Wedding countdown

35 days until we say, I DO.

Coconut Curry Chicken

THANK JESUS ITS FRIDAY!

Hope you all have had an amazing week, lets wind down with a simple but tasty dish to start off the weekend.

[45 days until the wedding fyi]

Heres what you will need:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 can coconut milk

1 jar THAI red curry paste

4 bundles of organic Kale

2 cups Basmati Rice

4 tbsp butter or coconut oil

2 tbsp ginger powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Dice your chicken however you like

Sautee your kale until it wilts.

I keep a lid on it and give it a stir every 30 seconds - 1 minute

Grill your chicken, then combine the can of coconut milk, curry paste and spices. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

I steamed my rice in a rice cooker, so by the time the chicken and kale were done, so was the rice. [about 30 minutes]

Plate, and enjoy!

Everyone go check out this amazing band, Bethel. Great music to cook to!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaYZ_cz2UOA

Cheers

Italian Creamy Chicken Heaven

being employed full time/planning a wedding has left me with no time.

This crock pot has saved mine and Colbys life when it comes to dinner.

By the time we get home, workout, shower, and its time to eat its 7:30-8. No fun.

Being engaged has definitely made me sharpen my cooking skills as my boy likes to eat for 4 people. {hehe}

We have a budget for groceries and this is a simple, price friendly, yummy recipe.

What you will need:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in cubes

2 cans cream of chicken

12 oz cream cheese ( i found you can use 8 oz and it tastes the same )

2 packages Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice
1 bundle asparagus

Directions:

Cube your chicken, and place in your crockpot. Go ahead and turn it on low for around 6-7 hours.

Pour in your two cans of cream of chicken, cream cheese (i diced mine) and your 2 packets of Italian seasoning.

Give everything a good mix.

I opted for rice with this meal because i knew it would be filling after our work out. Any rice will work. 

Steam your asparagus for about 10-15 on low.

After 6-7 hours of slow cooking heaven, stir and serve.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

New Place & Bridal Shower

First let me say that theres only 51 days left until the wedding. HALLELUJAH!

Time has gone so fast since April 24th, 2014 when he popped the question.

2 weeks ago we moved into our new home, and 1 week ago was my bridal shower. These past few weeks have been absolutely crazy pants. The move was an all weekend ordeal, luckily we had friends and family who helped or it would have taken all week. Below is our living room. Ill post more pics as we get settled in.

BRIDAL SHOWER

My oh my the love i felt. So many special ladies helped my mom set this up so that she didn't have to worry about anything! These 12 ladies (like the 12 disciples) have been close to my mom since they were all teenagers . It was so awesome seeing them together and doing something so sweet for Colby and I. 

First Baptist Church, Parlor Room.

This is Colbys mother. She is such a sweet sweet lady and i adore her!

 Thank you for helping mom #2! 

My Maid of Honor, Alexi. We have been best friends since kindergarten. My oldest and dearest friend. We have a picture of us in the bathtub together at 5 years old. Ill find it one day and share the love haha. She mentioned to me that when she has to make her maid of honor speech she won't know where to start. We have 20 years of memories, real memories, and she can't just pick one.

Well my dear friend, just pick the most stupid, idiotic thing we did and make everyone laugh until they cry!

To the far right is one of my Matron of Honors, Bri Lomas. It was in her kitchen that Colby proposed to me. She has taught me more about Jesus and life than anyone. She has such an amazing spirit. And loves Africa and tattoos like me. (She grew up on Mercy Ships and traveled the world as a kid) Her parents own Orphan Relief and Rescue. Check them out.

My bridal party, minus Mallory (who is in Galveston and pregnant with her first little girl) Mallory is the friend who if you wanted to kill someone, she would be the person you call to help. I don't know where to start with this one, she is hilarious, beautiful and always down for a good time. I haven't seen her in over a year. We share the same love for Coldplay and whenever i hear Fix You, i think of you, Val.

From the left, Alexi, Bri, Me, Bonnie (who is also pregnant) and Laura, my cousin.

Second to the right, Bonnie Hairston. Used to be Hays. In my mind will always be a little Hays girl. I think back to all the long nights we stayed up sitting on her back porch, singing, rearranging her house, cleaning, painting and watching Alice in Wonderland and Tombstone till 5am. I wouldn't take back those pointless days for anything. Thank you for always being my sweet friend, number 7.

Laura, far left. I have pictures of us in diapers together! My cousin and my best friend. We lived together in college and made so many crazy, happy, fun memories. The amount of love in this girls heart is incredible. She would give you the shirt off her back if need be. I can't believe all the things we have been through over the years, some things are better left unsaid haha. I love you my sweet family.

This is the aftermath in our home of bringing back all the shower gifts. 

We could barely walk around!

I would like to say thank you to all the ladies who came and participated in the shower. You'll never know how much it means to Colby and I that you purchased these sweet gifts for our new home and life.

The sweetest gift of all though, was you taking the time to share the moment with me.

Meet my fiancé

This picture was taken in 2010.

This picture was taken 4 years later. And I'm still smitten. 

[don't mind the pack of cigarettes, one of the many bad choices made in college hehe]

Ladies and Gentleman, meet the love of my life. my bearded, hunk of a man, Colby. Aka Michael.

I would say there aren't words to describe how i feel about this man, but let me tell you, there are plenty. i could go on for hours, write books, put an article in the newspaper or send a telegraph thats 10 pages long, proclaiming my love for him.

We met at 15. Him 15, me 16 in San Antonio, Texas. Our parents had become great friends and decided to take the families on a vacation from Henderson, TX [where we both grew up] to the hill country. (our parents to this day are still best friends and are literally neighbors) I was more than excited to go, and not because of him but because i loved to travel. When Colby tells this story he will tell you how he already despised me because i was a cheerleader and all cheerleaders have no substance. Boy was he wrong!

The first words we ever said to each other were "Hey, we have the same phone" and the rest is history. We immediately got along. Immediately became best friends. Colby tells me he was hesitant because he had a girlfriend at the time and i had a boyfriend, but also because i was "popular".  But that didn't stop us from staying up all hours of the night every night just talking about our lives and telling each other secrets that no one else knew. I instantly knew he was special to me. I didn't know then, really how much. God had his plan in the works for us at 15 years old.

Dating on and off through high school and college, in August of 2013 we finally spoke after literally two years of silence. We loved each other so much that when we weren't together, we couldn't even be friends. We just didn't speak. I can remember thinking to myself that i would never see my best friend again. All that changed one summer night.

Our first date after not seeing each other was at TGIF. He had grown a beard and at first i hated it. We sat in the booth and talked for hours. After that night, i never left. Literally. I packed up my essentials and basically moved to Tyler. For a few months i stayed with Colby. Not seeing this wasn't in Gods plan. What was in Gods plan was a beautiful engagement. On April 24th, 2014, he asked me to marry him. In Bri and Josh Lomas kitchen. It was the best day of my life.

After we got engaged, we decided i would move out and get my own apartment and i was having convictions about us living together. Thinking this would solve all our problems, i was rudely awakened when it didn't. I was so accustomed to living a selfish life that i took that selfishness out on Colby. He literally had to teach me how to be a better human, and live for others. The first year was the most trying in our lives. I think back on it now and know it was God speaking through Colby each and every day. I thank God that i found a man who would take the time to teach a 24 year old how to live.

Now, equipped with Gods strength, our relationship is blossoming. Im experiencing things I've never felt before. Joy, happiness. A yearning to go out of my way to make Colby feel good. I owe every last bit of my happiness to Jesus.

Colby is beautiful, humble, honest, caring, loving, compassionate, a dreamer, incredibly smart (beyond genius) and he is mine.

My bride groom. Sent straight from the arms of my savior. I couldn't be more lucky!

I challenge you to live a life where you put yourself last and everyone you love, first. It will bring you to your knees with joy.