I've been journaling Joel's and my 25th anniversary trip this week which you can read about here and here. Our last day in Asheville would only be half a day before heading home so we wanted to make the most of our last hours at the Biltmore. Before I take you to our time at the estate, I have to share with you how our day started. I can say I've never had this experience on any vacation! While in a very peaceful and deep sleep at about 4:30 that morning, we were awakened by buzzing alarms going off in the hallways of our hotel and an automated voice repeating, "Warning! Warning! Exit the building! Exit the building! Use the staircase and exit immediately." We quickly changed into ... Read more
Anniversary Trip: A Day at Biltmore
Yesterday I began sharing about my husband's and my 25th anniversary trip to the Biltmore Estate. Today I'm back to journal our first day at Biltmore. A lovely day! Our vacation package with Biltmore Inn included breakfast in their dining room, an offer we were delighted to accept! Both days we were seated at a window table with views of the morning mountains. Such a soft opening to the day. I allowed myself some food indulgences while on the trip but balanced those treats with plenty of salads along the way. Here's food indulgence number one: for breakfast I ordered lemon poppy seed waffles with lemon curd, raspberry sauce, and maple syrup. Sigh. Joel ordered smoked ... Read more
Anniversary Trip: And We’re Off!
This month my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary! To mark the occasion, we took a quick two-night trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, one of our very favorite places. Our kids were excited for us and encouraged us to take the time away for ourselves while they took care of things back at home. Our girls did a lot of managing schedules and household tasks, and even planned a couple of surprises for us while we were gone which I’ll tell you about later. Joel and I two very blessed parents, let me tell ya! I’m sharing some photos from our trip in three posts, one for each day we were gone, starting with our first travel day. We enjoyed a gorgeous day of ... Read more
Good Monday Morning!
I walked into my kitchen this morning to see sunshine streaming through the blinds onto the leaves of this gorgeous fiddle leaf tree that some friends sent us home with the other night! What a fun gift from such wonderful friends! I sat at the table and made my to-do list for the day, which includes some cooking and baking, tidying up, and decorating tables for a baby shower we’re hosting tonight! I can’t wait! My sweet friend is expecting her 4th precious little one in the July and we’re celebrating tonight with the mothers and daughters from our small group. I’ll be sure and snap some photos to share in another post. But for now, I just wanted to pop in and say, “Good Monday ... Read more
Summer Reading
We are a family of book worms. Each of us enjoys reading year-round, however summer allows extra time for catching up on our book lists. The kids and I have already been working our way through our eagerly anticipated summer selections. We completed some books in the first weeks of June, but here’s what we've been reading this week: I'm reading This Beautiful Truth: How God's Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness by Sarah Clarkson who very beautifully reveals the answer to the question "If God is good, why is there pain in the world?" I'm finding myself underlining and noting on just about every page in this book! I'm only about halfway through, so I can't guarantee anything, but, judging ... Read more
Ten Reasons to Love Summer
(***At the end of this post is an update on my dad.***) Although the calendar says we have another couple of weeks until the official start to summer, in my neck of the woods, we are already on summer break with temperatures hitting 90, so it's summer here! It's always fun to enter a new season and gear up for a change in weather, schedules, and activities. Summer passes so quickly each year, I always try to soak it up and enjoy all the special things that are unique to this season. So, in no particular order, here are my ten favorite things about summer! 1- The Great Outdoors Taking walks, being at the barn, swimming with friends, and hosting water days with the cousins ... Read more
In Your Morning Prayers
Prayer is an 24-hour, around-the-clock practice for me. “Practice” may not even be the correct word. My relationship with my Lord means there is communication between us throughout my days as need arises—“Please Lord, intervene here.” Or when I want to share in a moment with Him—“The sun is gorgeous today, Lord! Thank you!” Or, in those moments in the middle of the night when worry rears it’s ugly head and I find myself awake with fret—“God, please carry us through this.” I can’t imagine only speaking to my husband once in the morning and then being done for another 24 hours! What kind of relationship would that be?! As with my husband, my communication with God never stops. ... Read more
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Mother's Day is coming up and there's not a more decadent dessert for pampering mom with than a flourless chocolate cake smothered with chocolate ganache! Last month, yours truly had a birthday. My husband and kids took me to a favorite local restaurant for a delicious dinner of shrimp and grits, and then back home for dessert and a movie. That afternoon, my sweet baker girl offered to make a birthday dessert of my choosing. She's the best! At the time, I was on week six of avoiding sugar, so, needless to say, I was more than ready to indulge in a rich, chocolately treat for my special day. This cake has always been one of my favorites when it comes to splurging! Since there was a ... Read more
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- …
- 54
- Next Page »