Road trips

We've been quite busy the past two weeks. We made our first trip to Vidalia Ga to house hunt and with Denson in tow, it was a 7 hour drive. We were pleasantly surprised as to the options of homes and attractive neighborhoods. We were only there one night and it was a whirl wind...especially for Denson. We were in the car for 7 hours but that doesn't include the other hours spent driving around to look at homes. He pooped almost every outfit we brought...or maybe just each time we stopped to look at a house; I lost count...I'm thinking this means he doesn't want to move. As Jonathan discussed potential offers with our realtor, Denson spit up all over himself and J. Of course the burp cloth was in the car at this time. I think this two day trip completely messed up our routine and the time change didn't help either.

We celebrated Memorial Day at the lake with dad, Kathy and bunch of other family. The weather was p-e-r-f-e-c-t. We even took a boat ride over to see mom who was also at the lake for the weekend. Denson loved rocking on the porch, the cool breeze and all of that attention. [Lacy & Eric] It's about time for a cousin so Denson is not the only great-grand child and grand child on both sides. No pressure ;)

In between, I've tested out new recipes, taken Denson to the doc, J has worked on the house (which has taken up most of our time), watched the braves and survived the no-nap strike which has thankfully come to an end. House hunting also continues and we will be making another trip soon. I'm thankful for the time we've been in Birmingham and look forward to making memories in Vidalia. Jonathan and I agree that "home" is really just us three being together so it doesn't matter where we live or what material things we have. We're ready for God to show us the way to our new house and friends...we ask that He teaches us to embrace the distance from family by learning to better appreciate the time we spend together. 

I'm sure there will be lots of face-timing and more frequent blog updates with pictures of Denson. We are having a blast with him and love watching his personality develop each day. He entertains himself now and if we are walking by doing chores, he glances up but then goes back to his business of drooling, hand-chewing and grabbing toys. We spend so much time just staring at Denson's little face. I couldn't have imagined how much love I would have for Jonathan and our first baby...my heart is full.

           Daddy/son time after work

           One of our fav houses in GA

              First boat ride at Dad's

        Boat ride (we missed you Ethan)

           Poppa & Great Uncle Glenn

                        Uncle Zach

   Mom aka BeeBee with Denson at Doc

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Mediterranean Chicken & Brown Rice Casserole

Submitted by: JULIAKELLY 

Courtesy of: Spark Recipes

Introduction

Easy to make casserole that's healthy!

Number of Servings: 14

Ingredients

2-3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or 6 small ones
1.25 cups feta cheese, crumbled
6 cups cooked brown rice
1 10 oz package frozen spinach thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
1 28 oz can tomatoes, diced or whole with juice (if they are whole you will have to break them up yourself)
 


1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
 


4-5 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
salt, pepper, basil, and oregano to taste

Directions

Put olive oil in large pan, cold and add garlic. Turn on heat to medium, this way the garlic flavor really comes out if you start it in a cold pan. When the garlic has started to soften, add chicken and par cook, about 3 minutes. Add can of tomatoes, turn heat on low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or so. Remove chicken breasts and set aside to chop up into rough bite sized pieces when they've cooled off a little bit. Add sun dried tomatoes and herbs. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the romano and mix thoroughly. Place in a large baking dish and sprinkle with grated romano. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is brown on top.

Weekend happenings

We had a fairly low key weekend but even with Jonathan having the Friday off, time flies and before we know it, it's Sunday evening. I'm proud to say we mostly ate leftovers aside from Ashley Mac's for lunch one day and iCantina Saturday night. I'm picky when it comes to leftovers (while Jonathan will eat anything and almost prefers leftovers) and thanks to one of my Spark Recipes, we had Mediterranean Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole for three different meals. I'll share this recipe in case you want to try it out and see how delicious it is heated up :) 

Saturday morning we helped a special couple, their baby Charlie and dog Bessie pack up and move to Nashville. We are grateful that we got to spend a year getting to know them and share life with them in our small group. They were the first couple to become parents and have been a support system for us which we truly appreciate. Their son Charlie is a handsome little fella and already a Yankees fan just like his mom and dad. We will miss seeing them but have plans to visit and keep up with their life in Tennessee.

Jonathan worked on the master bath some and will hopefully finish within the next two weeks. All he has left is sanding and painting. We met with a realtor on Friday and I started to get in let's get organized and clean mode, realizing we will be on the market soon and hopefully having lots of potential buyers coming to see the house. I did have a panic moment, realizing that staging our house means hiding all of Denson's toys and accessories which will be frustrating considering we use them ALL everyday. I trust God and have to rely on Him to take care of everything but it's difficult in the moment feeling like I have to make everything perfect. 

Saturday evening we met my mom and step dad at Hop City and sampled some interesting beers. This place is like a Total Wine store with a bar in the back. Denson was a hit, drinking his bottle at the bar. Sunday we went to church and Jonathan finally got to have some 'guy time' and play golf. It turned out to be a beautiful but humid day. 

Denson's latest and greatest tricks include sticking out his tongue, "talking on the phone" and his hobby is watching the Braves with his daddy. My heart melts watching him as he discovers what he can do and the world around him. 

    Hop City

Celebrating three years and a three month old

Happy Anniversary to my handsome hubs that won my heart 7 years ago, proposed to me 5 years ago, married me 3 years ago and had a baby with me 3 months ago. Whew! It feels like time has flown by while it feels like yesterday we were getting married and heading to Costa Rica. Today we celebrate three years as well as having our three month old, Denson. I know they say 'Time flies when you're having fun' so I guess that explains it. Jonathan doesn't usually read my blog but I will request he does so he can find this sweet love letter. :)

Jonathan, compassion and patience describe who you are in two words. Those are my favorite qualities along with your sense of humor (and understanding mine). The way you live and work exudes God's love and inspires me to be a better person. One of my favorite things we do is the "fake laugh" for the picture where we start out pretending to laugh and eventually crack each other up and laugh so hard we can't stop. This has happened a lot since Denson was born. You encourage me to take time for me and you always support my decisions. We don't always agree but you're the first to try and understand where I'm coming from and find a compromise. You only get heated when I've pushed your buttons but you get mad in the most respectful way. I love you more each day and seeing you become a dad has been a blessing to me. We have the most adorable little boy and I hope Denson grows to share the same qualities and characteristics as you. Happy three years to you and a lot of fun as a family of three. I love you.

Newsworthy

I was talking with my husband last night about what the media considers "newsworthy". The verdict rendered in the Jodi Arias trial brought on this discussion as well as the coverage of Charles Ramsey and the rescue of three girls who have been held in captivity for at least a decade. It's incredible how news propels our society, some would say in a good direction and others would disagree. We can take a look back to 9/11 and how the 24/7 news coverage of those events ultimately resulted in how media covers stories today. There are pros and cons but as much as I love news, sometimes I turn on the t.v. and am overwhelmed with the constant replay of videos and commentary. More importantly, are the stories newsworthy or are they negative and inciting extreme emotion which should be left for the viewers to partake on their own. Does that make sense? I graduated with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising but originally set out to be a journalist. Whew! Thankful I changed my mind (no offense journalists). I'm now a stay-at-home mom and couldn't be happier. As a mom, I'm more aware of what is on the t.v., how it will affect Denson and is it even something the media should be reporting. Is it too much or where do you draw the line?

Well my newsworthy events include that Denson turned three months old this week. He's been sleeping through the night for a while because our routine is AWESOME. Bed around 7:30 and he doesn't get up until 6ish. Thank you Lord! He's rolling over, "talking" a lot more, pulling/holding things, sitting (it's a little wobbly) and smiling all the time. We love it and are so thankful for Denson and his growth. How rewarding it is to have him smile and gaze so deeply into my eyes.

Sorry they're blurry...These two pictures are from the phone

Making it work

There were a few days where I went without decent sleep and things became foggy...my lack of routine and awareness with Denson which ultimately led to confusing his cues and all around exhaustion in the Nevins' household. Those days just so happened to be thrown in with a lot of activities going on and selfishly, I just kept going. Over and over I have read in many baby books/blogs/magazines that you need to 'listen to your child'. My first thought was, he can't speak. Well I'm smart enough to know that they mean I can learn to recognize his cries, body language and expressions but it all seems the same those first few weeks. Right, new moms?! I have learned this past month what Denson's cues are and I am able to better satisfy his needs without all the fuss. Praise the Lord! It is a continual a work in progress but for now, we are back on track and feeling great. I realize there will be times to stop all activities and busyness and just be at home in order to take care of not only Denson but myself and Jonathan. We need REST to be our best selves, that is for sure! Although we had some rough nights, we did have a great week/weekend. I'm loving our family outings as long as I can nurse somewhere comfortable and remember the bottle inserts.

Last Thursday we went to a concert with our friends Josh and Ashley...they graciously gave us tickets and VIP access so we mostly enjoyed backstage. We had headphones for Denson and he actually fell asleep while watching the show...that, I did not expect. It was a blast but the night ended early so we could get home and try to sleep.

Friday, the family I nannyed for in college came to visit and meet Denson. I can't believe how big the boys are and enjoyed seeing them and their big personalities. They gave us a precious frame with Denson's birth announcement and an assortment of hand-me-downs that we love. I am thankful to know them and have experienced being a part of their family while I was in college at Alabama.

Friday night, we volunteered with Jonathan's work at the Relay for Life event. We invited my sister, brother-in-law and dad. We ate too much bbq and funnel cakes, and only walked around the track two or three times. Defeats the healthy purpose of our volunteering but oh well. They raised money for a great cause and it made me realize that I am ready for Jonathan and I to get back to volunteering here before we move and in Georgia after we relocate. We volunteered with Habitat in Florida and loved it. We met incredible people and enjoyed working together in the community. 

Sunday was church and then a perfect lunch with our friends Allison and Adam. We love them and haven't been able to get together so it was great catching up. After we filled our bellies with pizza from Slice (and milk) we stopped by the in-laws house to visit. Denson was showing off his new skills, smiling and entertaining everyone especially Aunt Jessica.