VitaMix Entry #1 cont

Chelsa and I were looking for something fun to do on my birthday and we decided Cinnamon Rolls were the best bet. Here are some more pictures of the fun.




Abracadabra!

VitaMix Entry #1

It's all about the presentation. And that's what I went for in this first entry.

The recipe
The ingredients
The machine
The roll
And the roll

VitaMix off

We, Ben and Chelsa, would like to invite you (Matt and Johnni, Lyle and Deb, Jeff and Care, Shane and Jen, Kenny and Christine and anyone else who is up to the challenge) to the challenge of the year! The VITAMIX off. If you don't know what I'm talking about go ahead and visit this site. Allow me to divulge into the VitaMix; the VitaMix, according to it's website, is the world's most durable, reliable and innovative appliance. According to a few friends of mine, "It's the coolest thing since, well, sliced bagels. Maybe that's because it makes bagels...and anything else you can possibly imagine" (emphasis mine).
Some lesser mortals may call it a blender, but those of us, "on a higher playing field," no the VitaMix for what it truly is... a lifestyle.
So quit with the juicer, ice cream maker, and bread machine and buy a VitaMix to join in the fun. This is an investment (Ross and Amber, Brad and Mollie, Brian and Kate)...something to go into the asset column of your budget doc.
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Now for the challenge.
Chelsa and I have been inspired to go above and beyond our normal smoothies and loaves of bread to bring you the 2008/2009 VitaMix off Challenge.

All you need to do is simply use your VitaMix to whip up a snack, drink, ice cream - or whatever, and post it to your blog. (you may email us your experience for us to post on our blog if you don't have a FREE blog through blogger.com)
Enter this challenge as often as you like, all we ask is for creativity and pictures to document the fun. Enter solo or with your significant other.

Read the following sentences really fast. (as if it's an infomercial)
Prizes and more info regarding the specifics of the challenge to follow. Cannot be purchased in stores. This is a limited time offer. Enjoy.

Our Long Weekend In Charles Town

Matt took these great photos of Ben and me.


Above. There really are alligators in there!


Above: Our Cypress Gardens Narrator :) It was surreal paddling around the wetland (aka.swamp with alligators) where Noah takes Allie out in the little boat with all the birds, and then it starts to POUR down rain on them....



Above: Pieces of broken glass/pottery found in the slaves' homes - they help tell the story of how they lived.


Above: Remember that scene, in The Notebook, where Noah & Allie are canoing in the pond after the Sunday Brunch with her family? That was filmed here!


Above: This is the outside of Allie's summer home in The Notebook. The Sunday Brunch was filmed in its backyard...


We missed the once-a-year war re-enactment out at the Boone Plantation by a hair!



Nice patrol caps :)


And we finished the trip off with an evening of fondue :) Thanks Matt & Johnni!


We had a pretty incredible Veteran's Day 4-day! It was so nice to meet up with Matt & Johnni down in Charleston, SC. It was great weather, food, fondue, friends, wine, and photography! What a beautiful coastal city...and so much history! We could definitely use another trip there to learn so much more.

We did a lot of walking down town - a lot of amazing historic mansions & cobblestone streets (aka. amazing portrait location!). We went out to the Boone Plantation & Cypress Gardens (both locations for scenes in The Notebook!). There are way too many great images to work on and post, but hopefully you enjoy this bunch! Also, I put up some more on my Sacred Moments Blog.

Autumn in North Carolina

I have never seen cotton fields before! For the past few weeks, I have enjoyed looking at these fields every Thursday on my drive to the Harnett Campus. I have posted more photos of them on my Sacred Moments blog! I think they are beautiful!

The price I filled up my tank for today! A mile up the road it was 2.17!

My handsome man oh-so-eager to be my softbox assistant!





Oh my goodness, these images do not do it justice!!!! I love my commute back and forth to class each week, because it gets me out of the city limits and into the country where the autumn colours just amaze me!!! Apart from a few rainy days, the weather is wonderful. These photos were taken at a park on post.

Ben and I are having a really good Autumn here. We enjoyed a short day trip to Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach last weekend. Check out Sacred Moments for some of the SHiNE Magazine photos from that shoot. We love that area and seem to only ever get a few hours when we are there! One of these days we'll spend a weekend. Although someone just told me that NC has a lot of alligators - to include the river in Wilmington..yikes! Kind of freaks me out...Apart from a few road trips here and there (more yummy ones to come!) we are keeping busy with work and school. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Okay, and every single day we have been watching the price of gas fall. When you are paying $4/gal during the summer, this price feels pretty darn good. A full tank is less than $30 for me right now. What a fun game these oil field companies play with us!

Our Halloween

Check out the beehive updo :)


Our friends McCain and Palin - they definitely won best costume!

Bobbing for apples, I'm so proud!



Ben and I dressed up as a couple from some era...it took me 2 tries to get a good beehive going on! We had fun going out to a Halloween Party put on by Bob in Ben's unit and his wife Bridget.

Maple Leaf Thanksgiving

This weekend my family celebrated Thanksgiving in the "True North Strong and Free" (Ben was privy to the entire Canadian National Anthem last night sung by moi before we went to sleep). No I was not there...although I keep missing out on the grand affair, we have been so blessed to see both of our parents (to include a few siblings each time) for American Thanksgiving in the "home of the brave" (still haven't got that anthem down pat)..and in a few weeks it will be 3 years running tradition! We cannot wait!!!

Taylor convinced me to make some great Thanksgiving Food to celebrate in my heart this weekend :) Here she be (above)...

PS (and this is a HUGE PS):

Myles is undergoing his surgery today, he has been in our thoughts and prayers all day, please pray for immaculate recovery.

Long Over Due

I can't believe I haven't posted about my little nephew yet! My sister and her husband recently gave birth to Myles, their precious precious baby boy. Not only has he become the light of their lives, he is quickly taking over my parents hearts and everyone else that comes into any sort of contact with him. My schedule with the Army hasn't yet permitted me to sneak away and visit but I pray that day is coming soon! Daily I look at their blog for updates and pictures. He is one amazing gift from God and we Thank You Lord for the opportunity to stir up in Myles heart the love of Christ. I'm sure he'll teach us far more about your love then we will ever teach him.

Speaking of his heart... Myles was born with Downs Syndrome to include a heart defect. Myles, bless him, is going to have open heart surgery this Tuesday to repair a narrowed Aorta, among other issues. This is very exciting news as it will help him grow big and strong - on the flip side it can be a whirlwind of emotions for his new parents, Jocelyn and Gilby. Pray for them. Pray into the surgery, that the Dr would embody perfection on that day. Pray that Myles is healed and that my sister and brother in-law would see a miracle from the Lord. Lastly pray for the peace of God, the only thing that can calm restless spirits in these situations.

You can see 100s of pictures of Myles on their blog gilbertsnuthouse. Chels is calling me to leave for church but here is one quick snap shot... nevermind it's taking me too long to try and steal it off their web page... take a look at their blog!

great song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tdtzmGTnQE

jimmy needham, hurricane...
what else must be said?

The End of 2 Long Weeks

Well, today is an interesting day in the life of an Army wife. For the last two weeks I have hardly seen my husband, in the beginning it was frustrating and somewhere in the middle I just got "used" to evenings without him. All I knew was he was doing this training thing for a badge called "EFMB". Something that for a month he has been dreading only because he felt that with all the other pressures & responsibilities of work something would have to give.

Each day this week he would come home and say "Chels I passed today!" and as the week went on I got more and more excited and proud of him (still not realizing what a big deal this is). "EFMB" stands for "Expert Field Medic Badge". All I knew was that each day at around 9pm (some days were more like 3 am and then leave again at 6 am) he would get home dirty and stinky - and that there was a MASSIVE manual he would have to study if he was serious about passing the written test at the end.

Well, this morning he left sometime between 3 & 4 am for his 12 mile ruck march into his graduation. I said I'd be there.... I showed up at at the graduation location, but there were LOADS of soldiers for some ceremony and I was sure I was in the wrong place. Apparently not. A Major General addressed the crowd and the 70 graduates out of the 400ish that started this course. So I am posting to bragg a little about my man! Here is what I have learned : This badge is one of the most difficult and most prestigous to earn. They have been trained and tested under extreme battle conditions to treat wounded soldiers and get them out of the worst combat zone.

I will let Ben write more about it if he wants to, but from our conversations I think he would say one of his highlights was being able to go through this with his medics and get to know each of them a little better.

I am a proud wife today! He keeps amazing me with his talents :)