Pigeon Forge for the weekend. Miraculously, it worked out for us to go, and we are so glad we did! We had a great time. We werent there for long, but we really enjoyed hanging out and just relaxing. We managed to do some shopping, movie watching, and of course eating while we were there. Cant wait till we can go back again!!!

When we got home I decided to do some laundry. After 3 60 minute drying cycles my load still was not dry. My dryer usually is slow, but not this slow so I called my mom and she recommended that I check the dryer vent tube....boy am I glad I did...this is what I found...

Thats right, a HUGE pile of straw and debris (about the equivalent of 3 birds nests) and 3 bird eggs. No wonder my clothes wouldn't dry!!!! Poor baby birds, I am sure they are "scrambled" now due to the heat of the dryer :(

Girls Night Out!!!

2011-01-21T22:02:00.004-06:00

Tonight, since Timmy Lee and Debbie Long Legs went out of town and left Court and Pamela all alone....we decided to have a GIRLS NIGHT!!! We decided to head to a local "paint your own pottery" store, where you pick out a pre-made piece of pottery and paint away! Then they fire it and you pick it up a week later for a perfect, handmade piece! :)

Courtney picked out a coffee mug and Pamela picked out a desk jar--to hold your pens in

I picked a plate to decorate

Court trying to decide what color to paint her mug

Pamela hard at work

Time for a break...and an old fashioned coca cola!

Painting away!

Pamela's finished piece!! So cute-she is a creative and artsy gal!

Court concentrating hard so she can finish her piece!

All done!

My piece

Sisters :) (Note, the colors of our pieces are not quite the same as what they will look like after they are fired....I will have to post an after pic!!

Christmas Fun 2010

2011-01-01T12:27:00.001-06:00

WARNING.....this post contains ALOT of pics, and is very long....so read at your own risk! :)

This Christmas was a great one....it was really nice getting to spend some time together with both of us having a break from school. We had fun carrying on some old traditions as well as establishing some new ones. Mostly, we were thankful for the true reason for the season...the birth of Jesus, who was essentially born to die so that we might live. We also enjoyed all the festivities such as decorating the tree, wrapping and giving presents, and making holiday treats. One of our Christmas presents was a Nikon D-50 camera (that my friend Beth gave us a SUPER great deal on) so we had lots of fun taking pics! Here are some of them....

One of my favorite ornaments on our "traditional" tree

The presents under the tree

An ornament on my black and white tree :)

One of our new traditions this year was to bake Christmas goodies. We kind of decided to do this on a whim, but it turned out to be lots of fun and we made a TON of cookies! My favorite were the sugar cookies, and Trev's favorite are the raspberry thumbprints! :)

Working with the mixer...it got used alot this year

The puppy waiting and hoping for a dropped piece of cookie :)

Trev making his favorite thumbprint cookies

Yummy raspberry filling

First batch to go into the oven

We made the dough for sugar cookies, and we werent sure whether or not to let the dough rest in the fridge, so we looked up some other recipes to see, and we agreed that it should sit in the fridge for an hour. After we took it out we realized that was a terrible idea....the dough was rock hard and had to be thrown away :( Luckily, it was easy to make so we just started over!

The botched batch of dough

About half of the cookies we made...undecorated of course

Decorating gingerbread men :)

Trev's favorite man....in tighty whiteys :)

Decorating sugar cookies...these were my favorite to do!

Cookies ready to take to Christmas Eve celebration

The finished product of hours of hard work...a tray for Christmas Eve and goody bags for all the family!

We spent Christmas Eve this year at my mom's family celebration. It was lots of fun and there was lots of excitement with all the kiddos there!

Trev and Hudson, my cousin Keri's oldest

The pretty table setting

Harrison....what a cutie!!!

Delaney cooking Keneteliki (sp?) a traditional Czechoslovakian Christmas dish

Family pic

The kiddos opening their presents

We celebrated Christmas morning in several different places...first we did our gifts to each other at home by ourselves. Then we went to my moms and did gifts with her and my brother. Then we went to my Aunts for Christmas breakfast. We ended the day at Trevors parents house for Christmas dinner and gifts! It was a busy but super fun day!

Christmas morning pic....we look so goofy cause we were trying to keep the puppy out of the picture!

Trev got me a vera bradley purse and wallet, boots, titans shirt, candle, DVD, and some running gear....so fun!

I got him a watch, new school bag, several movies, some dress pants and some workout pants

First "white" Christmas in TN in a really long time!!!!

Another one of our traditions...making cinnamon rolls. This recipe was from the pioneer woman and it was super delicious!!!

D with his stocking at my moms house

It seems kind of vain, but I gave my mom a pic of me in my wedding dress....but dont worry she loved it!

I have been dabbling in sewing so I made my mom a Christmas apron :)

Much to my surprise, my mom got me a Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas. I have ALWAYS wanted one, but since they are so expensive I have never gotten one. Apparently she got a super good deal on it, so this year I finally got it!!! I was totally surprised!!! YAY!

Harry helping me make the glaze for the cinnamon rolls....what a good helper!

Trev and Kristi working hard on her new Garmin watch

The boys both got whoopie cushion's and they sure did love them!

Delaney and I playing Dance party on the Gill's new X-box Kinect...it was super fun and of course.......

I WON! :)

Mom playing Kinect

Stocking at the Castles house

Finally, a new game for our Wii! :) Donkey Kong!

The girls modeling the aprons I made them!!!

Timmy Lee and his stylin' sweater vest!

Pamela cup stacking with her new cups

Another new tradition for the Castle family is the addition of sticky rice to most big meals. Here, Pamela is tossing the rice in a big straw hat looking thing!

The last event of the season was a girls party with some friends from college. Since almost everyone has babies we did it at my friend Shana's house so all the kids could play. We had fun catching up and the kids had fun meeting their new friends! :)

My sweet boy Callum and I

Elisabeth and Ashley

All the girls and their offspring :)

So, there you have it....a long Christmas blog....it was a great time of celebration, and I am sure that before I know it, it will be here again next year!

Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Long overdue Thanksgiving...and some other randoms

2010-12-17T14:47:00.007-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year we went to New York to spend time with Trev's extended family. Although the drive was L......O.......N......G, the time we got to spend up there was totally worth it! It was nice to be with the whole fam...i think we had 30 or so on Thanksgiving Day! Here are some pics....

Court, Pamela, and I all ready for the long journey ahead

Getting ready to get on the road (Trev is a photo bomber in this pic and so proud of it!)

On the road!

A few of the girl cousins!

Timmy Lee and Debbie Long Legs! :)

Me and my boo :)

Playing fun family games!

Pamela and I making Oreo Balls....YUM!

Court and I at 2:30 am on Black Friday!

Catching tiny snowflakes! It was Pamela's first time EVER to see snow! FUN!

Pamela trying to fit everything into her suitcase

I am also really proud of a project I just did. My friend Shana's son Callum needed a stocking, so I decided to try and make him one....and thankfully, it turned out really well! I will definitely make more in the future!

Last night I went to the annual Peds ED Christmas Party and we had a great time. We laughed A LOT and all went home with really good gifts and lots of fun memories!

It's almost Christmas!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Shutterfly Holiday Cards

2010-11-16T20:03:00.005-06:00

Not sure about you, but I love sending out holiday cards every year--especially picture cards! This has newly become one of my favorite holiday traditions. I love picking out which picture to send to people to show them a snapshot of my life. It's fun to get to choose from all the cute holiday inspired designs that are available! I also love collecting all the picture cards I get from other people--by the end of the holiday season I have a fridge full of great pics! Its a nice way to keep up with people that you may not see or talk to on a regular basis! Here is a great offer from shutterfly to get 50 free holiday cards to send out to your family and friends! I have been browsing the different designs over the past few days and they are super cute, and there are a ton to choose from. Take a look at the cute ones they have here... http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery (On a side note, they also have really cute invitations for parties and showers and such) Shutterfly has lots of variety, and even if you don't get them for free they are pretty reasonably priced. I am hoping to get mine out early this year so be looking for your holiday greeting from the Castle family soon!

Halloween Fun!

2010-10-31T21:44:00.005-05:00

What a fun Halloween weekend we had! On Friday night we hosted our "Fall Party" for our cell group. It is a tradition that is several years old....although this year we had to do 2 separate parties--one for our cell and one for our sister cell, which was kind of sad. Our schedules just didnt line up :( We ended up having a great turn out and a great time! Trev and I love trying to come up with a creative and funny costume each year...this year we were Dora and Diego, which might be my favorite costume yet! Here are some pics from the night...

Diego and Dora :) (and backpack of course!)

The Cudds--the ladybug, policeman, and Nurse Ashley :)

YUM! Homemade caramel apples!

Gloria's yummy Halloween themed cupcakes.

The Browns

Our first time to use the fire pit--we made Smores! YUMMY!

Baby Evelynn and me

The whole gang! We had a great time!

Gloria dressed up like me...haha, she even used my badge!

Lily with black hair--she left this wig on for like 5 minutes! It was hilarious!

On Sunday, we spent some time with Trevor's parents and Pamela. We ate some delicious Taco Soup, caramel apples, passed out candy, and carved pumpkins! It was really fun to watch Pamela get so excited about all the "American" traditions.

Pamela's first time carving a pumpkin!

Scooping out pumpkin guts...so slimy!

Anybody want a bite of pumpkin??

Us with our finished products....so cute!

Happy Halloween!

Happy 2nd Birthday Vandy!

2010-10-24T21:16:00.002-05:00

Today is our sweet puppy Vandy's 2nd birthday (which I guess means we should call him a dog not a puppy)! He is such a good dog, and we are so happy that we decided to adopt him just under 2 years ago! Here is a picture of our sweet little fam today on V's b-day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANDY! :)

Fall Festivities

2010-10-17T15:10:00.004-05:00

So far fall this year has been zooming by...school is really busy these days, but I am trying to squeeze in some fun things too so that I don't loose my mind! :) Here are some of the fun things that have been keeping me busy this fall....

Mom and I went to Walden farms a few weeks ago. They have a pumpkin patch, cafe, games for the kids, and much more! I cant wait till Trev and I can take our own kiddos there!

My mom and I also recently took a whirlwind trip to Wilmington, NC, and got to stay in my aunts beachhouse @ Myrtle Beach....putting my toes in the sand and the ocean was pretty much the best part of a very short trip with LOTS of driving...

Trev, Courtney, Tim, and I got to go to the Preds game last night courtesy of Lighthouse, and we had a blast. Courtney and I were officially on a sugar high after eating cotton candy and a funnel cake!!! YUM!!! Too bad the Preds lost!

I hope everyone else is having a great fall so far!!!

An EXTREMEly awesome week!

2010-09-17T20:55:00.004-05:00

So, like I mentioned before, the school that Trevor works at got picked to be on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and have their preschool re-done. It was an amazing, busy, and tiring week. Trev and I got to go help some....although the real props goes to my dad in law and sis in law...they worked their booties off! The finished product is AMAZING!!!! I got a "sneak peak tour" of the (almost) finished new preschool and there are no words to describe how awesome it is! There are toys galore, state of the art technology, play stations and SOOOOOO much more. Unfortunately, there was no picture taking allowed so everyone will have to tune in on November 7th 2010 to see the episode air! As part of the process, Trev and I got to go to the grand ole opry last night and Carrie Underwood was the surprise guest.....she was so good to see in person--she is very down to earth and sounds just as good live as she does on her CD. It was lots of fun and I was so thankful to go! What a great week!!!! Here are some pics from the week....

My favorite pic...me and TY!!!!!!!

The designers waiting for the big reveal...Paulie, LeAnne Touey, and Tracy

My mom in law and her kindergarten class

Carrie Underwood at the Opry

Me and my boo at the concert :)

Trev and I working at the build site

Court, Shana, me, and Konstance getting ready to start helping!

THANKS EXTREME MAKEOVER!!!!!

I am such a bad blogger...Life lately

2010-09-12T17:06:00.005-05:00

So I realize it has almost been 2 months since I have blogged. I guess all that blogging in July overwhelmed me so I needed a break :) Really, the truth is Trev and I have been extremely busy the last two months. Trev started back to school teaching and I started back to school as a student. I am finishing up my MSN program so I can be a nurse practitioner....scary right?!?! Anyways, all that school has left me with pretty much zero time! Anyways, to all you thousands of people who read my blog (ha ha) I am sorry for being such an inconsistent blogger lately....Ill try to do better! :)

When I have had spare time lately I have been working on my newest hobby of sewing. My awesome mom gave me a sewing/monogramming machine and it has become somewhat of an obsession/desire to learn how to make things. So far I have made several burp cloths, a baby blanket, and a nursing cover (aka "hootie hider). Most of these things were for my friend Brittany who is having a baby in November. My next project is a dress :) I am kind of a "trial and error" sewer rather than going by the books, so my projects often have some unique imperfections...but I am learning as I go. I hope that one day I can make my own kids some cool clothes! Here are some pics of the projects...

Burp cloth for my cousins baby

Burp cloths for baby Avery

Flannel baby blanket

Hootie hider...for feeding your baby inconspicuously :)

Another exciting thing in our life is that Trevor's school...LCS got chosen to be the recipient of Extreme Makeover Home Edition! It was a really exciting time, and it is such a blessing. They have been building since Friday and will do the big reveal this coming Friday....Cant wait to hear them say MOVE THAT BUS!!!!

Ty and the crew announcing that EXTREME IS HERE!!!!

Lastly, we got to be a part of some of our dear friends, Aunna and Terry's wedding today. It was a beautiful day for a wedding, and we had fun sharing it with them!

Me and Terry's sister Laurie--who has become one of my good friends!

Terry's niece and nephew

Me and my sweet hubby :)

Me and Jude

Jude staying occupied during the wedding

The happy couple! Congrats Aunna and Terry!

Well thats about it for now...I will try not to let it be 2 months before I blog again. We got a new camera so maybe I will be taking more pics! :)

Blackberry Grunt

2010-07-17T20:08:00.003-05:00

Today at Target blackberries were on sale, so I decided to buy some and search out some sort of recipe for a blackberry dessert. I ended up making a Blackberry Grunt--Alton Brown's recipe. Apparently a grunt, similar to a cobbler, is a dessert with a fruit filling topped with biscuits. I was a little nervous about the biscuit topping, but it ended up being really delicious. The biscuit soaked up the juices quite nicely and added some stability to the super sweetness of the blackberry filling. It was a great summer dessert, and paired with some vanilla ice cream, it was heavenly! Here is the recipe just in case anyone wants to give it a shot!

The Recipe:

Ingredients

9 1/2 ounces all purpose flour, approximately 2 cups
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 cup buttermilk (fyi if you dont have buttermilk on hand you can make it by combining 1 Tbsp of white vinegar then add milk so that the total volume is 1 cup--let sit for 5 minutes)
1 pound 3 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries, approximately 4 cups
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a piece of foil on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any drippings.

Place the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into the bowl of a food processor and process for 3 to 4 pulses. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and, using your hands, work the butter into the flour mixture until about half of the fat disappears and the rest is left in pea-size pieces. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until it comes together. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper that has been lightly dusted with flour, shape into a ball and wrap and store in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Combine the blackberries, sugar, water and ginger in a large mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place over medium heat. Bring this to a simmer decrease the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Retrieve the dough from the refrigerator and gently drop it on the fruit mixture using a 1-ounce disher or large spoon, evenly distributing it over the top. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow the grunt to cool for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Finally....Vacay Days 6-9: CHARLESTON!

2010-07-14T19:34:00.008-05:00

Sorry that I haven't been able to blog as I promised...we didn't have the internet at the beach house in Charleston, so I wasn't able to. We drove to Charleston on Sunday and left on Wednesday morning. We stayed with some friends of mine that I used to work with at Vanderbilt, and we had a GREAT time! It was a long drive from DC to Charleston, but it was well worth it!

Trev ready to be there already! :)

The AMAZING beach house that we stayed at--it is my friends Lauren's parents, and we were so thankful to be able to stay there. It was pretty much right on the ocean, which made for such a relaxing time!

The dining and living room

The kitchen

One of the beautiful porches, where we spent time reading, hanging out, and just relaxing!

View from the porch--I seriously think that I could wake up to that everyday and never get sick of it!

Lauren and Andrew's adorable little girl Sarah Frances--she wasnt so sure about us at the beginning of our stay, but she definitely warmed up, and she LOVED Trevor!

Trev relaxing with their dog Ruby Mae

S.F. on the beach--I absolutely love this pic!

Lauren and I--it was so great to visit and catch up!

We stayed on the Isle of Palms, which is named that because there are palm trees everywhere!

For lunch on Monday we went to Poe's Tavern--it is definitely one of my favorite places to go in Charleston! It is a burger joint, and all the items on the menu are named after a Poe story or something in Poe's life. I had the Gold Bug and Trev had the Tell-Tale Heart! It is so fun!

Trev playing with S.F.--she must have knocked these blocks over a hundred times!

SAY CHEESE!

Trev and I before we went out to dinner on Monday. We went to Hank's, which is a wonderful seafood restaurant! It was so nice to go out and have a nice dinner with friends!

Lauren and Andrew at Hank's

On Tuesday we explored downtown Charleston. It was fun, but definitely an adventure. First of all, we parked really far away, so we walked like a bazillion miles. Then, it poured on us....TWICE. By the end of the day we were wet, tired, and grumpy...but at least it made for a good story! :)

Rainbow Row

Me at the battery

Trev and I in the park at the Battery--this was about 3 minutes before it started pouring for the first time

A pic of the park in the rain, while we waited at the pavilion in the center of the park

Trev waiting under a church's awning during the second rainstorm. We decided to just walk in the rain after a while because there was no end in sight.

After walking in the rain for what seemed like forever, we finally made it to the Market on Market St. where we could take cover for a while

After the rain had stopped--I was soaked!

We cooked dinner on Tuesday night and played Sequence. It was a fun night in!

Breakfast at the Sea Biscuit Cafe--yum!

S.F. loving on her bunny :)

We had a GREAT trip and are sad that it is over. We are so thankful for both the Wolcott's and the Pittard's for being awesome hosts! Hopefully this was just one of many awesome Castle family vacay's to come!

Vacay Day 5--Annapolis

2010-07-10T17:15:00.003-05:00

Today we took a mini road trip to Annapolis and visited historic Annapolis and the Naval Academy. It was really cool, although the weather was a little bit gloomy. At least we werent sweaty and hot! :) It was so neat and it made me want to take a whole "New England" trip and visit lots of old, historic town....maybe that can be our next Vacay.

There were all these HUGE hanging petunia baskets everywhere--they were so beautiful! How come mine never looked like that!

A pic in front of the harbor

There was a whole case full of golden footballs from the times that Navy has beaten Army--it was pretty cool.

David Robinson's Hall of Fame pic

Me sporting my new Navy sweatshirt :) So cute!

A random wall of keys at the Crepe place that we ate lunch/dinner at....I thought it was kind of neat!

We ate crepes at Sofi's crepes, and it was delicious! We had one with gruyere cheese, mushrooms, spinach, and sunflower seeds and also an apple crisp one! YUM

A pic of the capitol building

Today was our last real day in DC. Tomorrow we will go to church and then head out to Charleston to visit some friends! It should be a great way to wrap up the trip!

Vacay Day 4

2010-07-09T22:36:00.007-05:00

We had another great day in DC today! We were pretty busy, but it was lots of fun. First we went to IKEA for breakfast and a little shopping. I sure do wish they would put an IKEA in Nashville!

Next we went to Great Falls, which is an area of the Potomac River where there some huge waterfalls. The city has been in water restriction for a while so the falls were actually alot more dry than they usually are, but it was still pretty cool to see.

A group pic :)

Next we went to Georgetown Cupcake, which is the bakery that is featured in TLC's new show "DC Cupcakes" The line was wrapped around the building when we got there, so we had to wait for about 10 minutes. The cupcakes were AWESOME and totally worth the wait! I am excited that we got to experience something famous!!!

The line that we waited in!

Finally, me with our cupcakes! We got coconut, strawberry, lemon, and blueberry coffee cake--they were all delicious!

So many cupcakes to choose from!

Sharing a cupcake once we got home--I know this is cheesy but we had to do it! :)

Then we went to a Washington Nationals game. It was really cool cause we got to see Strasburg pitch--their rookie pitcher who is really good! It was lots of fun...although you never know who will be sitting next to you or behind you at a ball game--those people can make for an interesting experience!

Overall it was a great (but HOT) day! Tomorrow we are taking V and A to the airport for their trip to Mexico. Then we are heading to Annapolis to go to the Naval Academy--should be another fun day!

Deb Castle this post is for you....(and a game of Nerts)

2010-07-08T22:42:00.005-05:00

My mother in law Deb packed Trevor and I a whole bag full of goodies for the long trip up to DC. They were AWESOME.....except the Twizzlers. We tried eating them and they sounded really good, but then they tasted like wax--no flavor at all. We thought maybe it was just us so we gave them to the Wolcott's to enjoy. Turns out, it wasnt just us. They just werent good. Apparently when they messed with a classic candy (regular Twizzlers) and tried to make them fruity flavors they messed up. Oh well...we had fun playing with them! :) So, note to self--no more exotic Twizzlers.....but thanks MIL for the awesome bag of goodies! Everything else was amazing!

After we played with Twizzlers and ate dinner we played a good ole game of Nert's! It was awesome--fast paced and hilarious to say the least!

The standings were as follows: 1st place JOY! Followed by me, Brady, Paolo, Carter, Victoria, and Alex! (If you have never played Nert's you really ought to--its awesome!)

Vacay Day 3--Downtown DC

2010-07-08T16:34:00.008-05:00

Today was quite a busy day...and be warned, there are LOTS of pictures in this blog--it was hard choosing my favorites. We decided to make today a "historic DC" day and go to some of the museums! We went to the Smithsonian's American History, Natural History, Air and Space, and Hirschhorn museums. I think you could honestly spend a week in the museums and still never see it all! There is so much stuff! It was fun--a little learning while having a great time! Here are some pics from our day!

Smithsonian Museum of American History

I was really excited about seeing Julia Child's kitchen--she is such a cooking legend and it was neat to see all of her kitchen tools and gadgets!

She had everything hanging from the walls--pots, pans, utensils, etc. I wish I had the room and organizational skills to do that! :)

We went through an exhibit on the history of transportation which was really neat. We saw the development of trains, buses, interstates, and more! It's amazing to think that the interstate system is relatively new (it was started in the 1960's and completed in 1990) because I cant imagine taking a long trip without it!

A map of Route 66--someday Trev and I are going to travel the whole thing, and eat at all the places that Guy Fierri recommends on the TV show Drivers, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

The next exhibit was on the history of American Wartime. It was neat, and also very humbling to see that freedom does have a high price.

Aunt J and Uncle B demonstrating "Americans at War" :)

A modern army uniform

Trev and I re-enacting the kiss seen around the world! :)

There was a HUGE dollhouse that was completely detailed and beautiful...the pic above is the "Nurses Room"--I found it appropriate :)

There was also a newer exhibit of the Inaugural Ball gowns that the First Ladies have worn throughout the years--it was so cool!

Mrs. Washington's gown

Jackie O Kennedy's gown

Mrs. Eisenhower's gown-this one was my favorite! It was so pretty and classy!

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

The first exhibit that we went to in the Natural History museum was a display of all the different animals around the world. The crazy thing is that are all real animals--so the size and color is authentic! Crazy!

Trev really like this animal!

In the "Africa" section

The Hope diamond--45 carats--WOW--imagine carrying that thing around on your finger--I bet you would get tired! :)

In the forensic exhibit--not really sure who this boy is but Trev really liked the pic!

Taking a little break from "Museum-ing" Resting our tired tootsies!

Shouldn't this be a Cingular/AT&T advertisement! Haha--more bars in more places!

Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space

We went to the Air and Space museum also--however it was PACKED so we kind of breezed through it. We did get to go to a neat photo exhibit on the solar system--there were all these awesome pictures of the sun, planets, and moons. It was really cool!

Beth if you read this...this pic is for John! :)

Trev and Daria

Smithsonian Hirschhorn Museum--Museum of Sculpture and Art (or something like that)

Me in front of a big colorful painting!

Trev realizing that his legs actually could be longer!

And of course we couldnt leave downtown without a pic in front of the capitol!

Another great day in DC--not sure what we are doing tomorrow during the day, but tomorrow night we are going to a Nationals game to see Strasburg pitch! Should be fun! Ok, well its dinner time---adios!

Vacay Day 2

2010-07-07T21:24:00.005-05:00

Today was the 1st "real" day of vacation and we went to Six Flags with the cousins! It was REALLY hot, but luckily there was a water park there too so we managed to stay cool. It's funny....I used to LOVE roller coasters, and although I still like the rush I found myself literally fearing for my life this time while riding them--I think that means I am getting old! Ha ha. After six flags we went to Chipotle (a mexican chain restaurant) and stuffed ourselves silly. Then we went to Jireh Place and hung out for a bit! It was a fun day!

Alex, Daria, and Victoria on the spinny ride!

Me and V on some ride :)

I thought this sign was kind of funny! Ha ha

Trev and I at the water park

The whole gang at six flags (minus Heather, she was taking the pic)

Mmmmmmm Chipotle

The burrito was GINORMOUS! Seriously, it had to have weighed like 4 lbs!

Tomorrow we are going to the city to do lots of museums and touristy stuff--cant wait! Till then.....

Vacay Day 1 :)

2010-07-07T09:24:00.003-05:00

We left for Vacation yesterday--we will be going to DC to visit some of Trev's fam and then to Charleston for a few days to visit a friend of mine. We decided it would be fun (and rather ambitious) to try and post everyday...so here goes day 1! Day 1..... travel (boooooring!) The trip took us about 10.5 hours, and surprisingly wasnt as bad as I was anticipating. We had lots of yummy snacks that Trev's parents gave us which helped to pass the time.

Driving and eating string cheese....apparently we LOVE string cheese and never knew it...we ate 7 on the way down!

The beautiful mountains in Virginia--it was so pretty! Last time we traveled through Va it was dark so I didnt get to see them!

Trev driving :)

Trev took this picture...apparently this gas station/restaurant is REALLY awesome...we didnt buy anything cause we had tons of food but maybe on our way back!

We made it! (Ignore the shadow...it was really late)

Hopefully Day 2 will be a bit more exciting! :)

4th of July 2010

2010-07-07T09:07:00.005-05:00

For the fourth this year we hung out with our friends John and Beth...and their two kids Jude and Claire, and our other friends Hank and Aunna. John and Beth just got a boat and so we thought that spending a day on the lake would be a perfect way to spend the day....and it was! We had a blast on the boat...swimming, tubing, skiing, and just hanging out! Here are some pics from the day!

Baby Claire--she LOVED being on the boat, and oddly enough she actually loved being in her life jacket too--I think it was soothing for her!

Beth and I on the boat!

Beth and Aunna

Me and Jude swimming...he loved being in the "wari" as he called it! :)

Me and Trev....and our "adopted" child Jude!

Claire in her life jacket--haha, it was a pretty funny to see her in it!

Jude REALLY had to potty on the boat, but couldnt quite get the hang of not peeing in the potty...eventually he got it :)

Jude taking a pic of me while I took a pic of him! SAY CHEESE!

Hank tubing

Doesnt Trev look oh so sweet holding a little bitty baby!

We had a great time, and cant wait to spend more time on the boat throughout the summer!

A clean dog is a happy dog!

2010-06-23T16:20:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago Lighthouse School had a silent auction for flood relief, and we got several awesome things! One of the things we got was a gift certificate for a local dog grooming shop. We had been wanting to get Vandy groomed for awhile, but its kind of expensive so we hadn't wanted to spend the money. So since we were able to get a gift certificate for half of its value we decided to go for it. I meant to take some before pictures, but I forgot so here are some after pictures....

After he got home...all clean and groomed...posing for a picture!

Trying to "get the clean off." He does this every time after we bathe or brush him!

"I need to get this girly smell off of me!"

He was worn out and thirsty when he got home!

His feet look the best....imagine them with hair sticking out between his toes...that was the before!

Dog-sitting and a wedding...

2010-06-13T20:18:00.004-05:00

The first two weekends in June have been pretty busy for us. The first weekend we dog sat our friends dog--Ruby. Ruby and Vandy LOVE each other and they would probably have played the whole time if we had let them. We eventually had to split them up a bit because Vandy was being a little rough on Ruby. They had fun though and I am sure they both slept for a long time after their time together was over! Here are some pics of them playing...(and one rare one of them resting!)

Ruby and Vandy...BFF!

Playing...

Still playing!

Resting...FINALLY! (They didn't stay this way for long)

This weekend we went to Florence, AL for a friend of mine's wedding. She was a friend from the Peds ED so there was a group of us there. The wedding was really nice and we had a great time!

Part of the Peds ED gang that was at the wedding

Me and my boo :)

All the girls from the Peds ED!!!

The grooms cake was a Krispy Kreme donut tower..YUM!!!

A pic with the beautiful bride!

Our 2 busy weekends were fun but tiring! Maybe next weekend we can relax and just do NOTHING! :)

All I needed to know, I learned in Kindergarten...

2010-06-03T20:25:00.007-05:00

This year marked a very special occasion in the Castle family! Deb completed her 30th year teaching kindergarten! WOW! What a woman....and to make it even more impressive that is the first and only job she has ever had as a working adult...CRAZY! So, on Tuesday we had a surprise party for her at Lighthouse, and she actually was surprised! We got her there by telling her that we were going to Maggiano's for dinner (which worked well, but she was quite sad that we didn't actually get to eat there) It was a great night, and wonderful to see such a wonderful woman and extraordinary teacher honored! Here are some pics from the night...

The yummy cake--from Homestyle of course!

When she walked in the door--SURPRISE!

Still in disbelief I think :)

Deb and the cake!

Deb and one of her former students dressed up as the Cat in the Hat.

Trev reading his version of the poem "All I ever needed to know I learned in Kindergarten"....except it was "All I ever needed to know I learned in Mrs. Castle's class!"

Me and my wonderful hubby!

The Castle fam!

CONGRATS MRS CASTLE (aka Mom and M.I.L)!!!! WE LOVE YOU!

May Musings

2010-05-30T21:55:00.007-05:00

Wow! May has been a really busy month--and I have not blogged at all....so I thought I would do a mass blog for the month of May! The first eventful thing that happened was the flood. It was absolutely crazy to see the power of water, and how it destroyed anything and everything in its path. The Saturday of the flood I was working at Vanderbilt, and learned that there was some flooding on the interstates. After an exhausting day and staying late waiting for all of night shift to get there I finally got to go home. Of course I couldnt go I-24 because it was flooded, so I had to take I-40 to 840 to 24. Then I realized that my exit was blocked due to flooding so I had to go down to Sam Ridley. I got almost home on Old Nashville Highway and then ran into more flooding and road closures. It was so frustrating to be so close to home and not able to get there. I finally found a path, but it took me about an hour and a half to go home that night. Here are some pics from the weekend of the flood...

This is Deb and Tim's backyard--it was crazy!

On the way to Tim and Debs house

About 3 houses down from us--we were so fortunate that our house didnt suffer any damage.

Our neighbor taking his canoe out!

It was such a day of tragedy and heartache....but amidst all the rain, my peony bloomed for the very first time. It was a nice reminder that even in tragedy and pain, there is still beauty to be seen!

The weekend after the flood I went to Chicago to visit my friend Shana and meet her new baby boy Callum. It was so nice to see them ! I got to go to Callum's dedication, and I felt so honored to be a part of it. They also asked me to commit to praying for baby Callum for a year--which of course I said yes to! Hopefully they will be moving to Nashville in the summer and I will get to see them more often!

Me, Shana, and Callum at his dedication!

Shana and I enjoying a nice lunch!

On Sunday we strolled around their neighborhood, and I got to hold Callum in the baby Bjorn! It was so fun....he LOVED it! I will definitely be getting one of those when we have a baby!

The day after I got home from Chicago was my birthday! 26 years old....man I am getting old! We celebrated with our families by going out to dinner at Newks and eating delicious Homestyle cupcakes!

Me and my honey on my b-day!

Happy Birthday to me!

We have discovered that we have a 4th member of the family....a bunny! A while back Vandy killed a bunny in the backyard, and a little while later I spotted another one (alive this time) Since then I see him every so often in the backyard or the garden. He is pretty cute...however he keeps eating my flowers....grrrr!

The bunny hiding in the garden.

In May we also celebrated our 2 year anniversary! It is crazy to believe that it has already been 2 years, but at the same time I can't remember my life without being married. To celebrate we took a weekend trip to Birmingham (we spent a LOT of time there while we were dating) We went to some of our favorite places and it was really nice to get away!

Eating a lemon square at Edgar's....oh my goodness they are the BEST!!!

Before dinner

My FAVORITE restaurant....Cocina Superior! YUM! Its a modern twist on mexican food and it is delicious!

Happy Anniversary! I cant wait to spend many more years together!

Well, that pretty much wraps up May! I am out of school for the summer (work school that is) so I plan on relaxing some and doing some things around the house (I will be working prn at Vandy some) I will also be taking a class for school. Trev is almost out of school too (2 days left) and hopefully he will be working at least part time this summer too! We are excited to have some time to hang out, relax, and rejuvenate! :) I guess that's all for now....till June! :)

Goodbye 10 Pounds!

2010-04-30T22:16:00.002-05:00

Me and my sister in law Courtney decided about 7 weeks ago that we both needed some motivation to lose some weight. So, we challenged each other to each lose 10 pounds by April 30. If we both met the goal (and yes, we both had to meet the goal in order to get the prize) then we got to get massages. It was REALLY hard at first, but it definitely got easier as the weeks went by. Our plan was to simply count calories and work out.....and it worked! By the end of 7 weeks I have lost 10 pounds and Court has lost 13! GO US! Here is a pic of us on our "goal day"

We are definitely planning on staying on track (although I must say for myself that I have taken a little sabbatical from working out this week) and staying healthy! Now its time for massages.....ahhhhhh! :)

Fun Weekend!

2010-04-18T17:02:00.006-05:00

This weekend was a really busy one...but it was also lots of fun! Friday night we went to see Courtney's boyfriend Keenan in his deubt performance! He is a songwriter/musician, and he was recently signed with Trevecca's student music label--Friday night was their first show. He did a GREAT job, and we were totally impressed! It was cool to see him in his element!

Me, Trev, Tim, and Deb at Keenan's concert

Keenan jammin'--he's got his "stank face" on :)

After the concert we went to this new restaurant called Taco Mamacita's in Edgehill Village. It was really yummy, but super packed! We luckily got a table alot quicker than we expected (we think they made a mistake but we enjoyed the fast table) We will definitely have to go back sometime and eat again!

Saturday we went to see my cousin's oldest child Hudson play in his soccer game. He is 4 and was so cute chasing after the ball. Most of them are a little too young to really understand the game, but it was fun to see him try!

Hudson on the field

Hudson after his game

Sunday me and my friend Becca hosted a baby shower for our friend Beth! It was lots of fun, and
nice to just get to hang out with the girls! Beth is having a girl so we all got to ooh and ahhh over all of the cute baby girl stuff that she got! So fun!

The spread! :) YUM!

Becca, Beth, and me @ the shower

Thats about it...one more weekend down means one closer to the end of the school year...YAY!

Bathroom Makeover

2010-04-07T17:00:00.004-05:00

About a month ago, I got the wild idea to re-do our master bathroom. It was pretty drab before...white walls, brown accents, and an ugly countertop. So, I decided to paint it brown, add a little color (tealish blue), re-do the countertop, and add decorative mirrors. I re-did the countertops using a fun (yet messy) technique that my friend Beth taught me....it gives you a higher end look without the high end price! Here are some pics for the transformation...

Before...plain brown shower curtain

After...nice decorative blue shower curtain against contrasting brown walls!

Before...ugly gray laminate countertops and standard mirror

After...tan with brown flecks counter and seperate decorative mirrors (hard to tell that the counters are much different in the first picture...but keep scrolling!)

Before...so boring :(

After...so nice!! :)

Overall, the total bathroom transformation breaks down as follows...

Paint (for walls and counter) $25
Shower Curtain $20
Laquer for counter $30
Two new mirrors $30
Other decorative accessories $25
GRAND TOTAL $130

Not bad when you consider that most bathroom remodels are thousands of dollars!!! We still have some work to do...like the light and faucet fixtures and floor, but for now its a good start!

Happy Spring!

2010-03-20T19:03:00.005-05:00

Yay! Today is the first day of Spring and I am so glad it is here! This winter has been unusually cold and snowy for Nashville so I am really looking forward to some sunny days and nice weather! In honor of the first day of Spring my hyacinths decided to bloom today!

I love coming home each day and seeing what new flowers are starting to peak through the ground. So far these are my only ones that have bloomed but I have lots of tulips, buttercups, a hydrangea, and some more hyacinths that are emerging! YAY! Hopefully this year I can become a better gardener....and I am going to give herb growing another try! I hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful first day of Spring!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T21:15:00.004-05:00

Our cell has a tradition of having a St. Patrick's Day party and this year was no exception! We all dress in green and eat either traditional Irish food or green food. This year was lots of fun, and we were all so excited that the Tanner's were back in town for the party! It was great to have fun, food, and fellowship with everyone! The kids were WILD--it must have been all of the sugar! Here are some pics from the night...

Karen, Jessica, and Aunna sporting their green

Adam and Trev

The girls and Virgil--he is the ultimate Irishman! :)

Me and Court eating our mini-cupcakes...YUM!

Virgil....ahh, there are no words to describe him! :)

The whole gang!

It was a great time and I can't wait until next years St. Patty's Day party!! :)

JV Champions!

2010-02-15T14:22:00.004-06:00

Saturday, the Lighthouse Boys JV basketball team played in the Championship Game--and WON! It was really exciting for both the players and coaches! They have some great talent on their team, and I am sure that in a few years they will be AWESOME!!! Here are some pics from the game.

The boys that were named to the All-Region Team. Lighthouse had 2 players plus the MVP of the tournament!

The team with their championship trophy!!! Good Job LCS!

Coach Castle and Coach Cudd

Another team pic!

The boys cutting a piece of the net! They were really funny to watch--next time we need to have some sharper scissors because some of them were having some difficulties!

The Coaches with the Napier twins--it was their birthday! What a great b-day present!

JV is done now....just a few more games to go and then B-ball will be over for the season!!!! (Can you tell I am excited to have my husband home at decent hours again!!!)

New Job

2010-02-06T20:28:00.001-06:00

I have decided to become a 31 gifts consultant. For those of you who have never heard of this, it is a faith based company that is geared towards women. They sell products like purses, totes, wallets, stationary, and much more. I am really excited to start this business! If anyone is interested in hosting a party let me know!

Weekend with good friends!

2010-01-31T20:44:00.005-06:00

This weekend we had some dear friends from Chicago come into town for her baby shower. Of course, the weekend they came was the one weekend that the weathermen were right and we actually got alot of snow. The shower was a bit smaller than expected, but it was still a great time with friends. We are so happy for them and we cant wait to meet their new baby in April!

Shana's new talent--balancing things on her belly!

Playing in the snow!

Shana making a preggo snow angel!

Our AWESOME snowman!

Saturday morning--the boys had to dig our way out so we could make the journey to Brentwood for the shower

Chad busy shoveling snow

Me, Shana, and Brittany at the shower

Shana opening surprise gifts from her mom in South Africa

Shana opening burp cloths made by Brittany!

The diaper cake made by yours truly :)

The cake--it may not have been the most beautiful cake, but it sure did taste good!

Vandy loving on Shana's belly

Chad and Vandy--they were long lost best friends. Vandy loved Chad!

We had a great time, and hope to see our friends again soon--next time with a sweet little baby!

SNOW DAY!!!

2010-01-29T14:20:00.003-06:00

First of all, I must say that one of the perks of being a school nurse is getting a snow day. Now, from my experience, usually they call a snow day and it never quite pans out, but today was different! We have about 2 inches right now and they are predicting 6-10! WOW! I can't remember the last time that we had that much snow! The best news is that not only was I off, but since Trev is a teacher he was off too! So we had a whole day to play in the snow and relax! We took Vandy out, and he had lots of fun! He couldn't decide what to do in it..play or eat it! As I type he is knocking the blinds at the back door because I think he wants to go back out. Here are some pics from our time in the snow...

YUM! I love licking the snow :) As long as its not yellow snow!

Vandy running away from Trev throwing snow!

Ash and Vandy!

Having fun and enjoying the snow day!

Puppies first significant snow!

Happy Birthday Trevor!!!

2010-01-24T19:29:00.005-06:00

So... this post is a little late (I had a little trouble with my camera) but I figured better late than never! :)

10 days ago (Jan 14th) we celebrated Trevor's 25th birthday! I love when his birthday rolls around because it means that we are the same age for a few months! :) We celebrated by going to Newk's and then came back to the house for some yummy homestyle cake! I can't believe that we are both halfway to 50 now....ugh! Here are some pics from our fun night...

Me and Trev :)

Jeremy, Hannah, and Becca--Trev's long times friends from LCS

Pa and Ma Castle :)

The Laurie Family--some of our friends from church!

Me, Court, and Mom (and don't worry, I didnt have a baby secretly....that's my friend Gloria's baby, Lily)

Phil and Gloria--another couple friend from church. Phil and Trev are b-ball coaches together.

Hannah and Jude being sweet!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREV! I am so glad you were born 25 years ago! :) I love you!

Guest Post

2010-01-05T15:54:00.001-06:00

Ok so when Ash started this blog thing I fully intended to partake at some time and use this space as an outlet for some of my thoughts. Well for the few of you guys that actually keep up with us you know that I have never actually done that. Well I am stopping by for a guest post and we will see how it goes from there. Since Ash posted some of her thoughts and goals for the New Year I figured I would do the same. Mainly for the purpose of someone being able call me out in an area I might be falling short in at some point.

First I want to do a short moment of reflection on the year that was 2009. 2009 brought many changes to my life. It was the first full calendar year that Ash and I existed as a husband and wife and every day that passed made me relish in the decision we made. I hate to be sappy but she really is my better half and I don’t even dare to think of where I would be without her by my side. We are quickly approaching 2 years and I cannot wait for the next 200. Ok that is totally unrealistic but I believe you get my point. I LOVE YOU BABE!!! 2009 also brought a major job change that allowed me to leave the customer service/phone rep world and enter the world of education. I am teaching/coaching/athletic directing at my alma mater. Its been a huge blessing and while sometimes I feel like I am drowning in my work load and am never going to make it to the weekend I truly enjoy my job and am so thankful to God for allowing me to be hired.

Ok so there are a thousand other things I could discuss about 2009 but I want to look ahead to the 10.

1^st I want to grow in my roles. I wear many hats at LCS/LCF. I could fill an entire bog about my job description but no one would believe me nor want to read it. As crazy as it might sound for those that actually know that extent of my work—I relish in it. I want all the work you can throw at me. However what I am tired of is too many times I skate by. I don’t pour myself into the situation for fear of failing and falling flat. I do not do failure well so too often I over-guard. I want to stop that. My Life Group deserves a well-prepared discussion not a half ass job. My classes deserve a teacher that has scheduled events to use the entire class and deepen their knowledge. Now is the time to fulfill the responsibilities and focus.

Sorry for the soapbox. Sometimes I have to preach at myself to hear myself.

2^nd I want to read more. This goes on many levels. I want to read more of the Bible. I am too often easily overcome with other things that my quiet time is forgotten. It is not the priority it MUST be. Not should be, MUST be. I must be grounded in His word. I want to read more on a professional level. I want to deepen my own knowledge in my subjects so that I can challenge my students at the level they need to be. I want to read more for pleasure. I am tired of TV. Give me a book and a couch and I will be happy. My wife might be upset because I will completely zone out but she will understand =)

3^rd I want to write again. I used to write all the time. Some of this was out of necessity while some of it was pure pleasure. Now I may not write for people to read but or anything that people want to read but I must write. I feel as though I am given some things that need to be on paper. Therefore I fully intend to make more appearances on this blog. I might bore the few of you that read this thing because I don’t post pics but maybe you will enjoy it.

Ok so there are a few of my goals for 2010. I could go on but I wont take up any more of your time. Most of you have probably quit reading anyways. That’s ok I don’t blame you. See you guys throughout the year.

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-01T11:03:00.003-06:00

Well it is officially a new year! We had a blast ringing it in with some old friends from college. A really close friend of mine, Shana, and her husband Chad came in town from Chicago, and we are so glad we got to celebrate with them! We went to Buca Di Beppo for dinner, which was really yummy! Trev and I had a sampler platter and it was so good! After that we went and hung out at a friends house, just waiting for the new year to arrive! Here are some pics from our night...

The whole group

Me and my friend Blaire

Me, Shana, and Brittany

Shana and I--how cute is her little pregnant belly! :)

The first pic of me and Trev in 2010!!!

We had a great night, and we can't wait to see what this new year will bring into our lives. 2009 was a really good year for us--we both got new jobs, it was our first full calendar year to be married, we took a couple of great trips and many more things.

Of course with the start of the new year comes new resolutions. Now, I am normally not the biggest "resolution" person because I feel like I always break them. But this year I really wanted to pick some things to work on throughout the year. So after much thought...here are my resolutions for 2010...

1. To become more efficient with our budget...more specifically to tithe better. I always have really great intentions, and we still tithe regularly, but I feel like my attitude about tithing is not where it should be. I want to be faithful to the Lord's commands and do it with joy and excitement. So for 2010, I am going to work on giving joyfully, and making sure we don't just give our "leftovers" to church.

2. To run 10 miles by the end of the year...now for anyone who knows me, knows that I am not a runner in the slightest so the fact that I am posting this publically is kind of a big deal. Even as I am typing I am reconsidering :) But, I really want to get in shape and I hear that running can be so therapeutic once you get past the plateau part. So I am going to try! I have already decided to run in a 5K in February, so that will be my first step!

3. To love others better...Now I realize that this is a really big goal, and it is one that we all should constantly be doing, but I wanted to put it on here to remind myself that this is something that I really want to improve on. I think I have a tendancy to judge others or get irritated about something someone else has done, when really I should be showing them Christ's love. So I want to make an extra effort this year to just love others--no matter what their circumstances are and no matter what their behaviors are. It seems so simple, but I know that I will definitely need the Lord's guidance and grace along the way!

So there you have it folks....my resolution list for the new year. Fairwell 2009 and welcome 2010!!! I can't wait to see where 2010 leads me and my family!

Ashley

2nd Annual Girls Christmas Party

2009-12-27T23:52:00.003-06:00

Today we had our 2nd annual girls christmas party at Shauna's house. Last year was the 1st one and since it was so successful we decided to do it again! This year we decided to have it at Shauna's house instead of at a restaurant. It was nice because it gave us a chance to hang out while cooking and take our time hanging out! I hope this is a tradition that we can continue for many years to come!

Me, Steph, and Elisabeth

Becca and Ashley

Shauna and Britney

Me and sweet Kennedi. At the party last year Shauna announced that she was pregnant! Crazy how quickly time flies...Kennedi is already 5 months now and so cute!

The whole gang showing off our ornaments! Cant wait till next year!

My Christmas festivities are officially over for this year. Sad day--I guess I should start taking my decorations down :(

Christmas!

2009-12-25T22:14:00.004-06:00

Christmas was great this year! It was mine and Trevor's 2nd Christmas as a married couple, and we got to continue some of the traditions that we started for our family last year...kind of. We actually decided to change one of them. Instead of doing opening Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve we changed it to opening a book instead. Since Trev is not really a fan of crazy PJ pants and since we both love to read, we thought this could be something fun that we can do, especially when we have kids. We also tried to make cinnamon rolls like last year...but for some reason, my dough didnt rise, so that was scrapped. (Bad yeast maybe?) It was a great Christmas, and we are truly thankful for the birth of Christ!

Vandy and his GINORMOUS bone! He chewed on it forever...and would probably chew on it continually if we would let him.

Showing off my stocking goodies :)

Trev and his presents...isnt the wrapping fantastic ;)

A Christmas pic in front of our tree (well one of them anyways)

After Trevor and I do our Christmas, mom and Delaney come over and do Christmas with us. Then we head to my mom's side of the family for Christmas breakfast. This year was at my cousin Kari's. Here is a pic of me and her oldest boy Hudson.

After we do Christmas with my side of the family we head to the Castles for Christmas lunch/dinner. It was delicious! The best part was that Trevor's parents TOTALLY surprised us with a Wii! Trev has been wanting one for a long time and I was going to get him one for his B-day but they beat me to it...and completely surprised both of us! Not only were his parents involved, but Courtney, Keenan, and my mom were in on it as well. Court got us Wii Sports Resort (which is AWESOME), Keenan got us a Wii motion controller, and mom got us Wii Fit! Needless to say, there will be lots of fun times to come. Here is a pic of Trev playing once we got home...

Me playing basketball--3 pt shot competition (believe it or not, as of right now I hold the record :) but I am sure Trev will change that soon!)

Our Mii's getting ready to face off playing ping pong!

Our game faces...kind of! :) Thanks Castle fam for such a great gift!

I can't believe that Christmas is over....it always seems to sneak up on me now that I am getting older. It was a great one!!!

Vandy Girls Christmas Party

2009-12-25T22:07:00.003-06:00

Last Sunday, a bunch of girls that I work with at Vandy had a girls Christmas party. This is the second year that I have gotten to attend, and it was a blast once again! We each bring something to eat and a gift, and then we exchange gifts "dirty santa" style! It can really get crazy when there are several people that are after one gift! This year I got a bath and body gift set from Philosophy. It is really cute and the products smell good enough to eat! I can't wait until next year!

Two of my favorites! :) Jess, Missy, and I

The whole group!

Visit from the Sowards

2009-12-20T21:44:00.000-06:00

Last weekend my older brother came down for the weekend with his family. It was really great to get to see them because we dont get to very often. His boys are 10 and 7, and we had a great time eating, playing games, and watching movies! Hopefully we can plan another get together sooner rather than later. Here are some pics from our visit...

Hubble (my brother) and his wife Joy :)

All the Sowards boys...Conner, Hubble, Dad, Delaney, and Brady

Dad and his kiddos

Conner loved playing with Vandy. They played tug of war for the longest time!

Happy Birthday Vandy!

2009-10-24T15:18:00.004-05:00

Well, my sweet little puppy is not a baby anymore. :( Today he turned 1 and we had a little family party for him. He wasn't to crazy about his hat, but he LOVED his presents! I can't believe that we have had him for almost a year (we got him in December when he was 8 weeks old.) He is such a good dog :)

Me and my sweet puppy

His presents--a bone, rope, ball, and pull ring. So fun--although I am sure he will have them all torn up in no time!

Waiting for us to throw him the bone

Enjoying his toys :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANDY! We love you!! :) (Ok, I know he is just a dog...but for know he is like our child)

Scavenger Hunt

2009-09-21T21:35:00.002-05:00

So this post is about a week and a half late but...better late than never i guess :) @ Friday's ago our cell group had a picture/video scavenger hunt with another cell. Now, I'll be honest, I am not usually into scavenger hunts, but I ended up having lots of fun and MY TEAM WON!!! Woo Hoo!

The whole group

The winning team!!!!

One of our challenges was to pump .50 cents worth of gas--oh how i love a .50 cent charge on the debit card!

We had to find someone with one of our names and have proof...this was the first person we asked!! Crazy!

Taking a picture with a family of four--they were great! Afterwards the little girl wanted to give me and Beth hugs! So cute!

Overall it was a fun night of fellowship! I am sure there will be more fun nights ahead! Next late blog to look forward to...OUR NEW (used) CAR!!!

Trev's first win

2009-08-25T10:10:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I am not a big fan of posting on the blog without putting up pictures too...but today will have to be an exception.

Trev's v-ball team had their first win last night! YAY! It was so exciting....It went into all 5 matches and each one was very close. LCS won the first, lost the second, won the third, lost the fourth, and finally won the final match! It was so exciting!!!!! Hopefully it was just the first of many wins for Coach Castle and his team! :)

Trev's first coaching match

2009-08-24T14:10:00.003-05:00

Trevor has recently started teaching at his old high school. Along with that he gets to coach a couple of sports teams--he will be head coach for volleyball and assistant coach for boys basketball. Last week the girls volleyball team had their first match and Trevor had his debut as a coach...

Warming the girls up before the game

Getting a laugh in during a time out huddle

A more serious time of coaching in the huddle with the varsity girls

The varsity girls playing--they did a great job and I know they are going to continue to improve throughout the season!

Super fans!!! Dominique, Courtney, Makhaia, and me! GO LIONS!

The JV girls won their second game!!! YAY!

Me and Coach Castle after the game :) Isn't he cute!

This was just the beginning of MANY more games to come! I am sure the season is going to be lots of fun....and once its over....BASKETBALL! Hopefully I will be a good coaches wife and make it to most/all of the games (the fact that I get free concession stand food at home is enough to lure me there) :)

Sounds Game

2009-07-12T16:57:00.003-05:00

We got to go to the Sounds game last night....which was lots of fun! Well actually the game was kind of dull, but the people watching, concession stand food, and fireworks were a blast!

July 4th Extravaganza

2009-07-05T20:43:00.004-05:00

For July 4th we went with a few friends of ours to another friends house for swimming, cookout, and fireworks. We were lucky because it rained (and I mean downpoured) before and after fireworks. We had a great time! It was so nice to just relax and fellowship with our friends....and eat some awesome burgers!! YUM

Titus playing in the pool

After swimming

Trev teaching the little ones about basketball while we were waiting for the food to be ready

The grillmaster himself...Frank

This pic says it all....Beth is "one bad mother" Haha--just kidding--Beth is one of the best mommies I know! :)

Yay Fireworks!!!

Sweet baby Jude--what a smile!

We had a great fourth and we are so thankful to celebrate living in a FREE country!

Clumsy me

2009-07-05T20:34:00.005-05:00

So, I am pretty clumsy--I am always finding random bruises all over me from running into things. One time I even sprained my ankle while just walking. Earlier this week, I was reminded of my clumsiness yet again.....I broke my toe--by running into the coffee table I thought everyone might get a good kick out of that :)

My poor purple toe :(

Oh Laundry

2009-07-05T20:30:00.003-05:00

So last week I decided to catch up on all my laundry and when all was said and done...this is what my clean clothes looked like.

Yes yes I know--this is out of control! BUT....that is why I am doing this posting. I am vowing before all the people who follow my blog (which I realize is not many) that I am going to do better. No more couches FULL of laundry! :)

Oatsvall Family Adoption Concert

2009-06-28T21:31:00.003-05:00

Today we had the wonderful experience to support some friends of ours. Trevor's high school journalism teacher, Gwen, and her family are adopting a boy from Uganda. Tonight they had a benefit concert to raise money for his adoption featuring Point of Grace! Now, I wasn't really into the whole Christian music thing when they were hugely popular, but I do know that they were one of the pioneer groups featuring contemporary christian music! They were awesome and put on a great show! It is so awesome how God uses different people and circumstances in our life to bring Him glory. One of the singers in POG has a couple of sons that go to school where Coach O coaches, and she heard their story and wanted to help.....so they had this concert...how awesome! We also got to hear from a young woman named Katie who lives in Uganda and runs a non-profit child sponsorship program. And, she is foster mom to 13....yes 13 Ugandan girls. Oh and did I mention that she is only 20?!?!?! How amazing!!! Here are some pics from the night....

Point of Grace doing their thing!

The Oatsvalls speaking about adoption

Trev and I at the concert

The Castle women all sporting our Ugandan necklaces

It was such a neat experience for Trevor and I because since we started dating and talking about having our own family we have ALWAYS wanted to adopt one day--and this is so encouraging to see that God will provide. Now comes the hard part...waiting until the time is right. I tend to be one of those people who is always living in the "next stage" of life. I am always thinking about what life will be like when this or that happens. Thankfully, the Lord is teaching me how to just relax, and live life one day at a time. I know we will get there one day, but for now I am thankful for where we are in life right now!

If you want to check out the Oatsvall Family's adoption blog go to www.oatsvallteam.blogspot.com

Oh and P.S. I cant figure out why the last half of this post is underlined blue so sorry!