Celebration!

He PASSED!!

Paul got his clinical board exam results back on Monday, and he passed! We were, are, SO excited! :) God is so good, and we know the glory belongs to Him. Now, all that's left for Paul is a month of working in the clinics, and then he graduates in May.

So to celebrate, we picked up some steaks, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and fresh veggies and went to my parents' house to grill out. They had some champagne for us to enjoy, and we had a great time!

Popping the cork

Yah! He passed!

The champagne.

MUSC visits

Evidently, just because my husband is a dentist doesn't mean I have perfect teeth. Now growing up, I was the one who didn't have any cavities. I probably didn't have my first cavity till high school. I didn't do anything extra special for my teeth - just brushed once a day. Well, that was then and this is now....a mouth, unfortunately, full of cavities. But as my mama says, there is always a silver lining. This past weekend, Paul and the other MUSC dental 4th years had their clinical board exams. Since I have a variety of readily available cavities, Paul and another friend of his were able to use me as a patient for boards (side note - they have to find their own board patients which is not an easy thing). That means for the past two weeks, I've probably seen a dentist more than in the past five years put together. I had to have x-rays, more x-rays, fillings to prepare for more fillings, and a lot of really big needles stuck in my mouth. And then this past Friday and Saturday morning, I had to be at MUSC at 6:15am for the board exam fillings. All in all, it really wasn't bad. Paul and the other student were both gentle, polite, and did a great job. I'm glad I could help them out!

It's really strange to think that Paul is finishing up his fourth, and final, year at MUSC! He has been working so hard for the past four years, and now he's about to graduate and be Dr. Reid! How cool is that!

Baby Shower Pictures!

Here are the pictures from my sister's baby shower! The theme was "Cute as a Button", hence all the buttons.

The table scape - vases with buttons and tulips.

Me, Mom, Meredith, and Hanna.

The "Manning Girls" all grown up!

My diaper cake! Isn't it awesome!

Hanna's "Cute as a Button" banner. Each letter is on a button. She did a GREAT job with it!

The button napkin holders. Ms. Jody helped paint, hot glue, and arrange this!

The ribbon we used for the backs of button napkin holders.

My own, and first, recipe!

I've already mentioned how much I love to cook, and love quinoa, but as of yet, I've used recipes I've found on-line. Tonight, however, I decided to try creating something on my own...and it worked! I made a mexican quinoa casserole and it was actually pretty good! So...without further ado, here's my recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1/4 cup taco sauce

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

3 tbsp water

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

1/4 onion, sliced

1-2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup corn

1/2-1 cup black beans

salsa

1 avocado, chopped

1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium sauce pan, add quinoa, water, and taco sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes till quinoa is translucent and has absorbed all the liquid

3. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over med-high heat. Add oil, and then peppers and onion. Saute till tender. Add corn and black beans just to heat them up. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, mix flaxseed and 3 tbsp water. Stir this mixture into cooked quinoa.

5. Pour a layer of salsa on the bottom of a small baking dish. Then spread half of the quinoa over the salsa. Place the onion and pepper mixture on top of the quinoa. Pour a layer of salsa on next (just add as much as you want). Then spread the remaining quinoa on next. Top with a layer of salsa and then cheese.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes.

7. While the casserole is baking, make some fresh guacamole. In a small bowl, add chopped avocado, juice of 1/2 a lemon, a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well and put in fridge to chill.

8. Serve casserole with a scoop of fresh guacamole. Enjoy!

Maybe, just maybe, I can start using what I've read from other recipes and seen on TV to start creating my own meals. That's my goal at least. :)

A girl's weekend...

This weekend was a girl's weekend....and such a fun one! Here's the thing, I took my camera everywhere I went, but forgot to pull it out...so I will post pictures when I get them from my sisters and other friends. Make sure to check back soon to see them!
The weekend started off with my mom and me, a.k.a. Thelma and Louise, driving to Atlanta, GA Thursday afternoon for my older sister's baby shower that was held on Saturday. We had a great drive, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time we had together to talk, share, plan, and catch up. And we made great time! We stayed the night with my grandparents, and then Friday morning headed over to my old neighborhood where I grew up as a young girl. Some of my favorite memories are from this neighborhood as I grew up with a close group of other families...but that's a whole 'nother story! The theme for Meredith's shower was "Cute as a Button", so everything was buttons! We spent the morning shopping, painting and decorating small wooden buttons (created with thanks to my husband Paul). The wooden buttons were then attached to ribbon and used as napkin rings. Thank you Ms. Jody for helping to paint them - you did great! Then, that afternoon we spent making a diaper cake, cooking, and preparing for the shower for the next morning. The diaper cake was so cute - and not very hard to make! Great idea, Bev! :)
Let me just say, Meredith is a beautiful, young, pregnant woman. She was glowing the whole weekend! The shower went so well, and everything was great. We served nut bars (which were the hit), two quiches, fresh fruit and yogurt, crackers and cheese, banana bread, and petite fours. Meredith opened her gifts, and we, the guests, started the baby pool - date, weight, and gender. I choose May 10, 8.2 lbs, and a girl! It was great to see some old friends, and to see my celebrate the upcoming birth of my future niece or nephew.
After the shower, I was fortunate enough to continue my girl's weekend and head out to Cummings, GA to visit a special friend from my Furman days. Jamie and I were on the same hall freshman year and have remained close friends ever since. She and her husband have a 7 month old baby boy, Aaron, who is beyond precious! I don't think spending time with Aaron eased my baby fever - it probably increased it! Jamie and I have a lot in common, and we always have a great time chatting, sharing stories and life together. God bless girlfriends.
It was a full weekend, but a great one. And one I needed. God brings people into our lives for a reason, and I am so blessed to have the family and friends that I do.

Pictures will be coming!

Refocusing....

I'm still working my way through Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. And it's still been wonderful and challenging. Yesterday, as I was going through the lesson, he used Romans 12:9-21 as a description of how we, as the body of Christ, should live with one another. And it really pulled on a heart string of mine. Here's what verses 9-15 say (the ones that really tugged):

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another about your selves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keel your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need.
Practice hospitality."

Wow. Even now as I read and read again these lines, I am in awe and speechless. I think to my self...I am living this? I should be. I need to be. These are powerful commands. As a part of the body of Christ, this is how I am called to live. We serve an awesome God. A faithful Lord. A loving Father. He sacrificed His son for us. I live because he died for me. If this is how I am called to live, then I pray I can and will.

God Bless.

Just another Monday...and Tuesday

This past weekend was a great weekend. Paul and I were able to enjoy the weekend with little stress and some good quality hang out time. We went over to my parents' house Saturday night for dinner, which was Yumm-O as always. My mom is a great cook - I would like to think I've inherited her cooking talents. :) They also taught us a new game - Farkle!Played with dice. Lots of fun. Little strategy. And I lost by a LOT! Let's just say I will not be adding gambling in Las Vegas to my bucket list.

We have a show now! We started watching "The Event" yesterday. The show started last fall, but we were unable to watch it - we just heard about it from my sister. So we actually watched it on Hulu over the winter and got hooked. It just started back yesterday, and was really good! Both of our other shows ended last season - LOST and 24 - and we've missed having something to look forward to watching together. Monday nights at 9:00 on NBC. Check it out.

This week has started off interestingly. My kids already have spring fever, and we have 6 more weeks till spring break....a long 6 weeks. I think I may just have a permanent headache.

Last night was meatless Monday, and it was another success. I made another dish from Peas and Thank You (can you tell I really like her stuff?!). I made zucchini quinoa lasagna - vegetarian (no meat - the quinoa is the protein, although added black beans could be good too!), gluten free (sliced zucchini instead of pasta), and super good! And not hard to make at all. And the best part is the hubby liked it. I said it before, and I'll say it again, if you haven't tried quinoa, TRY IT!! I wanted to take a picture of mine, but unfortunately, it just didn't turn out pretty enough. So if you want to check out what it's supposed to look like, go to the recipe's website.

Today I am attempting to make homemade yogurt. Just an experiment. Paul and I are really trying to be healthier, and yogurt bought in stores is full of added sugars or sweeteners, and other "stuff" that you don't really need. By making it at home, I know it's real milk, only a little added sugar, and its a lot cheaper. All I had to buy was a half gallon of milk and that will make 8 cups of yogurt. Hopefully it will turn out yummy. I'll let you know.

A Girl's Night Out

This past Christmas I got my mom tickets to "Girl's Night Out" - featuring Anita Renfroe and Mandisa. The show was last night, and it was GREAT! Anita Renfroe is laugh out loud funny and brought my mom and me to tears more than once. She remakes a lot of songs, which are hilarious. Like Faith Hill's "Just Breathe" she made into "Don't Breathe" (a song about waking up to your husband's nasty smelly breath!); she remade Josh Groban's "Your Raise Me Up" into a song dedicated to underwire bras; and Taylor Swift's "Love Story" in "Real Love Story" (about what real life fairy tales are about). And then Mandisa came on stage, and did a wonderful, touching concert. She has an incredible life story, and has over come some serious issues - and she stands strong on the love of the Lord and proclaims His majesty. Her testimony was a different kind of tear-jerker. Needlesstosay, my mom and I had a great time together. It's not too often that I get to go out on a date with my mom, and it was very special for the both of us.

I love you Mom.

ABC's of me!

I saw this on my sister-in-law, Anna's, blog and thought it was super cute and fun. Maybe you'll learn something new about me...

Age: 26

Bed size: Queen

Chore you dislike: Mopping the floor...I don't mind the other ones, just mopping isn't my thing.

Dogs: one very energetic English Springer Spaniel, Vance.

Essential start to your day: I don't really have one...I consider myself a morning person.

Favorite color: Pink - gotta love pink - all shades!

Gold or silver: Silver please

Height: 5'6

Instruments you play(ed): Piano for about 10 years, and cello for about 4 years

Job title: Preschool teacher, I spend my days with 20 exciting 4 and 5 year olds

Kids: Right now, only the 20 that I have at school. Definitely in the near future for me and Paul to have our own though

Live: Charleston SC, but will be moving to Birmingham, AL in June.

Mom’s name: Carol

Nicknames: Whit, Whitley

Overnight hospital stays: thankfully, none

Pet peeve: unnecessary noises coming from my kids all day long (interpret at your own will)

Quote from a favorite movie: impossible to answer...so many good movies, SO many good lines

Righty or Lefty: Righty, but I eat, drive, and talk on the phone with my left hand

Siblings: I'm sandwiched between 2 amazing sisters, and due to marriages, I have 3 way cool brother's in law, and one very sweet sister in law (I do consider them siblings and family)

Time you wake up: weekday mornings - 5:00am, some days 4:45am. And I have an internal alarm clock that won't let me sleep past 7:30.

Underwear: well, that's kinda personal - but definitely colorful ones.

Vegetables you don’t like: hmm...I don't know if there's a vegetable I don't like. I LOVE veggies!!

What makes you run late: according to Paul, anything. He usually keeps me on time.

X-Rays you’ve had: teeth and feet

Yummy food you make: homemade from scratch waffles, and french toast

Zoo animal favorite: ELEPHANTS!!! I love Elephants. It's a life-goal of mine to ride an elephant some day!!

Peace. Love. Jesus.
God Bless.