Family, football, and fall weather!

So we had a really good weekend, minus the Arkansas game. We didn't have a lot planned and it was so nice to just relax and do whatever. On friday, Mitch was off, so we spend the day getting stuff done and running errands. And of course we came back with new golf stuff...ha. We both needed a new golf glove and I needed my putter re-griped but we ended up coming home with a few other things as well :)

We didn't have anything planned for that night and Mitch mentioned he wanted to go to the Bentonville High School football game.  At first I wasn't really up for it because I could never imagine going back to one of my hs football games...it just seemed weird to me. But we had dinner at Outback and then went to the game. We got there 5 minutes before kick-off and there was nowhere for us to sit.  I learned quickly that high school football in Bentonville is a big deal....literally the whole community was there. We even saw a lot of people our age at the game.  The first half we had to stand at the top of the stands...it was soooo packed...there wasn't even seating on the visitors side!  Right before half time, we saw our friend Caleb and he had reserved seats up front and so we went and sat with him for the rest of the game.  It was a great game and went into overtime, but BHS won!!! It ended up being a lot of fun and now we know to show up a little earlier next time!

Saturday my parents came in town.  They had not seen our house since it had been all decorated. We spend the morning shopping, and my family loves catfish, so for lunch we took them to a restaurant called Catfish Hole in Fayetteville. Mitch and I went there for the first time this summer and we love it! The rest of the day was spend watching the game at my aunts house.  She lives here in Bentonville and they are huge razorback fans, so we hung out over there all day.  The outcome of the game wasn't good and Saturday was a sad day here in Arkansas...but I would say we put up a pretty good fight and can't wait for the next game!

On Sunday we went to church and had lunch at Mitch's parents house. The high on Sunday was 59! We ate outside and it was actually cold! But I did enjoy getting to wear my hoodie and sweatpants. The weather has been gorgeous here! All week it is suppose to be in the lower 70's.  To celebrate the cooler weather, Mitch and I went to Starbucks before our financial peace class at church. I just love there seasonal drinks! I always have a tough decision between their pumpkin spice latte or the caramel apple spice. They are both soooo good!! I also went and bought some fall candles, so now our house smells like pumpkins and cider! I just love it! That night we grilled out and had Michelle over for hot dogs. Mitch had to work the next day so we headed to bed early, not knowing we had a very interesting Monday ahead of us.

Monday morning started out normal, Mitch left for work at 6 and I was still sleeping.  I woke up about 10 min after he left with bad pains on the side of my chest/ribs. This wasn't just a little pain, it was sooo bad. I called Mitch, he was about 10 min away from work. He asked if he needed to come back and I know he cant really miss work, but my pain was so bad and I didn't know what was going on. So he came back and for the next hour I was in horrible pain! At 8:00, he called the doctor and when he asked my symptoms he told Mitch to not come in but take me to the emergency room. Lets just say I was not happy...I hate hospitals! We finally got in a room and did all the fun stuff...x-ray, blood work, IV, etc....the main reason I don't like hospitals. After all the tests and hours our being in the hospital they finally figured out what was going on.  I forget what it is called (prob doesn't help that I am on pain meds), but it is where the outside of your lungs get inflamed and when they rub against your ribs it causes the pain.  They sent me home with muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory, and pain meds. So needless to say, I was out of it yesterday! I am feeling better today, my arm is just sore from the IV...but if thats all the pain I have today..I am very thankful! I am trying to take my medicine as little as possible today and its going good so far.

On a better note...Glee is tonight!! I can't wait...I bought two of the soundtracks last week and to say I'm obsessed might be an understatement.

Well these next couple of days will include lots of resting and re-runs of The Office and One Tree Hill. Mitch's mom brought over dinner so I will not have to cook tonight. Hope you all have a great week!

It's Fall!!

Happy first day of fall! I am so excited fall is finally here. I am a summer girl, I love love love summertime and the hotter it is the better! But for some reason this year I am ready for cooler weather. I think it is because I am living in Arkansas. Fall was my absolute favorite time to come back and visit Arkansas. It is so beautiful here in the fall! And now I get to enjoy the beautiful weather and all the pretty colors for more than just a weekend :)

Not a lot went on these past few days. I did some shopping for the house...it's coming along! Tuesday I had another interview that I was so excited about. From reading about it online, it sounded just perfect for me. Well lets just say it didn't go as planned. It was one of the most awkward/unprofessional experiences I have been in.  Looking back it is funny, but I just can't see myself working for this company.

Well, in my first post I promised pictures of the house and I am just now getting around to it. There are quite a few, but I hope you enjoy!

Living room

My favorite! Still looking for a long black table for this wall.

Couldn't live without this...LOVE my red KitchenAid coffee pot!! 

Dining room

Our Bedroom

Our bathroom

Guest Bedroom...please come use it :)

Guest bathroom...it kind of looks yellowish, but it is really tan.

We are still working on the office. We are doing a golf/razorback theme! 

So nice to finally have a desk! 

Backyard

Well I hope you enjoyed the pics. Tonight we are just going to cook dinner, relax, and watch GREYS!! I am so glad all the shows are coming back on this week!
Mitch is off tomorrow so we will probably play golf, and get ready for the weekend. We have my parents coming in town and its the BIG razorback game! Go Hogs!

Weekend in Dallas!

Hi! We have been in Dallas all weekend and had a great time! Friday morning we headed out for the 6 1/2 hour drive to Texas.

We got there around 4 that afternoon and were planning on meeting Will for dinner, but he didn't get off work until 6. We had some time to spare so of course we headed to the outlets in Allen.  I have never been to TX and not made a trip to these outlets. The mall is HUGE...it is one of my favorite places to shop :) After shopping, we headed to visit some of Michelle's friends that also just recently moved to Dallas. They live in the most gorgeous neighborhood! Will met us there and we all went out to dinner. They took us to a local restaurant called The Porch...it was delicious and the atmosphere was so fun!

After dinner, I got to visit my sweet friend Elizabeth!! We all went over to her apartment. It was so good to see her and hang out for a while. I finally got to see her apartment, which is sooo cute, and meet her dog Jake! I really miss living with her.

Saturday, was of course like any other Saturday....designated for ARKANSAS football!
Even though we were in Dallas, we still supported our razorbacks! It wasn't quite the same as living in northwest Arkansas on game day, but we still had fun! We went over to Michelle's friends house to watch the game. We had bww and all the typical "football food". It was a great Saturday afternoon, and another win for the Hogs! We are looking forward to the Alabama game next weekend!

That evening we went and meet with a relator and looked at houses for Will and Michelle. It was a lot of fun going around all the different areas of Dallas and going in houses.  It will definitely be an overwhelming process for Will and Michelle, but I know they will eventually find the perfect house! As much as I am going to miss them living a mile away, I think they are going to like Dallas! And that just means more trips to Dallas for me :)
After looking at houses, we headed to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner! On our way, Will stopped and showed us his new office.

Sunday, we looked at more house in the morning, and later than afternoon we headed home. It was such a fun trip and cant wait to make many more!

This morning, Mitch and I played golf and then just have been doing stuff around the house. We don't have a lot going on this week, but my parents and brother are coming up this weekend. They have not been up here since we have the house all decorated and I am excited to show them! 

For dinner we are having chicken enchiladas. Here is the recipe...

Prep time: 15 min

Cooking time: 40 min

Yield: 4 serving

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

Sprinkle of garlic salt

Sprinkle of chili powder

8 (8 in) flour tortilla

Vegetable cooking spray

Topping sauce: 

1 cup sour cream

Salsa

Diced tomato

Chopped avocado

Velveeta cheese (you can make as much as you want, but I usually use about half of the velveeta)

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange in a lightly greases 13x9 baking pan. Coat tortilla with vegetable spray.

Back at 350 for 35-40 min or until golden brown.

For the topping sauce: Melt cheese and mix in sour cream and as much salsa as you desire. When the enchiladas are done baking, spoon mixture over each of them. Sprinkle tomatoes and avocados over top.

Have a wonderful week! 

Long week...

So this week has been long for the both of us.  Mitch had to work all week, but he did go off orientation... so thats exciting! I have been trying to keep myself busy, which usually isn't too hard :) I didn't feel well at the beginning of the week so Tuesday I just relaxed and hung around the house.  I have always had bad allergies, but this week it has been horrible! My head feels like it is going to explode.  I have had bad eye problems this past year and they finally diagnosed me with chronic dry eye, so I am not allowed to take any medicine with an antihistamine in it (which is pretty much all cold medicine) because it drys out my eyes even more  So, I just get to deal with it...lucky me :)

I haven't had much of an appetite this past week, and today I woke up craving chicken fried rice (which if you know me, this isn't unusual), but I decided I would venture out and find a chinese restaurant, since something actually sounded good to eat (and it would give me something to do).  I found one that looked good, went in and ordered my rice. They said it would be about a 20 minute wait...for rice? I was a little annoyed. But I sat down at a table, along with another guy that was waiting on his order. He looked at me and said hi...how have you been? I was a little confused...since I am new living in Bentonville and don't know many people yet, I never expect to run into anyone.  I looked at him, probably with a very confused look on my face. Then he started talking about Dnow. This is when I made the connection...he was one of my host home parents from Dnow last year.  We got to talking and I told him I was job searching and he said he might have something for me.  He called one of his friends right there and he said for me to send him my resume and gave me all his information.  I looked it up and it is a vendor company, which are very hard to get into unless you have experience, so its a long shot, but I will definitely look into it.  He then told me about how he needs help with a ministry at the church with younger kids and asked if I would be interested in helping.  I was thrilled! I am finding so many ways to get involved in the church and meet new people.  I was in such a bad mood going to get my lunch and who knew I would come away with info on a job, and get more plugged in to the church! It was definitely a blessing!

Tonight Mitch and I are making dinner and watching Glee. We only have one more episode before we are caught up, and good timing because the show starts back up next week. We started watching it right when we moved in and have been hooked since.  I will admit, I was very iffy about the show at first, but one of my friends kept telling my since I love musicals and plays so much, I will for sure like the show. She was right :) Thanks Nat!

Well like I said, not a lot happened this week...hopefully I will have better updates next week :)
Tomorrow morning we are headed to Dallas!! Michelle, Mitch, and I are going to visit Will for the weekend! I am excited to get away for a few days!

I am sure you have heard Mitch and I talk about sour cream pancakes? Well they are delicious and we probably make them at least twice a week.  They are super easy and we thought we would share them with you! Most people frown when they hear sour cream, but please try them....you won't be disappointed!!

Sour Cream Pancakes (double this recipe if you are feeding more than two)
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 tablespoons of cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour

Mix baking soda, sour cream, beat eggs, stir in flour and cottage cheese. After cooking the pancakes, apply butter and then sprinkle sugar over them. No syrup needed.

Have a great weekend!

Dnow and the LPGA!

Hello! Sorry it has been a while since we updated...it has been a busy week.  This past week was the start of the LPGA.  They didn't start the actual tournament play until Friday, but they had different activities going on leading up to Friday.  On Wednesday was the Pro-Am and so Mitch and I went out to watch it.  It was raining off and on for the first hour we were there, then it finally cleared off! We stayed out there watching until about 5pm when the rain picked back up again.

On Thursday, Mitch had to work, so I spend the day looking for more jobs! Of the companies I have heard back from, I have decided its not what I want to do.  I know, I am being picky....but I don't just want to take any job, I want a job that I am going to enjoy! Yes, I wish I had one right now, but we are in no rush for me to get a job, so there is no need to take the first one that comes along if is not what I want (which I am very thankful for)! I am learning to be patient and I know it will pay off when I get a job I am excited about!
Later that evening, I went on a walk with Michelle and her dog, Peanut.  We walked 4 miles and it was so pretty outside...I think Fall is just about here! I can't wait!
Friday, Mitch had to work again, but I kept myself busy! I went shopping trying to find the last few little things we need for our house.  The whole decorating process has been so fun, but now I am just ready for it to be finished.  Sadly, I came home with nothing. I have been having such a hard time finding these last couple of things!

That afternoon, Michelle and I went up to the church to help with Dnow, which was a lot of fun! That night, the church put on a race for the students.  It was suppose to resemble the Amazing Race.  The students would get clues that would take them all over Bentonville/Rogers area and I was a judge at a couple of the locations.  Once the students figured out the clue and got to the location, they had to perform a task to receive their next clue. One of my favorites was they were put in a barn with chickens and had to catch one!

Once they did that they had to go back to the studio and go through over 300 hats and find the four that had a message in it.  It was a mad house and there were hats all over the place!

It was a crazy night, but so much fun to help out with.  I am very thankful I am getting plugged in with this church...I love it! Here are a few more pics from Dnow weekend!

Since we were busy on Friday with Dnow, we didn't make it out to watch any of the LPGA. So Saturday morning we went and played an EARLY round of golf then headed to Pinnacle to watch some of the tournament.

We went to our friends house and they had soooo much food. We literally sat there all day, ate, and watched the players come through hole 12.  The perfect Saturday for Mitch and I :)

 

That evening we came home and just relaxed! We watched the US Open women's final(which wasn't hardly even a match) and kept up with the razorback football game! Over the past few years we were at school and only made it to Arkansas a few times to go to Razorback games.  This year since we live here, we are hoping to go to a lot more.  We both love going to the games and cant wait for this season!! This Saturday game is going to be televised on ESPN, so we are excited to watch our hogs play!
Sunday, we got up and went to church...I always love Dnow sunday...you get to wear your t-shirt and jeans! It was a long service (28 baptisms!), but so awesome to see how God worked in the students over the weekend!
After church, we headed back out to watch the final round of the golf tournament.

Since we spent all Saturday watching one hole, we decided we would walk the course. We followed Michelle Wie starting from hole 7. She had a HUGE crowd following her...it was crazy! The tournament was televised on the Golf Channel and we even managed to make it on T.V. three times :)

Today, we are waiting for the rain to clear off and we are going to go play golf.  Mitch has spend the morning putting some clubs on ebay.  Mitchs Grandma plays golf and it seems she buys a new club every month (she doesn't play well and thinks its the club, so buys a new one..ha!).  The good thing about this is she always sends me the clubs she "doesnt play well with".  Just recently I have received a new driver and woods, thanks to Mitch's grandma! So, he has been putting some of my older clubs online to sell.
Here is a recipe for you all...its one of Mitch's favorites! Its a super easy and sooo good!

Chicken Spaghetti 
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can rotel
1/2 can chicken broth
1 chopped onion
1/2 lg. (1-lb.pkg.) Velveeta
1 (8oz) pkg. shredded cheese
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 (16 oz) pkg. spaghetti, cooked

Mix first 5 ingredients and simmer, then add cheese to taste. Stirring constantly and add the chicken. Combine with spaghetti in a greases casserole dish topped with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until bubbly for 15-20 minutes.


Have a wonderful week!!

Busy, busy, busy...

This week we have been very busy, but a lot of fun! On friday morning we headed up to the lake. My family has a cabin on Grand Lake and it was so nice to finally get up there. With everything going on this summer, we haven't got to go up there much. I love spending time at the lake!! It was very relaxing and so nice not to have a schedule. We did a lot of fishing, riding jet skis, and going out in the boat.

Saturday night, my brother had a contest about 45 minutes away so we made the trip to watch him play...and good thing we did, he took 1st! The weather was so nice! In the morning and evening, we had to wear sweats, it was actually cold! In the afternoon it was hot and perfect weather for being at the lake. Sunday we went out fishing with my grandpa and then later when out tubing with my parents and brother.

On Sunday night we came back home. The drive from our house to the cabin is only about 45 min, so we will definitely be making that trip more often!

Monday was Will's last day here, he left for Texas yesterday :(  So we spend all of Monday hanging out with Will and Michelle.  That morning, Michelle's dad took us to the shooting range...it was awesome! I really never thought shooting a gun would be difficult, and it was a lot harder than I thought. It was nice to learn about the different guns and how to use them. Now I am trying to talk Mitch into getting me a hand gun..ha!

That evening, we went out to dinner.  It was our last dinner all living in Bentonville together. We had P.F. Chang's and it was delicious. Michelle is living here until their house sells, so I was glad I didn't have to say bye to her just yet!

Well....my first interview was yesterday and it went good! I should know by Friday if I made it to the second round. As I was in the interview and being told about what my job would be, I realized this is not the job I really want, but it is a good starting point for me. There are definitely pros and cons to the job.  I would be glad if I got the job, but I won't be disappointed if I don't get it.  She has been interviewing for this position for two weeks and I know it would be a long shot to get a call back!

Last night, after Michelle got off work, we went on a walk and took her dog to the bark park. It was nice being outside in the cooler weather! Then we went back to my house and made tacos for dinner, and of course chocolate chips cookies for dessert.

This week we have a lot going on.  The LPGA is back and we always enjoy going to watch.  Mitch's parents are members at the club where the tournament is held, so we have tickets and we will definitely be watching a lot of golf this week! The past two years it rained a lot during the week, and it isn't looking much better for this year. We have a friend that lives right on the golf course off hole 12 and they always have people over to eat and watch the tournament from their backyard. It is so awesome! All weekend they have food catered in and more snacks and desserts than you could imagine! They open up the bottom level of their house and it is so cool to just spend the day eating yummy food and watching golf!
This is also DNOW week at our church. Since we already had tickets to the LPGA this weekend, we couldn't be leaders this year, but we are still helping out, which I think will be a lot better for us (I don't think either Mitch or I can go three days on 4 hours of sleep anymore ha)! On friday, Mitch has to work all day, but I am going to be helping out at the church. I am really looking forward to it!
I hope everyone has a great week!

Exciting week!

This week has been very exciting for me...I got my first interview! I felt as the process was going so slow and then all of the sudden I started hearing some feedback! The interview isn't until next week, so I have some time to prepare and process it all. The job is at a marketing firm here in Bentonville (actually just right down the road)! I am a little nervous because I don't know a lot about marketing and I know PR and marketing go hand it hand, but I always thought I wanted to pursue a career more towards the PR side. It is definitely a little intimidating, but I guess if the job isn't for me, I will know after the interview!

I have been praying a lot about taking the job that God has for me, and so I am hoping when I walk out of the interview I will have clarity about what to do.

On the other side of things, this is the same company where my sister-in-law works, and even though she won't be there but for another couple months, it would be such a blessing to get to work with her for a little. It would be so nice to have someone I know there while I am getting adjusted to the new environment. 

This afternoon, she took me up to the office and showed me around.  She was able to show me what I would be doing on a regular basis and some of the projects/clients she has. Needless to say, it was very helpful, but even more overwhelming! 

Mitch has worked a lot this week, and is going to enjoy his days off! The hospital has a 3 month orientation, where even though he is an RN, he has a preceptor that does everything with him during that time period.  He recently found out he goes off orientation mid September. Exciting!  He will then get more patients and be in charge of all of them on his own.  He will also be guaranteed to work 3 full days a week and be on call one day a week (and get paid for it)! He is very excited! 

Last night we went to BWW with Will and Michelle! It was sooo good! We are really going to miss them being right down the road! And of course we topped dinner off with ice cream! Yummy! 

Tomorrow, we are headed up to the lake for Labor Day weekend! Can't wait!

For dinner, we made pork chops with a caramelized onion sauce, fresh broccoli, and mashed potatoes! Here is the recipe...it is our second time to make them and they are delicious! 

Pork Chops with Caramel Onion Sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion; chopped

1 pinch of thyme

2 large garlic cloves; chopped

3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup parsley 

2 pork chops

For the sauce:

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, add onions and thyme. Cook stiring every now and then for 10-12 min, or until golden brown. Add garlic, and continue to cook for 1 min, then add balsamic vinegar and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook until the liquids have reduced by half (3-4 min more). Turn the heat off and add butter and parsley. Stir until butter melts.

Once the onions are on their way, prepare another skillet over medium high heat with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the chops for 5 min on the first side...resist the temptation to move the chops around in the pan, it slows the browning. Flip the chops and reduce heat to medium. Cook them on the second side for 8-10 min. . Transfer them to a plate and let them cool for 5 min. Serve the chops topped with the caramelized onion sauce.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!!