EastCoastLove

Growing up in Virginia i know what its like to experience seasons. To know what a beautiful mountain range looks like and experience the Beach all within a 1 -3 mile radius from my home. I still am not really sure why Texans are so proud of themselves and this state but its home anyhow. There are many things i miss about back east...mainly family but the rest is the land and its beauty. The southern hospitality and cooking! Sometimes i come across things in Texas that remind me of things in Virginia. I was driving to walmart the other day and pulled up behind this really cool old beat up truck. Upon further inspection i saw that the guy inside was wearing a camo hat and suit...it just brought me back to good ol Farmville. Now this is a site for sore eyes :)

Last weekend Andrew took me out on an official date! It had been a while since we had done the 'traditional' dinner and a movie date...but he planned it and surprised me! We were both excited! I didn't know where we were going to eat...and in girl fashion i asked what should i wear? To which he replied, what you have on is fine, i am going to wear jeans and a button down. Which i had shorts and a casual top. I changed and complained and ho hummed about how i don't have good 'going out' clothes any more. Sad pitiful me! We went downtown fort worth (my fave) for dinner to a gourmet mexican restaurant! YUM!! After a nice meal with dessert, we asked our friends who live IN down town to join us for the movie. We loved the movie...so good if you haven't see it YOU MUST!!! :) Great visually, story line and ending! So excited that Leo has a great movie back out...he is good! Great food, great friends, great movie...GREAT HUBBY!!! i love him! :)

So crock pot is usually what i share with y'all but today its a normal casserole. Its a great Tex Mex meal in one big bowl!! This is a great recipe to feed friends with some chips, salsa and guacamole! You could probably do this without the meat if you wanted to make it vegetarian. :) its fairly easy and really yummy! I got the recipe from Kraft Foods. They have a really great website for recipes! I get their weekly emails. You should too! Kraft Recipes Creamy Burrito Casserole 50 mins total/20 mins prep -1lb ground beef or turkey -1.2 medium yellow onion, chopped -1(1.24oz) package of taco seasoning -6 large flour tortillas -1 (16 oz) can refried beans -2-3 cups shredded taco cheese or cheddar cheese -1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup -4 oz sour cream -jarred hot sauce, if desired to spice it up Brown the ground meat/turkey and onion; drain. Add taco seasoning and stir in refried beans. Mix cream of mushroom soup and sour cream in separate bowl Spread 1/2 sour cream mixture

This past week has been our community service week. I am tired! Haven't really rested at all after Mexico...there is alot of planning and shuffle that goes on this week....its draining even when i had a lazy week the week before. This year we worked with a local orphanage and tried to do a 'camp'...i say try cause we ended up only having 11 of them and 25 of us. It turned out to be a great week of playtime for them. They were sweet and all in all the week was good. I pray that God is honored by what we did! We had a couple other odd jobs to do so some students handed out info about a kids event, others tutored, others planted tow flowerbeds at the orphanage, and another group sorted through a resale shop's stuff. It was a good week. Brock and Chloe came and played with us today! Isn't she sweet!! :)

So it is official and coming closer than i like, but our lovely friends Christin and Dustin are moving to Colorado. It has been a long, stretching and exciting journey for them, and that was just finding out if this was what God really wanted for them can't wait to see the journey once they are there! Me and another good friend of theirs threw a surprise going away party! AND THEY WERE GENUINELY SURPRISED!! it was so fun. Kati took pictures of each family as they came in and our house quickly filled up with about 40 people! We are so thankful for our new house and the opportunity to host a lovely party! We will miss them and are excited for them. Saying goodbyes are odd. I had 4 really close girls in the area and we are now down to two. It was those friendships were you just clicked easily and encouraged and strengthened each other, laughed and cried, and could say anything. Just over a year ago we said goodbye to the first one and now a second. Our paths were side by side for som

We had a wonderful week! Andrew was in his element, soccer, camping, lil kids. It was a great week. We had 3 great long days with the orphans and as usual i wish i could communicate better. So thankful for the brother and sister from the local mexican church that were there with us! They preached in small groups it was awesome and i could actually follow what she was talking about most times :) It was a great week that opened my eyes once again to God's great love in ways i never expected! Due to security issues it isn't really safe for me to upload the video of the orphans....i forgot after i did it all :) hahah so i leave you with some pics of Mexcio! Thanks for the Prayers!

Tomorrow morning we leave for Puebla Mexico. This is the same mission trip i did last year...this year Kimmel comes with us! Its a great week of participating in a camp with two orphanages. We camp out at a water park, and share God's love. I always think that i should have learned more spanish cause i never know enough! Keep us in your prayers this week...mostly love, patience, non tummy illnesses :) See ya in a week.

So my lil element, affectionately called Ellie, tuckered out on me yesterday. She slowly was not starting well...til she left me in a parking lot with no energy. Thankfully i had finished all of my errands but one. So i called my hubby, he showed up my knight on his trusty silver bullet and he took care of the situation. His dad was very nice to lend us his car for the evening so we could carry on with life. Today andrew was called and thankfully all that was wrong was a cell in the battery was dead...so we got a new battery. I think Ellie just wanted to ride on the tow truck! She is well taken care of as of today, new battery, new oil, wash and ride on the truck! She is good to go for a while we are hoping! Do you have a funny car breakdown story?? Would love to hear about it!

There is a place in Texas that everyone talks about. A place where women and men can walk around all day long and shop outdoors at booths of hand made decor, furniture, paintings etc. It is Canton! My good friend Christin's mom has a booth out there of amazing crosses...she gave me some to give to each of my bride's maids and they are beautiful. I can't ever decide which one i want! In all the 9 years of my living out here i have never been. Christin keeps telling my have to go i would love it. I just had no clue. Friday i became a new lady. I have been to canton. I have seen and i have loved and i am willing to go back! My friend Sherry and Meg took me. There were some things that i saw that i am actually going to make! I was like i am not spending $30 for that but i can do it for $10! I found a booth that i fell in love with. This family has beautiful pictures and original art work with scripture on it. I found a piece that has inspired a nursery for me to decorate. I alw